More like a miniseries, but HBO’s Chernobyl. Some of the best television I’ve ever seen.
I did watch it twice already. The third rewatch is nearing, now that you make think about it.
It’s so damn good! If OP only were to pick a single show from the recommendations here, it should be Chernobyl.
This is a masterpiece. really increeible show
I thought it was a little too “Hollywood”.
I’ve not owned a TV since 2006 and never watch series yet I’ve seen Chernobyl and would recommend
As a scifi buff: Battlestar Galactica, and The Expanse were excellent. Nightsky was also a really good watch even though it was slow moving, and was more about relationships than SciFi
The Expanse is magnificent. And they are at the perfect time to get certain actors back to continue with the Laconia story in the last three books. I want it so badly.
I’m 60% through the last book, it’s so good!
There was a reason they killed off Alex…
I hate Battlestar Galactica so much. The original mini series was amazing. But when it got picked up, it quickly became obvious that the writers had no idea what they were doing and just made shit up from episode to episode. It was so bad. From what I’ve heard, Lost is another example of this. It’s one of the reasons why I prefer movies. The entire story is clear from the get go and there is no creative bullshit happening for no reason. This is one of the reasons why Chernobyl and Andor are so damn good, because the story was complete before they started shooting. I think it’s better now in the age of streaming.
I agree on lost it got stupid. Battlestar had a full over arching story line though.
I’m in the middle of a BSG rewatch right now, and I still love it.
I can see how someone would say that they weren’t sure what they were going to do when they hit season 3. But the first season felt very tight. The miniseries had the cliffhanger that one of the main cast was a cylon. It’s hard to argue that the first few episodes didn’t build on that cliffhanger.
If you’re saying that at the start of the series they didn’t know how they were going to end it, sure. There aren’t a lot of shows that have a multi-season arc all planned out in advance. Babylon 5 is one of the few I know of that did. The problem is that they never know when they’re going to be cancelled, so there’s no point in trying to make a huge story arc when they will probably have to end the story early.
As for movies being better, it’s true that they can tell a longer story than a TV series. But a 2 hour movie is basically only 3 episodes of a TV show (at 45 minutes + commercials each). Movies suffer because everything has to be introduced and resolved so quickly. The “creative bullshit happening for no reason” is often foreshadowing of something that will only be resolved many episodes later.
I’m feeling so-so about The Expanse. I enjoyed the first few books and seasons, but it didn’t really capture me once they went through the gate.
I had similar thoughts. I was able to read the books through the parts that I liked less, and I really liked the story as a whole. I was not able to continue with the series. It’s not even bad, but episode after episode there was no meaningful progress, and I just stopped
Obligatory Firefly mention.
And if you like Firefly but know nothing about anime, then Cowboy Bebop!
The best two shows for fans of criminally short series.
The Cowboy Bebop live action was offensive to anyone who loves anything about the anime. The anime itself is still criminally short.
Yeah Firefly is amazing, even for people who don’t normally like its genres. Avoid the movie Serenity tho.
Occupied, a Norwegian show about Norway trying to stop being a petrostate.
Already mentioned: Chernobyl, Deadwood (avoid its movie), Six Feet Under (the finale is amazing).
What’s wrong with Serenity?
If Firefly is about the little people, then Serenity is about James Bond.
Lots of people liked Serenity, but I think it was like a studio-made sequel: more, bigger, more, for no good reason.
I am re-watching Jaynestown as I type this comment.
The Good Place. Funny, compelling, I cried through the final episode. It also doesn’t waste your time, things will happen mid-season that any other show would have dragged out for the season finale.
- A&E’s Nero Wolfe
- Agatha Christie’s Poirot (with David Suchet)
- The Expanse
- Star Trek: TNG
- Fleabag (season 2 is a masterpiece, and I don’t throw that word around)
- For All Mankind
- Archane (season 1 is another masterpiece)
- Penny Dreadful (it dips in quality in the later seasons, but worth it for the Frankenstein’s monster story alone)
EDIT:
- Coupling (UK) - Thr first two seasons
- Keeping Up Appearances
- IT Crowd
Poirot, Coupling and IT Crowd are some of the best telly ever created in my opinion.
Just as I was reading this, I noticed that as a result of my headphones, I had a hot ear. IYKYK.
Fleabag x2
I started Arcane, and pretty soon I felt like they were just ripping off a lot from the 80’s Shuiten and Peeter’s graphic novels, that I just quit.
OK. It’s a French animation studio that wanted to give their show a distinctively European feel. It makes sense that they would pull aesthetic inspiration from European graphic novels.
Disco Elysium is one of the greatest video games ever made, and its aesthetics pull heavily from European graphic novels. It’d be a shame to miss out one either because you feel their art style is inspired by previous works.
If you do decide to watch Arcane, do not binge it. It is meant to be consumed three episodes at a time. My recommendation to anyone reading this is to watch three episodes per day.
Season 2 is rushed jut Season 1 is perfect.
80’s Shuiten and Peeter’s graphic novels
Those seem to borrow Mœbius’ earlier style, which was defining for French and Belgian comics since the seventies. So it’s rather ironic of you to say that it’s S&P who were ‘ripped off’.
I don’t concur. I believe you are talking more of graphic style, while I’m talking more about the worldbuilding, the ambiance, the conceptual, pre-steampunk visual language. While Shuiten is a sort of Ligne Claire extremist, I find Moebius very difficult, if not impossible, to classify. He is often called Ligne Claire, but his style is often very gritty, and his protrayal of movement is clearly inspired by Franquin, the master of movement. Moebius has such an ability to move between styles, while keeping his personality, that makes him very difficult to classify.
I agree with all of this expect FAM. I wanted to love this show. the sci-fi was fun and could get creative and cool but every time they gripped you with a cool idea they gave you 10min of it, left you wanting more then moved on to drama for drama sake for 45min.
I tried for 2 seasons and I think the first episode of 3 and gave up. :(
Fringe. Best Sci-Fi ending that wraps back around to an episode that broke the show open. The last season getting there is kind of rough. But the first 4 seasons are solid.
Fringe is worth it for the White Tulip episode alone. For me that was when the series changed from a monster of the week series to actual art.
one thing that bothers me a lot on shows Is that it always seem they don’t know how to end things. I loved Fringe ending. They tied so many things together in a beautiful scene.
Fringe should always benin rotation.
Came for Fringe, found it. Fucking good show and also a very satisfying ending.
The Good Place
Penny Dreadful
Mr Robot
My partner and I tried sooo hard to like this show after so many recommendations online, but we just kept finding it hella cheesy and forced. D:
The first season was groundbreaking at the time, but quickly became cringe in hindsight from its popularity and the romanticization of certain events. Later seasons, which weren’t as immediately popular for spoiler reasons, get more and more serious and become more cinematically rewarding for the viewer.
If you can get past the first season, it gets a lot better. The last season is honestly some of the best pieces of television content I’ve ever seen.
All these good reviews made me think I’m losing my mind. Half a season was cool. But the first time bell rang was his sister reveal. Then it went downhill for me.
Came here to recommend Mr Robot as well. The ending of the series was perfectly planned, so it loops around perfectly to the beginning of the series. It was a nice contrast to something like Game of Thrones, where they clearly had no good ending planned and just rushed through to get something done.
I remember watching the end of Mr Robot and going “holy shit.”
Farscape
Andor is the best piece of Star Wars media and the best TV show I’ve ever seen. You don’t need to like Star Wars. I don’t know if seeing Star Wars would even increase your enjoyment. I think seeing Rogue One would probably be good but otherwise just jump in. No space wizards or laser swords or destiny or whatever. It’s so adult and grounded. I can’t believe Disney let them make this.
Firefly.
I still have a soft spot for “Dead like me”, which I rarely see mentioned.
Some I’ve hardly seen mentioned here
Season 1 True Detective is peak tv
Season 1 Westworld
FX’s Legion- the story is a bit disjointed between the season but the effects are top notch
As I didn’t seen them mentioned
- Scrubs: 8 UND ONLY 8 seasons of funny comedy, heart wrenching tragedy. For such a funny show, they managed to still make me cry with “Where Do You Think We Are?”
- Better off Ted: very funny too, hardly ever hear anybody mentioning it
- Bluey: is you have small children and you are going to give them screen time, do both of you a favor and chose bluey.
Scrubs (up to season 8 ONLY) is so good.
Similarly Stargate SG-1 (up to season 8 ONLY)
It’s a shame Scrubs never got a 9th season. Really such a shame.
One I haven’t seen listed here:
Samurai Jack
It’s a cartoon you need to sit down and pay attention to. There’s often action, and it can be goofy, but it also has a lot of really quiet, contemplative scenes.
