i wish i'd never watched the wire

[stainesmassif]

because now everything else is a bit shit.

the killing was almost good until the last couple of episodes.

chicago code is as formulaic as they come.

the shield is very good.

i watched the kenneth branagh wallander, that was just a little bit lacking.

there must be more good crime drama.

don't say csi....

[stainesmassif]

in fact, it doesn't have to be crime drama, but it must be gripping. is that too much to ask?

[tattycoram]

What's that series set in early wild west America - that's supposed to be good

[stainesmassif]

ah, dh has downloaded that on my recommendation (though i haven't watched it) - deadwood - he can't understand what they're saying!

[SarkyLady]

So far I've found 'the shadow line' on bbc1 quite good.

Obv not as good as the wire though :)

Agree with what you say about the rest.

[KarmaZBitch]

I agree. I have been bereft since The Wire finished.

I watch Luther just to get a 'Stringer Bell' fix and find myself watching anything that stars Dominic West purely so I can perve over reminisce over McNulty.

Best TV show ever.

[SarkyLady]

Luther annoyed me. Not sure why though.

We tried Treme which took me ages to get into. Worth it at the end though.

[MrsSheeran]

Just watch it again, have watched it 3 times now, start to finish!

[stainesmassif]

people have recommended luther to me but i cringed at the second episode for some reason (can't remember why) and gave up. agree re mcnulty. phwoar.
treme, hey, haven't heard of that one.

[stainesmassif]

i think i heard chris ecclestone bigging up the shadow line on r4 a couple of weeks ago. i find bbc drama tends towards 'safe', or maybe that's just the bloody wire's fault.

[KarmaZBitch]

I missed the first few episodes of Shadow Line and havent followed it up on iplayer or whateer, but intend to. I love Chiwetel Ijifor (sp?).

I couldnt get into Treme at all.

Luther was quite shite compared to the Wire, really, but I adore Idris Elba so watched it all and will be watching the new series, too.

[SarkyLady]

Try shadow line. I've no idea where it is going at the moment which is s good sign (we are 3 episodes in)

Treme is by the same people as the wire and has many of the same actors (not the good looking ones though :) ) It is set in post Katrina New Orleans. I confess I struggled to get into it. Much slower that the wire.

[bigbadbarry]

Trene was worth it for the last two episodes. Agree that nothing else is the wire though (have you tried the sopranos?)

[bigbadbarry]

Ooh I know! It is really old but the old bbc I Claudius is so worth watching.

[SarkyLady]

Bigbadbarry. Completely agree with what you say about Treme. Shame it took so long to be surprising.

Dh is trying to persuade me to try the sopranos. We have it on DVD. It has never really appealed tbh. Should I bother?

[bigbadbarry]

We watched and really loved season 1 of the sopranos - never got any further, but no idea why.

[MinnieBar]

Mad Men.

[SarkyLady]

Oh yes. Mad men is fab. All the series.

I liked the first series of Heros. (the rest were shite.)

[stainesmassif]

Yy watched I Claudius as a teen. Vvv good. Also watched a few episodes of mad men and the sopranos but never got sucked in. Mm is very bleak, isn't it, tho I love the woman copy writer. The sopranos - I can't persuade dh to watch, don't know why.
I loved the idea of heroes, but itjust disappeared up it's own arse, didn't it. Ditto lost and 24.

[stainesmassif]

(just realised it sounds like I won't watch tv without hubby. I do!)

[moonshine]

The Sopranos is truly the dogs' bollox and I am watching it now on Sky Atlantic, should anyone want to dip in. I was truly bereft when it finished and would happily watch it all over again (and have done to some extent) as it just improves with repeated viewings.

[SarkyLady]

Boardwalk Empire was pretty good. Some weird bits though.

[MCos]

Mmmmm. The Wire is the best ever! DH & I total fans.
We also liked:

A lot!
Mad Men
Battlestar Galacticia
In Treatment - luuuuv Gabriel Byrne!
Treme - the music is great!
Modern Family

Not as much as those listed above, but we continued to download/watch weekly while they were on:
Boardwalk Empire
Capricia
The Event
V

I really loved the first 3-4 seasons of Sopranos. Then the violence started to get to me a bit.

[bigbadbarry]

I Claudius is out on dvd and really bears re-watching - makes you realise how poor most of the bbc offerings are these days! It has wobbly sets and all but the acting is amazing and all the intrigue!

[limitedperiodonly]

tattycoram Do you mean Deadwood with Ian McShane. Good, shockingly violent in parts. The poetic dialogue used to get on my nerves though.

I still love I Claudius despite the cheap sets and the appalling make up. So many great people in it - I never realised Christopher Biggins could act.

There's a point where a late 30s Sian Phillips is playing Livia as a 70-something. The studio lights are so hot her fake nose and jowls are melting. Derek Jacobi suffers the same fate. Still great though.

Loved The Wire, Treme was good - agree with Bigbadbarry about the last two episodes - and I keep meaning to get the soundtrack which I think was a huge part of it.

24 went steadily downhill after the first season, didn't stop me watching it though.

Same for Prison Break - the first season was actually good and the 2nd wasn't bad either. Then it got very ridiculous.

Anyone remember Sleeper Cell about a sleeper cell of Islamic terrorists in America? Surprisingly unhysterical for a US show about Al Qaeda. Well-rounded characters, none of whom was turban-clad beardy - two of them were blond and white .

Must have been why it got cancelled after two series.

If anyone remembers it, no spoilers please. Yet to watch series 2.