What should my wife watch next?

October 13, 2017 6:23 AM

My wife has really enjoyed: OITNB, early seasons of House of Cards, Homeland, This is Us, & Blackish. She has not gotten into Kimmy Schmidt. She finds Elementary too gruesome but likes the central relationship. What should she try next?

Past shows she has liked: the Therapist show with G. Byrne, 30 Rock, How I Met ur Mom, the sister wives show (the drama not the reality show), the MPD show with Toni Collette.

posted by OmieWise to Media & Arts (28 answers total)

Ugly Betty!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:26 AM on October 13, 2017

Search Party
posted by saladin at 6:37 AM on October 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

The Mindy Project
posted by thesockpuppet at 6:40 AM on October 13, 2017

GLOW!
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 6:41 AM on October 13, 2017 [14 favorites]

In very different directions, New Girl (half-hour comedy) and Top of the Lake (BBC drama, not gory).
posted by quadrilaterals at 6:42 AM on October 13, 2017

Good Girls Revolt
Dear White People
Gilmore Girls
Master of None, maybe?
Community
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:43 AM on October 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

The Americans is pretty great.
posted by stillmoving at 6:46 AM on October 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Best answer: If she liked OitNB she should watch Wentworth. Australian show about women's prison, darker than OitNB.
posted by Apoch at 6:49 AM on October 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Definitely Wentworth. If she likes sitcoms like Blackish, she might enjoy Fresh off the boat or Superstore. If she likes prime time soaps like This is Us, Ugly Betty or Jane the Virgin. Shameless, possibly, or Leverage.
posted by jeather at 6:58 AM on October 13, 2017

Insecure.
posted by rachaelfaith at 7:00 AM on October 13, 2017 [3 favorites]

The Good Place
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:10 AM on October 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

stillmoving: The Americans is pretty great.

I love The Americans but I'd say if she finds Elementary (on broadcast TV) too gruesome, I'd warn there are brief moments of The Americans (on cable) that might be too violent/graphic for her (spy killing stuff and the protagonists' pasts)

For my own recommendations:

The Good Place
Halt and Catch Fire
posted by bluecore at 7:10 AM on October 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Saving Grace. It is *so* good and the whole series is on Netflix.
posted by jillithd at 7:22 AM on October 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

If she uses Amazon: Enlightened
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 8:06 AM on October 13, 2017

Madam Secretary is a surprisingly good drama with great characters and relationships. I've also recently binged some Law and Order SVU episodes from the last couple of years, after not watching this show for 10 years, and was also surprised that the stories were still good.
posted by Katie8709 at 8:07 AM on October 13, 2017

Maybe The Good Wife?
posted by somedaycatlady at 8:31 AM on October 13, 2017

In Plain Sight--Mary is a US Marshal who has to protect people in witness protection. She has a wacky family and an awesome work partner. I wish there were like four more seasons of this show. It has drama, crime-adjacent stories and a strong female lead. I don't recall gruesomeness.

The Good Wife is also excellent.
posted by purple_bird at 8:46 AM on October 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Superstore and Call the Midwife.
posted by Owl of Athena at 10:15 AM on October 13, 2017

Sherlock?
posted by DarlingBri at 10:27 AM on October 13, 2017

Sounds like she and I have similar taste. Off the top of my head: Master of None, Parks and Rec, any of the Shonda Rhimes shows (especially Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder), Jane the Virgin, Westworld, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Veep. And if she wants really featherweight/no-thinking stuff: Gossip Girl and Younger are both fun.
posted by mosst at 10:54 AM on October 13, 2017

These were so popular she probably has watched them (or would have by now if she was interested), but if period dramas aren't ruled out, consider Mad Men and Downton Abbey. Both build backstories for a variety of characters like OITNB, though there are certainly central protagonists. Downton Abbey kinda balances earnest family with social commentary with ultrasuper cryfest like This Is Us. Mad Men is much more dark and twisty like House of Cards or Homeland. There is sexual violence; it is gruesome existentially but there aren't lots of particularly bloody scenes.

And speaking of dark and twisty, if she does nighttime soaps and didn't watch (or keep watching) Grey's Anatomy, the cast has gotten pretty amazing and the show has done some very cool things over the years.
posted by juliplease at 10:54 AM on October 13, 2017

Fleabag.
posted by SarahElizaP at 12:20 PM on October 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Parenthood (available on DVD, probably on various streaming services) should appeal to anyone who likes This is Us. And One Mississippi (Amazon only) to people who liked the MPD/Toni Collette.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 1:41 PM on October 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Friday Night Lights
posted by Sukey Says at 5:36 PM on October 13, 2017 [2 favorites]

Scandal. The Night Manager.
posted by Former Congressional Representative Lenny Lemming at 5:44 PM on October 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Just wanted to second In Plain Sight. I don't see that recommended often in these kinds of threads, but it should be, imho -- I enjoyed it a great deal. (I miss Marshall Marshall Mann!)
posted by merejane at 2:36 PM on October 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for all the recommendations! My wife has started and loved like three seasons of Wentworth. As she watches through more I will make more best answers.
posted by OmieWise at 5:56 AM on November 9, 2017

Response by poster: Oh, and she said exactly the same thing, that it's darker than OITNB. By the end of the first episode she was hooked, though.
posted by OmieWise at 5:56 AM on November 9, 2017