TV Series - Your Favorites & Recommendations

[SonicMan46]

Since my retirement 3 years ago, I've been watching a number of TV series (some free streamed from Amazon or Netflix & others at a nominal fee);  I rarely viewed these type of shows in my working years.

So far, my favorites have been Bones, Justified, & The Closer (all of which I've re-watched) - also own Horatio Hornblower and rented Sharpe's Rifles - SO, that is how my 'tastes' seem to run @ the moment.

BUT, I'd like this thread to be an open one w/ discussion of your favorite TV shows and recommendations - Dave

[Mirror Image]

I'm a fan of 90s sitcoms most notably Seinfeld, Frasier, Wings, Everybody Loves Raymond, Becker, and NewsRadio. I was also a fan of 24 for awhile but lost interest. I'm thinking about watching House Of Cards at some point as I've heard nothing but great things about it. Deadwood is another series I've been meaning to watch, as I love westerns, but just never got around to it for whatever reason.

[NorthNYMark]

My recent favorites are fairly conventional, but in something of an order (with 1 being my favorite), here goes:

1. Mad Men
2. The Wire
3. Breaking Bad
(These first three are just astoundingly good, IMHO).

4. The Sopranos
5. House of Cards
6. Masters of Sex
7. True Detective
8. Fargo
9. Call the Midwife
10. Downton Abbey
11. The Killing

[North Star]

British TV: (actually nos. 3-9 could be a seven-way tie)

1. All Creatures Great & Small (seasons 1-3 in particular)
2. Darling Buds of May
3. Poirot
4. Morse
5. Sherlock Holmes (Brett)
6. A Touch of Frost
7. Miss Marple (with Joan Hickson)
8. Sherlock
9. Lewis
10. Luther
11. Yes, (Prime) Minister (ages since I've seen these)
12. Black Adder

American:
1. The Wire
2. Frasier
3. Columbo
4. The Simpsons (seasons 2-8)
5. House
6. Treme

[Artem]

x-files

[Mirror Image]

x-files

Very cool series indeed.

[Moonfish]

Hmm, I tried Bones but I never got into it. Perhaps I should give it another chance.  I never felt that the characters were real or interesting, but I gave up early.

My recommendations would be..

The Fall (with Gillian Anderson - a very intelligent crime/suspense show - recent)
Homeland (the first season - focused on terrorism)
Farscape!      (if you enjoy Sci-Fi - space opera in the grandest scale  )


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[NorthNYMark]

I forgot about Treme and Homeland--they should probably be on my list as well (especially Treme).

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Heh, if every episode of Orphan Black had Tatiana Maslany running around in her underwear (giggity!), I'd probably be a regular viewer.

Anyway, I have become much more interested in TV series since we got Netflix last year. I still don't have time to watch very much, but I do like being able to watch whatever, whenever. Here are are a few recommendations:

Flying Wild Alaska: Another Alaska reality show, but much more genteel than Deadliest Catch and the like. If you have any interest in aviation, beautiful scenery, or adventure, this is a great show. Landing in a 50 knot crosswind on an iced-over dirt runway, in a fog bank is enough to push any pilot to the limit, but these guys (and girl) do this as a regular part of the job. Sometimes they also fly dangerously close to Russia, and we all know 'ol rasPUTIN would think nothing of taking out some little American plane--whatta we gonna do, slap him with some more sanctions?

Shows also regularly feature many of the Inuit people, their customs, and some of the lone survivalists and the like who live on "America's Last Frontier"

I recommend just picking up from episode 1 season 1 and going in chronological order.

Portlandia: The first season was epic, the second season seemed to run short on ideas (copying skits from the first season), but the third season was definitely back on track. If you have an offbeat sense of humor, and like Monty Python, you will probably enjoy this.

Family Guy: Cable sucks. We are saving a ton of money since we ditched cable (did I mention Cable sucks?). Cable kept playing the same first two seasons over and over again, but Netflix has all of htem. I am watching these in chrological order whenever I have 22 mins to kill.

Parts Unknown: This is probably the best show on TV bar none. Tony Bourdain is the chef turned travel adventurer who visits places you would probably never go (Gaza strip, Detroit, etc.), and many places you would but haven't had the chance. I admire him because he speaks his mind, is an entertaining smartass, knows how to enjoy life (booze, fatty foods, meat, etc.) and makes no apologies for it. Wimps need not apply. His shows on Detroit, Montreal, and Tangiers are epic!

Frazier: Old favorites we're watching again.

Colombo: A blast from the 70s. Some of the best detective shows ever, easily on par with Sherlock Holmes if you ask me!

[Wanderer]

Some favourites:


Breaking Bad
House of Cards
American Horror Story
Fargo
Sherlock
The Americans
True Detective (the appallingly vapid verbosity inflicted upon one of the main characters notwithstanding)
Game of Thrones
Portlandia
Sons of Anarchy
Futurama

and...

The Fall (with Gillian Anderson - a very intelligent crime/suspense show - recent)
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[Hollywood]

Unfortunately here in Austria we rarely get any of the current running TV series (shown in the original english) from the USA or the UK. We usually get them a year or two later on a cable channel where you can at least have the chance to change the german dubbed version back into english, but unfortunately this is not on every channel. But thank god for the cable channels that I am able to watch US and UK TV series in english. My favorites include:

1. NCIS (I have had a crush on Mark Harmon since I was in high school in Los Angeles at the same time he was the starting quarterback for the UCLA Bruins)
2. Rizzoli and Isles
3. Major Crimes
4. Mad Men
5. Sleepy Hallow
6. Dr. Who (the current season 8 actually started here on the same night it premiered in the USA and the UK, surprise surprise)

[The new erato]

I'm a fan of 90s sitcoms most notably Seinfeld, Frasier, Wings, Everybody Loves Raymond, Becker, and NewsRadio. I was also a fan of 24 for awhile but lost interest. I'm thinking about watching House Of Cards at some point as I've heard nothing but great things about it. Deadwood is another series I've been meaning to watch, as I love westerns, but just never got around to it for whatever reason.

If you like 90ies sitcom a modern alternative is Modern Family. Very enjoyable in that vein.

[Drasko]

Only Fools and Horses
Blackadder
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Yes, (Prime) Minister
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Gilmore Girls
Ugly Betty
Jeeves & Wooster
Foyle's War
Cold Feet
Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett)
Doc Martin
Community
True Blood
Californication
Ripper Street
Game of Thrones
Justified
Oz

In general I could watch almost any british detective drama like Inspector Morse, A Touch of Frost, Judge John Deed, Midsomer Murders ...

[Karl Henning]

The Twilight Zone
Rod Serling's Night Gallery
Columbo
The Addams Family
The [original] Avengers
The Prisoner
Blackadder
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Jeeves & Wooster
Fawlty Towers

[North Star]

Jeeves & Wooster

Hey, I thought you didn't like the TV series, Karl?
I don't care for the later episodes after some of the actors changed.

[Karl Henning]

Mixed, yes, Karlo.

[TheGSMoeller]

Favorite TV show of all time... The Office (Original UK Version)

[milk]

I've been re-watching Deadwood - a wonderful, unique show. https://www.youtube.com/v/kmYdYti-obg 

[mc ukrneal]

In general I could watch almost any british detective drama like Inspector Morse, A Touch of Frost, Judge John Deed, Midsomer Murders ...

That's me! So my list would be:
Inspector Morse/Inspector Lewis: Morse (john thaw) was a classical music nut, so that theme runs through the whole series, as does his car! Lewis (the show) came years later, and has sidekick from Morse now the star and it is also good (though it goes its own way, while occassionally giving homage to Morse). If you get through all that, there is Endeavour (Morse at the beginning of his career, played by someone else). 
Yes Minister/Prime Minister: Despite being 30-40 years old, the themes are still incredibly relevant. It's on Amazon Prime too.
Poirot: Period mysteries by the master. Very good character drama.
Northern Exposure: Odd. Based in Alaska. But the first 4-5 seasons were very good. Admittedly, later seasons were kind of a dud, but the show is much quieter and calmer (and weirder) than most if you want something like that. I don't think a show like this would survive today.
Dead Like Me: A girl dies and becomes a reaper. And it's a comedy. Quirky show, and cancelled after two seasons, but what fun. Really held my interest. Also on Prime.
Cracker: British version with Robbie Coltrane. Crazy. This show was amazing, though the main character may get under your skin. It's rare to have a protagonist, where the flaws are so clearly wound into the character (like Morse in this way, though the characters couldn't be more different).
Prime Suspect: Helen Mirren. Need I say more? She's an ambitious officer breaking into a man's world (police). My wife likes it more than I do, but there is no denying the quality of the perfomances.
Wire in the Blood: Really good, but really disturbing at times as well. So this will depend on whether you want something lighter or not. Not for kids.
Ally McBeal: A bit girlie maybe, but it was fun for its time (though skip last season). I mention it mostly because you might like the music aspect (though it is not classical) that runs through it. Light and silly.
Jonathan Creek: Another British one -mystery, but on the light side. Stand up comedian plays the guy who comes up with magician's ideas/act, and solves murders too!

If you like Downton Abbey, you might try Upstairs Downstairs, which preceeded it by 20-30 years. Midsomer Murders is great fun, especially if you like views of rural (relatively) England. And if you are not familiar with Dr. Who, well, you have many years of watching ahead of you!

[Sergeant Rock]

Ally McBeal: A bit girlie maybe, but it was fun for its time (though skip last season).

No, no! Do not skip the Christina Ricci season! 

Sarge