Can’t figure out what to watch next? Well thank me later because here are 10 television shows for you to binge watch, if you haven’t already! So get comfy, grab your chosen snacks, grab your remote, and it’s time to watch some fantastic series!

Black Mirror

Black Mirror is undoubtedly one of the best science fiction TV shows. It is a British television series that combines sci-fi with dark and satirical themes and takes a huge toll on modern society and the consequences if upcoming technologies. This show is designed to make you think. We’re in a realm that frequently uses technology in our everyday existence and we end up putting an awfully large amount of energy into it. We of course aim to make our lives better with it, but are we getting better though, or only getting worse? This twisted show will leave you hooked for sure and might even leave you wanting to live remotely in the woods!

Westworld

It’s about a technology-based amusement park with all hosts at your disposal. You can do anything you want to them, and they can’t hurt you. Or so you think! With a star-studded cast, this killer delight is a must binge watch. With all the twists and turns in each episode, it’s hard to wait for the next. With so many intertwining storylines, this one will keep you glued to the screen.

Stranger Things

This hit show explores different genres including sci-fi, drama, horror, and romance. Set in 1980’s, it is centred on four nerdy friends and how their lives drastically change when one of them goes missing. While searching for him, they encounter a strange girl on a rainy night. Weird labs, conspiracies, and upside down planes of existence, this show has it all! The young cast of fantastic actors lead this series to its full glory. This show will leave you holding your breath with its many hilarious, but terrifying moments.

The IT Crowd

The IT Crowd isn’t a showcase of futuristic tech, but rather a look at the shenanigans of the mismatched rabble of the IT department in the fictional Denholm Industries. In a claustrophobic basement of a skyscraper building, we find an IT department consisting of 3 members, the lovable Moss, the sarcastic Roy, and the voice of reason, Jen. The show is massively quotable, at times surreal, and takes what could have been a simple sitcom about an office IT department and raises it to cult classic status thanks to the writing and the quality of the lead performances.

The Big Bang Theory

How can any list be complete without including this show! Now in its final season, the show follows two physicists and their friends who go through life one socially awkward situation at a time. The hilarious punch lines and the top-notch actors make the show the big hit that it is. There’s constant scientific theory and tech banter with cameos of real life scientists like Stephen Hawking, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Bill Nye.

Mr Robot

If you are among the ones who are done with the current political, economic, and social structure and wish to bring it down, this series is totally for you. The lead character Elliot is a cyber security engineer by day and a vigilant hacker by night, who wants to bring down the corporate America by destroying the financial records. But all isn’t going smoothly ever since Elliot is diagnosed with a mental illness.

Firefly

500 years in the future, in a world combining futuristic space travel and border planets that exist with the most basic of technology, Firefly is lovingly referred to as “space-western.” A renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the unknown parts of the galaxy and evade warring factions as well as authority agents out to get them. Captain Mal and his crew may be thieves, but they’ll fight to death to do what’s right. With a combination of wit and drama, this show will make you laugh, think, cry, and stand up and cheer.

Legion

The show focuses on the mutant David Haller, a.k.a Legion. He just so happens to be one of the most powerful mutants alive as he tries to navigate his new powers and tries not to let his mind wander. He’s also the son of Charles Xavier. Legion is a character meant to blow your mind as he is complex filled with psychological, emotional storylines,  and characterisation that can get a little weird. This show absolutely nails everything you thought about the title characters. It’s funky, bizarre, wacky, and downright brilliant. It brings viewers a fantastically beautiful and insane piece of TV that you can’t help but binge.

Sherlock

Based on the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this modern update finds the famous detective and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London. This show is so amazing that you can’t help but re-watch it again. With brilliant actors and direction, this show is loved by its audience.  Sherlock is smart, sassy, intricate, and wildly entertaining.

Altered Carbon

Altered Carbon is an ambitious sci-fi series set around 350 years in the future, in a world where humans are able to upload and download digital versions of themselves onto ‘stacks’ (hardware stored in the base of the neck). This means humans can switch and upgrade bodies at will, making death a thing of the past for most. The opening episode of Altered Carbon sees trained killer Takeshi Kovacs wake up in prison to find himself in a new body. He’s given the choice to either stay there or accept a job solving the murder of one of the world’s wealthiest men, Laurens Bancroft.

Are there any other series you would recommend? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 10 TV Shows To Binge Watch appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

What is a “fandom”? Of course, if you’re interested in discovering the definition then you could just use Google to search for and find your answer. Google defines the word fandom as “the state or condition of being a fan of someone or something” and “the fans of a particular person, team, fictional series, etc. regarded collectively as a community or subculture”. In regard to this examination of fandoms within the society of us readers, TV show lovers, and movie fanatics, neither definition is wrong.

However, neither definition succeeds in doing anything beyond scratching the surface as to what fandoms truly are. The term ‘community’ used in the definition provided by Google is fitting yet doesn’t quite express the strength and power to which being a part of a fandom holds. ‘Community’ portrays this idealistic, yet untrue, image of a large collection of individuals living and expressing their mutual love for said thing in harmony. However, there are times in which being a part of a fandom, or indeed multiple fandoms, is anything but harmonious… Therefore, it could be more fitting to use a different term to describe what fandoms are: fandoms are families. Those a part of a fandom can most likely agree to this use of terminology.

Fandoms are filled with people worldwide who come together to participate in the discussion of their favourite TV shows, books, movies, etc. Those individuals participate in a wide variety of activities which play a part in the ‘fandom life’ such as fanfiction writing, drawing fanart, and roleplaying etc.

There are many fandoms which exist today, some more popular than others and each with their own delights and disasters. Examples of the more popular fandoms today are as follows:

• Potterheads – fans of the Harry Potter book/movie series
• Whovians – Doctor Who fanatics
• Thronies – Game of Thrones fans
• Sherlockians – Sherlock fans, mostly those who are fans of the BBC TV series although it does extend to those who are fans solely of the movie adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes tales starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law
• Merlinians – Fans of the beloved show Merlin which featured also on the BBC channel

Other fandoms which exist revolve around a mixture of TV shows, movies, books and even just individual actors, such as Shadowhunters, Supernatural, Teen Wolf, The Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Lord of the Rings, Twilight and more…

But whilst all these fandom ‘families’ may dwell within their own fictional worlds, sometimes two separate fandoms, or even three, may co-join with one another. This occurrence is known as a crossover and is often seen in fanfiction or even encountered during roleplaying, examples of this include:

• PotterLock – In which the Sherlock characters are enrolled or have been at Hogwarts much like the characters of Harry Potter themselves.
• SuperWhoLock – A mix of Supernatural, Doctor Who, and Sherlock characters merged together to create an even wider universe for fanfiction writing and roleplaying prompts.

The fandoms mentioned and the others which exist are able to merge so easily now with the help that the Internet provides and sites like Twitter, Tumblr, ArchiveOfOurOwn, Fanfiction.net, and those used for roleplaying help to further expand the material surrounding a fandom by use of the fans’ imagination. One of the advantages which the Internet has with providing fans with the opportunity to interact with one another and create even their own material is that it allows—more often than not—for fans to keep the show alive even after it is over. For example, the BBC TV Show Merlin which ended in 2014 and MTV’s Teen Wolf has long been kept alive with the help of fans sharing their own AU fan fictions and fan art via sites such as Tumblr and even groups which can be found on Facebook. However, it’s not just the internet which allows for fans to interact with each other and even with their favourite actors and authors alike, but events held like Comic-Con allow for fans to gather, cosplay (dress up as their favourite characters), and meet those whom they admire!

Of course, as stated earlier in this article, not everything about being a part of a fandom is smiles, laughter, and fans coming together without complaint or disagreement… Fandoms are like families, after all, and families have their rocky patches. A big issue with the fandom life is the controversy which comes with being an individual fan in a sea of them, each with their own beliefs surrounding the material which canon provides. One of the biggest controversies within a fandom comes with the idea of shipping.

More often than not, fans are happy with the final relationships which come out of the works produced by their beloved authors and directors. However, this isn’t always the case and even if it is, where is the fun in refusing to explore the various outcomes of a product. Various ships which exist out with canon are:

Dramione – Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series
Jalec – Jace Herondale and Alec Lightwood from The Mortal Instruments series
Newtmas – Newt and Thomas from The Maze Runner series
Sterek – Stiles Stilinski and Derek Hale from the Teen Wolf series
Cherik – Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr from the X-Men series
JohnLock – John Watson and Sherlock Holmes from the Sherlock series
Merthur – Merlin and Arthur Pendragon from the Merlin series

All these ships allow for individual fans to explore the “what if’s” of their favourite movies, TV shows, and romance storylines. However, not everyone is a fan of a particular ship or in agreement of two characters being anything more than what they are in canon or even just friends and so the controversy starts. Shipping is not the only thing within a fandom which causes controversy either, more often than not fans headbutt each other when it comes to the many theories which each of them create; theories such as “How Did Sherlock Holmes survive? Is Jim Moriarty truly dead? Is the new Doctor being a woman a good thing? What if Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter had become friends in Year 1? What if Arthur had known about Merlin’s magic all along?” All of these theories can be found somewhere online with a great number of people arguing their own case, agreeing, disagreeing, and providing evidence to back up their points, the entire experience of joining in or even just observing is highly intriguing.

As stated, all these fan interactions allow for a fandom to remain alive through the fans themselves but just how far are fans willing to go to save what they love? One fandom, in particular, is the perfect example to use when exploring this question.

With the cancellation of the Shadowhunters series being announced on June 5th 2018, the fans of the beloved show were sent into a frenzy and it’s clear that Freeform picked the wrong fandom to mess with… The below image provides merely a few stories as to what lengths the fans have gone to in their attempts to save the show from creating the trending tweets #saveshadowhunters, #savetheshadowworld and sharing multiple images throughout the internet to hiring a plane to fly over the Netflix HQ carrying the banner #saveshadowhunters and more!

With campaigns being held over the social media and petitions going around via Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, countless fans doing their part in helping to save the shadow world which we have come to love from the moment it hit our screens, there is no doubt that proof exists as to how important fandoms can be to us fangirl and fanboys. And whilst the fate of the show can not yet be determined, it’s clear that the dedication shown by fans allow for everyone to see how much of a family the fans truly are. They may be at war with one another at times regarding various aspects of the show, but mess with the show itself and the fans will stand together to fight side by side to save what has allowed for them to create such a family in the first place.

If that’s not family, then what is?

What fandoms do you belong to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post The Family We Call Fandoms appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

I don’t know about you, but I think television and books go really well together. Maybe not always book adaptions (because we all know they can sometimes be a disappointment), although the trailers for Anne and The Handmaid’s Tale may be a glimmer of hope for the growing world of book-to-screen adaptions.

If you fancy skipping your next Netflix binge, we’ve paired a few television shows with some YA books so you can still enjoy your favourite themes but read all about it instead!

Let us know if you’ll be reading one of these books in the comments below!

Agent Carter >>> Code Name Verity/Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
Agent Carter is one of my all-time favourite shows and Rose Under Fire is one of my all-time favourite books. These two go hand-in-hand as this duology written by Elizabeth Wein is about female spies and pilots in World War II, so naturally there’s a connection between these books and Agent Carter. Not to mention, the characters are as badass as Peggy and they have just as much heart to them.

Downton Abbey >>> The Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray
This one may be a little bit of a stretch as The Gemma Doyle trilogy is more Downton Abbey meets Merlin perhaps. It has all the historical, scandalous and intriguing elements of Downton Abbey, but with a touch of magic and witches. The first book, A Great and Terrible Beauty is set in a London boarding school for Victoria ladies. It’s a fun series, but it also explores and features some serious topics, great female friendships and some incredible world-building and magic. The main character Gemma could be considered as a cross between Mary and Sybil and not to mention, the author Libba Bray is incredibly talented so it’s worth checking out.

Game of Thrones >>> Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
Although I personally am not much of a fan of Game of Thrones, the Falling Kingdoms series is fantastic read for those who are. Like Game of Thrones, there are quite a few characters that the story follows and they are all very intriguing in their own ways, just like how the characters greatly differ in the television series. Being a fantasy series, the world is complex and rich, which always makes for fascinating read.

Sherlock >>> Every Breath
Every Breath is an Australian YA trilogy by Ellie Marney which tells the story of Rachel Watts and her best friend, James Mycroft. You may have notices it’s loosely based around Sherlock Holmes, but the modern Melbourne setting sets it apart from the rest. James is very reminiscent of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock—absolutely brilliant, but slightly less knowledgeable when it comes to people and communicating. Rachel is not a sidekick to Mycroft at any point, and she has a bigger purpose than merely making him look smart since she’s brilliant in her own way, and I think many readers can appreciate that.

The post If You Like, You’ll Like: TV To Books appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Contains Spoilers

2017 welcomed Sherlock fans with the long-awaited first episode of season 4. But was it worth the wait? The Six Thatchers picks up almost immediately after last season’s finale.  Sherlock is on a plane after shooting Charles Augustus Magnussen, but his trip is cut short when Jim Moriarty’s video broadcasts across London. Is Moriarty alive? We have yet to find out.

While waiting for his nemesis’ next move in what Sherlock has described as a “posthumous game”, he investigates the mysterious death of a young man. The completion of the investigation leads him to another, which concerns a smashed bust of Margaret Thatcher owned by the dead man’s father. Inspector Lestrade then brings him another broken bust belonging to a different owner. Since there are only six sculptures, Sherlock eventually catches the culprit. However, becomes caught off-guard when he finds a USB marked with the acronym “A.G.R.A” after smashing the bust, which is identical to the one Mary had and thrown in the fire. Before escaping, the unnamed man tells Sherlock that he knows Mary and he will kill her for her betrayal.

Meanwhile, Mary and John become parents to a daughter; and John has a secret of his own: a woman, who he met on a bus he calls ‘E’ and has been texting. Sherlock proves to be fiercely loyal to his friends when he confronts Mary about the threat to her life and vows to protect her. But she refuses his help believing her former coworker, named Ajay, won’t go through with his plan. Several scenes catapult us back six years into Mary’s past as a freelance agent, when her team’s rescue mission goes terribly wrong. During the throwbacks we learn several things: the acronym on the memory stick is the initials of each agent’s first name; they all have one, which contains vital information of each member’s true identity and could implicate them (but apparently, it’s a symbol of trust); and finally, that Ajay believes Mary betrayed them, even though the only detail revealed about the traitor while he was being tortured was that she was an English woman.

In the final act, Sherlock confronts the true traitor, who is revealed to be Mrs. Norbury (beware of old ladies), a jealous secretary. When Mary, John, Lestrade and some police officers show up, Norbury, seeing no escape, aims her gun at Sherlock and pulls the trigger. Time slows down and in the final seconds, Mary steps in front of Sherlock and the bullet hits her in the chest. Her sudden death causes a rift between Sherlock and Watson.

So, was it worth the wait?

Perhaps not. Three years builds high expectations. While its trademark witty exchanges were entertaining, the plot’s attempt to unravel the mystery of Mary Watson fell short. At the pace that it was unfolding, it felt like a sub-plot they wanted over and done with. On the other hand, it does make us wonder what will happen to Sherlock and Watson now the latter refuses to see him. When Sherlock finds a CD amongst his paperwork with the words “Miss Me?” written on top, he initially thinks it’s from Moriarty until Mary’s face greets him from the screen. In the event of her death, she had prepared a video message asking Sherlock to fulfill her final request: Save John Watson.

From what exactly? We can only make assumptions. Does she have other enemies who will go after her husband and daughter? Did she foresee the fallout of Sherlock and Watson as an outcome from her death? Will John find himself in serious trouble?

Hopefully the next episode will give us some answers!

What did you think Sherlock fans?

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