Eight TV shows to watch that aren't Game of Thrones

We're coming dangerously close to another long, cold period of no Game of Thrones as season seven is already over halfway done.

But not everyone has been seduced by the fantasy charms of the show, and those of us who have will be looking to fix the painful hole it leaves when it goes on hiatus again next month.

Fortunately, we live in a golden age of television and are spoiled for choice - so here's a round-up of eight amazing shows to get into if you're not watching Game of Thrones, or if you're already dreading the imminent season finale.

Better Call Saul
The prequel to Breaking Bad is just as amazing as that hit show - even better, in some ways - yet far less popular. Fans of the Walter White saga should stick with it; it's a slower release of thrills, for sure, but season three is the best TV show I've seen in 2017... apart from Game of Thrones

The Handmaid's Tale
A very heavy watch indeed - and hugely timely in the Trump era - this adaptation of the Margaret Atwood novel, set in a dystopian future, follows a woman forced to live as a concubine. Absolutely riveting and often surprisingly playful and witty, despite how dark it all is.

Rick and Morty
The third season of this cult animated show for adults is its darkest, yet also its funniest. It somehow pulls a magic trick of being super accessible, but unbelievably rewarding to smarter viewers who dig it consistently breaking the fourth wall and pushing jokes ever so close to being too far.

Ozark
Another one for fans of Breaking Bad, this brilliant exercise in suspense and tension sees a family trying to hide away from a vicious drug lord after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong. Jason Bateman is superb in front of and behind the camera, and the violence is not for the faint of heart.

The Keepers
In the wake of Making a Murderer and The Jinx, this appeared to fill the true-crime doco hole left in our TV diets. And it certainly starts out that way, examining the unsolved murder of a nun in 1969... but it gradually morphs into something far darker that still haunts me months after I finished it.

GLOW
If you love the '80s, humankind's greatest decade, then you'll probably love this comedy based on the actual TV series Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (!). There is interesting commentary on racial and gender stereotypes, but mostly this feel-good show is just plain fun.

Big Little Lies
Jean-Marc Vallée's transition from film to TV at first felt like the big screen was being robbed - but his exceptional cinematography and poetic editing somehow works just as well on the small screen. This murder mystery is gorgeous, unique and intriguing.

Master of None
Aziz Ansari's low-key comedy is far smarter than it lets on, getting even more experimental in its second season. It's consistently hilarious and delightful, and the highest-rated TV show of 2017 so far, according to review aggregator Metacritic.

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Newshub.