Photo Credit: Netflix

Ever feel like you’re just waisting away your summer, almost as if you’re trapped in a cage? You should be passing your time with the hit Netflix series Orange Is The New Black.

Now, I admittedly haven’t been able to have my OITNB binge the way I would like to, but after a few episodes it is pretty easy to tell that this is a show worth watching and is helping to solidify online-only television as a legitimate outlet.

Netflix has been paving the way for original programming on the internet, beginning with House of Cards, then continuing the gone-too-soon Arrested Development and now hitting us with Orange Is The New Black. All these shows have been getting critical acclaim and, although it’s tough to tell the success with viewers since the Internet doesn’t have a ratings system like television, it’s safe to say that the exclusive programming on Netflix has been a major success when it comes to the quality of their product.

There have been misfires along the way, Including Amazon’s attempt at original programming that did not seem to make the waves they would have hoped and Neflix’s Hemlock Grove which underwhelmed in reviews. This isn’t the case for Orange is The New Black.

Centered around a woman named Piper Chapman, OITNB takes place in a prison facility where Chapman is placed after muling drug money many years prior to her sentencing. She had since assimilated herself into normal life by starting a business selling fancy soap and getting engaged, but is now paying the price for her bad deed years later.

This comedy focuses on Chapman’s interactions with the inmates in jail and displays how out of place she is along with giving the viewers flashbacks of what her real life is. It’s a great concept for a show and so far it has some great scenes that showcase how out of place Chapman is but also how she is beginning to fit in with a group of people you would never think to associate her with.

The most important aspect of OITNB is that it may be doing for women in television comedies what Bridesmaids did for women in comedic films. What I mean by this is that this show is very different from what we have seen from a mostly female cast in the past. This isn’t Sex In The City or Gossip Girl. This is a show that both women and men will enjoy and doesn’t put a focus on only one of the demographics.

Orange Is The New Black is paving new paths for television. It is a great, high-quality show that will make you will get immense enjoyment out of. That’s something many did not expect when they first heard Netflix would be creating their own programs. It’s helping solidify this new market while also innovating by giving us a different perspective from a mostly female cast that both men and women can enjoy. Even if you don’t have a Netflix account, it’s definitely worth it to sign up for at least the free 30 day membership to catch up on all the great stuff you’re missing.