We all have them. TV or web shows that we enjoy watching, even if we know they may not be particularly good in some cases and definitely aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. But, something about them gets in our minds and we keep watching them - sometimes incessantly. Maybe it’s just a level of comfort you build with the show’s cast, the overall tone of the content, the general outside the box nature of the show, or some other element that catches your attention for whatever reason.
In our streaming video world, there’s never been a better time to enjoy these kinds of guilty pleasure shows, either binging them or being able to enjoy them on-demand at your own pace. We’re no longer at the mercy of a TV programmer, deciding when we can watch the latest shows, let alone the vast back-catalog of series from over the years or even from different countries. By simply subscribing to a few popular streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, we have a huge number of viewing options to choose from.
Guilty pleasure shows are often pretty personal and taste-specific by nature. So, one person’s favorite may be utterly ridiculous to the next person. With that in mind, here are a few very different guilty pleasure shows, in no particular order, that might make it to your list of shows to watch next.
The Curse of Oak Island
So, I remember as a kid reading a story or seeing something on TV about the legend of a treasure buried on an island in Nova Scotia called Oak Island. The story goes that pirates buried treasure on the island, leaving behind an elaborate security system of flood tunnels and other challenges to keep would-be treasure hunters from stealing their ill-gotten gains. The TV series follows two brothers who have become the latest treasure hunters to undertake a serious attempt to locate and recover the treasure - which may or may not exist. Treasure hunters have been digging up parts of the island since the 1700s in hopes of finding the elusive treasure, which is rumored to be buried in what has been called the “money pit.” So, heading into the 7th season, the treasure remains as elusive as ever, but the brothers and their team continue the chase, not only digging deep into the island, but also draining various parts of the coastline, and researching a variety of theories about just what might be buried on the island. Turns out it could be anything from pirate treasure to ancient relics from the 15th century or before.
Why watch? If you love a good treasure hunt or enjoy a good bit of historical mystery hunting, then this show might be up your alley. But, it's a bit of a slow build, since in 6+ seasons they still haven’t found any verifiable evidence of the existence of any treasure.
Ancient Aliens
Somehow this show has been around for 15 seasons now, dating back to 2010, with every episode focusing on some aspect of the idea that aliens have visited our planet beginning for hundreds if not thousands of years and shaped the way human society has developed. They explore various archeological sites, taking the view that aliens or what they call “Ancient Astronauts” are responsible for many of the engineering wonders from the ancient world (pyramids, etc.). The show features a number of “Ancient Astronaut Theorists” who present their views on how many events and developments in human history can be attributed to visits from extraterrestrials. It also touches on conspiracy theories, numerous interesting historical events, and basically looks to use extraterrestrial influence to explain them. The show has become popular enough to inspire a variety of podcasts, some of which take a critical or humorous look at the series.
Why watch? Well, if you read the description and don’t immediately think that it sounds totally off the wall, then you might enjoy it. The cast includes a wide range of interesting personalities. You can also largely choose how much skepticism you want to bring to viewing the show, which changes the experience a bit.
Lucifer
What would you think of a show that provides a mashup of police procedural, romantic comedy, prime-time soap opera, fish out of water story, and supernatural thriller, with the main character being the devil? Sounds a bit off-the-wall, but that’s what you get with Lucifer, a show based on characters created by Neil Gaiman for a graphic novel series. You get a lot of genres working together as the story lightly tackles a variety of topics related to the role of Lucifer, heaven, the meaning of life, and how that relates to a show where crimes are solved in virtually every episode.
Why watch? Do you like shows with anti-heroes? Maybe who also have British accents? Enjoy a bit of the supernatural, mixed with angels and demons? Then this might be worth your time. You also get five seasons to binge.
True Blood
Speaking of supernatural shows, this one might be the one that really kicked off the fantasy/horror/soap opera TV show which eventually would include all kinds of vampire shows on the WB channel in past years. The series involves the story of the main character (Sookie Stackhouse), a telepathic woman living in a world where vampires have come out of the shadows and are now part of everyday reality. Not surprisingly, vampires and humans don’t always get along well, and the show focuses on that ongoing tension, along with Sookie’s romantic entanglements with several prominent vampires.
Why watch? If you’re a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, then the show is an obvious one for you. But, if you just enjoy a complicated supernatural soap opera with vampires, psychics, and other creatures, then you might just love this one. The show is very much geared toward an adult audience, so be prepared.
Homicide Hunter
My wife loves a good true crime show and for whatever reason, this one stuck. The fact that it takes place in CO, where we live might have something to do with it. Basically, you get 9 seasons of reenactments of numerous real cases involving the show’s main character and narrator, Joe Kenda. He had a long career as a homicide detective and later head of a homicide unit. Every story plays out in a somewhat similar fashion, as Kenda narrates the details of the case, interjecting some common catchphrases at key points of the investigation.
Why watch? Basically, if you like true crime documentaries, this show delivers bite-sized episodes, grounded in what is often fairly routine police work. It can be a nice alternative to some of the more sensational true crime documentaries you end up binging.
