Recommend some TV series

Suckafish

I just started a membership with zip.ca (the canadian netflix) and my wife and I would like to catch some television series for the first time. I'll describe a bit about what we've seen and liked, and if anybody has recommendations they'd be much appreciated. The only requirements are please no reality tv, and it has to be available on DVD.

We have both watched and enjoyed:

24 (I gave up halfway through the last season, she stuck with it)
Arrested Development
Firefly
Battlestar Galactica
The X-Files (up until season 5 or 6)
Carnivale
Deadwood
Seinfeld

In addition, she watches Gilmore Girls and CSI. We tried Curb Your Enthusiasm and she wasn't a big fan. Neither one of us really got into Entourage after watching the first couple of DVDs. We have only seen the pilot of the Sopranos, but it didn't grab us.

I have heard some good things about Veronica Mars and The Shield... any opinions on those two? Any other suggestions? Heroes?

PirateJon

The Shield rocks. The wire as well.

mr-razzcocks

I would highly recommend Millennium. Think a midway point between The X-Files and CSI, but with none of the humour of either.

It's pretty grim, but compelling viewing.

wakeboarderblunt

Some comedy ones

Scrubs
Freaks and Geeks
Undeclared
The Office (UK)
The Office (AM)

Six

The Wire
The Shield
Weeds
Big Love
Dead Like Me
Odyssey 5

Preacher

For a mini series you can't go wrong with Band of Brothers. I'd also give Homicide: Life on the Street a go if you like crime drama and solid characters.

Evil Multifarious

Band of Brothers - best WWII drama I've ever seen, very moving at times, really pulls you in
The Wire - excellent serious cop drama
30 Rock - very funny, and gets funnier as the show goes on
Dexter - wonderful show about a vigilante serial killer, at turns creepy and hilarious
Extras - best cameos on television, and fantastic awkward humour
Veronica Mars - is great
Cupid - older show, made by the Vmars guy, stars Jeremy Piven as a crazy man who thinks he's cupid (or is he crazy?) and he has a mission to unite couples without his godly powers
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - probably the funniest show on television for me. It's like arrested development with lower class people who are even more profoundly awful people than the Bluths
Rome - very funny at times, also amusingly violent; mostly a political drama
Boston Legal - fucking hilarious dialogue and it's worth watching it just for Alan Shore's overwritten closing statements in every trial, which are always excellent

Khavall

Heroes when it comes out.

Also, if you're looking for something to have some good drinking games with, House.

If you liked the general feel of Firefly, go for Buffy and Angel as well.

For comedy:

Boston Legal
30 Rock

They're both absolute gems.

Khavall

Evil Multifarious wrote: »

Rome - very funny at times, also amusingly violent; mostly a political drama

Man, I tried watching Rome, but it sort of came off as an excuse for porn, but with much, much longer badly acted bad scene work.

AtomBomb

Most already mentioned, but here's my list.

Homicide: Life on the Street
The Wire
Six Feet Under
The Shield
Deadwood (my wife doesn't like this one, maybe because everyone is either a cocksucker or a cunt)
Millennium
The Office (both)
The Riches (whenever it comes out on DVD)
Rome (another one I liked but my wife did not)

And since I don't have many comedies on this list, Futurama. Also, my wife enjoyed Veronica Mars, but I didn't watch it. Not because it's bad, but I didn't catch it from the beginning so meh. I feel like I'm missing something big, but oh well. Kudos on Carnivale, that show was beautiful.

AtomBomb

Khavall wrote: »

Evil Multifarious wrote: »

Rome - very funny at times, also amusingly violent; mostly a political drama

Man, I tried watching Rome, but it sort of came off as an excuse for porn, but with much, much longer badly acted bad scene work.

Rome takes awhile to grow on you. I thought the acting was sub-par at first, but by the end I loved it.

naporeon

Khavall wrote: »

Also, if you're looking for something to have some good drinking games with, House.

If the OP is interested in this sort of thing, House is pretty much the best series for it. Seriously. If you ever feel like having a drinking game to good TV, get these DVDs.

Every time House orders a lumbar puncture, or has a startling revelation while reluctantly working on a patient in the walk-in clinic, take 1 shot.

Every time it can't be an infection because the patient doesn't have a fever, take 2 shots.

Every time someone suggests lupus, take 3 shots.

TedFFZ

I swear by most British TV.

The Prisoner is sort of obscure and geeky, but it's aged well.
House of Cards is fantastic and smart.
Not sure if it's already been mentioned, but Extras is great.
Peep Show's another good one, but I don't know how easy it is to track down in the States.

saint2e

If you enjoy Firefly, you may enjoy Farscape. It's only 4 Seasons, so it's not like you'd have to devote 6 months of your life to watch the entire series.

Cruix

I really, really have to recommend Supernatural. I just got into it recently and I'm playing the catch-up game. Almost all caught up, and I can't believe how much I'm enjoying it.

I went into it thinking it was going to be a standard monster-of-the-week story, but it ended up being much much more. Moving, funny, just the right touch of a thrill, and it just gets better as the episodes go.

As for VMars, I don't watch it (I just never started and didn't want to start in the middle/at the end) but my girlfriend loves it. From what I hear it's very snarky/amazing.

And I know it's nothing like the other things on your list, but I just have to recommend Lost. It's one of my favorite shows out, and honestly, it's just incredible.

Last but not least: Bones. It's very reminiscent of X-Files but without the supernatural/alien aspect of it.

(Thirding the recommendation for House, too. I've never used it for a drinking game, but the series is just great.)

rannelvis

I was always a big fan of alias except for the last season, and you can get it in its entirety on dvd.

black adder is a good one, if you like british humor (it has mr. bean and house).

I don't know when friday night lights is coming to dvd, but I know I'll be getting it for sure.

heroes is great, waiting for that to come out on dvd.

and even though I've missed most of this season, I thoroughly enjoy medium, which I know is available.

Sliver

Brisco County Jr.

edit: and Spaced

tony_important

Huff - It's fucking awesome.
Freaks and Geeks - Also, awesome. Only one season though, but it's really good.

EclecticGroove

I greatly enjoyed Avatar the last Airbender after my friend recommended it to me.
If they don't' finish up season 3 of it I'll have to hurt someone.

Steev

Sliver wrote: »

Brisco County Jr.

edit: and Spaced

Brisco County Jr. was a great show, although I've only watched a few episodes.

Also, if you want gritty prison drama, try Oz.

Jimmy King

mr-razzcocks wrote: »

I would highly recommend Millennium. Think a midway point between The X-Files and CSI, but with none of the humour of either.

It's pretty grim, but compelling viewing.

Except for a couple freak episodes during season 2... maybe 1 towards the end of season 1. There was a Jose Chung episode of Millenium and one other silly one.

That was an excellent show, though, especially season 2.

Here's a list of some of my favorites, minus the ones the OP already mentioned that otherwise would have gone on this list.

Alias
Sliders - only up through season 3 available on dvd afaik, but it was starting to go downhill at that point imo, anyway.
CSI: Miami - not as good as CSI, but still pretty good.
Dead Like Me
Lost
The Dead Zone

Sentry

Scrubs
The Simpsons
Futurama
Buffy
Angel
Veronica Mars
Invader Zim
The Office

Mephistopheles

Dexter. There's only one season out, but a friend and I watched it straight through. All 12 episodes. Second season starts this fall. I really can't stress this enough, but you need to at least give it a try. Everyone I know that did has been hooked.

SuperSockNinja

Futurama

Frasier (Can't recommend enough)

Big Dookie

Most of the stuff I'd recommend has already been mentioned. I'd second Angel and Buffy, though. If you've never seen them, you really should give them a shot. They start off slow (but still not bad), but both series definitely hit their stride in Season 3. Don't pass these up because of preconceived notions of what you think they will be like - most people who give them a chance are shocked by how good they are.

DoopHQ

House, M.D.
Scrubs
Band of Brothers
Futurama
Harvey Birdman
Lost
The Office
Firefly

happyshark

Curb Your Enthusiasm

mr-razzcocks

Jimmy King wrote: »

mr-razzcocks wrote: »

I would highly recommend Millennium. Think a midway point between The X-Files and CSI, but with none of the humour of either.

It's pretty grim, but compelling viewing.

Except for a couple freak episodes during season 2... maybe 1 towards the end of season 1. There was a Jose Chung episode of Millenium and one other silly one.

I'm not that far into it yet, I've only discovered it recently, and watched through the first three quarters of season 1 so far.

The Cheese

Life On Mars is an amazing BBC series. The premise is that a police officer is hit by a car in 2006 and wakes up in 1973. It's brilliantly written and the acting is great. Also, only 16 episodes long so it won't take forever to get through like some of the multi season shows.

tony_important

I should have posted this earlier...

HUFF

Raere

For mega sci-fi, try the Stargates. Also, Farscape is great, it's sci-fi, but it's not all 'imma chargin mah lazers'; it's more like normal human with great sense of humor lives with aliens and shoots stuff.

Don't do Lost unless you want endless questions that never get answered.
Kyle XY is good if you like warm and fuzzy family drama/comedy.
Over There is a 13-ep mini-series about the soldiers in Iraq. Very good.
Navy NCIS is like CSI but with humor.
Traveler is a new thriller that's pretty good.
Supernatural is good if you like a nonstop sausage-fest.

Invisible

You should give the whole first season of the Sopranos a shot. The pilot is a little more lighthearted and its humor is little more abrasive than what you'll find in the rest of the season (and really the whole first season's humor is more in your face compared to the later seasons when it tends to be a little more subtle).

Corrosive Monkey

If you can get it in Canada I recommend the new series of Dr Who, with Cristopher Eccleston and David Tennant as the Dr, some of the best British drama in there

Life on Mars waas also excellent

And for comedy, The office (eng) and Extras are very good as well

GoodOmens

Needless to say, Buffy. Also, check out Sports Night, a comedy about a sports show which is not about sports.

Bouncing_Soul

I've been ridiculously hooked on Smallville. I borrowed seasons 1-4 from a friend, and bought season 5 just so I could continue watching.

Sands

Can't go wrong with the Family Guy Season, along with Trailer Park Boys - Both deliver side-splitting action!

Gigaton

Six Feet Under (My Fav TV show EVER!!)
Coupling (Obviously UK)
Friends (Bite me. Usually not the best jokes, but very well plotted with large ensemble cast juggling)
Big Love (Very well written and acted)
The Wire (Just plain Awesome)

Angel177

spaced, from the same guys who did shaun of the dead and hot fuzz...well acted great cast and some good cameo's


coupling, its just above but serfiously its friends but a little more raunchy....

W2

No mention of Trailer Park Boys?

jclast

Wonderfalls
SportsNight
The West Wing

The Lovely Bastard

Twin Peaks