While respectfully plenty of TV series that have stood the test of time and been etched into television history. I have my favorites and while I won't claim to be able to name them all. I will try to make mention to several in my television watching history as well as the ones that in recent years have stood out for me. Please remember these are only my favorites and I do recognize my tastes may not be the same as yours. This list is in no way a full list of every great TV series ( I have also left out any series previously mentioned in my blog ), just some of my favorites I wanted to share.
1. Outlander 2014 - This is a Starz series and definitely a series I find exceptional. The story follows Claire Randall Fraser and Jamie Fraser love story throughout the years.
Season 1 - Shows how WWII nurse Claire Randall and her husband Frank Randall are visiting Scotland when she travels through the stones to the 18th century. Out of necessity she is married to Jamie Fraser a Highlander clansmen but soon they both fall deeply in love with one another. The clan being pursued by the British redcoats and Claire is soon deemed a healer. The season ends with Jamie being captured and tortured by a sadistic British Officer. I will say that after watching the first season I was hooked and have not missed one episode since.
Season 2 - Without giving too many details away Claire and Jamie have traveled to France and the British officer makes an appearance but Claire convinces Jamie not to kill him until Frank Randall's ancestry can be assured. During this time Claire loses a baby and they set sail to return to Scotland, however after Jamie learns of her 2nd pregnancy he convinces her to return through the stones before the Battle of Culloden a fight that the Highlanders are in history destined to lose. After returning to the 20th century, she finds herself agreeing to raise the baby with Frank.
Season 3 - During this season you learn that Jamie was gravely injured at Culloden but was spared execution and imprisoned. He befriends the Governor who later paroles him to work at an English estate where Jamie fathers a son. Later Jamie leaves to return to Scotland and becomes a printer. After 20 years pass Claire has now become a doctor, Frank has died and she finds out during a visit to Scotland with Brianna and vows to return to him. It is hard to explain all the details but after Claire returns to find Jamie married to a widow woman however upon her return it nullifies the marriage. The two end up chasing after Jamie's nephew Ian traveling through the Caribbean and ending up shipwrecked in the Americas.
Season 4 - Has just started but they have have already traveled to North Carolina and visited Jamie's aunt on a plantation were slavery is sadly witnessed. They decide to travel north, where they end up claiming a piece of land called Fraser's Ridge and making it their home. While not trying to give too much away they settled tensions with their neighbors the Cherokees, Jamie was able to see his son as he traveled through with the Governor, and Jamie found his old friend Murtagh. Meanwhile after turning down Roger's marriage proposal Brianna finds out that both her mother and dad are doomed to die in a fire and goes to travel through the stones to warn them. After finding out that Brianna has gone to the stones he decides to follow her into the past. Season 4 is not yet over however I can say so far Brianna has arrived and Roger finally found her but I will not say more. I will say that this is an absolutely wonderful series and one that is definitely full of drama and tragic events. Please watch and let me know if you enjoy it as much as I have.
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2. Game of Thrones 2011 - HBO's GOT has led in series since the moment it appeared, with a huge following of viewers. It has an outstanding cast, exceptional story, dynamic special effects and although sadly Season 8 is scheduled to start in April of 2019 it will end the series. I have no doubt they will go out on top.. and be viewed in record numbers by dedicated followers.
While I am not going to give you the details of the series know that it is a dramatic fantasy series with huge attention paid to its medieval realism. From the start it has generated buzz over its battle over good vs evil, hedonistic and political palace intrigue this series continually keeps you on the edge of your seat.. Remember this new year will be their last so you have time to binge watch every season before April and I am even considering on binge watching the seasons again before the last season starts just to totally immerse myself in the drama that Season 8 will assuredly bring.
I also want to mention I am totally a Jon Snow driven person.. I think he is the epitome of what a man should be. I also can't wait until this season to see what comes of the union between Jon and Daenerys (known to many as the Mother to Dragons).
Daenerys Targaryen to Jon Snow
- I spent my life in foreign lands. So many men have tried to kill me, I don't remember all their names. I have been sold like a broodmare. I've been chained and betrayed, raped and defiled. Do you know what kept me standing through all those years in exile? Faith. Not in any gods. Not in myths and legends. In myself. In Daenerys Targaryen. The world hadn't seen a dragon in centuries until my children were born. The Dothraki hadn't crossed the sea. Any sea. They did for me. I was born to rule the Seven Kingdoms, and I will."
I cannot sing the Game of Thrones praises more other than saying many series come and go but the ones of this quality are very few and far between. I am sad already knowing The End Is Upon Us!
I know HBO is probably already hard at work to provide everyone follow ups to the series which I hope will be of the same quality.
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3. The Handmaids Tale 2017- The Handmaids Tale is a unique series from Hulu and while admittedly it is a Dystopian fictional drama. The series has never lacked in jaw dropping controversial moments or horrific futuristic events not only for me but for everyone I know that also watches the show.
The series is based on a world in which everything has changed from what it is now, in fact the series gives you a glimpse of how the world changed for the main character known as Offred .. In the series fertility rates have collapsed and within the chaos a totalitarian government has been established, in which women's equality has been stripped away and a militarized, hierarchical regime has been devised. Furthermore fertile women (known as handmaids) become some sort of biblical sex slaves to those families that cannot conceive. From the moment the first episode aired the horrific events and characters in this series quickly grabbed viewers attention.
I have to say this series takes you on a roller coaster ride that you want soon forget. It also provokes conversation about how in literally in an instance political change can take away our freedoms. This series is worth watching and a series that will leave you lost for words. I know I can't wait until Season 3 let me know if you agree.
_______________________________________________________________________________ Below I have listed some of the series I've watched through the years ..either as a child or an adult .. Remember the ones I chose to list are just based on my personal memory and I was not able to list them all.
All in the Family - While this series is from the 70s, I can remember watching it as a child and thinking it was somewhat like my family and was one that due to the times had a huge following. I mostly remembered feeling sorry that Edith when Archie called her a dingbat and when he yelled about literally everything, looking back it truly is sad that I felt like this show was similar in any way to my family.
The Big Bang Theory - premiered in 2007 and while I won't claim to have watched every episode. I do think it is a very funny show with an outstanding cast. Sheldon is of course my favorite, but I truly love the interaction between him and all the other cast and how over time the story has expanded to include marriage and children.. Truly plenty of laughter to go around.
Seinfield - premiered in 1989 ended in 1998 and while I feel like through reruns I have almost watched every episode I can honestly say for a show about nothing I truly think it was one of the smartest comedies ever made. I always have been a Jerry Seinfield fan, watching him on shows like Johnny Carson's Tonight Show , stand up specials and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. However everyone in Seinfield made the show what it was a truly exceptional show.
Roseanne - premiered in 1988 and ran through 1997, than attempted a restart in 2018 only to be cancelled by the network for a comment made by Roseanne Barr. While I do not condone anything that was said I do want to say that the original Roseanne show I truly identified with since it highlighted a blue-collar family, somewhat dysfunctional struggling through what all of us at the time were and making us laugh at ourselves.. Over the years there are several takeaways from the original show that I fondly remember like when Roseanne taught kids how to shop for groceries to feed their families on a limited budget. As well as loose meat sandwiches, when to allow birth control, Roseanne seeing for herself David's living condition and allowing him to move in with the Conners. I can't possibly remember all the episodes but I know my family identified in some way with all of them and they made us smile.
Note I will say that times change and I was still out on the restart of Roseanne when it was cancelled, however the network has again restarted the show under ( The Conners ) now that Roseanne Barr has been written out of the restart and I do not know if the new show will stand the test of time but I can tell the cast is doing their best to save it.
other shows I remember fondly from years gone by
The Golden Girls
Bewitched
Brady Bunch
Happy Days
Sanford and Son
Sonny and Cher
Marcus Welby MD
Adam 12
Emergency
Good Times
The Waltons
Bonanza
Gilligan's Island
as well as many others ..
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