Conor Fox suggests what shows to indulge in this Christmas
While I understand that you still have your Christmas exams to sit and fail, discount it’s never too early to start procrastinating about what you’re going to do over the Christmas break. Epic nights out catching up with friends, jolly holly family times, skiing in France… let’s get real – you’re probably going to end up sitting bored off your bits in the back-of-nowhere trying to decide what TV show to attack next. If that’s the case, I’m here to help future you and future me out. The following is a mix of my professional suggestions and what I’m planning on checking out. I’ll let you know how I get on…
Game of Thrones
I’m hoping Santa brings me the books so I can give the TV show a go. For all the fantasy geeks out there, this is apparently one of the best shows to try with a unique world to explore. The characters are well written and acted, The Guardian said “characters so venomous, they could eat the Borgias.” Yikes. There’s meant to be sex and violence, followed by more violence and sex. Just the thing to liven up a lazy St. Stephen’s Day.
Happy Endings
Now I’ll be the first to admit that Happy Endings takes a bit of work. The first half of the first season will give you the odd chuckle (perfect for when you want to stare listlessly at something hung over), the second half throws you one hearty laugh per episode, but the second season is – in the words of Penny – ah-mah-zing. Emphasis on the zing. Possibly one of the best “six thirty-somethings being craic” shows I’ve seen since Friends.
Girls
“Living the dream. One obstacle at a time.” Lena Durham writes and stars in HBO’s Girls and with the main character based on her and her friends’ antics, she knows what she’s talking about. Living the life in New York until her parents stop funding her lifestyle, Durham’s forced to try to support herself. All the characters were inspired by Sex and the City to move to the big city in search of their dreams – TV characters inspired by other TV characters? It’s the Inception of my life.
Homeland
While she may be one of the ugliest criers in the history of TV – if not the world – apparently Clare Danes is incredible in Homeland. She’s a CIA officer who’s sent home on probation from Iraq and soon suspects rescued ‘war hero’ Damien Lewis was turned against the US while he was imprisoned by al-Qaeda. Homeland is just on its second season and with only 12 episodes per season, it’ll be super easy to catch up on. Strap a gun to your leg – we’re joining the ‘War on Terror’.
Revenge
I love Revenge. It’s not a guilty pleasure, it’s a flat out PLEASURE. It’s like Dallas except with more bitchy side glances and less shoulder pads. Emily Thorne rents a summer house in the Hamptons allegedly to enjoy an easy going summer. Turns out she’s actually Amanda Clarke, daughter of convicted-terrorist-but-actually-innocent-and-now-murdered David Clarke, and Emily/Amanda is back to wreak revenge on the Grayson family for setting up her father all those years before. How does she intend on doing that? By sleeping with the son and heir Daniel Grayson of course. Now that’s some revenge we could all get behind.
