10 Binge-Worthy TV Shows You Might Have Missed

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I LOVE TV and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

I love good stories in all formats… books, movies and TV shows.

But yes, I am a busy, work-at-home mom who doesn’t really have time to just sit around and watch TV.

I work a. lot. of. hours.

And many of those hours include tasks that only require a portion of my brain. For instance, when I’m scheduling pins, adding tweets to my buffer, editing photos or doing the mechanical portions of putting together a blog post, my brain is only partly engaged and I like some background distraction.

I think it comes from being ADHD. As soon as I get bored, I start to get depressed. And since I work a crazy huge number of hours where I don’t see any other adults, I like to have something on the TV to keep me company.

Of course, while I’m actually writing, I must have quiet and the TV MUST be turned off. But when I’m scheduling a ton of social shares late at night when the kids are in bed, or when they’re at their Dad’s house, I love to have a quality show running on Netflix.

I especially love to have comedies that don’t take tons of concentration, continue running one after the other without commercials and make me laugh.

Here are 10 of my favorite TV show that you might have missed.

These are generally less obvious suggestions, since you likely have already watched Breaking Bad and Orange is the New Black.

(Update: When I first wrote this post, all these shows were available on Netflix. But currently you may have to look on alternate streaming services or video on demand to find some of these shows.)

1. Arrested Development

   I think this is one of the all-time best TV comedies EVER. It was a tragedy that the show never got enough network support and was canceled after only 2 seasons.

   This is the type of show you can watch over and over and continue laughing out loud.

   IMDb Description: “Level-headed son Michael Bluth takes over family affairs after his father is imprisoned. But the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family are making his job unbearable.”

   IMDb rating: 9.1

2. Grounded for Life

   I LOVED this show.

   I think since I’m a mom, I especially found it funny. But this comedy that ran 5 seasons starting in 2001, is exceptionally high quality for a sitcom about family life.

   IMDb Description: “Thirty-something Irish Catholic couple Sean and Claudia deal with their three children as well as Sean’s judgmental father and his carefree brother.”

   IMDb rating: 7.5
    

3. The Riches

   This is such a unique and clever show.

   But sadly, it’s another show that was cancelled far too soon.

   There are only 2 short seasons, but absolutely worth watching.

   IMDb Description: “A family of crooks assume the identity of an upper-middle-class suburban clan in the Deep South.”

   IMDb rating: 8.0

4. Freaks and Geeks

   Fantastic actors, great script… awesome show.

   Again, it was cut short and should have had many more seasons.

   There’s only 1 precious season of Feaks and Geeks, so make sure you don’t miss watching it.

   IMDb Description: “After her grandmother’s death, a high school mathlete starts hanging out with a group of burnouts while her younger brother navigates his freshman year.”

   IMDb rating: 8.9
    

5. About A Boy

   I don’t often like TV shows based on movies, but this one surprised me.

   It’s a sweet, enjoyable show that’s worth watching.

   IMDb Description: “Will Freeman lives a charmed existence. After writing a hit song, he was granted a life of free time, free love and freedom from financial woes. He’s single, unemployed and loving it. So imagine his surprise when Fiona, a needy single mom and her oddly charming 11-year-old son, Marcus, move in next door and disrupt his perfect world.”

   IMDb rating: 7.5
    

6. How I Met Your Mother

   I wish more shows were as funny as this one.

   Fortunately, “How I Met Your Mother” ran for a long time, so you’ve got tons of episodes to enjoy. I actually had ignored this show for years when it was running live on TV because the title turned me off.

   Finally I started watching it on reruns and then picked up on the last season while it was live on TV.

   IMDb Description: “A father recounts to his children, through a series of flashbacks, the journey he and his four best friends took leading up to him meeting their mother.”

   IMDb rating: 8.5
    

7. Episodes

   I really got a kick out of this show.

   It’s Hollywood making fun of itself. I’m looking forward to the recent seasons coming to Netflix.

   IMDb Description: “British writer-producers Beverly and Sean Lincoln, have a wonderful marriage and a hit TV series to their credit. Things couldn’t be better. Until Merc Lapidus, a Hollywood network executive, gushes over their series at a gala. Merc is certain that a remake of the show will go over well with an American audience. After making the Lincolns a lucrative offer, they pack up and ship out to the States. It doesn’t take long for them to figure out that Hollywood is a place where deals are made and broken in the same breath.”

   IMDb rating: 7.8
    

8. Crossing Lines
   I found the different European settings in this crime show added an extra element of interest.

   It’s filmed in Prague and Paris, so the scenery is beautiful.

   IMDb Description: “A special crime unit investigates serialized crimes that cross over European borders and to hunt down criminals to bring them to justice. A global FBI is born.”

   IMDb rating: 7.4
    

9. Derek
   When I first heard about this show, I was confused.

   I thought that Ricky Gervais was making fun of a character with special needs. But I was completely wrong.

   It’s hard to describe Derek. But you will love him. Don’t miss this show.

   IMDb Description: “Derek is a loyal nursing home care assistant who sees only the good in his quirky co-workers as they struggle against prejudice and shrinking budgets to care for their elderly residents.”

   IMDb rating: 8.1
    
    

10. Raising Hope

    Hilarious! Clever writing, great acting, fun concept… and it actually didn’t get cut after only a couple seasons.

    This is a rare gem of a sitcom.

    Without being corny, it reminds us that family really is what matters.

    IMDb Description: “Jimmy becomes a single parent to an infant after the mother he had a one-night stand with ends up on death row.”

    IMDb rating: 8.0
     
     

Some of these shows may no longer be available on Netflix. Unfortunately, these days Netflix seems to be letting go of many shows as more competing streaming options come online. So you may have to search some of the other streaming sites to find them.

If you’re looking for more ideas, check out these addictive tv shows that are definitely worth binge-watching.

And you’ll also love this list of secret Netflix codes from our friend Jamie Harrington. It’s an amazing way to find shows on Netflix.

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Written by Susan Carraretto, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom
Talk with me: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom
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