# TV Series Recommendations?



## Lenny

I'm looking for recommendations of TV series to watch. I've moved into the serial space and I'm hungry for more. So far, from both sides of the pond, I've seen (and enjoyed):

[UK] Being Human
[US] Big Bang Theory
[US] Breaking Bad
[US] Dexter
[UK] Doctor Who
[US] Firefly
[US] Fringe
[US] Futurama
[US] Harper's Island
[US] House
[UK] League of Gentlemen
[UK] The Mighty Boosh
[UK] Misfits
[UK] Not Going Out
[UK] The Office
[UK] Outcasts
[CA] Pillars of the Earth
[UK] Psychoville
[UK] Spooks
[UK] Torchwood
[US] The Walking Dead

And I'm currently watching:

[US] Game of Thrones
[US] Heroes

---

What I'm looking for are series that consist not of standalone episodes (such as Big Bang Theory) but rather of episodes that fit in to a story arc - Harper's Island, The Walking Dead, Dexter, House (series 5), Fringe (ish), etc.

Out of my list, Breaking Bad and House are probably the exceptions - Breaking Bad especially so, as I'm not usually a fan of straight dramas.

I have a list of things others have mentioned to me:

[US] 24
[US] Battlestar Galactica (new)
[US] Chuck
[US] Legend of the Seeker
[UK] Life on Mars
[US] Lost
[US] Stargate (all)
[US] True Blood
[US] V (new)
[US] Warehouse 13
[US] Weeds
[US] The Wire
[US] The X-Files

I'm a big fan of SF shows (Fringe, which I finished a couple of days ago, has claimed a spot as one of my all-time favourite series), though I'm not against other genres or some comic relief.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the list of things I have to watch, or recommendations of other series?


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## Chaoticheart

Lenny said:


> [US] Legend of the Seeker



Personally, I loathed this series. I actually found it quite painful to watch. Mainly due to it being 'inspired' by the book series rather than actually following the book's plots. So much was so different that I became a sad suicidal panda.

 As for recommendations. You should check out Sanctuary. Its a Canadian sci-fi. Sadly I'm too tired right now to do my own explanation, so I'll use a handy wikipedia quote 



> _Sanctuary_ follows the exploits of Dr. Helen Magnus and her quest to protect various cryptids, legends, and normal animals/people with certain extraordinary powers  and abilities – what most people would consider monsters. "The  Sanctuary" serves as a safe haven for these "Abnormals". She is  initially aided in her quest by her reluctant protégé Will Zimmerman; her intrepid, if somewhat reckless, daughter Ashley; the talkative lycanthrope geek Henry Foss, a computer and security expert; and her taciturn, Neanderthal-like assistant.


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## Brian G Turner

Battlestar Galactica - start with the mini-series. Starts off slightly slow, looks like it'll just be another sci-fi show, and then episode 1 of season 1 hits the ground running.

Supernatural - a fun character-based tongue in cheek horror series, that avoids gratuitous gore and violence, has a general story arc with standalone episodes, and some neat character humour.


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## Pjodor

Chaoticheart said:


> As for recommendations. You should check out Sanctuary. Its a Canadian sci-fi. Sadly I'm too tired right now to do my own explanation, so I'll use a handy wikipedia quote


1+ for Sanctuary, I like it alot. First season was ok but after that it just getting better and better.


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## Mouse

Dollhouse? Loved it.

There's a UK (old) series called Sea of Souls which I always enjoyed though I think it might be quite hard to find. It was about paranormal investigators doing paranormal investigating... but most things had a logical explanation if I remember rightly.


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## Ursa major

Mouse said:


> There's a UK (old) series called Sea of Souls which I always enjoyed though I think it might be quite hard to find. It was about paranormal investigators doing paranormal investigating... but most things had a logical explanation if I remember rightly.


That's how I remember it, but I got the impression that, towards the end, the show changed to believing in the spookiness rather than giving rational explanations for the phenomena.


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## Dave

From your list of recommendations I'd recommend 'Life on Mars' and 'The X-Files' (hard to believe you missed that unless you were actually on Mars during the whole of the Nineties!)

I see a lot of comedy in your list of already watched. The best comedy recently has been 'The Inbetweeners' and 'Friday Night Dinners'. If you like more classic SF related comedy have you ever seen 'Red Dwarf' or 'Spaced'?


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## Lenny

I should probably have added a list of things I have to watch, too. 

I've got both *Red Dwarf* and *Inbetweeners*. I realise I've also missed off *The IT Crowd*.

---

X-Files - I grew up in the Nineties! I'm not sure what my three year old self would have thought about The X-Files. Having sunk my teeth into Fringe, which was inspired by TXF, I'm rather looking forward to going back to see the original material.

Thanks for the recommendations so far, folks! I'll have a look into them and see what my carefully selected horde of boxset hoarding friends own.


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## Mouse

Ursa major said:


> That's how I remember it, but I got the impression that, towards the end, the show changed to believing in the spookiness rather than giving rational explanations for the phenomena.



You're right. I remember an episode in series three (the last series) where they actually showed a demon on screen. I still enjoyed the series, but I remember thinking that they'd kinda moved away from the point of the show...

Then they had a mini series, or a two part special or something like that, where they went back to the original concept.

Still a good show.


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## soulsinging

Twin Peaks.


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## Rodders

Personal favourites are

Babylon 5
Farscape
The IT Crowd
The Smoking Room
Flight of the Conchords
Anything with Alan Partridge in it.


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## Droflet

Hello Lenny, if you like your SF dark and addictive look no further than the sublime Battlestar Galactica. Avoid the 70's version like a burning crotch.


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## Lenny

I finished *Warehouse 13* the other day - for a SyFy production, it was incredibly good! I'm looking forward to the third series.

I'm slowly making my way through the 2009 remake of *V* and, so far, I'm really enjoying it. The pilot, particularly, was fantastic!

---

I've now got the entirety of *Battlestar Galactica* (the new one), *Dollhouse*, *Life on Mars*, *Spaced* and *The X-Files*, and I'm looking through the other recommendations.


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## Jarl Tarvalent

Lenny said:


> I should probably have added a list of things I have to watch, too.
> 
> I've got both *Red Dwarf* and *Inbetweeners*. I realise I've also missed off *The IT Crowd*.
> 
> ---
> 
> X-Files - I grew up in the Nineties! I'm not sure what my three year old self would have thought about The X-Files. Having sunk my teeth into Fringe, which was inspired by TXF, I'm rather looking forward to going back to see the original material.
> 
> Thanks for the recommendations so far, folks! I'll have a look into them and see what my carefully selected horde of boxset hoarding friends own.



I' m brand new on here Lenny I was just passing some time hopefully searching for news of ' The Legend of the Seeker ' which I think is an excellent piece of Fantasy.I haven't read the books but I can highly recommend this.

Battle Star is awesome and is compelling viewing but my favourite tv show is ' Robin of Sherwood ' the first two series with Michael Praed was intoxicating.
But back to the present having watched the first few episodes of Game of Thrones it doesn't have the same magical hold of Legend of the Seeker nor does it have Kahlan Amnel played by the very beautiful Bridget Regan.ll


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## Chaoticheart

Jarl Tarvalent said:


> But back to the present having watched the first few episodes of Game of Thrones it doesn't have the same magical hold of Legend of the Seeker nor does it have Kahlan Amnel played by the very beautiful Bridget Regan.ll



WHAT?!?!?!? BLASPHEMER!!!

Legend of the Seeker = worst show ever

(Well maybe not the worst show ever, but still fairly horrible )


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## Jarl Tarvalent

Chaoticheart said:


> WHAT?!?!?!? BLASPHEMER!!!
> 
> Legend of the Seeker = worst show ever
> 
> (Well maybe not the worst show ever, but still fairly horrible )



Stop talking a lot of mince Chaotic as far as a fantasy show it is absoloutely  terrific.Is it the storyline not being true to the book ? I could accept that if you are Terry Goodkind follower,but the show is well acted with superb scenery and to reiterate the truly magnificent Bridget Regan as the Mother Confessor.


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## clovis-man

Lenny said:


> I finished *Warehouse 13* the other day - for a SyFy production, it was incredibly good! I'm looking forward to the third series.


 
And you might also like *Eureka*, if you are enjoying *Warehouse 13*. Both on the SyFy channel.



Lenny said:


> I've now got the entirety of *Battlestar Galactica* (the new one), *Dollhouse*, *Life on Mars*, *Spaced* and *The X-Files*, and I'm looking through the other recommendations.


 
Good assortment. *Spaced* is great. And if *Dollhouse* hadn't been rushed into a premature conclusion, it would have become one of Whedon's best.


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## Alysheba

I like:

Dexter
V (though it is now cancelled)
The Big Bang Theory
True Blood
Game Of Thrones
Supernatural


I also love Criminal Minds but since you said you would rather have shows with a story and are not big on dramas you may not want to watch that. But it is my favorite show on the air right now.


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## WizardofOwls

The Vampire Diaries
Charmed
Spartacus


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## FireDragon-16

Here's a couple I'd recommend:

--Falling Skies (brand new): Basically, this show takes off 6 months after an alien invasion. The aliens have taken over and the people surviving are doing everything they can to figure out how to stop the aliens as well as how to keep themselves from being alive and safe

--Teen Wolf (we found this one yesterday in my house and we watched a few episodes and we're in agreement that it's actually pretty good): Seems to be a take on the Michael J. Fox movie from the 80s, but set now 

--Leverage (this has some stand alone episodes, but there's usually always something that runs through the entire season that they visit each episode or so): This show is about a group of con men with different specialties that get together and take down the bad guys. I like to think of it as a high-tech Robin Hood. The tag line for the show is: "Sometimes bad guys make the best good guys"

--Seven Days (This is an older show that isn't running anymore but you should be able to find it somewhere): A military group of people has created the technology to go back in time 7 days. They use this technology to go back and stop things from happening.


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## clovis-man

Another new one coming up on SyFy:

http://www.syfy.com/alphasseries/

Can't vouch for it, but I'll be giving it a try.


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## No One

I keep hearing good things about *Carnivale*, though I've still not gotten round to it.

However, if you don't mind semi-scripted comedy and documentary-style filming, I might recommend *Trailer Park Boys*.

It's just about as far from sci-fi as a show can be, but it is hilarious and has several truly brilliant characters.


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## antiloquax

I'd vote for "Millennium" and "The Bionic Woman" (I don't care about the story or anything in the latter, I am just in lust with Michelle Ryan).


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## Wiggum

Just because it's the coolest show on television.

Season two was even better than one, which surprised me.

Full disclosure: I have a heterosexual man crush on Timothy Olyphant.


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## Alysheba

Oh I forgot about The Vampire Diaries. I also have started watching Falling Skies which is pretty good.


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## Allegra

Recently I watched all 5 seasons of *Six Feet Under*. I wasn't too thrilled by Alan Ball's *American Beauty* but this, has to be his masterpiece. It is complex, dark, funny and very moving. I cried buckets. The ending of the final is simply breathtaking.


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## J-Sun

I'm restricted to US network shows and almost all of them I'd recommend got immediately cancelled. Dunno if that says more about me or the general US network audience. I'll also restrict myself to shows I haven't seen mentioned yet.

Before _Firefly_, there was *Buffy, the Vampire Slayer* (s1-3 best show ever; s4-5 still good; avoid s6-7) and *Angel* (s1 was good; I can't remember if most of s2 was okay or not; definitely avoid the rest). In a way, *American Gothic* was awful and, in a way, I loved it. Cancelled in its first season. A supernatural fantasy/horror show set in Trinity, SC, USA in which a boy (fantastic little actor) is alternately tempted by the satanic sheriff and his semi-angelic murdered sister (played by the lovely and talented Sarah Paulson who has a tiny, unforgettable part in _Serenity_). A completely different show but similar in that it was "awfully great" and cancelled in the first season was *Space: Above and Beyond*. Marines! In spaaace! Extremely intense if you get into it (semper fi!!!) or probably nothing at all if you don't. Brought to you by Morgan & Wong of _X-Files_ fame and starring, among others, Kristen Cloke, who guest starred in one of the best _X-Files_ episodes ("The Field Where I Died", IIRC) after _S:AAB_ got cancelled.

For cop shows, *Homicide: Life on the Streets* was great through to the end of its pretty long run though I missed the first few seasons (where it was likely even better). A gritty Baltimore, MD, USA show. The subway episode will burn into your brain forever. Among its stars, it eventually had Kellerman, played by Reed Diamond, who showed up on _Dollhouse_ for awhile.) The only cop show that held a candle to it since was *Detroit 1-8-7* which was cancelled in less than a full season but had enough advance notice to hastily wrap up as well as they could so almost serves as a great mini-series. This starred the excellent Michael Imperioli who also had a role in the US version of _Life on Mars_. For very different cop shows, the first season (of two, I think) of *Life* (not _Life on Mars_) was a very quirky and excellent show about a cop returning to the force after having been wrongly incarcerated for a murder he didn't commit (well played by an Australian (IIRC) who mostly succeeded in speaking with an (indeterminate sort of) American accent). And *The Good Guys* (lasted sort of one long season which began in the summer) is one of the funniest cop shows around. Law enforcement in Texas with big mustaches, hot women, and fast cars. "Feels crimey. Let's go bust us some punks!" I think the one with the Uzi as planted evidence with an extremely complex but coherent plot was one of the best. It starred the guy who played Josh on _The West Wing_ totally breaking any sort of typecasting as old-style cop, Tom Hanks' son as new-style cop, and would include _American Gothic_'s evil sheriff as a similarly mustachioed guest old-style cop.

There are several great comedies, too, but those aren't very serial. Neither is _The Good Guys_, really, (which is an hour-long comedy) but most of the others have strong running threads at the least. This thread's likely been going on long enough to morph into "general good TV stuff" but I guess I'll leave it at that.


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## rand00

I must recommend "The 4400".  One of the best sf shows of all time. It was canceled because writers guild was on strike and there was too much bad blood after.


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## nixie

Alcatraz, not sure if there will be a second season as currently under review but I'm completely hooked.


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## Warren_Paul

Chaoticheart said:


> WHAT?!?!?!? BLASPHEMER!!!
> 
> Legend of the Seeker = worst show ever
> 
> (Well maybe not the worst show ever, but still fairly horrible )



Might be old posts I'm replying to here, but can't help myself. No, you were right in the first case, I am not a fan of Robert Tapert/Sam Raimi, they butcher every story they touch. Legend of the Seeker was terrible.




Jarl Tarvalent said:


> Stop talking a lot of mince Chaotic as far as a fantasy show it is absoloutely  terrific.Is it the storyline not being true to the book ? I could accept that if you are Terry Goodkind follower,but the show is well acted with superb scenery and to reiterate the truly magnificent Bridget Regan as the Mother Confessor.



Ahem, sorry to burst your bubble, but the acting is shockingly poor, the script feels like it was written by amateurs and the quality of the show came across low budget - that's before I even get to mentioning how much the writers butchered the story. Trust me, the story isn't the only reason it got canned. The show was extremely tacky, which has the creators fingerprints all over it. Think Hercules/Xena... same guy. To me, the Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert combo = fail. Imo they make terrible stuff together. 

Army of Darkness is the only exception, but other than that, I think Spartacus might be the only TV show they have made together that is remotely acceptable as decent - although a stereotypical male show at that. Don't watch it you don't want to see excessive, unnecessary nudity. Anyone would think they were trying to make HBO look like a kids show network. 

I hope I'm not treading on Gumboot's toes with this rant. 



Alysheba said:


> Oh I forgot about The Vampire Diaries. I also have started watching Falling Skies which is pretty good.



It's good that you forgot The Vampire Diaries, it deserves forgetting about. Along with The Secret Circle, which I was hoping was going to be good but ended up being just as terribly made as The Vampire Diaries.

Falling Skies was okay though.

My apologies for hijacking the thread a slight bit, Lenny. 

I'd recommend: 


Boardwalk Empire 
Downton Abbey 
Supernatural 
True Blood 
Battlestar Galactica reboot
Stargate SG-1 + Universe - although be aware, Universe got cancelled so story isn't finished
Babylon 5 -Avoid Crusade like the plague
Carnivale
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Alias 
Lost
Lexx - kinda strange that one, but if you like shows like Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy and Spaceballs, it should go down well with you.

Possible suggestions: 

Terra Nova. It appears to be quite good, but I've only watched the pilot so far. The series might not get a second season though 

Haven appears to be doing well for itself, but I haven't watched that either - it's on my tbw list.

Once Upon a Time seems interesting, but I haven't got around to watching it yet - it might be terrible.

Maybe Charmed? It's a bit girly though, but I still enjoyed watching it.





I'm glad to see you have Doctor Who on your list.


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## J-Sun

nixie said:


> Alcatraz, not sure if there will be a second season as currently under review but I'm completely hooked.



Sorry - it's been cancelled.



Warren_Paul said:


> Terra Nova. It appears to be quite good, but I've only watched the pilot so far. The series might not get a second season though



Sorry - ditto. I personally wanted to like it but it was so horribly written that I couldn't and quit long before it did get cancelled. But I agree that the pilot was promising.



> Once Upon a Time seems interesting, but I haven't got around to watching it yet - it might be terrible.



It's both, actually. It can be good but they have no sense of what's bathos and what's stupid and what's farcical, so it frequently falls into unwatchability. But Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parilla, and Robert Carlyle do their best and, when not ludicrous but seriously dramatic, I can like it. I much prefer _Grimm_, though. (The two shows really have virtually nothing in common but the media always links them together and so the mindworm is kind of stuck in my head, too.)


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## Warren_Paul

J-Sun said:


> I much prefer _Grimm_, though. (The two shows really have virtually nothing in common but the media always links them together and so the mindworm is kind of stuck in my head, too.)



Ah, I knew there was a show I forgot to recommend.

I add Grimm to my list. 


Terra Nova did get cancelled, but apparently they are still shopping around for another network to pick it up, so we might see a second season eventually, not saying we will, but it's a possibility.


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## J-Sun

Warren_Paul said:


> Terra Nova did get cancelled, but apparently they are still shopping around for another network to pick it up, so we might see a second season eventually, not saying we will, but it's a possibility.



Yeah, that's true. I would be very surprised if it got picked up, though, being so expensive and not particularly successful and with Netflix passing on it after they were rumored to possibly be interested. Still may be a chance somewhere though, I guess.


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## clovis-man

One I mentioned about a year ago, before its first episode: *Alphas*. Turns out to be pretty interesting and will be back for a second season.


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## Perpetual Man

No one else has mentioned it although it is in your list Lenny and that is Chuck.

Unlike many shows mentioned it survived numerous threats of cancellation and managed to get a proper ending after five years. Unlike a lot of shows the characters develop and change as the series goes on; it is full to the brim with cult references, it is funny, it can be serious, it is action packed, and it embraces the word 'nerd' and turns it on it's head (a bit like the Big Bang Theory).

The main cast is incredibly strong, but the guest stars that fill it's five year run that make it stand out - I could try and do a list, but there are too many, but a little show hat could pull in names like Timothy Dalton (James Bond), Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap - another show worth watching), Linda Hamilton (Terminator), Brandon Routh (Superman) and so, so many more must have had something going for it.

Finally Chuck himself works on an in-store computer repair facility, although you very rarely see him working.


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## Foxbat

I'm working my way through *Carnivale* and really enjoying it. A shame it was cancelled after two seasons. Worth a look.


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## Perpetual Man

Foxbat said:


> I'm working my way through *Carnivale* and really enjoying it. A shame it was cancelled after two seasons. Worth a look.



Carnivale was superb, and the ending... (I'll keep my trap shut), but like many superb shows it was cancelled before it's time unfinished. It is the only reason I would not recommend it.... it just leaves you wondering what might have been.

J-Sun mentioned Life and that was another show that was cancelled before it's time, but was brilliant and bucked the trend in that it was given an extra episode to tie things up. It might have been slightly rushed but it was very satisfactory and gave the feeling of a decent ending. Incidentally main character Charlie Crews was played by Damien Lewis, a Brit, not Australian - which makes a change considering all leads in the US seem to be played by Australians at the moment. 

Which reminds me, a recent addition to the list is Lewis again in Homeland, an excellent show that deals with terrorism and consequences. Basically an American marine who was captured and believed killed in the Middle East is found alive eight years after he first went missing, but when he comes back home is he the same man or is he carrying a darker secret? The show just builds until the last episode has you on the edge of your seat.


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## Lenny

I made my way through *Chuck*, Perp, right to the end! Although it was getting somewhat daft by the final series, it ended well.

---

So, it's a day off a year since I posted this. How am I doing?

From my original list, I'm still watching everything that's airing:

* *Being Human*
* *Big Bang Theory*
* *Breaking Bad*
* *Dexter*
* *Doctor Who*
* *Fringe*
* *Futurama*
* *Game of Thrones*
* *House*
* *Not Going Out*
* *The Walking Dead*.

I gave up on *Heroes* after ten episodes, because it was terrible.

From my original list of things mentioned, in the past year I've gone through:

* *Battlestar Galactica*
* *Chuck*
* *Life on Mars*
* *Lost*
* *V*
* *Warehouse 13*
* *The Wire*.

I tried *24*, but couldn't get into it; decided not to bother with *Legend of the Seeker*, *True Blood*, and *Weeds*; and have all of *The X-Files* ready to watch.

Currently, I'm making my way through *Stargate SG-1* (halfway through the ninth series), *Stargate Atlantis* (halfway through the second series), and I've got *Stargate Universe*, and the Stargate SG-1 films, lined up.

Things that weren't on my list that I also watched:

* *Alcatraz* - rather disappointed by its cancellation
* *Arrested Development* - looking forward to the new episodes
* *Awake* - another one that's just been cancelled, but meh... although the most recent episodes have been good
* *Black Mirror* - delightfully sinister
* *Community* - got to be the best comedy currently on air!
* *Dollhouse* - agreed that this could have been one of Whedon's best!
* *Haven* - I'm not particularly bothered by any new episodes
* *Homeland *- intense
* *Person of Interest* - I have little interest in the characters, but I still enjoy it
* *Pillars of the Earth* - interesting, and different, but nothing special

Things that weren't on my list that I started, but couldn't finish:

* *Alphas* - watched the first five or six episodes, but it was so poor that I stopped
* *Babylon 5* - really grated on me
* *Falling Skies* - I really wanted to get into this, but the first few episodes turned me off
* *Prime Suspect* (American remake) - the pilot was promising, but after the first six episodes it was getting dull and repetitive

And things I've got lined up to watch when I finish all of Stargate: 

* *Andromeda*
* *Lost Girl*
* *Red Dwarf*
* *Sanctuary*
* *Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles*

I'm currently trying to track down people in College with all seven series of *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, as I feel it's something I have to watch.

Things that have been recommended that I know I want to try:

* *Farscape*
* *Supernatural*
* *Twin Peaks*

I'll have a look through the rest of the recommendations. Thanks, folks!

_EDIT: Wow. I must have spent a good couple of months of my last year watching things!_

_EDIT2: Just worked it out. In the 490 days since I started Dexter (10th January 2011), I've watched just over 1000 hours of television! So that's an average of at least two hours per day, or you can work it out as nearly 42 days worth of television. Incredibly, that doesn't count re-watching series (I'm looking at you, Fringe), or things that aren't on my hard drives._

---



			
				Perpetual Man said:
			
		

> which makes a change considering all leads in the US seem to be played by Australians at the moment



What about Hugh Laurie (House), Jason Isaacs (Awake), Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead), most of the cast (Game of Thrones), Sam Neill (Alcatraz)? Sure, Neill is from New Zealand, but the rest are British.

The only Australians playing leads, that I can think of, are Anna Torv and John Noble in Fringe.


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## Connavar

Hehe Australians like Simon Baker is nothing compared to all the brits in US TV.  

Aussies you see more in films in US.   



I recommend:

*Justified* ( Rednick noir, hardcore and quirky meaning Elmore Leonard style perfected.)
*Breaking Bad* (one of the best shows on tv anywhere)
*Sons of Anarchy*
*Fades*
*Being Human*(brit)
*Grimm*(if you like Supernatural)


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## Foxbat

Perpetual Man said:


> Carnivale was superb, and the ending... (I'll keep my trap shut), but like many superb shows it was cancelled before it's time unfinished. It is the only reason I would not recommend it.... it just leaves you wondering what might have been.


 
In the words of The Bard...._To sleep, perchance to dream - aye, there's the rub._

Sometimes wondering what might have been is better than reality so I wouldn't rule it out just on those grounds. After all, an unfinished symphony can still be something special.


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## Perpetual Man

Lenny said:


> What about Hugh Laurie (House), Jason Isaacs (Awake), Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead), most of the cast (Game of Thrones), Sam Neill (Alcatraz)? Sure, Neill is from New Zealand, but the rest are British.
> 
> The only Australians playing leads, that I can think of, are Anna Torv and John Noble in Fringe.



Sorry Lenny, I was being (or trying to be) humorous, but failed dismally 
Bouncing off another comment. There are a few more Australian actors in lead roles, but not that many. As a whole us Brits seem to be ruling the roost as far as US TV goes, but it's a kind of irony that we have so many actors over there playing Americans, yet when it comes to casting English characters they cast Americans (or Australians...)

(To be honest there are probably more Americans in lead roles...)



Foxbat said:


> In the words of The Bard...._To sleep, perchance to dream - aye, there's the rub._
> 
> Sometimes wondering what might have been is better than reality so I wouldn't rule it out just on those grounds. After all, an unfinished symphony can still be something special.



I agree Foxbat, but I think what got to me a bit was that the creators of the show, said they had it all planned out and they knew where the story was going, and it was just a shame we never got to see it.

(Especially as they promised to finish it one way or another and never did.)


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## Foxbat

Perpetual Man said:


> I agree Foxbat, but I think what got to me a bit was that the creators of the show, said they had it all planned out and they knew where the story was going, and it was just a shame we never got to see it.
> 
> (Especially as they promised to finish it one way or another and never did.)


 
Only a couple of episodes to go so I may eating my words soon


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## Warren_Paul

I'm not sure about Lost Girl, Lenny. I tried watching it, but what I saw was shockingly bad on all counts. I'd recommend Dark Angel over it, although Dark Angel was another show that was cancelled at the wrong time.

Sanctuary is not too bad of a choice, it could be better, but it's not terrible. Same with Sarah Conner Chronicles.


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## Lenny

Someone back home wouldn't stop bugging me until I tried it. 

I've generally got a high tolerance for bad shows. Everyone told me to stop watching *Lost* when I finished the third series, but I persevered, really enjoyed the fourth (best of the six, in my opinion), and found the writing in the sixth of a good quality, and the ending quite satisfactory. We shall not speak of the fifth series.


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## Geddon's Wall

Grimm
Once upon a time
Eureka series 5


----------



## Warren_Paul

Lenny said:


> Someone back home wouldn't stop bugging me until I tried it.
> 
> I've generally got a high tolerance for bad shows. Everyone told me to stop watching *Lost* when I finished the third series, but I persevered, really enjoyed the fourth (best of the six, in my opinion), and found the writing in the sixth of a good quality, and the ending quite satisfactory. We shall not speak of the fifth series.



LOST SPOILERS:





I agree with Lost, I enjoyed it up until they went back. Once they got off the island, they should've stayed off it. Until that point I thought the show was brilliant. Many people hate the serialised nature of it I think. Other than the ending, the biggest complaint I heard was that they didn't know what was going on - and that was because they didn't watch every episode.

For some reason the average TV audience wants shows that it doesn't matter if they miss one episode here and there, they can still understand what's going on. This wasn't the case with Lost. 

I think that is crazy, serialised shows have way better storylines. They have to, otherwise you get the repetitiveness that is shows like The Mentalist, which the premise was good, the first few episodes were entertaining, but after that you start to realise the exact same thing happens every episode... boring.

It's the bane of police drama shows. Why do you think Luther was so successful compared to other police dramas - serialised = win. Filler episodes = fail. Of course Luther was also dark and gritty and UK networks are just so much better at police dramas.

if you're going to watch a serialised show you should watch every episode for the sake of the story. If I miss an episode, I use the networks online page to catch up, problem solved.


----------



## Connavar

Foxbat said:


> Only a couple of episodes to go so I may eating my words soon


 
About Carnivale you can be optimistic about it being cancelled and the story left unfinished now years later.  You would be bitter like me if they cancelled the show while you were watching it.  Lamenting the lost potential.

I havent still finished the show because i was annoyed what happened. I will now when im not feeling as bitter about the cancellation.  It was a quality show and it could have been much better.  

HBO isnt perfect them either, they have cancelled recently Hung which was the drama comedy they had left that was acclaimed.


----------



## J-Sun

Perpetual Man said:


> J-Sun mentioned Life and that was another show that was cancelled before it's time, but was brilliant and bucked the trend in that it was given an extra episode to tie things up. It might have been slightly rushed but it was very satisfactory and gave the feeling of a decent ending. Incidentally main character Charlie Crews was played by Damien Lewis, a Brit, not Australian



Oops. Sorry about that. 



Lenny said:


> I'm currently trying to track down people in College with all seven series of *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, as I feel it's something I have to watch.
> 
> Things that have been recommended that I know I want to try:
> 
> * *Farscape*
> * *Supernatural*
> * *Twin Peaks*



Speaking as a big-time Buffy fan, I'd say you only need to track down the first five. Season 6 was Noxious and season 7 didn't really recover. The first three were the golden age and 4 and 5 are still pretty indispensable.

Just to possibly add more to the scales, I haven't seen all of _Farscape_ or the stuff around the core _Twin Peaks_ episodes (and the latter half of those aren't anywhere near as good as the first half) but what I have seen I liked - you should have fun with those two.


----------



## Warren_Paul

J-Sun said:


> Speaking as a big-time Buffy fan, I'd say you only need to track down the first five. Season 6 was Noxious and season 7 didn't really recover. The first three were the golden age and 4 and 5 are still pretty indispensable.



Just like Lost, I think this is debatable. Personally, I thought Season 7 was one of the best. I enjoyed every season of Buffy, and have the whole set. I'd call myself a fan of Joss Whedon, I love all his stuff. I'd say why I like season 6 too, but that would be spoiling it for Lenny. 

But yeah, I'd say season 5 was the BEST season of them all, granted.

I wonder if we fall into the trap of being over-critical of things? Just because it could be better, doesn't mean it's bad. That goes for a lot of shows, like Lost. I remember being criticised for watching Alias. I knew it wasn't the best show out there, but I still enjoyed watching it - there are many shows out there of that genre that are far worse.


----------



## Foxbat

Perpetual Man said:


> Carnivale was superb, and the ending... (I'll keep my trap shut), but like many superb shows it was cancelled before it's time unfinished. It is the only reason I would not recommend it.... it just leaves you wondering what might have been.


 
Watched the last episode last night and I see what you mean. Still, I wouldn't discount this as a recommendation. The ending although somewhat unresolved could still be seen as a conclusion of certain sorts. 

This coupled with the quality of the show (and the relatively inexpensive cost of getting both seasons on DVD) means, that I would still say this is worth watching...... but within  the caveat of its unfinished nature.


----------



## J-Sun

Warren_Paul said:


> Just like Lost, I think this is debatable. Personally, I thought Season 7 was one of the best. I enjoyed every season of Buffy, and have the whole set. I'd call myself a fan of Joss Whedon, I love all his stuff. I'd say why I like season 6 too, but that would be spoiling it for Lenny.
> 
> But yeah, I'd say season 5 was the BEST season of them all, granted.



Well, I was saying 1-3 were the best, IMO, followed by 4 & 5. I've never really been able to make up my mind whether season 2 (Spike and Dru and Angelus) or season 3 (Faith and the Mayor) is my absolute favorite. But, yeah, I'm sure every season (unless maybe 6 ) is _somebody's_ favorite.



> I wonder if we fall into the trap of being over-critical of things? Just because it could be better, doesn't mean it's bad. That goes for a lot of shows, like Lost. I remember being criticised for watching Alias. I knew it wasn't the best show out there, but I still enjoyed watching it - there are many shows out there of that genre that are far worse.



Quite possible, but BTVS s6 turned lightly, cleverly handled multiple-valued themes into stupid one-dimensional After School Special junk like Willow's "magic/drugs" and specifically went on hatchet jobs, destroying characters like Amy and even turning the girl who saved the prom (and the world - a lot) into a... well, something bad (and I'm _not_ talking about her private life). Season 6 was basically Marti Noxon's psychotherapy sprayed onto the TV screen, apparently. Not to mention, worst... Big Bad (and even worse henchmen)... ever. So I'm pretty sure I think it was worse than "could have been better".

(If I sound really harsh, that's just the flipside of how much I liked the first five. )

As far as _Lost_, I never saw it and, with _Alias_, I only saw a few re-runs (from the middle, I think) so that it made even less sense than it probably did on first-run but what I saw, I liked okay, until they time-lapsed a few years between seasons. I don't think that's _ever_ been a good idea.

I agree though that, with SF/F/H shows, I feel like most people are initially that way - I think _Terra Nova_ definitely established itself as bad before it was over but I thought it started promisingly enough, yet most buzz among potential fans was savagely negative from the start just because it wasn't perfect.


----------



## Alysheba

Going to add: 
Grimm 
Once Upon A Time
American Horror Story

Three very good shows that are renewed for another season.


----------



## Ben M

Just looking through this thread and there are some excellent recommendations. But one of my personal favourite shows that nobody has mentioned is _Friday Night Lights_. Once you get over the football thing, it's a fantastic humour drama that is very touching.


----------



## RcGrant

Surprised nobody has mentioned *Prison Break*. I adored that show.


----------



## Denise Tanaka

I'm coming into the thread a bit late, I suppose, but let me suggest the US t.v. series from the 1960's - "Dark Shadows." Tim Burton recently made a film loosely based on it, but of course he and Johnny Depp took great creative liberty. It is almost unrecognizable. The original show was a daytime serial, so your criteria for lots of episodes with a patiently developed story arc is definitely met!! You'd also be surprised to recognize a lot of themes that, later, became standard fare in the vampire/werewolf genre - namely, the vampire who regrets being a blood sucking monster, etc. The budget was very low, and it was shot on an early form of videotape that did not allow for editing so there are flubbed lines and prop malfunctions that made it on the air!! It was on for 5 years, but a good number of episodes are on Netflix watch instantly.


----------



## Judderman

RcGrant said:


> Surprised nobody has mentioned *Prison Break*. I adored that show.


 First series is excellent. The 3rd is poor, while the other two are fairly entertaining.

The Borgias is great! Well, season 1 is a decent watch but season 2 is  exceptional. 
Quite dark show but not depressing. Lots of good acteurs too.


----------



## Lenny

I'm running out of things on my lists again, so I'm coming back to see what recommendations I missed!

---

Since my post in May I:

* Totally nerded out throughout *30 Rock*
* Found a new comedy love in the animated *Archer*
* Whizzed through *Black Books*
* Discovered everything that I missed when *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* originally aired
* Started *Continuum*, and am looking forward to its return
* Had a bit of a laugh with the six episodes of *Drive*
* Felt really intimidated by Kevin Spacey in *House of Cards*
* Sort of liked the BBC's *Jekyll* (2007)
* Developed my own man-crush on Timothy Olyphant in *Justified*
* Did an all-nighter watching *Luther*
* Was kind of entertained by *The Newsroom*
* Found my "meh-but-what-the-hey" niche filled by *Revolution* (which I'll probably continue watching when it returns)
* Enjoyed *The Sarah Connor Chronicles* (though I'm not sure how I feel about that being cancelled)
* Finished the *Stargate* franchise (bitterly disappointed that *SG: Universe* was cancelled)
* Really liked *Twin Peaks*!

I think that's about it for things I watched and liked. Things I tried and didn't like:

* *Andromeda*
* *Angel*
* *Farscape*
* *Grimm*
* *Lost Girl*
* *Modern Family*
* *Parks and Recreation*
* *Portlandia*
* *Sanctuary*
* *Supernatural*
* *Touch*

I'm sure there were one or two others, but I have probably scrubbed them from my memory.

Oh, I also dropped *Warehouse 13* from my list because the latest series was pants.

I've still got *Red Dwarf* and *The X-Files* to go through, but I'm not really in the mood for them at the moment.

---

From recommendations from like-minded addicts in real life, and those I somehow missed in this thread (which I like the look of), I've put together my next list of things to watch (I've had to miss some off because I just can't track them down):

* *Alias*
* *Boardwalk Empire*
* *Carnivale*
* *Deep Space Nine*
* *Lexx*
* *Millennium*
* *Quantum Leap*
* *Sea of Souls*
* *Seven Days*
* *The Thick of It*

When I finish this list, if I have time in life, I'll likely go through everything else listed in this thread, if only to leave my comfort zone for a while.

I've done Buffy, 30 Rock, and Justified back-to-back, so I'm kind of in the mood for something unashamedly SciFi-y. Having recently read an article about the argument over the origins of *Babylon 5* and DS9, I'm tempted to go with the latter - I didn't like what I saw of *Babylon 5: The Gathering*, and I've never actually watched a series set in the Star Trek universe!

On the subject of B5, is the series better than The Gathering? I keep hearing good things, and I'm wondering if I didn't give it the chance it deserved.

----------

Here are a few recommendations of my own, which are shows that don't seem to have been mentioned in the thread:

* *30 Rock* is one of the best comedies of recent times, and the combination of Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin is fantastic

* *Breaking Bad* is the show to watch if you want complete characterisation. The journey of Walter White is stunning!

* *House of Cards* is better even than the tense Homeland, and Kevin Spacey totally chews up the scenery - he actually scares me at times

---

Thanks for everything so far, folks!

I also hope that others have found this thread useful, and have discovered some new favourite programmes of their own.

---

EDIT: Allow me to also add a link to a feature on the Tor blog called Don't Touch That Dial.

Every now and then, the feature looks at a handful of programmes in different genres, giving a brief synopsis, and a run-down of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". Of course, you should be warned that there are spoilers, but the analysis is usually pretty spot on (based on my experiences with the ones on the lists that I have watched). If you are worried about spoilers, then at the end of each programme description is a generally spoiler-free "TL;DR" section that summarises the points.


----------



## Mouse

Good to see you've got Sea of Souls on your list. Hope you enjoy it! I really must re-watch it.


----------



## Lenny

I started *Deep Space Nine* exactly six weeks ago, and I finished it less than an hour ago. 4.2 episodes a day - I must be flagging**.

I'm about to go through a short comedy series Hoopy has recommended, *The Mimic*, to cleanse my palate before I start the next big series. Not sure what it will be, but I probably won't watch another long SF series for few months.



**I started the *Stargate* franchise around this time last year and had watched all 354 episode and three films in six weeks. A staggering 8.4 episodes a day. Looking back, I'm amazed I got any of my Master's done!

---

EDIT: Have to add that I've also started two new series that are currently airing - *Bates Motel* and *Hannibal*. Both very good, and I recommend them to anyone who likes unsettling stories and isn't squeamish.


----------



## Lenny

*The Mimic* wasn't bad. The characters were great, there were some amusing scenes (everything to do with the Irish pub was great!), and the impressions that main character did were good (although I didn't like his Obama)... but it was a bit depressing for a comedy. If it gets a second series, and I remember about it, I might watch it, but it's not something I'd make an effort to watch as it's broadcast.

After The Mimic, I immediately moved on to *The Thick of It*, which was simply awesome. I wouldn't be surprised if the episodes were played out by our current elected incompetents on a daily basis. Part of me worries about Peter Capaldi, though - you get the feeling that he drained years of his life yelling in just the scenes that made up the episodes, let alone during filming (just imagine how many retakes were needed).

---

I'm going off-script next, to something that I am amazed hasn't been mentioned once in this thread: *Castle*! Because Nathan Fillion.


----------



## HoopyFrood

Lenny said:


> *The Mimic* wasn't bad. The characters were great, there were some amusing scenes (everything to do with the Irish pub was great!), and the impressions that main character did were good (although I didn't like his Obama)... but it was a bit depressing for a comedy. If it gets a second series, and I remember about it, I might watch it, but it's not something I'd make an effort to watch as it's broadcast.



Bah, you have no taste  And that's why I generally refer to it as a comi-drama, instead. It's definitely more about the characters and their odd ways rather than rip-roaring hilarious situations. But I just _adore_ the characters and what I especially like is that everyone likes each other and gets on with each other, a nice change from dramatic fights and personal conflict. 

Plus I just love the absolute quirkiness of it. Dumped by giant novelty card! The newsagent's massive tub of tomato sauce!


----------



## Daggers

It's only 1 and a bit series, but I highly recommend Jericho.


----------



## BetaWolf

I have my own recommendations:

I enjoyed *Jeremiah*, which is free on Hulu, as is the early 2000s run of *The Outer Limits*. I got some ideas for writing from both those series. TOL in particular has some good episodes, but a lot of so-so ones, too.

For comedy, I mostly rely on canceled BBC and ITV releases on Netflix: *Blackadder, Coupling, Red Dwarf*.


----------



## Lenny

I finished *Castle* last Friday. Brilliant characters with great relationships and arcs, and the episodes were decent, if a bit formulaic. All in all, not a bad show, but I prefer things that are more serial in nature.

At least, that was my initial reaction.

I've not been able to get the characters out of my head - the last show that had the same effect was *Fringe*, which is my all-time favourite show.

The fact that I've been thinking about Castle for most of the past four days has made me reconsider my initial rating and earnt it a place on my list of favourite shows. I've even gone as far as ordering the boxset, which I'm expecting to arrive tomorrow, and will be doing a full rewatch! I'll probably not start anything else until the television season takes its pre-Summer break.

---

Thanks for the recommendations, Daggers and BW! I keep seeing clips of *Coupling* and liking them, so that's on my list. I'll have a look at the others, too.

A friend has been telling me to watch *Da Vinci's Demons*, so that's also going to make my list (it's only just started, and it has a DS9 member on the cast -- Alexander Siddig).


----------



## svalbard

I notice* Millenium* is on your list. This series was excellent and for a season or two it was absolutely compelling viewing. It lost it's way towards the end, but as a protaganist, Frank Black, is up there with all the great TV characters.

I would recommend *Spartacus *for your pleasure. It has received some mixed reviews and had to contend with getting labeled soft porn TV. But sift through all the naked bodies and bloody violence and you will find some excellent story lines superbly acted out.


----------



## manephelien

You should definitely give *Babylon 5* another chance. Judging by The Gathering isn't really fair, as the pilot was a bit of a mess. The first season takes a while to get going as we learn more about the characters, but the time invested is IMO worth it. Things really get going late in the 1st season and the second and third and early fourth seasons are mostly great. The fifth feels a bit tacked on and some despise the telepath arc of the early fifth season, but IMO you should watch that too for completeness.

I enjoyed Crusade too, and as it's only 13 episodes (+ the movie A Call To Arms), I think you should give that one a chance too.


----------



## Laeraneth

A bit of a resurrected thread (apologies) but it's the ideal thread... so...

Anyone else seen Orphan Black?

It's got some silly moments and is a bit up and down, but provided you give it a bit of leeway and time to get settled (and provided a couple of initially very stereotypical seeming characters don't really annoy you, which I could totally imagine they could) it turns into a pretty interesting show. Definitely different enough to most other things I've seen lately to keep my interest, and fantastically acted by the lead role (to explain why would give away some of the central plot, so I shall say no more)

In short, if you see it, you could probably do worse than giving it a look!

(I believe it's been confirmed for a second season as well, which is always a plus when committing to something new)

[edit]
Oh, and in response to the post above about Babylon 5, they're totally right. The first season was pretty ropey really, and very episodic in nature, but it absolutely sets plots in motion that are still playing out 4 seasons later and has some great episodes in itself. The back half of the second and basically all the third and fourth seasons are some of the best Sci-fi ever shown on TV in my humble opinion (until the resurrected Battlestar Galactica) 
The SFX unfortunately show their age (being pre-HD anything), but provided you can get past that, it's absolutely worth watching through the whole show.


----------



## Lenny

I guess I'll give *Babylon 5* another go at some point, then!

---

*Orphan Black* was on one of my lists before it started, because the trailer looked good, but I forgot about it for a while until I saw reviews of the first few episodes... and they were rather bad. I take it that, after a rocky start, it managed to find its footing and has improved?


----------



## Laeraneth

I think it's a bit of a love it or hate it thing... I generally try and give any new show at least 3 episodes to judge it, if it's not at least got me intrigued by then, then it's obviously not working.

One of the characters comes across as such a cliché (to start with at least) that if they are the kind of thing that's likely to put you off something, he will absolutely put you off. Plus it seems that he's like that just for the purpose of him being like that, it doesn't have a direct impact on the story. Almost like ticking a demographic box, rather than having a good reason.

If it doesn't bother you, then you'll probably be fine. (plus he does have some very good moments throughout the show)

Also, the first few episodes stretch credulity slightly (I had a similar problem with the first few episodes of Continuum, which has since become _excellent_ I should add ) but it does level out and really get quite good.

It's probably just a classic case of being over the top and somewhat outlandish to start with to 'make an impression' and snag ratings I guess. I assume that's how TV execs think anyway. But by the end of the series I felt it got pretty good, the main character is well fleshed out with good (if somewhat selfish) motivation, and it's all filmed well.

I think it just depends on whether its style is your cup of tea (as it were)


----------



## Rodders

manephelien said:


> You should definitely give *Babylon 5* another chance. Judging by The Gathering isn't really fair, as the pilot was a bit of a mess. The first season takes a while to get going as we learn more about the characters, but the time invested is IMO worth it. Things really get going late in the 1st season and the second and third and early fourth seasons are mostly great. The fifth feels a bit tacked on and some despise the telepath arc of the early fifth season, but IMO you should watch that too for completeness.
> 
> I enjoyed Crusade too, and as it's only 13 episodes (+ the movie A Call To Arms), I think you should give that one a chance too.


 
I'll second this. The greatest thing i have ever seen commited to screen, IMO.

You might find it easier to start on season two. (You can always go back if you find that you do enjoy it.) I'd also recommend Farscape and Battlestar Galactica for SF. 

I've recently gotten into 30 Rock and Arrested Developement fopr comedy.


----------



## K-9

old series interest too? Probably one of the best miny-series I've ever seen is *Les Compagnons de Baal* (1968, France) - a sort of Call of Cthulhu rpg adventure (as Belfagor, but this is much better, for me), but quite slow, in comparison with latest telefilm, I fear


----------



## Warren_Paul

Laeraneth said:


> Anyone else seen Orphan Black?


 
Watched it and was well worth my time. Highly recommended. And yes, season two is coming.

It has some quirkiness that is a little hard to swallow if you don't take into consideration that its not just an action genre show, but that it has a fair portion of comedy mixed in as well, along with some sexiness.




Laeraneth said:


> (until the resurrected Battlestar Galactica)


 

When I first saw the pilot for the reboot of Battlestar Galactica, I was intitially against the changes they'd made to characters and personalities which put me off watching it at first because I was a big fan of the original series. But then, after I'd given it a proper chance, I soon realised the modernised Battlestar Galactica was neck and neck with Doctor Who and quite possibly the best sci-fi show to come out in years -- obviously if you're not so into the quirkiness of Doctor Who, then Battlestar Galactica (2004) is unparallelled.


----------



## Lenny

I'm five episodes into *Orphan Black*. This is all kinds of awesome! Stupid reviews... that's the last time I listen to them, rather than watching a trailer and then jumping in.

Have to say, though, that the supporting cast are pretty much all naff (Felix in particular annoys the hell out of me), and the sideplots (Felix, Vic, the police, her daughter, etc.) feel like quick ideas they had to throw in to pad it out. It is improving as it progresses, though, so I have hope.


----------



## Warren_Paul

I don't consider any of it sideplots or padding, Lenny, but I can't really say much without it spoiling the show for you.

But yeah, I never, ever, base decisions on what I watch off reviews. Critics are always biased and overly critical. I get the impression that critics don't want to like shows intentionally so that they have something to complain about. Most of the time there is nothing wrong with the show, it just wasn't to their liking and comes down to personal taste/opinions -- and that's all reviews are.


----------



## Lenny

Oh, I watched the rest of it on the 11th, so I have finished and I do understand why the things I thought were sideplots were added... but by the end they still felt like half-ideas. Hopefully they'll be further built upon in the second series.

Final thoughts on *Orphan Black*: it was an enjoyable series to watch, and because it embraces the daftness it's a fun ride. I'm looking forward to the second series.

---

After OB I watched the first series of *The Americans*. It's a spy thriller set in the 80s, and follows two KGB agents posing as a couple in the suburbs of Washington D.C.. Although quite predictable in parts, the story was good, with moments of real tension, and it felt like a classic spy thriller. The way it has been filmed even makes it look kinda like an 80s series, which is neat.


----------



## ed9428

I recommend Revolution. Its second season should be starting soon (I hope).
Looks like from reading through these posts that Orphan Black might be worth a try. Maybe I will check it out.


----------



## svalbard

I am watching *Ray Donovan* at the moment and 5 episodes in it is turning out to be compelling viewing. Jon Voight is mesmerizing as the aging gangster reunited with his dysfunctional family. This could prove to be another great one in the vein of The Sopranoes if it gets another season.


----------



## Lenny

I keep meaning to make a *Ray Donovan* thread. It's very good, particularly with the performances from Jon Voight and Liev Schrieber. Oh, and it has been renewed for a second series!


----------



## StormSeeker

Warren_Paul said:


> LOST SPOILERS:
> 
> 
> 
> For some reason the average TV audience wants shows that it doesn't matter if they miss one episode here and there, they can still understand what's going on. This wasn't the case with Lost.



Leave the room for 5 minutes to check on the dinner and your asking whats going on for the next 10 minutes!


----------



## paranoid marvin

StormSeeker said:


> Leave the room for 5 minutes to check on the dinner and your asking whats going on for the next 10 minutes!


 

You could barely understand Lost even if you never missed an episode!


----------



## quantumtheif

Lost describes the audience watching.


----------



## Moonbat

I've just started watching *'Orange is the new Black*' on Netflix and it is very good. I'm not sure if it is a prison drama because it seems to be quite light on the drama, but it is set in a prison with great characters and quite funny in places.


----------



## Lenny

I marathoned *Orange is the New Black* last night! I can never get to sleep on a Sunday, so I figured I'd do something, er, productive with my time.

I tried to watch it a couple of months ago, but turned it off about ten minutes into the episode, because I wasn't in the mood to watch something how I thought it would turn out. I'm glad I stuck with it this time - although it takes a couple of episodes to get doing (but doesn't everything these days?), it's quite fantastic. Definitely light on the drama in some places, and there's a great humour that comes through.


----------



## svalbard

I have just finished watching*Low Winter Sun.*I do hope it gets renewed for a second season. Mark Strong is an exceptional actor and he was compelling as the lead character Detective Frank Agnew. The problem is that there is absolutely no good guys in this show. Everyone is tainted, with a rot sitting at their core being. Interestingly enough the series is set in Detroit, a city which in reality is disintegrating before our very eyes. I believe this show will be too dark to get renewed, its central characters have no moral centre to appeal to a mass audience, but fingers crossed.


----------



## ctg

> *We’ve scanned the UK TV schedules over the next fortnight and circled a few new Christmas programmes you may enjoy…*
> 
> Despite this being the time of year when television repeats aren't just  tolerated, but welcome (if at no point in the next fortnight does  Dermot Morgan get lost in a department store underwear aisle, or a  snowman ride a motorbike through a Sussex field, then it just won't feel  like Christmas), we've gone for brand new shows in the list below.
> 
> 
> There's a selection of new drama, comedy and a few other bits and  pieces you may wish to circle in your festive TV listings magazine...  Merry Christmas.


 Christmas 2013 TV to look forward to | Den of Geek


----------



## Lenny

So I'm currently giving *Babylon 5* a go - forced my way through _The Gathering_ (I guess I simply wasn't in the mood when I first tried it), and I'm about to start the third series. Very much enjoying it. On par with *Deep Space 9* definitely, and maybe even better in parts.

Did *South Park* at the beginning of the year (because why not? It's had a massive cultural impact, after all), and then *Adventure Time with Finn and Jake*. Adventure Time is very much recommended - it may be a kid's cartoon, but the humour is good, the characters totally likeable, the art style is beautiful, the overarching story is fantastic (I'm a particular fan of Marceline's story), and the episodes have a kind of...surreal rubberyness to them that feels like classic Saturday morning cartoons.

EDIT: Oh, and peeps, try this: http://sivakodali.com/tv/

I'm up to a very respectable rolleyes 148 days, 7 hours, 12 minutes of television watched (series that I can remember watching, at least).


----------



## Ice fyre

Lenny said:


> So I'm currently giving *Babylon 5* a go - forced my way through _The Gathering_ (I guess I simply wasn't in the mood when I first tried it), and I'm about to start the third series. Very much enjoying it. On par with *Deep Space 9* definitely, and maybe even better in parts.
> 
> The Gathering isnt really very good. Babylon5 is an odd TV series, it peaks at season 4, as the creator thought he was finishing it there. As such his ark had been crammed into four seasons.When it was renewed he had to scrabble to set up season 5  I tend to feel it shows in the production values (it looks cheap and shoddy) and suffers from some really awful scripts. But bear with it, it does get better and the last episode is a bit of a tear jerker. As to comparing it with DS9, both have strong points and weak points. But they are really very different shows, love em both equally.


----------



## Ashaman

Hello there.
To revive this thread I've got 2 recommendations for you.
If you like psychological thrillers you should check Wire in the blood. I think it's one of the best out there.
Also since I've noticed you do like ur SF, do check Star Trek Enterprise (the 2001 series) . In my opinion one of the best Star Trek series.


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## Lenny

I'm back! Fair few things watched since April, but only one I'd really recommend.

---

On the comedy side, I did the two series of *Hyperdrive* and finally got round to finishing *Misfits*. I also gave a weird Channel 4 series called *PhoneShop* a watch.

I watched the UK *The Office* quite a while back, so decided I might as well give the American version a watch, too. It's not bad. Not quite as cringey as the UK version, and the sense of soul-crushing despair wasn't at all there.

At the start of August I whizzed through the fantastic first series of *Farscape*, then the pretty good second series... and then I stalled. The third series started well, but after a few episodes it really began to bore me. I soldiered on, though, and got through to the fourth series, but I just can't carry on with it. Five episodes into the fourth series, and I've abandoned it. Sorry, Farscape fans, no matter what you try, I'm not going to finish it.

Had some fun watching *Utopia*, which reminds me a lot of Orphan Black (they're both silly stories that don't take themselves seriously, and fall down quickly under even light scrutiny), but it's since been cancelled, so there's no point recommending it.

Which brings me to a series I finished last night, and the one I would recommend - *Dead Like Me*. It's short (twenty-nine episodes over two series), fairly amusing, and has a fantastic group of main characters. I also think it's really, really sad, which for me is saying something - you've got to work hard to get dem feels out of me, and DLM managed to do so in a crazy short length of time. Cancelled after two series, which is also sad (though the last episode kinda works as a proper finale), but they made a not-too-terrible film in 2009 - DLM: Life After Death.

Not sure what's up next. Half-tempted by *Pushing Daisies*, as it's short. I should also go back through this thread and look at some of the recommendations.


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## Mouse

Bat Farscape's only got four series! Pah and double pah!


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## J Riff

Well I get to see the original Superman here... its just as dumb as it ever was, but fun.


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## J-Sun

Mouse said:


> Bat Farscape's only got four series! Pah and double pah!



At least that way he gets to miss "Coup by Clam".

But, seriously, the last part of s4 and the Peacekeeper Wars were intense.


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## BAYLOR

*Kolchak The Night Stalker      * The original series which ran from 1974 to 75 . Classic stuff.


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## The Bluestocking

Lenny said:


> Not sure what's up next. Half-tempted by *Pushing Daisies*, as it's short. I should also go back through this thread and look at some of the recommendations.



I highly recommend *Pushing Daisies* if you love really great intelligent and quirky character-driven comedy with plenty of style and witty quickfire repartee.


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## Lenny

The_Bluestocking said:


> I highly recommend *Pushing Daisies* if you love really great intelligent and quirky character-driven comedy with plenty of style and witty quickfire repartee.



Does the series differ at all from the first two episodes?


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## Mouse

J-Sun said:


> At least that way he gets to miss "Coup by Clam".
> 
> But, seriously, the last part of s4 and the Peacekeeper Wars were intense.



Which ep was Coup by Clam? Was that the one where they eat that gross stuff and all get sick? And Sikozu gets her finger chopped off and Scorpius saves the day? I liked that ep! (Oh, and John and Rygel dress up as women?!)

But yes. End of S4 was the best ending of anything ever.


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## The Bluestocking

Lenny said:


> Does the series differ at all from the first two episodes?



The first two episodes of the first season are just the tip of the iceberg. The plotting gets more intricate, fast, fearless, and funny as the storyline and characters develop.


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## J-Sun

Mouse said:


> Which ep was Coup by Clam? Was that the one where they eat that gross stuff and all get sick? And Sikozu gets her finger chopped off and Scorpius saves the day? I liked that ep! (Oh, and John and Rygel dress up as women?!)



That's the one. That was just the worst for me - way too much (and you left out the urine). But I guess I can see it hitting folks differently.


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## HoopyFrood

I was just going to mention The Thick of It, but I see you've already watched that, so well one  Oh, and another comment just made me think -- did you also watch the film, In The Loop? They play characters with slightly different roles but are all, in essence, the same people.

Also while I remember, the second series of The Mimic has been and gone. I know you weren't blown away by it, but just in case you wanted to carry on... I still heartily enjoy it!

Due to Netflix, I've been going through a fair few tv series, too, and went through the first eight seasons of American The Office. Loved it! Love Pam and Jim, adore Andy and generally didn't have to cringe anywhere near as much as with the British version. I think the highlight for me was the last two episodes when they were looking for a replacement and got all those guest stars! Also going through Misfits which is brilliant. Though Nathan has left now. Do like the new guy.

What I recently bought, however, is the boxset of Randall and Hopkirk: Deceased! Don't know if it'll be your cup of tea but I can't get enough of this 70s detective and ghost pairing.


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## Lenny

The_Bluestocking said:


> The first two episodes of the first season are just the tip of the iceberg. The plotting gets more intricate, fast, fearless, and funny as the storyline and characters develop.



I might give it a couple more episodes, but I don't hold much hope for finishing it - far too lovey-dovey and sweet for my tastes, and it hasn't come across as having much substance.



HoopyFrood said:


> Also while I remember, the second series of The Mimic has been and gone. I know you weren't blown away by it, but just in case you wanted to carry on... I still heartily enjoy it!



I might find myself having exhausted all other avenues one evening, in which case I'll give it a look.  Fairly similar to the first series?

---

Having watched and really enjoyed *Dead Like Me*, I gave *Reaper* a go, as it sounded like the same sort of thing... except it wasn't. It's all frat bro slapstick, with life going on as normal around the whole collecting souls for the devil work. DLM, on the other hand, really tried to explore how the job of reaping souls would affect a character.


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## Lenny

If anyone reads new replies to this for recommendations, boy do I have a doozy for you!

It's not one I've seen mentioned around Chrons, or really online as a whole, and that I only started watching because I saw it on Netflix and remember an IRL-person saying he had started watching it, but I'm glad I did - *The 100*.

It's like the cliffhangers and mythology from *Lost*, in an environment that could go _Lord of the Flies_ at the drop of the hat, with a fairly decent post-apocalyptic exodus space-station story on top, and it's pretty fantastic! The only thing that I found "meh" was the teen angst in the first few episodes, but that disappears quickly.

Quick summary: ninety-seven years ago, man nuked the planet, and a few thousand folk managed to escape and take refuge on the twelve space stations in orbit. These were eventually merged to form The Ark. On The Ark, any crime is punishable by death, unless you're under 18, in which case you're put in prison until your 18th birthday, and then executed. The series start with these juvenile delinquents, the titular 100, being bundled onto a drop-ship and sent down to Earth to see if the planet is habitable again, whilst the adults watch from orbit.

The second series is currently airing (on _The CW_ for our American members), with the first series available on US and Canadian Netflix. What's neat is that Canadian Netflix has the new episodes not long after they air, so the eight series two episodes are already up!

EDIT: Some notable cast members (including Lost alumni!) - Paige Turco (_Perosn of Interest)_, Henry Ian Cusick (_Lost_), Richard Harmon (_Continuum_), Alessandro Juliana (_new Battlestar Galactica_), Dichen Lachman (_Dollhouse_), Raymond J. Barry (_Lost_, _Justified_).


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## AsmaMohd

Anyone, tell me which one is worth watching Ringer or The Secret Circle?


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## thaddeus6th

Lenny, I almost gave up on The 100, but was persuaded by a chap elsewhere to resume watching. I do think it's worth persevering past some of the slightly dodgy early episodes, and am looking forward to the second series.

Mildly surprised/annoyed they made Eliza Taylor (Clarke) give up her Aussie accent [her American accent seems flawless], given the setting (ie the Ark is global not just American), but there we are.


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## BAYLOR

thaddeus6th said:


> Lenny, I almost gave up on The 100, but was persuaded by a chap elsewhere to resume watching. I do think it's worth persevering past some of the slightly dodgy early episodes, and am looking forward to the second series.
> 
> Mildly surprised/annoyed they made Eliza Taylor (Clarke) give up her Aussie accent [her American accent seems flawless], given the setting (ie the Ark is global not just American), but there we are.




The 100 is  a pretty grim series , but its quite good .

Also the the vampire horror series *The Strain* is excellent. The series is prodcued by  Guillermo  del toro its based of a trilogy of books he co wrote with Chuck Hogan . They finished up the first 10 epd season a few months go. Im looking forward to season 2.


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## Laeraneth

Lenny said:


> The only thing that I found "meh" was the teen angst in the first few episodes, but that disappears quickly.



Interesting. I thought it looked really interesting right at the start, but every advert I ever saw made it seem... well, exactly as you describe, and my interest evaporated quickly.

Recent adverts make it look a lot more serious (if stricken with cheesy dialogue  but hey, it's an advert!) and it re-piqued my interest. Looks like I might have to give it a proper look! Thanks!


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## Ashaman

Hello guys. Check out Ascension which seems to be a nice one with interesting development. And definitely check out Les revenants! Spooky and really good. Also the Intruders is quite intriguing.


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## Alysheba

AsmaMohd said:


> Anyone, tell me which one is worth watching Ringer or The Secret Circle?



They are both okay. Neither had a second season so they kind of just ended. If you have nothing else to watch and want to watch something they are good but not great.


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## Alysheba

I really like *The 100*. Since it was based on a book I was going to read it but haven't gotten around to it yet. The book didn't get great reviews on goodreads.com and I might read it but I am fine just keeping it as a TV show. 

*The Strain* is really interesting. A more gory and evil type of vampire with a considerable twist on how they are created. Certainly not the fluff vampires of Twilight or The Vampire Diaries.


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## HareBrain

If you liked The Wire, I'd check out the French crime series Spiral (Engrenages). It has a different feel to The Wire, but is almost as good in my opinion, and perhaps more consistent. Series 5 has just started on BBC4, but it's probably worth going back to the earlier ones first. Series 3 is one of the best.

Seasons 1 and 4 of Homeland are also excellent.


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## svalbard

Just watched the first episode of Wolf Hall and I was seriously impressed. This is how historical dramas should be done. The book is pretty good too.


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## Mouse

Lenny said:


> It's not one I've seen mentioned around Chrons, or really online as a whole, and that I only started watching because I saw it on Netflix and remember an IRL-person saying he had started watching it, but I'm glad I did - *The 100*.



We did have a thread (might've even been a couple of threads) here on The 100. I watched the first couple of eps but got very bored very quickly.

Not SFF, but both *Cucumber* and *Banana* have just started on Ch4 and E4. I watched both eps on catch up and both had me laughing. If anybody liked Queer as Folk (the proper UK one) then you'll like these.


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## Lenny

I'm still going. Not watched as much since getting a job in May, but I do have some more recommendations, and I'm always on the lookout for other people's recommendations.

---

To start with: *Grimm*. One that a fair few of you have probably already heard of and watched. Dunno what put me off first time (March 2013), but second time was the charm and it turned out to be good fun.

Next up, an animated show from last year that has recently concluded it's second series: *Rick and Morty*. Starts off as just a show about a mad scientist, Rick, has dumb grandson, Morty, and their adventures around the universe, but quickly turns into one of the best examples of what has been described as: an "animated series hiding a rich emotional life behind a thick layer of dark comedy and borderline nihilism".

Which also describes number three: the Netflix series *Bojack Horseman*. A series about a horse (in a universe where humans and humanoid animals live side-by-side), Bojack Horseman, who played the main character in a 90s sitcom ("Horsin' Around"), has done very little since, and is battling depression and unhappiness.

Finally, one I've just finished that might be a bit more niche: *Scream*. Yeah, that MTV spin-off of the film franchise. It actually does a fairly decent job of making the idea its own whilst managing to stay recognisable as a member of the expanded "Scream" franchise - you've got the self-awareness, a mythology, a whole bunch of ambiguous characters, slashers slashing, and a masked murderer (though it's not Ghostface, and there's a good reason why the mask has changed). My only real complaint, though, is that the hilarity that was watching the killer in the films stumble, and trip, and get hurt by the victim, is missing from the series. Instead, the killer shows up, the victim screams, and you just don't get the same sense that the victim might be able to escape this time. Still, it's worth it if you liked any of the Scream films.


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## Jakjac

Farscape, Daredevil, TwinPeaks


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## hardsciencefanagain

Definitely hooked on _*Jordskott*_.
Great characters,edge -of -your -seat -stuff(unusual elements in it,for a Scandithriller).
Plus:the usual cast of Nordic quirky supporting roles.
you gotta love detective Goran Wass,idiosyncratic as heck
send your emails to the Beeb,asking them to broadcast this one ,and be prepared for goosebumps


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## BAYLOR

Alysheba said:


> They are both okay. Neither had a second season so they kind of just ended. If you have nothing else to watch and want to watch something they are good but not great.




Good stuff.


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## Jaxx

Lenny said:


> I'm still going. Not watched as much since getting a job in May, but I do have some more recommendations, and I'm always on the lookout for other people's recommendations.
> 
> ---
> 
> To start with: *Grimm*. One that a fair few of you have probably already heard of and watched. Dunno what put me off first time (March 2013), but second time was the charm and it turned out to be good fun.



How strange exactly the same here with *Grimm*, didn't take to it at all when it first aired. I have now binged on these prior to Christmas and have falle in love with the show. I'm starting season four this week.

Hmm I wonder if the same may be true of _*Once Upon a Time*_. I suppose these shows really depend on your mindset at the time.


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## Droflet

First season of Once Upon a Time was wonderfully clever. After that, meh. Gotham and Daredevil are, imo, the two best tv series of the last few years. Jessica Jones is none to shabby either. If you're into a western bent Hell on Wheels is pretty good. Starts a little sluggishly but develops into a really fine show.


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## Dave

Droflet said:


> First season of Once Upon a Time was wonderfully clever. After that, meh.


I think I agree with that, plus, I must be the only person in the world to have not see _Frozen, _so none of that storyline meant anything to me.

_Grimm, _however just seems to get better. I'm into Season 6 now. I also came to it late and binged a little. I forgot it was back on and have watched all this season in the last two weeks. It is a mixture of things - weird police procedural, almost _X-Files, _but light-hearted in a _Warehouse 13 _way, and then suddenly very dark. I do wonder if it has become far too complicated. I don't want to spoil but is there anyone left who hasn't now slept with Adalind Schade? Or, had a child by her? Maybe, if I step back a little then it isn't really very believable. Continuity has been good though, and usually in a series so complicated that is not so.

Other genre shows I watch are _The Walking Dead_ and _Fear The Walking Dead_. _Game of Thrones_ naturally. The best new shows I've seen were _Marco Polo_, _The Expanse_ and _Into the Badlands_. All have been renewed.


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## Droflet

Grimm. Yes.


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## Judderman

I may have mentioned it already but Bates Motel is excellent.


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## Droflet

*The Night Manage*r. Spy thriller. Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston. Need I say more? 

*The Five*. DNA is found at a grisly death scene. It matches that of a boy, missing for twenty years. Intriguing. 

Both top flight British shows. Recommended.


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## Droflet

*Outcast*. Don't know where this one is going but if you like your shows creepy this isn't bad. Shades of the Exorcist.


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## Aetius

The second series of Gomorrah had just started, a series about the crime families of Naples, and it is excellant. Quite bleak, pretty much everyone is a thoroughly nasty piece of work but they do have good sides and positive aspects. you can see why others are willing to work with them/be their friends rather than the usual all evil all of the time approach to crime shows.

At the other end of the scale I've really been enjoying Limitless, based upon the film.


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## REBerg

Aetius said:


> At the other end of the scale I've really been enjoying Limitless, based upon the film.


_Limitless_ is a fun show. Things look good for a second season.
After you've watched the first season, you might want to read the Chrons thread (Limitless (CBS)). If you want to check it out sooner, the episodes are labeled; and the spoilers are pretty well hidden.


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## REBerg

Droflet said:


> *The Night Manage*r. Spy thriller. Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston. Need I say more?
> 
> *The Five*. DNA is found at a grisly death scene. It matches that of a boy, missing for twenty years. Intriguing.
> 
> Both top flight British shows. Recommended.


Just finished _The Night Manager_. High-quality television.


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## ctg

REBerg said:


> _Limitless_ is a fun show. Things look good for a second season.



Cancelled. Sorry.


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## Aetius

ctg said:


> Cancelled. Sorry.


Huh, well the mysterious of TV commissioning strike again.

Poor viewing figures for a repeat when up against established brands seems a bit of an odd reason.


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## Allegra

Currently I am totally hooked on a Spanish period drama _El Tiempo Entre Costuras_ (The Time Between Seams). It is based on the book of the same title (English title: _The Seamstress _or _The Time in Between_) by Maria Duenas. I read the book recently, even though I didn't find the main character terribly likeable, it is a well-written novel with lots of real historical figures and events woven in between from Spanish civil war through WWII. The TV series is one of the best I've seen. Everything from acting especially the main character (excellently portrayed, much more likeable than in the book), to the rhythm of the story's development, the historical settings and music, etc., all top-notch.


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## ctg

Outcast is back in the small screen. This series follows Kirkman's other comic series and it is centred around an outcast demon, who can banish demonic possession without using the tools of exorcism. I understand the theme might be hard for some people, but if you want to watch something creepy at Eastern time, this series is one of that I warmly recommend. Check it out. You might like it.


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## BAYLOR

*Friday the 13th The Series    *it ran for 3 seasons  in the late 1980's for  71 episodes . Two cousins Miki and Ryan inherit an antique shop from an uncle who sold his soul to  the devil for immortality.   As part of the deal he sold cursed antiques. The uncle ends up dying when he tries to break his pact .   The Two cousins with help of man need Jack Marshak now have get all those antiques back.


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## Piper

No one likes 'The Magicians?'  I kind of like their dark take on magic and the nods to Lewis & Carroll.  'People of Earth' is funny and is supposed to be back for a Season 2.  Also I noticed that Orphan Black seems to be missing from a lot of the lists and honestly that has to be one of my all-time favorite shows.  The lead actress is amazing!


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## Droflet

The Leftovers. A simple premise that goes in strange directions. Addictive.


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