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Five TV Shows I’d Watch for the Rest of my Life

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

One of my all-time favorite things to do is to get some delicious snacks, lay in bed, and binge-watch my favorite shows. This became part of my daily routine, especially throughout the pandemic. What I love so much about the variety of television shows and genres is that there are endless different shows to choose from for every mood. I’ve watched quite a few television series, but I have chosen some of my favorite shows that I would choose to watch if I could only watch five shows for the rest of my life. 

  1. That 70’s Show

That 70’s Show is the definition of a comfort show. This classic sitcom revolves around six high school students living in Wisconsin throughout the 1970s. A lot of the show revolves around weed since it was such a big part of the ’70s, which makes for some top-tier comedy. There are eight seasons that aired from 1998-2006, which makes this show slightly older. I love the humor of this show and it’s perfect to watch with friends since it’s something I feel anyone could enjoy. There are several famous faces you may recognize from this show, such as Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher who met and fell in love during filming! If you have seen Orange is the New Black, you’ll know Laura Prepon (Alex) who plays one of the main characters on That 70’s Show. This show was unfortunately taken off Netflix, but it is available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video. 

  1. Glee

Whenever anybody asks me what my favorite show is, I always say Glee. I’ve been watching this show since it came out in 2009 with my family, and I really do think the nostalgic aspect is why I love this show so much. The show is centered around a high school glee club and several aspects of their lives, whether it’s their career, relationships, home life, etc. A lot of people consider Glee to be one of the shows that are so bad that it’s good, and I agree. This show contained a lot of controversial topics but also showed a lot of issues that most people don’t get to see on TV. For example, the late Naya Rivera’s character was included in one of the first lesbian high school television couples. This allowed for many young people struggling with their sexual identity to see themselves represented and to see that their feelings are valid. There was such a wide variety of characters featured, such as a student in a wheelchair, a pregnant cheerleader, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and more, which is why so many people find this show to be so special. Glee’s diverse cast gave every single viewer someone to relate to, whether it was because of their ethnicity, sexual identity, etc. Some of the cast who you may already know of include Lea Michele, Jane Lynch, and  Cory Monteith. If you have watched Supergirl or The Flash, you’ll also recognize Melissa Benoist and Grant Gustin who appear in later seasons. You can find all six seasons of this show on Netflix!

  1. The Bachelor (or anything from the franchise!) 

I started to binge-watch this series over the pandemic, and it was definitely a good choice. The Bachelor has so many seasons, 25 to be exact, which gave me a lot of quality content to watch. This show also has so many spin-offs, such as The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, and Listen to Your Heart. This is the perfect show to start watching if you are looking for something that will keep you constantly entertained. Every season has me on my toes, and it’s so intriguing to follow their lives and see how the relationships turn out after filming. Most seasons feature a lead from a previous Bachelor or Bachelorette season, so it’s nice for viewers to see a familiar face they (usually) know and love! You can watch different seasons of this show and the spin-offs amongst several streaming services, such as Hulu, Netflix, and HBO Max. 

  1. The Vampire Diaries 

This show is one that I started years ago when I was a freshman in high school. I’ll never forget the first time I watched this show because I was on the edge of my seat through every episode! The Vampire Diaries is centered around a teenage girl who ends up falling in love with a vampire. I know it sounds extremely corny, but I promise there is so much more to the show than that! There are matters of life or death, extreme plot twists, tragic deaths, and of course the typical high school relationship drama. They have an incredibly talented cast, consisting of Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, and more. This show is also based on a book series that also has overwhelmingly positive reviews! The series also sparked a few spin-offs, such as The Originals and Legacies. Both of the spin-offs are very entertaining and beloved by viewers. I would recommend all three of these shows to anyone. The Vampire Diaries and the spin-offs are all streaming on Netflix! 

  1. Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin is such an amazing telenovela-like show that revolves around a woman named Jane. Within the first episode, she gets accidentally artificially inseminated with her boss’s sperm! Being a pregnant virgin is practically unheard of, so the reactions of everyone in this show are hilarious. This show will have you on the edge of your seat with all of the plot twists; there is never a boring moment. With love triangles, intense romance, crime storylines, and all of the typical romantic-comedy scenarios, this show is guaranteed to be entertaining to viewers. The show stars Gina Rodriguez, Justin Baldoni, Yael Grobglas, and many more talented actors. This show has all five incredible seasons on Netflix! 

All of these shows are ones I could watch on repeat forever. There are so many quality television shows out there, but these are my all-time favorites. If you decide to watch the shows I recommended, I hope that they live up to your expectations! 

Tell us your favorite show by tagging us @HerCampusSJSU.

Hello everyone! My name is Bella Phan and I am a fourth year studying Public Health at San Jose State University! I have always loved to write and I am so excited to be continuing that passion with Her Campus at SJSU.