
We've all been watching a lot of television of late, haven't we?
Don't lie. This is a safe space.
Quarantine and lockdowns aside, this is the golden age of television. While the movie theaters are dominated by big blockbuster bonanzas raking in billions of bucks, television has evolved into the premiere visual storytelling medium. There are captivating shows, on a dozen or more streaming services, all at your fingertips.
What are the best, start to finish, shows ever?
Keep this list handy the next time you don't know what to start watching.
Reddit user, Aggressive_Sea_8206, wanted to know what we should all get started binging today when they asked:
"What TV show managed to be consistently fantastic from the first episode to the finale?"
The saddest part about some of these shows is they were never allowed to go longer than a few seasons before they were being cancelled. Still, sometimes one season is enough to make an impact.
The Balance Of Power Is Shifting
"Rome was unfortunately canceled after 2 amazing seasons"
Joyce_Windu
"The weakest part of Rome is the rushed pacing in the 2nd season, and that's just because they were trying to wrap it up when they were told they were being cancelled."
gregorygummo
I Would Love You In Any Way That I Could
"Pushing Daisies was a really fun and pretty show."
ftminsc
"A victim of the writers strike. That show was so lovely and charming."
vicki_chicki
The Belief In Evil Is Not Necessary
"Criminal Minds"
"Boring show description but it was amazing from the beginning to the end I don't ever remember a bad episode, every episode kept me entertained"
Arsonc0mmitter
Cause Freaks Go All The Way
"Freaks and Geeks."
"…and they cancelled it."
EquippedCafe
"This is the one show that REALLY bothers me they can never make again. That cast was literally perfect, and they’ll never be that young again. I know that can be said about a lot of shows…but it kills me this show wasn’t ever finished."
Dangerous-Yam-6831
Netflix To The Rescue
"Lucifer. They managed to make me not only sympathise and want the best for Satan, but his girlfriend, daughter, step-daughter, brother, sister-in-law, nephew, his demoness best friend and her wife, while also making fun of religion without it being too overblown or central, and every single member of the supporting cast is excellent."
"I’m so glad that Netflix picked it up, because the Fox finale was perfect, but the Netflix finale broke me"
PiXLANIMATIONS
Are We Having Fun Yet?!?
"Party Down. I answer the same way every time this question comes up (like twice a week), and it seems like I'm the only person who watched it."
Quijanoth
The Oscars aside, animation always has, and always will, be a superior form of storytelling because they can tell the tale "real life" productions never could.
Sometimes I Feel Like I’m Just Like A Boat Upon A Winding River...
"Over the garden wall."
dpahl21
"Over the Garden Wall is the closest thing to a masterpiece I’ve ever seen."
Manybreadloaves
"100%. It's like nothing else I've ever seen while being so reminiscent of growing up in the 70s in the USA. All those folklore cartoons with quirky humor. The sometimes odd unintended creepiness of kids shows. The song and dance numbers. It felt like so many of the short films on reels that teachers would show their in their classrooms...even that flickering quality of watching projected movies was somehow conveyed. All those stories that had lessons in them and the danger to children if not heeded. The music and the art of the animation were incredible. Loved this show so much."
Unique_name256
Unstoppable Is Just Another Kind Of Stoppable
"The Dragon Prince is forever my favourite series"
uwontfindthisacc
"So, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard that The Dragon Prince is like a... spiritual successor to Avatar: TLA. Is that true? Or is it that it kinda has the same "feeling" as Avatar?"
Aggressive_Sea_8206
"I've never heard of anybody relating it to avatar in any way shape or form but I guess it has a similar feel"
uwontfindthisacc
Finally, I Have Them All
"Gravity Falls"
nanie05
“Gruncle Stan….. I trust you 🙆♀️.”
Dry-Ad7432
"It so perfectly captured that melancholic aspect of every coming-of-age story. The show made me nostalgic for a preteen summer in the Pacific northwest that I never even had"
According_Scallion
Good News, Everyone!
"Futurama. As an adult now, I love rewatching it and finding out more hidden jokes and Easter eggs."
Rangeless
"Agreed. It was "funny" as a kid but as an adult it's an amazing show"
Fuwet
Sometimes a show is so perfect, you can feel the detail, the love, the care, the consideration, placed into every scene, making you have to go from one episode to the next. These aren't the shows that you binge because they're so trashy you can't stop watching. These are the ones you keep watching because you want to absorb visual brilliance.
This, At Last, Is The Gift Of Chernobyl
"Chernobyl. Perfect Television."
paint_everywhere
"Yes, I was just talking with a friend about how I have so much respect for the show runners choosing to only do 5 episodes. I will happily take 5 absolute perfect episodes that fully tell a story instead of 10-22 episodes or countless seasons. Chernobyl is easily top 3 shows ever made and does so much with only ~5 hours of screen time."
RunsWthScizzors
Give Me All The Bacon And Eggs You Have
"PARKS. AND. RECREATION."
"Now, this is coming from a huge office fan. However, I know enough to admit that Parks and Recreation is just better. Of course, I will always identify as an office fan. All my friends associate the office with me to an extreme. But I know deep down that I truly like Parks and Recreation more."
"This is the first time that I’ve ever admitted this, but it is absolutely, undoubtedly true. Each episode EXCEEDS expectations, no matter how many times I’ve watched it (way too many to count) Please watch it. I swear you won’t regret it."
"Sincerely, An Office (Parks and Rec) Fan <3"
"EDIT: Much like the office, I advise you to skip the first season. It took them a minute to find their rhythm."
AudreysReddit333
Say My Name
"Breaking bad."
"It seemed impossible that they could end such an amazing show and have the finale be any good, but they pulled it off."
Metalcashson
You're Dead, You're Dead, You're Dead
"What we do in the shadows"
jayesh2
"Jackie Daytona."
COSurfing
"That's human bartender Jackie Daytona to you, sir!"
Badwolf84
"Only got better and better as it went on! I tried it out of sheer boredom one day and ended up binging it! Can't wait for season 4."
Din135
Jason Figured It Out?!?
"The Good Place"
FiveDollarRimjobs
"I have to thank Jason Mendoza for all my knowledge about Jacksonville."
shartnado3
"It really did have a good running story line that evolved without being predictable. I literally had no idea what to expect, was completely taken by surprise by the big twist, loved all the characters, and they even wrapped the series up with a very satisfying conclusion."
"It was great"
LurkJerk55
Why are you still reading this? Get watching. Clearly there's tons of brilliant television to take in.
What television show do you think was perfect from start to finish? Tell us about it in the comments!
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America is in quite a state right now.
We are hurting in ways we've never hurt before.
And getting better doesn't seem like an option on the horizon.
America gets a lot wrong everyday.
But, maybe let's try to focus on what America does right.
Maybe it can be a little comfort in times of struggle.
People from all over the world want to live here.
Why?
Redditor Ulrich-Stern wanted to discuss the best of America. They asked:
"What does the United States get right?"
I think America certainly has a strong work ethic. We know how to work and win.
Getting Around
"Accessibility code for buildings. I come from a country where disability is looked upon like a crime or fault. USA does an amazing job making things accessible. I haven’t seen all of USA but majority of the places has amazing system."
snreddit87
The Backbone
"Our public libraries are a real backbone for the country."
"Andrew Carnegie's groundwork in building the institution of free libraries, even in small towns, set a precedent that we wouldn't fathom today but couldn't live without. They often serve not only as an information exchange but as cultural hub, art gallery, performing arts center, tax aid, voter registration, job resources, etc. in communities."
"Plus they're one of the only places you can just exist for hours indoors without the expectation you must buy something.And I feel like they've adapted to the ever-changing needs of their patrons in modern times faster in the US than most places."
"'A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.' -Andrew Carnegie"
fadedVHS
'restore' or 'create'
"Valuing actual wilderness in places like national parks. Here in England, they will 'restore' or 'create' natural habitats, which is sort-of nice, but they are almost like zoos. They are too small to survive by themselves so they are actively maintained."
"And in some English national parks, they actually allow housing developments as long as the architectural design is sympathetic. Here, 'countryside"'means farms. There is still a notion in the USA of protecting some large wilderness areas from development."
anon5005
Nicotine Fiends
"The rate of smoking cigarettes. We do very little well in the US when it comes to overall health, but we are light years better than most places when it comes to the prevalence of cigarette smoking. Hardcore anti smoking adds + laws of inconvenience + social stigma really did work."
pasta_sauce87
Hollywood
"Films. Don't get me wrong, the US can put out some bad films, but the best ones I've seen are usually American."
ConcreteGardoki
We do do films well. That is a big plus.
Family
"The United States adopts more children than the rest of the world combined."
noodles43r
The Menu
"Burgers. Motherfreakin' burgers."
ProfessorRoyHinkley
"I'd expand that to sandwiches in general. Burgers, Philly cheese steaks, Reubens, subs, clubs, chopped cheese, po'boys, just this whole sandwich spectrum. Americans just took sandwich concepts from across the globe and ran with them."
gurnard
Natural Beauty
"I've always envied your wildlife. I'm from England and the only large wild animals (other than fish) we have are deer, boar and foxes. And they're incredibly rare. I've always thought it was so cool one country could have bears, moose, cougars, alligators, panthers, bison/buffalo, etc."
gateman33
Quickies
"Gas stations like QuikTrip, where they have clean bathrooms, lighted parking lots, free air for your tires, ten different coffees on tap, beer, hotdogs, any soft drink or snack you want, the list goes on. In other countries -- you're not gonna believe this -- their gas stations only sell... gas."
Blort_McFluffuhgus
POWER
"The US is an absolute science powerhouse. The technology we come out with has touched the lives of nearly every person on the planet."
AmericanHoneycrisp
Welcome
"I say this as an immigrant who came to this country, so perhaps take it with a grain of salt. But it truly gives people a second chance at life. My life would be nowhere near as good as it is right now if I were back in my home country."
Porongas1993
Maybe America isn't the hot mess a lot of people think it is. We'll see...
Sex is an important part of life.
That is just a fact.
But sex is also about connection and intimacy.
So it's not a surprise when many relationships take a hit after the sex dries up.
It's not something to ignore.
It's the biggest problem in the world, but partners should discuss it.
RedditorItsyBitsyJoxywanted to hear about reasons to stick around with a partner when there is no sexy time. They asked:
"Would you be in a sexless relationship? What circumstance would you find acceptable for this?"
Sex is fun. And when the sex stopped in my relationships... so did the fun. But that is just me.
A Certain Era
"I'm over 80."
Head-like-a-carp
"There’s a lot of people that are going to be real shocked once they hit their 70s."
KarateKid72
Ruin
"Our second child has ruined her sex drive. Intimacy is still there but extremely infrequently. I've learned how much that intimacy brings to the relationship, it feels very lonely and although I know it's not her fault, it can still make you feel like she's not attracted to me anymore. It can be pretty lonely too if you go from a romantic relationship to borderline platonic one. You can't help wonder how much is body changes and how much is you."
W0otang
Let's Hug
"I had rectal cancer and because of the surgery I can no longer get an erection, it's very lonely."
rickroll62
"Not sure if one exists, but a site to just make friends to be cuddle buddies, or whatever, should exist for people like you & me. I lost my sex drive & would like a relationship for that occasionally."
"In my case, it's not wanting to see someone very often, as well as the lack of sex drive, that I think would make it difficult. I also don't like people over to my home as it's too small for a couch & we'd be hanging out on my bed, which is weird to me."
lefthandbunny
Problems
"I'm in one now. My husband had a stroke... no sex is not the big problem for either one of us."
Altaira99
"This comment brings a lot of perspective. My gut reaction to this question was no. Sex was and still is pretty significant in my relationship with my wife. We’re in our 30’s and have been together over a decade. But if something happened to her and it was no longer an option? I would never leave her and love her too damned much to imagine it, no matter how much we love sex."
Spectre627
Pain
"I have a near sexless marriage. The love is strong, but the desire is one-sided. That hurts."
ztirffritz
Sexless over loveless is definitely easier. So there is that.
Over time...
"I am happily married to my good lady for decades and decades. There are times when it has been sexless for whatever reason but never has it been loveless.I wouldn’t have lasted 2 days in a loveless relationship."
Regthedog2021
You play the cards you are dealt
"I’m dating a man who got diagnosed with prostate cancer a year or so into our relationship. Prostate had to come out and it’s a hit or miss whether or not sexual function comes back. In his case, it was a miss. He wanted me to move on because he got very depressed over it."
"He’s so pleasant and a real decent human being so I stayed with him. Who would abandon someone due to a health crisis? Unfortunately he got bladder cancer next so this is another hurdle to go over. You play the cards you are dealt. We are together in this."
KitchenWitch021
Key Factors
"The reasons for the 'sexlessness' and the depth of the relationship are key factors. My wife got breast cancer at 40 and while she lived another 8 years, the chemotherapy nullified her libido and made intercourse impossible. And yet I dearly wish we could have grown old together whether or not this would have changed. But that’s completely different from cohabiting a loveless marriage or even facing such a situation in one’s youth only a few years after marriage. That would be hard."
eric_nathanson
Options
"A sexless relationship is better than a loveless relationship, as long as I'm loved and we share physical affection like cuddling and kisses and I'm allowed to beat my meat when I need too I wouldn't care. Just a heads up to all the people who take this personally enough to comment how wrong I am."
"There's no such thing as a wrong option, my opinion is in regards to myself and myself alone I'm not answering for anyone else. Different opinions aren't wrong... OP asked a question to be answered from your own point of view..so there's no reason to call anyone else wrong... it's about you, answer for YOU I've answered for me."
TheSims4Dude
Love is there...
"I'm in one. Not happy about it, but love is still there so that's nice."
Strythe_Horde
"Same. Maybe had it once in the last 12 years. Finally decided to go to couples/sex therapy this year. Not sure it is helping, but at least I finally brought up that I wanted to try something. My wife is my best friend and I love here with every fiber, just wish there was more intimacy there."
iathpa
it never happens...
"We haven't had sex in five months due to numerous reasons. Never have alone time with my mom and daughter here. We're both too tired. Our bed we have sex on is where my mom is sleeping. Our waterbed is difficult to use. We always say next weekend and it never happens. We're still going strong though. We love each other and that's what matters."
prettysouthernchick
Well I guess some people can make it work. More power to you.
We all have things which get on our nerves.
Some people have a fairly high tolerance level, and are only truly perturbed by things which are beyond the bounds of common decency, or which are universally accepted as annoying or inconvenient.
Others are not so lucky, and tend to be set off by things which might go completely unnoticed by everyone else.
Redditor Onatic420 was curious to learn the things which instantly make others want to pull their hair out and scream, leading them to ask:
"What do you find annoying as f*ck?"
Is it so hard to pick up after yourself?
"Habitual litterers."- SuvenPan
"When people don’t clean up after themselves."- cheeto_has_spoken
If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen
"People that can dish it but can’t take it."
"I work with a dude like this and it’s terrible."- MF_Ghidra
Never judge something by it's size.
"When skin tears near your fingernail and that teeny tiny wound hurts way more than it should."- BlackCaaaaat
"Buzz Buzz"
"When mosquitoes fly by ur ears."- AxcesDrifter
Back to where we started...
"The Reddit app when it scrolls back up to the top of the 65 TRILLION FKN articles you’ve read."
"It should burn the articles as you read them."- Deathdar1577
Get out of the way!
"People who leave the f*cking shopping carts in middle of the f*cking aisle!"- otherm0ther
But enough about me, what do you think of me?
"People who make it all about themselves."- ExtensionAir7
A lost cause
"Willfully ignorant people."- KingZaneTheStrange
Be it the way another person behaves or common, every day occurrences, we all have things which get on our nerves.
Most of the time it's best to grin and bear it.
But next time you see someone litter, it might be a fine opportunity to let that anger out.
For your sake, and everyone else's.
How many of us heard the old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" as a child?
Or were told by their parents that watching too much television would make your eyes fall out?
Needless to say, these, as well as other sayings and superstitions, were not 100% accurate, possibly even having no truth to them whatsoever
Rather, these were merely a way to encourage, or scare, children into better eating habits, or getting away from the TV once and a while.
Some however, have, took these and other unsubstantiated pieces of information literally, and continue to believe them to be true.
Redditor wste96 was curious to believe what other falsehoods people continue to believe, in spite of proof to the contrary, leading them to ask:
"What's the biggest lie ever told that we, as a society, still believe in?"
Justice will be served... won't it?
"What goes around comes around."
"Sometimes it doesn't."- Recent_View6254
"That people get what they deserve, or must deserve what they get."- HugeMcAwesome
It's just a phase.... or is it?
"That acne will go away after your teen years."- One_Arachnid_1256
Better cut back on those TV dinners...
"Microwaves give you cancer"- Salt-Significance702
Absolutely no justification.
"That torture is an effective method of extracting information."
"Every ten years or so, some three letter agency or another is forced to admit that their torture program yielded nothing but false leads and wrecked lives."
"Then goes straight back to doing it."
"The general population shrugs and says 'if it's the only way to get intel' as if they weren't just told point blank that it doesn't work."- barnfodder
A little kindness goes a very long way
"That being nice and accommodating is a sign of weakness."- AidilAfham42
"Square cut or pear shaped, these rocks don't lose their shape..."
"Diamonds are rare which us why they are expensive."
"They're very very common, their price is kept high by controlling how many enter the market by the De Beers group, which basically has a monopoly on them and hoards them."
"Synthetic/lab grown diamonds are the exact same as natural and even cheaper to make, but people are still convinced they're not as good as 'real' diamonds."- no_ps_wow
Unrealistic expectations on society
"That we need to work tirelessly and wear ourselves out in order to have a good future and stay happy."- iambigego
"Go to a great college and get a great job and have a great life."- MewsikMaker
When you just can't hold it any more...
"That there is a chemical you can put in pools that turns blue when you pee."- Sad_Cherry2884
As the saying goes, you can't believe everything you read.
But for the sake of others, still best to avoid peeing in pools.