Not every show can be as addictive as Stranger Things or Riverdale. Luckily, Netflix added a variety of great TV shows to its repertoire in 2017, contributing to the sleep deprivation of students everywhere. Here are a few programs worth mentioning.

Big Mouth
Created by: Nick Kroll, Jennifer Flackett, Andrew Goldberg and Mark Levin
Seasons on Netflix: 1

Big Mouth is equal parts weird, hilarious and filthy, as it deals with the highs and lows of going through puberty. The grown-up-marketed cartoon was added to Netflix at the end of September and follows the character Nick and his pals Andrew and Jessi as they deal with friends, relationships, the Hormone Monster and Monstress, and various other obstacles that come along with the horrors of puberty.

The show is oddly addictive in the same way that BoJack Horseman or Family Guy can be, but what sets Big Mouth apart is how — amidst strange ghosts and make-believe — it portrays puberty in an honest and sex-positive way.

Life in Pieces
Created By: Justin Adler
Seasons on Netflix: 2

Life in Pieces has a new approach to the classic family sitcom. However, what makes this show unique — when compared to other popular sitcoms like Modern Family — is that it takes the triedand- true elements of its predecessors and then adds a twist to the mode of delivery.

Instead of having all of the families’ stories blend together, jumping back and forth from one storyline to another, the episodes are divided into four short stories, each focusing on the happenings within a single family unit. The Short family is quirky and hilarious, playing into classic sitcom storylines, and the show offers a fresh look at how families operate in our current world.

The Keepers
Directed by: Ryan White
Seasons on Netflix: 1

The Keepers is a compelling, seven-part true-crime documentary series detailing the unsolved murder of school teacher and nun Sister Catherine Cesnik in Baltimore in 1969. The series focuses on the efforts of two former students who investigate Cesnik’s murder, weaving together a series of compelling and conflicting potential narratives.

It’s a more balanced and sophisticated followup to Netflix’s hit Making a Murderer, as it is equally binge-worthy and presents several possible explanations for the murder. The plot is further underscored by a story of hidden sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. Each episode ends with a twist and a cliffhanger, making it impossible to stop watching.

Friends from College
Created By: Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller
Seasons on Netflix: 1

Friends from College focuses on a group of six friends who are all reunited in New York City many years post-college. The cast features familiar favourites such Cobie Smulders of How I Met Your Mother, Keegan-Michael Key of Key & Peele and Fred Savage of The Wonder Years.

The characters are inherently flawed and often easier to hate than to love, as they force their friendship on each other and blatantly ignore the obvious foibles of their group. Yet, there is something oddly familiar about the characters and their group’s dynamic. Even though many of them are in committed relationships, they are still incestuous and destructive the way that some university friend groups can be.

What’s more, like so many 20-somethings, they love each other almost as much as they hate each other. They bring one another down, but they also support each other in their attempts to achieve any sort of success. Overall, Friends from College is a funny and dramatic foreshadowing of what you and your college friends could become.

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Carmen Holmes

Graphic: Laura Underwood / Layout Manager