My Watch List

After a brief hiatus, this post, originally posted in December 2018, has returned to the blog!

Perhaps the question I'm most often asked by young people is, "What do you watch?" In the age of binge-watching and Netflix, this question seems to have taken over the classic, "What are you reading?". I read constantly, and right now I'm in the midst of a self-help frenzy; after all, I somehow timed my family so that I have a tween and a toddler in the house!

I do watch a few shows religiously. I'm not proud of all of them, but I'm not embarrassed either. What we watch says a lot about us; this I believe. And I give you the freedom to judge me based on my watch list.

Outlander: I've come late to the party on this one (much as I did with Downton Abbey and my all-time favorite show: Lost--not Penny's boat!); however, I have been fully immersed for the past few weeks catching up on this gem. I read the book about eight years ago as part of a book club, and I fully admit, I had dreaded reading it, thinking my high brow taste for classic literature would be offended. Wrong. I was captivated by the historic setting, the politics, the romance. And now the same can be said for the Starz adaptation. I love escaping into another world, another time. I love gazing upon the rich landscape, and I adore the characters. I'm certain that this show is going to break my heart every time I sit down to watch. I'm right.

Jane the Virgin: A friend recommended this show to me after I rolled my eyes at her insistence that it was great. The title didn't appeal to me in the least. Yet I soon realized that this show is everything I love in entertainment. The casting is spectacular. It has all the drama of a telenovela (and I'm a dramatic lady). The writing is absolutely fantastic. And best of all? The protagonist is a writer, struggling to publish and to make her way through this unpredictable profession. She's optimistic, romantic, and loving--and her father is one of my favorite characters ever! This show depicts familial love in such a beautiful way. My heart is happy every time I watch.

Star Trek: Beyond: I came to Trek through marriage, but I'm all in. As a child, I watched a little TNG and I saw Star Trek VI in theatres because Christian Slater was in it for two seconds. This iteration of Trek is compelling each and every week. The writing is tight and the filming is technically brilliant. It remembers that what so many of us love about Trek are the character dynamics. And man, does this show have some dynamic characters!

Will and Grace: Fabulous in the 90's and fabulous now.

The Bachelor/Bachelorette/Bachelor in Paradise: I have watched every episode of this franchise, and I have no shame. I am absolutely a reality TV junkie. This series, in particular, feeds my love of romance and my desire to see "happily ever after". It doesn't matter to me if they end up actually getting married. I want to see people find love and happiness. And, full disclosure, I love the drama. And the dates. And world travel. And the clothes. And the beaches. And Ashley and Jared.

Dancing with the Stars: Every time I watch, I consider signing up for ballroom lessons, until I recognize, once again, that I am not at all coordinated. Though I do fantasize about becoming just famous enough to be asked on the show. I would happily don the costumes and make a fool of myself on national television, as long as Mark is my partner.

Queer Eye: Thank you, Netflix. I loved this show in its original iteration, but man, this new version is even better! Not only is the show uplifting, funny, and actually quite helpful (I can now identify a "french tuck"), but it's important and relevant. One of my favorite episodes features Karamo in a conversation about race and police brutality with a southern police officer. That's just one example of many times the show features dialogue amongst people who come from different backgrounds, belief systems, communities, and identity groups. This show is important. Required viewing.

That's about it. No crime dramas, medical dramas, weekly tear-jerkers, or I'm-So-Rich reality shows. That's fine for other people, but I like to want to jump into the shows I watch. I watch to experience a different life or a different world (you see what I did there? a great show from my childhood!). Any recommendations to augment my list?