Six series to sit down to this season

The Foodie

We are what we eat, which makes Doctor Hannibal Lecter a number of things. Suave psychiatrist with impeccable taste in formal wear is one. Murderer, psychopath, musician, and FBI agent are just a few others. This series, its third season due in 2015, is a cinematic masterpiece. Watch as Mads Mikkelson, in the leading role, inspires both hunger and revulsion at his cannibalistic culinary creations in this gripping, gory, complex and creepy series. Also keep a lookout for Dr Lecter’s wonderful kitchen – a true work of art.

The Outdoorsman

If we’re honest, most of us could do with a little more exercise and fresh air. If you’re too full/hungover from the Christmas festivities to manage that, join Rick Grimes and his ragtag gang of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun with the undead. They traverse the United States, following one fragile thread of hope after another, battling zombies, food shortages and each other. Currently on hiatus until February, now is the perfect time to catch up with all five seasons of The Walking Dead and maybe get inspired to do a little cardio.

The Crime Buff

The January airdate for the next season of BBC’s Sherlock is just around the corner. Now is a great time to review the minutiae of the casebook, sympathize with Mrs Hudson, brush up on your knowledge of Holmes’ collection of fitted shirts and reacquaint yourself with the topography of Benedict Cumberbatch’s cheekbones. 

The Activist

Justice never rests, not even when it’s full of turkey and mince pies. In Veep, Selina Meyer is the Vice President of the United States and she wishes more people cared about that. Follow Meyer’s tricky travails through the White House halls of power, her team in tow. In turns brilliant and depressingly representative of reality, this series will have you thanking your lucky stars you’re at home in pajamas instead of shaking hands at endless political rallies.

The Seafarer

Polish your eyepatch, feed the parrot and climb the rigging with Black Sails. With Michael Bay as the executive producer, this series is a perfect blend of pirates and pirate history, both fact and fiction. The show does not shy away from showing us the brutality, the voracity, and the danger of piracy in the eighteenth century – perfect fodder for the swashbuckler preparing for January’s season two premiere.

The One Living Under A Rock

If you are one of the six people on Earth who haven’t watched it, sit yourself down and don’t get up until you’ve finished all five seasons of Breaking Bad. This series has become a cultural icon and a benchmark of modern television. Watch Walter White go from helpless victim to ruthless mastermind with the help of his knowledge of chemistry and his protégé Jesse Pinkman. And though you’ve probably had enough of food and eating by now, that’s not quite what Mr White means when he says, ‘Let’s cook.’