So, I’m looking for a good box set to keep me entertained through the cold winter evenings and after some recommendations please.

I’m really lame when it comes to american dramas and have only seen Heroes, Lost and Prison Break lol. Yes they’re all old and probably because I went on a savings crusade for the last 7 years moving from SKY to freeview! So what have I missed that’s gritty and well worth a look – The Wire, Homeland?

The wire for sure , very good

the wire for sure

dont overlook battlestar galactica

sopranos is a classic too

breaking bad

Start at the beginning with HBO’s offerings.

Homicide Life On The Street

Oz

Sopranos.

Cheap and awesome.

…also, Arrested Development. Just because everyone should watch it. It’s a comedy, and not gritty though.

Don’t overlook British drama. If you have not seen it, State Of Play and The State Within* are very very good.

*On a Jason Isaacs tip, Brotherhood is also very good. £11 for the whole 3 season run is silly cheap.

The Unit, Wire, Killing, NCIS,

Not considered sopranos before hmm

Breaking Bad!

The best thing ever created for TV!

And if you need a bit of escapism after all that, try Game of Thrones.

dont bother with game of thrones

its brilliant but will be a 5 years before theyve made them all, its torture having to wait!

the shields good to

deadwood
justified
fringe
firefly + serenity
the danish killings 1,2 & 3- is on bbc4 now

the wire

Spiral

Definately Breaking Bad. Also Curb your Enthusiasm if u like sarcy cringy comedy

24 and the sopranos have been standouts for me. The walking dead is great too

Sopranos were my best box set ever.
After that it’s been comedies for me.
Father Ted, Big Bang Theory, Red Dwarf

+1’s for The Wire, Homeland and Deadwood

Also:
The West Wing
Band of Brothers
The Pacific

Just been watching Father Ted on More4 and they showed the last ever one.

Laughed my tits off and was sad at the same time, as Ted died a day after they filmed it.

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated. I’m going to give the Sopranos a go first as they’re going on ebay nice and cheap and it looks the kind of drama I think I’d like.

Make sure they are legit copies if bought off eBay.

To be honest, with some of the deals around at the moment, I would stick to Amazon, Zavvi, HMV etc.

For example, Breaking Bad Season 1-3 for £19 at HMV, at the mo,

Just watched the Pushing Daisies DVD set.

Never “got” it when it was on. Shame really as its excellent, snappy dialogue if a touch strange in its humour.

It’s also got Anna Friel and Kristen Chenoworth in it. 😀

While Pushing Daises is excellent. It doesn’t really fit into the gritty category the OP is after.

….it is a crying shame it got cancelled, though.

Yeah the shield is good too,

I like dexter and true blood too but not really what your looking for

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There’s been a couple of threads on this lately. Search the forum for “the wire” and you’ll find them.

Watched Battlestar Galactica recently, really enjoyed it. Currently working through Fringe and Breaking Bad.

Like they said:

Sopranos
The Wire
Breaking Bad

Also try:

Carnivale
Eastbound & Down

And if you like off the Wall:

John From Cincinnati

The Shield
Dexter
That 70’s Show
Burn Notice
24

Murder One was excellent

Sopranos. Easy.

The Unit.
Burn Notice.
Fawlty Towers. (OK it’s not a boxed set per se….)

Sopranos and The Wire are the two best TV series ever IMO. Breaking Bad not far behind.

Game of Thrones! Especially if you’ve read the books!

For a mini-series Generation Kill is outstanding.

As for others; The Wire, The Shield, The Unit, Entourage, Life, Breaking Bad and for a wild one – It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

Generation Kill, The Wire, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Homeland all brilliant. 6 Feet Under worth a look but I didn’t enjoy Dexter so much.

The wire
30 Rock
The west wing

Heard so much about breaking bad that it’s next on our to watch list. Xmas boxing day box set bargains sales fingers crossed

The Wire, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad are all brilliant (especially The Wire).

Game of Thrones is superb, The Killing (Swede version) is decent.

Did I mention The Wire?

Battlestar; including the Pilot opener and Razor. Sometimes it was more about surviving the 45 minutes of an episode than actually enjoying it, but very compelling.

Now waiting for “Blood and Chrome”

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj50xJhWdcM[/video]

You and me both.

sopranos and wire.. though you must watch both from the first episodes.. also classic west wing/ deadwood/ board walk empire.

I confess I’m excited ahead of seeing Sopranos already 😀

Definitely Madmen , just so polished !

Boardwalk Empire has some of the best characters and dialogue I’ve seen in an action series.

Recent viewing from tje latest back ..

Dexter
Walking Dead
The Wire
Breaking Bad
Game of Thrones

They were all good bit The Wire is the best TV series imo.