Again and again, the question comes from friends (yes, and also male friends) about which series is good. I love series and really enjoy watching them. They have a super good length, which still works out in the evening, even with children. Movies are usually too long for me, especially when the children were small; sometimes I watched a movie in 5 stages and by the end, I didn't remember the beginning anymore. Nowadays, with all the streaming providers, it is also totally practical because the spot is saved if you stop in the middle because you're falling asleep anyway. Netflix, Disney, and Amazon Prime are at the forefront here.
Great recommendations are also offered, in the sense of: "Customers who watched this series also watched this one." However, I have always preferred it when they are recommended to me by friends; that has usually fit very well and resulted in binge-watching for me.
So, here is my list of series that I have really liked so far and that I can recommend:
The best series – recommendations
Typical women's series
Here I have categorized series that are funny and more for women. Of course, also perfectly suitable for men, especially if you want to watch together! Anyone who wants to spend an entertaining evening should choose one of these:
- Sex and the City: A classic, everyone (everyone!) should have seen it. Carrie Bradshaw takes us into the world of fashion and tries to find her Mr. Big on the side.
- Friends: Also a must: 6 friends whose sometimes really very funny everyday life you can watch, heartbreak, professional successes or defeats, everything is included.
- Desperate Housewives: Four different housewives who live on one street: dark secrets are kept here and funny experiences are shared.
- Gilmore Girls: sooo beautiful: the lively, chaotic mother with the sensible daughter in sleepy Stars Hollow experience lots of adventures and heartbreak.
- How I met your mother: Ted Mosby tells us over several seasons how he met his wife. Sometimes very funny adventures.
- Cougar Town: 40 is the new 20 – finally a series character who is 40+ – veeery funny, provides cheerful TV evenings with Jules Cobb and her red wine glass.
- Two and a half men: Really funny series with the single Charlie Harper (I like Charlie Sheen best in the role!) and his opposite brother.
- Modern Family: 3 crazy families master their everyday life more or less and it leads to very funny adventures, Al Bundy in top form!
- New Girl: the young teacher Jessica Day moves into a shared apartment with 3 single men, I often cracked up over the episodes – definitely watch it!
- Vorstadtweiber: Surprisingly good Austrian series about 5 rich friends whose perfect world in the noble district is crumbling more and more.
Medical series you must have seen
I like medical series very much and I started back then with the series "Emergency Room" (although I didn't even like Clooney that much back then :-)). Meanwhile, there have been quite a few that I have seen or am still watching:
- Emergency Room: I started with this one back then and was thrilled.
- Scrubs: Good series about the young doctor J.D., who fights his way through everyday hospital life.
- Grey’s Anatomy: Still my favorite medical series, even though they took my McDreamy away from me.
- Private Practice: Mandatory after Grey's: the doctor Addison flees to Santa Monica and opens her own practice with two college friends.
- Dr. House: Super good doctor who is unfortunately a grumpy person. This leads to sometimes really funny encounters.
- 911: I started this series by chance, here firefighters and police officers are accompanied in their everyday work, sometimes really intense situations, but the interpersonal stories keep you glued to the screen.
Top drama series for women
Here I have listed a few series that I like very much, but you have to be in the mood for them, as they are often sad. These series pick up on everyday topics and you suffer with the main characters.
- This is Us: Great series: Here there are time jumps between the parents Jack and Rebecca in the 70s and their children in the present – have tissues ready.
- Chesapeake Shores: A career woman considers moving back home and meets people from her past.
- Virgin River: Totally hooked: Melinda Monroe wants to start over in remote Virgin River after some strokes of fate and of course it's not easy(er) here either.
- Anne with an E: I read the books as a teenager and am very enthusiastic about the adaptation! Anne is an orphan who is taken in by 2 older siblings and fights her way into society.
The best historical series
Series that are set in another time or have famous public figures have also caught my interest. In this category, I can recommend the following series:
- The Crown: A must: Here the life of the British Queen Elizabeth was filmed as a series, of course all members of the royal family appear (including Diana!)
- Outlander: The young nurse Claire travels through a magical stone circle into the past and finds her great love.
- Downton Abbey: Story about the English noble family Crawley and their servants in the year 1912 – really good!
- Bridgerton: The story about the 8 siblings of the Bridgerton family in the year 1813, the beginning is made by Daphne, who really wants a good match as a husband.
- Vikings: Admittedly, this series is not for the faint of heart, the series is bursting with violence, nevertheless the life of Ragnar Lodbrok and especially Lagertha fascinated me and I have seen all seasons.
Recommendations for crime series or lawyer series
- Rizzoli & Isles: Super series about 2 investigator friends who couldn't be more different.
- Bones: A highlight! The magnificent forensic anthropologist, who is unfortunately socially incompatible, solves every case, but does she also find her sweetheart?
- White Collar: The criminal Neal Caffrey (brilliantly played!) has to work together with FBI agent Peter Burke, wonderful scenes and dialogues.
- Suits: When the highly gifted Mike Ross meets the sought-after lawyer Harvey Specter, no eye stays dry. Although Mike Ross is not a lawyer, Harvey hires him.
- The Good Wife: Alicia Florrick, betrayed by her husband, returns to her profession as a lawyer, very well played by Julianna Margulies.
- House of Cards: The power-obsessed couple Francis and Claire Underwood integrate themselves into the White House.
Fantasy series you must have seen
Also in the fantasy series genre, I have found some series that I personally like very much and that I can recommend:
- Game of Thrones: Attention, veeery much violence, but addictive, at least for me. You really want to see which kingdom of the 7 wins the power struggle.
- Vampire Diaries: Two vampire brothers meet the innocent high school student and fall in love with her, who will it be?
- Shadowhunters: On her 18th birthday, Clary Fray notices that she is different. Demons, angels? The adventures take their course.
- Lucifer: Lucifer, the ruler of hell, mixes with humans and solves criminal cases. Very funny and well played by Tom Ellis!
- The Shannara Chronicles: The young half-elf Shea Ohmsford must save the world, will he make it?
- Arrow: DC comic character Green Arrow punishes all exploiters of Starling City, interpersonal relationships are not neglected either.
- Lost: Very mysterious series about a plane crash on an island, 48 survivors, but soon you realize, something is not right here.
- The Witcher: Story of the witcher Geralt of Rivia, against his will he is involved in political intrigues and machinations and falls in love.
Do you also have series that you can highly recommend? I look forward to comments and further recommendations!
Read also: Reading is fun – the best children's books of 2018
Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
