Favorite drama TV series

[JaiDee]

   Hey guys,  we  had this topic before in 2012......so this will be kind of an updated version, add your own so others can try 'em out!

 

    If you have yet to see Breaking Bad,  try it out; and start from the beginning.  Excellent series,  excellent acting,  very intense.....IMO the best TV show ever made.  Just ended its run after 5 seasons.

 

 Shameless is in 2nd place for me, the American one based in Chicago.   Great stuff,  William H. Macy is genius.  Just ended season 4 and renewed for season 5!

 

Vikings is on now as well,  almost at the end of season2.   EXCELLENT series, I hope the History Channel makes more like this.

 

    Homeland;   made by the same people who made '24', but it's on Showtime so has no restrictions for swearing and killing and sex, etc.......also the run time is longer, usually 54 minutes per show. Really well-done series about the CIA and terrorists, lots of drama and nasty politics.

 

 

  House of Cards;   decent show with Kevin Spacey as the lead, a back-stabbing congressman from South Carolina.  Pretty good but not as good as the other 4 for new ones, IMO

 

An oldie but goodie if you've never seen it; The Wire, cop show based in Baltimore; really great show.

[SiamSam]

House of Cards was one of the best TV series I've ever experienced. Grabbed me from the beginning until the end. I hope there are more.

[bumblebee]

I must check out Vikings as they are making it about 20 kms from my home town.

[pacman]

I haven't watched any of the block buster series such as Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Breaking Bad, Shameless, The Wire, etc. I'm starting to feel like a social outcast, I keep reading what I am missing but I don't feel I am missing anything.

 

I cut off cable years ago when I realised how much the little I watched was costing. The major TV series then were nothing to excite me, maybe today I would get hooked & stay. Everyone I know on cable has it for the football, our football, not that game played by padded warriors in the US were almost no one makes contact between their foot & the ball. Something I would consider a prerequisite for any sport to be called FOOT BALL.

 

Anyway I digress. Today when I check & see there is nothing on local TV I leave it off for the evening. After I watch the news of course.

 

Back to the subject, I really do accept that these new series are brilliantly done. I have only heard good things about Vikings, a show I will try to catch sometime. As for series I watch now there isn't much. I did enjoy Homeland. I really liked the gravitas Mandy Patinkin brought to his role, I hope he gets to feature in something similar sometime. And Damian Lewis was great. I never expected him to go the way he did, that end scene was good television.

 

I do enjoy watching The Good Wife, it has a frantic pace about it that fits perfectly with the nature of their work. Which also stops it getting boring, the court room scenes are some of the best ever made. IMO.

[Guest sustra]

i do not even have a tv at home....but found Breaking Bad the best show ever seen in years....watched all 5 series in 3 days....fantastic!!!! 

[Tomcat]

IMO the series Dark Blue is the best series i seen in years and was glued to the screen. After the first episode i was hooked for good. in the UK they put it on at 1pm.. so never got the audience  but was the best thing Channel 5  ever put out. About undercover cops in LA

( forget the Film which was rubbish IMO)

 

CSI Vegas is great then , CSI Miami then Law and Order.. fantastic ..NCIS i cant stand though

 

Breaking bad seems like a not to miss series and look forward to catching it when C5 shows it

[Foggy]

Breaking bad had me from the first 10 minutes and I ended up watching the first 3 series in 4 days... need to catch up with the rest now.

 

Games of Thrones has massive appeal and love it but just so long to wait between series.

 

Vikings has been showing here on HBO HD  (Thailand ) and nearly done now but I have really enjoyed that.

[JaiDee]

 

 

Games of Thrones has massive appeal and love it but just so long to wait between series.

 

Vikings has been showing here on HBO HD  (Thailand ) and nearly done now but I have really enjoyed that.

 

  Yeah, I never would have thought I'd like Vikings when it started last year and never watched it,  but started about a month ago and really enjoyed the first season, as well as catching up on season 2 now.  Really well done IMO......for some reason I was never able to get into Game of Thrones and tried it a few times,  maybe have to try it one more since so many people seem to enjoy it.

 

 Agreed Paccie,  The Good Wife is a really good show!  From my experience a rarity coming from the networks.

[JaiDee]

I must check out Vikings as they are making it about 20 kms from my home town.

........and the scenery is excellent, BB!

[seven]

Breaking bad

Sopranos

Six feet under

[seven]

I did enjoy Homeland. I really liked the gravitas Mandy Patinkin brought to his role, I hope he gets to feature in something similar sometime. And Damian Lewis was great. I never expected him to go the way he did, that end scene was good television.

 

That ending was excellent, some of the best television i've seen. I really enjoyed Homeland.

[Hefe]

Dating myself, but don't forget Lonesome Dove... (maybe even Roots?)

 

Local cable gave me 3 free months of Showtime & I watched all of Homeland over 4 weeks, excellent... as was Sopranos & Breaking Bad. These 3 seem to be the series that have set the bar, that said I can't be bothered to watch too many tv series, doesn't seem to be any point or something, I have to be convinced by others that there are worthwhile like the 3 mentioned, so I can't comment on The Wire, Deadwood, The Vikings, Walking Dead, Top of the Lake... all of which are in my future list when I cut the cord this summer & go strictly Netflix/internet.

 

True Detective was good, but not great, glad I watched it tho. The Killing is good as well. Band of Brothers excellent.

 

Hey it was a long winter!

 

There are a number of Brit series on Netflix, off the top of my head there is Luther, Black Adder, Doc Martin, Foyles War, Wallander, Love/Hate, Broadchurch... are any of these good, great or just time killers?

 

Also stumbled across a bit of the new series, based on the great film, Fargo the other night, it seemed so derivative I didn't give it a fair chance, any good? I did the same with The Office, after watching the original I could never get interested in the US remake although it was extremely popular here. Was there an Aussie version too?

[JaiDee]

 (maybe even Roots?)

 

 

True Detective was good, but not great,

 

Also stumbled across a bit of the new series, based on the great film, Fargo the other night

 

  Roots was excellent for its time, I re-watched it a couple years ago, it was dated but still very good.   Agreed about True Detective, it was good but IMO not worth all the accolades. 

 

Friend of mine enjoyed the first Fargo show and  I will check it out for sure, that was one of my favorite movies ever.

[seven]

 

 

True Detective was good, but not great, glad I watched it tho. The Killing is good as well. 

The Killing is very good. I've watched the danish original and its as good.

True detective started great with first two episodes, but they built it up too much, and couldn't  deliver. The ending was a disapointment.

I really liked Broadchurch. The main character, the investigating cop, puts on a fantastic performance. Very scary show, make sure you avoid any spoilers and you're in for a chilling murder story.

 

I haven't watched Top of the lake, but i hear good reviews from friends.

 

Wallander is a swedish original, i've read and seen some of those, there are many episodes. I watched a couple of the BBCs with Branaugh, and they were pretty good. They are true to the books and catches the  slow mellow pace.

 

I think its only an american and the original british The Office. Imo one of the funniest ever ( the british, the other  one doesn't come close).

[pacman]

These 3 seem to be the series that have set the bar, that said I can't be bothered to watch too many tv series, doesn't seem to be any point or something, 

 

My sentiments exactly. I have to weigh up any new series as to whether I am going to be able to commit the time to watch it every week. And it feels so liberating to say no, fuck it, I have better things to do. Once I start & get interested I want to see every show. I don't start on many.

 

There are a number of Brit series on Netflix, off the top of my head there is Luther, Black Adder, Doc Martin, Foyles War, Wallander, Love/Hate, Broadchurch... are any of these good, great or just time killers?

 

I will give an opinion on a couple but I can't give guarantees.

 

Luther is not bad if you like grim British cop shows featuring a loner / tough guy lead who has to fight bad guys & his own police force. He's under investigation for something, I never did catch what that was about but Idris Elba is excellent. Try an episode, the look of each show is much the same as the next, & decide if you like it. 

 

Foyle's War is good from the few episodes I saw. I wish I had caught more, coming in half way it's hard to tell what was going on but Foyle is the perfect antithesis to what a hero should be. Softly spoken, older guy who quietly gets the job done. I like how the politics of the day overrides the plot so the things you expect to happen can't because of political expedience. e.g. the Nazi refugee can't be brought to justice because he is needed in a far more complicated plot but through all the machinations, old Foyle goes about his business. And is ever so stoic when his overlords tell him he has to back off. Understated British wartime drama that you will appreciate or hate depending on whether you yearn for Sylvester Stallone to come crashing through. He doesn't & for that I am glad.

 

Wallander. Saw it a few times, Kenneth Branagh is good, the story is good, I can't give a recommendation because it never *grabbed* me. I think someone could make a case for it but it won't be me.

 

Doc Martin. Where do I start? Your initial response will probably be revulsion. That was mine but I did come to appreciate its eccentricities. Martin Clunes as the Doc is good playing against type, I mean 180 degrees against type but he is annoying. And all the weird & wonderful villagers are good but also annoying. The whole show is very much an acquired taste & I only *got it* after repeated exposure. You can give it a try but I won't be holding my breath waiting for thanks. I know it has an enthusiastic audience but they are not the type of people to visit a LB forum. I doubt if half of them own a computer. Proceed with caution.

 

Broadchurch, yeah, watch that. A murder investigation in the English village of Broadchurch that goes up every blind alley then some. I think every person in the village falls under suspicion but you will never see who did it. Never. I'm not sure if I agree with seven that it is scary, there's plenty of suspense & intrigue but I didn't find it frightening.

 

Black Adder is for the fans, I don't know Love/Hate.

[seven]

 I'm not sure if I agree with seven that it is scary, there's plenty of suspense & intrigue but I didn't find it frightening.

 

 

You're right, suspense is more correct.

Btw, two recent good australian productions here. The Slap and Secret and lies. 

[pacman]

Also stumbled across a bit of the new series, based on the great film, Fargo the other night, it seemed so derivative I didn't give it a fair chance, any good? I did the same with The Office, after watching the original I could never get interested in the US remake although it was extremely popular here. Was there an Aussie version too?

 

Two versions are enough. Plus Ricky Gervais & Steve Carrell are hard acts to follow.

 

Friend of mine enjoyed the first Fargo show and  I will check it out for sure, that was one of my favorite movies ever.

 

That series starts here shortly. I also loved the movie (you're right about William Macy, he's great) so I will check it out too.

 

You're right, suspense is more correct.

Btw, two recent good australian productions here. The Slap and Secret and lies. 

 

I never saw either of those. The Slap is based on the book & it received a lot of publicity here. The subject matter just left me cold, I didn't have any inclination to watch it. Was I wrong?

 

As for suspense versus scary, no problem, I can correct your English if you correct my Swedish.....      

[Hefe]

Pacman, thanks for the feedback, I'm just trying to see what alternatives are out there & good before I cut the cable.

 

Interestingly some of this leans on using Aereo whose legal right to exist is being argued in the US Supreme Court right now.

[Lefty]

I love Justified. When it is on, I sit quietly and focus on the TV so as to not miss any detail, I think Walton Goggins is an especially talented actor. 

 

Now,. the new TV series Fargo has taken it's place and I love it just as much. Billy Bob is brilliant. IMO the most talented actor alive today. Though he hasn't had a hit for a while. He does so well at really getting into character. Who could know that the same person is playing Lorne Malvo as played Karl Childers? 

[BigTel]

 

Now,. the new TV series Fargo has taken it's place and I love it just as much. Billy Bob is brilliant. IMO the most talented actor alive today. 

 

      I'm with you on this one Lefty,  I watched episode 3 last night on "4 player" which is  catch up TV over here in the U.K.  It really is a superb series.

[dixon cox]

[xyzzy]

There are a number of Brit series on Netflix, off the top of my head there is Luther

 

Luther is pretty good if you don't mind another 'cop pushing the limits of the law' show and three season is only 14 episodes. It's very interesting for an American to watch a TV show where cops don't have guns (except for SWAT teams, etc).

 

I watched all three seasons of Homeland in about five days. Good stuff if you don't stop and think about some of the plot flaws too much. But that is true about most shows. There is another season coming in the fall I think.

 

BBC America's Orphan Black keeps me interested although again one has to overlook some plot flaws.

 

I like The Blacklist also.

 

Guess I'm weird. I watched one episode of House of Cards and gave up. I watched all of season one of Breaking Bad. I tried twice to start season two and I just didn't want to go where the plot was going.  

[Torurot]

"Shameless" is most excellent. How did that slip through. As is the original NCIS. Gibbs, Abby and unfortunately the lovely Ziva gone in the current series (why?). It took a long time for "NCIS LA" to grow on me but now I like both equally.

"Bones" Some amazing technology shown and some great interaction between the characters. A must watch.

"Burn Notice", great stuff. Based on a spy "insider" for sure

"Good Wife" is clever.

The original CSI is a pale shadow of it's original self/earlier serries, with CSI NY not much better but it's still watchable. I think it's got better over time. There's probably only so many ways you can show an immediate match on 20 million+ fingerprint "partials" or half a dandruff flake for DNA in about ten minutes. Pah!.

Then there is the idiocy of "Sons of Anarchy" where the word "fuck" never passes their lips. Damn seems to be as hard as it gets, but it's ok to show some ones head being shot off. Plot, what plot, you don't really need one when it's all about a bike brand. Most scenes consist of a group of Harley riders coming or going from the club house with lots of engine noise not necessaries associated with the ACTUAL riding.

[ArchieBunker]

For drama I would pick a "reality" show-The First 48.  I am not a cop but I dont think theres a lot of made up bullshit in that show.  I think its real.  I think its raw.  They also have a spin off called "After The First 48".  This show picks up the case AFTER the arrest and follows the trial.  things dont always end up with the prosecutor winning either.

 

One case where one Honduran brother killed another after an argument.  Evidently the victim was drunk and belligerent.  The "killer" got off before  even going to trial.  How??  His lawyer succesfully applied the "Stand Your Ground Law".  Interesting.

[Hefe]

Yes, in Florida drug dealers are using Stand Your Ground as a vehicle to kill off their competitors, they just need to plead that they felt threatened.