Throughout the extensive amount of free time I’ve had over the past five months I’ve found myself watching copious amounts of TV. While on my substantial streaming sessions I’ve watched a few shows that don’t receive nearly as much recognition as they deserve. Here are my four most underappreciated binge worthy TV shows.

“Seinfeld”

Often called “the show about nothing” Seinfeld follows the lives of comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his friends Kramer, George, and Elaine. This ingenious, humorous, and ever-so-clever show paved the way for American sitcoms that would later follow. But because of its origin in 1989 I feel as though Seinfeld is often overlooked by other sitcoms such as The Office and Friends especially by kids my age. This flawlessly casted show never fails to entertain even just by making comedy out of everyday scenarios which led to some of the most iconic phrases in modern pop culture. While the show is “about nothing” it is also about everything which adds a level of simplicity that we all can admire.

“Criminal Minds”

Set in Quantico, Virginia, Criminal Minds follows the behavioral analysis unit of the FBI as they try to predict the next moves of offenders in order to stop them from committing any further crimes. All of the agents possess their own strengths which helps their profiling. My favorite agent would have to be “boy genius” Dr. Spencer Reid played by Matthew Gray Gubler who has an eidetic, or photographic memory and an IQ of 187. I got hooked on this show over quarantine and though the episodes run upwards of 40 minutes I find myself always wanting to play the next episode. Despite there being 15 seasons each episode is based around a unique case with an unknown subject (unsub) with a different rationale. The suspenseful, thrilling, and overall fascinating crimes leave me on the edge of my seat, never wanting to turn my TV off. 

“Royal Pains”

After being blacklisted from the medical community, Dr. Hank Lawson starts his own private medical service as an on-call doctor with the help of his younger brother Evan. Starring Mark Feuerstein, Royal Pains is my guilty pleasure medical drama. Based in the prestigious Hamptons community in Long Island, New York, you get a taste of how the privileged live their lives, as well as a look into the way the private medical world works. Though he is surrounded by the chaos that is the medical field, Hank manages to stay true to himself and prioritize his morals. The chemistry of the characters as well as the engaging insight into the private medical world is what kept me coming back.

“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”

Originally the thought of a High School Musical spin-off with an entirely new cast irked me and I am sure that many people have held off from watching the show because they hold my same opinion. But because of the high ratings my fellow editors gave the show, I decided to give it a chance and to my pleasant surprise I actually enjoyed it. The comedy drama follows a group of theater loving high school students as they participate in their school’s musical production of the original movie with the applicable name High School Musical: The Musical. To my surprise the actors were really good singers and even though the show is directed towards a younger audience it has a plot that people of all ages could follow and enjoy.