21 Shows To Watch While You’re Recovering From A Food Coma

Promotional portrait of the cast of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation,’ California, 1987. Pictured are from left, front row, British-American actress Marina Sirtis (as Counselor Deanna Troi), British actor Patrick Stewart (as Captain Jean-Luc Picard), and American actress Gates McFadden (as Doctor Beverly Crusher); from left, back row, American actors Jonathan Frakes (as Commander William T. Riker), Brent Spiner (as Lieutenant Commander Data), Whoopi Goldberg (as Guinan), LeVar Burton (as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge), and Michael Dorn (as Lieutenant Worf). (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)

17. Star Trek: The Next Generation

Okay, I know some of you might be wondering: why Star Trek: The Next Generation? What’s wrong with the original series, after all? We’re surely familiar with Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, and the rest of the crew on the original Enterprise. Why skip ahead?

Part of my reasoning when it came to selecting shows was that each one should be well known or at least vaguely remembered. For many of us, who grew up in the 1990s while this show was airing, or at least caught episodes in syndication, The Next Generation is the most familiar we can get. I strongly urge you to catch the other series, including The Original Series and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (my personal favorite). However, the nostalgia factor of The Next Generation makes it perfect for food coma viewing.

If you still need convincing, look to Sir Patrick Stewart. He plays Jean-Luc PIcard, the captain of the new Enterprise flagship. He’s a very different captain from the brash, intuitive Kirk of the 1960s series. Picard is more of a philosopher, a leader who makes quick decisions but also considers the deep moral and cultural implications of his actions. This makes for compelling science fiction.

Take, for instance, the second season episode “The Measure of a Man”. In it, Picard argues that Data, his android third-in-command, must remain on his ship and not be packed off to Starfleet headquarters for disassembly. Though the episode is essentially a courtroom drama in space, it raises compelling questions about sentience and humanity that resonate even today.

If, somehow, the wonderful Patrick Stewart isn’t enough to persuade you, there’s plenty more. The acting of everyone else, including Brent Spiner as Commander Data, is often compelling. And while The Next Generation certainly has its fair share of goofy sci-fi plots, there are plenty of other episodes that will leave you thinking about them for days.

Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.