I haven’t been watching much in terms of actual shows for a good while, then while listening to a podcast a host casually mentioned they had rewatched Chernobyl, how it still holds up, that there’s a reason it got as much acclaim as it did, etc. So I thought I’d give it a go and wow, loved it (still one episode left to watch).

Had me thinking, what else have I missed out on? What are some “absolute cinema” TV shows that still hold up and and are considered must watch?

  • harc@szmer.infoEnglish
    1421·
    7 days ago

    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.

  • UncleArthur@lemmy.world
    851·
    7 days ago

    DARK on Netflix.

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

  • RougeEric@lemmy.zip
    76·
    7 days ago

    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).

  • Lighttrails@sh.itjust.works
    681·
    7 days ago

    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)

  • eightpix@lemmy.world
    24·
    6 days ago

    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
  • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    402·
    7 days ago

    how it still holds up

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

  • leave_it_blank@lemmy.world
    51·
    7 days ago

    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.

    • qualia@lemmy.worldEnglish
      18·
      7 days ago

      Widow’s Bay is a recent horror comedy series starring Matthew Rhys & Stephen Root that’ll be getting a second season. I consume all media and I highly recommend this gem, especially for the person who’s seen everything in these comments. It has excellent, subtle comedy, ramping lore-building in the vein of the best years of LOST, and the story of the week combined with overarching season arc structure of classics like X-Files.

    • TrackinDaKraken@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      6 days ago

      I expect the actors loved doing this show, most of them get to perform two versions of the same character. They all knock it out of the park.

      Terrific show.

      • merc@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        6 days ago

        I think most people know that J.K. Simmons is an amazing actor, but he’s rarely the lead character in anything. I’m glad I got to see him as the lead in this, what a performance!

    • Samskara@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      2·
      7 days ago

      Counterpart

      It’s a unique show. Cold War spy games in Berlin involving a gateway to a parallel universe. Mood is somber and intense. Looks great.

  • homik@slrpnk.net
    9·
    5 days ago

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexx

    It’s old-ish and maybe not the greatest work of art on screen, but I love that it had a very unique world and characters and humour and it keeps on developing and changing throughout.

    It’s been too long. I really kind of want to watch it again.