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]

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

I did Station Eleven. I'll be goddamned if it isn't straight up compelling. It's pretty high brow. Normally high brow shit doesn't work for me, but this one did. It got it's hooks in me pretty good.

I do have to say you have to suspend your "cut the shit" reactions, because like most dystopians, there is a lot of shit that just won't work in real life, but whatever, it's a well told well acted compelling story.

I don't know what you all think of Mackenzie Davis, but I'm a fan. Other than the Martian, the only thing I've seen her in is Halt and Catch Fire. She isn't particularly pretty, but she does it for me. She can be very pretty when she tries to be, and seemingly never wears a bra. But she carries a heavy load in this one and really knocks it out of the park. What she portrays is a very very complicated situation, and it's never not believable. They even ask her to do some physical stuff, which is a big ask as rail thin as she is and it was better than I expected.

This one really asks a lot of the viewers. Accordingly I should re-watch it because it's a big watch. But it does a good job of swinging for the fences without getting overly preachy. I think there is a book? I haven't read it, but would be interested to hear from any that have.

I thought the best thing it did was stick the landing. The last episode tied things together sufficient to make prior reservations or resistance somewhat moot.

I had a particular [as in specific and probably not all that universal] aversion to the narrative, as I hate the 'let's put on a play' narrative of comprehensive problem-solving. And I hate this notion that great works performed with heart will unlock truths in every hardened heart. It smacks of creative types jacking themselves off, and it happens everywhere.

And that narrative was as central to this show as it could possibly be, but I didn't mind overly in the end, and it even managed to acquit that thesis fairly well.

Overall a worthwhile experience.

With that said, I think it's somewhat of a pale imitator of The Leftovers, which the production team oversaw just a couple years back. Not as apocalyptic, but every bit as emotional and resonant its themes.

And I agree about MacEnzie Davis. She is not a 'stunner' but she is very engrossing, and it struck me she's a good deal like a young Meryl Streep. Pretty in a plain honest manner, but so expressive and engrossing that you lose yourself in her performances. Watch Meryl in The Deerhunter and see if you aren't thinking the same things about her you are MacEnzie in their respective performances.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

I thought the best thing it did was stick the landing. The last episode tied things together sufficient to make prior reservations or resistance somewhat moot.

That's probably an astute observation. Trying to work through what it looks like with a strung out ending, and it changes the view pretty substantially. In fact, I didn't realize it was ongoing yet, and thought when I got through episode 9 I thought it was the end, and certainly episode 10 changes the overall view of the story. Seems fairly obvious, but I figured what was coming was in season 2.

Long, bumble**** way of saying good point.

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

I had a particular [as in specific and probably not all that universal] aversion to the narrative, as I hate the 'let's put on a play' narrative of comprehensive problem-solving. And I hate this notion that great works performed with heart will unlock truths in every hardened heart. It smacks of creative types jacking themselves off, and it happens everywhere.

And that narrative was as central to this show as it could possibly be, but I didn't mind overly in the end, and it even managed to acquit that thesis fairly well.

I didn't hate it as much as you. Total guess, but I bet I've been exposed to it less than you. I typically manage to avoid things that go down that road. And let's be real here, my hayseed ass isn't the the most seasoned art critic so they can lob some garbage meatballs by me and I'd never get it. But I thought it was well done. Wasn't what I was expecting, but it worked for me.

I think it did a nice job of not getting lost in the dystopia of it all. I mean, it went into the hardship for sure, but it would have been really easy to go all disaster porn like so many shows do and deserves credit for telling that story better.

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Overall a worthwhile experience.

With that said, I think it's somewhat of a pale imitator of The Leftovers, which the production team oversaw just a couple years back. Not as apocalyptic, but every bit as emotional and resonant its themes.

And I agree about MacEnzie Davis. She is not a 'stunner' but she is very engrossing, and it struck me she's a good deal like a young Meryl Streep. Pretty in a plain honest manner, but so expressive and engrossing that you lose yourself in her performances. Watch Meryl in The Deerhunter and see if you aren't thinking the same things about her you are MacEnzie in their respective performances.

My opinion - and I'm open to being wrong here, but I think it is a tighter, more elegant version of The Leftovers.

The Leftovers didn't work as well for me as this did. I caught the first 2 seasons of Leftovers, and didn't bother with the third. I thought it did a nice job on the character stuff and right as it got in there it would dive back into weird ass shit, in my opinion needlessly. But maybe the 3rd season un****s it all, but whatever. I thought this was a better, more refined story, or at least approach.

Davis has earned some rope from me. I'll watch her stuff.

[unlurking]

Just finished Station Eleven. Very eclectic. Slow, but the acting and character development was great. Totally unexpected story, felt pretty fresh compared to all the sequels and reboots we're usually complaining about.

[Baby Lee]

Single Drunk Female has your usual Loudermilk vibes for the gal set.



Big fan of Sophia Black-D'Elia from that show with That Big Bird Lady Kaitlin, The Mick, and Ally Sheedy is back for the bratpack set.

[Baby Lee]

This COULD actually be brilliant, first premise is Arnett is an investigator who always gets assigned celebrities as sidekicks who are 'doing research' for a role, . . . second premise is, the celebrities go into the scene with no direction except be yourself and go with it. Could be a trainwreck, could be a masterpiece.

It's an adaption of a popular show Murder in Successville on BBC, you can track down so clips of it to get a flavor of what's the what.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Gemstones is back, 2 words


ALL

CYLINDERS!!


That is all. . .

Holy shit - Poor Tim Baltz . . . BJ in that post baptism champagne velour romphim-uxedo, complete with cummerbund. . .

trivia

Spoiler!

The 'sister' who was teasing him for his outfit is Tim's real life wife Lilly Sullivan

[Pepe Silvia]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Holy shit - Poor Tim Baltz . . . BJ in that post baptism champagne velour romphim-uxedo, complete with cummerbund. . .

Looooved last nights episode.

That’s because he took my ass off the market bitch.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by PackerinMo

Looooved last nights episode.

That’s because he took my ass off the market.

Butterflies, . . . butterflies they start out as Caterpillllllls.

[Pepe Silvia]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Butterflies, . . . butterflies they start out as Caterpillllllls.

You know what? Edie Patterson's voice ain't too bad.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by PackerinMo

You know what? Edie Patterson's voice ain't too bad.

Ever caught her on Comedy Bang! Bang!?

She is effortlessly hilarious. Tim's pretty good too.

[Pepe Silvia]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Ever caught her on Comedy Bang! Bang!?

She is effortlessly hilarious. Tim's pretty good too.

Never seen that show but I remember her from way back. She was on a brief series that the Wayans brothers created called The Underground It aired on showtime I think. It didnt last long but she was funny and made quite an impression. I was stunned when I saw she was doing McBrides shows.

[Simply Red]

anything spooky to watch? Been a drought - thought it was getting better but availability and selection still suck.

[BigBeauford]

Trying to watch Dark on Netflix. This thing is really taking its time.

[Simply Red]

I just started a Mike Flanagan series called The Haunting of Bly Manor.