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"Dad Shows" Are The Most Comforting Kind Of TV. Here Are 3 That I Absolutely Love
By kirstenbakstran,
2024-07-16
Yes, there are, of course, all different types of dads with all different types of interests. But, if I describe a new show as a "dad show," you'll probably know exactly what I mean.
It's that type of show you just know is adored by boomer dads who record it on their DVR to enjoy late on Sunday nights (i.e., 8 p.m.).
A lot of these shows have themes and plots in common.
They're about a gutsy cop who doesn't play by the rules or a CIA agent that'll do anything to get the job done. They've got a bit of a gritty edge, but tend to avoid anything too disturbing, and they're usually a bit predictable, too. And yet, not all shows that fit those metrics are "dad shows." They need a certain X-factor (or dad-factor) that isn't always easy to pinpoint. So why do I, a millennial woman who hates cargo shorts and football, love these shows so much?
I got my love of television from him, so it makes sense that I'd love a lot of the same shows. However, I think there was another big influence from my childhood, which I worry no one has investigated yet...
The USA Network-to-dad-show pipeline. I loved all those shows when I was younger. Characters were not just welcome in my house, they were obsessed over. (You know that's right.)
I started with the funnier ones, like Monk and Psych , but eventually transitioned to the dramas. Burn Notice. White Collar. Covert Affairs . These shows fall into a genre that can only be described as dad-lite. So of course I grew to love dad shows as an adult. What else could you expect from someone who watched every episode of a series about an ex-spy named Micheal Westen? Is there a dad-ier name than that?
The other connection I found while examining my dad taste (and which will likely make dads everywhere quake) is the similarities between dad shows and reality TV.
I've always been partial to both, but during the pandemic my obsessions got a bit out of hand. I was nonstop bingeing seasons of Billions and Real Housewives in equal measure. But, really, it makes sense. Both are far enough away from real life to provide a much needed respite. They make you laugh, roll your eyes, and lean in, but they rarely make you cry or think too deeply about the realities of our world. They're silly but fun, which is what I needed at the time and also always.
A bit like The Breakfast Club meets Le Carré, Slow Horses follows a group of MI5 agents who all, for various reasons, have been relegated to a dead-end, do-nothing team. It's headed by Jackson Lamb (Gary OIdman), an alcoholic, verbally abusive, but brilliant spy who's expletive-laden insults make me cackle. Season 1 starts when River Cartwright, a new agent, messes up in training and ends up on Lamb's team. Unwilling to let his once-promising career die, Cartwright soon gets himself and the other Slow Horses tangled up in a high-profile kidnapping case.
Each season (there have been three so far) follows the Slow Horses team as they're pulled into another high-stakes case. Although you could start with any season and get the gist, I'd recommend starting at the beginning as there is some carry-through between seasons.
I'm always tired of remakes...until the next one comes out and it turns out I love it. And boy did I love the new Perry Mason . This gritty reboot of the 1957 courtroom drama stars Matthew Rhys as private investigator (and lawyer-to-be) Perry Mason. While doing some work for his client and friend, attorney E.B. Jonathan (played by John Lithgow), he's pulled into a dangerous case involving a kidnapped baby, a fervent radio preacher, dirty cops, and some other quintessential film noir characters.
There were sadly only two seasons of this show, both of which were fantastic, but the good news is it'll take you hardly any time at all to binge the whole series.
Will Trent, Will Trent, Will Trent. It's a name you could say 100 times. And believe me, every character in the show does just that. Will Trent follows (you guessed it) Will Trent, a special agent in Atlanta who's meticulous, brilliant, and dyslexic. It's a procedural drama, so he solves a case each week, but there are also over-arching stories about his childhood in foster care and his relationship with his childhood best friend (and coworker). I wouldn't say this series is as good as the previous two, but I also couldn't say that I didn't binge the whole thing in about a week. And Ramón Rodríguez is fantastic as Will Trent, even with the over-the-top accent.
There have been two seasons so far, with a third on the way in 2025.
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