Best TV drama of recent vintage (1 Viewer)

[Thunderlips]

Since we are at that point where instead of answering the question, we just name something we like:  Six Feet Under or Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

If its devolved into that....I have to go with (IMO) one of the more underrated shows: Battlestar Galactica. Slows down a bit in the end of Season 3/beginning of 4.....but it's a nice show. 

 

[KarmaPolice]

To answer the question, I voted Breaking Bad.  It was a close call between that and GoT. 

While I love Mad Men, I assumed we are talking about watching them in a chunk, and I don't think that Mad Men really thrives in that situation.  It is not a binge watch show (at least it wasn't for me).  That is one of the rare examples of one that I wish I was just watching as they aired instead of trying to play catch up. 

 

[dutch]

If its devolved into that....I have to go with (IMO) one of the more underrated shows: Battlestar Galactica. Slows down a bit in the end of Season 3/beginning of 4.....but it's a nice show. 

Another one I gave consideration to.  My wife loved that show.

 

[dutch]

To answer the question, I voted Breaking Bad.  It was a close call between that and GoT. 

While I love Mad Men, I assumed we are talking about watching them in a chunk, and I don't think that Mad Men really thrives in that situation.  It is not a binge watch show (at least it wasn't for me).  That is one of the rare examples of one that I wish I was just watching as they aired instead of trying to play catch up. 

That's exact;y what I ran into when I tried binging.  It fell flat and got tedious.

 

[Scoresman]

Sopranos got a little too full of itself in its later years.  The movie stuff, the "war" with NY.....the idea that Tony's "Family" was even remotely effective after all the purgings over the years. .......it's still entertaining....but when you got Christopha meeting with Ben Kingsley and mugging Lauren Bacall, that's jumped the shark.

Wire is excellent for 4 seasons.  Last season was mediocre at best.

Game of Thrones might have them all of them beat in "OMG" moments that involved major characters and the development of the story.

Breaking Bad is the best of them all......BUT......1) going back to watch it again......it does drag and 2) I think its so well regarded that it can't live up to the hype that it gets.....particularly as the years go on and other shows stand on its shoulders. 

Those episodes were hilarious.  

"Ghostbustas... another ####### money machine!"  

 

[Rove!]

if you are going to call yourself Dutch, you should watch the Shield

 

[The General]

Can't go wrong with any of them. 

Breaking Bad probably had the best episode of any show I have seen.

GoT has the most amazing/messed up scenes.

The Shield was ridiculous but did the whole teetering on disaster thing well. Has some great moments.

The Wire and Mad Men were amazingly well made shows. Agree with others they may not be quite the same streaming.

Honorable mention: West Wing, Battle Star Galactica season 1 was really good, Deadwood. 

 

[comfortably numb]

is it premature to put GoT on the list?

What if it has a Dexter-like final 2 seasons?

 

[RBM]

Those episodes were hilarious.  

"Ghostbustas... another ####### money machine!"  

Law and Order The SUV

 

[comfortably numb]

would be curious how the votes would have shaped up if six feet under was in place of the shield

 

[RBM]

Friday Night Lights deserves some love. 

  Except season 2. The other 4 are terrific. 

 

[KarmaPolice]

would be curious how the votes would have shaped up if six feet under was in place of the shield

Does that show get a lot of love in here?  One of my favorites all time, but also one I couldn't watch many episodes in a row. 

 

[comfortably numb]

Does that show get a lot of love in here?  One of my favorites all time, but also one I couldn't watch many episodes in a row. 

lots of love in here overall but def gets credited for best finale ever

 

[FUBAR]

Really when Breaking Bad gets awesome is S3. It was good up until then. The pilot was amazing. But the writer's strike cutting short the first season had a negative impact. S2 took a step forward but didn't love the storyline. From S3 on it is elite.

I've seen most of season one and the final.   Is it worth watching over house of cards?

 

[Apple Jack]

Does that show get a lot of love in here?  One of my favorites all time, but also one I couldn't watch many episodes in a row. 

That and Wire 1 and 1a for me.

 

[dutch]

Okay, how about an informal poll within the poll?   We'll replace both Mad Men and The Shield as right now they are running neck and neck in both questions.  They are both last in votes for ??1 and first in votes for which show to leave behind.  Therefore, we'll leave them both behind.

Replace them with two from:

• Justified
  
• Six Feet Under
  
• Battlestar Galactica
  
• Deadwood
  
• Dexter
  
• Law and Order-The Original
  
• West Wing
  

 

[Shrugs]

I've seen most of season one and the final.   Is it worth watching over house of cards?

Uh, yes. House of Cards is a very average show that would be nothing without Spacey. It's The Walking Dead of Netflix. If you watched the finale of Breaking Bad without seeing the rest of the show, that's awful. That's like skipping to the airport scene of Casablanca.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Okay, how about an informal poll within the poll?   We'll replace both Mad Men and The Shield as right now they are running neck and neck in both questions.  They are both last in votes for ??1 and first in votes for which show to leave behind.  Therefore, we'll leave them both behind.

Replace them with two from:

• Justified
  
• Six Feet Under
  
• Battlestar Galactica
  
• Deadwood
  
• Dexter
  
• Law and Order-The Original
  
• West Wing
  

For me it would be Six Feet Under and Battlestar

 

[The General]

is it premature to put GoT on the list?

What if it has a Dexter-like final 2 seasons?

Shut your mouth.

 

[Vanilla Guerrilla]

Okay, how about an informal poll within the poll?   We'll replace both Mad Men and The Shield as right now they are running neck and neck in both questions.  They are both last in votes for ??1 and first in votes for which show to leave behind.  Therefore, we'll leave them both behind.

Replace them with two from:

• Justified
  
• Six Feet Under
  
• Battlestar Galactica
  
• Deadwood
  
• Dexter
  
• Law and Order-The Original
  
• West Wing
  

Bonus if you go right from Deadwood to Justified, it'll be like sci-fi in that Olyphant just goes from being a badass cop in the wild west to a badass cop in an area of the country with almost the same technology level.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Okay, how about an informal poll within the poll?   We'll replace both Mad Men and The Shield as right now they are running neck and neck in both questions.  They are both last in votes for ??1 and first in votes for which show to leave behind.  Therefore, we'll leave them both behind.

Replace them with two from:

• Justified
  
• Battlestar Galactica
  

JFC 

 

[dutch]

Simmer down Officer, I'm only giving the people what they want.  Let them have their say.

 

[The General]

First season of Battlestar was awesome, was shocked how good it was. Kinda lost me about half way in the middle of season 2, need to go back and watch.

 

[ericttspikes]

This is quite possibly the worst post I've ever seen on this board.  

overrated, yo

 

[doowain]

I've seen every episode of The Wire, The Sopranos, GoT, and Breaking Bad (and Justified and Boardwalk Empire -- which should also get consideration for the list).

I voted The Wire.  Not only because it's incredible and is in my Top 3 all time with BB and Sopranos, but it also has a nostalgic feel to it -- hard to explain.  It also helps that it has one of the best characters ever (Omar) and is only 5 seasons.

 

[The Hank]

I voted Breaking Bad to watch 1st & voted to shelve "The Shield"  -

BB edges out GoT because BB has completed its run and GoT is still going - you really cant go wrong either way.

Sopranos and Mad Men excellent in their own respects and would be fine choices - both a bit slower in pace but have great moments (I would rank Sopranos higher than Mad Men slightly).

I havent seen The Wire, that is on my to-watch list, so I cant advise either way on this one.

Though they are not listed - I'd suggest Better Call Saul, Rome, Boardwalk Empire and The Americans as well - all are very good.

 

[Michael Brown]

Agreed with the poster earlier who said to watch Sopranos first. That kind of set the tone for everything else the followed (the overused "anti-hero" cliche started with Tony, but it's a cliche because it's true). I didn't watch The Shield, so I'd skip that for now. But the other five are probably my top-5 of all time. GOT is on the brink right now because it's incomplete, but the other four are locked in.

In order of how I'd watch them, I'd go Sopranos, Wire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad. Gotta save the best for last. And then GOT is just a spectacle unlike anything that's ever been on television before, so in many ways you don't feel like you're downgrading from BB even though you are.

 

[coyote5]

Have any of you voting for the Sopranos watched it recently?  I get that it was ground breaking, first of it's kind etc.  I didn't watch it during it's original run, but trying to get into it fresh 15 years later, and it really didn't hold my attention, feels dated somehow.  I think I left off somewhere in season 3 a few months ago.  Not sure if/when I'll go back.

 

[Buzzbait]

Breaking Bad and its not really close.

Hector says "Ding! Ding! Ding!" Correct answer. 

 

[Buzzbait]

The Shield shouldn't even be on this list. 

Agree. Shield off and Fargo on.

 

[Shrugs]

Agree. Shield off and Fargo on.

So a show with two seasons over the show with one of the best conclusions of any show in history? No. The two seasons of Fargo have been great, but they aren't better than S5 and S7 of The Shield.

 

[Rove!]

Don't short change The Sheild.  It may have had its flaws, but it was very entertaining and pulled you in.  It had some memorable characters and stayed consistently strong for its whole run.  It's a tier or two below BrBa, but a great show in its own right.

 

[dutch]

I may have stated it earlier but Fargo is great so far but was left off due to it's short run.  It's the Terrell Davis rule.

 

[dutch]

Seems like the consensus is Breaking Bad is the first watch if you haven't seen any of these shows before and you can pass over either Mad Men or The Shield.  Kind of surprised by the latter point.

 

[coyote5]

Seems like the consensus is Breaking Bad is the first watch if you haven't seen any of these shows before and you can pass over either Mad Men or The Shield.  Kind of surprised by the latter point.

You shouldn't pass over The Shield, it was fantastic and the final season was up there among the best series enders.  Although, to be consistent with my earlier Sopranos argument, I watched The Shield during the original run, so I can't really say how it holds up today.

 

[Vanilla Guerrilla]

You shouldn't pass over The Shield, it was fantastic and the final season was up there among the best series enders.  Although, to be consistent with my earlier Sopranos argument, I watched The Shield during the original run, so I can't really say how it holds up today.

The first season is brutal.  It plays like a better version of burn notice.  I never added season 2 to my list because I fell asleep in the middle of some episodes.  Which may be okay for Six Feet Under or Mad Men, but not for a cop drama.

 

[Buzzbait]

So a show with two seasons over the show with one of the best conclusions of any show in history? No. The two seasons of Fargo have been great, but they aren't better than S5 and S7 of The Shield.

That's a fair point to make (i.e. Fargo only being two seasons). It would have simply been better for me to say I don't think the Shield is special enough to have been included in the list. I think it was decent but not on par with the others. That said, even with a small sample size, I do think two seasons of Fargo have shown that it could be on par with the others.

 

[Michael Brown]

I have nothing against The Shield and heard nothing but good things, just haven't found the time to go binge it. Can't include Fargo after just two seasons, as great as they were, same with True Detective. Better Call Saul is just as good. And plus by that logic, you'd have included Homeland after S1 only to watch it become a complete #### show. Also, think of your opinions of Dexter after the S4 finale and then juxtapose that with your opinion of Dexter now. Plenty of time to completely ruin a great thing and knock down the perception of said show by leaps and bounds despite its current status.

 

[doowain]

Have any of you voting for the Sopranos watched it recently?  I get that it was ground breaking, first of it's kind etc.  I didn't watch it during it's original run, but trying to get into it fresh 15 years later, and it really didn't hold my attention, feels dated somehow.  I think I left off somewhere in season 3 a few months ago.  Not sure if/when I'll go back.

I binged Sopranos recently. Never watched during its original run. Looked forward to watching it every night.