OT - Which HBO/Max Series Next?

[Rico444]

The Americans is also good. I'm only through season 1 so far. I also liked Terriers, which only ran 1 season on FX.

Season 2 of the Americans gets even better. Great show.

 

[coachcap]

This will be the final season for "The Newsroom". The first season was special, the second was just okay. Most memorable episode was the insider tip on disposing of bin Laden.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

This will be the final season for "The Newsroom". The first season was special, the second was just okay. Most memorable episode was the insider tip on disposing of bin Laden.

I loved this show right up to the last 15 minutes of the Season 2 Finale, and then it completely jumped the shark. I think Sorkin wasn't sure if he was going to do a third season, so he tried to wrap all the plots up neatly at the end of the season finale, which made the show suck.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

When Danesh said he would accept Gilfoyle's girlfriend's offer of s e x I was dying. Erlich is fantastic.

I work in that world, and the show is a brilliant satire of the industry. There are a lot of Erlich's out there in real life, serial entrepreneurs who have had a few minor wins but are looking for the whale to latch on to that will enable them to retire, and it shows a very keen ear by Mike Judge to nail that character so completely.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Macy gives some of the most phenomenal monologues that I've ever seen on television. In a comedy no less.

The Purity Ball episode is one of the simultaneously funniest and most disturbing TV show episodes I have seen. The one with Frank as a drug mule falls squarely into the same category.

 

[CallMeBruce]

This will be the final season for "The Newsroom". The first season was special, the second was just okay. Most memorable episode was the insider tip on disposing of bin Laden.

I love the Newsroom because it's basically concentrated Sorkinness, but it's not a good show. The recycled dialogue and (especially) recycled plots is a little tiresome. Also, the whole ridiculous lawsuit that the guy brought for getting fired (when they probably could have brought suit against him) was infuriating.

 

[beakumhawks]

While not a Showtime or HBO series, I give a strong thumbs up to Sherlock. Excellent show that just had a third season come out on dvd. Penny Dreadful on Showtime is a series that I have gotten rather hooked on. If you have Netflix I highly recommend Supernatural.

 

[intlzncster]

While not a Showtime or HBO series, I give a strong thumbs up to Sherlock. Excellent show that just had a third season come out on dvd. Penny Dreadful on Showtime is a series that I have gotten rather hooked on. If you have Netflix I highly recommend Supernatural.

Mentioned Sherlock earlier in the thread and completely agree. I like the subject matter of Penny Dreadful, and the acting, and the sets, but something is missing for me at this stage. Can't quite put my finger on it. Has plenty of time to get in gear though.

 

[J187Money]

Based on what I've seen:

MaxGo (watched every episode of these):

Banshee - must watch
Strike Back - must watch
Hunted - good but canceled - they are looking at bringing it back in another form so stay tuned

HBOGo (alphabetically - if I skip one it is because I haven't watched it at all):

Band of Brothers - must watch
Boardwalk Empire - have been stuck in season 1 for a long time. I know I need to get over the hump but it is hard.
Curb Your Enthusiasm - good to kill time but I keep forgetting about it so I can't love it that much.
Deadwood - must watch
Eastbound and Down - hysterical - must watch
Entourage - loved it - must watch
Game of Thrones - epic - must watch
Generation Kill - great look at the Iraq war
Girls - Sometimes annoying, but overall pretty interesting (also I work in NYC so I can relate to the characters)
Oz - dark but good drama
Rome - very well done - left me wanting more
Silicon Valley - better than I would have thought. I just came out of a tech startup and they really nail a lot of what is going on.
Six Feet Under - gave up after a while - never could get fully hooked
The Newsroom - loved it - if you like The West Wing it is a must watch
Sopranos - must watch
The Wire - still IMO the best show of all time
True Detective - slow - need to devote some times and pay attention. Still haven't gotten through it

SHO Anytime (bonus material):

Californication - great stuff
Dexter - also great stuff but after 4 or 5 seasons drags a bit - need to finish it off
Homeland - if anyone ever told me that Claire Danes and Mandy Patankin would do a show and it would be great I'd have laughed. But it is seriously great
Ray Donovan - very dark but excellent - can't wait for next season
The Tudors - very well done
Weeds - was great for a while but got more and more silly as time went by

Netflix:

House of Cards - reason enough to subscribe to Netflix
Orange is the new black - much better than I would have thought - good stuff

Amazon Prime:

Orphan Black - season 1 is free if you have Prime - I bought season 2. Getting through it now - riveting.

 

[sledog]

Silicon Valley is the funniest thing I've seen in 20 years. Very life-like. But, it just ended its season last Sun.

 

[Jerry1714]

This will be the final season for "The Newsroom". The first season was special, the second was just okay. Most memorable episode was the insider tip on disposing of bin Laden.

I will give the Newsroom one thing, it created some of the worse characters in TV history. Mackenzie, Maggie, Jim are some of the most annoying characters ever created. At least Sloan is hot, she got me through one season. But the others turned me off so much I could not watch anymore.

 

[Rico444]

I will give the Newsroom one thing, it created some of the worse characters in TV history. Mackenzie, Maggie, Jim are some of the most annoying characters ever created. At least Sloan is hot, she got me through one season. But the others turned me off so much I could not watch anymore.

 

[J187Money]

I will give the Newsroom one thing, it created some of the worse characters in TV history. Mackenzie, Maggie, Jim are some of the most annoying characters ever created. At least Sloan is hot, she got me through one season. But the others turned me off so much I could not watch anymore.

I'm a sucker for those long monologues. Even if I rarely agree with them.

 

[intlzncster]

I will give the Newsroom one thing, it created some of the worse characters in TV history. Mackenzie, Maggie, Jim are some of the most annoying characters ever created. At least Sloan is hot, she got me through one season. But the others turned me off so much I could not watch anymore.

I agree I absolutely despise those three. I'll admit I like the kid Neal, even if he is a little douchy. He's amusingly earnest. And Don is funny too.

 

[intlzncster]

Based on what I've seen:

MaxGo (watched every episode of these):

Banshee - must watch
Strike Back - must watch
Hunted - good but canceled - they are looking at bringing it back in another form so stay tuned

HBOGo (alphabetically - if I skip one it is because I haven't watched it at all):

Band of Brothers - must watch
Boardwalk Empire - have been stuck in season 1 for a long time. I know I need to get over the hump but it is hard.
Curb Your Enthusiasm - good to kill time but I keep forgetting about it so I can't love it that much.
Deadwood - must watch
Eastbound and Down - hysterical - must watch
Entourage - loved it - must watch
Game of Thrones - epic - must watch
Generation Kill - great look at the Iraq war
Girls - Sometimes annoying, but overall pretty interesting (also I work in NYC so I can relate to the characters)
Oz - dark but good drama
Rome - very well done - left me wanting more
Silicon Valley - better than I would have thought. I just came out of a tech startup and they really nail a lot of what is going on.
Six Feet Under - gave up after a while - never could get fully hooked
The Newsroom - loved it - if you like The West Wing it is a must watch
Sopranos - must watch
The Wire - still IMO the best show of all time
True Detective - slow - need to devote some times and pay attention. Still haven't gotten through it

SHO Anytime (bonus material):

Californication - great stuff
Dexter - also great stuff but after 4 or 5 seasons drags a bit - need to finish it off
Homeland - if anyone ever told me that Claire Danes and Mandy Patankin would do a show and it would be great I'd have laughed. But it is seriously great
Ray Donovan - very dark but excellent - can't wait for next season
The Tudors - very well done
Weeds - was great for a while but got more and more silly as time went by

Netflix:

House of Cards - reason enough to subscribe to Netflix
Orange is the new black - much better than I would have thought - good stuff

Amazon Prime:

Orphan Black - season 1 is free if you have Prime - I bought season 2. Getting through it now - riveting.

Did they even finish Rome? I never saw it because I didn't want to be left hanging -> the worst thing ever on a good show.

 

[J187Money]

Did they even finish Rome? I never saw it because I didn't want to be left hanging -> the worst thing ever on a good show.

Just two seasons. They talked about more but it never happened. The plot lines wrapped up ok though so not like a cliffhanger.

 

[DaddyChoc]

House of Lies and Homeland... and of course the WIRE

 

[Kembacity]

Saw it mentioned once, and its not HBO though I dont know why someone would want to limit their suggestions to two networks.. but Fargo is freaking great. You dont' need to know the movie as its only tangentially associated with it, and its got a very Breaking Bad feel. Great cinematography, great acting, dark humor, anyone who liked Breaking bad and is still trying to fill that void, get on Fargo immediately

 

[J187Money]

Agreed on Fargo. Billy Bob Thornton is outstanding. It's on FX.

(and the fact that I was born in Bemidji makes it a must watch for me lol)

 

[Dove]

My wife got hooked on Fargo. I am now watching episode 7. Keye and Peele just made an appearance.

 

[Deepster]

Throw a vote in for Orange is the New Black. 4 episodes in and I'm locked.

 

[jleves]

The consensus pick has been The Wire and I'm halfway through the second season and while it's good, I'm not seeing how it got so much praise. Does it get better? I like watching it but it's nowhere near Game of Thrones or The Sopranos. It's kind of like an episode of Law and Order drawn out over 12 or 13 weeks with some swearing and a few gratuitous naked scenes.

At least I now know the reference to 'Omar's coming!'

 

[ucinnc]

The consensus pick has been The Wire and I'm halfway through the second season and while it's good, I'm not seeing how it got so much praise. Does it get better? I like watching it but it's nowhere near Game of Thrones or The Sopranos. It's kind of like an episode of Law and Order drawn out over 12 or 13 weeks with some swearing and a few gratuitous naked scenes. At least I now know the reference to 'Omar's coming!'

Totally agree. I'm halfway through season one. And it's good, but no where near as good as I was expecting based on what I had heard.

 

[August_West]

The consensus pick has been The Wire and I'm halfway through the second season and while it's good, I'm not seeing how it got so much praise. Does it get better? I like watching it but it's nowhere near Game of Thrones or The Sopranos. It's kind of like an episode of Law and Order drawn out over 12 or 13 weeks with some swearing and a few gratuitous naked scenes. At least I now know the reference to 'Omar's coming!'

Check back in after seasons 3 and 4 .

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

The consensus pick has been The Wire and I'm halfway through the second season and while it's good, I'm not seeing how it got so much praise. Does it get better? I like watching it but it's nowhere near Game of Thrones or The Sopranos. It's kind of like an episode of Law and Order drawn out over 12 or 13 weeks with some swearing and a few gratuitous naked scenes.

At least I now know the reference to 'Omar's coming!'

Oy vey. I'm not really sure what to say to this beyond there's no accounting for taste. Maybe you were too distracted by the fact that season one wasn't in HD.

For whoever's in the middle of season one, there's no exposition. You're not spoon fed plot, so it takes awhile. It's not dumbed down with voiceovers and whatnot. Some people dig the payoff, some don't.