10 shows that all St Andrews students have seen this year

A show for each phase of lockdown


Streaming services like Netflix have never been more popular than now. Before these ‘unprecedented’ times, watching a tv show was a simple way to unwind and relax on a weekday.

Now that we are being told to stay home, Netflix has offered itself as the perfect companion for occupying time. So, if you haven’t watched these shows all St Andrews students have been watching this year, you’ve got some catching up to do!

Emily in Paris

Emily, played by Lily Collins is a perfect caricature of an ambitious, clueless American moving to Europe.

While many have criticised the show for its clichés and stereotypes, Emily’s drive and charm in facing a new environment and country is something many international students in St Andrews can relate to.

Tiger King

The Tiger King phase of Covid-19 restrictions seems like it was ages ago. Amidst staying home, learning to bake and cook, Tiger King was one of the things we used to occupy time.

Joe Exotic’s eccentric personality (to say the least) kept us glued to the screen to learn more about the peculiar world of big cat owners.

In fact, Tiger King has been one of Netflix’s viral hits of 2020, presenting a bizarre yet true story that let us escape our own reality just for a while. Do we still want a cat cafe in St Andrews after all?

The Queen’s Gambit

The Queen’s Gambit follows the difficult life of Beth Harmon as she rises from an orphanage to become a chess prodigy on an international level all the while struggling with substance abuse and depression.

Keen viewers have noted the visual clues throughout the show suggesting Beth Harmon’s growth and development throughout the series. One of the most notable ones is Harmon’s all white outfit in which she looks like a real queen chess piece in the last episode, marking her final success in become a chess Grandmaster.

It really does inspire us all to join the St Andrews Chess society, no?

The Crown

The Crown takes us on a journey, starting from Queen Elizabeth’s rise to the throne with Winston Churchill as Prime Minister up to season four where Emma Corrin plays Princess Diana.

This latest season featuring the clashes between Queen Elisabeth and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Prince Charles troubled marriage with Lady Diana Spencer has cause significant controversy.

While the dialogue was fictitious, many of the events were real, raising public scrutiny over the lives of the royal family. Especially as Netflix claimed it had ‘no plans’ to add a disclaimer that the show was a dramatised work of fiction.

While we all can’t be Kate Middleton, who found her prince right here in St Andrews, at least we can all dream.

Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl first aired in 2007, so not quite a recent show. This is the perfect show to watch over the holidays or even to re-watch if you have already seen it, because let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to be Serena van der Woodsen?

The show follows the lives of privileged upper-class teens in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and their scandalous secrets. The show’s finale where the mysterious ‘Gossip Girl’ is revealed with blow your mind.

While we don’t have our very own Gossip Girl, St Fessdrews and Crushes pages do spark their fair share of drama.

You

Fans who have watched Gossip Girl have drawn eerie similarities between You’s Joe Goldberg and Gossip Girl’s Dan Humphrey, both played by Penn Badgley.

In You Penn plays Joe, a bookstore manager who stalks Guinevere after meeting her in the shop. Fans have speculated that Joe is a version of Dan from Gossip Girl on steroids, where he pursues a girl while hiding his psychopathic alter-ego.

Whether you believe that Joe could be a reincarnation of Dan Humphrey the thrilling drama is bound to pull you in if you still haven’t seen it.

Maybe it’s best to go to Topping only for the tea and books and nothing else!

Gilmore Girls

Rory and Lorelai and their witty humour are mother-daughter relationship goals.

The show is a classic coming-of-age story about growing up, going to college and having to figure out what you want to do later in life all mixed in with love stories and friendship dramas – something we can all relate to.

Set in Stars Hollows, the small town feel of the show really makes you appreciate living in St Andrews. It’s almost as if Northpoint is our very own Luke’s Diner.

Brooklyn 99

Brooklyn 99 is an odd mix of hilarious comedy and criminal drama, with each character in the show offering a different sense of humour.

This is a great laid-back show that makes you laugh after a long day of lectures, tutorials and hours in the library. Short, 20-minute episodes that are perfect for a little brain break and snack in between study sessions.

Ratched

Ratched is set in the late 1940s, where Mildred Ratched played by Sara Paulson works as a nurse in a psychiatric hospital.

Despite her apparent good intention, she hides a wicked and dark character. But maybe her stylish appearance could be an inspiration for a future St Andrews Fashion Show?

Definitely a show bound to get you clicking the ‘next episode’ button.

Friends

Friends is a classic American sitcom everyone has seen. The show first aired in 1994 following the lives of a group of friends along their romantic, career and especially comedic issues.

Full of witty jokes and 90s fashion inspiration, this is just the show to get into as the UK sadly enters its third lockdown. Each one of our friends groups has a Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe.

Which art student hasn’t looked to Rachel for fashion inspiration?

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• 11 types of St Andrews student you’ll come across on New Year’s Eve

• Nine types of flatmate you’ll find if you study at St Andrews

• All the moments in season four of The Crown that St Andrews students can relate to