So I made an account for HBO Now. Any recommended HBO Series?

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

So I caved in and made an account to HBO Now because as of this post, HBO is no longer available on DISH Network for the foreseeable future so potentially I may miss out on the final season of Game of Thrones on DISH TV.

So I made an account on their streaming service, they had a free trial and so far they support Desktop/Laptop users.

Now I can finally watch the HBO shows I have been watching clips of them on Youtube for years like The Sopranos and Rome.

But I am also curious on other original series like the equally praised The Wire and other shows like John Adams.

You guys recommend these two?

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

The Sopranos, greatest goddamn show on Earth.
I've heard equally good things about The Wire but never watched it.
True Detective, season 1. Season 2 was divisive, in that it sucked but you get the odd thinkpiece defending it. Season 3's playing right now but haven't watched it yet. Anyway it's an anthology series so you can safely skip seasons at no real loss.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

But I am also curious on other original series like the equally praised The Wire and other shows like John Adams.

You guys recommend these two?

Absolutely. The Wire is just a work of pure genius. You may not see it that way at the beginning because it starts a bit slow but just keep watching.

Also, check out Carnivale. They canceled it after two seasons but it's still one of the weirdest and greatest shows ever made.

However, the absolute best show ever made is Deadwood. Also tragically canceled after three seasons. But in case of Deadwood it doesn't really matter because of the way the story is told. In any case, they are making a movie, probably as we speak. Deadwood is just so goddamn amazing.

Here's a scene or two:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BhomJBwjRE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBMsXcSTi4s

 

[Trunkage]

The Wire is incredible. It feels like a more developed world than most. The characters are well realised. What is says about society is fascinating. Second season is seen as the bad season but I thought it was still okay.

 

[Trunkage]

But I am also curious on other original series like the equally praised The Wire and other shows like John Adams.

You guys recommend these two?

Absolutely. The Wire is just a work of pure genius. You may not see it that way at the beginning because it starts a bit slow but just keep watching.

Also, check out Carnivale. They canceled it after two seasons but it's still one of the weirdest and greatest shows ever made.

However, the absolute best show ever made is Deadwood. Also tragically canceled after three seasons. But in case of Deadwood it doesn't really matter because the way the story is told. In any case, they are making a movie, probably as we speak. Deadwood is just so goddamn amazing.

Here's a scene or two:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BhomJBwjRE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBMsXcSTi4s

These two are great as well

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

The Wire is incredible. It feels like a more developed world than most. The characters are well realised. What is says about society is fascinating. Second season is seen as the bad season but I thought it was still okay.

I liked the second season better than the first, actually.

The thing about The Wire is that each season you get to explore a different aspect of Baltimore and its citizens, its institutions and different aspects of street crime. Each season offers a new perspective that eventually forms a whole picture of how such a complex system works and how each element of society is connected and how it impacts every other element of society. It's really genius in full sense of the word. And without season 2 we'd never have the full picture.

Once you've seen the whole show you've seen every aspect of Baltimore from everyone's perspective: street cops, detectives, career police officers, politicians, lawyers, judges, street criminals, crime bosses, suppliers, rival gangs, school children and teachers, journalists, homeless people, convicts etc.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

But I am also curious on other original series like the equally praised The Wire and other shows like John Adams.

You guys recommend these two?

Absolutely. The Wire is just a work of pure genius. You may not see it that way at the beginning because it starts a bit slow but just keep watching.

Also, check out Carnivale. They canceled it after two seasons but it's still one of the weirdest and greatest shows ever made.

However, the absolute best show ever made is Deadwood. Also tragically canceled after three seasons. But in case of Deadwood it doesn't really matter because of the way the story is told. In any case, they are making a movie, probably as we speak. Deadwood is just so goddamn amazing.

Here's a scene or two:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BhomJBwjRE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBMsXcSTi4s

Do you recommend John Adams.

I feel that any portrayal of US history is often completely sanitized and made into something of a "good vs evil" story then the actual reality. Especially that of the Founding Fathers.

Knowing HBO's reputation, I assume John Adams shows more or less the actually reality of the American War for Independence and the early days of the United States?

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Do you recommend John Adams.

That's a mini series. I've only seen it once and it was a long time ago so I can't say. I'll need to watch it again. I do remember Paul Giamatti being very good though.

Speaking of mini-series, Band of Brothers is a must!

 

[09philj]

The Wire is slow, deliberate, intelligent progressive, and compassionate, and will almost certainly not appeal to your juvenile sensibilities in regard to what makes quality cinema.

Band of Brothers is like if the opening beach scene from Saving Private Ryan was an entire series. Somehow this still works, because it never stops feeling tense and dangerous and viscerally real. The characters are fairly engaging but they're arguably not what you're there for.

Veep inevitably dumbed down Armando Ianucci's political satire to better suit an American audience, but it's still very funny.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Do you recommend John Adams.

That's a mini series. I've only seen it once and it was a long time ago so I can't say. I'll need to watch it again. I do remember Paul Giamatti being very good though.

Speaking of mini-series, Band of Brothers is a must!

I own the Blu Ray box set already along with Saving Private Ryan.

There is The Pacific though and I remember not being as impressed by it as BoB.

 

[MrCalavera_v1legacy]

Give first season of Westworld a watch.

 

[Hawki]

Give first season of Westworld a watch.

Seconded.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Give first season of Westworld a watch.

Seconded.

Eh. I have seen Alt Shift X's video on it and it tells me this:

"Humans Suck, Robots/A.I./Synthetic Lifeforms are da futurz.

 

[Hawki]

Eh. I have seen Alt Shift X's video on it and it tells me this:

"Humans Suck, Robots/A.I./Synthetic Lifeforms are da futurz.

Neither of which are themes espoused within the series, or at least, they're hardly the primary themes.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Give first season of Westworld a watch.

Seconded.

Eh. I have seen Alt Shift X's video on it and it tells me this:

"Humans Suck, Robots/A.I./Synthetic Lifeforms are da futurz.

Nope. Westworld is a lot more than what most people can say about it. You have to see it to get it. It's really fuckin' good.

 

[MrCalavera_v1legacy]

Give first season of Westworld a watch.

Seconded.

Eh. I have seen Alt Shift X's video on it and it tells me this:

"Humans Suck, Robots/A.I./Synthetic Lifeforms are da futurz.

Hardly.
I mean, yes, "Westworld" doesn't bring many new ideas to the AI-in-fiction table, but the world itself is probably the most interesting thing.
For example: Good chunk of first season can be treated as an isight into mechanisms of a live action MMO. Which Westworld basicly is. With players(human guests), NPCs(androids) and the staff and administrators carefully planning new questlines, and taking care of the playerbase(all the behind-the-scenes plotlines in the series).
Intentional or not, there are lots of parallels to game dev in that show.

 

[Trunkage]

Give first season of Westworld a watch.

Seconded.

Eh. I have seen Alt Shift X's video on it and it tells me this:

"Humans Suck, Robots/A.I./Synthetic Lifeforms are da futurz.

Westworld is like Ex Machina. Sci Fi concepts that have been better protrayed elsewhwre for 50 years. So predictable...

Spoiler

If you cant tell that the workers are andriods too or the man in black is on the train by the third episode, you're not putting any effort in

Go back and watch I, Robot. It's way better done than these two. And I don't like I, Robot

 

[Kyrian007]

But I am also curious on other original series like the equally praised The Wire and other shows like John Adams.

You guys recommend these two?

Absolutely. The Wire is just a work of pure genius. You may not see it that way at the beginning because it starts a bit slow but just keep watching.

Also, check out Carnivale. They canceled it after two seasons but it's still one of the weirdest and greatest shows ever made.

However, the absolute best show ever made is Deadwood. Also tragically canceled after three seasons. But in case of Deadwood it doesn't really matter because of the way the story is told. In any case, they are making a movie, probably as we speak. Deadwood is just so goddamn amazing.

Here's a scene or two:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BhomJBwjRE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBMsXcSTi4s

I couldn't agree more on Carnivale. It was the most entertaining and interesting thing on TV, and HBO canceled it. I haven't forgiven them for it and have boycotted HBO entirely ever since.

 

[Chewster]

I too will mirror everyone in saying The Wire is easily the best TV series ever made and that David Simon is a genius. I never watched his follow-up Treme but I heard it was good and I enjoyed the first season of The Deuce well enough too.

I'd recommend Board to Death for a bit of lighthearted, low-key stoner comedy, even though it ended way too soon.

And yes, Westworld. I suppose it can be a bit pretentious and some of the twists are a bit predicable but it had a decent mystery and the production values are top notch. Plus, you know, robots and sci fi and shit.