The Good. The Bad. The Basic.

Today, we’re debuting GBB’s 10th season with none other than one of the most beloved Black sitcoms of all time: Living Single! Living Single gave us not one by four strong, female leads! Four Black women living their best lives, and learning about themselves and what they wanted from their partners and their careers. Living Single leaned on beautiful, intelligent leads who spoke from themselves, instead of being led by ceaseless trauma as a plot point. This highly successful series ended over 20 years ago, so why is it still so beloved and so impactful to this day? Stay tuned.

Today, we’ll be discussing the historical drama, Rome! This period drama, which begins in the year 1 BC, follows the lives of two Roman soldiers whose personal lives are deeply interwoven in key historical events during Rome’s transition from a republic to an empire. Although the series touches on and, in some cases, dives deeply into true historical events, the series’ mostly peripheral view of them allows the audience to see how the rise of this empire affected those outside of the ruling class. So how did the most ancient show in our Historical Dramas season manage to engage so many people? And how is Rome holding up over 13 years after its finale? So what made the series so hard to turn away from? Stay tuned!

Today, we’ll be discussing the historical romantic drama, Reign! This period drama follows the early life of Mary Stuart, better known as Mary, Queen of Scots, and how she went from the betrothed of Prince Francis of France to a highly influential queen and political strategist in her own right. Reign was the CW’s very bold and brave stab at a historical drama, and although the series didn’t last as long as most on the network, it’s safe to say that Reign was GenZ’s favourite period drama. So what made the series so hard to turn away from? Stay tuned!

Today, we’ll be discussing the British historical drama, The White Queen! This miniseries set against the backdrop of the infamous War of the Roses follows the power struggles of the women of the House of York and the House of Lancaster as they fight for the throne. This period drama takes us behind the seat of power as we watch how the machinations and manipulations of power affect the monarchy, and the nation as a whole. So what exactly made The White Queen so engaging, and what does the series teach us about modern-day politics? Stay tuned!

Today, we’ll be discussing the Renaissance-era historical drama, The Borgias! Set in the late 1400s, this period drama follows the Borgia family, led by Cardinal turned Pope, Rodrigo Borgia, as they fight to maintain their grip on the Papacy and by extension, the Roman Catholic Church. This series delves headfirst to all of the details, both fact and rumour, of this time, as well as exposing the hypocrisy, misdeeds, and bureaucracy of the Borgias and everyone around them. So what exactly made The Borgias so titillating? Stay tuned!

Today, we’ll be discussing the British Tudor-era historical drama, The Tudors! This period drama follows the lives and loves of King Henry VIII of England and how these women influenced his allegiances, his politics, his religion, and ultimately, the course of history. What is it about this period drama that made it so intriguing? How do the politics of this British monarchy continue to keep us fascinated over 500 years later? Stay tuned!

Today, we’ll be discussing the heart-pounding antebellum period drama, Underground! This short-lived series about the endeavors of desperate slaves to make a bid for their freedom kept audiences enraptured and turned many new audiences on to its home network, WGN America. While slave narratives aren’t uncommon, Underground took bold risks with its portrayal of slaves, slave owners, plantation life, slave catchers, and the abolitionist movement. So what do we think made this series so unique? What helped set Underground apart from its contemporaries? Stay tuned!

Today, we’ll be discussing the final seasons of the critically-acclaimed Mad Men! AMC’s period drama about the inner lives of Manhattan’s elite advertising executives successfully captured the personal and political nuances of the white upper-middle class who kept consumerism at an all time high during a time of war. What was it about this series that made these people and this time period seem so interesting? How did Mad Men manage to grab and hold the attention of so many people for so many seasons? Stay tuned!

On today's episode, we'll be discussing seasons 4 & 5 of Mad Men! AMC's critically-acclaimed drama about the inner lives of Manhattan's elite advertising executives was responsible for putting the spotlight on so many previously unrecognized but immensely talented actors and writers, as well as the AMC network itself, and the show's creator! But what was it about this series set in the 1960s that intrigued us in the 21st century? How did Mad Men manage to grab and hold our attention? Stay tuned!

We’re debuting our 9th season with none other than the most successful historical television drama of all time, and one of the most groundbreaking series to ever air on any network, AMC’s Mad Men! Mad Men, short for Madison Men, is a series about a group of advertisers working for the Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Ave in Manhattan. At the series debut, we’re placed in the year 1960 and quickly immersed in the life of protagonist Don Draper, a savvy advertising executive and shameless womanizer. Over the course of a decade, we see how Don and his colleagues, associates, and lovers evolve to be better or worse people. How did Mad Men manage to take such an eventful time in history, and such a seemingly unglamourous line of work, reduce it into individual stories, and turn it into television gold? Stay tuned!