This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Mizzou chapter.

Mizzou students have over a month between fall and spring semesters. This calls for finding ways to fill days with tons of food, friends and fun. During your nights in, it may be entertaining to take up a few television shows and create a mild obsession. For this reason, Her Campus Mizzou has created a list of TV shows to get hooked on over winter break.

New Shows:

1. The Mindy Project

Mindy Kaling, a writer and actress (Kelly) for The Office, has created and starred in her own show. In The Mindy Project, Kaling works as a thirty-something gynecologist who is looking for love. Her obsession with romantic comedies inspires the clever narration throughout the episodes. Mindy is a self-absorbed person who is bothered by her weight and lack of romantic partner.

The Mindy Project is on Fox, and previous episodes are on Hulu.com.

Ongoing shows:

2. Parenthood

Parenthood is a drama that follows members of the Braverman family, including a music producer, lawyer, bartender slash single mom and a shoe designer. Each generation of the family has their fair share of issues, such as Adam struggling to raise his son who has Asperger syndrome. The dialogue between characters feels as real as a conversation with my own family. The combination of writing, acting and production can lead to some tears, so keep tissues close by.

Parenthood is on NBC, and previous episodes can be watched on Hulu.com.

3. Girls

Lena Dunham, the mastermind behind Girls, is a director, writer, producer and main character in her own HBO “dramedy”. Dunham’s character, Hannah, is a struggling writer who is cut off financially from her parents. She must get a job and pay her rent, despite her poor work ethic and distractions by a boy who doesn’t respect her. Girls follows Hannah and her three friends in New York City, displaying their witty banter and off-the-wall situations.

The second season of Girls premieres January 13 on HBO. Season one can be found on HBO GO.

4. Misfits

The British show, Misfits, takes place when a storm hits a group of teens while they are completing community service hours. The storm gives them crazy super powers and the show proceeds to follow their daily lives as quirky delinquents. The characters have abilities such as going back in time, telepathy and invisibility. They also keep accidentally killing their supervisors, and must cover up their acts.

Misfits is on Hulu.com.

5. Breaking Bad

When a high school chemistry teacher is diagnosed with cancer, he feels pressure to support his growing family. In order to do this, he partners with a former student in cooking meth. Naturally, there are some obstacles along the way.

Seasons one through four are instant on Netflix.

6. Parks and Recreation

The Office-style pseudo-documentary and comedy follows a parks and recreation department. Main character, Leslie Knope played by Amy Poehler, is the only person in the department who still has confidence in her work, whereas other characters are cynical.

Four seasons are on Netflix, and new episodes are on Hulu.

7. Dexter

Dexter is a serial killer, as well as a splatter pattern analyst in Miami. How are we supposed to feel about Dexter? He’s a sort of protagonist and antagonist at the same time. The show is currently on its seventh season, and an eighth is scheduled.

8. American Horror Story

Fast-paced story lines and intense cliffhangers make Horror Story addicting. Each season is presented as more of a mini-series than normal TV show. Season one starts out with the Harmon family, which faces difficulties and move across the country to Los Angeles. Their home turns out to be haunted by the many families living before them. Multiple story lines intertwine and incorporate the deceased from previous years in the home.

Season one is instant on Netflix.

Cancelled Shows:

9. Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies is a whimsical forensics-sort-of show with bright colors and silly stories. Ned is “the piemaker” who can bring animals and humans back from the dead by touching them. If he touches them again, then they die. However, they can only be alive for a minute or something else has to die. Ned uses this power to solve crimes with a business partner. When Ned has to solve the murder of his childhood love, Charlotte “Chuck” Charles, he can’t bring himself to touch her again. Despite their love for each other, they can never touch or she will be dead again forever.

Pushing Daisies lasted for two seasons until it was cancelled, even though it won seven prime-time Emmy Awards.

10. Freaks and Geeks

This high school drama is a bit of a cross between Girls and Degrassi. This show depicts typical American 1980s high-school suburban life in much-more-bearable-than-Degrassi kind of way. Many actors are ones you’ll recognize, such as James Franco, Busy Phillipps and Seth Rogen.

Freaks and Geeks aired for only one season, but had a strong cult following.

Do you have a new favorite show that you’ll be watching during your free time? Tell us about it in the comment box below!

Photo Credits

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/09/28/freaks-and-geeks-judd-apatow-paul-feig/

http://www.buddytv.com/pushing-daisies.aspx

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http://www.perlsteinlab.com/round-table/the-peanut-gallery/attachment/dexter

http://mauramc.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/parks-and-recreation-and-the-struggle-of-the-sitcom/

http://www.androidguys.com/2012/08/03/five-for-friday-android-apps-for-breaking-bad-fans/

http://www.clerkenwellfilms.com/misfits-nominated-for-british-comedy-award/

http://www.glamour.com/entertainment/2012/04/meet-the-girls-from-hbo-girls-glamour-may-2012)

http://www.raisingthevolume.com/nbc-parenthood/