1. Celia
Originally created for Telemundo, Celia is a show based on the life of Cuban singer Celia Cruz. The show starts with Celia’s life as a timid school teacher in Havana, Cuba. Celia fights to make it as a singer despite her father’s disapproval. Celia’s journey with stardom goes unhitched, until the Cuban Revolution starts. Celia is worried she’ll be robbed of what she loves most: her family and her native country. The show’s 80 episodes will encourage viewers to follow their dreams while also reminding them of the importance of family.
Celia is in Spanish but subtitles are available through Netflix
2. Grey’s Anatomy
Meredith Grey’s life as a doctor started in 2005 when Grey’s Anatomy premiered on ABC. Ten years later, the show is still going strong. Tragedy often strikes Seattle Grace Hospital (later renamed Grey Sloan Memorial) but their community remains strong and makes the most out of the toughest situations.
3. The Fosters
After years of being moved around, a teenage Callie finally finds a home with the Adam-Foster family. Stef and Lena Adams-Foster, an interracial lesbian couple, are already raising Stef’s biological son and their adopted twins when Callie and her younger brother come into their lives. Although Callie struggles with her own personal issues, including her attraction to her foster brother, she wants nothing more than to work things out so she can get a permanent family.
4. A Different World
Airing from 1987 to 1993, A Different World follows the lives of several students attending a HBCU. Starting from their freshman year and going on until after their college experiences, the show is known not only for the iconic relationship between its two protagonists, but for its coverage of social issues that were seen as taboo even more then than they are now.
5. Jane the Virgin
Jane, a graduate student and aspiring teacher, made a vow to herself and God that she would remain a virgin until marriage. For this reason, she is in disbelief when a doctor tells her that she is pregnant. Jane’s life changes very hectically from the day she is accidentally artificially inseminated. This telenovela shows Jane’s dilemma choosing between her boyfriend and the father of her unborn child. Although she works to stay on the right path, Jane always finds herself in a crazy situation.
Enjoy a good binge with one of these shows!