To ask which old TV shows should everyone watch?

[TammySwansonTwo]

Finally got around to watching Sons Of Anarachy and one of the series finales has me sobbing like a child. I often think there's nothing new to watch, but there are so many great older shows that people have missed out on.

My biggest recommendation would be The Shield - watched that back to back a few years ago, well after it aired, probably the best TV series I've ever seen.

Aside from the obvious (Breaking Bad, Dexter, Mad Men etc), which other long-since finished TV shows would you suggest?

My list would also include Carnivale, and 30 Rock because it's bloody hilarious.

Firefly
Jonathan Creek
Bugs
Good night sweetheart
The vicar of Dibley
Father Ted
Black adder
The Tudors - my guilty pleasure!!

Yes Minister (shows just how little politics has changed)
Frasier
Black Books

Roomba How awesome was Carnivale? That cancellation crushed me!

I know! Such a shame it was cancelled, but still worth watching just for the cinematography and atmosphere of the show.

Was gutted when Deadwood was cancelled too, although isn't there a new series or film coming soon? I hope the rumours I read were correct!

GBH
Our friends in the north
Life on Mars (not Ashes to Ashes which was ruined by Keeley Hawes playing Keeley Hawes)

Spooks. (Nor ruined by KH doing KH as it was the first time she'd done her)

Broadchurch obvs, and Happy Valley for more recent stuff.

Oz is absolutely brilliant. So well done. Like I said you care about the characters and I missed them when it was finished. I recommend getting a box set of all series and watching them back to back.

Ooo just looked www.amazon.co.uk/Oz-Complete-Seasons-1-6-DVD/dp/B00HB36AMQ/?tag=mumsnetforum-21
I might watch again. Can't believe it's been 20 years.

PerfumeIsAMessage
I just came on to say I couldn't believe nobody had mentioned Spooks yet - and then you did!

I would advise against the last two series though. Well especially the penultimate one, the last redeemed itself slightly. The film with Kit Harrington in is worth seeing though.

I think the danger with "old" old series is that sometime when you go back and watch them again they are never quite as good as you remember. DH bought me the box set of Tenko for Christmas a couple of years ago and it seems so slow now.

I still love Goodnight Sweetheart and The Good Life.
Oh The Good Life Christmas Special! I can feel another viewing coming on...

I recently watched the Thorn Birds and Mistral's Daughter again, remembering how I'd loved them.

Both were a bit crap tbh. Dated, stilted, appalling acting and pervy men grooming young girls in both.

Classic comedy was the best
On the up Dennis Waterman
Anything with Ronnie Barker
Are you being served
Sorry
Up Pompeii
Steptoe and son
One foot in the grace.
So Haunt me
Carry ons
That’s my boy
Blackadder
Waiting for god
Sharpe

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed, that was Return to Eden, and last time I looked it was on youtube! Oh, it had everything. Intrigue, 80s fashions, stunning transformations, traitorous friends, evil but sexy men. And crocodiles!

I could watch and re watch The Wire til the cows come home. On each viewing I spot something new I hadn’t got before (its complex and multifaceted- I’m not dense!)

Band of Brothers - just amazing acting

Recently watched Teachers again (Ch4 On Demand) ‘Twas v funny actually

Would happily watch the Sopranos again.

littlecaf have you seen The Shield? If not, you definitely should - very different to The Wire but also brilliant :)

So many good things in this thread, Waiting for God is wonderful.

I'm currently recording the old episodes of London's Burning and The Bill on Drama. It's amazing to see how much our society has changed in a relatively short time.

Northern Exposure (Oh, to live in Cicely)
House
The West Wing
Tenko
Bedlam (not a bedtime watch)
Being Human
Yes Minister - nothing has changed, apart from the casual
use of valium!
Boardwalk Empire
The Forsyth Saga - I like the Dominic Lewis one

Northern Exposure
MASH
St Elsewhere
West Wing
The Forsyte Saga
Yes Minister

Has anyone said Fawlty Towers? Only one season, but a gem.

@PaxUniversalis The humour (both in the acting and the dialogue) just seemed so obvious and dated. And the nostalgia element—it seemed refreshing when it first aired but maybe it's been done to death since then. Watch an episode and you'll see what I mean (maybe)...

@PaxUniversalis I loved The Twilight Zone! That one with the creepy doll... "Talking Tina". And the one with the woman playing cards who had no fingers... Unforgettable childhood terrors!

Great to see Teachers mentioned a few times-one of my all time favourite.
Also:
Arrested development
Freaks and geeks
IT crowd
Parks and recs
House

Loving all the suggestions

I've just finished a binge watch of The Good Life, 4 series, a Christmas special, and royal performance I think it was. So funny.

From the 70's btw. On Youtube.

Life - American series staring Damien Lewis. 2007-2009 Only made 2 series but it was brilliant. Read somewhere it was a casualty of the scriptwriters’ strike at the time. I’d watch anything with Damien Lewis in though.......

Fragola I think we'd get on well - some of my absolute favourites there (I LOVE Freaks And Geeks and Parks & Rec is great - if you haven't seen 30 Rock I think you'd enjoy it, also the American Office, if you can make it through the first dodgy couple of episodes, it gets great from the second season onwards, although lost its way when Steve Carrell left)

Littlepleasures I saw him in Camden once while I was waiting for a bus - this was before Homeland so he wasn't massively famous, he chained his bicycle outside Waterstones and seemed to be stood around hoping someone would notice him (he made eye contact with lots of people as they passed but no one batted an eyelid). Eifher that or he was waiting for a blind date maybe? 😂