What’s good to stream? Any platform. Newer programmes.

[The39thStep]

I also thought the Americans was shit when I watched the first episode, and abandoned it. Then some time later read how good it is and went back to it. And honestly, it really improves.

Something else I watched recently and loved - The Curse (Paramount). But I hesitate to recommend it, because it's definitely not for everyone - a cringey, sometimes difficult to watch satire - and if you hate it there's fuck all else worth watching on Paramount.

I'm also finding it quite hard to find things to watch these days though. Seems to be a real drought of high quality drama.

The Curse is fabulous

 

[danny la rouge]

I was hooked from episode 1 of The Americans,

In that case it’s definitely not for me. I tried episode one and it really didn’t appeal to me in any way. Quite the opposite.

 

[Elpenor]

In that case it’s definitely not for me. I tried episode one and it really didn’t appeal to me in any way. Quite the opposite.

Ah well, you tried

Thats got the sequence set to Tusk if I remember rightly. Perhaps that’s the reason… You might not have liked the montages in later seasons set to Crowded House and Dire Straits I suppose

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Yes, we liked them. Not top notch but fun enough. Although BB jumped the shark.

I don't think it jumped the shark. But it was better to have ended on series 4 tbh.

 

[Silas Loom]

I don't think it jumped the shark. But it was better to have ended on series 4 tbh.

The show mentioned on this thread of which that is definitely true is The Wire.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

The show mentioned on this thread of which that is definitely true is The Wire.

Never got into that. But I still feel I should do at some point...

 

[danny la rouge]

I don't think it jumped the shark. But it was better to have ended on series 4 tbh.

The McGyver stuff? The giant magnet in the lorry. That’s a rubber shark right there. And not in a good way.

 

[Silas Loom]

Six Feet Under should also have stopped at four seasons. The extraordinary last fifteen minutes of the finale notwithstanding.

 

[Silas Loom]

Never got into that. But I still feel I should do at some point...

The first season seems weirdly archaic (payphones play a huge role) because of the source material, but it really gets going in season two. And if you can find a subtitled version, so much the better.

Fifth season was screwed by a writers strike IIRC. Also it took on a rather soft target in the newspaper industry.

 

[Numbers]

Snowfall, I think it’s on iPlayer, is brilliant.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

The McGyver stuff? The giant magnet in the lorry. That’s a rubber shark right there. And not in a good way.

Actually I don't remember any of that so you're perhaps right. In fact I'll settle for you being right as I'm not going to watch it again.

 

[danny la rouge]

I'm currently rewatching The Bureau if you want something French and subtitled about secret agents, but not in a gung ho American style.

The Bureau (TV Series 2015–2020) ⭐ 8.7 | Drama, Thriller

50m | 15

www.imdb.com

I loved Spiral. If it’s anything like that, I’m in.

 

[danny la rouge]

The first season seems weirdly archaic (payphones play a huge role) because of the source material, but it really gets going in season two. And if you can find a subtitled version, so much the better.

There’s a thread somewhere of me watching season one, everyone telling me the next episode is the one where it gets going, then finally people starting to say it doesn’t get going until series 3.

It didn’t do anything for me. I thought it was hackneyed and boring, and the magic black guy in the office trope frankly racist. I struggled on with series one but just didn’t like it. Lots of people loved it, which is great. I’m not against other people enjoying stuff. But people were really angry with me for not liking it.

However I’ve got some suggestions here. But I agree with lazythursday - there’s a bit of a drought.

 

[Monte]

Anything at all from David Simon.
The Wire
Treme
Generation Kill
The Deuce
The Corner
We Own This City

All superb. Treme especially.

 

[magneze]

Mr Robot

 

[Spymaster]

Mrs LR and I are looking for something to binge together. But we can’t find anything. Maybe it’s choice paralysis, but there’s nothing we fancy together. We will consider getting a subscription if it’s a service we don’t have.

She doesn’t like sci fi or fantasy (although she loved Poor Things). She thought the Sopranos was the best thing she’d ever watched (I loved it too).

We recently watched and loved Mr Inbetween (Soprano vibes there - the family life of a hitman).

We tried Domino Day, although it’s not really her kind of thing, but it didn’t really catch our imagination.

We loved series one of Ted Lasso, series two was a huge disappointment, series three regained the magic to begin with, but then started dragging again with overlong episodes and too much schmaltz.

We watched Yellowjackets first season - I’d give it a 6 - but gave up on the second season. It wasn’t going to go anywhere.

There’s nothing really clicking. So what are we missing? Slow Horses was the last thing we both loved.

Yellowstone is the best thing we've seen for the last couple of years. It takes a couple of episodes to get into because it starts as a slow burn, introducing the characters but it really takes off.

You'll binge 5 seasons in no time.

 

[The39thStep]

And there’s two spin off series from it as well .

 

[Spymaster]

Oh, Mr Inbetween is one of the best shows ever! You become great mates with an Australian hitman.

 

[Maggot]

I'm currently rewatching The Bureau if you want something French and subtitled about secret agents, but not in a gung ho American style.

The Bureau (TV Series 2015–2020) ⭐ 8.7 | Drama, Thriller

50m | 15

www.imdb.com

Is is as good as the Day Today The Bureau?

 

[danny la rouge]

Oh, Mr Inbetween is one of the best shows ever! You become great mates with an Australian hitman.

Yes, we loved that. It was great. And made me realise how ubiquitous dimmies are in Aus!

 

[marshall]

Have you tried ‘Justified’, Danny?

Boyd Crowder, what a character

 

[danny la rouge]

Have you tried ‘Justified’, Danny?

Boyd Crowder, what a character

Is that still around? Wasn’t that 20 years ago or something? I didn’t, but I remember it being on.

 

[Plumdaff]

I would second The Americans and The Bear, and also suggest Lupin on Netflix and Masters of the Air on Apple. Oh, and Severance on Apple if you haven't seen it.

Lupin is French Sherlock Holmes but far more fun than that sounds, Masters is the final part of the Band of Brothers trilogy and IMHO even non war programme people will enjoy it and Severance is off kilter, funny, sad and brilliant.

 

[MBV]

Spiral (TV Series 2005–2020) ⭐ 8.5 | Crime, Drama, Mystery

52m | 18

www.imdb.com

Very good.

 

[The39thStep]

Another series which I really enjoyed was Quarry ( just one season unfortunately)

 

[danny la rouge]

Spiral (TV Series 2005–2020) ⭐ 8.5 | Crime, Drama, Mystery

52m | 18

www.imdb.com

Very good.

Yes, I loved that.

 

[danny la rouge]

Not to be rude, but I mean what’s good at the moment, not “give me a rundown of programmes going back to the 90s”.

 

[lazythursday]

Oh yes, Severance, Silo and Foundation on Apple TV - all excellent especially Severance, but Mrs la rouge hates sci fi unfortunately.

 

[Silas Loom]

I would second The Americans and The Bear, and also suggest Lupin on Netflix and Masters of the Air on Apple. Oh, and Severance on Apple if you haven't seen it.

Lupin is French Sherlock Holmes but far more fun than that sounds, Masters is the final part of the Band of Brothers trilogy and IMHO even non war programme people will enjoy it and Severance is off kilter, funny, sad and brilliant.

Your affection for Lupin downgrades this post from waffle party to melon bar.

 

[A380]

Fisk. ( Netflix) it’s quite a gentle character driven comedy set in a Melbourne. It’s nothing like the Detectorists but feels a bit like it.

The Detectorists if you haven’t seen it. It’s nothing like you imagine it’s going to be. Gentle comedy.

The Wire if you haven’t seen it. All brilliant apart from the last series which is just good.

Westworld. The most recent series was the best so far. (Although it’s probably worth a quick spoiler review as it is quite confusing if you miss something…I missed it….)

From back in the day The ‘New’ Battlestar Galactica’ 2009/10? Don’t laugh it’s brilliant.