We all have TV shows that we get lost in, return to all the time – basically shows we just really love. I have quite a few and I had to seriously think about what they were. Just because I thoroughly enjoyed a show, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a favorite. The process of narrowing down this list involved going through Netflix, Prime, Hulu – basically every streaming service.

I love the escape shows provide and whenever I’m in a bad mood, feeling burnt out, or just want to mindlessly relax I open Netflix and dive in. This list isn’t very long, but these are the shows that I would recommend to everyone to watch.

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Farscape (Prime)

American astronaut John Crichton finds himself thrown across the universe when an experimental mission goes bad. Crichton teams up with a group of rebels involved in an intergalactic battle and begins a journey unlike anything he dreamed was possible while trying to find a way back to Earth.

This might be the only show that tops this list – everything else is in no particular order. I first watched Farscape years ago and I fell in love. It’s kind of the perfect show. 1) It’s set in space, on a spaceship. 2) The cast and the chemistry between them is so good and so amazing. 3) The plot from the first episode to the last (including the movie which is included on Prime) is stellar and rarely falters. 4) The humor is on point. Finally, the relationship between Chricton and Aeryn (the main characters) is everything you could want in a show…it’s also enemies to lovers.

It’s a product of its time, and it’s a little weird and you might find it hard to get into, but I promise that it doesn’t take very long to get hooked.

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Stargate Atlantis (Prime)

Within the ruins of the legendary city of Atlantis is buried a secret base left by the Ancients, originators of the Stargate. A new team of explorers travels to the distant galaxy where Atlantis is located, where a primitive human civilization is threatened by a sinister enemy.

It was years ago when I first found Stargate and I was thrilled. I’m a sucker for Sci-Fi and beyond Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica (could not get into at all) and Star Wars, I felt like there was no real SF show I could get into. (I should also mention that I found the Stargate Franchise before Farscape). Technically by starting with SG Atlantis, I started in the middle of the franchise [Stargate Movie, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe, (I don’t acknowledge the new SG stuff)] but I was hooked. At the time it was everything I wanted in a show and I binged it.

I loved the cast of characters and the dynamic and chemistry between them was perfect.  The plot was pretty consistently good, and it all made sense. I found the idea of a Stargate so incredible and wished it was a real thing and I liked the fact that the show is rooted in Egyptian Mythology. Basically, meaning that the Egyptian God’s were aliens and that the pyramids were docks for their ships. I also really liked how you don’t have to watch the shows in order, but I would definitely recommend starting with the original movie. Especially if you’re going in order.

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Hart of Dixie (Netflix)

New York doctor Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson) has reached a crossroads in her life when she decides to accept an offer from a stranger to work with him at his practice in Alabama. When she arrives in town, she discovers that the man has died and left her his half of the practice in his will, something that doesn’t exactly make her new partner happy. Despite the shock of Southern life and some less-than-hospitable town folk, Zoe decides to give her new life a chance and discovers a new side of herself in the process.

I didn’t expect to fall in love with this show. At all. I was shocked. I tend to not like contemporary shows that aren’t comedies, but Hart of Dixie is kind of like a fluffy contemporary rom com with a few drama bits sprinkled in. It’s kind of the perfect mix and I loved that it was set in the south. Also, don’t even get me started on Zoe and Wade’s relationship because I love them so much.

If you’re looking for a pretty lighthearted, medical “drama” with unrequited love, tons of chemistry, hijinks and fun, you’ll definitely want to check this out. I was so sad when I hit the last episodes and I wouldn’t be able to watch these characters every day anymore.

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Haven (Netflix)

FBI Agent Audrey Parker arrives in Haven, Maine, on what she believes is a routine assignment. But the longer she stays, the more curious she becomes — about the townspeople, who seem to be beset by a range of supernatural afflictions; about the town itself, which contains many secrets; and about her own surprising connection to this strange place. 

 This one surprised me. The premise sounded amazing and I’d started it years ago but stopped when I found out that the show had been cancelled. Well, as it turned out, it hadn’t been cancelled, and Netflix finally got the final season. Since it had been so long, I started the show over, and I feel like it’s so rare that I’m completely satisfied with how a show ends. While I will always wish that there was more show to watch, I thought the ending was pretty perfect and wholly justified.

Audrey and Nathan are probably one of my favorite on screen couples ever and their dynamic is * chef’s kiss *. Haven is this little town that is occasionally plagued by “troubles” – basically weird things people can do – and Audrey is the only one who can help solve the troubles and get people back to normal. Nathan is troubled – he can’t feel anything…. but he can feel Audrey. Basically, they spend most of the show denying the attraction, and then acting on it and then denying it and it’s annoying as well, not going to lie, but it’s also so good.

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Merlin (Netflix)

This action-packed fantasy-drama revisits the saga of King Arthur and his wizard, Merlin, by focusing on the two characters when they were ambitious young men struggling to understand their destinies. In this telling, Prince Arthur is known to be the heir to the throne (no sword from the stone here). And he is acquainted with all those who will one day form the legend of Camelot, including Lancelot, Guinevere, and Morgana. Merlin is also forced to deal with King Uther’s Great Purge, which bans all use of magic.

Phew, it’s been a long time since I’ve watched this one, but I still basically have the first season memorized. In high school, I had a few friends who were also big fans of the show and we would get together just to watch and then re-watch the seasons.

The pairing of Merlin and Arthur in this take on Arthurian Legends is brilliant, funny and so enjoyable. Merlin is Arthur’s servant and constantly risks his life to save Arthur. Arthur never realizes that half of the time, he’s passed out and Merlin is the one saving the day. Merlin puts up with Arthur’s crap, but also dishes it out just the same.

The CGI is pretty bad and laughable, but it adds to the charm of the show. The final episode is a bit annoying (supposedly, once upon a time, there was supposed to be follow up movies, but those never happened) and it’s a pretty open-ended ending. But overall, this show is perfect.

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Lost (Hulu)

The survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 were 1,000 miles off course when they crashed on a lush, mysterious island. Each person possesses a shocking secret, but they’ve got nothing on the island itself, which harbors a monstrous security system, a series of underground bunkers and a group of violent survivalists hidden in the shadows.

Yeah, this show has some weird freaking moments, but I love it. I think it was probably the first show I’d ever watched that actually made you think and try to piece together the story. I also love the fact that the more you watch it, the more you see and realize and then you realize just how dumb you were the first handful of time s you watched it.

There are definitely moments that I think are weird in this show, and the plot isn’t always consistent (i.e the time traveling) and while I know a lot of people hate the ending to this show, I actually like the cyclical nature of it. I mean, yes, it makes me mad, but it didn’t ruin the show for me.

I loved the diverse cast and the various viewpoints and timelines and how it’s all intricately woven together. Despite the few hiccups, I think Lost is an incredible feat of storytelling.

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Grey’s Anatomy (Netflix)

The medical drama series focuses on a group of young doctors at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital, who began their careers at the facility as interns. One of the young doctors and the show’s namesake, Meredith Grey, is the daughter of a famous surgeon. Grey struggles to maintain relationships with her colleagues, particularly the hospital’s one-time chief of surgery, Richard Webber, due to a pre-existing relationship between them – Webber and Meredith’s mother had a personal relationship when Meredith was young.

 I never expected to watch this show, let alone love it. I adamantly refused to watch it for years because it was “too mainstream”.  Then one day, I started it, finally convinced enough to at least give it a shot and now I’m on my third re-watch in 2 years? It’s definitely an addicting show.

Characters – I like them all, some more than others, but I’m not a Derek fan. He’s straight up an asshole from day one, but somehow that knowledge doesn’t stop me from rooting for him and Meredith and loving them together.

Alex Karev is my favorite character hands down, and even though Hunt makes stupid decision after stupid decision I can’t help but feel bad for him. I love Meredith and Alex’s relationship, and if Jo wasn’t in the picture, I’d want them raising Mer’s kids together.

ALSO, so many unfair character deaths.

Alex also has one of the best character arcs ever, and I’m so glad they didn’t do him dirty. Watch Greys and fall down this rabbit hole with me.

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Doctor Who (Prime)

An eccentric yet compassionate extraterrestrial Time Lord zips through time and space to solve problems and battle injustice across the universe, traveling via the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimensions in Space), which is his old and occasionally unreliable spaceship that resembles a blue police phone box (but changes its appearance depending on its surroundings) and is much, much larger inside than outside.

 Gosh, I can’t even remember when I first started Doctor Who – college maybe? Maybe senior year of high school? I don’t even remember why it took me so long to start it. Ten is my favorite Doctor, but I love Eleven. David Tennant and Matt Smith each brought something so amazing to the role.

I’m still bitter about Rose and Donna. I liked Amy to a point, and I loved Clara. I love the absurdity to the majority of the show. It makes the more serious episodes that much more impactful. I also can’t forget about Jack Harkness! (Watch Torchwood if you haven’t yet, it’s worth it0. I’m not caught up on the last two seasons – or however many there have been since Jodi took over. I tend to forget that it’s airing and then have to wait for it to hit Prime.

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Well, there you have it – my favorite TV shows. I didn’t include the animated/anime shows that I also often re-watch. If you’re interested in what those are, I’m more than willing to do another one of these lists, just let me know in the comments. I hope you check out some of these shows, and if you do or if you have, let me know your thoughts!

What are your favorite shows?