Nia White | Staff Writer
Premieres of TV shows can be the highlight of some people’s summer experiences. New shows such as “Generation” and “Clickbait” and returning shows such as “Outer Banks” were the biggest hits of the summer.
“‘Outer Banks’ is my favorite show because regardless of how much I binge the show, I never get tired of it,” Hampton University sophomore Aniyah Reed said. “The plot is so intriguing and interesting that it leaves the audience wondering what will happen next. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who has yet to watch, but the new season definitely took me in for a whirl and shocked me in the least expected way.”
Netflix describes “Outer Banks” as a show about an island divided by class, where three teenagers join together to solve the mystery of a legendary treasure.
Many returning shows have kept viewers interested over the years, such as the anthology series “American Horror Story,” which first aired 10 years ago.
“A returning show that I would recommend is ‘American Horror Story’ because the previous season, ‘1984,’ was fun and campy … but in a good way, and the most recent season is doing well so far,” HU sophomore Jacob Ethridge said.
FX describes “American Horror Story” as a show that has “redefined the horror genre with various installments.”
While shows such as “Outer Banks” and “American Horror Story” returned, many new shows aired this summer.
“Some of my favorite shows from this summer are ‘Loki,’ ‘Wandavision,’ ‘Generation,’ ‘Invincible’ and ‘Them,’” Webb said.
“Generation” premiered on HBO Max in March, with people watching it over the summer. “Clickbait” was a new show that premiered on Netflix in August.
“I loved that I’d never watched a show with that storyline,” HU junior Madison Grant said of “Clickbait.” They did an excellent job of presenting their message in an original way.”
For those who have not watched ‘Clickbait,’ Netflix lists the plot as follows, “When family man Nick Brewer is abducted in a crime with a sinister online twist, those closest to him race to uncover who is behind it and why.”
Not all shows garnered positive reviews.
“A show I specifically didn’t like was ‘Spinning Out’ on Netflix,” Ethridge said. “I don’t think the story was done or paced well and ended up not making a ton of sense in my opinion.”
Some shows appeal to broad audiences, while others target only select groups.
“I tried to watch a few shows like ‘F is for Family’ and ‘Ginny and Georgia,’ but
I just couldn’t connect,” HU sophomore Kayla Quinnie said. “It felt like I was being fed content.”
Netflix describes “Ginny and Georgia” as a show about “free-spirited Georgia and her two kids, Ginny and Austin, who move north in search of a fresh start but find that the road to new beginnings can be bumpy.”
“‘Ginny and Georgia’ was overall a really fun show to experience,” Ethridge said. “The dynamic between Ginny and Georgia’s characters seemed very well established and evolved in a way that was slightly predictable but still enjoyable to see come to fruition. Additionally, I loved the side characters and how they influenced the decisions that both Ginny and Georgia made throughout the season.”
People can have high or low expectations of new shows, or possibly no expectations at all. TV shows can elicit different responses from different people.
“I was expecting something to just have on in the background, but all of these shows impressed me,” Webb said.
People watch television for a variety of reasons. The characters and audience of a show can impact people’s final opinions of a show.
“I look for shows to cater to our new age,” Quinnie said. “[I want] characters who seem real and I can connect to.”
The Hampton Script 