I haven’t been watching much in terms of actual shows for a good while, then while listening to a podcast a host casually mentioned they had rewatched Chernobyl, how it still holds up, that there’s a reason it got as much acclaim as it did, etc. So I thought I’d give it a go and wow, loved it (still one episode left to watch).
Had me thinking, what else have I missed out on? What are some “absolute cinema” TV shows that still hold up and and are considered must watch?
I would say: Daria
It seems like a sitcom at first (I hate most sitcoms), but you slowly get to realize it actually is way more of a social critique of the american (neoliberal) society and it’s impact on children and teens.
Edit: I know it’s a spoiler but I can’t really find a way to let it reach it’s intended audience any other way.
So many good answers so i will only add ones i didnt see in the responses.
-
Supernatural (seasons ~1-5 before the storyline was extended)
-
The Last Of Us
-
Dark Matter
-
Archer
-
Game of Thrones (except the last season unfortunately, but the others are still worth watching regardless)
And since someone has already said black mirror, i would add Love Death & Robots, which is both very similar (tone & thematically) but also all over the place (artistically and storytelling wise).
-
A couple of clips to try to convince you to watch a couple of favorites I incessantly recommend:
Also The Bear, but every clip feels like a spoiler, so just WATCH IT ALL, PLEASE.
- Riget by Lars von Trier. Combines hospital drama with horror and adds a dash of black and absurd comedy into the mix. The third season was also quite watchable, but not as essential as the original show.
- Twin Peaks. All three seasons. Takes a quality dip some point at the second season but the third one really ups the ante and redeems.
- The Office UK. Peak cringe comedy throughout, with a dash of drama. The US version is alright, but really its own thing after the first seasons and not really comparable.
- Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Peak absurd humour. Some of the stuff probably doesn’t fly as well as it did over 50 years ago, but well worth the watch.
Some I didn’t see mentioned yet:
- Detectorists
- Kingdom (2019 - the south korean series)
- Ludwig
- Ozark
Fleabag - I can’t believe I didn’t see it yet in this thread. If you like Phoebe Waller-Bridge then you must see it, and if you’re not familiar with her yet, this is a great show to get to know her humor. It’s extremely funny and tugs on your emotions, mainly about love, trauma and family.
I slept on the Battlestar Galactica reboot from 2003. I’d catch glimpses of it when it was on air, but since it was a continuous storyline, I bounced off it and was lost. Recently decided to try it out, and I was immediately hooked. Great acting and a really interesting scenario.
Andor is superb, as others have said.
Firefly is a fantastic space western, beloved for good reason.
Turn: Washington’s Spies is a great historical spy series based on real spies in the American Revolution. Starts a bit slow but it really gets rolling after a couple episodes.
My family has had great things to say about Black Sails, a historical Pirate show.
If you haven’t seen Breaking Bad, strongly recommend it.
Common Side Effects is a masterpiece.
If you’re interested in Anime that goes for more adult themes, I can recommend Spice & Wolf, Cowboy Bebop, and Black Lagoon.
Comedy? Futurama (be ready to have your feels tickled)
More serious SF but still funny? The Orville
More more serious SF and not so funny, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Not at all funny and serious SF (anyone seeing a pattern?) Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009)
Extra credit serious SF, worth every hour, dated graphics and all, Babylon 5 Amazing stories, worth every minute it takes to watch it.
Chernobyl was a great show, yes, though technically so wrong on so many levels, but I guess it’s in part to make it more exciting
Another recommendation: The Orville. The true successor to Star Trek TNG and DS9. Especially the first two seasons are amazingly good
I’ll add something different to this thread and say Father Ted. It’s to this day the most hilarious show I’ve ever seen.
It’s about a priest that was assigned/exiled to a parish that houses some outcast priests on what must be the most depressing and ugly island to ever exist. It’s sitcom style, but with such a dry and outrageous sense of humor it’s really nothing like anything else.
Fargo Dirk Gentlys holistic detective agency Babylon Berlin Homeland I May Destroy You Fleabag The End of the Fking World
The Pitt.
It’s easily one of the best television shows ever made.
What We Do in the Shadows
(The movie first, then the TV series). Vampire faux-reality TV comedy. Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement made the movie it was based on, and were executive producers on the series, so it’s that sense of humour.
Better than the rest
-
The Wire & Homicide: Life on the Street (David Simon Box Set)
-
Atlanta
-
The Expanse
Comedy
- NewsRadio (for Maura Tierney and Dave Foley and Phil Hartman and Khandi Alexander and Vicki Lewis and Stephen Root)
- Schitt’s Creek
- Ted Lasso (Seasons 1 and 2)
- Murphy Brown
- Sex Education
Sci-Fi
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009)
- Dark
- Devs
- Altered Carbon (Season 1)
Drama
- The Newsroom
- Law & Order (seasons 1-8)
- Succession
- Severance
Intense Drama (TV-MA and little levity)
- Chernobyl
- Adolescence
- Utopia
- MR. ROBOT
- Luther
- True Detective (Season 1)
- Vince Gilligan Box Set (Better Call Saul & Breaking Bad & Plur1bus (has levity))
- Ozark
Anthology shows
- Black Mirror
- Love Death + Robots
Animated
- Rick and Morty
- Samurai Jack (2001-2004, 2017)
- Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008)
- Gravity Falls
- South Park
- Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Final Space
Perpetually on deck for me
- Fargo
- Andor
- Band of Brothers
- Barry
- Legion
- Letterkenny
- Bojack Horseman
- Scavenger’s Reign
- Fringe
-
From
