# My next TV Series - You decide! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 24, 2018, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804 "2018-09-24T01:12:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/1 "2018-09-24T01:12:48Z")
Cut the cord, binge watching TV shows. This list has been given to me by my kid/looks interesting. What would be your pick, and why, for the next binge? Public poll, as always. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/2 "2018-09-24T01:37:35Z")
Parks And Rec–it starts off slow and fizzles out at the end, but overall a great show. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/3 "2018-09-24T01:42:43Z")
I’d do Stranger Things, then Ozark. I never really got into their other two. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/4 "2018-09-24T01:58:34Z")
_Stranger Things_. Take every 80s horror movie trope, drop it into a blender, and use it to paint a nostalgic, respectful pastiche of John Carpenter and Stephen King and Tobe Hooper. Add in some wonderful performances in a great ensemble cast, some fantastic 70s/80s retro-vibe set decorating, wardrobe, and makeup… …yup! What’s not to like? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/5 "2018-09-24T04:37:09Z")
Mad Men. First off, it’s a complete series, so you don’t have to wait to watch the next season. Second, it doesn’t suffer from the first-season slop P&R put out. It was great from beginning to end. Finally, for me series like Mad Men are more bingeable than traditional network sitcoms, simply because there are less episodes per season. In the past, when we’ve picked a 23-episode-per-season show as our main “binge,” we’ve hit a point where we were just ready to move on to something else. To me, a show like P&R (which is pretty great, especially in later seasons) is great to have as a back-up for when it’s too early to go to bed, but you don’t want to stay up for another hour-long episode; or there’s only so much American Horror Story or Iron Fist you can watch in a night; or you just need something lighthearted. We’ve gone through The Office, Friends, Cheers, 3rd Rock from the Sun this way; we work our way through all the seasons, but it’s never our “main show.” ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/6 "2018-09-24T05:51:54Z")
_Ozark_ would be dead last for me. I would probably watch _Stranger Things_. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/7 "2018-09-24T12:48:58Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Mad Men. First off, it’s a complete series, so you don’t have to wait to watch the next season. Second, it doesn’t suffer from the first-season slop P&R put out. It was great from beginning to end. Finally, for me series like Mad Men are more bingeable than traditional network sitcoms, simply because there are less episodes per season. In the past, when we’ve picked a 23-episode-per-season show as our main “binge,” we’ve hit a point where we were just ready to move on to something else. > > To me, a show like P&R (which is pretty great, especially in later seasons) is great to have as a back-up for when it’s too early to go to bed, but you don’t want to stay up for another hour-long episode; or there’s only so much American Horror Story or Iron Fist you can watch in a night; or you just need something lighthearted. We’ve gone through The Office, Friends, Cheers, 3rd Rock from the Sun this way; we work our way through all the seasons, but it’s never our “main show.” I agree completely. Mad Men is solid, solid television that occasionally rises to sublime. Parks and Rec is a great sitcom with some fantastic moments that serves really well as a palate cleanser when you’re binge watching something heavy. I’ll add this: I’m in the minority, and didn’t care for Stranger Things. And Ozarks is trying too hard to be a Breaking Bad and doesn’t come close to the mark. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/8 "2018-09-24T12:53:08Z")
I voted for _Stranger Things_, because it’s the only on the list I’ve seen. And also I loved it. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/9 "2018-09-24T13:11:47Z")
Write in vote: _Community_. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/10 "2018-09-24T13:13:55Z")
I’ve already done Community. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/11 "2018-09-24T19:54:19Z")
Park and Rec. You may want to just watch the Pilot and Finale of Season one to learn the characters and go into season 2. Season one as a whole isn’t terrible but the show took a while to find its voice. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/12 "2018-09-24T19:58:57Z")
_Man Men_ by 13.8 billion lightyears. It’s also a completed series. So you can watch the whole thing. _P&R_ is also done but any series that is recommended in terms of “Sure, the first season (or two) sucked but then it got better.” should be moved well down the list. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/13 "2018-09-24T20:33:35Z")
Ozark is one of two still in production and high quality throughout. Mad Men and P&R can wait. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/14 "2018-09-24T21:45:24Z")
I haven’t seen Parks & Rec, or Ozark, and found Mad Men bored me to tears, so Stranger Things is the only one I can recommend. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/15 "2018-09-24T22:17:16Z")
Write-in vote for _The Good Place_. Also made by Mike Schur (of _Parks and Rec_), but the network gave him free reign to make whatever he want, and he has made the greatest comedy of all time. _Ozark_ is good… but as someone else said, it’s trying to be _Breaking Bad_, but not quite getting there. _Stranger Things_ is very good… IF the genre is one that you will enjoy. _Mad Men_ I’ve heard good things about but haven’t actually watched it. _Parks and Rec_ I love, but just skip the first season and dive right on in with season 2 episode 1. That’s what my wife and I did and we never felt like we’d missed out on much. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/16 "2018-09-24T22:21:32Z")
I like all of them, and never heard of _Ozark_. (ETA: I just realized that sentence doesn’t make sense. I like all of the ones other than Ozark, which I never heard of until this thread). I somewhat feel I should rectify this as it’s in a poll with three other shows I like. Of the other three, gosh, they’re all so different that I honestly cannot pick one over another. They all satisfy different cravings. So just toss a die, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/17 "2018-09-24T22:38:19Z")
I voted **Mad Men** , for many of the reasons already stated. We bailed on **Stranger Things** several episodes in. If you are allowing write-ins, I’d mention **The Wire** (but you’ve probably already seen it). We just finished **The Crown** - which was outstanding - but perhaps not to your taste. Finally, for something we found incredibly entertaining, seek out **Somebody Feed Phil**. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/18 "2018-09-24T23:03:44Z")
Stranger Things is a lot of fun and really enjoyable. Season 1 was superior than 2, but 2 was not bad at all. I hope you pick it and have fun. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/19 "2018-09-24T23:17:14Z")
I voted Ozark. I have a feeling that Mad Men might be a love it or hate it type show. It’s been a while since I watched Mad Men but I’m thinking Ozark may appeal to a broader audience. I’m old enough to remember the early 60s and that may be why Mad Men appealed to me. Parks and Rec was fun. I watched S1 of Stranger things, may watch S2 eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804/20 "2018-09-24T23:29:20Z")
I’d say Parks and Rec. I haven’t seen Mad Men or Stranger Things and I’m just finishing the first season of Ozark and it’s not really holding me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-next-tv-series-you-decide/821804.md?page=2)