Black Mirror is the most thought provoking science fiction show on TV. It deals with technology and how it affects us, but the stories are all memorable because of the characters, who are neither entirely good or bad. Not a light adventure – the show is as dark as its title – but you’ll remember each episode long after you watched it.
It’s compared to the Twilight Zone, but only because it’s an anthology series. Watch the first one, and when you hear the ransom demand, you’ll know just how different this is from anything else.
Supergirl is surprisingly good, and is different from any other superhero show today in that there’s not a lot of silly angst.
For mystery, try The Miss Fisher Mysteries on Netflix.
I’ll also second The Librarians, Being Human, and Murdoch Mysteries.
The Librarians is a light and fun modern-day “magic has returned to the world and we need to contain it” show.
I’ve only seen the North American version of Being Human, which I liked. A vampire and a werewolf move into a house which is haunted by a ghost; they try to support one another as they try to live like normal people. Sometimes it’s bleak, sometimes it’s quite funny.
Murdoch Mysteries is set in Toronto in the late 19th to early 20th century. William Murdoch is a detective with a penchant for using newfangled techniques (like comparing fingermarks). Many cases involve a famous person from that era (e.g. Harry Houdini, Arthur Conan Doyle, Nikola Tesla).
I’ll also put in a vote for Sense8. It’s truly imaginative science fiction about a gestalt, an SF theme that hasn’t been used since the 50s. But it’s nicely updated, and the combination of J. Michael Straczynski and the Wachovskis works very well, since they play off each other’s strengths and fix the others’ weaknesses.
2nd this.
It’s sci-fi with humor. The first season was a procedural with a continuing arc. There’s a romantic subplot, but it isn’t the focus of the show.
“Being Human” is weird. The first seasons of both versions are very close - but there are some things the US version does better and some things the UK version does better and as the series both go on the stories diverge and neither version plays to its strengths. But they’re kind of fun until they’re not.
I’ve not seen “Penny Dreadful” yet, (it’s on my “to watch” list) but it has great reviews and falls in line with some of the things you do like. It might be worth checking out.
The very best (somewhat) recent TV shows have been:
The Americans
Fargo
Game of Thrones
Some other very good shows include:
HALT
Humans
Jinx (I’d really recommend this one based on your past likes)
The Knick (really fine show - two seasons)
Last Man on Earth (kind of shlocky - but it’s a comedy and you might like it - worth trying a couple of epis) (I love January Jones and so anything she is in, I’m a sucker for her)
Longmire (a modern day Western about a fine man who is a sheriff) You might like it.
Man in High Castle (about the Nazis)
Manhattan (about the project to create the first Atomic bomb)
Murder in the First (a very fine show)
Penny Dreadful (fits in well with your past likes)
Schitt’s Creek (a comedy but I love it - it’s worth trying an epi or two)
Sex Drugs & Rock & Roll (a comedy about a Rock & Roll band) (it is an acquired taste)
Silicon Valley (a nice comedy about the development of the early PCs)
True Detective (if you like Matthew Mcconehay, you will prob like this)
If you like History, and spy/intrigue, TURN: Washington’s Spies has two seasons complete and will begin it’s third season later this year. Not sure where you can catch the episodes though.
Going on your preferences and past likes, and assuming you are looking for current show and/or shows on Netflix, would recommend the following:
Torchwood: Dr. Who spinoff. Stars John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, so if you liked that character, you’d probably like this.
Once Upon a Time: Famous fairy tale characters living in an isolated New England village cursed to not remember who they are.
Merlin: Young Merlin and comes to Camelot and meets young Prince Arthur.
Supergirl/The Flash/Agents of SHIELD/Arrow: If you like the superhero stuff, Supergirl and The Flash are on the light-hearted end of the spectrum while SHIELD and Arrow are darker.
If you like Kimmy Schmidt, I’d recommend Doc Martin and Death in Paradise, both of which are British fish-out-of-water series.
Gravity Falls and Steven Universe are the best cartoons on the air right now. Both take place in (slightly altered versions of) the real world, but have strong fantasy/horror (Gravity Falls) and sci-fi (Steven Universe) backgrounds. They both start slow, but get better and better.
