5 Tips to Help You Find Your Next Favourite TV Show
By Features Desk
Sunday, February 2020.
Have you ever been completely bored with the shows of TV? Perhaps you’ve just finished watching a season of a show you really loved and everything seems to pale in comparison. Or maybe you’re struggling to find something that can fill a medieval fantasy itch after Game of Thrones ended. Whatever the case is, we understand the struggle of finding a new show that you can really get into. Rather than spending your precious free time watching a boring show, we’ve put together some tips to help you find something to watch that you can really get stuck into.
1. Look at the memes
Popular shows always get loads of memes because everyone wants to make silly in-jokes and references on social media. If you browse the internet and constantly see the same show being referenced in memes and jokes, then you know it’s getting popular. When you simply can’t escape certain characters or if you’re struggling to shield yourself from spoilers of a certain show, we suggest giving it a watch because it’s most likely popular for a reason. There are even loads of Love Island memes and memes for shows that you wouldn’t imagine are actually that popular. While popularity doesn’t always mean that a show is right for you, it’s at least worth checking out to see what the fuss is about.
2. Dig into the archives
Finding a new show doesn’t always mean looking for something recent. In fact, there are many fantastic shows that have probably been running for a long time, giving you a huge backlog of episodes to binge on and catch up. That’s why we suggest digging into the archives and looking for shows that are 10 or even 20 years old. This gives you plenty of content and there are usually streaming services that allow you to go all the way back. Failing that, you could always pick up a big box set or even rent the show on DVD or Bluray. You’ll find some absolute gems just waiting to be uncovered if you dig into the archives!
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3. Check reviews
A simple go-to source for information is IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes. These websites are the most popular when it comes to getting information about a show because they’re widely used. They gather the opinions of hundreds or even thousands of people, giving you a good idea of how popular the show is. Again, popularity doesn’t always mean a show is good, but it does mean that there are plenty of people that enjoy it which is usually a good thing. Film and TV reviews can be a little biased, so take this information with a grain of salt. While something with a 6 or 7 rating on IMDB can seem a bit iffy, it’s usually good enough considering the number of people rating it.
4. Check “similar” shows
When looking at reviews or information about your favourite TV shows, you’ll find that there’s usually a “recommended” or “similar to this” tab. This often shows a bunch of suggestions for films and TV shows that are fairly close in terms of story or setting to a show that you’re looking at. This can be a great way to find alternatives to the shows that you currently enjoy. Suggestions might even be based on cast, director or producer instead of just the genre or setting. So if you’ve just finished binging on a show you loved and want more of the same thing, checking similar or suggestion tabs is always a great place to start exploring.
5. Watch a film instead
We know, this is a bit of a cop-out answer, but if you’re simply looking for something to watch or fill in the space between episodes of your favourite TV show that’s currently airing, why not consider a movie? If you’re someone that primarily watches long TV shows with multiple seasons, then you’ve probably missed out on lots of unique films on Netflix, Amazon Video or even on DVD or Bluray. There are countless unique films to check out, so why not explore your options and see what’s available? Who knows–you might find yourself enjoying a completely new genre or digging into a long movie trilogy!
It’s easy to spend hours looking for a new show to watch, so we hope that these tips have given you a good idea of how to look for a brand-new show to fall in love with.