Blog

It is indeed true that we learn faster and easily by watching others. Be it on TV, a picture/video slide, a presentation at work or school- visual aids make learning easier. Asides from being entertaining, I find some TV series to be educative as I pay close attention to the conversations. The humor, sarcasm, wit and use of language are the things I typically look out for.

When I need to relax and take a break from work, I’d most likely binge-watch a TV series than read or watch a movie. Watching other people being creative fuels my creativity which in turn helps me work better. This list was quite difficult to come up with as I’ve swept through quite a number of series. So, here are 5 TV series that have improved my vocabulary and wittiness;

• Grey’s Anatomy– I think I’m obsessed with this series because I’ve been watching it since I was a teenager and also for the fact that Shonda Rhimes is such a good storyteller (She no longer writes the stories though). Grey’s Anatomy is a medical drama about a bunch of young doctors who later became huge parts of each others lives. Here, I learned so many medical terms such as aneurysms, different names of cancers e.g retinoblastoma, lymphoma, carcinomas, and surgical equipment like ten blade, suctions, wrench etc. English language usage is also superb. The show first aired in 2005 and we’re awaiting the 17th season.

• Suits– This series will make you want to become a corporate lawyer. The carriage of the characters, their wit, sarcasm, outfits and use of language are impeccable! I especially loved the banter between some of the main characters like Harvey Specter and Mike Ross, Donna Paulsen and Louis Litt, Donna (she was my favorite actor in the series) and Rachel Zane. Nothing beats the sort of conversations they had. Legal terms like subpoena, cross examine, pro bono and a few others were added to my vocabulary. It broke my heart a little when the series ended after 9 seasons.

• The Big Bang Theory– If you want to have a good laugh, I’d recommend this series. Apart from the humor and high level of sarcasm, The Big Bang Theory made science a bit more fun and understandable for people like me. I became familiar with scientists like Steven Hawkings in particular and the black hole theory. The series’ producers and writers; Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and Steven Molaro did an amazing job with the story and character development. The series came to an end after 12 seasons (I cried while watching the last episode) But there’s a spin off titled, Young Sheldon which I totally recommend.

• Skinny Girl in Transit– Now, this is a web series but it just had to be on this list. The series is set in Lagos, Nigeria and is centered around a young lady, Tiwa, who’s trying to lose weight. The authenticity of this story can’t be overlooked and the character selection is 100%. The accents of the characters, the transition from English to pidgin English when necessary, the conversations and Tiwa’s soliloquy are loaded with humor, wit and sarcasm. The series premiered in 2015 and is still running.

• Insecure– Issa Rae and Yvonne Orji are one of the best onscreen duos I’ve ever seen. Insecure is a comedy-drama and it highlights a good number of challenges that ladies in their late 20s and early 30s face in careers, friendships, relationships and marriages. I like Molly’s (Yvonne) carriage, her style and how she’s able to switch from lawyer to home girl. Her command of English language is on point. Issa on the other hand gives us some punchlines (which are most times hilarious and witty) as she usually raps to herself in front of her bathroom mirror when she’s extremely happy or sad. The conversations between Issa and Molly are genuine that sometimes, I forget that they’re just acting. Little wonder they just scored an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did while writing it. Have you seen any of the series mentioned above? What are your thoughts? Please share. If you have any recommendations for me, I’d be happy to check them out.

See you in September!