How do you discover new movies and shows to watch?

Lately, I have been getting ideas from here. Most of the time it's recommendations from friends and family so that we can talk about it.

I'd make a customized search of shows based by user rating and try to watch the best shows first. Or I'll go by recommendations by friends and family and stuff I read on boards like this. I still use IMDB's advanced search function, I don't think it was right for them to close the boards but I've gained a lot from their other services.

Well, I go about it, the same way I would a new song. There is an solicited source called the t.v. or the radio. Just skim through and see if anything catches your attention. For shows and movies, I keep my ears open for people I am around. Just these last three days, I was asked if I had seen two shows: Supernatural and The Walking Dead. Now, I would not necessarily go out of my way to watch them, however, I may give them a shot.

With music, I just skim the radio and whatever is catchy, I will want to listen "x" number of times before I get bored. Since there are so many other things going on in life, I hardly ever finish a show series I am on. Thus, it makes me have to go back to that show multiple times and really, I spend months trying to finish it.

Good rule of thumb: Always make sure you have something to watch. Before you finish a show or movie, make sure you know the next thing you would want to watch. If you can do this, chances are you will very rarely ever run out of shows/movies to watch.

I go to Wiki and look up the actor whose performance I liked in a recent movie/TV show to see what else they've done. It's rewarding to find some gem of a movie you never heard of because it never made it to wide release.

I USED to consult IMDb and frequent the message boards. Now, it's my FB page or friends, or the news ads.

Re: IMDb , if I like a particular actor, I would search that person's filmography.

I would think this would be an easy question, but I can't say I really have an approach to it. I guess I just know my taste fairly well and can assess whether I feel like something would be up my alley or worth my time or not by now. I get into stuff through actors I like, sometimes maybe even a song, recommendations, or just following the chain of watching one thing and learning another movie or show is like it so giving that a shot.

I don't really have a system, I just follow the breadcrumbs. Let it come to you, young grasshoppa!

Well whatever it is,it better be on broadcast tv.

Different ways.
A lot of what I watch isn't "new", it's new to me but I have series I need to start back at the beginning with. I also have some series that are already cancelled but I am only halfway through all the seasons.
- Netflix 'related" suggestions. (if you liked X you might like Y)
-the previews on netflix dvds (I have both streaming and disc plans)
- occasionally from tv commercials (that got me interested in Taboo and legion)
-Looking up a director or actor I like and seeing what else they have done that I haven't seen. I do mini film festivals or like, bingeing a particular director or genre.
- I used to read the movie reviews every week in a larger newspaper and would make lists for future rentals. I don't really do that anymore and I've mostly crossed things off my older lists but I do still have some older movies in my netflix queue from those old lists.
- word of mouth, suggestions from friends or just what is getting some buzz (I think I heard about Stranger Things this way)