Contributed Post

Whether it’s watching Penny and Leonard finally declare their love for each other, seeing the suave Don Draper schmooze clients into historical advertising deals, or watching the cruel, underhanded Prince Joffrey finally get his comeuppance these are the shows that became so big they even changed the economy!

House Of Cards

Flickr Image: anntinomy

During the latest airing of this tense, atmospheric political reboot we paid more attention to the goings-on at the fictional White House, so good it’s scary game-playing of husband and wife tag team Frank and Claire Underwood and the jaw-dropping twists and turns of the presidential leadership bid than real life politics. Grey haired Ex-American President and Democrat favourite Bill Clinton has stated that what you see in certain clips is a reasonably realistic portrayal of life in the Senate. Some critics of the Emmy-winning series have even been quoted as saying the show is deliberately subversive, insidiously changing people’s beliefs, and leans far more towards conservative morals and values instead of balancing them with liberal views.

 

Game Of Thrones

Flickr Image: umairadeeb

Based on the bloodthirsty series of epic fantasy novels by George R.R Martin and one of the most popular shows ever, fans wait like mice for the tiniest crumbs of news about cast deaths, premiere dates and TV based plot twists. Fans also knew that the latest GOT episodes appeared on Showbox before anywhere else so Why don’t you go ahead and check it out yourself?. Thanks to this HBO behemoth sales of wild game, spice’s, medieval weapons and reenactment clothing have shot through the roof. In just four short weeks, once the first series aired supermarkets reported that previously little eaten foods like pig liver and even lamb bones sold far quicker than they had ever done before.

 

Mad Men

Flickr Image: MCC Current

From his sharp suit, sexy accent and shrewd, slick business skills to his interactions with his hard working colleagues at glossy advertising agency Sterling Cooper. Don Draper of Mad Men definitely made a lasting impact. Set in the swinging sixties, this powerhouse of a drama ran for seven seasons and captivated the nation as they watched the ups and downs of a certain Manhattan advertising agency. Alcohol featured prominently in the show so it’s no coincidence that sales of whisky, specifically Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee varieties, reached a whopping $2.7 billion and companies exported more whiskey than in previous years. Incidentally, Don Draper has also been crowned one of the most influential men in the world despite his decidedly fictional status.

Big Bang Theory

Flickr Image: The Conmunity- Pop Culture Geek

We’ve laughed and cried at the exploits of self-confessed science nerds Leonard, Raj, Sheldon and Howard for over ten series now. However, the fantastic four, plus wives Penny, Bernadette and Sheldon’s girlfriend Amy also inspired countless students. In the first few years the series aired college admissions staff saw student applications to study physics and space exploration spike by around ten percent. While more students than ever before were signing up for extra AP physics classes, math programmes and even watching old episodes of Star Trek. Much has also been made of Amy’s field of neuroscience something which actress Mayim Bialik actually has a degree in!