As Thanksgiving and winter breaks are fast approaching, you’re likely anticipating weeks of family time and catching up. You’re probably also envisioning sleepless nights in your bed, serial watching top television shows to pass the month away. Here’s Her Campus Emory’s top 10 shows, in no preferrential order, for you to watch during your late nights glued to the tube.
Orange Is the New Black – a Netflix original series developed by the same creator as Weeds. The show features a cute thirty-some-year-old engaged woman sentenced to 15 months in prison after being convicted of an old crime transporting money for her drug dealing girlfriend (if you watched That ’70s Show, you’ll love who shows up in this show).
House of Cards – another Netflix orginial series that happened to have killed it at the Emmys. The show features actor Kevin Spacey who plays a Congressman who plots revenge on the people who’ve betrayed him. The show is ideal for history, political science and news buffs…and frankly anyone looking for a well-written, rivetting and original drama.
Scandal – an ABC drama series starring actress Kerry Washington who plays a White House Communications Director who leaves to start her own crisis management firm. The show is extremely…wait for it…scandalous, with affairs and political corruption like you’ve never seen it. This will likely turn into one of your most addictive, not-so-guilty pleasures.
The Walking Dead – an AMC horror drama series that depicts a police officer who leads a group of survivors in a world overrun by zombies. This show’s season four premiere became the most-watched drama series telecast ever in basic cable history.
Modern Family – an ABC comedy series about three interconnected families facing the modern growing pains and tribulations of today’s blended families. The show’s unique yet relatable tribulations present a comedy series that brings every type of family together to watch for a good laugh.
The Mindy Project – a FOX comedy series created by its own main character Mindy Kaling. The show is about a young OB/GYN doctor who balances her comedic personal life struggles, mainly her issues with men, and her professional office life. The show has a quirky comedic tone that is bound to make anyone zip through the series during school break.
Homeland – a Showtime original series about an intelligence officer who suspects the man depicted as an American hero after he returns home from eight years of capitivity in Iraq may actually have been “turned.” This drama thriller won an Emmy for outstanding drama.
Breaking Bad – an AMC original crime and drama series, with some comedic undertones. The show features a chemist turned high school teacher who teams up with an ex-student to cook and sell crystal meth to pay for his future health bills after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
Mad Men – another AMC drama series about a top-notch New York ad agency. The show is posed in the 1960s era, focusing on a top executive in the firm and his dramatic life behind closed doors.
Blacklist – this NBC drama is newer on the scene, having premiered just this past September. The show is about a former government agent played by James Spader who has skillfully avoided capture for decades. He surrenders to the FBI with an offer to help catch a terrorist. He refuses to speak to anyone but a young FBI profiler played by Megan Boone.
This list is sure to get you started on your quest to catch up on some of the latest and greatest television shows this year. Enjoy your holiday breaks!