It used to be that you’d be seated at a dinner party and the most terrifying thing that could possibly happen to you was that the conversation would turn to current affairs topic or a recent political upheaval that you had no idea about.

Then you’d just be left looking down at your salmon-with-barley-concealed-shame while your dinner companions held a robust conversation around you, a conversation that may as well have been in Dothraki for all the sense it made.

But times have changed. Now, the threat of becoming a social pariah comes from not being up on the latest batch of ‘must see’ TV shows.

You know, all those groundbreaking, golden-age-of-television, changing-the-social-conversation shows you’ve missed because when you finally did find a moment to collapse in front of the TV, all you felt up to watching was a rerun of Dawson’s Creek.

But there is a golden light at the end of this TV tunnel. To help you navigate the seemingly endless sea of new TV, here’s a cheat sheet to the four shows that everyone is talking about right now. And exactly where to watch them.

So you’ll never be defeated by an awkward dinner party conversation ever again.

For the biggest TV news of the week, plus all the new shows you should to be watching, listen to the latest episode of The Binge. 

Top Of The Lake

Why should you watch it? The world is still obsessed with Elizabeth Moss after her stunning turn in The Handmaid’s Tale (available now on SBS On Demand if you still need to watch it) which has put the spotlight back onto her previous groundbreaking performance as detective Robin Griffin in Top Of The Lake. 

This seven-episode drama follows Robin as she returns to her remote hometown of Laketop in New Zealand to investigate the pregnancy and disappearance of a 12-year-old girl named Tui Mitcham. Top Of The Lake can be quite brutal viewing, but it’s also completely mesmerising. You’ll find yourself sucked into this cold little community while you watch the mystery unravel before your eyes.

You should also get yourself up to speed before season two premieres in Australia, because the Australia based second offering is sure to dominate conversations as soon as it drops and has added Nicole Kidman and Gwendoline Christie to the line-up.

Where can you watch it? Top Of The Lake season one is available now via Foxtel. The second season, Top of the Lake: China Girl, will premiere 8:30pm Sunday August 20 on BBC First and is available via Foxtel.

Listen to Mamamia Entertainment Editor Laura Brodnik give a spoiler free explanation about why you should watch Top Of The Lake.

Gypsy

Why should you watch it? Naomi Watts is back on our screens in her juiciest roll in recent memory, and it’s a welcome shake-up to the glut of “white, straight, middle-aged suburban male anti-hero” shows that have been dominating our screens of late.

The Netflix original drama comprises of ten episodes and stars Naomi as Jean Holloway, a psychotherapist with boundary issues who secretly begins to infiltrate the private lives of her patients. Love it or hate it (and believe me, viewers are falling on both sides of that spectrum) it’s a slow-burn drama that has started a discussion about the role of anti-hero women on TV and the new breed of small screen psychological dramas.

It was sold as the next Big Little Lies (available on Foxtel Now if you have yet to watch it) and while it falls short of living up to that compelling drama, there’s still enough sizzle there to keep you entertained. Especially once Jean’s web of lies and her perfect suburban family life begins to unravel.

Where can you watch it? The first season of Gypsy is available now on Netflix.

Younger

Why should you watch it? If you're not obsessively watching Younger, then you must be living under a rock. In a waterproof box. On the moon.

If you're not familiar with one of Stan’s most popular and binge-worthy shows, Younger is a comedy-drama series that centres around Liza Miller (Sutton Foster), a recently divorced 40-year-old single mother who passes herself off as a 26-year-old in order to snag a job in a glamorous book publishing house. We're now four seasons in, and I have to say, watching this show is as comforting as cracking open a bottle of wine with your closest friends.

It's also opened up a whole bunch of conversations about women on television, female friendships, ageism, career and sexual fluidity. Also fashion, which as no surprise, seeing as it comes from the same stylish and entertaining team that brought us Sex and the City all those years ago.

And, even though I'm always quick to stress that, at its heart, Younger is the most important representation of female friendships on TV at the moment, there's also an ongoing love triangle that will keep you entertained.

When people ask if you're #TeamJosh or #TeamCharles, you had better know right away where your loyalties lie.

Where can you watch it? The first three seasons of Younger are all available on Stan. New episodes of season four drop each week.

Friends From College

Why should you watch it? Friends from College is a new Netflix original comedy series that has caused a bit of a splash since its arrival on the small screen. The series follows the sometimes tragic yet often funny adventures of a close-knit group of friends who met in college as they navigate through their work and love lives against the shiny backdrop that is New York City.

It has launched a heap of discussions about whether or not you can age out of friendships, how infidelity effects a circle of friends and that whole myth about landing your dream job. It also stars Cobie Smulders in her first big TV role since How I Met Your Mother and Fred Savage from the iconic 80s show, The Wonder Years. 

Where can you watch it? The first season of Friends From College is available now on Netflix.

For more TV and entertainment news, you can follow Mamamia Entertainment Editor Laura Brodnik on Facebook.