Breaking Bad V The Wire V The Sopranos V Boardwalk Empire V Others

[Nibble]

Thumbs up for me too.

The missus of the main man has this weird knack of looking extremely undesirable and desirable, fluctuating from scene to scene. I really can't make my mind up.

Overall a fitty I think.

 

[Pondicherry]

Can't believe how few mentions there are for Lost. Miles ahead of its time and constantly borrowed from subsequently.

Lost, Sopranos and The Wire are the big three in my book (not seen BB). Also Friday Night Lights and House have hardly been mentioned.

 

[Munkfish]

Can't believe how few mentions there are for Lost. Miles ahead of its time and constantly borrowed from subsequently.

Lost, Sopranos and The Wire are the big three in my book (not seen BB). Also Friday Night Lights and House have hardly been mentioned.

I loved the first two series of Lost thought it was fantastic and stuck with it until the end, but the writers strike impacted some of the storylines and the loss of some key characters such as Mr Eco were disapointing.

 

[um bongo molongo]

I never watched 24 when it was originally screened, but recently watched series 1 to 3, then skipped to series 8 which was the biggest pile of toilet I've ever watched. It's just like some kind of right wing propaganda campaign to justify murder, torture, gung-ho disregard for orders - all if it serves a greater good. Jack Bauer is the biggest most self righteous egotistical sociopath you could ever wish to meet, by the end I wanted him dead in a really horrific manner. How many attractive murderous moles could CTU employ? Who is doing their HR?

I realise that each series is 24 hours in a crisis situation but there is just no humanity, barely a smile or gallows humour to lighten the mood. I just found it totally depressing by the end.

I've really loved all your other picks though!

All about opinions I suppose but I loved 24 - it's pure entertainment and not trying to be as clever as most of the others on these lists but for pace and thrills it takes some beating. For me the descent of a "hero" in to what he was by series 8 was a big part if it though - not sure you can skip all those series and feel the same. 24 had the morally suspect "hero" long before Walter White (though I also love BB). It definitely got formulaic about series 6/7 and the number of moles etc requires a large amount of suspension of disbelief but I enjoyed the last one and I don't think it's right wing at all. One of the few shows to tackle some of the moral dilemmas of the day involved with dealing with terrorists - e.g. should you torture to get information that could save large numbers of your citizens? Thought basing a series around the use of drones was also fairly bold. The worry is that the basic tenet of some of the foiled terrorist threats might be closer to the truth than we realise...

 

[Bold Seagull]

All about opinions I suppose but I loved 24 - it's pure entertainment and not trying to be as clever as most of the others on these lists but for pace and thrills it takes some beating. For me the descent of a "hero" in to what he was by series 8 was a big part if it though - not sure you can skip all those series and feel the same. 24 had the morally suspect "hero" long before Walter White (though I also love BB). It definitely got formulaic about series 6/7 and the number of moles etc requires a large amount of suspension of disbelief but I enjoyed the last one and I don't think it's right wing at all. One of the few shows to tackle some of the moral dilemmas of the day involved with dealing with terrorists - e.g. should you torture to get information that could save large numbers of your citizens? Thought basing a series around the use of drones was also fairly bold. The worry is that the basic tenet of some of the foiled terrorist threats might be closer to the truth than we realise...

It is as right wing a show as you could wish to see. There is basically torture throughout justified as necessary for the greater good. Made by Fox, created by republican and isolationist Joel Surnow, it plays on that American paranoia of needing to arm themselves should their own government turn on them. From the dictatorial presidential decisions, to rouge agencies, unrelenting surveillance, it's entire premise could be summarised by someone's comment about Jack Bauer in series 1 after he's just tortured someone by electrocuting them - "we need men like that". It's very much a Fox network view of the world. It's fast paced, but it's like reading a Dan Brown novel, every chapter leaves you wanting to find out what happens next, but the longer you go on for, you realise how empty the whole premise itself is.

As you say, all very entertaining I suppose, but I really did stuggle with the amount of suspension of belief required.

 

[Gazwag]

Nobodies mentioned it yet but I have enjoyed the first two seasons of The Newsroom

 

[JJ McClure]

Nobodies mentioned it yet but I have enjoyed the first two seasons of The Newsroom

The first season was really good, but I found the second season a bit disappointing and both only showed glimpses of Sorkins genius writing of the first four seasons of The West Wing.

 

[Mellotron]

Can't believe how few mentions there are for Lost. Miles ahead of its time and constantly borrowed from subsequently.

Good idea that slowly lost it's way (pun intended) and ended up like an awful M. Night Shyamalan film. The writers pretty much admitted they were just making it up as they went along.

 

[Birdie Boy]

How did Heroes end? I am not sure if my memory is fading, it is!, or if it never ended and there wasn't a last series.. I did enjoy it though.

I caught up on Extant last night, awaiting the final episode in the series which is being broadcast tomorrow night. After one dodgy episode, 10 I think, it is now back on track. Really looking forward to this last one

 

[GoingUp]

Did anyone see OZ back in the day? Its one the original prison series, think it was made by HBO, so theres a few Sopranos and Wire actors in there before The Sopranos and The Wire dropped.

 

[Nibble]

Can't believe how few mentions there are for Lost. Miles ahead of its time and constantly borrowed from subsequently.

Lost, Sopranos and The Wire are the big three in my book (not seen BB). Also Friday Night Lights and House have hardly been mentioned.

Lost was good. Just seen it is ten years old. That's blown my mind a bit. Need a minute to absorb that.

 

[Birdie Boy]

It got cancelled. Shame because it had a lot of potential. The first series was really good, but it got worse from then on.

Thanks, my memory wasn't playing tricks then.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

We've just finished the Wire. Great series. Looks like it's Breaking Bad or The Supranos is next...

Is that the Great Soprendos?

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Tried but never could get into The Wire. Sopranos, first two series I was addicted to but tended to drift out of them after that. I find The Boardwark Empire consistently compelling. Stand out for me is Breaking Bad, I cannot think of a single bad episode.
Watching Walking Dead at the moment Sky catch up box sets, I'm half way through the second series which is building up nicely. The first series was very good.
Shout for an old favourite I Claudius and Line of Duty.
Edit, forgot to add Band of Brothers and Das Boot.

Last two series of sopranos are amazing

 

[JamesAndTheGiantHead]

Fans of The Sopranos may also enjoy Lilyhammer; it's basically an unofficial alternative universe spin off featuring the bloke that plays Silvio. Acting exactly like Silvio. The first two series are on Netflix and while the quality of the acting or budget aren't on the same level, it still has it's moments.

 

[Lord Sabre]

Gomorrah is the headliner, check it out on Sky Arts now. Moody or what

 

[Monsieur Le Plonk]

Gomorrah is the headliner, check it out on Sky Arts now. Moody or what

I'm late to the party as always but yes, immensely powerful without feeling too far-fetched. Just what I needed to soften the blow of finishing True Detective.

Working my way through SKY GO and been looking at recommendations on our wonderful forum.
So NSC what's next for me? Justified, The Following or Hannibal?

 

[Bold Seagull]

How did Heroes end? I am not sure if my memory is fading, it is!, or if it never ended and there wasn't a last series.. I did enjoy it though.

I caught up on Extant last night, awaiting the final episode in the series which is being broadcast tomorrow night. After one dodgy episode, 10 I think, it is now back on track. Really looking forward to this last one

It got cancelled before any real finale. It ended with Claire telling the world about people with special powers. Meanwhile the final season was the carnival man, Sylar's mind trapped in Matt Parkers body trying to take control of him, Hiro suffering with a brain tumour, and Peter getting ever more annoying to the point I think his self righteous character alone led to the steady decline in viewing figures.

 

[Randsta]

Anyone say Orange is the new black.....well worth a watch!

 

[Dave the OAP]

One thing that angers me is that Virgin TV claim to have all the decent TV but do not transmit sky Atlantic, so a lot of these really good US shows we can't get!