By Amira Kim
Looking for the perfect show to pop on the TV that’s engaging enough to enjoy, but doesn’t require your full attention?
Here are 10 episodic series that you can have on in the background while you work and get s… done.
No.10: Arrested Development
This American absurdist humour sitcom follows the lives of the Bluth family after their fall from grace. The entire family is dysfunctional, with each member having their unique oddities. Every episode follows a member struggling with their own situation, and their attempts to fumble their way to success.
No.9: Schitt’s Creek
Similar to Arrested Development, this Canadian sitcom follows the Rose family and their fall from wealth, after a business manager embezzles their money. They relocate to a small motel in an attempt to rebuild their glory in an environment they are very much NOT suited for.
No.8: Bob’s Burgers
The Belcher family own and run a small burger restaurant in their seaside town in this American animated sitcom. Bob and Linda, the parents, are each other’s ying and yang, while their oddball children – Tina, Gene, and Louise – each explore their own age-appropriate issues. Every episode follows a new situation involving the family and their eccentric community members.
No.7: Below Deck
An American reality TV show which details the daily lives of the crew who work aboard superyachts during client charters. Not only does it cover dramas at work, but also dramas involving the crew’s personal lives. This show has been so successful there are now spin-offs: Below Deck Mediterranean, Below Deck Sailing Yacht, Below Deck Down Under, and Below Deck Adventure.
No.6: Monk
Detective Adrian Monk works as a private detective solving baffling cases the police can’t seem to crack. While he is a brilliant detective, his OCD and plethora of phobias make him a pain to work with, making this American mystery drama also a comedy, as we witness his odd interactions along the way to solving the case.
No.5: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
This American police procedural drama has been running for 27 seasons, and is still going. Every episode a new case is taken on by the detectives of the Special Victims Unit who investigate sex-based crimes. Some cases explored in the series are based on real crimes.
No.4: Border Security: Australia’s Front Line
This Australian observational documentary follows officers carrying out their work as part of Australia’s Border Force. The officers encounter some interesting characters during their day-to-day enforcement of immigration, customs, quarantine and finance laws. The show has spin-offs in Canada, America, New Zealand, and the UK.
No.3: Highway Patrol
Similar to Border Security, Highway Patrol follows the officers enforcing traffic laws around the Australian state of Victoria. Incidents shown range from major road accidents to strange, maybe not illegal, but very odd encounters.
No.2: Grimm
Worlds collide in this American fantasy police procedural. Policeman by day, fairytale guardian by night, detective Nick Burkhardt discovers he descends from guardians that play an important role in maintaining the balance between the human world and the fairytale.
No.1: House M.D
Brilliant diagnostician Dr Gregory House is an addict and a pain in the arse to work with, but he has a 100 per cent successful diagnosis rate. This American medical drama follows him and his team of diagnosticians as they encounter rare medical cases that no one else can seem to handle, maybe because other professionals don’t resort to illegal measures. Spoiler alert: The answer is never Lupus.
Featured image: Combining work and play in comfort. Photo: Microbiz Mag/CC/Wiki
