If you are anything like us, you don’t like to be more than an arm's’ reach away from your phone or laptop because, well…that’s where the internet is! More and more of us are cutting the cable and using the internet to watch television shows, and the shows themselves are reflecting our collective fondness for the internet.
In recent years, there have been internet and technology-based shows that delve into the depths of the internet, its history, and all of the interesting people who keep it up and running while the rest of us just enjoy it.
Here are five excellent television shows about the internet, computers, and the technology that goes into making it happen.
Mr. Robot
The hottest show on TV right now, Mr. Robot is has just entered its second season and it is as addictive as it is high-minded hacking. Elliot (Rami Malek), a mid-level programmer helping to keep a major banking company secure has a problem. He is half certain that he is delusional and half certain that he is actually being coerced to join a shadowy syndicate of hackers who want to Robin Hood the big banks via the internet.
This drama is thoroughly engrossing from episode one, and it will keep you guessing episode after episode. Mr. Robot is not to be missed, and you can quickly catch up and jump into season 2 as it airs on the USA Network.
Halt & Catch Fire
The internet would not be what it is today if it were not for the personal computer, which fed us all the desire to connect with one another like never before. Halt & Catch Fire is the story of those early days of personal computer development and phone line computer-to-computer communications, and the people who put their blood, sweat, and tears into creating the world they knew would exist someday.
Joe (Lee Pace), a former IBM salesman, takes on the challenge of finding just the right builder and programmer to make his vision of the personal computer a reality. The rush is on to be the first company to create the biggest innovation in computer technology, but only one can make it to the finish line first. Halt & Catch Fire’s season three will premiere August 23rd on AMC.
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is the place to be if you are hoping to make it big with your brilliant new app, and that’s exactly what Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) is to with his compression software. Unfortunately, in order to do that he has to live in a house with a bunch of other programmers and the house’s narcissistic owner, Erlich (TJ Miller).
When the wheels begin to turn and Richard’s idea might actually mean big bucks, a slew of competitors, all titans in the industry, vie to be the first to unleash the new product on the world. This HBO comedy has had critics rolling on the floor laughing, and we promise that you won’t be disappointed in watching the biggest group of geeks since The Big Bang Theory.
Person of Interest
Harold Finch (Michael Emerson) is a millionaire and a genius, and that’s only half of the problem. Harold has built a machine which is capable of mass surveillance, and it is remarkably intelligent AI that is designed to catch terrorists before they attack. The goal is to save lives, and his ex-CIA partner John Reese (Jim Caviezel) is with him every step of the way.
The cast includes the sensational Taraji P. Henson (Empire) and Amy Acker (Dollhouse), and the intricate story delves into the backdoors of the internet and technology, and questions who the real criminals are—the hackers or police hunting them down.
Person of Interest has had a 5 season run, and just wrapped its finale season on CBS, but you can catch the first 4 seasons right now on Netflix.
The IT Crowd
Did you ever want to know why the IT guy in your office is so weird? This British comedy takes you down deep into the bowels of your office building where the IT guys lives to give you a glimpse into the belly of the beast that keep your internet connection steady.
Though The IT Crowd’s fourth season concluded in 2013, diehard loyalists have kept the spirit of the show alive, and just like The Office and other classic sitcoms, once you watch The IT Crowd, you’ll keep going back to it again and again for more laughs.
Top Photo: From Person of Interest, credit: By Sebastian Sommer - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,