Need some TV Series on Netflix recommendations

[mjmjr25]

My wife and I just watched Battlestar Galactica (2004 version) and are jonesing bad for something else. We actually watched it as a joke after an episode of Portlandia and after the first 45mins were hooked and ended up watching 70+ episodes over the last 6 weeks.

We've discovered that while we didn't think we like sci-fi, we keep seeming to find and really enjoy the sci-fi dramas and Space Operas.

I'm hoping I can list a few series we've really enjoyed and get some recommendations. We need something...TONIGHT! (must be streaming on netflix...)

The following are TV series we've watched and finished over the past 5 years - we generally will give a show 3 episodes to give a yea or nay on if we are going to watch the whole series. Hoping someone out there has very similar tastes and can help us out.

Really liked:
FireFly
Battlestar Galactica
Roswell
Buffy
Angel
The Tudors
Dexter
Oz
Dollhouse
Bones
Doctor Who (2000's, haven't seen originals)
MI-5
Hustle
The Shield
Sons of Anarchy
Hell on Wheels
The Walking Dead
Psyche
Parks and Recreation
Deadwood
The Wire
Six Feet Under

Liked:
Smallville
Carnivale
Monk
Castle
Arrested Development (loved first time around, lost a lot of appeal the 2nd go round)
Midsomer Murders
Torchwood
Rome
Portlandia
Lost
The Office
Rebus
Inspector Lynley Mysteries
A touch of Frost
Blood in the Wire
Band of Brothers
Twin Peaks

Didn't love:
Breaking Bad (I know, I know, just didn't grab us)
Weeds
30 Rock
Eureka
Veronica Mars (liked it a pinch more than my wife )
Invasion
Point Pleasant
Robin Hood (BBC)
Parenthood
Numb3ers
Mad Men
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Things i'm considering:
Stargate (do these need to be watched in any order?)
Farscape (would need to netflix the DVD's on this one)
Battlestar Galactica (original series)
Sherlock
Primeval (BBC)
Highlander
Boardwalk Empire
Game of Thrones
Freaks and Geeks
The West Wing
Grey's Anatomy (longshot, very likely not our thing)

SUGGESTIONS PLEASE...

[CRTGAMER]

Not sure if on NetFlix and its not a SciFi but a great series.

Homicide - Life On The Street
If the price ever comes down on the new slimmer set, I'll buy the DVDs. That good for multiple viewings.

[BogusMeatFactory]

you need to watch Sherlock. It is brilliantly written and, if you have read the books, give a great attention to detail in relationship to them. Also, there are only 6 episodes, each the length of a full length movie and very well paced. I can not stress it enough, this is such a great series!

[mjmjr25]

Tossed Sherlock in the qeue, - Homicide isn't currently on netflix. Keep 'em coming...

[dsheinem]

Is the HBO stuff streaming on Netflix now? About 90% of my TV watching comes from shows on that network, so Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire would be high recommendations from your considering list...

Also, the Sopranos is second to The Wire for me for all time best show...


An obvious omission: no Star Trek series? TNG and DS9 are both solid and given your tastes you may enjoy them if you haven't seen them.

[noiseredux]

Veronica Mars (liked it a pinch more than my wife )

I get it.

[mjmjr25]

Is the HBO stuff streaming on Netflix now? About 90% of my TV watching comes from shows on that network, so Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire would be high recommendations from your considering list...

Also, the Sopranos is second to The Wire for me for all time best show...


An obvious omission: no Star Trek series? TNG and DS9 are both solid and give your tastes you may enjoy them if you haven't seen them.

Nope, HBO isn't on netflix, but those ones we still buy. GoT and Boardwalk are both ones we have our eye on. Treme was one we were looking at too, but not sure on that one. Eastbound and down I know I would find funny enough, but not my wife's type of humor.

We still have not seen Sopranos.

Star Trek - honestly, just a research thing on my part, a bit overwhelmed and no idea where we would have to start. I typically don't enjoy 1960's-70's TV - it takes some fine acting and writing for me to overlook the production quality on a lot of the early sci-fi stuff, so would lean toward one of the newer series, if the previous series weren't prerequisites?

[Gamerforlife]

The thought of someone not like Breaking Bad just blew my mind. Does not compute. Points for liking The Wire though.

I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and recommend Once upon a Time if you liked Buffy and Lost. It's from two former Lost writers. Jane Espenson, a former Buffy writer, also writes the occasional episode. If you've ever heard of the comic book series Fables, it has a very similar concept. It's basically a modern take on old fairy tales and infuses those characters into a modern world. Interestingly, since the show came on the air I've noticed a lot more fairy tale movies coming out of Hollywood.

Highlander was good for its first few seasons. It has a lot of period piece flashbacks and well choreographed sword fights. It deals a lot with the burden of immortality and loneliness, and the inability to have normal relationships with normal people, themes you might recognize from shows like Buffy, Angel, and Dr. Who.

I've never seen MI-5, but if you like spy shows Nikita is excellent and very underrated. It's a remake/reboot of the old La Femme Nikita TV show that aired years ago on USA and it currently airs on the CW, but you can catch up on its first two seasons on Netflix. It's about a rogue operative from a secret US shadow organization that has gone corrupt and power hungry. The show is about her waging a one woman war to try and bring them down or expose them and it stars Maggie Q. It's heavy on the action, but also has a great story and a great cast. If you stick through the early episodes, it really gets good towards the end of season 1. The action on this show is really, really good stuff. Lots of martial arts, stunts, and gunfights.

Also, try Supernatural if you like Buffy, Angel. It starts off as a monster of the weak show, but gets better with each season as its develops more and more of its mythology and gets more and more story arc focused. I won't go so far as to say it's as good as Buffy/Angel, but it's the only show that has come close for me. It's very similar to those shows as it's all about two guys hunting down demons, monsters, etc. It has a very Buffy/Angel flavor.

A note about Sherlock, it's by the same show runner who is currently in charge of Dr. Who. I've only seen two episodes, but I thought they were quite good. It feels like Dr. Who, but without the Sci Fi elements.

Have you watched ALL of Torchwood? Children of Earth is amazing, probably the best work I've ever seen from that show.

[noiseredux]

I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and recommend Once upon a Time if you liked Buffy and Lost. It's from two former Lost writers. Jane Espenson, a former Buffy writer, also writes the occasional episode. If you've ever heard of the comic book series Fables, it has a very similar concept. It's basically a modern take on old fairy tales and infuses those characters into a modern world. Interestingly, since the show came on the air I've noticed a lot more fairy tale movies coming out of Hollywood.

As a guy who knows Mick, I'll co-sign Once Upon A Time. Damn good writing.

[dsheinem]

Is the HBO stuff streaming on Netflix now? About 90% of my TV watching comes from shows on that network, so Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire would be high recommendations from your considering list...

Also, the Sopranos is second to The Wire for me for all time best show...


An obvious omission: no Star Trek series? TNG and DS9 are both solid and give your tastes you may enjoy them if you haven't seen them.

Nope, HBO isn't on netflix, but those ones we still buy. GoT and Boardwalk are both ones we have our eye on. Treme was one we were looking at too, but not sure on that one. Eastbound and down I know I would find funny enough, but not my wife's type of humor.

We still have not seen Sopranos.

Star Trek - honestly, just a research thing on my part, a bit overwhelmed and no idea where we would have to start. I typically don't enjoy 1960's-70's TV - it takes some fine acting and writing for me to overlook the production quality on a lot of the early sci-fi stuff, so would lean toward one of the newer series, if the previous series weren't prerequisites?

Treme's first season was excellent. I have the second DVR'd but haven't found time. If you liked The Wire, there's a lot you should like about Treme.

Do me a favor: watch The Sopranos and TNG and thank me later. The Sopranos is brilliant TV, and really ushered in a whole new era of primetime drama.

As for Star Trek, you don't need to watch the original Star Trek first. TNG is from the 80s and 90s. There's a lot to like. Just watch those.