#ShakenAndStirred: These Shows Have 7 Life Lessons For Millennials

You think TV shows only entertain and are meant for momentary pleasure? They are just another reason for you to plonk yourself on your couch with a tub of popcorn? Well, fair enough, they maybe. But if you look beyond the subtitles and scratch the surface a little, you will be surprised that some of them actually have life lessons hidden in them. There are shows that are capable of leaving you #ShakenAndStirred.

Now, by life lessons, we don’t mean boring, heavy-duty sermons, but some pretty cool takeaways that millennials could do with. We know that you’re wondering as to where you’re going to find such TV shows? Well, look no further. The dramas that are a part of #BBCDramasOnZeeCafe have you covered.

Read on to know how these shows will leave you #ShakenAndStirred.

#1 How To Influence People

As millennials, the only influencers you know are the ones that you follow on social media. They ask you to buy a phone or endorse a particular make-up brand, and you happily buy into what they say. But do you know what ‘influencing’ people in the truest sense means? Benedict Cumberbatch’s character from Brexit: The Uncivil War could teach you a thing or two.

In the show, Cumberbatch plays Dominic Cummings, Campaign Director of Vote Leave (those in favour of the UK leaving European Union). This man is tasked with influencing a country full of people to vote in favour of the UK leaving the European Union. Now that’s what you call a real influencer. So if you want to learn how to get people onto your side in a particular situation, Brexit: The Uncivil War should be on your must-watch list.

#2 How to Deal With ‘Unusual’ Career Choices

Think you have a tough life because you have to choose between what you want to do and what Sharmaji ka beta is doing. Sorry, but your dilemma doesn’t come anywhere close to what Alex Godman of McMafia is facing. His career options are far more brutal. He has to choose between *drumroll* businessman or gangster. To find out what he chooses, you will have to watch the show.

For one, McMafia will surely teach how to deal with ‘unusual’ career choices. Don’t you suddenly feel that your life is a lot better?

#3 What if One Fine Day You Had to Restart Your Life

For a generation that swears by YOLO, what if you had to restart your life one fine day? How different or same would things be? That’s exactly what Mother Father Son is all about.

It tells you the story of a family whose life changes after their son’s destructive lifestyle catches up with him. Richard Gere plays Max, an influential businessman who gets his son Caden, played by Billy Howle, to run their UK newspaper. Caden knows that his father doesn’t consider him worthy enough and is unable to bear the weight of his expectations. His life goes astray. He turns to drugs, and eventually suffers from a massive stroke. That’s when he is nearly forced to restart his life. He must start from the scratch and decide the future course of his life and how he plans to live it. The show will force you think that if you had to restart your life, how would you do it? Would you continue to live it the way you always were or would you want to change anything?Now, when was the last time a TV show confronted with you this question?

#4 How To Handle Relationships Maturely

In the age of dating apps, swipes and matches, the seriousness of a relationship is many a time lost out on people. People take relationships for granted and are willing to give up on others without putting in much effort. That’s why it’s great when you come across a story that revisits the power of eternal love and hope. Well, that will be your biggest takeaway from Les Misérables , a drama adapted from a popular musical.

In war-torn France, the paths of a former convict, police officer and working class woman crisscross. Even in the midst of revolutionary violence and uncertainty, they begin a journey towards love and hope. This show will compel you to re-think your approach to relationships, whether romantic or otherwise.

#5 How to Handle Splits. Yes, Splits; Not Breakups

You may have learnt how to deal with breakups, thanks to friends, movies and books, but not many people would tell you how to deal with a ‘split’. Confused? Let’s clear the air. While a ‘break-up’ is most definitely related to your love life, a ‘split’ could’ve something to do with your group of friends or your family or any other platonic relationship for that matter. The show that will teach you how to deal with this is, well, The Split.

At the centre of this six-part series is the Defoe family – a family of divorce lawyers. Things get out of hand when one of them leaves the family business for a rival. They’re also forced to face their past when their estranged father comes back into their lives. The Split is sure to make you a pro when it comes to navigating complexities in relationships.

#6 The Importance of Staying Relevant

In an age where WhatsApp and Facebook are fast becoming primary sources of news for a lot of people, how does a broadsheet manage to stay relevant? How does it manage to keep up with the 24-hour news cycle of the digital age? The show Press will bring you face to face with characters facing exactly this dilemma.

Press tells you the story of editors and journalists working at a broadsheet and tabloid whose future is uncertain owing to the threat of digital and 24-hour news. There’s a lot at stake, the pressure is high, the future is uncertain - how, then, do these professionals manage to rise above all this? This highlights the importance of staying relevant and keeping up with the times, specially in the face of stiff competition. Now, this is one life lesson we all could do with.

#7 How To Keep Calm and Carry On

'Keep Calm and Carry On’, something you would’ve surely seen on T-shirts and memes, is perhaps one of life’s biggest lessons. It’s that mantra that can see you through some of life’s toughest situations. But how do you implement this pop culture reference in real life? How do you keep calm in the midst of a war, while fighting terror or in the aftermath of a disaster? That’s exactly the kind of tough life lesson that Our Girl will teach you. The characters in this military drama series manage to ‘keep calm and carry on’ even in the face of adversity and in potentially life-threatening situations.

There are times in life when we cave in under pressure. That’s when a show such as Our Girl will give you that much needed dose of inspiration.

So tune into Zee Cafe’s BBC First starting 5 August at 10 pm and get ready to be #ShakenAndStirred. Save the date!

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