What Series to start watching?

[yogi]

Now that the Sopranos are over I'm looking for a new series to start watching that's out on DVD.

Please nothing like "John from Cincitucky". I watched some of "6 Feet Under" some years ago and never got into it.

I'm thinking "Rome" looks good. I loved the PBS series, "I Cladius".

I also always wanted to try and get into "Star Trek, The New Generation" being a big fan of the original, but missed the opening pilot and never got into it.

Other suggestions? I think there was a western series on HBO/Showtime., Dead Something? and also there's Band of Brothers, etc.

Give me some ranking guys!

Thanks for your help!

[Guest]

If you've never seen "Band of Brothers" before....

STOP EVERYTHING AND GO GET IT!!!!!!

"Deadwood" is what you're thinking of. Fantastic series with some of the best characters you've ever seen. Ian McShane playing Al Swerengen is the best single character on series TV since Tony Soprano.

After you watch it, you can understand why Swerb and I (and others) were so pissed that "John from Cincitucky" sucked so bad...I can't believe it was the same writer (David Milch, from NYPD Blue and Hill Street Blues writing fame).

Rome is also a great choice. "Relatively" accurate...at least as far as Ceasar, Mark Antony, Octavian, Cicero, etc...but the Polly Walker character of Octavian's mother is pure fabrication...but awfully fun to watch.

And it helps that they pretty much tell it through the eyes of two "everymen", Vorenus and Pullo, two soldiers that become best friends but are 100% opposites.

I've always heard the first season of "The Shield" is a great selection.

After taking a chance on the movie "Serenity", I'm wanting to go back and watch the series it was based on, "Firefly".

[swerb]

Yog, I'm with Mitch lock step on that post.

Band of Brothers is amazing. Thats a no brainer next endeavor for you.

I'm a huge fan of "The Wire". I'd start with season two. I'd go there next.

Then Deadwood, then Rome.

All are absolutely gripping hour dramas that blow the socks off anything on the networks, and most things at the theaters.

[mattvan1]

Agree that The Wire is essential, but disagree strongly about starting with Season 2. Season 1 is where it all begins, especially with longer running characters where you see their development over time. Definitely begin with Season 1, which I thought had a much better plot line and overall concept.

[peeker643]

Ditto all those. Have you seen Curb Your Enthusiasm already? Another outstanding HBO effort.

Rescue Me is also some top shelf TV if that's out there.

By the way, you can see entire episodes in some cases on youtube. Check something out before you buy it/rent it.

[jfiling]

Ditto "The Wire", but if you're looking for a quick sci-fi series to watch, you could do a lot worse than to watch the 13 episodes of "Firefly" followed by the movie Serenity.

[swerb]

Agree that The Wire is essential, but disagree strongly about starting with Season 2. Season 1 is where it all begins, especially with longer running characters where you see their development over time. Definitely begin with Season 1, which I thought had a much better plot line and overall concept.

Good point matt. Season 2 was my favorite, I jumped the gun.

[FUDU]

Don't know if it is a series or not but I am loving The Company.

Seems we are in a CIA trend all of a sudden with this and The Good Shepherd.

[buddycowley]

1. Watched the first episode of Flash Gordon. It blew harder than Jenna Jameson circa 2000.

2. If you've never seen Weeds, start watching that one right away. One great show.

3. Heroes is still the best show I've seen in a few years.

Buddy

[Guest]

Dexter is awesome if you haven't seen that.
They are showing the season one episodes now on Showtime.

[sandlot33]

Burn Notice is my new favorite series, i thought I would hate it but watched it with my woman and can't wait till Thursdays now

great show

[yogi]

Thanks for the responses guys.

Is Band of Brothers as graphic as "Saving Private Ryan"?
Language rough? I'd like to watch with my sons (11 & 10) but not required. I had an uncle that lost his life as a paratrooper on D-Day so I like to teach my boys about WWII what with the family history.

How about 24? I see threads all the time for that series? Where does that stand onthe list?

No Trekkie fans?

Is anybody watching "Burning in th Bronx"? Me being a Yankee fan and living through that time w/ Son of Sam and all , I find fascinating. The guy doing Billy Martin is great!

[swerb]

Is Band of Brothers as graphic as "Saving Private Ryan"?
Language rough? I'd like to watch with my sons (11 & 10) but not required. I had an uncle that lost his life as a paratrooper on D-Day so I like to teach my boys about WWII what with the family history.

Band of Brothers is every bit as rough as Saving Private Ryan, from both a language and graphic violence standpoint. That said, given your family history, it's really a must see. It profiles the Easy Company paratrooper squadron from traning in England, to getting the call, to dropping into France, to smoking stogies in Hitlers mansion.

It's absolutely incredible.

How about 24? I see threads all the time for that series? Where does that stand onthe list?

The early seasons of 24 were spectacular, and got gradually more hard to believe and far fetched. The first 3-4 seasons were as good as netowrk TV gets, and even at its worst (last 2 seasons) ... is stil better than most of the crap on TV. Kiefer Sutherland is great as the lead in the show.

[jfiling]

No Trekkie fans?

I am, but my favorite was "Deep Space Nine", which rocked the socks off the whole Star Trek concept of a future utopia. It was more of a 7-year storyline, instead of just random adventures in space. Highly recommended.

[yogi]

I'll start watching "Band of Brothers".

One question for the Star Trek series, does one need to watch the series in order, the next generation, the next one, deep space 9?

Or can I pick up and enjoy Deep Space w/o ever watching TNG?

[Guest]

I don't know that you can really get into DS9 without watching at least one season of TNG. There are a lot of overlapping stories, and you almost have to be familiar with the politics that are introduced in TNG to get into the dynamics of DS9.

Plus, there is some serious back history between Sisko and Picard.

[mattvan1]

Good point matt. Season 2 was my favorite, I jumped the gun.

Better than jumping the shark

[Naxos]

Burn Notice is my new favorite series, i thought I would hate it but watched it with my woman and can't wait till Thursdays now

great show

Great show. I second this recommendation highly. Best show of the summer that I have come across.

DVR or watch it tonight.

[Stolliosis]

Burn Notice is my new favorite series, i thought I would hate it but watched it with my woman and can't wait till Thursdays now

great show

Great show. I second this recommendation highly. Best show of the summer that I have come across.

DVR or watch it tonight.

Excellent call on Burn Notice. After seeing previews for it, I didn't think I'd like it until I happened to catch it one Saturday afternoon and I was hooked. Plus you can't go wrong when Bruce Campbell is involved.

Between this show and Psych, USA is the only channel I've been watching this summer.

[Guest]

Anyone one else watching Flight of the Conchords after Entourage?
It's pretty damn funny, some of the songs they do are hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndg2oALrJPc

[FUDU]

I believe the Company just ended tonight, it appeared to be a mini series. IMO it was good enough to warrant a full fledged 13 episode series.

CIA stuff is very addicting and suspenseful, at least to me. This mini series covered decades worth of espionage, I would think a full time series could take it's time and cover a few different angles of 2 decades a season.

Micheal Keaton was very good in this IMO, for a guy that lacks a lot of opportunity lately he seemed to eat this up. Robin (Chris whatever his name is) was a decent role as well, helps shake his artsy fartsy light in the sneakers Robin type cast IMO.

I hope it comes back in some form.

[VultureHxC]

heroes is great. dexter is a good one. i still really like lost too

[jfiling]

Speaking of Heroes, I think you can watch the entire season one online at nbc.com. Great way to prep for the upcoming season.

[StewieG]

Heroes also gets my vote. Jericho is pretty decent as well, but it's one of those shows where you either love it or hate it.

[comish]

Entourage BY FAR the best show on TV right now! Wish it was more than a half hour

[macgowan]

"Rescue Me," the best show in the history of television after Seinfeld.