[Closed] What good TV series to tide me over until Breaking Bad returns?

House of Cards!

Ta but

I've seen the Sopranos, The Walking Dead, Generation Kill, Spiral and House of Cards (both versions)

Oops! Sorry about that!!

No worries, it is one of the better ones out there. I'm running out of ideas now that i've watched it.

Awake
Elementary
Homeland
Vikings
Dollhouse
Underbelly (1&2)

Fringe
Person of interest

Falling skies, Arrow or Revolution

Eastbound and down, for a bit of light relief

Suits is good and Person of Interest but I've just started watching Southland and if it keeps going as well as the first two episodes it will definitely be on my favourites list - excellent stuff

Six Feet Under for intelligent, well acted. Up there with the best.

Enjoyable for me, and not on the list so far, were
Entourage
Fringe

But they probably aren't the series you're looking for..

Treme is good, same guys as the wire

Didn't see Mad Men mentioned - best of the lot imo. Other half hooked on house but I can't stand it.

mad men

The Wire and The Shield. Havent watched all of the first but what I saw was very good. The Shield was excellent from start to finish.

I watched the 1st episode of "The Americans" last night which started on ITV last Saturday.

Set during the Cold War period in the 1980s, The Americans is the story of two Soviet KGB officers posing as an married American couple, living in Washington D.C. and spying on the USA.

Although there has only been one episode, it looks like it has potential and it has already been renewed for a 2nd series.

I'm surprised nobody else has recommended it but I'd also suggest "Homeland".

I have watched the first series of Breaking Bad and it hasn't grabbed me yet, should I persevere?

Dexter has jumped the shark, but need to know how the next and last series will go after the last scene of the most recent series.

The killing

The Shield - very under rated show, best thing to come out of Channel 5. Box set probably cheaper now. I will be watching the rest of the series once I have finished The Wire.

Great Cop show that like The Wire and other series in the Genre, has some really flawed characters that you still feel a connection with. Just saw the surfer had recommended too.

Have not watched Breaking Bad beyond the Pilot episode, but it is on my list. Supposed to be excellent though. And also Homeland Series 1 was good - Series 2 should be out soon I am guessing.

I'm watching Arrested Development at the moment. It's passing the time for me.

The Killing and Spiral.....

You have very similar (and fussy) taste to me. I don't think you'd like The Killing either. Far more formulaic and irritating than the hype would have you believe.

I did enjoy Treme in spite of a few "larger than life" characters being given too much screen time. Bunk is great in it.

True Blood is very enjoyable trash.

Mad Men is definitely worthy of the hype, best TV show since Twin Peaks?

Such a shame they didn't make the final series of Deadwood though!

I enjoyed sons of anarchy and Justified. Couldn't get into treme. The killing is good, [b]the bridge[/b] is truly excellent.

How much Sons of Anarchy have you watched? You've got to get to the 2nd series before it really comes alive.
Best series ever by a fair margin I reckon.

+1 for The Shield, awesome tv series.

Homeland?

2nd series of SOA when his son gets xxxxxxxx and the Mrs xxxxxxx got a bit silly IMO did it come good again after that?

Another vote for Homeland.

Sounds like you're a bit of a connoisseur, how about Heroes?

Every time a ‘what boxset’ thread comes up I immediately recommend the Shield. Sublime TV with some genuinely shocking moments. Quite why it’s only been seen by about 14 people in the world is a mystery to me.

Get hold of the Region 1 version though. A key, show–defining episode is almost cut down by half in the UK version for some bizarre reason. Bit of a travesty.

Did you watch the shite British Wallander with Kenneth Branagh, or the Swedish one. The Swedish one is excellent.

First series of Heroes is excellent. Life on Mars (the John Simm one, not the Keeley Hawes rubbish follow-up), and another John Simm offering, State of Play, which is fab.

The Following!

[i]got a bit silly IMO[/i]

MO is different from yours.

I really like Justified with Timothy Olyphante or whatever he's called.

You do need to sit through a fair few SOA's before it gets good, but it does get really good. Season 3 is a little weak but the rest are awesome.

I struggle with Person of Interest - the main character is just a bit too cheesy.

Suits is probably my favorite after The Wire. Superb acting, funny - very much worth a watch.

As for Game of Thrones, I must be missing something. I think its rubbish - your view may differ...

Got nowt to recommend as the OP watching habit are of a more 'serious nature' than ours but I will out a couple of suggestions:

"The following", well even though were watching it, were both shouting at the police/fbi for being the biggest dumbasses in the world, let alone the idea that 20/30 pychopaths will get all chummy & live together.
"Persons of interest", I love this but its just a modern equalizer

"fringe" loved every series except the last which was unnecessary, but doubt the OP will like it (please do try it though)

Ok maybe I recommend some - Awake, (just don't watch the last episode 😉 ) & Sherlock - how can you watch Elementary if you've seen Sherlock? Oh and maybe the Good wife, I don't watch it, but do tend to get sucked into lurking, when my partner does. OK one last favorite, "Life" quirky & great fun

...jumping on this thread any decent series that are not American?
I'm quite happy watching Breaking Bad, The Wire, Revolution, Walking Dead (and I recommend them all) but the other half is getting wound up by all the American accents on our TV!!

Oh and Lie To Me, I love that!

MO is different from yours.

makes the world go round 😆 will have to revisit then.

The Shield is quite entertaining, but sometimes gets a bit much.

This is a better bet...
[img] [/img]

West Wing

Not sure exactly where Oz lost the plot and where it regained it, but the first 2 series are fantastic, and ideal if you felt Breaking Bad just wasn't grim and amoral enough.

[img] [/img]The Shield. The last episode of the last series was the best thing I think I have watched on telly.
Just what did Vic do ?
I I think you could watch the last series first as you would want to know what caused the shit storm that lands at Vic's feet. Talk about every wrong doing coming back to bite you.

The complete run of The Shield is on Love Film Instant. The only reason I'm still subscribing.

banshee, first season just finished on Atlantic.

24

Luther

I've really enjoyed Arne Dal on BBC4. (not a Swedish word as it turns out, but the author's name)

Nordic cop stuff.

+1 for Luther

also Southland.

Another vote for Mad Men. Brilliant TV.

Banshee on Sky Atlantic is well worth a watch, a lot of sex and violence. The Following was very good too.

Luther is a blimming great series.
Dexter is immense.
SOA gets very ridiculous.
Bates Motel is great in a kooky way.
Revolution I watched the first one and though it was pap.
Walking dead is very good.
Breaking bad shouldn't have made the latest series IMHO.
Oh and the shield +100
That's my 2p

The Borgias.

How much Sons of Anarchy have you watched? You've got to get to the 2nd series before it really comes alive.
Best series ever by a fair margin I reckon.

Really? [i]Really?![/i]

It's bloody ridiculous. I mean, it's quite entertaining, but it's utter nonsense.

Booth at the end

I've set up series record for The Returned

Huff

[i]It's bloody ridiculous. I mean, it's quite entertaining, but it's utter nonsense.[/i]

Whereas everyone's favourite, "Breaking Bad" is like a documentary!

So, anyway talking of nonsense, "Banshee" ... I've watched a few and have it on series link, but well, its a bit shit isn't it?
Any reason I should keep watching?

Whereas everyone's favourite, "Breaking Bad" is like a documentary!

Yeah but Breaking Bad I would say has deliberate elements of black comedy/almost fantasy (not in a Game of Thrones sense) - whereas SOA seems to take itself very very seriously.

I dunno, I just find after watching something like the Wire it's very hard to find SOA plausible. The gangsters in The Wire are so incredibly cautious, whereas in SOA they just ride into a car park on their bikes, wearing their club jackets and say 'have you got the cash then? Here are the illegal guns you were after' and shake hands on it.

Another vote for Mad Men , class TV , though i have only seen first two seasons .

[b]

monkeychild

Agree re Breaking Bad. That was the point to end it. The yanks like to milk that cash cow though, same with Lost.

Thanks for all the ideas.
I'll give Mad Men and The Shield a try, I think.

Miami vice

Suits +1. Witty, barbed and some of the best written dialogue I've seen/heard on TV in a long time.

UK stuff if you can find them anywhere - first couple of series of Being Human, The Fades, In The Flesh. Recently, The Fall has been pretty good.

Old school - Ultraviolet from C4 was cool.

Nobody's mentioned Serenity/Firefly. Probably should.

As above really

Arne Dhal has been great
The Shield - we need more Vics
Justified - love Tim whatshisname
Deadwood - there he is again
Firefly/ Serenity - short but sweet
And yeah the BBC2/4 stuff like the Fades
Also really loving Gillian Anderson in The Fall, last episode on Monday coming

most of the stuff you've said you don't like takes in pretty much most of the genres that are out there. Until next season, you're just going to have to read a book. I'd recommend something but I doubt you'd like it. maybe read one of the literary supplements...

ART - Member
Arne Dhal has been great

Yeah, loving this - half way through Bad Blood at the moment. Proper good stuff.

If the OP didn't like BSG then i doubt firefly is going to cut the mustard.
'the americans' had a cracking opener last week. really promising i thought.

I also love Suits - the dialogue between characters is so well written!

Heard good things about The Fall - totally managed to miss it on tv. Might catch up with that some time.

Grimm is pretty good - allways watchable

Nobody's mentioned Serenity/Firefly. Probably should.

Finished watching that again last night actually.

Has nobody else seen the bridge? Scandinavian thing. Really good.

For something a bit lighter Modern Family has its funny moments.

Another recommendation for the West Wing - second best TV series imo (after the Wire). Can feel a bit dated in parts, and the first series is the weakest, but great tv.

What about Rome - lots of rude words and sex, but a great storyline (slighty messed up by a too quick final series as the third season was cancelled, but at least they finished it rather than leaving it hanging).

Surprised myself by how much I enjoyed the Good Wife as well - not as girly as I was expecting.

Nurse Jackie and the Mentalist are worth a look. And the West Wing.

For those that like Justified, you should also try Longmire.

Twin Peaks.

Utopia was pretty cool, quite weird, and has a pretty high body count for a British series.

Only a short series so far but In The Flesh was good (written by an old mate from school don't you know 🙂 ). Think it's being recommissioned.

How people can recommend The Following is beyond me, that show was ludicrous.
I second Southland.

Utopia was pretty cool, quite weird, and has a pretty high body count for a British series

Utopia was great fun - really liked the lengthy episodes, pretty much all feature film length but didn't feel that long at all

Luther was great but I thought the first series was much stronger than the second.

One thing thats frustrating about british stuff is the series are so short compared to US stuff. 6 episodes a season, maybe 3 seasons if you're lucky.

One exception is Ideal, quietly that grew into a massive series - just shy of 60 episodes, 100 characters. Although its not really in the same flavour as much of the above if you like it then theres lots of it to like.