The Living Sitch - with a boyfriend

So, when me, Billie and Steph were discussing the topics and subject we could talk about/post about - we wanted the posts to relate to each other, to get three different viewpoints on a the same type of issue. The first ride we realised and then went with was the fact we all have different living situations; I live with my boyfriend, Billie lives by herself and Steph with her parents and brothers. 

I took the adult step in August 2015 to move in with my boyfriend - it was fast. We had technically only been together for 5 months, ideally we wouldn’t have even mentioned it for the next 6. But situations arose and long story short, the most logical ending was us moving in together. We discussed it, in length, and we believed in our relationship, that although it was a lot earlier than either of us would’ve liked, so we took the plunge. 

We’ve been in our little house for 6 months now, we’ve had highs and lows aplenty in those six months and now we find ourselves ready to celebrate a year together.
It was a culture shock, living a lot more independently than I am used too. I come from a household with a doting mother, she did a lot for me, more than I like to admit as a 23 year old. I should’ve done more, and now I do lot more. I, however, enjoyed the challenge, my first real grown adult step in life. I rent - I live with a boy! (I know, I know). 

Living with a boy is strange to begin with. Living with a person you’ve never lived with before is weird. You come from completely different households that do small things different ways. I come from a household go wash tabs, he from cap in the washing machine. I come from a household that ate cheese (a lot of), he hates cheese, can’t even stand the smell. I come from a household filled with veggies, he doesn’t like those either. It’s a lot of learning and a lot of compromise. 

I don’t like gammon, he loves gammon, we buy it bi monthly. He doesn’t like veggies, I love me some veggies, I buy frozen bags so I can have side portions. 

I am terrified of spiders - he gets rid of them. 

We balance each other in a lot of ways - I like to do the washing up and the clothes washing - he’ll scrub that oven until it gleams, same with the bath and that nasty bit of mould crawling in from the window. We take turns cooking, take turns doing the food shop, take turns vacuuming. Once you find a balance it easily settles into a routine of sorts. 

We annoy each other - of course we do! Neither of us have lived with a partner before, sheesh, neither of us had spent more than a few days with each other consecutively, and now here we are, seeing and interacting every day! He will almost always, leave his towel on the floor. EVERY DAMN TIME. It’s not even that big a deal, and it frustrates me to no end. I can guarantee I annoy him in certain little ways too! But we moan to each other, we have a joke that we sound like an old married couple - he’ll remember to pick the towel up for a week, then forget again. It’s not going to change and I’ve accepted that I’ll probably be picking the towel up for the foreseeable future. In the grand scheme of things - I’m okay with that. He’s accepted that I’m going to fill the house with as many books as I possibly can - it’s compromise.

It’s a strange and sometimes hard adjustment, I not being used to constant interaction, go quiet and into myself, and he believes something has upset me. It’s cute but this is just the time I would be in my room having some ‘me’ time. Now, he knows what this is and we both understand the importance of me time. Times to ourselves, it’s a necessity. 

Sure, from time to time I’ll miss the simplicity of living with my parents - less rent, instant food, far less housework. I miss my dog more than words can comprehend, my little bundle of constant affection that could brighten any day. But, I wouldn’t go back now, I don’t think I could. I enjoy my ‘own’ place. I like being able to make it myself; I recently bought a bookcase and I made and decorated it myself. I have come to understand the term ‘house proud’. 

I made a big step - one I do not regret. I get to wake up to my lovely boyfriend every morning (usually annoyed cause he’s a outrageous bed hog), but it’s a really nice way to wake up. 

I’m going to stop now, because I’m getting soppy and no-one wants that. Look out for future posts from Billie and Steph about how they find their living situations. And let us know about yours! We’d love to hear from you. Also keep an eye out for more ‘stalgia Sunday, Free App Friday, reviews and Steph’s drawings - they’re amazing :-)

Free App Friday: Marvel - Contest of Champions

This week’s Free App Friday deviates into mobile gaming. Mobile gaming is a big market, the introduction of the iPhone and the App Store, mobile gaming is a big deal. There are thousands upon thousands of games available for your phone through the App Store if you’re an iPhone user, and the various different stores for the various types of Android powered phone; such as Google’s Play Store, which is the one I use for my Nexus 6P.
Browsing through the millions of apps available for your smartphone can be a tiresome task, going through them all and deciding if this app is worth it? It’s a lot of effort, there’s a lot of apps! I know I’ve spent more time than I like to admit, just scrolling and scrolling and scrolling and scrolling, trying to find something I can get invested in. An app I won’t mind that takes up more memory than I would like, especially as I don’t have much to spare. Do any of us?

So flashback a week ago, when I found myself browsing (again) and I found Marvel Champions - unless you’ve been under a rock, superheroes are a big deal these days. They are now mainstream entertainment - with a different superhero movie coming out in cinemas at least three times a year, Netflix have the rights to at least 3 different Marvel superheroes so now they’re taking over the small screen too.
And now they have reached an even smaller screen (although many a joke have been made that my phone screen is not actually that small..), Marvel Champions is a fighting game featuring various characters of many levels of fame; from Wolverine to Black Panther, Captain America to Black Bolt - there’s many a hero to suit the different degree of superhero knowledge around today.

The concept of the game is to go on quests to compete against Kang; the challenger. You then win crystals, gold and other components needed to level up your heroes and uncover higher lvel ones. It’s a fun to play game, that involves planning and strategy, using your heroes wisely on these quests. You can join an Alliance with other players and go on Alliance quests. This game is a good way to kill time - and kill your battery (just a warning). Once you get the hang of it, it doesn’t seem as complicated as it might at first. The actual fighting concept of the game is also easy to grasp - swipe right to attack, hold right to strong attack and hold left to block. You can then read your opponents and know when is best to do all of these - and for someone who's mobile gaming catalogue stretches as far as Head's Up and Ninjump, I picked this up surprisingly quickly. 

For a free app that doesn't acquire (well, as far I've gotten, Level 8!!) any in app purchases, I highly recommend this app. If you have any fun mobile games that you'd recommend please let me know, I love to try new ones out! 

P.s. As a side note for those of you who do read this blog, it is mainly going to be me (Katy) posting for the next week or so, due to Billie and Steph having a whole load on in their personal lives, just a heads up! Expect lots of ranting reviews and inconsistent weekly's! I try, I fail, what can I say?

'stalgia Sunday: X-Men: The Animated Series

I grew up watching a lot of television, I don’t want to regale you of how I didn’t have that many friends and didn’t ‘play out’ often - what a fun tale! I was fine with it, it genuinely never bothered me. So, instead, I read a lot of books and watched a lot of television. 

TV shows when I was younger were great - Cartoon Network ruled the roost, with the likes of; The Powerpuff Girls, Tom & Jerry, Scooby-Doo etc, then I discovered Fox Kids. 

What a revelation. 

Fox Kids was great, unfortunately it ceased to be in 2002 and I remember being incredibly sad about this, for then, where was I supposed to watch one of my favourite TV shows? On repeat?!

X-Men: The Animated Series. What a show. X-Men are my favourite concept from Marvel. (Apart from the film franchise, don’t talk to me about the film franchise. EVER). This TV is the origin of my interest and I did all the research on the mutants and even read some comics online - the only comics I’ve ever read to this date have all been X-Men related. 

The TV show was great - yes it adapted and changed the comic storylines more than the films and yet because it sparked my interest I’m okay with that? I’m a massive hypocrite apparently. It featured the X-Men right however, their personalities were the focal point of this show. The gruff and moody Logan/Wolverine.The charming and smooth-talking Gambit. The calming and steadfast Storm. So many personalities, that the clashes between them were an appeal, just like real-life they had many differences, and they had to resolve those. It knew when to be serious and when to inject some humour in, a well-balanced show.
It was also all about team-work and putting as your differences and problems to come together to defeat the greater evil - even when that is your own teammate (Dark Phoenix Saga). 

Now, this is going to be a long one, a whirlwind of emotion as I talk to you about Rogue. No, no push that movie version from your mind, that is not Rogue. Rogue is not a moping, whining, sad woman. NO. Rogue is a bad-ass motherfucker, a southern belle that will beat you up for looking at her wrong. Rogue was my first and forever role model. 

The yellow and green suit, the green/brown cool-ass bomber jacket, the big beautiful curls. Rogue was/is everything. She was the best. She could and would take down any man, any mutant, anything. Why? Because she’s Rogue. She could fly, she could break down walls (literally), she could touch you AND KILL YOU.
Rogue was a great character for these reasons alone, but also because she was full of so many layers (like an onion…). She knew she could save so many lives, so she sacrificed every being able to touch a person - even just a hug, for the sake of mankind. How can you not love her?
That is the beauty of this show - so many of the leading characters were female, and they were powerful, they were equal, they were flawed - and that was okay! This was such a good show for me, as a female to grow up watching. 

Right, i’m going to move on from the outrageous love I have for Rogue. I mean, I definitely could’ve gone on, but you should just watch it and fall in love with her yourselves. 

Another reasons this show was one and still definitely is one of my favourite - superpowers. I always, always, always wanted a superpower, even just a lame one. C’mob this was a show about a school for people with superpowers (mutant gene - therefore just evolved humans but SUPERPOWER). Behind Hogwarts - I wanted to be able to go to Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. 

Essentially, for a kids TV show about people with superpowers - it was definitely accessible for adults. Hell, I found out it was on Netflix and binge-watched it in about 2 days. So you guys, go and do that. I mean, bring snacks and settle right in. You’ll thank me!

Free App Friday - Rightmove

Back again! A somewhat consistent, recurring series that we hope to continue along with ‘stalgia Sunday and a few others that will pop up sometime in the few weeks - but we all work shifts that change every week, without fail, so it is entirely dependant on that! We are aiming for weekly, but for now it might be bi-weekly as we settle into routines and plan fitting this blog in around our everyday lives.

So, back to Free App Friday, last time I focused on Instagram, this time is about the Rightmove app. I moved in my new, and first house without my parents, and with my boyfriend six months ago (more on that in a post coming your way soon! Shameless promo) and the process was made incredibly simple by this app. It’s so incredibly easy to use, the layout, the steps and then being able to contact the estate agents - so impressively easy to navigate.

This isn't going to earn any design awards, it’s basic, it’s blue and green - the company’s colours. It’s simplistic but not for an innovative design, just because there’s no need to over-complicate it. That’s why it works.

Whilst using this app, you are able to set price points, the type of living you want - whether that be a flat, a house, a house-share, or a house-boat! The distance of the surrounding area, all done in the form of simple drop down boxes.

Then scrolling through the houses, flats etc, it gives you snippets of information, all the important  stuff, so you don’t have go trolling through jargon and numbers - just the essential information that will make or break whether you will even consider that house. It (if it is available) will give you, photos and floor-plans, view it on a map, school checkers (if you need it), and then two bright orange buttons enabling you to call or email the estate agents dealing with that house, I mean it when I say this app is simple!

I found my lovely little two bed through this app, and I adore my house and making it my own. And I may have never found it without Rightmove.

Come back every (other, potentially) Friday for more great free app recommendations! If you have any free apps you love and can’t live without, let me know!

Free App Friday - Instagram

I am not ashamed to say that i am mildly (overly) obsessed with Instagram. Since it’s introduction to the world in 2010, the popularity of Instagram has sky rocketed more than probably it’s developer could’ve ever dreamed of - sold to Facebook is 2012 for a sum near the billion mark of cash and stocks (yes, yes i said around a BILLION pounds - not even exaggerating right now), Instagram’s popularity just keeps soaring, more so than it’s now parent company, Facebook and the likes of Twitter as well. 

I started using Instagram in late 2011, and haven’t looked back. It easily became my favourite app, and all you have to do is take a bloomin’ photo! Granted - Instagram itself gives you a few editing tools to tweak your photos to make them better, and those oh so talked about filters. But, now there are more and more apps available outside of Instagram to edit your photos, including a condensed handheld version of Photoshop. 

It’s simple, easy to use - and an easy way to keep up with the happenings in everyones life, without going through the dregs of ‘inspirational’ life quotes and ‘funny’ vines/memes that flood Facebook and the outrageous amounts of Tweets you read through to find one by someone you actually care about. 

Yes, people will complain all people do on Instagram is post photos of their dinner, or their gym workout, or their super cute nail art. AND WHY NOT. Yes, your dinner looks damn delicious, serve me up some. Yes, you work those lats, you look super fly doing it. YES, your nails are damn cute, can you some and do mine, because if I do it, it looks like a 5 year old attempted it for me. 

Sure, it can get slightly boring and repetitive, how many photos of the book I’m reading this week do you wanna see? Eh, not many, but others do. I appreciate a good #shelfie, I really do. But you gain followers who then share the same interests and you know what? A few likes can brighten your day. And if it does? Then I’ll like every damn one of your photos so you have some sunshine in your life. It means someone else enjoys you taking the effort to post. I CAN ENJOY PEOPLE APPRECIATING MY FACE. DO NOT CALL ME VAIN. I look good today - I am going to share this, for some people, that is a rarity and it should be celebrated.

Instagram is accessible. It’s going to have a few trolls and absolute a-holes. But, so does my street and most likely yours. 

So my Free App Friday - goes to reliable ole Insta. Long may you reign. 

The 5th Wave - a trickle not tidal.

The 5th Wave, is yet another young adult adaptation to come from the Twilight phase. We all know the Twilight phase - film studios buying rights to young adult fiction in the hope it will reach the ‘success’ of the Twilight franchise. I use the term success loosely because the films were a level of awful I will save for another post or just my brain, but they were a such a cash cows that other studios wanted a bit of the action. The only other franchise to really reach these heights are The Hunger Games - due to better production, better actors and more appeal to a wider audience - it was more than a slightly awkward and creepy love story. 

So, here we have one more thrown our way. The 5th Wave was written by Rick Yancey and is part of a trilogy, with the third and final instalment due out May this year. I went into the film, having finished the book a few days before, so I had an inkling of what to expect and, something I hate doing - what I wanted from the film. 

What I got from the film was little more than your average film. Unfortunately, it skipped past creating any real relationships, other than that of the lead character; Cassie (Chloe Moretz) and of course, the main love interest, Evan Walker (Alex Roe). The only other relationship given any time is that between her and her younger brother, Sam (also referred to as Sams/Sammy/Nugget), as this is the driving story-arch throughout the film. The mother and father are killed off relatively early and it doesn’t really affect you in any sense, the same with the supposed ‘best friend’ - gone without a mention. 

Chloe Moretz pretty much pushes the film through with her performance - after making a breakthrough performance in the Kick-Ass film, she truly is a an actress to watch. She pulls you into her character and the world she is now adapting to - she also narrates sporadically (thank you Clueless for that word) over the film - to bring you up to scratch with the events. I enjoyed the narration - it brings a new emotional depth, again thanks to Moretz’ range. The rest were watch-able, there were no other remarkable performances - they were by no means bad, I have seen so much worse (i.e Twilight), but again, no-one else stood out either. 

As a fan of the book, I knew that parts would be omitted. It happens during an adaptation, books are incredibly detailed, you can’t transfer all of that to screen, you’d be sat there for hours on end. So cuts have to be made, and for the most part, they did that well. But, they also cut the parts where the relationships were built, the foundation was lain. Sure, and understandably; they built up Cassie and Evan, it’s the driving force of the film. But the relationships between the squad - Zombie, Nugget, Ringer and the rest whose name we never really learn but we are meant to affected by their deaths, it doesn’t work. The relationship between them is there, but we never get  real connection. 

Overall, if you're looking to kill time and have a bit of expendable income, sure go watch this film. If you like post-apocalyptic young adult types, definitely go watch this film. 

Otherwise, probably wait for the DVD or Netflix release. It’s a good film, I enjoyed it, but when Creed, Room and The Revenant are all out? No contest.

Room: A Poignant Picture

Last Thursday, me and my boyfriend took a trip to the cinema to watch Room. There will be spoilers, if you do not want spoilers, please turn away, and head to the cinema to watch the aforementioned film, then come back! 

It is the latest offering from Irish director Lenny Abrahamson; the director of Frank starring Michael Fassbender that came out in 2014. The film has earned quite a few nominations this awards season, most notably Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress, Oscar nods. And let me tell you this... it thoroughly deserves each and every nomination it gets. 

Room is based on the novel of the same name by Emma Donoghue. It's about a mother (Brie Larson) and her young son Jack (Jacob Tremblay), who live in a enclosed space, simply referred to as Room. As the film unravels, Abrahamson slowly and surely builds up the incredibly close relationship between mother and son. He also builds up the atmosphere, the tension inside such a small space, the frayed emotions of both characters. The film starts slow, it eases you into their abnormal life, you learn harrowing truths of how they got there, and truly understand the bond between them. The palpable tension in the room is obvious, the raw emotions from both characters always on edge and apparent but never shoved in your face.
The amount of different emotions I went through whilst watching this film is outrageous and I left the film feeling a bit drained myself. I was fully engrossed from the get go. I felt sadness, rage, happiness – basically, I felt like I was being controlled by the characters from Inside Out, only they keep taking over from each other every 10 minutes. The euphoria when Jack escaped to the despair when Joy is fighting her demons from the room. It is an emotional roller-coaster. 

The acting from Brie Larson is outstanding, it is an understated, real performance. She doesn't overplay the situation, she is believable in every sense that you truly find yourself invested in Joy Newsome. The character is honest and trying her hardest to maintain a sense of routine and normality for her son, and you can see how it drains her. You can see every emotion that Joy goes through, and you go through it with her. You cannot help but root for this character to make it through, make it through her time in the room, make it through her adjustment to freedom, make it through to have as normal a life she can with Jack. I cannot praise Larson enough for her performance. She fully deserves every accolade for this heart-wrenching portrayal. 

Another incredibly worthwhile mention goes to Jacob Tremblay. What an outstanding display from the 9 year old. I will admit right now, I cannot ever usually stand child actors, I tend to find them irritating. The kid from The Babadook? Made me want to turn off the film. Anyway, Tremblay was also ridiculously good and I cannot applaud him enough for how well he did this. 

This film is bittersweet, it is honest and heart-breaking. You probably won't leave the cinema feeling light; it's a heavy subject matter. But you will leave absolute in the fact that you just saw a masterpiece of a film. I may have only seen 5 films so far in 2016 but I am guaranteeing you right now, that this will make my top 5 of the year. It is that good.

Creed: A Rocky Revival

Directed by Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station), starring Michael B. Jordan (also Fruitvale Station and that AWFUL Fantastic 4 reboot, we shall not talk about that) and Sylvester Stallone (of Rocky fame...). 

Creed is the story of how Adonis Johnson – son of Rocky’s friend and opponent Apollo Creed, goes to Philly to ask boxing legend Rocky Balboa to train him. 

Creed is essentially a sixth Rocky film, but it is so much more than just another Rocky film. It’s an emotional and physical journey of Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) becoming a man and accepting his past, accepting the name Creed after years of denial and pain; denial that he has a father - let alone that his father is a boxing legend. The pain of never knowing what it would be like to have a father.
It’s also the journey of Rocky allowing someone back into his life after the deaths of so many loved ones; his wife, his trainer and his friend – aforementioned Apollo Creed. He feels truly alone when we reach him at the beginning of Creed. Sylvester Stallone puts in a stellar performance of man who is basically waiting for death, so he can join them. It is the best performance I have seen from Stallone in years, perhaps since Rocky IV.
The bond that forms between these two characters is honest; yes, it may be your typical father/son bond that happens a lot in these types of films, but the performances from both of these actors make it believable. You are invested in this bond, you want them to make it through their emotional barriers and being abel to have the other - as a foundation, an anchor in this world.

It is shot magnificently – with Adonis’ first professional fight, being shot in just one shot – it truly captures the intensity of the moment, captures the effort and skill of each punch thrown or blocked. The shots of Philly are both a throwback to the glorious days of Rocky, but also they bring it to the now – with the kids riding out on their bikes and quads, the music scene showing how times and style have changed – it brings the Rocky franchise to the kids of our generation, encourages them to enjoy and love it and their fathers did with the original series.

Creed is so much more than your typical sports film. It is more than your typical underdog story. YEs, it is both of these things, but it is also a thrilling, emotional journey, a spectacle - just like the sport it is about. 

5 TV shows you need to buckle down and watch.

Right, make yourself a cuppa, grab a nice blanket/duvet/snugly jumper, or all of them, that’s what I’d do! Get down and cozy on your sofa or in your bed, and ready for a 5 show binge watch, coming to you courtesy of Katy. 

I’ve been a couch potato for long while now, I've been avidly watching television shows since I was 12 (most of it American trash TV but let’s move on from that…) and now I'm going to share with you, the top five that have stuck with me ever since, and ones that you should watch, like right now. Right. Now.

1 - One Tree Hill

A classic American trash TV show. I grew up with this show. This show was my life. ‘Leyton’ 4eva. 

But no, it tackled some real issues; and in my humble little opinion, it tackled them well. 

I remember Peyton being the first real character I related to in a t.v show. I mean granted, she was still beautiful and perfect and I was a chubby 13 year old, BUT, personality-wise. Peyton was everything. She was moody and she was honest and she just went against the typical female archetype of the time and I loved that. Then I grew up, and Brooke's development was so astronomically defining that I nearly questioned myself as Peyton's number one fan. 

I could go on about Peyton and Brooke for hours, so I’m going to move swiftly on… other than the actually well-rounded female characters, the men were more than pretty faces too, Lucas read poetry and quoted it often, Nathan had the equivalent character development to Brooke and ‘Naley' is and will forever be my first ‘OTP’ as they say. The one relationship I will root for, forever. 

They did the five year jump that has become ever popular in the American TV drama, and it worked. They were all actually acting their age, they had grown with these characters, and it just all clicked. The skipping of the college stage worked so well and this was the stage a multitude of shows failed in the jump to, so they skipped it altogether. 

I kept this as spoiler-free as possible and it was a struggle, so as a reward go watch One Tree Hill. Go. 

2 - Breaking Bad 

Obviously. I mean I don’t really have to write much about this because I'm sure everyone and their mother has told you to go and watch this show. My main question is, why haven't you yet? It's been on Netflix forever. If by some miracle you've managed to avoid spoilers up til now, I take my hat off to you. 

I knew a couple and it did not impact my viewing pleasure in the slightest. I was also late to this party, until I got with my boyfriend and he learned I’d only gotten to season 2 and never went back. Oh boy had I made a mistake, from mid season 2 onward it is instantly gripping. 

The characters, the Albuquerque setting, the subtle foreshadowing, the cinematography in some scenes is incredible. Walter White is such a villain but you still kind of root for him because of how damn well written this is. It’s absurd but it’s also real that you can put yourself in their shoes. You get so crazy invested in the characters that you just cannot stop watching it! 

Also, the fact that each series is 10 episodes long (the last season has a couple more so to round it off perfectly and not rush it) works so well in it’s favour. It doesn't drag out but it also doesn't feel rushed. It’s so beautifully done. 

3 - Game Of Thrones

You must must must read the books too if I had my way because it gives the character so much more depth but they are a marathon so it’s completely understandable. Also not everyone is a book person, also fair. BUT if you can, do it do it do it! 

Unless you've been living under a rock (yes, that old chestnut) you have probably heard of Game of Thrones, and it’s nudity and brutal murders. Yes, it does contain A LOT of that, it also contains sub plot after sub plot and twist after twist and SO MANY DEATHS. Do not, at any point have any sort of feeling for a character because you will just end up sad. 

I realize I'm not really selling it. GoT is so intricately wound, nothing is doing without some purpose that will come to fruition in a later episode, or even a later season. So every time a new season nears, you have to rematch it, just so you know you haven’t missed anything. The creators give you detail and past but also leave so many blank spaces that there are so many theories that I can’t even keep track of them all. There is so many possibilities and so much potential behind each character that you don’t actually know what role they’re going to play in the greater scheme and I love that it keeps you guessing, I love that it’s not entirely predictable like so many other shows.

Yes, Game of Thrones is now for being slightly controversial, it has strong women, but it also uses them for props and most of the time it is really infuriating, which is why I'm such an advocate for the books. 

But please, just try and watch the first season, it’s probably the most gripping so if that doesn't take you, you can just walk away. 

4 - The US Office

I was late to this party. I'm so upset it wasn't in my life before I discovered it on Netflix. I kind of brushed it aside because I wasn't a fan of the UK version, therefore, my brain dictated I wouldn't like this one either. I was so very, very wrong. The US Office is incredible and I love it so much. The characters are kooky and miss-matched and they work so well together. The comedy is usually spot on, and every now and then they throw in some serious topics, and handle them in a light-hearted sense, that is also serious so it doesn't leave you feeling too heavy. 

If you haven’t heard about the Jim and Pam story, it is reason enough to watch this show. It’s my second favourite fictional relationship and one that is so realistic you can’t help but be in love with their love. 

Also, two words. Well a name. Dwight Schrute. DWIGHT SCHRUTE. He is one of the favourite characters ever. Point blank. He is hilarious in so many ways, whereas Steve Carrell’s character is arguably the main character, Dwight steals every scene he is in. He is completely wacky and it works in a way it would only work for this character, for this actor. 

The way the relationships between each character in the office works and doesn’t work connects on such a real level. Sometimes you hate the person sitting next to you, sometimes you can stand them, sort of. Jim and Dwight are exceptional in almost every interaction they have. Oscar and everyone else in the office. Michael and Pam and their friendship that is so under-played. Just make me shut up and go watch it okay? 

5 - It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 

This show is ridiculous. It’s outrageous. It’s hilarious also. It’s pretty offensive in places too. But if it’s the kind of humour you can take, you will adore this show. 

It’s about a bunch of foul mouthed, moral-less friends who run a bar in Philly. The bar is a dump, the characters are all arseholes, and it’s not exactly swimming in nice moments. But that is why people, like me, love this show. 

I can be an arsehole, this show revels in the fact that its characters are such irrevocably bad humans, and you can live in that bubble for a minute in a place where it’s fine to be that way. It’s a bit of escapism.  You escape into a world where the characters say and do completely stupid things, things you wish you could. 

The cast is so well put together, they bounce of each other so freely and with such ease. That it is no surprise that this show is now in it’s eleventh season, which has just started. Whilst some of the gags and skits are still similar to those of earlier seasons, they have also grown with the age of the characters, meaning the comedy is always relevant. The jokes are also on-going, which kind of feels rewarding when you get it, they will reference something in season 8 that happened in season 3 (not completely factual but you get my drift) and you get it and therefore it is funnier to you. 

Now go join in the tomfoolery and utter ridiculousness.