Streaming Resolutions: What TV Show Or Movie Will You Finally Watch This Year?

With every new year comes a slew of personal goals. Are you going to go to the gym more often? Are you going to quit smoking? Try out online dating? Will you call your parents once a week rather than once a month? Will you actually put a percentage of your paycheck into a savings account? These are the sorts of things that are hard to maintain, as easy as they sound, because there are so many better things to do — like watching TV, for example. How many hours of time have you spent looking at a television that was not attached to an elliptical machine? Mmhmmm.

Instead of making any grand plans to go to the gym more often (I’m a writer, what do I need muscles for?), I’ve decided to make my way through the very long queue of movies and TV shows that I’ve been putting off for years. You know what I’m talking about: all of those classic, brilliant, mind-changing things that your friends can’t stop talking about — and they still can’t believe you haven’t watched them yet. With this in mind, I asked a few friends and colleagues to confess the movies and TV shows they’ll finally get around to watching this year. If you’re feeling inspired, click on any of the hyperlinked titles below to see where you can stream each movie and TV show online.

I have spent the last ten years of my life in shame because so many people assume Six Feet Under is my favorite show, and not only have I never seen it, I don’t even know what it’s about. A family who runs a funeral home, I think? Either way, so many people have insisted that the finale surely changed my life that I’m really looking forward to that happening in 2015. —Kate Spencer, Mommyish

I haven’t watched The Wire, and this year, I’m finally going to do it. Second on the agenda (and this is going to sound totally fucking awful): watch The Golden Girls. I haven’t seen a single episode. This year, I’ve already tried watching Roseanne, another sitcom my parents didn’t allow in the house when I was a kid, but I had to give up because there was just too much yelling. —Erin Gloria Ryan, Jezebel

I’m not sure if it counts since I started it in 2014, but I have every intention of finishing all of Twin Peaks this year. That did not work out so well for The Wire, but the year is young and I have hope. Though some people say only the first season is worth it, so if I bail after that I have someone to blame. —Jaya Saxena, The Toast, The Daily Dot, and others

At least once a week, someone will yell at me because I have never seen The Wire, so in 2015 I’m going to finally watch The Sopranos and Deadwood and Friday Night Lights and probably 20 other shows that aren’t The Wire. Sorry, everyone. —Pilot Viruet, Flavorwire

I’m going to finally catch up on Seasons Three and Four of Game of Thrones. I absolutely love GoT, but for whatever reason I never made time for Season Three — and now I’m two seasons behind. I don’t know how I let this happen (:despondent face:). And with the news that a Season Five special will air on February 8, it’s time to get cracking. Plus, I have a brother/sister incest-sized hole in my heart after bingewatching The Borgias on Netflix. Jolie Kerr, author of My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag … and Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha

December 30: “I don’t understand how people are so-over-the-top obsessed with Scandal! No show is that good, but people are so rabid about it. I don’t get it.”
December 31: “I’ll watch a few episodes of Scandal to see if it’s any good, and if not, I’ll just give up.”
January 1: “This is the greatest show I have ever seen in my life I am screaming I am burning all my clothes and purchasing a single white pantsuit to wear every day Shonda Rhimes is a queen Kerry Washington is a goddess Fitz is a monster oh my god oh my god I can’t believ—” Jazmine Hughes, The Hairpin

This is the year I stream all of Cheers, instead of the one-off episodes I’ve seen over the years. It’s hard to keep trying to make men I meet in bars engage in Sam and Diane banter without actually knowing what it is, so here’s to no longer having to fake it with my future Sam, no matter many bars I have to get stood up in on my engagement day that it takes. —Beejoli Shah, The Frisky

I need to watch The Wire this year. I have to watch it before the whole series gets spoiled for me soon and I only have myself to blame. Plus, I feel like you’re not allowed to call yourself a TV fan until you’ve seen this show. —Lea Palmieri, Hello Giggles and OK Magazine

The first wave of people who came upon a particular movie seemed so mind-blown that a straight-to-video release wasn’t totally unwatchable that they disproportionally overpraised it as the One True Film, and dating site profiles were never the same again. I have been shit-talking Boondock Saints for at least 15 years. When I was explaining my disdain for it recently to someone, though, and this person looked at me with that special flavor of surprise when you realize someone is kind of an asshole — that’s when I remembered that I’ve never actually seen Boondock Saints. So basically, my resolution is that not only will I watch that stupid movie as penance, but I will try to let go of any possibly antiquated opinions I may have about movies I’ve never seen. —Joe Berkowitz, Fast Company

My husband and I are watching The Wire, finally. No judgements, okay? But that show is really great and now I understand why white people like it so much! INDEED! —Drew Grant, New York Observer

Embarrassing fact: Cinema Paradiso has been in my queue for years. Years. Never seen it. And I studied film at Tisch. The shame! I swear I will cross it off my list in 2015. I also plan on checking out this Black Mirror thing Twitter keeps chatting about. Oh, and apparently it is problematic on many levels, including representations of Islam, mental illness, and Claire Danes cryface, but I might try to watch Homeland for the first time ever. —Dodai Stewart, Fusion

I actually had a resolution before you asked me for mine: To watch the AFI’s 100 Greatest Films. As it turns out, I’ve only seen 23 of them. And no, Birth of a Nation is not one of them. Far more importantly, my girlfriend has never seen the original Star Wars trilogy. My mission isn’t just to get her to watch it, but to get ahold of the version George Lucas didn’t fuck up with CGI, and watch that. It may require me to purchase a VCR. So be it. If she can understand what “Han shot first” means by the end of 2015, I’ll feel like this year was spent well. —Foster Kamer, Complex

I think I’m gonna try and watch Deadwood because this is the year I finally admit that I hate myself and need to consume a dense monstrosity every so often. —Matt Lubchansky, The Nib

It’s time for me to do a complete Melrose Place rewatch. As far as I can tell, the moment in season two when Dr. Kimberly Shaw pulls off her wig is still the greatest scene in the entire history of television, and I hope I’ll feel the same 20 years later. —Maris Kreizman, Slaughterhouse 90210

I want to watch as many episodes of American Masters as I can and see how much I agree or disagree with this 2011 piece from The Awl. —Jason Diamond, Mens Journal

Look, it’s shameful but this year I need to watch Ghostbusters front to back. I realize it sounds kind of strange (or, in internet parlance, fucking insane); whenever these ‘pop cultural blind spot’ conversations come up, I usually keep that one to myself. The actual reason I haven’t seen it is extra embarrassing: I grew up watching the cartoon, in which Slimer is a cool friendly ghost, but when I came across the movie on TV once, I saw that movie-Slimer was an aggressive, ugly bit player. So I Bartleby’ed that shit. I wanted to live in a world where Slimer is nice. I’m old enough to let go now. —Ashley Cardiff, writer on Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce

This is so hard! I generally have not seen any of the movies nominated for Oscars, so maybe I’ll TRY to do that this year. (Though I’d need to get to it, fast.) Or I’ll finally muster the nerve to watch Psycho. —Jen Doll, author of Save the Date: The Occasional Mortifications of a Serial Wedding Guest

This year I’m going to finally watch Entourage. It’s something that almost everyone I work and hang out with has seen and loves to joke about. Plus, the movie’s coming out and what if I don’t understand it without seeing the show??? Oh god I already regret this! —Gabe Liedman, writer on Brooklyn Nine Nine

I suspect 2015 — like 2014 — will not be the year I finally get farther than Season Two of The Wire, despite my best intentions (and my boyfriend’s best efforts). What I’m more excited about is putting myself through the pain of watching a few Michael Haneke films; Netflix has Funny Games and The Piano Teacher, plus a few others. Finally, I’ll know whether to defend him or join in the eye-rolling when his name comes up among cinephiles. —Judy Berman, Flavorwire

For years, when anyone would spout a reference to The Big Lebowski — whether we were seeing another movie, at a bowling alley, drinking White Russians, etc. — I would always play along and act like of course I knew what they were talking about. But the truth is, I have never seen the film–and that’s not for lack of want, but a simple assumption that it wouldn’t be my bag, as Coen Brothers movies are wont to be. But here’s to wearing a bathrobe in public and watching this one in 2015. —Hillary Weston, BlackBook

I think — emphasis on the “think” — I will finally watch one of the following series: Gilmore GirlsBattlestar GalacticaRescue Me. I’ll most likely start with Rescue Me. It was gifted to me by a close friend who believes that I will take comfort in the show’s depiction of community. As for movies: There. Are. So. Many. Classic films, foreign films, and a whole slew of ’80s comedies like Beverly Hills Cop, Trading Places, Caddyshack, etc. Much less likely that I’m going to watch those, to be honest, but I might. Emphasis on the “might.” —Anna Holmes, Fusion

I make my living writing about comics and adaptations of comics, but for years, I have done everything in my power to avoid watching The CW’s hit sexy-people-doing-sexy-things superhero drama Arrow. This year, I have to finally stop being such a goddamn snob and watch the whole series so I can become the hero the Internet deserves. —Abraham Riesman, Vulture

After watching the last season of The Newsroom, and angrily shouting at every episode, I have decided to listen to the advice of a close friend and watch Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. I’m sure Aaron Sorkin’s love letter to SNL will not be sexist, or condescending. —John Devore, Medium, Team Coco, and others

I will write this out the way I have to say it when I say it out loud: I have never seen any of the Godfather movies you heard me I have never seen any of the Godfather movies. I know! I just missed them somehow. Also, sometimes it’s fun to guess how loudly people will say the word “WHAT” when you tell them you’ve never seen any of the Godfather movies. But I know that they are great, and it is time to suck it up and binge-watch them (I know I can skip 3; everyone says that after they stop saying “WHAT”) in one long day with whatever the big pasta dish they all eat is. (The cannoli? They leave the cannoli, right?) —Dave Holmes, Vulture and others

As for the Decider team:

There are some major films I have learned about, often talk about or reference, but haven’t actually seen for one reason or another. Apocalypse Now, The Godfather trilogy, and Star Wars, to name a few (the latter being a really good win for me during the game “Never Have I Ever”). This is the year I plan on tackling some enormous film giants! —Terri Ciccone

I will finally watch The Wire. Everyone says it’s the greatest show in the history of television, and I know that it gave us Idris Elba, Michael B. Jordan, Littlefinger and more, but I’ve never sat down and actually watched it. It’s not that I think I’ll hate it. I think I’ll love it. I just know I’ll need to devote a month of my life to watching it and dealing with it. —Meghan O’Keefe

Everyone talked about Peaky Blinders in 2014 and I have yet to watch it! In the last few months, I’ve continuously heard the name “Peaky Blinders” in my head in an exciting British accent, so I just have to watch it. This year, I may finally have my Bond Marathon that I’ve been dreaming of! I want a weekend (or two) to binge all the classic Bonds, once and for all! I’m getting too excited about the future Bond releases, so I have to calm down with the classics. —Jaclyn Kessel

I love Ingmar Bergman (I’m fun, I promise), and I’ve seen plenty of his films (Fanny and Alexander, all five hours of it, is A DREAM). But the one gaping hole in my awareness of his oeuvre is arguably his most famous film: The Seventh Seal. Will I finally watch Max Von Sydow play a chess game with Death in 2015? I have about 350 days left to achieve that goal. As for TV, I am going to try to get into Orphan Black, The Good Wife, and, oh, fine: Breaking Bad. —Tyler Coates

Black Mirror! Yes, I know it’s awesome. Yes, I know it’s smart and brainy and brilliant. And yes (I’m talking to myself on this one), I know it’s right up my Twilight Zone-loving, technophile/technophobe alley. So why am I waiting? Chalk it up to that bizarre psychological condition where you save something because you know you’ll love it. The saving stops in 2015. —Conrad Doucette

I’ve watched Breaking Bad in spurts after bingeing the first two seasons way back when. After watching my entire family go into a depressive state when the series ended last fall, I realized I should probably carve out time to watch the rest. I will, however, be watching Better Call Saul this February no matter what because Bob Odenkirk always delivers and, based on the teasers, it looks super fun. —Olivia Armstrong

 

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