jawa asks... What are your all-time favourite TV series?

What are your all-time favourite TV series?

Yep, this is gonna be tough! What TV series have you enjoyed most over the years? It's challenging to compare different styles of series, but let's give it a go!

My personal choices are:

1) Breaking Bad - Some excellent characters and a gripping storyline.
2) Better Call Saul - Maybe not quite as good as Breaking, but this spin-off series has been terrific.
3) Farscape - A tremendous scri-fi series with interesting characters and a big range of adventures. On any given day my top three could be pretty interchangeable!
4) Lost - I love the mysterious vibe. The ending didn't really resolve all the questions that built up but the journey as a whole was so intriguing.
5) The X-Files - This had such a varied range of storylines and was always interesting. The truth was always out there!
6) Blackadder - Series 2, 3 and 4 remain eminently watchable; the core characters are just so good.
7) Only Fools and Horses - The characters are so funny but also endearing; you felt like there was a bit of "real life" in some of those situations and a laugh was never far away.
8) Doctor Who - An incredible array of characters and stories over the years. The older series have, obviously, dated now but remain fun. I hugely enjoyed the "new" series (2005 onwards) albeit the past few series have been, for my tastes, a letdown. I dunno if TWA/Matt will be delighted that I've included it or mad 'cos it's a little down the list!
9) Desperate Housewives - High camp combined with a range of fun and sad stories; I really enjoyed it, especially those earlier seasons.

So what are your favourites? I feel sure that I've forgotten a few and so I'm ready to update my selection based upon what you folks post here :-).

Hard to really rank them all.

The Wire
The Sopranos
Lost
The Shield
Breaking Bad
Better Call Saul
Homeland
24
Battlestar Galactica
The Expanse
The Killing (original)
The Bridge
Marcella

Jam-Master Jay wrote:...24...

That did sound to be pretty good, Jay, although I've never seen it! I saw that it's now on Disney+. Is it still worth a look?

its the Wire, no contest

<]:^D wrote:its the Wire, no contest

I don't know much about that beyond it being a police series, <]:^D. I believe it was pretty "hard-hitting"?

jawa_ wrote:
Jam-Master Jay wrote:...24...

That did sound to be pretty good, Jay, although I've never seen it! I saw that it's now on Disney+. Is it still worth a look?

Absolutely, jawa. You would be in for a real treat if you watch 24 for the first time. :wub:

jawa_ wrote:
Jam-Master Jay wrote:...24...

That did sound to be pretty good, Jay, although I've never seen it! I saw that it's now on Disney+. Is it still worth a look?

24 is awesome jawa, give it a try! Season 1 works as a standalone story so you don't have to worry about committing to the whole thing if you're worried about the time investment.

Last edited by <]:^D on Sat May 07, 2022 12:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

jawa_ wrote:
<]:^D wrote:its the Wire, no contest

I don't know much about that beyond it being a police series, <]:^D. I believe it was pretty "hard-hitting"?

its the only tv series ive watched multiple times (i think 3 or 4, cant remember). it just has so much depth, pathos.
yes the acting is variable (but generally very good) but it covers so much ground and so many characters and ideas. you watch it and just look for so many details and interpretations. its brilliant. its not just a police series (although it definitely starts out like one) - its more like a series about the underbelly of Baltimore

Jam-Master Jay wrote:Absolutely, jawa. You would be in for a real treat if you watch 24 for the first time.

I'll put it onto my list, then! I recall it as being hugely popular during the first showing.

Sopranos
24
West Wing
Breaking Bad
Narcos
ER
Game of Thrones

All off the top of my head

more heat than light wrote:24 is awesome jawa, give it a try! Season 1 works as a standalone story so you don't have to worry about committing to the whole thing if you're worried about the time investment.

Good to hear more positive feedback about 24, mhtl. Will give it a go!

<]:^D wrote:(The Wire is) the only tv series ive watched multiple times (i think 3 or 4, cant remember). it just has so much depth, pathos.
yes the acting is variable (but generally very good) but it covers so much ground and so many characters and ideas. you watch it and just look for so many details and interpretations. its brilliant.

It sure does sound to be great and I remember that my brother was well into it when it was first shown. It looks like it's streamed on HBO Max / Now which I don't have, but I'll look out for it in the future.

KingK wrote:...Game of Thrones...

I recall plenty of people being crazy for this, KingK! I've not seen any of it and don't really know much about it... I think my brother's family have it on disc, though.

Off the top of my head and in no order

Farscape
Star Trek - Next Generation and DS9
Quantum Leap (hated the ending though)
Transformers (original series)
Dungeons and Dragons
probably loads of 80s cartoons
Profit (short lived drama that no one has heard of)
Due South

Last edited by Squinty on Sat May 07, 2022 1:34 pm, edited 4 times in total.

Battlestar Galactica. I mean, I've got Adama in my avatar (still thinking bout that Adama Maneuver :datass:

).

I can be critical of BSG. It was quite clear they were making it up as they went along. But it hits high points that no show has ever hit for me. I'm completely invested in it whenever I rewatch. It's a serious show with a lot of emotional punch at times. The stakes are high and it feels tense. Also greatest soundtrack in a TV show. I'm due my 5th rewatch I think :lol:

Honourables are Breaking Bad and Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood. Those are fantastic I think.

Outrunner wrote:Due South

One of my absolute faves :wub:

Also

Rome
Star Trek (nothing past DS9 though)
ER
Father Ted
Spartacus
V (the old one, obviously, not the remake)
Starsky and Hutch

Loads more I've forgotten about in this moment, I'm sure.

Last edited by Imrahil on Sat May 07, 2022 2:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Blackadder (especially III)
Father Ted

Two of the most sharply written comedy shows of all time.

I'd also add Firefly to the sci-fi shows already mentioned. Tragically cut short by Fox but I think it's still one of the very best TV sci-fi shows of all time despite that. BSG is good but a little too dry and meandering at times.

The Sopranos
Only Fools and Horses
Minder
The Sweeney
Father Ted
Red Dwarf
Peep Show

Black Books - my all time go to show. Its my own little book of calm :lol:

Peep Show - We all know what the secret ingredient to this show is. Crime.
Orange Is The New Black
Bottom.

Loads of my favourites already been mentioned, but I’d also add Ozark, although I’ve still got just a few more episodes to go on that, and Friday Night Lights.

Jawa asks branching out beyond games I see.

FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood - Simply the best anime I've watched. Great action, great characters, great plot, minimal fanservice. Just great.
Person of Interest - Simply the best telly drama I've watched, with some light sci-fi mixed in and a very good main cast.
Stranger/The Silent Forest - K-drama currently available on Netflix (under the name Stranger), about an emotionless yet morally upstanding prosecutor and the scum around him. Probably my favourite telly romance, if it can be called such a thing.
Hikaru No Go - Not sure if this is on my list because it's actually great or because I binged it while revising for my finals and I associate it with the last extended and truly free time of my life. Probably both? Boy possessed by ghost, except ghost just wants to play the boardgame go. Good characters, charming development, and no go knowledge needed.
Blackadder - What more needs saying?

The IT Crowd gets an honourable mention, but: Linehan. :dread:

jawa asks... What are your all-time favourite TV series?

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