After the November election, I started rewatching "The West Wing."
Yes, as a "cast" show it is somewhat unrealistic with respect to the scope/number of people involved in daily West Wing activity, policy, administration, etc. And it is purposely idealistic. Nonetheless, it summarizes and states well many principle and practicalities of the Executive, Administration, the other two branches of government, and provides a not insignificant education to the general viewer of how all that works and why.
As well, it portrays the idea of good -- but imperfect -- people doing their best within an imperfect system.
Next up, perhaps: "The Wire." I started it about a year ago, but I was not in a place at that time, myself, where I could easily/reasonably take its message as I've heard/read it described.
"Mr. Robot" I've found excellent at describing a contemporary technical but also a social milieu, and thoughts on same, with which I'm all too familiar.
Recently, I've been revisiting old/classic movies starring Bogart. There is an essence of the American character in them, perhaps both reflected and thereby instantiated down the succeeding years and decades. A taciturn but thorough awareness and expectation of self-reliance.
Viewing such as this seems to inform me, to some degree. Hopefully not in too distorted nor misleading a fashion.
A lot of contemporary viewing reflects some contemporary thinking and news items, but comes with a lot of bulk. There's only so much Marvel content I can take, for example. It becomes distracting, consuming, rather than informing.
What concerns me in good part now, with the direction paid streaming is going, is that while production values are increasing, with limited libraries and historical content, it may be trending towards a contemporary consuming as opposed to informing.
Yes, we're living in Hell's Kitchen. (Well, I feel that way, more than infrequently.) But I don't really think we are going to punch our way out of it.