We’re gonna take a leap outside the normal “Real Housewives/Naked&Afraid/America’s Funniest Videos” realm here, and let you in on three shows we’re almost certain you’re not watching, but that you’re gonna love. These shows are a little off the beaten path. They are so good, though, that we’re over here patting ourselves on the backs for finding them, and watching them, so let’s get to it so you can get to them.
#1 – Belief
Oh this show. I was not prepared for it. This show is on the OWN network, and is so powerful and moving, I bawl my eyes out every time I watch it. Different stories, each time, this show hits you where it matters – its message is all about being moved by something greater than yourself. It’s a widespread missive, too – the Buddhist Monk that is haunted by his childhood searches for peace; a 19 year old Indian woman commits herself to become a Jain nun, eschewing all other worldly things, including her family; an American devout Catholic who, after a traumatic brain injury, becomes a whirling dervish; a personal hero of my husband’s, Alex Honnold, who finds spirituality while free soloing large rocks. Each story is a 20 minute vignette. I’ve only seen 2 episodes, but they have both stayed with me. I’m clamoring for more.
#2 – Arctic Son
Have you ever been hypnotized by the PBS show “Alone in the Wilderness” featuring old school badass Dick Proenneke? Proenneke lived alone for nearly thirty years in the mountains of Alaska in a log cabin he built by hand, all by himself. “Arctic Son” is kind of a family style version of the “Alone in the Wilderness,” with the same hypnotizing quality. You’ll start watching, not stop, and then fantasize about whether you could accomplish the same things as Jean Aspen and Tom Irons, along with their friend Laurie and son Luke. Such simplicity abounds, but in this modern age of stuff, stuff and more stuff, this documentary pinpoints what matters. Prepare for tears at the end.
#3 – Broadchurch
I’m such a sucker for a whodunnit – and this is SOOOO whodunnit-y. After binge listening to the Serial podcast last Spring, I could not get my hands on a new mystery fast enough. This fit the bill. So smart, so creepy. Even though we binge watched it, thus inducing a certain gross, gluttonous feeling, the British accents counteracted the binge and made us feel smarter. Season three can’t come fast enough.
Get thee to a TV!!!
Girls of a Feather 