The Top 10 TV Shows That Made Me a Better Human
While their stories can be hard to sum up in an episode - TV characters have a lot to teach us in how to human.
There are so many good stories and lessons found in the medium of television. Here in the briefest most bullet pointy and listicle-y way, I’d like to share just a few that I feel are worth your time and a super succinct reason why I feel they were worth mine.
1. Never Have I Ever
This show does a beautiful job of exploring the complex impact of loss and grief on a family system. And uniquely focuses on a heroine who has really big feelings and is trying to reconcile how those affect her behavior and who she wants to become. We ultimately learn that emotions are good and natural and give life color. Trauma is real. Life will carry on eventually. And lastly that you have to learn how to love yourself before you can love and be loved by others.
2. Ted Lasso
The cast of Ted Lasso will quite simply steal your heart and never return it. But the main lessons we learn are that we all have…. ahem… stuff. Even those of us that are generally poster boys/girls for positivity. And we all need each other. And life gets so much bigger and more colorful when we let other people into our worlds and let them affect us.
3. Brooklyn 99
So many lessons here. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Always be willing to learn how you can be better (professionally, personally, etc. - be coachable). Don’t be afraid to care for and be cared for by others. You’ll never reach your full potential all on your own.
4. This Is Us
There’s honestly too many things here to even pretend I’m going to scratch the surface. But….even good families have scars. Actually, it’s never too late to change once you decide you really want to.
5. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Show up for yourself; as yourself. All the time. Be messy, flawed, scared and do it anyways. Learn from your mistakes, apologize, and be good to your people. And don’t be afraid to blaze your own trail. Sometimes that’s the only way you’ll ever get where you were meant to go.
6. Queer Eye
Sometimes the world doesn’t suck. It’s important to remember to care for yourself. Kindness connects us.
7. Clarkson’s Farm
It’s never too late and you’re never too cool to learn something new. Caring for something outside of yourself and working toward a shared goal with others will change you for the better. Learn to laugh at yourself. Always make new mistakes.
8. Doctor Who
Every living being is important. And actually, violence is never necessary.
9. The Good Place
It’s a little bit insane to think that we definitively have the absolute and only correct answers to the big questions about how life, afterlife, and the universe work. The important thing is to be kind and loving to those you encounter, and it’s never too late to learn something new or grow or change or try to be better than you are
10. Jane the Virgin
There’s a lot more in this one as well but the main unique thing that I learned from this show was:
The things we vote on in the US don’t always affect us directly. And it’s very easy to dehumanize people who are affected if we have never seen or heard stories like theirs. However, they are people just like us, lots of them good people trying their best with loved ones and hopes and dreams too that are worth our consideration when we cast our ballots. This show gave me empathy for people I’ve never met.