# Best TV series for someone who loved The Wire, Treme, Mad Men and the Sopranos **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359 "2010-09-20T02:21:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/1 "2010-09-20T02:21:58Z")
Besides Mad Men, what else should I be trying this year? Or what old shows should I get on DVD? Oh, and specifically what do you think of Sons of Anarchy? My wife’s friend says it’s great; my son says it’s awful. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/2 "2010-09-20T02:32:34Z")
Get the first five seasons of “Rescue Me” on DVD, watch #6 on TV when it repeats; the series finale is scheduled for September 11, 2011. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/3 "2010-09-20T02:50:07Z")
The Shield. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/4 "2010-09-20T02:51:12Z")
**Breaking Bad** , most definitely. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/5 "2010-09-20T03:04:51Z")
_The Fuckin’ Jerk Hour_ It’s a little-known HBO series depicting the lives of a bunch of fuckin’ jerks. They spend a lot of their time having head-butting contests and going to bars. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/6 "2010-09-20T05:33:26Z")
Deadwood. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/7 "2010-09-20T05:37:18Z")
> [@Queen\_Bruin](#): > > Deadwood. Here’s your winner. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/8 "2010-09-20T05:39:20Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > _The Fuckin’ Jerk Hour_ > It’s a little-known HBO series depicting the lives of a bunch of fuckin’ jerks. They spend a lot of their time having head-butting contests and going to bars. In the later seasons, HBO cut it down to a half hour and renamed it _Entourage_. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/9 "2010-09-20T05:59:25Z")
> [@ToeJam](#): > > The Shield. Most certainly, **The Shield**! Also: Dexter Six Feet Under Rome Deadwood Spartacus (Showtime series) Gay men should never miss an episode of Queer As Folk. As far as Sons Of Anarchy - we watched about three episodes and hated it. Maybe it gets better, and I know there are fans, but it annoyed the hell out of me. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/10 "2010-09-20T08:43:41Z")
I disagree with the shield. While it’s good, it’s not up to the level of cohesiveness in the series mentioned by the OP. I’m seconding Deadwood and Breaking Bad. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/11 "2010-09-20T08:57:51Z")
I would agree with Breaking Bad without doubt, and having finished series 5 of Six Feet Under in a seven hour stint yesterday - that too. Oh my. MiM ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/12 "2010-09-20T09:24:12Z")
> [@Made\_in\_Macau](#): > > I would agree with Breaking Bad without doubt, and having finished\*\* series 5 of Six Feet Under\*\* in a seven hour stint yesterday - that too. Oh my. > > MiM Come back and let us know how you liked the series finale - easily the best series finales of all time! ---
**Author:** ![Baboonanza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@Baboonanza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baboonanza)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/13 "2010-09-20T10:25:32Z")
Again, Breaking Bad and Deadwood. Along with The Wire these would make up my top 3 best series. Dexter’s pretty good, but has to be taken only half seriously. Sons of Anarchy is ‘ok’ I can certainly see how someone could think it was awful, and possibly great if you’re really into the subject matter. I find the acting and scripts to be generally mediocre with some episodes that are fantastic and some that are terrible. ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/14 "2010-09-20T17:00:51Z")
I can get behind Rome & Breaking Bad. I haven’t seen Deadwood. The Corner is also a mini-series produced by The Wire gang that you’d probably like. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/15 "2010-09-20T17:58:11Z")
_Justified_ on FX is terrific. The guy who played the sheriff on _Deadwood_ now plays a deputy U.S. marshal in contemporary Kentucky, taking on rednecks, meth traffickers and Klansmen. ---
**Author:** ![usar\_jag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@usar\_jag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usar_jag)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/16 "2010-09-20T18:08:08Z")
Another recommendation for \*\*The Shield \*\*(don’t listen to the naysayers ;)). \*\*Sons of Anarchy \*\*took a while to grow on me through Season 1, but the second season with Henry Rollins as the bad guy, is a must-see. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/17 "2010-09-20T18:17:33Z")
Ditto for _Breaking Bad_ and _Justified_, and _Rescue Me_ except for season five – I think that’s the season where everyone wanted to get in Tommy’s pants. There wasn’t nearly enough firehouse in S5. Just skip 5 and start up with 6, which is mostly awesome, and the women in Tommy’s pants are down to two. I’d add _Nip/Tuck_, but stop after the Carver mystery is solved. _Deadwood_ seems unnecessarily florid and overblown to me now, but that’s after watching _The Wire_ several times. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/18 "2010-09-20T20:43:34Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Ditto for _Breaking Bad_ and _Justified_, and _Rescue Me_ except for season five – I think that’s the season where everyone wanted to get in Tommy’s pants. There wasn’t nearly enough firehouse in S5. I actually missed 5 because I kept forgetting it was on. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/19 "2010-09-21T14:23:29Z")
Thanks for all the responses. Definitely some helpful suggestions here which I will look into further. I already bookmarked the page. As it turns out I also heard about Boardwalk Empire yesterday so I watched that last night. Looks like it’s off to a good start, but hard to tell from a first episode. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359/20 "2010-09-21T16:02:43Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > > [@Made\_in\_Macau](#): > > > > I would agree with Breaking Bad without doubt, and having finished\*\* series 5 of Six Feet Under\*\* in a seven hour stint yesterday - that too. Oh my. > > > > MiM > > Come back and let us know how you liked the series finale - easily the best series finales of all time! Yes it was astonishing really. Never anticipated it and bears repeated viewings. I’m welling up as I type. Enjoy these treats ahead Plan B. MiM [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-series-for-someone-who-loved-the-wire-treme-mad-men-and-the-sopranos/554359.md?page=2)