I know the rigours of student life can make you feel completely drained of any energy, motivation and inspiration. Everything becomes a blur. Days merge into weeks, weeks merge into months, months into years and then BANG! Before you can even say, “I shouldn’t have wasted my time watching so many DVD box sets”, life as a student is officially over.
However, I also know that these aforementioned rigours of student life aren’t actually rigours at all, they’re just bloody good fun. I mean there are the house parties, the drinking, the raves, the drinking, the sport, the drinking. Oh and the odd lecture which you turn up to drunk because of all the drinking.
With this in mind you end up spending a lot of your University education in the pit of self-wallowing AKA your bed, watching DVD after DVD. Third years and people who are currently self-wallowing aside (according to UberFacts 17% of the entire population are self-wallowing at any one time) there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t get out of your appropriately named pit, head down to your local HMV (RIP) and take full advantage of their crisis by consuming the box sets listed below.
Who knows? They may even leave you feeling energised, motivated and inspired.
10. Friends
Doesn’t really need much of an introduction does it?
Even after endless re-runs on both e4 and Comedy Central the same lines still get you every time, no other series seems to have such a unique ability. A box set phenomenon.
Easy to watch and easy to laugh at, it is worth owning for the gag reel alone, but also because you can actually watch the episodes in some sort of order for once. And with a mammoth ten series box set, you would be doing very well (and in all honesty, a little bit sad) to get through it in a week.
9. Planet Earth
Sir David Attenborough. Broadcaster. Naturalist. Explorer. National treasure. Hangover cure.
What better way to spend a day than chilling out listening to the soothing tones of Sir David Attenborough as he reveals through stunning imagery, some of the most fascinating places on planet earth in a five-disc box set. From astonishing animals you didn’t even know existed to loping landscapes that will leave you in awe. In fact, writing this has put me in the mood to go and watch an episode right now.
This box set particularly prospers on a winters Sunday evening.
8. Curb Your Enthusiasm
If you like your humour drier than an African summer then this is the show for you.
After creating the award winning comedy, Seinfeld, Larry David writes and stars in Curb Your Enthusiasm. The eight series show is loosely based on his real life experiences after the success of Seinfeld and the strange situations he finds himself in as a result of his newfound fame.
I would love to be able to give more of a story line, but essentially this show is about nothing in which nothing is extremely funny. Larry David’s self-deprecating style along with the fact that most of the dialogue is improv makes Curb Your Enthusiasm a hilarious watch.
7. The Inbetweeners
Four lads, three series and one very funny comedy that almost everybody can relate to.
We all know who ‘the inbetweeners’ were during our school lives and if you can’t think of them then you probably were one. This is a comedy about four sixth form students who are neither at the bottom or the top of the social pile, but their quest for acceptance from their cooler piers lead to some hysterical goings on in their everyday lives.
The on screen chemistry between the four characters Simon, Will, Neil and Jay contributes massively to the show’s success and Jay’s foul mouthed outbursts are a treat for the eyes and ears. Just go and watch it you bumders!
6. Peep Show
Stuck in a rut or a midlife crisis? Watch all nine series of Peep Show and you may feel a bit better about yourself afterwards.
Mark and Jeremy are two middle-aged men who both battle on a daily basis with the trials and tribulations of the real world. One of the only things they have in common is that they share a flat together, Mark works for a corporate company and constantly appears on the edge of a mental break down whilst Jeremy is more of a free spirit or “a musician” in his words, who struggles to get a grasp on reality.
Their personalities are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but together they just work. You become accustomed to the way the show is shot in POV and the fact you can hear the characters thoughts adds to the comic genius.
5. The Walking Dead
This gory three series drama kind of makes you wish there was a zombie apocalypse on Planet Earth!
Rick Grimes is a police officer that has been in a 7-month coma only to awake and find that the world has become over run with zombies. After finding his family and other survivors, Rick takes it upon himself to become leader of the group in an attempt to fight and survive an infected world. However all may not be as it seems…
The quality of the characters and in particular the make up on the zombies without using the effects of CGI has led The Walking Dead to become one of the most captivating and convincing shows in the zombie franchise.
4. Breaking Bad
Utterly compelling viewing.
Some of you may remember Bryan Carson as the fun loving dad from comedy, Malcolm in the Middle, however he is barely recognisable as he takes on a ‘slightly’ different role in this stunning crime drama. Bryan Carson has now won three Emmys for his portrayal of Walter White, a high-school chemistry teacher turned drug warlord. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer he teams up with a former student of his, Jesse Pinkman, played by the magnificent Aaron Paul to produce the world’s finest crystal meth in order to support his family.
This five series box set keeps you hooked from start to finish, with perfectly timed plot twists coming in refreshing ways that always keeps you guessing. I can’t say I’m speaking from experience, but this show could be just as addictive as crystal meth!
3. Entourage
Warning: You will not know what to do with your life after finishing this show.
This show is based around the life of executive producer, Mark Wahlberg, who is growing up as the next big acting prodigy in Los Angeles. Vincent Chase is the actor/playboy who is supported by his childhood buddies from Brooklyn, Vince’s brother Jonny Chase aka Jonny Drama, Turtle and Vince’s manager Eric Murphy. Arguably stealing the limelight is Ari Gold, Vince’s brash Hollywood agent played by the magnificent, Jeremy Piven. Together they live the life everybody dreams of, from playing golf with some of the worlds biggest stars to partying with some of the world’s hottest girls.
With eight series in total and only half hour episodes the story line as well as the characters lives move quickly throughout. Entourage shows the true glitz and glamour of the Hollywood lifestyle and leaves you re-evaluating your life after you’ve watched it.
2. I’m Alan Partridge
Back to England now and more specifically Norwich, East Anglia.
Steve Coogan plays the staggeringly ridiculous and hilarious, Alan Partridge, in possibly one of the finest comedies ever made. After a failed career in television broadcasting Alan returns to Norwich to host his own radio show on North Norfolk digital. In truth Alan is quite a lonely, peculiar character and can be quite an arrogant, crass individual yet despite all this you feel as if you personally know the man and learn to love him after watching the two series.
The show is a catchphrase central that will leave you and your friends quoting it years after whilst Alan’s one liners in his best middle class English accent leave you in hysterics every time. A great British comedy. AHA!
1. The Office
A mockumentary like no other gave Ricky Gervais the platform to star as the painstakingly funny and now comedy cult hero, David Brent.
David Brent is a manager of a paper merchant in Slough that has to face the challenge of downsizing his branch, but that’s the least of his worries. Brent is more concerned about being the cool, laid back manager that he thinks everybody wants him to be and provides moments of pure awkwardness/brilliance that will make you want to cringe and laugh at the same time. The Office’s true genius lies in that is not simply a comedy; it has many layers to the characters and the story lines that play on your emotions are instantly recognisable from everyday office life.
The fact it was the first British sitcom for over 25 years to be nominated for a golden globe and the first ever to win one speaks volumes of the recognition it received. The show shot both Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant to stardom and despite being constantly pressured to make a third series, the show is perfect as it is.