Ask Lemmy

Speaking of Chernobyl, watch Andor next (lots of the same actors). Go in ignoring the fact it has anything to do with Star Wars and you'll have a great time. It's peak television.

I'm really surprised The Expanse didn't get more of a mention here. Great scify series, and I don't like series in general.
Its closer to hard sci fy than prob anything else, it has pretty realistic politics of exploitation, rebellion and inyterdependace in the near (few hundred years) colonisation of the solar system. There's some gritty pewpewpew in space, balanced out by some space opera, with spectacular characters that have more depth than most and a story arch thats likely to make you binge it.

As an added bonus the series is 6 out of 9 (/10) books it is based on. There are some notable differences by the end but still you can... expand beyond what the series shows.

The Good Place. Season one is just to set it up, please stick with it through at least S2. The ending makes me cry every time I watch it

I always plug Scavenger's Reign. It's a a sci fi survival show about a set of people who get stranded on an alien planet animated kind of like a graphic novel. The creators used a bunch of nature documentaries as inspiration to create a truly alien and interdependent ecosystem, but the theme tells you everything you need to know about the tone.

Also, animated sci fi comedy, The Venture Bros

I'm always ready to plug Bojack Horseman. Yes, it's an animated show about an anthropomorphic horse, with tons of silly, animal puns and visual gags, and cartoon-ish storylines, and it will sometimes just rip you open emotionally. Will Arnett is a phenomenally gifted voice actor. And despite this, one of the best episodes of television I've ever seen is one in which he has barely any lines.

The usual advice, of course, is that it takes until the middle of the first season to get really good. (The first few episodes aren't bad, they're just light comedy.)

DARK on Netflix.

It's not for everybody but I loved every second of it. In summary (without spoilers):

Here's a short selection of series that really stood out for me over the past few years.

All are there for different reasons, but they were all quite amazing IMHO. (also, I've included spoiler-free summaries 😉)

Devs
A software engineer investigates the secretive quantum computing division of her cutting-edge tech company after her boyfriend goes missing.
This felt like some of the best early Black Mirror episodes, stretched out over the length of a well-paced short TV series. In a way, it's also similar to Severance, in the best of ways.

Our Flag Means Death
An 18th-century aristocrat abandons his life of luxury to become a pirate.
Funny, touching, extremely intelligent... if you like the work of Taika Waititi and his friends (What we do in the Shadows), this is a must-watch.

Scavengers Reign
When a deep-space freighter crashes on a beautiful but profoundly perilous alien planet, the scattered surviving crew must navigate a surreal, violently interconnected ecosystem in a desperate bid for rescue.
The best Sci-Fi series I've ever seen. This may be the first tv series I've seen that actually translates the vibe of some of the best Sci-Fi/space-opera writing I've read.

Killing Eve
A bored MI5 security officer and a glamorous, unpredictable assassin become locked in a deadly, globe-trotting game of cat-and-mouse.
Amazing actresses playing terrible people. It is so we'll made I think everyone needs to watch this one.

Utopia (UK)
A group of online forum members unearths a bizarre graphic novel rumored to predict global disasters, suddenly finding themselves hunted by a ruthless, shadowy organization.
This show is SO unique. The way it looks, the vibe, the story... everything hits SO hard! Just the intro sequence had me HOOKED! (Note: it was never finished; but it does have a pretty good ending regardless).

Battlestar Galactica 2000s remake. It's soooo good

I loved Mr Robot

Edit- I’d also throw in Fargo. The season with Chris Rock and Jason Schwartzman was weak but the rest are great (Especially seasons 2 & 5)

Breaking Bad!

Ted Lasso. Surface level it's a "fish out of water" story of an American College Football coach going to England to coach Professional Football (soccer). In actuality it's a show about loss, growth, relationships, and packs more emotions than you'll know what to do with. I know a lot of people gush about it, but I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that it might be the most perfect show I've ever watched.

Similarly, Schitt's Creek. A lot of similar themes, also a nearly perfect show. I will say that it took me a little bit to get past the first couple of episodes because it seemed like all of the characters were kinda awful, but that's really setting things up for character growth.

Better Call Saul https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Call_Saul

This show is better than Breaking Bad IMHO.

Nobody seems to have watched it, but "Counterpart". It's a mind fuck Science Fiction show. Only 20 episodes, so manageable.

It was cancelled, but the writers knew beforehand and wrote an absolute perfect conclusion for the last episodes.

Also it's best to go in blind. There are events predicted in the show that later happened for real (I don't want to spoil it), and it's fun to think "oh that is how and why it happened"!

Also J.K. Simmons. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterpart_(TV_series)

I can't recommend this show enough.

Firefly,

For less cinematic my favorite fun ones are

The good place, and Better off ted

Severance is amazing and worth watching multiple times.

The Walking Dead through the end of season 6

Futurama

Ted Lasso

The Good Place

3rd Rock From The Sun

Band of Brothers

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (don’t let the trailers fool you— it starts kinda slow but it’s an adult storyline and is phenomenal from like middle of Season 1 on. The last four episodes are iconic for me. You can skip the movie.)

Long Way Round (sequel Long Way Down is excellent also)

The IT Crowd

Marvel’s The Punisher

Chapelle’s Show

Haunting of Hill House / Haunting of Bly Manor

Fringe

The Expanse

Simpsons through season 7

True Detective, season 1

how it still holds up

Jesus Christ, the show came out in 2019... Are we really asking if things from 2019 "still hold up"?

A short list

• The Wire
• Twin Peaks
• Dark
• Spaced
• Mystery Science Theater 3000

I slept on the Battlestar Galactica reboot from 2003. I'd catch glimpses of it when it was on air, but since it was a continuous storyline, I bounced off it and was lost. Recently decided to try it out, and I was immediately hooked. Great acting and a really interesting scenario.

Andor is superb, as others have said.

Firefly is a fantastic space western, beloved for good reason.

Turn: Washington's Spies is a great historical spy series based on real spies in the American Revolution. Starts a bit slow but it really gets rolling after a couple episodes.

My family has had great things to say about Black Sails, a historical Pirate show.

If you haven't seen Breaking Bad, strongly recommend it.

Common Side Effects is a masterpiece.

If you're interested in Anime that goes for more adult themes, I can recommend Spice & Wolf, Cowboy Bebop, and Black Lagoon.

Edit: also the first season of Squid Game is pretty great, haven't watched the other seasons yet.

It’s a bit older, but the HBO series ROME is amazing. There are two seasons and I’ve watched both at least 11 times each. Hell, you could throw it on right now and I’d sit down to watch it.

I’ll mention one that hasn’t been mentioned by others yet: Mind Hunter.

"How it still holds up". Chernobyl came out in 2019. That's not that old! It's only 7 years. It might be a long time but not enough for a show to get dated like that.

Andor!

Best Star Wars content in a lonngggg time

Better Call Saul! I like it even more than Breaking Bad

Didn't see anyone mentioned it but Gravity Falls and the original Avatar The Last Airbender is really, really good.

Also Fallout TV series is nice too, not worth the subscription but worth your time, if you catch my drift.

This is PEAK of my last year.

Better than the rest

• The Wire & Homicide: Life on the Street (David Simon Box Set)

• Atlanta

• The Expanse

Comedy

• NewsRadio (for Maura Tierney and Dave Foley and Phil Hartman and Khandi Alexander and Vicki Lewis and Stephen Root)
• Schitt's Creek
• Ted Lasso (Seasons 1 and 2)
• Murphy Brown
• Sex Education

Sci-Fi

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
• Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009)
• Dark
• Devs
• Altered Carbon (Season 1)

Drama

• The Newsroom
• Law & Order (seasons 1-8)
• Succession
• Severance

Intense Drama (TV-MA and little levity)

• Chernobyl
• Adolescence
• Utopia
• MR. ROBOT
• Luther
• True Detective (Season 1)
• Vince Gilligan Box Set (Better Call Saul & Breaking Bad & Plur1bus (has levity))
• Ozark

Anthology shows

• Black Mirror
• Love Death + Robots

Animated

• Rick and Morty
• Samurai Jack (2001-2004, 2017)
• Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008)
• Gravity Falls
• South Park
• Neon Genesis Evangelion
• Final Space

Perpetually on deck for me

• Fargo
• Andor
• Band of Brothers
• Barry
• Legion
• Letterkenny
• Bojack Horseman
• Scavenger's Reign
• Fringe

I always feel like The Leftovers on HBO doesn’t get anywhere near enough love. The first few episodes, while still good, are admittedly a bit slow (even for a slow burn) but holy shit once it gets going it is SO damn good. 3 seasons of some of my absolute favorite “what-the-fuck-is-happening” television. The story and writing and characters are phenomenal, and the acting is even better. Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, Christopher Eccleston, and Ann Dowd are just incredible, and Damon Fucking Lindelof just ties it all together

• American Crime Story (2016) [Season 2]

  Season two examines the 1997 murder of legendary fashion designer Gianni Versace outside of his Miami Beach mansion by serial killer Andrew Cunanan, interweaving storylines involving the lead-up to the murder and the criminal investigation that includes a nationwide manhunt for Cunanan.

• Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (2016)

  A comedic thriller that follows the bizarre adventures of eccentric “holistic” detective Dirk Gently and his reluctant assistant Todd. An adaptation of Douglas Adams’ wildly successful comic novels.

• Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002)

  In the future when technological enhancements and robotics are a way of life, Major Motoko Kusanagi and Section 9 take care of the jobs that are too difficult for the police. Section 9 employs hackers, sharpshooters, detectives and cyborgs all in an effort to thwart cyber criminals and their plans to attack the innocent.

• Mad Men (2007)

  Set in 1960-1970 New York, this sexy, stylized and provocative drama follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising.

• Orb: On the Movements of the Earth (2024)

  After learning heretical teachings about the Earth and the Sun, a child prodigy searches for his master's hidden research while evading the Inquisition.

• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

  Follow the intergalactic adventures of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and his loyal crew aboard the all-new USS Enterprise NCC-1701D, as they explore new worlds.

• Twin Peaks (1990)

  The body of Laura Palmer is washed up on a beach near the small Washington state town of Twin Peaks. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate her strange demise only to uncover a web of mystery that ultimately leads him deep into the heart of the surrounding woodland and his very own soul.

• Utopia (2013)

  The Utopia Experiments is a legendary graphic novel shrouded in mystery. When a group of strangers find themselves in possession of an original manuscript, their lives suddenly and brutally implode.

• Wilfred (2011)

  Everyone else sees Wilfred as just a dog, but Ryan sees a crude and somewhat surly, yet irrepressibly brave and honest Australian bloke in a cheap dog suit. While leading him through a series of comedic and existential adventures, Wilfred the dog shows Ryan the man how to overcome his fears and joyfully embrace the unpredictability and insanity of the world around him.

Haven’t seen it mentioned yet, so I’ll go ahead and give a shoutout to The Queen’s gambit. It’s easily one of the best shows of the past 20 years and it’s a limited, 7 episode (iirc) series.

Altered Carbon season 1. The worldbuilding and story is very good. Premise: People have managed to create chips on which you can put someone's consciousness. In this world, everyone has one. Once a body dies, your life is not necessarily over, but the standards differ vastly for the poor and the rich. One such rich man has had an attempt on his life: someone shot him in his chip, and then tried to hack his backup to truly kill him, but failed. He awakens an old rebel to solve who murdered him (this is all episode 1 exposition, so not really a spoiler).

It's one of those sci-fi series where, if you accept that one specific thing is possible, everything fits perfectly. Good story, great worldbuilding, good cast, and good music. Highly recommended!

I'm not sure if there's any more of it being made now, but I remember season 2 being just a run of the mill boring-ass action series. Turned it off halfway episode 3. But season 1 is very good, and absolutelt worthy of the praise that it got!

My Fiancee and I just over the last couple of weeks binged the series 12 Monkeys for the first time. Easily one of my favorite shows period, and it's a show that ended as intended.

If you've seen the movie, from other people's observations (I haven't watched it), the first season of the show vaguely follows along a similar idea, but it absolutely is not the same afterwards.

It's 4 seasons and 46 episodes so it's not a huge commitment, but the payoff is so worth it.

The show is one of the rare ones where it only gets better as it goes on, up to the very last episode. Truly underrated and overlooked.