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Do you ever feel like there’s too much good TV to watch? You’re not alone. It feels like a new ”˜essential’ show comes out every week, forcing us to dedicate another 12 hours of lives to the box so we’re not left out of conversations.

There’s more TV coming out now than at any time in history. This article from The Daily Beast (aptly titled There’s Too Much Damn TV) claims that 1,715 primetime shows aired in 2014, with 352 scripted shows. You’d need to watch nearly a series a day to get through all the US drama and comedy produced last year!

With more critically acclaimed shows comes more social media (and real life) chatter, which plays on our fear of missing out. Yep, that’s a real thing, and it’s described perfectly in this article by Paste Magazine:

“…if everybody else is talking about something, it starts to feel super important”

Of course, the problem with trying to watch everything is that you have to neglect other aspects of your life, like your friends and your health. And no-one wants that!

It’s all about balance, and that’s exactly what this post is going to tackle. Here are some top ways you can check out the shows everyone is talking about without ruining your life or being crushed under the weight of your ”˜to-watch’ list.

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Get the major series out of the way first

With so many good TV shows to watch, where do you start?

With the all-time greats, of course! The definition of ”˜great’ differs from person to person but there are a number of shows that most people agree are legendary: Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, The Wire and Game of Thrones being just a few.

This list from IMDB is a good place to start, although we’d take some of the entries with a pinch of salt. New shows, for example, tend to have artificially high ratings.

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Go old school and watch an episode a week

Back in the day, people used to watch TV one episode at a time. Now, they watch 5 at a time; Netflix even release whole seasons at once so people can binge to their heart’s content.

With binging being the new norm, finding the time to watch TV can feel like a bit of a chore. No one really has time to clear 5 hours out of their day without sacrificing something else they enjoy. You don’t need a doctor to tell you that 5 hours in front of the TV isn’t great for your health either.

So, why not go old school and watch one episode a week? You won’t have to change your life, you’ll have more time to do other stuff and you’ll be able to watch more than one show at a time!

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Know when to quit

Anyone who watches TV on a regular basis recognises that weird compulsion to finish a TV series so you can tick it off your list, even if you’re not really enjoying it.

Don’t waste your time on a show you don’t like. If you still aren’t enjoying it after 4 or 5 episodes, the chances are you won’t enjoy it at all.

Remember, it’s not a competition to see how many shows you can watch; it’s about enjoying quality programming.

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Accept that you’re not going to watch everything

No matter how hard you try, there just isn’t enough time in the world to watch every TV show ever made. And you know what? It really doesn’t matter. Accept that you can’t watch everything and be involved in every single conversation about TV. You’ll be a lot happier for it, honestly!

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