I need a new show...

[arctic_rogue]

I'm halfway through the first season of House of Cards. That show is soooooo good!

+1 to this. Fantastic show!

I'm also a fan of the BBC series Luther. Super short seasons though.

[metaldude26]

Yeah I liked that at first but my wife insisted on burning thru it in 2 days and I got totally overdosed on it. -lol The big problem I feel the show has already developed by the end of Season 1 is the same problem that plagued Weeds. He basically writes himself into a corner with it such that the only way to keep the plot going is progressively more ridiculous scenarios. It's a shame too because it's otherwise a cool concept and a good mix of drama and humor

You mean she, right?

[STONE.]

Mentioned a few times in here, but I'll toss it out again.
We're just about to watch another episode of Homeland. Every episode so far has been freaking fantastic. We're trying to not watch more than 1-2 episodes per night so we don't fly through season 1-2. I hate waiting. We'll catch up eventually.

[AtlantaSportsFan]

I can concur with Stone's opinion. Homeland is just quite simply amazing. I didn't have the leisure of watching episodes back-to-back because I watched when it first aired. But when I eventually did my re-watch on Blu, I think I knocked both seasons out in three days. It can get addicting. You need to have some time on your hand to watch some of these TV shows, especially if you're trying to catch up.

I just finished catching up on AMC's Hell on Wheels. I watched both seasons in about a week. Pretty good show if you like cowboys and a "westernish" type setting that takes place around the industrial revolution.

I'd like to add that another underrated show that doesn't get much pop is HBO's The Newsroom. It's some great work by Aaron Sorkin. I highly recommend it to anyone that has the patience for a political drama.

[Daydream Nation]

Edit: never mind I think I misunderstood your comment. Thought you were referring to the Wire.

Huh, Couldn't disagree more. 3 and 4 (especially 4) are my favourites by far. Love the angles in both.

I did the same thing. Typed up a response and then realized he wasn't talking about The Wire. I don't think TWD falls apart. It could just be better than it is.

House of Cards --> fantastic
Homeland --> good to very good; season 2 didn't get as stellar reviews as season 1

My wife and I watched the first episode of Newsroom over the weekend and that was excellent. Definitely looking forward to continuing that series.

Finally, we have been finishing up season 5 of Trueblood and it has been torture. What used to be a somewhat interesting, guilty pleasure show that we used to watched has turned into to big pile of crap. We really enjoyed the first couple seasons but it has become almost unwatchable.

[PrairieDog]

Finally, we have been finishing up season 5 of Trueblood and it has been torture. What used to be a somewhat interesting, guilty pleasure show that we used to watched has turned into to big pile of crap. We really enjoyed the first couple seasons but it has become almost unwatchable.

Yep, I stopped watching it last season - just couldn't take it anymore, it became completely ridiculous.

[mister_mcgoo]

I did the same thing. Typed up a response and then realized he wasn't talking about The Wire. I don't think TWD falls apart. It could just be better than it is.

Oh don't even get me started, it definitely falls to pieces. I LOVED this show when it first aired, I was really excited to finally have a great zombie show. Go back and watch season 1, especially the first few episodes. The cinematography is awesome, it 'feels' legitimately scary like a good thriller/horror flick, you are fully invested in the characters and drawn into the story. Then put on a season 2 episode and tell me it didn't go right down the shitter. WTF happened to the story? The characters? And the development between the two? Why does it all feel contrived and implausible? Because it is!

Seriously, I can see the season 2 writers sitting around a table working out a new episode. "OK guys we need a scary zombie scene, how do we set it up?"..."How bout we get Carl to run off on his own?" (for the 28th time, despite being ordered to stay put for once)..."Brilliant! what else?"...."um we could get Lori to not tell anyone and chase after him?" (for the 21st time, despite everything)..."Awesome! Lets run with it, we have an episode folks! Yayyyyyy!"

They ruined so many of the characters in season 2, wtf happens to Shane??? He was a complex character with complex emotions: guilt, love, anger etc and they had so many interesting options for how they could have built off that and built the story around that. Instead they reduced him to this one-dimensional aggro douchebag with no resemblance to the character that they had created, it was a Jekyll & Hyde like transformation that was as unlikely as it was painful to watch.

The big problem is that they fired Frank Darabont, the dude responsible for season 1 (you might remember him from such screenplays as Shawshank Redemption). Basically AMC wasn't happy with just having the best new drama on TV, and a fantastic advertising cash cow, that wasn't enough, they had to make even more money, so they cut the budget (from 3.4 mil to 2.7mil and also pocketed all of the 30% tax credit the show gets from filming in GA), increased the episodes (to 13 from 6), and mandated that they had to film half the show inside (filing inside is cheaper). Frank stood up for the integrity of the show so they fired him. The result is like if you only let Francis Ford Coppola write the first 30 mins of the screenplay to Godfather and then brought in M. Night Shyamalan to finish it off, it's ****ing garbage.

PS: sorry for the rant, I haven't been this upset over a TV show in awhile

[blayze]

Agreed... walking dead fell off a cliff FAST. The downward spiral all started when they cut the budget resulting in half a season of Days of Our Lives taking place at Hershel's farm of boredom.

[Pengwin7]

I'd like to add that another underrated show that doesn't get much pop is HBO's The Newsroom. It's some great work by Aaron Sorkin. I highly recommend it to anyone that has the patience for a political drama.

I watched the first two episodes (Disc 1) this past weekend.
Very, very good. Awesome characters - from the first two shows review.

[Dakkster]

Oh don't even get me started, it definitely falls to pieces. I LOVED this show when it first aired, I was really excited to finally have a great zombie show. Go back and watch season 1, especially the first few episodes. The cinematography is awesome, it 'feels' legitimately scary like a good thriller/horror flick, you are fully invested in the characters and drawn into the story. Then put on a season 2 episode and tell me it didn't go right down the shitter. WTF happened to the story? The characters? And the development between the two? Why does it all feel contrived and implausible? Because it is!

Seriously, I can see the season 2 writers sitting around a table working out a new episode. "OK guys we need a scary zombie scene, how do we set it up?"..."How bout we get Carl to run off on his own?" (for the 28th time, despite being ordered to stay put for once)..."Brilliant! what else?"...."um we could get Lori to not tell anyone and chase after him?" (for the 21st time, despite everything)..."Awesome! Lets run with it, we have an episode folks! Yayyyyyy!"

They ruined so many of the characters in season 2, wtf happens to Shane??? He was a complex character with complex emotions: guilt, love, anger etc and they had so many interesting options for how they could have built off that and built the story around that. Instead they reduced him to this one-dimensional aggro douchebag with no resemblance to the character that they had created, it was a Jekyll & Hyde like transformation that was as unlikely as it was painful to watch.

The big problem is that they fired Frank Darabont, the dude responsible for season 1 (you might remember him from such screenplays as Shawshank Redemption). Basically AMC wasn't happy with just having the best new drama on TV, and a fantastic advertising cash cow, that wasn't enough, they had to make even more money, so they cut the budget (from 3.4 mil to 2.7mil and also pocketed all of the 30% tax credit the show gets from filming in GA), increased the episodes (to 13 from 6), and mandated that they had to film half the show inside (filing inside is cheaper). Frank stood up for the integrity of the show so they fired him. The result is like if you only let Francis Ford Coppola write the first 30 mins of the screenplay to Godfather and then brought in M. Night Shyamalan to finish it off, it's ****ing garbage.

PS: sorry for the rant, I haven't been this upset over a TV show in awhile

[theslymonkey]

Can someone tell me if I should be continuing to watch The Wire. I have watched the first four episodes, and the show is crawling.

I just finished Game of Thrones, and I am waiting with great anticipation for Breaking Bad to continue. So I can sympathize with blayze, in that I need a new show to dive into.

Do I continue to suffer through The Wire, hoping that I will see some promise, or just swap into Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Entourage, House of Cards or OZ.

[Daydream Nation]

Oh don't even get me started, it definitely falls to pieces. I LOVED this show when it first aired, I was really excited to finally have a great zombie show. Go back and watch season 1, especially the first few episodes. The cinematography is awesome, it 'feels' legitimately scary like a good thriller/horror flick, you are fully invested in the characters and drawn into the story. Then put on a season 2 episode and tell me it didn't go right down the shitter. WTF happened to the story? The characters? And the development between the two? Why does it all feel contrived and implausible? Because it is!

Seriously, I can see the season 2 writers sitting around a table working out a new episode. "OK guys we need a scary zombie scene, how do we set it up?"..."How bout we get Carl to run off on his own?" (for the 28th time, despite being ordered to stay put for once)..."Brilliant! what else?"...."um we could get Lori to not tell anyone and chase after him?" (for the 21st time, despite everything)..."Awesome! Lets run with it, we have an episode folks! Yayyyyyy!"

They ruined so many of the characters in season 2, wtf happens to Shane??? He was a complex character with complex emotions: guilt, love, anger etc and they had so many interesting options for how they could have built off that and built the story around that. Instead they reduced him to this one-dimensional aggro douchebag with no resemblance to the character that they had created, it was a Jekyll & Hyde like transformation that was as unlikely as it was painful to watch.

The big problem is that they fired Frank Darabont, the dude responsible for season 1 (you might remember him from such screenplays as Shawshank Redemption). Basically AMC wasn't happy with just having the best new drama on TV, and a fantastic advertising cash cow, that wasn't enough, they had to make even more money, so they cut the budget (from 3.4 mil to 2.7mil and also pocketed all of the 30% tax credit the show gets from filming in GA), increased the episodes (to 13 from 6), and mandated that they had to film half the show inside (filing inside is cheaper). Frank stood up for the integrity of the show so they fired him. The result is like if you only let Francis Ford Coppola write the first 30 mins of the screenplay to Godfather and then brought in M. Night Shyamalan to finish it off, it's ****ing garbage.

PS: sorry for the rant, I haven't been this upset over a TV show in awhile

Disagree McGoo. "Falls to pieces" and f&%^$# garbage is hyperbole. It could be better and it is frustrating but it is still a very entertaining show.

[blayze]

Can someone tell me if I should be continuing to watch The Wire. I have watched the first four episodes, and the show is crawling.

I just finished Game of Thrones, and I am waiting with great anticipation for Breaking Bad to continue. So I can sympathize with blayze, in that I need a new show to dive into.

Do I continue to suffer through The Wire, hoping that I will see some promise, or just swap into Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Entourage, House of Cards or OZ.

I was in your exact position (when I started this thread 3 months ago... christ has it been 3 months already!?! I'm getting ****ing old...) and I ended up going with Mad Men. I'm now halfway through season 6 and I can honestly say I would make the same choice all over again. Fantastic show. Granted it's lost its lustre a bit over the last two seasons, but I still really enjoy it.

Be forewarned that it starts slow and takes a while to get into, but it is immensely rewarding once you get hooked. It's not the type of show for those looking for action or something light... so if that's your thing then it's probably not worth your time investment, but if you have a genuine appreciation for smart directing, interesting characters, good acting and witty dialogue then you will definitely enjoy it.

[blayze]

Once I wrap up Mad Men, I'm thinking my next series will be the Wire. Hard to ignore given the almost unanimous rave reviews in this thread... and it'll serve as a nice contrast to the slow-burn and heaviness of Mad Men over the past 3 months.

By the time I'm done with the Wire then I should also be done with Book 5 of Game of Thrones which means I can FINALLY enjoy the TV series without it ruining the books for me.

[Daydream Nation]

Can someone tell me if I should be continuing to watch The Wire. I have watched the first four episodes, and the show is crawling.

Do I continue to suffer through The Wire, hoping that I will see some promise, or just swap into Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Entourage, House of Cards or OZ.

Definitely continue watching! 4 episodes was not enough for me. I had my doubts as well after the first couple episodes and it took 6-7 episodes before I was completely hooked. It helped when I put on the closed captioning since I couldn't understand everything that was being said.

You could also finish season 1 then swap to another show such as House of Cards for a season.