Round Up: 5 Great TV Shows You Should Already Be Watching

Ever since Parks and Recreation finished a few weeks ago, we’ve been feeling a sense of loss for the feel good Amy Poehler masterpiece. However, that malaise was short lived as we’ve been reminded how many great shows are currently running. Here’s our list of 4 top TV shows, airing now, that you can’t afford to miss!

Lilyhammer

Although it hasn’t achieved as much critical acclaim as House of Card or OITNB, Lilyhammer, a Netflix original series, which recently released a 3rd season, is magnificent. Frank “The Fixer” Tagliano leaves the made life in New York for Witness Protection in Lilyhammer, Norway apparently for the sole reason that “they hosted the Winter Olympics there”.

Tagliano, played by Steven Van Zandt, does a perfect turn as a mob soldier who finds himself way out of his depth in the Norwegian fjords. As he gathers a collection of misfits to form a new “operation” in the snow, some of the cultural misunderstandings are frankly hilarious. A scene where an armed confrontation ends with chamomile tea and a sit down to “really discuss our feelings” had this author hooked.

Lilyhammer could easily have gone down a route of cheap jokes and limited emotional weight. Instead, what has emerged is a genuinely human and hilarious comedy drama.

Elementary

Currently airing for a 3rd season, Elementary is a modern retelling of the tale of Sherlock Holmes – who has moved to New York to work with the NYPD after disgrace in London. Dr. John Watson is replaced by Dr. Joan – a drug treatment specialist who acts as Holmes’s live in assistant cum counselor.

Jonny Lee Miller – who plays Holmes, takes a very different approach to Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock. Miller’s Holmes is perhaps less brilliant – just enough so to be vaguely credible, but also more human and vulnerable. Elementary plays far more heavily to the fact Holmes was a drug addict – he is seen attending meetings and even taking on a sponsor. Creating a more real and relatable Holmes is an interesting challenge, which hasn’t detracted from the snappy dialogue or the satisfaction we get from watching a brilliant mind at work!

Holmes has become such a recognizable character not just for his talents, but also his flaws. Elementary is a funny and compelling look into the life of a man battling demons he can’t control, and all the better for making its protagonist a man rather than a myth.

Money Talks

The world of Las Vegas sportsbetting requires nerves of steel, precise calculation and a bit of luck. Money Talks – a CNCC reality show, follows the life of Steve Stevens a top “handicapper”, who claims to consistently win over 70% of the NBA bets he makes. Aside from betting himself, Stevens sells clients his picks for hefty sums.

Recent controversy surrounding Stevens claims only makes this show more exciting. Is Stevens a visionary, with some winning system unbeknownst to the mathematical world, or a stone cold fraud whose apparent confidence is a sham?

On an ordinary betting site like bettingsports.com a success rate like that promised by Stevens would have odds of more than 1 trillion/1 against – leading to heavy suspicions from established sportsbettors.

Whatever is going on in Money Talks, the show is a riveting glance into the shady world of sportsbooks, handicaps and money lines through the eyes of an intriguing character. If Stevens is shown to be a fraud CNBC will have questions to answer – but it doesn’t detract from this show’s watchability.

The Newsroom

Aaron Sorkin loves Public Service. His characters have big ideals, which they are willing to live and die For because they are true American patriots. However, if you can get past the very saccharine premise of The Newsroom, you’ll find one of Sorkin’s best shows in years.

Jeff Daniels plays Will McAvoy a prosecutor turned cable news presenter seeking to up the standard of public news broadcasts. The first episode sees him launch into a memorable 5 minute rant when asked a stupid question at a debate – and he only gets more angry from there.

What Sorkin does well is witty banter and interesting characters – The Newsroom delivers both and you might even find yourself nodding along with the journalists impassioned diatribes from time to time.