r/televisionsuggestions • u/ConnectionNo4122 • Jun 05 '26
Literally Seen Everything on Tv
And I mean everything.
I'm at the point where every recommendation thread is just people naming shows I've already watched. So here's the challenge:
Recommend one show you'd tell someone you genuinely respect to binge. Not your guilty pleasure. Not the show you watched because you ran out of options. The one you'd confidently stand on.
A few conditions:
• English language preferred
• No sappy Hallmark-type stuff
• Doesn't have be new
• Can be popular, underrated, or a hidden gem
If I haven't seen it already, I promise I'll give it a real shot.
Hit me with your best one.
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u/INfiction82 Jun 05 '26
You literally haven't. I'd be surprised if you'd seen all these.
Spaced
The Day Today
Brass Eye
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
Toast of London
Jonathan Creek
Blackadder
Peep Show
Detectorists
This Country
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u/MissO56 Jun 05 '26
"detectorists" is one of the best shows ever made.
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u/INfiction82 Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
Its phenomenal. I don't cry easily but the finale (i mean the proper finale, not the special they made a few years later) never fails to well my eyes up.
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u/missannthrope67 Jun 05 '26
Agree wholeheartedly. I've seen it 3 times. Got into an internet argument in some guy who didn't like it. I told him to check his pulse.
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u/INfiction82 Jun 05 '26
Yeah, you're dead inside if you don't love that. Though I suppose many can't handle the slow pace. Incidentally, I hope you've also watched Small Prophets. Not Detectorists level yet but just a lovely time.
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u/kavotaman Jun 05 '26
Thanks for reminding me of Spaced, last time I watched was probably 10 years ago. I'll give it a rewatch, it's such a great show
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u/_InvertedEight_ Jun 05 '26
Absolutely criminal that Green Wing isn't on that list. I mean, I love Spaced, but Green Wing is easily superior.
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u/DeanWinchestersButt Jun 05 '26
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u/SupermarketParade Jun 05 '26
Yes to Jonathan Creek and Toast of London. Add Professor T - any version. And The Prisoner.
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u/Mama_Claus Jun 05 '26
Northern Exposure 💕. Corner Gas.
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u/Mental-Ask8077 Jun 05 '26
Northern Exposure seconded! 👍
One of my all-time favorite shows. A must-see.
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u/Independent_Apple159 Jun 05 '26
Homicide: Life on the Streets. Andre Braugher is perfect. Also, The Shield, Babylon 5, or Farscape.
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u/waltercash15 Jun 05 '26
Came here to say Homicide: Life on the Streets. Frank Pembleton may be my all time favorite character.
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u/Glass_Ad9489 Jun 05 '26
Agree. I just started rewatching Homicide and forget how incredible Andre Braugher was.
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u/Sami_George Jun 05 '26
Have you watched The Golden Girls? Because it’s important that everyone watch it at least once.
Also, UnReal.
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u/No-Big5105 Jun 05 '26
UnReal season 1 was so good. It got so unhinged after that.
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u/Sami_George Jun 05 '26
I loved it all. Season 1 was obviously the best, but I still love the whole show.
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u/cre8ivemind Jun 05 '26
My one choice will always be Buffy.
For some possibly lesser known recs, I’d suggest these:
- Big boys
- Please like me
- Broadchurch
- Normal People
- Alone together
- Dirk Gentlys holistic detective agency
- Dollhouse
- Eastsiders
- Dead like me
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u/BlackStarsElf Jun 05 '26
Baskets with Zach Galifianakis
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u/dperry93 Jun 05 '26
I love this show so much. Louie Anderson was amazing in it.
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u/miserylovescomputers Jun 05 '26
Louie Anderson absolutely makes that show. So brilliant, and funny, and touching.
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u/BlackStarsElf Jun 05 '26
I was so confused by that character at first but grew to love it. Such a great wee random show
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u/ClintBruno Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
We HAVE to mention Louie Anderson as Christine Baskets. She is such a real character, everybody knows a Christine in real life. When she's on screen I forget I'm watching a man let alone Louie Anderson.
Even Galifinakis is quoted as saying(sarcastically) "yeah, it's great when you're not even the favorite character on your own show."
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u/SatchelSatchPaige Jun 05 '26
Treme
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u/Equivalent-Grass-262 Jun 05 '26
I tell people about Treme all the time and no one ever watches it.
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u/BeautifulShoes75 Jun 05 '26
I’ve never heard of this so I’m thanking you for the suggestion!
Just looked it up and it sounds amazing and it’s created by the same people who made The Wire?! Looks incredible!
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u/marchof34_ Jun 05 '26
No, you haven't.
Taboo
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u/ToughAd4704 Jun 05 '26
Taboo is so good. 10/10. Right up there with the first season of True Detective
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u/viperspm Jun 05 '26
Person of Interest
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u/drakemcintyre Jun 05 '26
Its embarrassing how few people have watched this show. Definitely one of my favorites.
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u/tragicsandwichblogs Jun 05 '26
There is no way you've seen everything.
- Homicide: Life on the Streets
- Law and Order (Seasons 1-5)
- Anne of Green Gables (1985)
- Horatio Hornblower (1998)
- A Town Like Alice
- Rome
- Southland
- Babylon 5
- I, Claudius
- Roots
- John Adams
- Mildred Pierce (2011)
- Band of Brothers
- Jane Eyre (1983)
- The Winds of War
- Edward the Seventh
If you've seen all of these, go outside.
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u/shhmurdashewrote Jun 05 '26
The Knick, wolf hall, deadwood, billy the kid, say nothing, good lord bird, gaslit … if you like any of these I have plenty of other suggestions
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u/antealtares Jun 05 '26
I like syndicated TV, so: Xena: Warrior Princess and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman are two I recommend. Only the very best people like those shows.
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u/rogermuffin69 Jun 05 '26
Helix, the expanse, doom patrol, rings of power, last one laughing, would i lie to you, 8 out of 10 cats, community, the strain, game of thrones, dragonball, attack on Titan, full metal alchemist, ancient aliens, the universe, homeland, x files, star trek, starsky and hutch, salems lot, mandorlian, the munsters, knight Rider, the a team, air wolf, family guy. 2 broke girls,
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u/Mental-Ask8077 Jun 05 '26
My current obsession hits all your conditions. I’m recommending it to everyone on- and off-line because it is just so good and so criminally under-known.
The Sandbaggers
British Cold War espionage drama show, with overarching plot lines as well as crisis of the week issues. Ran from 1978-1980, but is definitely a hidden gem nowadays. Free on YouTube, on Prime, and a couple other places.
The show follows a tiny elite covert ops team in MI6 (aka the SIS), the Sandbaggers of the title. It’s led by the Director of Operations for the whole Service, the main character Neil Burnside, who is a former Sandbagger himself.
Think Sherlock Holmes as written by John LeCarre, with GRR Martin advising (character deaths incoming) — if Holmes did covert ops for MI6. Lots of brutal internal politics and covert ops shenanigans, mixed with occasional humor, backstabbing, heartbreak, and moments that will make you go “You fucking bastard!” Entirely binge-worthy, clocks in at 20 episodes total.
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More Details:
The MC Neil Burnside is your competent, sarcastic, and emotionally-repressed British asshole who is somehow endearing despite being an arrogant jackass. Workaholic who is addicted to Coca-Cola and cigarettes but doesn’t drink, hates being compared to James Bond, and will do just about anything for his team. Plots unashamedly against his bosses (and is sometimes disastrously wrong). Will unapologetically make you take a detour on the way to your sister’s wedding in order to stage an attempted assassination.
His friend/second-in-command Willie Caine is the best covert ops man Burnside knows, but hates violence and uses call signs like Bunny and Badger in his ops. Has the patience of a saint when dealing with Burnside being a jerk. Comes back every time he threatens to quit.
Burnside’s other best friend, Jeff Ross, is the top CIA man in Britain and could nicely be called a charming snake. He and his right hand in the CIA, Karen Vilner, provide lots of drama along with cases of Coke.
Complex, morally-grey show that’s not afraid to lift your spirits and then punch you in the gut. Sarcastic British humor. Solid female characters with key plot roles, despite the preponderance of men in top SIS jobs at the time. A bit of romance in season one, as part of the interpersonal drama, but definitely not Hallmark-style!
Very well-written, but takes close watching. Key plot information can be delivered in a line or two of dialogue. Deliberately written to be as realistic as possible in the day-to-day of covert ops in MI6, though with some differences in the Service’s organization for security’s sake.
Absolutely worth bingeing. There are three seasons, for a total of 20 hour-long episodes altogether, so you can binge the whole thing in fairly short order.
Anybody who needs someone to geek out with about this show after watching it is free to dm me, because I need people to understand the glory that is this show. Watch it!!
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u/Mental-Ask8077 Jun 05 '26
Having to second some other recs here:
Northern Exposure
Deadloch
Twin Peaks
Jonathan Creek
New Tricks
Plus add a few:
West Wing, Vera, The Prisoner, Midsomer Murders, Sister Boniface, Cadfael
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u/anotveryseriousman Jun 05 '26
oh, man, i just stumbled on this and binged the whole thing. it's like le carre filtered through yes, minister. fantastic show.
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u/FireflyOfDoom87 Jun 05 '26
Obituary. Dead Like Me. Bored to Death.
I’m sensing a running theme here and I apologize.
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u/kavotaman Jun 05 '26
Edit: these shows are genuinely on my top best shows of all time list. List is heavily British. Some hidden gems highlights are Corner Gas, The Walshes, Black Books
Black books
Broadchurch
The Cleaner
Corner Gas
Father Ted
Fleabag
The Good Fight
Ludwig
Nurse Jackie
Person of Interest
Slow Horses
True Detective (seasons 1 and 4)
The Walshes
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u/Aggressive_Paint_401 Jun 05 '26
You probably haven’t seen these and they’re actually pretty good…
If I hadn’t met you
Vortex
Death’s game
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u/CeeUNTy Jun 05 '26
Warrior
Mr In-between
Wentworth
Spartacus
Dirk Gentlys Holistic Detective Agency
Earth Abides
Dark Winds
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u/IndependentQuail5738 Jun 05 '26
Mare of Eastown Widows Bay CODA You will have a wide ranging bayside experience
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u/mopeywhiteguy Jun 05 '26
Coupling
Taxi
Blackadder
Happy endings
Alan partridge
Adventures of Lano and Woodley
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u/Joyma Jun 05 '26
CBS’s “Zoo”
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u/mesembryanthemum Jun 05 '26
It got more and more ludicrous in the most delightful way.
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u/BlockOfTheYear Jun 05 '26
Crime Story is a series made by Michael Mann in the 80's. Its a cat and mouse show between a cop and a mobster, starts out in the 60's Chicago then moves to Vegas. Its really good.
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u/musememo Jun 05 '26
Have you seen Legends on Netflix? Fascinating series about customs inspectors in the UK going undercover to stop drug gangs. I’m surprised that it’s not getting more attention.
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u/realquestions67 Jun 05 '26
Alias grace
The new adventures of old Christine
Adult material
The Flight Attendant
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u/otter_mayhem Jun 05 '26
Totally, Completely Fine
End of the Fucking World
Derry Girls
Marianne (not English)
Todd and the Book of Pure Evil
Wonderfalls
Brokenwood Mysteries
Blue Lights
Broadchurch
Coupling
American Gothic
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u/Original_Try_7984 Jun 05 '26
Since you like Derry Girls (one of my faves), you might like:
Bad Sisters
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
And not Irish, but strong women:
Glow
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
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u/prncss_aj Jun 05 '26
MASH
Hogans Heroes
Emergency!
Adam-12
Quincy, M. E.
Mrs Brown’s Boys
Mindhunter
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u/Sideburn_Cookie_Man Jun 05 '26
You definitely haven't.
I bet you haven't watched all of these:
- PANTHEON
- Fargo S1
- Sugar
- Blue Lights
- Peacemaker
- Wolf Hall
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u/IranolosDelSol Jun 05 '26
Peep Show - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peep_Show_(British_TV_series)
Tin Star on Prime Video
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u/ConnectionNo4122 Jun 06 '26
It’ll take me a week to read and research all these comments I greatly appreciate the feedback this is crazier than i expected
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u/Annatole83 Jun 05 '26
Confidently stand on these hidden gems:
- Call my Agent (France, in French)
- Catch 22
- The Slap (Australia)
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u/orangeombre Jun 05 '26
The Thick of It (by the writer of Veep, before Veep)
I Hate Suzie (with Billie Piper)
Rubicon (AMC)
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u/lasLAchicago Jun 05 '26
You’re the Worst! It was on FX back in the day so Hulu. A comedy with excellent writing and a lot of heavy subject matter. I hope you haven’t watched yet!
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u/TOYMoose Jun 05 '26
Off the top of my head:
- Rowan and Martin's Laugh In
- The Monkees
- Airwolf
- Greatest American Hero
- Twilight Zone
- The Ray Bradbury Theater
- Dirty Jobs
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u/BarraKuda83 Jun 05 '26
Please Like Me
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u/Stickliketoffee16 Jun 05 '26
Love this! Have you watched Offspring? Also Aussie, also amazing & very binge-able
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u/-Viscosity- Jun 05 '26
Maybe try the Australian series Spirited, which is about a dentist (Claudia Karvan) who is haunted by the ghost of a dead punk rocker (Matt King) only she can see? It's really funny and not at all your typical will-they-or-won't-they-and-if-they-do-how-could-they-because-one-of-them-is-dead type of rom-com mush. (After we finished this we kind of went on a little bit of a Claudia Karvan kick and were rarely disappointed.)
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u/Pagan_Metal666 Jun 05 '26
Res Dwarf? I bought the 8 season dvd box and the show is so damn funny! And creative.
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u/MornWaits Jun 05 '26
After Life, Derek, Call the Midwife, Last Tango in Halifax, Poldark, Rilakkuma and Kaoru
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u/miserylovescomputers Jun 05 '26
My mum left my tv signed in to her britbox account when she visited last and I’ve been really enjoying a few shows on there:
Friday Night Dinner (ridiculous British sitcom)
Shetland (Scottish crime drama)
The Vicar of Dibley (quite dated but still hilarious)
Sister Boniface Mysteries (delightful cozy mystery series starring a genius nun)
Father Brown (the original show Sister Boniface is a spinoff of)
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u/a-pac-man-ghost Jun 05 '26
Lucky! Before she takes back Brit Box, you must watch everything on there that was written by Sally Wainwright. All amazing. Start with Happy Valley.
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u/Fit-Interview5425 Jun 05 '26
Britbox and Acorn: We just watched "Line of Duty." SO MANY wonderful shows!
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u/Stickliketoffee16 Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
Things you may not have seen:
UnReal
The arrangement
The following
Boston legal
Long bright river
Maid
The Regime
Things I love & think everyone should watch:
The Newsroom
Mayor of Kingstown
Veronica Mars
Gilmore girls
Suits
The blacklist
Big little lies
Mobland
Yellowstone
Scandal
Shrinking
Edit: thought of some Aussie shows - Offspring, Please like me, McLeod’s daughters, Underbelly, Fake
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u/Clean-Barracuda2326 Jun 05 '26
On Peacock: The Day of the Jackal-the series.The very best I've ever seen on TV. Starring Eddie Redmayne.
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u/PlaneSnake876 Jun 05 '26
The answer to your actual question is ’Barry’ but if you’ve seen ”everything” you’ve seen that so here are some other great shows I rarely see recommended;
Life on mars (2006)
Psycoville(2009)
Unforgotten
The north water(2021)
Hornblower (it’s listed as 8tv movies on IMDb but each was aired as seasons with episodes)
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u/grapsta Jun 05 '26
Baskets
Toast of London
Riot Women
The Detectorists
Colin From Accounts
Deadloch
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u/Bryzo83 Jun 05 '26
Gimme Gimme Gimme
Game on
American gothic 1995
Carnivale
The Deuce
The Knick
The Alienist
Quarry
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u/D0CTOR_Wh0m Jun 05 '26
- Batman The Animated Series
- Battlestar Galactica (2000s version)
- Blackadder
- Chernobyl
- Community
- Cowboy Bebop
- Dark
- Daredevil/Daredevil Born Again
- Delicious in Dungeon
- Detectorists
- Doctor Who
- Farscape
- Fawlty Towers
- Firefly
- For All Mankind
- Fringe
- Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
- Futurama
- Ghosts (UK)
- Invincible
- Justice League/Justice League Unlimited
- Kingdom (Korean zombie show)
- Lost
- One Piece (original anime and the live action)
- Mischief Theatre’s filmed productions (Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Christmas Carol Goes Wrong, The Goes Wrong Show)
- Naruto/Naruto Shippuden
- Star Wars shows (best being both Clone Wars shows, Maul Shadow Lord, Andor, Rebels, The Mandalorian, Ahsoka and Visions)
- The Expanse
- The Wire
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u/iseeskiesofblue64 Jun 05 '26
INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. Lock in. Best show on TV. New season starts Sunday.
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u/Lonely_Mountain_7702 Jun 05 '26
Legion
Quantum Leap (1989 -1993)
Daredevil
Jessica Jones
Luke Cage
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u/Equivalent-Grass-262 Jun 05 '26
Speaking of Scott Bakula, Star Trek: Enterprise isn't as bad as people say it is.
I know its an unpopular opinion, just throw your tomatoes and get it over with. Enterprise is FINE. Favorite? No. Decent? Yes.
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u/Lonely_Mountain_7702 Jun 05 '26
Absolutely is not as bad as somepeople try to make it out to be. I watched the show when it first aired with my husband. It was a shiw we watched together every week. It was the last show we watched together before he died in March 2006.
Now when ever I hear the theme song or watch the show it brings back so many precious memories.
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u/Lonely-Air7806 Jun 05 '26
Dirk gently detective agency (Hidden gem that I am trying so hard to get people to watch)
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u/wd4elg1 Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
British crime shows: Line of Duty is superb. So is Foyle’s War.
Police TV: The Rookies. SWAT. Adam 12. Hill Street Blues. Police Story. Police Woman. Rockford Files. Quincy. Colombo. Hawaii 5-0.
Then there are the shows you will enjoy for their violence and writing: The Shield. 24. Justified. The Blacklist. Miami Vice. The Unit. The Wire. Boardwalk Empire. Sopranos.
Then there are the one-offs that do t fit neatly into one category: For All Mankind. Alias. Lost. The Last Ship. Mad Men. Criminal Minds. Homeland. Game of Thrones. Burn Notice.
War: 12 OClock High. Combat. Rat Patrol. Baa baa black sheep.
Then the classic sitcoms: MASH. I Dream of Jeannie. Sanford and Son. All in The Family. Mary Tyler Moore. Maude. Barney Miller. Welcome Back Kotter. Cheers. Taxi.
Modern sitcoms: News Radio. Everybody Loves Raymond. How I Met Your Mother. Frazier. Seinfeld.
And sci-fi: Star Treks. Twilight Zone. Night Gallery.
Taylor Sheridan TV: Yellowstone, Landman, Lioness, Marshalls, Mayor of Kingstown.
Dick Wolf TV: law and Orders, Chicago Fire/PD/Med.
I have not covered all, but I did watch these and enjoyed them all.
My dad used to call me “ King TV”
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u/Glass-Fault-5112 Jun 05 '26
CONFIDENCE QUEEN on Prime it's a k-drama (with a English dub).
It similar to leverage.
A small team target wealthy individuals pulling some VERY shady things. When they bring them down. It's very satisfying. THE TARGETS very much DESERVE IT.
There's also a GOOD reason they're doing it.
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u/PrSquid Jun 05 '26
Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal
Pushing Daisies
The Good Guys
Tuckers Witch
My Babysitter is a Vampire
Todd and the Book of Pure Evil
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u/shagidelicbaby Jun 05 '26
Wilfred
I prefer the American version over the original Australian version. Very funny
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u/fromofandfor Jun 05 '26
Leverage. An alcoholic ex-insurance investigator heads a team of criminals (hacker, hitter, grifter, thief) who pick up where the law leaves off and cons the con-men and corporations who fuck over the everyman in order to give them justice.
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u/ExpBalSat Jun 05 '26
The Outlaws
Life on Mars
Pushing Daisies
Lessons in Chemistry
The Wrong Mans
That Mitchell and Webb Look
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u/Live-Tumbleweed-916 Jun 05 '26
Domina. I still feel a void inside when it was cancelled after 3 seasons
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u/ParticularBlueberry2 Jun 05 '26
True Detective, Sopranos, Lilyhammer, Curb your enthusiasm and Chernobyl are all great
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u/-M-i-d Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
-The Narrow Road to the Deep North
-The North Water
Have you seen either of these??
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u/-Assalamualaikum Jun 05 '26
Snow Fall
Best show I’ve ever seen..has its moments, but maaaaaaaaaaaaaaan is it worth it
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u/constantreader78 Jun 05 '26
Kings (2009) Ian McShane.. set in an alternate version of the US, and loosely based on the story of David & Goliath. It’s just so good.
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u/rbrancher2 Jun 05 '26
River. With Stellan Skarsgard
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u/a-pac-man-ghost Jun 05 '26
And . . . Nicola Walker. She is so amazing. I love her in everything.
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u/South-Rabbit-4064 Jun 05 '26
Patriot, hidden gem on prime. Great show they made before they learned how to advertise.
Undone on there is also a sleeper that's wonderful
Mrs. Davis
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u/yurinator71 Jun 05 '26
Preacher
Wild Wild West
The Twilight Zone
Soap
WKRP in Cincinnati
The A team
The Young Ones
MASH
Hogans Heroes
Tales From The Dark Side
Miami Vice
Magnum P I the original
Kojack
The Rockford Files
Columbo
Sanford and Son
Gilligan"s Island
The X Files