The original post: /r/television by /u/cosmicdragonflies on 2026-02-19 19:36:22+00:00.
What TV Show(s) strongly influenced or changed your perception about something, someone (an actor or real life person), a place, time period, or idea/ belief system - and why/how?
Here are a few of mine:
Orange is the New Black: This show (along with Handmaid’s Tale) affected me deeply, gave a home to my empathetic side, and challenged my own biases. OITNB was also a great example of how drama and comedy can be blended seamlessly, without compromising plot.
Black Mirror: This show really challenged me to examine the intersection of technology and human nature in ways which impacted my own career choices. It’s also just great, original and thought provoking tv.
Madmen: This show (along with Boardwalk Empire) gave me powerful visuals (in often subtle/ backdrops) to so many important stories in modern American history, and to the plight of those under-privileged in society I had grown up reading about. It’s also just beautiful to look at.
Six Feet Under: This is one of the first media I consumed where an LGBT character was written well, three-dimensionally, without toxic tropes, sensationalization or stereotypes. I took it for granted, but later began to appreciate the foundation it gave me to challenge certain toxic religious conditioning.
Ted Lasso: Maybe it was the timing, and after a lifetime of cynical content - this show gently help me reset back to a wholesome, kind side that was dormant in me. Honorable mentions to the comedies which have helped me through dark times (Parks n Rec, Veep, Arrested Development, Office, Schitt’s Creek).