The new year is about new beginnings, habits and entertainment! The TV industry is constantly changing, with run times ranging from thirty minutes to an hour and a half for one episode. Streaming services take the lead for America’s favorite source of watching television. Netflix is taking the number one spot with 260 million subscribers as of 2024, followed by Disney+ with 157 million.
Television is around a 380 billion dollar industry as of 2023 and continues growing with new ideas and spin-offs from classic favorites. With so much content and entertainment to start a new binge-worthy series, knowing where to begin and if you will enjoy it can be challenging. To help with that, I have asked a few Fairfield students and looked into my watch list for recommendations to make the new year a fresh dive into entertainment!
Here are my top TV show picks to keep you entertained and excited throughout the year! I began watching “Abbott Elementary” on Hulu and ABC and have been hooked on the quirky mockumentary-style comedy series. It is a light-hearted comedy in Philadelphia, PA, focusing on dedicated teachers navigating the school system to help their students thrive. If you are a crime fan, “Criminal Minds” will keep you engaged on every episode, with a new case and criminals to be captured as the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI takes over to stop them. Now streaming on Hulu and Paramount+ and airing from 2005-2022, “Criminal Minds” has enough thrill to leave watchers on the edge of their seats while the B.A.U works together to solve crimes and catch the “unsubs” (unknown subjects).
After asking my friends and peers about their new binge-worthy TV series, they came up with various shows dating back to the 2000s. The show “Shrinking,” starring Jason Segel, has captivated audiences, including first-year Cate Quiñones, saying, “‘Shrinking’ is very realistic and shows how a man can grieve his wife while going through his daily life.” You can stream “Shrinking” on Apple TV+ and engage in a roller coaster of emotions as a man who lost his wife and has to continue his duties as a father, friend and therapist.
Reality TV on Bravo has captured first-year Maeve Cronin saying she “loves watching “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” because it’s entertaining to watch women in Hollywood so out of touch with reality and living a luxurious life.” The show follows the lives of affluent women in Beverly Hills on the Bravo channel as they navigate friendships and relationships while having fun but experiencing a few hiccups along the way.
The science-fiction TV show “Lost” follows strangers who deal with unexpected challenges while stranded on a mysterious and dangerous island. The relationships they build and the hardships they overcome together make the show a great watch! Ava Bistoff, a Fairfield first-year, has been a fan of the show and says she “enjoys it because it keeps you on the edge of your seat; there is so much going on and so many unanswered questions that you get wrapped up in.” The thrilling show is streamed on Netflix.
This guide covers everything from groundbreaking modern series, dramas and comedies to edge-of-your-seat thrillers and heartwarming reality shows. While the TV industry is booming with new ideas and breakout actors and actresses, it can be challenging to decide what to watch. My guide of shows from the 2000s to 2025 streaming on Netflix, Hulu, Bravo, Paramount+ and Apple TV+ should give you a fresh and hopefully great place to find your new binge-worthy show!
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