I've divided my list into two sections. I have a ton of favorites, so I'll just list them and then a brief summary of the plot and why I liked that show.
(Live Action)
Sherlock
This show, which originally aired on the BBC and consists of only three episodes per season, is (in my personal opinion) the best modern adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective series. For anyone who isn't familiar with the name (have you been under a rock?), Sherlock is a British detective who has a good eye for detail. He solves crimes along with his friend Dr. John Watson (who serves as the everyman to contrast Holmes' genius). My favorite thing about the series is how perfectly they adapted certain things from the original to fit a modern society and still were able to craft compelling characters and intriguing plot lines as well as exquisite character growth and a perfect character dynamic between the leading characters.
Frasier
A very popular spin-off from the old TV show Cheers, Frasier focuses on a pair of psychiatrist brothers and their dysfunctional family dynamic. I love this show because it is full of the type of subtle humor and irony I find most appealing in a comedy. Most of the jokes are nuanced especially after the characters are well established. The only thing I really disliked about the show was that the character of Roz Doyle was often the butt of not so subtle slut shaming.
The X-Files
A sci-fi show which follows a pair of FBI agents as they investigate unexplained phenomena. I fell in love with this show and its creepy allure as a teenager. I have always been interested in the supernatural and especially the possibility of extraterrestrial life. A couple lines from the show's iconic duo sums it up pretty well. Scully: "Have you ever entertained the possibility of finding life on this planet?" Mulder: "I've seen the life on this planet, why do you think I'm looking elsewhere?" (this isn't verbatim as I would have to look it up to find the exact wording).
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
A teenage girl finds out she's been chosen to protect the people of the world by fighting vampires on a regular basis. There are a few things I love about this show. The lore and creep element are pretty cool. It has kickass characters (all except Xander, I cannot stand that guy) and even better villains (for the most part, I'll confess to thinking "really?" with a couple of them) and the lead is a strong, independent, female.
Breaking Bad
A show about a high-school chemistry teacher who ends up being one of the most dangerous drug dealers in the area after receiving a cancer diagnosis. What I loved most about this show was the realism. The progression of the characters felt real, the slow, but inevitable descent by the main lead Walter White who goes from sort of blah to vomit inducing villain. My favorite character in the show was Jesse (a small time meth cook who teams up with Walter when he's first starting out). The guy, even though he's a drug dealer, has the most scruples of anyone in the show. A particular episode sticks out in my mind where Jesse goes to collect from some addicts who owe them money and finds a young kid there. The fact that he stays almost until the police show up just to make sure the kid is okay, risking his own safety in the process. That cemented my love of the character.
Atypical
A more recent show about an Autistic teen and his family. What I like is this show doesn't sugar coat what it's like to be on the spectrum but it doesn't paint all autistic people with the same brush either. It is as unique a show as each of the characters it portrays.
Friends
A sit-com made in the 90's about a group of friends who live in New York. What I like best about it: Pheobe Greene. I rest my case. Actually, I also like the eventual romance between Chandler and Monica (never did like the Ross/Rachel ship, it was way too toxic from the get go). Chandler is my favorite character, probably because he's always cracking jokes to ease the tension (kind of like me).
Dr. Who
A show about time-travel. What's not to like? The last of his kind, a man (Timelord) calling himself the Doctor travels through time and space in what appears to be a police box no bigger than six feet in diameter, but which is quite expansive once entered. The TARDIS, as the machine is known can travel to any time period and anywhere in space. I have always been a sucker for anything time-travel related. My favorite episode? they travel back to Elizabethan England and meet Shakespeare.
The babysitter's Club
Based on a book series I read as a child, the Babysitter's Club follows a group of pre-teens as they form a babysitting business. Each girl in the club has her own challenges to face and the show focuses on a different girl per episode. What I liked best about this adaptation was that it had good LGBT representation and even featured an episode where one of them is babysitting for a little trans girl who gets sick and has to go to the hospital. There, the doctors and nurses unwittingly misgender her causing her dysphoria and prompting the babysitter (who is usually shy and non-confrontational) to speak up in her defense.
Supernatural
A show about two brothers that hunt monsters together. Having been raised in a religious household which appreciated both the old and new testament laws, I like this show because it is full of biblical easter eggs. I also love the character of Castiel, an angel who achieves character growth from his proximity to the two brothers and becomes an agent of free will even going against the other angels when necessary. My other favorite character is Chuck but I can't tell too much about him without spoiling the show for others who might want to watch.
The Good Place
A situational comedy about heaven and hell. The main character finds herself in heaven and realizes someone made a mistake so she spends her time trying to learn how to be good so she can stay. Along the way she makes some friends, some frenemies and learns about herself. I love this show because it is laugh-out-loud funny. The characters are all compelling and there is lots of character growth throughout the series. Some of the things I liked about the show are impossible to tell without spoiling it, so I won't dive that deep.
Stranger Things
A supernatural series about a group of kids who get tangled in an interdimensional battle between good and evil. What I like most about this show is the way it handles suspense. My favorite characters are L and Nancy (although I hated her being with steve).
Last Week Tonight
A comedy news show, this program offers investigative journalism with a side of dry British wit. I like this show because it is super funny to me and also because of the in depth analysis it gives the topics it reports on.
Saturday Night Live
A sketch comedy show that has spanned decades. I love SNL, but how much often depends on the host because some of their stuff is hit or miss.
Umbrella Academy
A show about a dysfunctional group of adopted siblings who all have powers. My favorite character is Klaus, a narcissist with a chemical dependency problem whose antics liven up the show. His power is an ability to see and communicate with ghosts and since one of the siblings died, Klaus continues to see and talk with him even though no one else believes him.
Anne with an E
An adaptation of the classic Anne of Green Gables book series that has some interesting interpretations of the characters. In my opinion the best adaptation I've seen, even though it is merely inspired by the original and takes many liberties with the story line. I love how they introduce the issue of racism and homophobia and how Anne is so very open-minded to everyone. I feel like that fits her character so perfectly. I've heard that they canceled the show after season 3 and I really wish they hadn't because it was one of my favorites.
(Animated)
Rick and Morty
A spoof comedy with characters loosely based on doc and marty from back to the future. I love the character development especially as it relates to Rick and his family dynamic.
Steven Universe
A children's show about a boy who fights alien gem monsters with a group of his mom's friends while trying to unravel the mystery of his mother who was a gem but gave up her form so he could exist. All he has to piece together clues about his mom's past are the stories her friends or some of the gems he meets tell him. I like this show because, despite being a children's show, it has a unique storyline, good character development and good pacing.
Stein's Gate
You knew it was coming. This show is an anime about a guy who invents a way to send messages back in time. Although it is initially light hearted (the very first episode does hint at the darkness to come) it quickly escalates as changing timelines causes irreparable harm. I like the show for some characters and the time travel element as well as the changing timelines.
Log Horizon
Another anime about a large group of people playing an mmo who wake up inside a world identical to the game with no way to get out and no idea how they got there. They must learn to build a society and political system that will enable them all to thrive (they learn that they cant die as such because they are revived in the temple just like in the game, but "dying" does make you drop all your stuff). I love this show because it deals with various realities of forming a working government and societal cooperation that is necessary to thrive.
The Devil is a Part-Timer
This anime is about a devil king who is fighting a human hero and losing so he escapes through a portal to our world and finds that he has no magic so he ends up working at a fast food chain. I like it because the story is intriguing, the characters are unforgettable and it is really funny.
Wandering Son
One of the few anime I've found with accurate LGBT representation, this presents the story of a little trans girl who is struggling with her identity in a society that is conformist and conservative. From the reactions of the girl's older sister to how people lose their minds when she tries to go to school in a girl's uniform, this show is heartbreakingly realistic. I'm a sucker for a good tear-jerker and having two LGBT kids just made this show hit home even harder for me.
March Comes in like a Lion
This anime is about a professional shogi player (if you don't know what shogi is, it's kind of similar to chess but more complicated. I call it chess on steroids) who struggles with depression and the demons of his past. It comes from the genre known as "slice of life" which depicts realistic people and situations instead of fantasy ones. What I like about this show is, well everything. It has a gorgeous art style, beautiful animation, hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, memorable characters, good plot and an accurate portrayal of depression.
Natsume's Book of Friends
A show about a kid who can see yokai (Japanese mythical creatures) when no one else around him can, this show deals with societal ostracization and the joy of finally being accepted for who you are. I like the show's laid back style but it also has compelling story lines. Sometimes the yokai are friendly, sometimes they are not. My favorite character is Madara (a yokai that spends most of his time in cat form and protects Natsume from yokai who might wish him harm). Madara is often called Nyanko Sensei and other cat-like names. Other people can see Madara when he's in his cat or human form but not when he appears in his original (and much more formidable) yokai form.
Tanaka-kun is always listless
Another easy going anime, this is the story of a guy who just doesn't like expending energy. He spends most of his time sleeping or resting and doesn't even date because it seems like too much trouble. The show is a comedy about how the world around him reacts to him and how that changes or doesn't change the way he acts. I like the show because it is light and wholesome and because Tanaka is so relatable.
The disastrous life of Saiki-K
A comedic farce anime about a guy with god-level powers who just wants to be normal. This guy can read minds, teleport at will, turn people to stone for 24 hours just by looking at them, change the way the world works, lift heavy objects with ease, has x-ray vision and a bunch of other stuff and he hates it. He finds it difficult to hide his powers and is constantly trying to avoid situations where they might become evident. I like this show because it's sooo funny.
Charlotte
This anime is about kids who somehow have imperfect superpowers. The main character uses his power (the ability to inhabit another person's body for five seconds at a time) for personal gain and advancement until he is found and recruited to a school full of other kids with different abilities. They put him on the student council which is tasked with finding other students before the government (who wishes to experiment on them for scientific research or to use them as weapons) does. All the kids who develop abilities eventually outgrow them, so the school is designed to keep the kids out of harms way until their abilities go away. I like the show's plot progression. There are some heartbreaking moments, and I liked the character development as well.
Angel Beats
An anime about an afterlife designed to help kids who died tragically young move on to whatever's next, Angel Beats focuses on a group of students who are rebelling against whatever god might be in charge and do their best to disrupt the normalcy around them. I like this show because it is funny at times and sad at others. The only thing I'd really change about it is that it doesn't allow you to explore all of the group backstories instead focusing on a select few. Although the show would be decidedly longer if they had given backstories to all the kids in the group, I think it would have been that much better. I also love the opening song (which is played on piano) because it reminds me a bit of classical music.
Eccentric Family
An anime about a group of tanuki [raccoons which can shapeshift] and their familial relationships, the mc has a crush on Benten, the human who ate his father, and admires humans even though humans are responsible for the death of many tanuki from new years hot pot parties where tanuki is the main dish. I like this show because it has an element of absurdity, it is somewhat laid back and yet also powerful and it has beautiful animation and art.
Hyoka
This anime follows a teen (houtarou oreki) who wants a bland life where he doesn't really engage if he doesnt need to. He tells a friend that the colorful high school life which includes clubs and dating is just not his scene. The friend is then understandably shocked when he joins the literature club at his older sister's request. He decides it would be more work to convince her he doesnt want to do it than just help her out. Besides, the club doesnt really have members so theres not a big risk that it will take up a bunch of time. He goes to the club room which is locked, so he gets a key but when he enters there is someone there. Eru Chitanda is one of the schools best students and her family is pretty well known, but this is the first houtarou has heard of her. As he gets to know the perpetually curious Eru, Houtarou begins to realize that maybe he actually does want a colorful high school life. What I like about this show is everything. I like how perfectly the characters interact, the animation, houtarou's character development, the budding romance, and how the opening song and especially the accompanying animation so perfectly embodies houtarou's journey. *break out the tissues, this one's a tear jerker.
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