We pulled together a list of our all-time favourite classic and contemporary box sets. Today, we bring a whole different set of box sets for your binge-watching pleasure. This selection features a list of dramas, comedies, animated series, and guilty pleasures you’ve probably already seen—and should probably watch again. So whip up another batch of popcorn and dive into Best Box Sets of All Time: the Oldies But Goodies edition.
Comedies
Arrested Development
Plot: Michael Bluth takes over the family’s affairs after his father is imprisoned but his spoiled and dysfunctional family make the task nothing short of impossible. It’s full of clever references, makes Arrested Development even better on a second (or third or fourth) watch.
Cast: Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat
Seasons: 5
Entourage
Plot: Get a taste of Hollywood glamour by following vapid movie star Vince Chase. His loyal childhood friends and trusty agent Ari Gold add to the ensemble. Take notes and learn how to infiltrate Hollywood…
Cast: Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Kevin Connolly, Jerry Ferrara, Jeremy Piven
Seasons: 8
How I Met Your Mother
Plot: In the most epic bedtime story of all time, a father recounts the adventures and misadventures that led to him meeting their mother. And yes, it takes 9 compelling seasons to find out how… although its a little dragged out towards the end it’s a fantastic sitcom.
Cast: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan
Seasons: 9
Parks and Recreation
Plot: A team of quirky Indiana town public officials tries the darndest to make their city a better place (often to no avail). This box set is more about small victories and good laughs than local government policy or parks and recreation…
Cast: Amy Poehler, Adam Scott, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza
Seasons: 7
The Office
Plot: When an office downsizes, a documentary film crew follows manager David Brent and his staff as they try to stay employed.
Cast: Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook
Seasons: 3
Make it a real marathon: by following up with 9 seasons of U.S. spin-off of The Office starring Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Mindy Kaling, and Rainn Wilson.
The Inbetweeners
Plot: Equal parts cringeworthy and relatable, the series follows the antics of four friends during their final years of school. There are only three seasons of The Inbetweeners so you won’t have to relive your awkward adolescence for too long.
Cast: Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison
Seasons: 3
Dramas
The Wire
Plot: Acclaimed as one of the best television series of all time, The Wire takes a deep look Baltimore’s drug trade and its grip on the public, school system, politics, and law enforcement. Definitely, do not miss out on this box set.
Cast: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Idris Elba, Aidan Gillen, Sonja Sohn, Michael K. Williams, David Simon, Wendell Pierce, Seth Gilliam, Chad Coleman.
Seasons: 5
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Plot: Five egocentric friends suddenly become proprietors of an Irish bar in Philadelphia. It’s the best dark comedy to come out of a dive bar, probably ever.
Cast: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito
Seasons: 14
Breaking Bad
Plot: When a high school chemistry teacher is diagnosed with lung cancer, he does what anyone else might do in that situation—he starts manufacturing methamphetamine to ensure his family will stay afloat when he’s gone.
Cast: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Vince Gilligan, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte
Seasons: 5
Lost
Plot: The survivors of crashed Oceanic Flight 815 find themselves Lost on a tropical island with many secrets.
Cast: Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Emerson, Emilie de Ravin, Dominic Monaghan, Henry Ian Cusick, Daniel Dae Kim, Naveen Andrews, Terry O’Quinn, Yunjin Kim, Josh Holloway, Jorge Garcia, Elizabeth Mitchell
Seasons: 6
Dexter
Plot: A well-mannered blood-spatter analyst by day and serial killer by night, Dexter solves crimes as frequently as he commits them. Rest assured, he only targets other murderers.
Cast: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas
Seasons: 8
Mad Men
Plot: Welcome to 1960s New York, where “mad men” rule the advertising industry. The series centers on Donald Draper, a creative genius with the requisite vices.
Cast: Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones, Rich Sommer, Aaron Staton, Christina Hendricks
Seasons: 7
The West Wing
Plot: Get an inside look at the White House as various employees of the West Wing become hopelessly entangled with the professional responsibilities of running a country.
Cast: Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney, Martin Sheen, Richard Schiff, Janel Moloney, Rob Lowe
Seasons: 7
Juicy Dramas
Sex and the City
Plot: For alpha female New Yorkers gossip about their sex lives and navigate what it means to be a woman in the 90s. Fellas, tune in to learn what it takes to get a nickname like “Mr. Big”.
Cast: Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth
Seasons: 6
Gilmore Girls
Plot: Centered on a thirty-something single mom and her teenage daughter, the dramedy recounts the heartfelt ups and downs of life in Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Stream it before Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, now on Netflix.
Cast: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel
Seasons: 7
The O.C.
Plot: A troubled youth gets a second chance in Orange County, California, but getting tangled in the affairs of wealthy Newport Beach kids comes with its own set of challenges. This box set makes a great Chrismukkah gift.
Cast: Mischa Barton, Adam Brody, Ben McKenzie, Rachel Bilson
Seasons: 4
Gossip Girl
Plot: Wealthy teens of New York’s Upper East Side navigate their dramatic lives whilst under the surveillance of a vigilant and anonymous blogger who spares no secrets. Xoxo, Gossip Girl.
Cast: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford
Seasons: 6
Animated (and still running)
The Simpsons
Plot: The satirical and often crass misadventures of a family of misfits in the city of Springfield.
Cast: Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer, Julie Kavner, Yeardley Smith
Seasons: 30 and counting…
Family Guy
Plot: A dysfunctional family struggles to cope with everyday life in a wacky Rhode Island town.
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green
Seasons: 17 and counting…
South Park
Plot: Four irreverent grade-schoolers get into mischief in the sleepy but dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.
Cast: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mona Marshall
Seasons: 23 and counting…