Very few shows measure up. One I haven’t seen mentioned that I liked more than I expected was Treme. I think it was created by the same team as the wire.
Treme is superb.
Very much unknown and underrated.
Crime shows: Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Mind Hunter, Homicide: Life on the Streets
Sci-fi: Travelers, season 1 of Altered Carbon, The Expanse, Firefly, Stargate SG-1
Comedy: Limitless, Community, Better Off Ted, Archer, Arrested Development, King of the Hill
I'd add Andor to the sci-fi section, it's exceptionally good.
Common Side Effects, too.
The sopranos.Up there with how good as the acting is the wire.Plus i think it has more watchabillty.
I watched The Sorpranos twice but maybe it’s time for a 3rd viewing. Although I might rewatch GoT again before I explore that…
Mr. Robot
Yeah I remember watching the first season back when it came out. I need to pick it back up!
Le Bureau des Légendes. Or "The Bureau". Truly believable spies TV series. It's been adapted very poorly and soulless as The Agency, but the French original remains some of the very top notch TV. I'm not French but i couldn't stop watching this thing.
Also, Slow Horses is great too, but how they seem to need to up the ante each season is making it a bit hard to believe.
Hmmm hadn’t heard of this one. I will look into it. Thanks for the rec!
"Le bureau des légendes" spoiled every spy shows for me. It's soul wrenching.
And "Slow Horses" was gritty and enthralling.
We've got the same taste! Any other shows you'd advise?
The Wire is a show like they don’t really make anymore, requiring you to pay attention and take it in. It can’t be binged and must be taken in slowly which is antithesis of most of modern TV, even the prestige shows don’t slow down for world building like that these days.
Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. They're close, but still not the same level.
I had seen breaking bad originally but recently rewatched it and then binged Better Call Saul. They were both super great!
Contemporary with the Wire is the Sopranos. Rewatched it not too long ago and it really stands up (skipping over a spectacularly misjudged vfx shot in season 2). Apologies if this is an obvious one!
Now hear me out on this next one, but the original series of Babylon 5 was way way ahead of its time in terms of a recurring storyline. Again the effects are a product of the times but the writing is excellent, I think.
The Wire is also my favorite. I think I know how you feel because no show ever seems to hold up to it.
That being said, The Sopranos had some incredible writing and character development.
Yeah I should’ve listed I’ve seen what most people consider the masterpieces like The Sorpranos. Certainly one of my favorites!
Deadwood
Slow Horses
It's been a while since I watched it so not sure how it has stood the test of time, but Oz made a big impression on me. Brutal, but great TV.
I’ve thought about giving it a go but I’ve also heard his hasn’t aged so well.
To me, peaky blinders, top boy, and although shorter snabba cash had a similar sprawling storyline following the different characters and how they interacted through the different layers of society as well as over time.
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