"The Wire" on HBO

like you don't want to be that guy who goes to a singles bar and just takes out a picture of his ex from his wallet and looks at it w/ melancholy

you need to go hanggliding or cow tipping

hmmm maybe i should download the first season of that show where a wall quickly approaches and you have to slip through the human-shaped cutout

or is that like being in the singles bar and playing big buck hunter by yourself for 2 hours

that's like watching the simpsons, there's always time for the simpsons

oooh, or maybe i'll go in the opposite direction and start watching Empire every night. and when i go out i'll tell everyone "I'm watching Empire every night, I am so obsessed", and they'll start talking about steve buscemi, and i'll disdainfully cut them off and say "No, I mean Andy Warhol's Empire, of course. It's brilliant".

/intenselook

dude watch deadwood if you haven't already. Equally brilliant but in a way absolutely non-reminiscent of the wire and, in its way, utterly unequaled in the medium.

Also it is very fun. After the wire you can use some fun.

Just finished season three for second time this weekend.
On to pryz and the school system

watch prime suspect next

there so many good bbc miniseries from the 70s/80s that come close to or surpass the wire in quality and also require way less commitment

prime suspect chief among them but also tinker tailor soldier spy, house of cards, edge of darkness

diners, drive-ins and dives

^^ I'm home full-time right now and all I do is watch Wire in the Blood, MI5, George Gently, Taggart. Things I might watch next: Prime Suspect, Collision, Place of Execution, Midsomer Murders. Don't bother with Rosemary & Thyme imo.

xp obvs jeez

Actually MI5 is remarkably good I think and there are 10 seasons so it will love you back for a while. Maybe you don't want that kind of commitment but I say, try it.

laurel you havent watched prime suspect yet?!?!?

No! There was no indication it was that much better than the other dozen British crime dramas netflix shows me. I will now, though. If I can tear myself away from the ballad of Lucas North for a sec.

laurel it is The Best, not just best bbc crime show, The Best TV Show, period

you could not find a show more geared to you either

wait, laurel is in orbit???!

GOD DAMMIT PEOPLE

and hello again to laurel :)

hard-drinking tough-as-nails woman cop battles sexism, criminals

xp What, more than TRINITY?

Hm now that you mention it

pawn stars

Sorry, ZS! I had to change email addresses so I re-reg'ed and I wanted a change. Also so my dating exploits wd be less google-able.

no big deal, I'm glad you're still around!

I see enough pawn stars at my parents house when I have to go visit

also ice road truckers, the military channel, and anything about hitler

gently and wire in the blood are my faves of the ones laurel listed. havent seen taggart. collision and place of execution are kinda slim as i recall. midsomer murders is lame but compulsively watchable, my understanding is that its the NCIS of england

havent seen mi6 either.

also recommended if youre heading into the netflix bbc mysteries wormhole: poirot, luther, zen, sherlock

american shows that are good: damages, justified, parenthood, the good wife, homeland

Poirot puts me to sleep but I enjoy Miss Marple a great deal. Have looked at Luther but not gone down that rabbit hole yet. Taggart is in Glesga so you can't understand anyone--part of its charm.

Oh, and Vera!

haha im the opposite on poirot/marple

luther is VERY self-consciously Gritty and Psychological but its watchable

none of these are shows id recommend to people who arent generally fans of police shows except prime suspect

I really really want to blag on about MI5 with someone, desperately.

I know we're talking abt older britisher TV crime dramas but I will rep for Luther. I just finished season 1 and holy shitballs. Yeah. Watch that!

The Shadow Line was great, one of the best things I saw on Britishes TV last year, but don't expect to have a clue what's happening in the first episode.

I thought the consensus on Luther was "amazing cast, great acting, shame about the scripts"?

(I mean The Shadow Line isn't anywhere near Wire quality but it is great)

really? I didn't have a problem with the writing.

MI5, or at least the first episode, is AWFUL. Like, easily out-sophisticated by comic books.

luther is beautifully shot too. the scripts are... serviceable

oh yeah i forgot about the shadow line, it was mostly very good, though by the end i remember being really frustrated

there so many good bbc miniseries from the 70s/80s that come close to or surpass the wire in quality and also require way less commitment, prime suspect chief among them

Prime Suspect is ITV and 90s (/00s)

1) shut up 2) whatever

MI5 is the best! There may be a thread somewhere under 'spooks'. It gets to a point where every other sites is seriously ropey but I love it

Every other SERIES

Got to say digging out ancient Brit detective series is some impressive anglophilia. Was this stuff even shown over there the first time round?

God no.

It's Netflix that's dug them out, though. I watched Sherlock and oh maybe some Agatha Christie and next thing I know it's thrusting Inspector Lynley and Prime Suspect at me.

You may enjoy Jonathan creek