Recomendation for good TV shows
June 2, 2013 12:51 PM

Help! I am in need of a good TV show to watch online. Here are some of my favorite to give you an idea of what I like: Homeland, Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Louie, Veep, Girls, Sherlock, The Wire, Deadwood, The Americans, Game of Thrones, The Killing, and Top Chef. Thanks!
posted by bjharl to Media & Arts (31 answers total) 24 users marked this as a favorite
I am really enjoying "The Tudors" on Netflix. It seems some of the scandals seen in recently released TV shows might have been around since the 16th century :-)

If you can find it - "The Fall" is a British TV show with high ratings. And since I love reading the Guardian - here is there TV section (US)
posted by nostrada at 12:55 PM on June 2, 2013


Top of the Lake is a recent show centered around one whodunit that takes place in rural New Zealand. It's pretty good, and on Netflix.
posted by Maecenas at 12:57 PM on June 2, 2013


Do the shows you like have something in common?
posted by box at 12:57 PM on June 2, 2013


We like some of the same shows, so my previous question may be of some help.
posted by desjardins at 12:57 PM on June 2, 2013


If you like Top Chef, you might like "Face Off," which is a really nicely-done competition for movie prosthetics makeup, or "Project Runway" (fashion competition) or "The Next Food Network Star" (food competition with a TV show angle), or "Chopped" or "Sweet Genius" (short-form cooking competition shows) or "The Taste" (a different take on cooking competitions).
posted by xingcat at 12:59 PM on June 2, 2013


I like some of those shows. I also like:

Veronica Mars
Castle
Jericho
Chopped
So You Think You Can Dance
White Collar
Once Upon a Time
Firefly
Buffy
posted by firei at 1:13 PM on June 2, 2013


How about some more british shows?

Chef!
Peep Show
Spaced
Shameless
Prime Suspect
posted by meta87 at 1:15 PM on June 2, 2013


We've watched and enjoyed many on your list and also enjoyed House of Cards. It's on netflix.
posted by 58 at 1:22 PM on June 2, 2013


Hannibal is on Hulu.
posted by macadamiaranch at 1:25 PM on June 2, 2013


Scandal. Justified. The first two or three seasons of Oz from HBO (I loved all of the show but it gets really soapy by the end).
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 1:33 PM on June 2, 2013


If you liked The Killing, I'd highly recommend watching Forbrydelsen, the original Danish version of The Killing, and Bron|Broen, which is a similar Danish/Swedish show. If you can find Game of Thrones online, you can find these. (Wallander is a great Swedish murder-mystery show as well. Skip the British version.)

You may also like Engrenages (Spiral), a French cop drama that ran on BBC4 subtitled in English. The first 3 seasons are on Netflix and the last is on the BBC4 website (use a VPN like TunnelBear to watch it).
posted by desjardins at 2:05 PM on June 2, 2013


Orphan Black
Hannibal
Luther
posted by lovecrafty at 2:07 PM on June 2, 2013


Already recommended, but definitely Justified.

Warning about Jericho - it got cancelled too early and the second season dies a slow death and is very weird. It's just painful because it could have been such a good show. Still loved the first season though!
posted by belau at 2:41 PM on June 2, 2013


Glad to see the numerous mentions -- I thought I was the only one who watched it:

Justified

Start from the beginning, stay for Margo Martindale (Claudia in The Americans) and her Emmy-winning portrayal of Mags Bennett starting in season two and then toolateyou'rehookednow!

Orphan Black is also very good.
posted by Room 641-A at 2:54 PM on June 2, 2013


Mad Men?
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 3:12 PM on June 2, 2013


I pretty much like all of the same shows. If you have HBO Go, we just finished watching Carnivale and loved it. And Treme is one of my favorite shows of all time.

Also, Friday Night Lights is extraordinary. Like everyone says: you don't have to care about football at all (I don't).

If you like The Killing, a lot of dark British mysteries like Prime Suspect and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries are good. And both Top of the Lake and Rectify are great.
posted by theuninvitedguest at 3:21 PM on June 2, 2013


Ack! Elementary! Don't miss Elementary...Jonny Lee Miller, one delish Brit.
posted by Lornalulu at 3:33 PM on June 2, 2013


As a major fan of The Wire, my recs are:

The Shield (indeed, I have debated with friends which of the two is better, which I never would have anticipated)
Veronica Mars -- which has a very interesting theme of outcasts and outsiders and what the effects of those are
Generation Kill -- because David Simon is a damn genius
Homicide: Life on the Streets -- the first TV project in which Simon was involved
Six Feet Under, because you owe it to yourself
And
I have to say it
The West Wing. Only started watching it recently And I totally love it.

Have fun!
posted by janey47 at 3:41 PM on June 2, 2013


If you can find it, there's an Italian series (subtitled in English), called "Montalbano". It's based on the Inspector Montalbano books by Andrea Camilleri, about a Silcilian police detective --- and if you can't find the TV series, I heartily recommend reading those books!
posted by easily confused at 4:21 PM on June 2, 2013


Seconding Hannibal. I like a lot of the same shows as you and Hannibal is my absolute favorite show airing right now. I thought it was going to suuuuuuck because come on. A prequel of Red Dragon/Silence of the Lambs, like, 20 years after the originals. DUMB. But no, it's really clever and well-acted and beautifully shot and awesome. (Also, if you're into that, Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen are super-duper hot.) (Also, strong female characters.)
posted by Aquifer at 6:28 PM on June 2, 2013


Fringe
posted by Rob Rockets at 7:41 PM on June 2, 2013


Another British series: Case Histories, which is wonderful. Nthing Justified. The first three seasons of Southland. The series Life from a few years ago, with Damian Lewis. You like a lot of the same stuff as me, so give those a try.
posted by emcat8 at 10:47 PM on June 2, 2013


I claudius from the 70, s with derek jacobi. BBC I think.
posted by BenPens at 1:54 AM on June 3, 2013


I haven't finished it yet, but so far I am very much enjoying Lillyhammer. It's a show about a NYC mobster (Steven Van Zandt) put into witness protection in Lillehammer, Norway where shenanigans occur. Very funny.
posted by Grither at 4:48 AM on June 3, 2013


(how are some of these shows specifically "online"?)

I recommend THE HOUR, a British series about newscasters in the 1950's. But I don't know about its "online-edness."
posted by DMelanogaster at 6:29 AM on June 3, 2013


Try some of the Showtime shows: Weeds, Dexter, Californication. Justified for sure, and you might also like Sons of Anarchy.
posted by willnot at 7:16 AM on June 3, 2013


Slings & Arrows: Canadian television at its absolute finest (surprisingly, not an oxymoron...). It's available on Amazon streaming and was (until yesterday) available on Netflix, so might be back there soon.

Also seconding West Wing, and one-billionthing Firefly.

But first watch Slings and Arrows. You shan't be disappointed.
posted by Dorinda at 7:39 AM on June 3, 2013


Firefly
Pushing Daisies
Mad Med
Arrested Development
Dexter
Community
Rome
Battlestar Galatica
Generation Kill
Carnivale
Sopranos
Babylon 5
The Office
Lost
Modern Family
posted by 6ATR at 8:19 AM on June 3, 2013


Mad Men (streaming on Netflix)
Six Feet Under (HBO)
Peep Show (Netflix)
Undeclared and Freaks and Geeks (Netflix)
Glee (Netflix/Hulu)
Parks and Recreation (Netflix)
Daria (free to stream if you have Amazon Prime)


MTV puts nearly all of their shows online, and I actually think that their documentary show True Life (all episodes are free streaming online) is really great. I mean, it's not exactly This American Life, but it's still pretty darn good most of the time.
posted by forkisbetter at 10:08 AM on June 3, 2013


Revenge (Season 1 currently streaming on Netflix)
posted by xiaolongbao at 2:56 PM on June 3, 2013


I loved The Following on Fox. It stars Kevin Bacon. I found it quite compelling. I also love weeds (steams on Netflix). I am just starting Revenge. People also love, love, love Scandal.
posted by Jewel98 at 9:36 PM on June 3, 2013


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