The 10 Best Gateway Watches For Diving Into New Genres

This film about dreams, determination, and socio-economic disparity can often be found at the top of lists ranking the best documentaries of all time, and there’s a reason for that. Even if you hate documentaries and all things sports related, you’d be hard-pressed not to root for William Gates and Arthur Agee. The documentary follows these two African-American teenagers as they travel 90 minutes every day from inner-city Chicago to Westchester, Illinois, with one difficult-to-achieve goal on their minds — to make it to the NBA. Filmed over the course of five years, what makes this documentary great is how painfully human it is. That being said, it still smartly questions a number of political issues, including race, social class, education, and economic division in the United States. After watching this one, dive into true crime series like Making a Murderer and The Jinx, or, if you appreciate the sports focus, dive into ESPN’s 30 for 30 series.

[Where to stream Hoop Dreams]

I know this seems counter intuitive. Why would anyone recommend one of the densest and longest-running sci-fi shows ever as a gateway watch? However, I’m not recommending all of Doctor Who, just one episode. “Blink” is the 10th episode of Season Three, and it’s arguably one of the best television episodes of all time. This episode combines everything that makes sci-fi great — a confusing timeline, corny graphics that oddly never seem distracting, sassy quotable lines, a disturbing mystery, and fear. Lots and lots of fear. Watch this one, and if you still want to watch Doctor Who, restart from Season One (of the 2000s not the 1960s). Otherwise, treat yourself to one of the greatest and most achievable sci-fi series out there, the too-soon cancelled Firefly.

[Where to stream Doctor Who]

[Stream the Doctor Who episode “Blink” on Prime Video]

From my experience, there are two reasons why people hate horror. Either they hate getting scared or they don’t see any artistic merit in the genre. The Babadook blows that latter complaint completely out of the water. This Australian-Canadian horror gem chronicles a young mom’s growing depression as she has to endure one of the worst children to ever exist onscreen. The movie and genre are the perfect mediums for portraying her growing desperation, and anyone who has come close to snapping will relate to this burnt-out mother. Yes, it is scary at times, but the movie relies on smartly constructed anxiety rather than cheap jump scares, making it a more sophisticated horror film. However, if your aversion to horror mostly comes from the fact you hate being scared, The Babadook probably isn’t for you. Go for a classic instead — Jaws.

[Where to stream Babadook]

Technically, Showtime’s series about a family dealing with their mentally ill mother is a comedy, but as I’m sure you can tell from that description, there was plenty of drama to go around. If you have a hard time paying attention to intense plot lines and slow pacing of critics’ favorite shows, then the best way to ease yourself in is by watching a stellar dramedy. The Untied States of Tara‘s dry sense of humor cuts through its depressing premise, and its 30-minute episodes make it easy to binge. Start here and get yourself used to the slower, more character-driven pacing before you jump into classics like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad. 

[Where to stream The United States of Tara]

Shonda Rhimes is a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. However, with Grey’s Anatomy ending on 12 seasons and Scandal on Season Six, ShondaLand can feel like an exclusive club reserved for only the most dedicated viewers. That’s why you need to jump into Rhimes’ youngest show, the award-winning How to Get Away with Murder. It’s faster, more dramatic, and arguably sexier than Rhimes’ other shows, and with just two seasons, it’s not too big of a commitment. After that, all you need to do is watch a few episodes from Scandal‘s Season One and skim through Grey’s Anatomy’s Wikipedia page, and you should be able to contribute to or at least understand the drama-fueled conversations of your obsessed friends.

[Where to stream How to Get Away with Murder]

This is a watch you’re going to have to pay attention to. I know you’ve probably seen GIFs of this show dominating the Internet, so it’s time to take a deep breathe and dive in. Arrested Development is the perfect gateway watch to alternative comedy not just becasue of how innovative it was at the time but because of the many, many great projects its cast has starred in. Through Michael Cera, you have Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Superbad, and Juno. Jessica Walters leads you to Archer. David Cross leads you to Mr. Show and W/ Bob and David. Will Arnett leads you to BoJack Horseman and Flaked — I’m just getting started. Watch Arrested Development, pick your favorite Bluth, then go have fun exploring their IMDB pages. I promise this method won’t disappoint.

[Where to stream Arrested Development]

Anime is hard to jump into, so we’re offering you two suggestions for this one. If you’re really dedicated to taking the Japanese animation plunge, then Fullmetal Alchemist is your best bet. I’m actually jealous for all of you who haven’t seen this smart and beautiful masterpiece. This one is set in an alternate version of 1900s Europe with one main difference from your history books — people can turn lead into gold with one simple drawing. It’s called alchemy, and its unbelievably awesome in that way only anime action can be. But while the killer fight sequences will lure you into FMA’s web, it’s the character development and insanely disturbing plots that will leave you wanting more. Get ready to love the Elric brothers.

If Fullmetal Alchemist‘s 51 episodes are intimidating, then Cowboy Bebop‘s 26 episodes are probably a better bet for you. Set in the year 2071, this one focuses on bounty hunters who search for criminals. Yeah, you can already tell this one is epic. The best way to describe Cowboy Bebop is as a fusion of sci-fi and film noir. Also, its storytelling is top-notch.

[Where to stream Fullmetal Alchemist]

[Where to stream Cowboy Bebop]

The world of teen dramas is vast, complicated, and lined with all sorts of sexy betrayal. For the most part, these shows follow the same beats, right down to the surprise hookups and teenage angst. It’s a daunting world, which is why you need to start at its beginning — The O.C. Enough time has passed that your admittance to never seeing fan-loved show can be forgiven, and you’ll always have someone to talk to about your latest O.C. discoveries. Fans love reminiscing about all that drama. Also, as an added bonus, The O.C. has one of the best soundtracks of all time, so even if you think all of the characters are ridiculous, you can still enjoy all that prime early 2000s music.

[Where to stream The O.C.]

There was a point in history when The Real Housewives franchise wasn’t just entertaining for entertainment’s sake. Sure, there was still several plot lines and arguments that seemed a little too dramatic to not have some behind-the-camera help, but for the most part, The Real Housewives was supposed to show viewers what it was like to be super wealthy. If you really want to dive into the limitless programming demon that is reality TV, jump into Orange County‘s first season. I hesitate to use this term when talking about The Real Housewives, but Season One is the most subtle of all the seasons. But after you finish up Orange County, be sure to check out Atlanta, New York, and New Jersey. Those are the best.

[Where to stream The Real Housewives of Orange County]

Musicals are one genre that people seem to either hate or love. If you finally want to understand why your constantly-singing friend won’t stop singing Hamilton, then you need to watch The Blues Brothers. Starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, this SNL-sketch turned motion picture follows the titular Blues Brothers trying to right their wrongs by bringing their band back together. It’s a more traditional musical movie than others out there, but this movie is just good, and a lot of that has to do with music. The Blue Brothers features numbers performed by James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and more big names. Watch it and impress your theater friends.

[Where to stream The Blues Brothers]

Photos: Everett Collection