The Netflix and Amazon Prime shows students should be keeping up with this winter

In the age of Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other (sometime questionable) Internet streaming sites, there’s almost too much good television on offer to choose from.

It's hard to know what's worth keeping up with, what’s worth ditching uni work for, and what can be completely ignored. It’s even harder if you don’t actually own a TV. As students, it’s easy to ignore what’s going on outside of our little bubble. There’s nothing wrong with re-watching Friends hundreds of times, but if you want to stay in the loop, here’s a list of television shows it would almost be a sin to miss:

1) Orange is the New Black

Netflix’s biggest show follows Piper Chapman, the fish out of water in a women’s prison. The show is driven by the performances of its entire ensemble, making it arguably one of the best character pieces on TV. It’s perfect if you like comedies or drama - because even the Emmy’s aren’t sure which category it falls under. But one thing’s for sure: the week after its release, it’s all anyone talked about.

2) Game of Thrones

If you haven’t seen this already, then it’s probably by choice. At this point, everyone has heard about HBO’s flagship fantasy drama. At its best it’s brilliant, at its worst it’s misogynistic and grotesque. But love it or hate it, we all want to find out who will end up sitting on the throne.

3) The Walking Dead

It’s arguably the biggest show around right now, so unless you despise zombies you should probably be watching it. It’s had a lot of problems with representation in the past, but, if you can power through the first few seasons, it gets a lot better. Brilliant character drama is the core of the show, so even if zombie survival isn’t your usual type of thing, you might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

4) The 100

Sci-fi and politics and post-apocalyptic brilliance combine in the CW’s vastly under watched but critically acclaimed The 100. Set 97 years after the world was destroyed by a nuclear war, many of its themes are frighteningly relevant to the state of the world today. It’s not as well-known as some of the other big shows so watching this will prove you really know where the good television is at.

5) Jessica Jones

Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is, without a doubt, one of the most successful franchises in history. But one thing lets it down: its lack of female led projects.Jessica Jones is Marvel’s newest offering which will be just as dark as Daredevil, but a whole lot more diverse. It’s only been released for a few days but you can bet it’s going to be big.

6) How to Get Away with Murder

ABC’s intelligent drama interweaves murder and mystery into a swiftly moving plot that always keeps you guessing. All of the characters in the show are pretty much terrible people, so it should make you feel better about yourself. And after Viola Davis’ Emmy win, it’s something you shouldn’t be caught not knowing about.

7) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

A comedy about a woman who adjusts to life after being saved from an underground bunker where she was kept hostage for years by a fanatical reverend who believed the world was ending. Sound weird? It is. If you liked 30 Rock then you’ll probably like Tina Fey and Robert Carlock’s newest wacky masterpiece. It’s the break from reality that exam seasons demands.

8) Master of None

It’s just hit Netflix in the last couple of weeks but it’s already making a splash. Aziz Ansari steps away from his Parks and Recreation days in this fresh new comedy. The best thing about it is how relevant it is. From an awkward trip to pick up the morning after pill, to spending 45 minutes deciding what tacos to eat, it’s a show that speaks to the student generation.