What does an expert in screen media and film-making reckon you should be watching?

VU Screen Media lecturer Dr C-Scott is a commentator and expert on television, and a regular contributor to The Conversation. He knows what's good in the world of the small screen. So take notes and start streaming.

“For me it’s all about story,” he says. “I’m not sold on effects. Cinematography can be amazing, but it isn’t as important as a great story to me.”

For your viewing enjoyment, we give you Dr Marc C-Scott’s top TV picks.

Dr Marc C-Scott

Dr C-Scott's Top TV Picks

Top shows on Netflix

(in no particular order – past and present)

Seven Seconds
A search for the truth amid police cover-up following the hit-and-run death of a 15-year-old African American boy.

Shot in the Dark
Follows the story of three competing 'stringers' in LA - camera men chasing the hardest-hitting and often confronting stories for the LA TV news market.

The Expanse
Sci-fi set in a future where humanity has colonised the solar system, it follows United Nations executive Chrisjen Avasarala.

Atypical
A comedy series following Sam, a teenager on the autism spectrum, who has decided he is ready for romance.

The Get Down
Set in the South Bronx region of New York City in the late 1970s, a music-driven drama that documents the emergence of a revolutionary musical art form.

Black Mirror
A contemporary reworking of The Twilight Zone with unique stories that tap into the collective unease about the modern world.

Big Mouth
An edgy animated series about teenage friends finding their lives upended by the wonders and horrors of puberty.

The Crown
An historical, biographical family drama about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Stranger Things
When a 12-year-old boy goes missing, his mother launches a terrifying investigation into his disappearance unravelling a series of extraordinary mysteries.

A Series of Unfortunate Events
Follows the tragic tale of three orphans who are investigating their parents' mysterious death.

Best docos

Louis Theroux is an amazing storyteller. And although I don’t get to see much free-to-air TV, I’m really enjoying Employable Me on ABC TV – an insight into the everyday lives of people with a disability navigating the workforce.

Fave childhood show

ALF! (If you're under 30, check it out.)

Seven Seconds is one of many exciting, high-quality shows playing on Netflix.

ALF: clearly the best actor of the 1980s (if not the best-looking)

About the expert

Dr Marc C-Scott is a lecturer in screen media at Victoria University and the course chair of the Bachelor of Screen Media.

His expertise is in several areas of the media, including:

  • television
  • media streaming
  • video on demand
  • sports media rights
  • Australian media
  • media policy.

C-Scott completed his PhD 'Invention to Institution: A Comparative Historical Analysis of Television across Three National Sites' in 2016.

Follow Dr Marc C-Scott

 

Writer: Jessica Jury