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Snapzites, what TV shows do you recommend for binge watching and why?

Please only shows that are over 3 complete seasons. I don't like waiting for episodes on a weekly basis.

8 years ago by canuck with 73 comments

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Conversation 8 comments by 5 users
  • Tawsix
    +5

    My last binges were Californication and the X-Files. Californication is funny and I watch a lot of X-Files as a kid so I'm trying to fill in the gaps and get some of that sweet nostalgia.

Conversation 18 comments by 6 users
  • BlueOracle
    +6

    Twin Peaks - Because you can't have too much coffee with donuts and cherry pie, right? It's just so bonkers you can't stop watching even if you want to. Watch out for a young Heather Graham and a gorgeous David Duchovney, meow! Also, I love Kyle MacLachlan, damnit! Is that so wrong?

    StarTrek: DS9 - Because it has a beautiful wormhole! It's space politics at their best. Please ignore the pilot, it's godawful. I never watched it much as it aired, but it's surprisingly good. I especially enjoyed some of the villains. There are so many episodes! It's better than Voyager, I promise. ;)

    Black Books - Because who doesn't want to run a bookshop? Even freaks have rights! It's like hanging out with your dysfunctional, yet hilarious, friends... except you can just turn them off if you get sick of them. Even Simon Pegg stops by for a visit.

    Arrested Development - Because family love you! Watching makes you feel more normal in comparison to the characters. It's hilarious, just one of the best shows ever. It's easier to follow if you binge watch it, and it's very rewarchable. It's my favorite show... Maybe.

    Mushi-shi - Because mushi are all around us! It's beautiful, atmospheric, and creepy. I found it relaxing, yet engaging. If (you think) you're not into anime, this is a good place to start. It's an enchanting fairytale of a show.

    Monster - Because Dr. Tenma is innocent, I tell ya! There's so much intrigue and weirdness going on you can't wait for the next episode. Some of the stories are actually quite touching. Wait till you see how it all ends!

    Honnerable mention to Death Note, Xxxholic, Futurama, The X-Files, Buffy, Firefly, Angel, Peep Show, The Walking Dead, and Bates Motel. (Buffy is, IMHO, the single most bingwatchable show ever made.)

    • bogdan
      +4

      Interesting to see Mushishi mentioned here. Definitely one of the most out of the ordinary series out there. Amazing and immersive atmosphere, so relaxing after a day's work.

    • flowerpunk
      +2

      Star Trek: DS9 is great but I also very much enjoyed Voyager. I don't know why they both recieve criticism while TOS evades it. (TNG is perfect, ok?)

      Monster is fantastic. More of animated-tv-series than typical anime in style/presentation. Fans of psychological thrillers or mystery should give it a try even if not anime fans.

      The rest all get votes from me actually, great list.

    • drunkenninja
      +2

      Buffy is, IMHO, the single most bingwatchable show ever made.

      I must admit, we tried watching this show, and I mean really tried... but we just couldn't get into it after 3 episodes. Is there some threshold we must cross for it to get good?

      • caelreth
        +4

        Not sure exactly where the 'threshold' is, but the show (and characters) progress a lot during the show's run. If you make it through to "The Body" in season 5, you will see an episode that was (for instance) of which was said "I was riveted by this show ... This isn't just one of the best Buffy episodes of all time. It's one of the best episodes of TV of all time." -- Television critic Alesia Redding and editor Joe Vince of the South Bend Tribune.

        Yes, the early episodes take a while to find their footing, but once the cast and crew find their stride, it's a very good ride.

        • BlueOracle
          +5

          That's a gut-wrenching, but excellent, episode! Season 5 is a good one.

          • caelreth
            +4

            It's one of those episodes that I still remember watching the first time, and it's been 14 years.

            • drunkenninja
              +3

              Well shit... I'm sold. It might take a while to get to it, but I will troop it out, who knows maybe I'll get hopelessly addicted! :D

            • caelreth
              +3
              @drunkenninja -

              Well, even if you don't, we can still be friends :)

            • drunkenninja
              +3
              @caelreth -

              Deal!

            • Harold
              +4
              @drunkenninja -

              I had to force myself through the first couple of episodes whilst feeling embarrassed about watching it but then a switch flipped and I totally loved it. I'd recommend watching angel side by side when you get to that point. They are both fantastic. Buffy is more campy and fun, whereas Angel is a tad darker but they both have unforgettable characters.

              I find myself breaking out into songs from a particular episode almost daily now that I've completely embraced it.

            • BlueOracle
              +3
              @Harold -

              I had the same experience. I remember watching Buffy at a friends house and thinking it was so silly, but then it won me over. I find a lot of Joss Whedon's work to be like that. Maybe it's because his shows are so character driven and you have to get to know the characters? IDK.

              I find myself breaking out into songs from a particular episode almost daily...

              Even the skeezy cheese song? Be honest! ;)

        • drunkenninja
          +3

          Well shit, I will definitely have to give it another shot. It's a long way to season 5 though, I guess I'll need to suck it up and get through a few more.

          • caelreth
            +3

            Well, I don't mean you have to wait quite that long to get to good episodes - just that you will be rewarded for getting there (and beyond).

            • drunkenninja
              +1

              Agreed. Will check back here in a bit to "share my experience" :)

            • caelreth
              +3
              @drunkenninja -

              Can't wait to hear what you think :)

      • BlueOracle
        +2

        I skipped the first season because I heard it wasn't very good, and then I watched it at the end out of curiosity. Season 1 really is not a very good season, but if you've watched the rest of it first it's funny and somewhat interesting. I remember David Boreanaz's acting being particularly unbearable early on. Now, Buffy is just not for everyone. My brother absolutely cannot stand it. It might not be for you, but if you want to give in another try, start with season 2. It does take a few episodes to get into it. I had the weird experience of catching a stray episode on T.V. now and then and finding it terrible, but somehow it grew on me when I watched it in order.

  • caelreth (edited 8 years ago)
    +8

    Once Upon a Time, Doctor Who, Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, MAS*H, X-Files

  • drunkenninja
    +7

    In no particular order:

    - House
    - Breaking Bad
    - Lost
    - Prison Break
    - Game of Thrones
    - X-Files
    - Orange is the New Black
    - Mad Men

    • caelreth
      +3

      Some good ones on there, for sure :)

    • Harold
      +2

      I binged lost in less than a week. It was an intense ride and I wish I could see it all over again for the first time.

      • drunkenninja
        +4

        I've dreamt of temporary amnesia just so I can watch the show all over again. It's that good :)

        • sushmonster
          +3

          Started Breaking Bad today. Lost is one of the best shows that ever happened to network TV; even with season 6 in mind. I keep wondering when I will have forgotten enough of the twists to get maximum re-watch value.

          • drunkenninja
            +2

            Keep watching breaking bad, you will be happy you did!

  • doodlegirl
    +7

    For comedies I recommend Modern Family and Big Bang Theory.

    • rhingo
      +4

      Sheldon makes that show (Big bang theory)

      • drunkenninja
        +3

        Yep, the cast is great but without Sheldon there would be no show.

  • PeopleShelf
    +7

    Game of thrones: Cause it's fucking amazing on so many levels. Character development is 360 where you end up loving characters you started out hating and vice versa. The plot is twisted and manipulative keeping you on the edge of your seat. The atmosphere covers aspects of socio and economical turmoil that are underlying yet very informative factors of a story line etc. Original Dr. Who...I am talking about the stuff from back in the 70's. In many episodes it is very cheesy and the story lines may be cookie cut. But I give the earlier episodes kudos based on the fact that it transforms itself into a very awesome story. The Wire: no question, one of the best shows I've seen, just because it gives you insight on how a city deal with widespread poverty, crime, and violence. Twin Peaks: Another show that needs no introduction. Several years ago I was hit with a nasty cold that left me out of work for 3 horrible days. Twin peaks kept my mind at ease and allowed me to recovery. Great show!

    • drunkenninja (edited 8 years ago)
      +2

      Game of thrones: Cause it's fucking amazing on so many levels. Character development is 360 where you end up loving characters you started out hating and vice versa. The plot is twisted and manipulative keeping you on the edge of your seat. The atmosphere covers aspects of socio and economical turmoil that are underlying yet very informative factors of a story line etc.

      Agreed, I love this show! For those of you who have been holding off... don't, you won't regret it.

  • MyUserName
    +5

    -Community, This is a good show to just put on and leave it going. If you have seen all of it before, you can just put it on random and watch what comes up. If you haven't seen it yet then you are in for a treat. There are 6 full seasons though I'm not sure where they seasons are streamed besides Stan in Australia and Yahoo Screen. The season 6 finale was pure gold.

    -Red Dwarf, An old british sci-fi sitcom with 9 or 10 seasons, I can't quite remember cause of the way the seasons are labelled. Revolves around the last human in existence aboard a ship with his holographic friend, a life form evolved from a cat and in later series a humanoid android. This doesn't sound appealing but it may surprise you.

    -Stargate SG1, This is one of if not my favourite show ever. Based off of the 1994? movie it spans 10 years and over 200 episodes about an exploration team, SG1, exploring the universe through the stargate. The storylines are decent and the characters are believable. It may seem dated and that may annoy you but in the end if you are a fan of sci-fi then this is a must watch.

    -Farscape, With 4 seasons and a movie to wrap it up this was a joint effort between SciFi and channel 9 in Australia, hence all the Australians. Its premise is that a man is taken across the universe when a wormhole opens up when he is testing a new ship for the airforce/nasa. It involves Jim Hensons Creature Company(I think) who create the aliens so they are not all humans.

    -Deadwood, Has exactly 3 seasons produced by HBO. I can't remember much about it and American history is something I know little of, so here is the plot summary from IMDB

    The town of Deadwood, South Dakota in the weeks following the Custer massacre is a lawless sinkhole of crime and corruption. Into this uncivilized outpost ride a disillusioned and bitter ex-lawman, Wild Bill Hickok, and Seth Bullock, a man hoping to find a new start for himself. Both men find themselves quickly on opposite sides of the legal and mora...

    ... Read Full
    • flowerpunk (edited 8 years ago)
      +3

      Currently watching Farscape (Blu-ray!). Up to S02E03.

      After watching basically all of Star Trek several times over, I needed more. Wonder how long society must wait for another sci-fi/space-opera ? Has been a while. Quite enjoying it so far, I hope the movie patching up the end works out well ?

      • MyUserName
        +3

        I honestly can't remember the movie and how good or bad it is, but I think it did finish off the story which was it's point I believe. Battlestar Galactica is another really good show for sci-fi drama. Stargate Universe is also good for a drama thats in space, entirely different to the other two stargate series but still good in it's own right.

    • drunkenninja
      +3

      Great list, thank you for the personalized descriptions!

      • MyUserName
        +2

        Haha, just be glad I cut myself off. It's actually hard to right summaries for shows that you haven't seen in ages, without spoilers.
        Thanks for your comment, you're always warm and friendly.

  • cheezoncrack
    +5

    King of the Hill. Hand down favorite to binge watch.

    • ticktack
      +1

      I never really got into it. I migth give it another go.

  • frohawk
    +4

    Okay, since most people have thrown out the couple I'd recommend off the back, I'll toss out a couple of throwbacks:

    The Adventures of Pete and Pete: A kids' show, yeah, but a sweet one with wacky shenanigans and fuzzy moments all round.

    Malcolm in the Middle. I used to obsessively watch this. I really don't have much to say about it, but it was strangely compelling when I was a younger me. Same for Sabrina the Teenaged Witch (the live version one).

    • BlueOracle
      +3

      Haha, I remember Pete and Pete! What a bizarre show, but I do remember liking it.

  • sushmonster
    +4

    Parks and Recreation! It's so, so good. And cheerful and lovely and just feel-good. At one point, I'm pretty sure binge-watching this show cured my depression!

    • TNY
      +1

      I might have to take a look. Thanks for the recommendation.

      • sushmonster
        +1

        Season 1 is kind of slow and lame but stick through it it's only 6 episodes... or even skip it if you want you don't really miss much! Season 2 is where it picks up and season 3 is some of the best television comedy I have ever seen in my life!

  • Autumnal
    +4

    Fringe: Starts off as a monster-of-the-week x-files like show, and then turns into something different. Probably my favorite show ever.

    Torchwood: Again, starts off as a monster-of-the-week x-files like show, and turns into a serial sci-fi drama. Great show.

    Doctor Who: I watched the entire reboot series as my 'evening stoned' show, and I adore it. Great sci fi.

    Arrow - Took the CW and turned it into a legit phenomenon. Great superhero show.

    • 8mm
      +2

      Yeah Fringe really turned it around after the mediocre first season. At first it looked like one of those shows that you don't need to watch in order.

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  • Splitfish
    +4

    I'll throw in some older ones. Prison Break (first 3 seasons) and Lost.

  • Jupiter7
    +3

    I'd say Misfits. IMO only the first couple of seasons is worth it, but pretty good still. I'm sure theres more too but my brain isn't working right now.

  • rawlings
    +3

    Oz was a great prison show airing from the last 90s to the early 2000s. Highly rated on IMDB also.

  • Sephsta (edited 8 years ago)
    +3

    Trailer Park Boys - Hilarious and there's 9 delicious seasons of it!

    Grimm - Excellent show if you like Fairy Tale monsters etc

    The Office (UK + US) - One of my favourite shows, couldn't put it down once I started watching

    • TNY
      +2

      Agreed about TPB, best show ever!

  • beren
    +3

    Dexter, Walking Dead, The Killing, Jack Taylor, Orange is the new black, The Code - all these not just because they are great shows, but because the main storyline(s) are continuous throughout the series, there's not a "new" story every episode. That's the kind of stuff that really makes me binge.

    • TNY
      +1

      Dexter was great until the final 2 seasons. The finale was awful.

    • 8mm
      +1

      How is the Killing? I've seen it but it looks too slow for my liking.

  • paperplainjane
    +3

    My latest binges were House of Cards, Daredevil and Orange is the New Black. If you after something to have on in the background I usually go 30 Rock or Parks and Rec.

    • dynamite
      +3

      Upvote for house of cards

    • Splitfish
      +3

      Daredevil was the best super hero TV show ever.

      • paperplainjane
        +1

        There's not much competition in that space though :p

  • alapseofsanity
    +3

    I wanna throw in a suggestion for US people who haven't seen it:

    If you can, try to watch the first season of Utopia (UK). This is currently getting a US remake with David Fincher directing, but the original UK version is fantastic. I'd recommend watching it before we get the remake.

    • csteketee
      +2

      I loved Utopia. Fantastic series. The cinematography and the vibrant colors were standouts for me. ...not for the queasy though

  • Mojambi
    +2

    Top Gear is fantastic for binge watching. Every episode is different, and all of them are ridiculous.

    Futurama is also great because, well... Futurama.

  • plastico
    +2

    I would have to say Breaking Bad. It gets better with every season. Also, if you loved BB, try Better Call Saul.

    • Splitfish
      +2

      Yeah I actually like BCS more than BB but only by a tiny bit (and also probably because I already know some of the characters right away). Both are great and highly recommended although for binge watching, BCS doesn't have much of a selection yet (only 1 season).

  • Militree
    +2

    Here's one that I rarely see suggested: Friday Night Lights. At first glance it seems like a hokey prime time drama, but it's really easy to get sucked into it. It's not exactly on the level of The Wire or Breaking Bad, but you really fall in love with the characters. It also has by far my favorite TV marriage in the Taylors. Just ignore how much the quality of Season 2 dips, iirc that was during the writer's strike. Also has Todd from Breaking Bad!

    As for myself, I am currently binging Sopranos (finally) and Hannibal (RIP).