I do all my best knitting by the gentle glow of Netflix, so I thought it might be worth rounding up some recommendations. I have several simple rules for my knit-viewing:
1. Must be in a language I am fluent in (so, er, English. *shameface*)
I
can knit plain stockinette without looking, but it's much easier to drop a stitch or split plies or otherwise make a silly mistake. Plus, I'm not often knitting only stockinette with no shaping for long periods. So subtitles just aren't going to happen. (Which is a shame, because I used to really enjoy foreign flicks and now I never get to watch 'em.)
2. TV Shows > Movies
If you pick a TV show, especially one with many seasons, you don't have to stop and find something new to watch nearly so often. Which is important when you're knitting several hours a day, and are terribly indecisive about movies, like I am.
3. It can't be too complex, or too visual
You want something dialogue-heavy with relatively little action-that-you-actually-have-to-watch. You want to be able to keep track of the plot without actually seeing every detail that happens on screen. This manifests in obvious ways (action flicks aren't great) but also less obvious ones- while I did watch Sherlock while knitting, their reliance on text messages was a pain in the ass and I did a lot of rewinding. Pretty Little Liars had the same issue, except that the characters frequently read the text messages out loud, so that helps. Knitting is a great excuse to watch guilty-pleasure tv, because you need your brainpower for things other than following the plot.
4. It must be available on Netflix Streaming
.... 'cause we cancelled our DVD plan and I ain't paying for Hulu as long as they insist on making you watch the same ad 10,000 times even though you are a PAID MEMBER, DAMMIT.
Without further ado, a few of my recent picks:
Once Upon a Time
Kind of low budget and the acting isn't great but somehow it's still SO GOOD. Basically, fairy tale characters in exile in Maine. Beloved Disney characters doing untoward things. Evil Queens being sasstastic.
Parks and Rec
This show is just objectively
good. It's funny, it's adorable, it's feminist-friendly, and has the perfect balance of curmudgeonly characters and lovable idiots.
New Girl
Aww I know everyone kinda hates Zooey Deschanel a little but this show was kind of cute.
Don't Trust the B-- in Apt 23
This show is seriously underrated. It probably got cancelled because it has the WORST NAME EVER. But it features Krysten Ritter being amazing and James Van Der Beek as (an alternate version of) himself. If you watched Dawson's Creek as a kid it'll probably make you really happy.
Desperate Housewives
Okay fine it's not the BEST show, but it's addicting and it's like a million seasons long. It will entertain without distracting you for many, many hours.
My Name is Earl
Another underrated, cancelled-too-early gem. When this was on the air I assumed it was something dumb and trashy but it's actually pretty fantastic. Plus Joy Turner is pretty much my favorite tv character ever.
Also here's a song about eating crabs:
Respect The Meat from
Livia Gondim on
Vimeo.
Bridalplasty
However, if you ARE interested in dumb and trashy, I have for you the reality show to end all reality shows. Brides competing for plastic surgery! I'm actually not 100% convinced that this show wasn't designed to be a parody of other reality shows... it's just so unreal, and oddly engaging.
Skins
Do you like shows about fucked up teenagers who have way more dramatic lives than you do or probably ever did? Are you into sex, drugs, violence, and the folly of youth? Would you prefer it all with a side of Britishness? Step into my office.
I'm kinda getting all sentimental and feeling like rewatching them all now, man. There are, of course, many many more. I'm trying to avoid the obvious hits (OitNB, Whedon stuff, etc... Parks and Rec was pretty obvious but oh well) and the amazing-but-slightly-too-action-packed-or-complex-to-be-ideal (American Horror Story comes to mind) but I'm sure I can dredge up enough for a second installment.
How 'bout you guys? Any knit-able shows that I should definitely not miss?