TV Shows to Watch Based on Your Major

Find Your Next New Show 

There are a number of shows for all majors in many streaming platforms. Source: Karolina Grabowska on Pexels

Picking a new show to watch can feel like swiping on Tinder. The more options we have, the harder it is to “settle.” As a Media Studies major (with a concentration in film & television) I’m basically your guru to your perfect match.

Here are my top 10 shows that have recently come out within the past couple years that I believe everyone would fall in love with. Whether you’re into comedy, drama, suspense, romance, etc. – these shows have it all. I’m here to tell you that you’re swiping left on one too  many shows. Find your perfect match based on your major and don’t just re-watch New Girl for the thirteenth time. I mean that’s basically like getting back with your ex. 

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) Communications // Forensics

Although murder mysteries tend to lean on the dark and ominous side of TV shows, this star studded cast has the comedic chops and chemistry that make crime-solving hilarious. The plot consists of three strangers all living in the same apartment building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The trio also all share an obsession with a true crime podcast. Played by Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez, the gang decides to start their own podcast about the death of a man in the builiding that the police ruled as a suicide. They soon decide to investigate on their own and find more clues than they could have ever expected. This show is full of secrets, lies and comical twists and turns. 

The Morning Show (Apple TV) Journalism 

For any fans of The Office or Friends, this dramatic series may be for you. Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) anchors the network's most popular morning news program, The Morning Show, with Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell). After Mitch is fired due to a sexual assault scandal, Alex must keep the show alive while fighting her rival news anchor, the young and progressive Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon). Besides its stellar cast, this series highlights the Me Too movement as well as the cutthroat reality of the network television industry and its scandals. Is The Morning Show a fictional adaptation of real stories such as NBC’s sexual assault scandal with Matt Lauer? Watch to find out.

Wayne (Amazon Prime Video) Sociology // Education

This hidden gem on Amazon Prime is an action comedy you won’t want to miss out on. Wayne (Mark McKenna) is a rebellious “tougher than he looks” teenager who sets out on a mission to retrieve his late father’s 1979 Trans Am with the help of his friend Del (Ciara Bravo). From Brockton, Massachusetts to Ocala, Florida, this road trip is full of violence, laughter and of course, a great love story. Think Good Will Hunting meets Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The Boston accents are impeccable and perhaps one of the pillar parts of this show.

Pam & Tommy (Hulu) Cyber Security 

Based entirely on a true story, this biographical miniseries captures the first ever celebrity sex tape. The tape was stolen from the home of the iconic 90s married couple, Motley Crüe’s Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan) and Baywatch’s Pamela Anderson (Lily James), by their contractor Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen). Both James and Stan are unrecognizable in their transformations to become the celebrity couple. Stan replicated Lee’s body tattoos and James spent hours in hair & makeup everyday applying prosthetic breasts, teeth and hair to look more like Anderson. Not only does this show recreate the late 90s early 2000s nostalgia so well, but also speaks out in terms of what it’s like having your private life exposed to millions on the internet. Specifically, it tells the story of  a woman who just wanted to be a respected actress versus a man who is praised for being a reckless rockstar. 

Ted Lasso (Apple TV) Psychology // Sports Communication

If you’re in the mood for a sweet, funny, feel-good series, Ted Lasso is your show. The show follows Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis), an American football coach who is hired to coach an English fútbol team, despite having no experience whatsoever in the sport of soccer. However, with Lasso’s charming, optimistic and humorous personality he shows that coaching isn’t always about knowledge of the game, but attitude, teamwork and comradery both on and off the field. Besides its funny and powerful performance by SNL’s Jason Sudeikis, the show has received wide critical acclaim for its writing, emotional themes and uplifting tone. Not only will you laugh, but you’ll also get a deeper meaning of life lessons from each episode. 

Succession (HBO Max) Business // Finance

Business major or not, we all come from somewhat dysfunctional families. However, this billion dollar family makes any other household look like The Brady Bunch. In this satirical black, comedy-drama, the plot consists of the Roy family who owns Waystar RoyCo, a global media and entertainment company. Logan Roy (Brian Cox) falls ill in the pilot, shaping the rest of the season to be a fight between siblings in terms of who is the next successor. Although the subject matter can be dark and serious, it’s the cinematography – tight zoom-in closeups, dramatic whip pans (think The Office) – and the acting that makes this series a binge-worthy comedy. 

Upload (Amazon Prime Video) Computer Science

In this science fiction comedy-drama, the year is 2033 and humans are able to “upload” themselves into a virtual afterlife. When computer programmer Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell) dies, he is uploaded to Lake View where he is controlled by his possessive, living girlfriend who paid for him to be uploaded. Nathan adjusts to the pros and cons of this digital heaven utopia while bonding with his living customer service representative, Nora. Nathan's memories are somehow being erased and Nora begins to question whether his death was an accident or not. Fun fact: Upload was filmed right next door at New Paltz’s Mohonk Mountain House! 

Search Party (HBO Max) Philosophy 

Search Party is a comedy-drama following a group of friends from college who become involved in the search for a missing young woman. This show is truly an enigma and hard to describe because each of its five seasons are a completely different theme. Season one deals with a missing person, season two a murder, season three a trial, season four an abduction and season five a cult. The four primary characters are perhaps the most entertaining and hysterically well-casted group of friends that will make you want to re-watch this show for the second time.

The Boys (Amazon Prime Video) Public Relations // Political Science

What do you think the world would look like if superheroes were actually real? The show The Boys strives to answer that question. We would dress them up of course and make capitalist gains off promoting their supernatural powers and use them in propaganda and militaristic warfare. From the DC comics, The Boys follows the story of the superhero group members of the “Seven” run by the company Vought International, who on the outside save the day and are loved by patrons, but in reality are just shallow celebrities who abuse their powers and do horrendous things in secret.

The Afterparty (Apple TV) Criminal Justice

After famous actor/popstar Xander (Dave Franco) dies at his own party following his 15 year high school reunion, Detective Danner (Tiffany Haddish) interviews each guest as they retell the night from their point of view. Every episode, being a different person's recall, is presented in an entirely different genre: romance, action, suspense, musical, animation or drama. Once again, another incredible cast makes the murder mystery genre fun and addictive to watch. Special guest star appearances include Channing Tatum, Will Forte and Jimmy Tatro. This whodunit will make you guess a new suspect at the end of each episode.