Click on the TV show’s name to watch a YouTube clip from the show.
The first two TV shows are about friends.
1. Friends
This TV show is definitely the most popular TV show for English learners. It’s so popular that one of my Korean friends made his English name “Joey” after one of the characters because he said that he learned English thanks to this show!
2. Seinfeld
Seinfeld is famous for being a show about nothing. There isn’t a continuous plot (story), and a lot of quotes from this TV show are used in pop culture.
The next two TV shows are about family
3. Full House
Full House is about a dad, his three daughters, and their extended family. The dad, played by Bob Saget, and the youngest daughter, played by both Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, are famous actors in the US.
4. Everybody Loves Raymond
This is a classic American family sitcom. Ray, the main character, goes through a lot of life circumstances that most people have experienced, such as difficult situations with his children, his wife, and his parents.
The next two TV shows are about high school and young people
5. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air features the famous actor Will Smith. Almost every American who is in their 20s or 30s can sing or at least recognize the theme song to this show. If you’re interested in a hilarious show that takes place in LA, check out Fresh Prince!
6. Boy Meets World
This TV show features three best friends, Shawn, Cory, and Topanga. Don’t worry if you can’t pronounce the name “Topanga.” It’s a new girl’s name made only for this show! Even though this show is about high schoolers, the image of American high school is pretty stylized (that means it’s not realistic), in my opinion. The next TV show (number 7) is a little bit more accurate.
The final three TV shows are a little more modern
7. Freaks and Geeks
Freaks and Geeks is a show whose main characters are a sister and brother, Lindsay and Sam. “Freak” means someone who is really weird, and that describes Lindsay’s friends. A “geek” is someone who isn’t very sociable and might be clumsy. That describe’s Sam and his friends. Time Magazine called this TV show one of the “100 Greatest Shows of All Time.” And it was also called one of the best school shows of all time. That’s a lot of praise!
8. The Big Bang Theory
This TV show features two physicists, a waitress, and their scientist friends. I definitely recommend watching this show with subtitles because they speak quickly and use a lot of modern cultural references, but if you can get the jokes, I think you’ll be really proud!
9. The Office
The Office is quickly becoming an American classic. In fact, there is also a British version of this TV show that started before the American one! This show is somewhat like a reality show because the camera interviews the characters individually so that you can hear their thoughts. It’s a different style than the other shows because it takes place almost completely in an office and among coworkers. Personally, I really like this show!
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**Other TV shows that are also popular but didn’t make this list are: The Simpsons, Little House on the Prairie, and Game of Thrones.
The next big question is: Where in the world can I watch these shows?
Of course the answers depend on where you live, but hopefully some of these suggestions will be useful to you. If you know of any other places to buy or watch English TV shows, write it in the comments. I’m sure other people would love to hear your ideas!
1. YouTube.com: It’s surprising how many shows are available for free on YouTube. Even if you can’t watch a full episode, usually you can watch parts of episodes.
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2. Amazon.com: No matter where you live, this is probably the easiest place to buy a whole series. I recommend that you check to make sure there are subtitles included on the DVD; usually they are.
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3. Netflix.com: This website is accessible if you have high speed internet and you’re in an English speaking country, South America, and Europe. There are great subtitles for almost every show.
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4. Hulu.com: It’s mainly available in the US, Japan, and a few European countries.
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5. Amazon Prime: It’s available in the US, Japan, Germany, and a few other countries.
see more at: http://www.speakenglishwithvanessa.com/nine-tv-shows-for-learning-english/
