Category: TVR: Bingeables

Written By: Samantha Stemmer

Have you ever found yourself, after enjoying an episode of “Black Mirror”, wanting more? Have you ever thought, “the concept of this episode could be made into a whole series?” Well Netflix’s new series “The One” might be what you have been waiting for. “The One” which stars Hannah Ware as the series eight-episode lead was created by Howard Overman and debuted on Netflix on March 12, 2021. The sci-fi drama is just realistic enough to make you question if it could happen in real life, the same way “Black Mirror” does.

 

“The One,” based on the book by John Marrs, provides a solution to singles scrolling though dating apps, going on endless bad dates, and relationships that just do not work. CEO and founder of the app, The One, Rebecca Webb, played by Hannah Ware, discovered a way to match peoples DNA with their one true soulmate referred to as your “match.” While this may seem like a fairy tale to some, as the show progresses, viewers quickly see the repercussions that follow.

 

There are four main storylines that the show covers throughout the eight episodes. The first storyline follows Rebecca Webb in present day and what is unfolding as detectives discover a body in Thames River and suspect Rebecca has some connection to it. The second storyline is set in the past as Rebecca and her friend James discover the science to creating the matching technology. Thirdly, viewers follow the story of one of the detectives, Kate, as she meets her match. Finally, the last storyline is about a couple who is happily married but the wife decides to find out who her husband’s match is. The four storylines can result in a drastic change of tone in the show and ruin the flow, for example, one minute you’re enjoying a murder mystery and the next you’re watching the demise of a marriage.

(James Pardon/Netflix)

While all of the storylines are interesting in their respective ways, there is not enough time with each of them to truly feel satisfied. It seems that the writers were overly ambitious and might have had better success focusing on only one or two of the storylines provided. There was also a lot of lost potential with the lack of exploration of the sci-fi elements of the show that comparative series, “Black Mirror,” always seems to do so well. The show does however leave viewers wanting more and hoping for a second season as it wraps the final episode on a cliffhanger.

 

If you are searching for a binge worthy show that is not a huge commitment, I would recommend giving “The One” a shot. You are definitely going to have to focus while watching not to miss any plot points of the different storylines, but after the first few episodes you should be drawn in. If you decide to give this series a watch, let us at The Vision Room know what you think and if you would find out who your match is?

Written by Samantha Stemmer

 

As summer of 2021 rolls around and more people get the COVID-19 vaccine, life might feel like it is beginning to go back to normal. And while returning to normal life is something we all dream of, having the excuse to binge TV shows all day was not so bad. So look no further because the perfect way to end a long summer day is to indulge in a “so bad it’s good” teen drama that feeds one’s soul and fulfills your guilty pleasures. 

 

The Classics:

(The O.C./ Fox)

 

When thinking of the best and most iconic teen dramas there are four classics that paved the way for the rest to follow. The classics focus mostly on the lives of average or wealthier teenagers in high school and the woes that come along with being a teen. The shows tend to go on to follow the stars in their college years and the love triangles that are almost always included. 

 

1. The classics started with “Beverly Hills, 90210” which came out in 1990 and you can binge it for free on Pluto TV. 
2. Then in 1998 “Dawson’s Creek” premiered which you can binge on Netflix and Hulu. 
3. The last two, coming out around the same time in 2003, are “The O.C.” which is available to binge on HBO Max. 
4. And lastly, “One Tree Hill,” which also came out in 2003, that can be found on Hulu. 

 

This archetype of soapy teen dramas inspired shows that modeled very closely to the classics and ones that took the idea but added sci-fi twists, teen pregnancies, or Manhattan’s elite.

 

The Wealthy:

(Mark Seliger/Vanity Fair)

 

If you are searching for a teen drama about wealthy kids living in cities there are two that you cannot go wrong with: 

 

1. “90210” which came out in 2008, is a reboot on the classic “Beverly Hills, 90210” with an edgier and more luxurious spin. “90210” with five seasons is available to watch on Pluto TV.
2. “Gossip Girl” came out just a year before, in 2007 and follows the lives of the richest teens living in The Upper East Side of Manhattan. The show ended in 2012, but a new reboot is in production with goals to air later this year. The original can be binged on HBO Max.

 

The Thrillers:

(Eric McCandless/Freeform)

Maybe you are searching for a teen binge that makes you keep an extra light on, or you are in need of a supernatural twist to the classics, there are another two that fit in this category:

 

1. “Pretty Little Liars” premiered in 2010 and aired for seven seasons. The show follows the lives of four girls in high school whose best friend goes missing and a year later they are faced with a stalker who goes by the name of “A.” This show can be watched through HBO Max.
2. “The Vampire Diaries” came out in 2009, and ended in 2017 after eight seasons, but has two spinoffs, “The Originals” and “Legacies.” The show follows the life of a high school girl who lost both of her parents in a car accident and falls in love with a vampire, which brings along all kinds of drama. You can binge this series on Netflix. 

 

Back to the Basics:

(Elisabeth Caren)

Inspired by the classics, these two teen dramas are much more relatable than the wealthy and the thrillers:

1. “Awkward” debuted in 2011 and ran for five seasons. The show follows all the experiences of high school including sex, relationships, bullying, and parents which can be, well, awkward. This show can be found on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. 
2. “On my Block,” being the most recent teen drama on the list, came out in 2018 and is currently working on the fourth and final season. The drama follows four lifelong friends as they navigate through high school and South-Central LA. Go ahead and binge this series on Netflix. 

 

With these 10 bingeable teen dramas you should have plenty of television to get through this summer. These shows will keep you pressing “yes, I am still watching,” and remembering all the ups and downs that come with being a teenager.

Written by Samantha Stemmer

Location: TV Utopia

 

After a long and stressful day one of the best ways to wind down includes grabbing a warm cup of tea, glass of wine, or maybe the pint of Ben and Jerry’s sitting in the freezer and tuning in to your favorite television show. Now if that television show happens to be a comedy, a man either most likely stars in it, wrote it, or perhaps both. One would assume that considering the fact that, according to Nielson, women spend forty more minutes than men watching TV and, according to Statista, women are 9% more likely to watch and stream television shows, then female representation would be a priority. However, most television comedies that feature a female lead or are written by a woman tend to be cancelled before the creator’s intent.  The first focal point is Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer’s Comedy Central sitcom “Broad City.”  It starred two female leads, had a writer’s room full of women, with all these positives, wrapped upon the creator’s request. These women have been the exception to the mainstream success.  Why? What about all the other remarkably funny women led and written comedies? Let’s explore just how many there are. 

New Girl:

(Jennifer Clasen/Fox)

The next focal point is “New Girl” which premiered in 2011, a quirky sitcom set in Los Angeles following the lives of four roommates in their 30s created by Elizabeth Meriwether and starring Zooey Deschanel. The show, despite being cancelled in 2018, still has a large following of fans. Co-star Jake Johnson revealed that “We didn’t quit, they [Fox] fired us, that was a job that we all had and liked having. We got a call that we were fired at the end of season six and Zooey [Deschanel] and I wrote the president of Fox explaining that ‘just because the fan base isn’t tuning in at 8 p.m. doesn’t mean they’re not watching.’” As a result, the series was granted an eight-episode final seventh season. In its final season of “New Girl,” according to the Nielsen Live+7 ratings, the show received a 1.4 rating in adults from 18-49 and 2.96 million viewers. In the same year “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” received a rating of 0.7 in adults from 18-49 and 2.24 million viewers. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” has since been greenlighted for an additional three seasons. So while “New Girl” had a long and successful television run, towards the later seasons the success was still prevalent compared to their competitors, and according to the showrunners, could have produced a few more seasons ending the series on Elizabeth Meriwether’s terms. 

The Mick:

(Patrick Mcelhenny/Fox)

Another focal point is the comedy series “The Mick,” that featured a female lead, a gritty comedy about a woman who becomes stuck raising her sister’s children. It was cancelled by Fox after two seasons. The show was created by Dave Chernin and John Chernin starring Kaitlyn Olsen as the lead. The three are famously attached to raunchy sitcom “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” which was recently renewed for up to 18 seasons, proving their talent for producing comedic content together. Around the same time Glenn Howerton, one of Olsen’s co-stars from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” began starring in comedy “A.P. Bio.” During its second and final season, “The Mick” received an average Nielsen rating of .73 in adults 18-49 and 2.1 million viewers which deemed low enough for cancellation, yet in season two of “A.P. Bio” they received an average Nielsen rating of .47 in adults 18-49 and 1.88 million viewers and are currently working on the fourth season. Both Olsen and Howerton are notable comedy actors yet when they ventured out to lead their own comedy shows one clearly did better. The one that produced better ratings with a female lead was cancelled and the show that yielded lower ratings with a male lead, even at its peak, compared to the other, continues to air. 

Suburgatory:

      (Adam Taylor/ABC)

The last focal point was created by Emily Kapnek, “Suburgatory” starred Jane Levy as the female lead in the comedy series that followed the life of a teenage daughter and her single father moving to live in the suburbs. The show was cancelled by ABC after the third season and creator Kapnek explained that “Ultimately, it’s a decision that Warner Bros. is in control of [and] is still a very, very sore spot.” In the third and last season, the show averaged a Nielsen rating of 1.6 in adults 18-49 which was lower than previous seasons, yet still higher than other ABC sitcom “Last Man Standing” that received an average Nielsen rating of 1.3 in adults 18-49 in the same year. “Last Man Standing,” stars Tim Allen, requiring a larger salary, and has continued to go on for nine seasons. 

Reasoning?

The list continues with shows like “The Mindy Project,” “Glow,” “I’m Sorry,” “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23,” and “Veep.” These shows have fan bases of all genders grieving their cancellations. And while many shows barely make it out of pilot season in Hollywood, women-run shows are getting slighted.  The ratings and viewership of these female led, and written sitcoms are on par if not higher than their rival comedies that have men as the lead character. These shows have large fanbases, receive adequate ratings, so there is no reason why they should be getting the short end of the stick. What is the reasoning behind the cancellation of these shows? Three words: Women in charge. As we are in full swing of Women’s History Month, I encourage you to check out some of these shows for a great laugh and form your own opinion. It’s 2021 and the impression that women are not funny is outdated, Hollywood, you must do better.