Must Watch Series

[Buehler445]

All this talk about series, how network TV Sucks, and how hard it is to find quality shows, and some excellent shows that fly under the radar, I need a comprehensive review of all the series I need to see.

For good entertainment, I would be willing to buy DVD sets. But I've recently picked up HBOGO by kiping it from my parents, and recently got Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Here is a listing of shows that I currently own or have seen all the episodes of. If it isn't on the list, just assume I haven't seen it.

Spoiler!

Great Shows – Must See
Game of Thrones
Mad Men
Longmire
Burn Notice
House
Spartacus
House of Cards
Justified
True Detective
Breaking Bad
The Assets
The Wire
Sherlock (BBC)
The Americans
The Walking Dead
Deadwood
Netflix: Daredevil
Jack Taylor
Luther
Bosch

Good shows
Travelers
Ozark
The Leftovers
Conviction
Medici
The Last Kingdom
Firefly
Dollhouse
The Good Wife
Hell on Wheels
Big Bang Theory
Falling Skies
Suits
White Collar
Agents of SHIELD
Arrow
Boss
Rome
Orange is the New Black
Orphan Black
The Knick
Goliath (Amazon)
Iron Fist
Show Me a Hero
Hell on Wheels
Shooter

Mediocre
Robin Hood (BBC)
Vikings
How I met your Mother
Scrubs
Chuck
That 70's Show
Top Gear
Graceland
Hung (HBO)
Gotham
Conviction


Crap
Camelot
Top Shot
Defiance
Legends of Tomorrow

Here is a listing of shows that I'm currently watching

Spoiler!

Great


Good
Boardwalk Empire
Westworld

Mediocre

Crap

Here is a listing of shows on my list to watch (mostly due to this thread)

Spoiler!

The Sopranos
24
Fargo (missed getting it on the DVR )
Band of Brothers
The Pacific
The Comeback
6 Feet Under
John Adams
Battlestar Glactica
Friday Night Lights

I work a ****ton, so it is hard for me catch a series while it is on to get it on the DVR, but I recognize the entertainment value and am willing to go after the Must See shows. Accordingly, I'm not necessarily looking for anything that is still running. I'm up for watching stuff that has run its course.

So what say you, Planet? Which shows should I see?

UPDATED for the shows I've seen recently.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by BigRichard

I think it has been mentioned in here before but my wife and I are loving Peaky Blinders on Netflix. We have watched the first 4 seasons in a few weeks now. Great acting and great writing.

Yeah, watch it all and then there is a movie I think. I absolutely love Peaky Blinders. I think I've watched it through 3 times.

[srvy]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

I watched "All the Light We Cannot See" on Netflix. I dunno if this should be in this thread or the movies thread since it's only 4 episodes. I'm sticking it here because there were notable breaks for episodes.

Anyway, onto the business. I recommend this. And normally I wouldn't. This, in improper hands would be GARBAGE. Most of it is a little too on the nose for me, but it handles it really well.

There were several components that made the thing float. Most notably were the sets. My god they were good. I'm no expert in WWII uniforms or architecture, but they really knocked it out of the park IMO.

More importantly though, the performances are good. Excellent in fact. Of the major players, any of them not bringing the heat, this thing turns into a lifetime movie.

I didn't really need any nazism in my life. But I am glad I watched this one. There are some really high brow components of this and it pulled it off pretty well without bashing you over the head with it.

tl;dr: This wouldn't normally be my gig, but it's really good and I'm glad I watched it.

This was really good! Thanks for the recommendation.

[BigBeauford]

We tapped out of Monarch after 4 episodes. Glacial pacing and characters who aren't compelling (especially the present tense trio).

[In58men]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

I watched "All the Light We Cannot See" on Netflix. I dunno if this should be in this thread or the movies thread since it's only 4 episodes. I'm sticking it here because there were notable breaks for episodes.

Anyway, onto the business. I recommend this. And normally I wouldn't. This, in improper hands would be GARBAGE. Most of it is a little too on the nose for me, but it handles it really well.

There were several components that made the thing float. Most notably were the sets. My god they were good. I'm no expert in WWII uniforms or architecture, but they really knocked it out of the park IMO.

More importantly though, the performances are good. Excellent in fact. Of the major players, any of them not bringing the heat, this thing turns into a lifetime movie.

I didn't really need any nazism in my life. But I am glad I watched this one. There are some really high brow components of this and it pulled it off pretty well without bashing you over the head with it.

tl;dr: This wouldn't normally be my gig, but it's really good and I'm glad I watched it.

Thanks for the recommendation, very good show.

The wife actually read the book.

[BigRichard]

This has me intrigued...

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by BigRichard

This has me intrigued...

It was OK. It wasn't as good as it thought it was, and certainly wasn't as high brow as it thought it was. But it was worth a watch.

[mr. tegu]

Anybody watching Bookie on HBO? Short episodes about a guy and his partner running a sports book. Mostly a comedy. It’s an easy watch and entertaining enough.

[Hammock Parties]

Watched the first episode of The Plot Against America last night.

Eagerly looking forward to Charles Lindbergh becoming American Hitler.

One thing I really appreciate about the show is it shows how Americans used to listen to radio with an amazing level of attention and then discuss it with their neighbors, sidewalk town hall style. We don't have that anymore.

Now we have youtube and twitter.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by BigBeauford

We tapped out of Monarch after 4 episodes. Glacial pacing and characters who aren't compelling (especially the present tense trio).

Confirming that you made the right decision

I made it to Godzilla and he couldn't save this steaming pile of shit

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by BigBeauford

We tapped out of Monarch after 4 episodes. Glacial pacing and characters who aren't compelling (especially the present tense trio).

I'm 2 in and find the premise interesting. There's potential there.

But yeah, the pacing is roooooouuuuuuugh. I think this may be a 'watch while I'm doing something else' show and I can perk up in the moments something critical might be happening without missing much.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Yeah, watch it all and then there is a movie I think. I absolutely love Peaky Blinders. I think I've watched it through 3 times.

And they stuck the landing. I mean damn did they bring it home well.

The season with the Russian monarchy about lost me (season 3? Real piece of crap), but then Luca showed up and I was back in. That may have actually ended up being my favorite season though that's probably still Season 2.

In either event, gut your way through season 3 based on the goodwill of the first 2 seasons and the rest is pretty smooth sailing.

[TwistedChief]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Watched the first episode of The Plot Against America last night.

Eagerly looking forward to Charles Lindbergh becoming American Hitler.

One thing I really appreciate about the show is it shows how Americans used to listen to radio with an amazing level of attention and then discuss it with their neighbors, sidewalk town hall style. We don't have that anymore.

Now we have youtube and twitter.

Watched this during the pandemic and it was wonderful. Really enjoyed it and probably made me culturally appreciate being Jewish a bit more than I had previously.

[ThaVirus]

Definitely not CP’s demographic but I’m enjoying Atlanta

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by TwistedChief

Watched this during the pandemic and it was wonderful. Really enjoyed it and probably made me culturally appreciate being Jewish a bit more than I had previously.

Just finished it last night. Holy shit the last episode was an absolute banger.

Spoiler!

Lindbergh being blackmailed by the Nazis to backdoor a fascist regime into America against his will is an absolute banger twist. And where did he go? What happens with the election? Were the people burning the votes agents of the Reich?

Watching the Jewish family drive through West Virginia being stared down by the Klan felt like wandering into a region of an RPG game where the mobs are all too high level for your party.

Oh yeah, and watching the American Brownshirts walk down the stairs en masse into the rally for the fired Radio jock's Presidential campaign was ****ing horrifying. And then they just blew his head off later in the story.

Spooky stuff.

There should really be a second and third season of that show.

I'm going to go watch this tripe to satisfy my urge

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

I'm 3 episodes in on A Murder at the End of the World (Hulu) and am enjoying it

Seems really well made and executed so far

I watched this recently also. What did you think?

I thought it was a pretty solid who dun it.

But I don't think it was as smart or clever as it thought it was. But ultimately, I didn't guess it until they bashed me over the head with it.

I think there was some social narrative (outside of the obvious climate change evil corporation shit that was overt) they were going for and didn't really hit me like they thought it would.

Moreover, I'm starting to get a little tired of the trope of an investigation being a device to tell the backstory. Whenever they'd go back to catch the serial killer, by the end I was like get ****ing to it, man. I think that bit peaked with Station Eleven. And it seemed like they were trying to hit some of those notes, but they didn't do it nearly as well as Station Eleven.

But that's pretty nitpicky. It's a good watch and there are some memorable concepts they hit on. Most notable is

Spoiler!

Bill saying the killer is like broken code. I thought his execution of that line was pretty profound.

There were also some notes that hit hard. Darby's dealing with death was really strong acting, and

Spoiler!

In the last episode when it's revealed Darby hasn't seen Bill since they were in the bath until he sat across from her at dinner is kind of soul crushing, and really well written.

So the scenery and the hotel were absolutely magnificent. But at the same time didn't seem to matter. I think we (or at least me) are getting desensitized to some really excellent filmmaking.

All in all a good watch, and good performances all the way around. I'd recommend it.