# We loved 24. What should we watch? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 29, 2006, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551 "2006-09-29T00:02:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **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 29, 2006, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/1 "2006-09-29T00:02:38Z")
My family had a great time watching 24 on DVD over the past few months. We’re waiting for Season 5 on DVD, then we’ll watch Season 6 as it airs. What other TV shows should we consider? We tried The Wire and it just missed: one of my kids rejected it. We’re thinking of trying Lost. Any thoughts about this, other suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/2 "2006-09-29T00:38:53Z")
I liked Lost, but I only watched the first season on DVD. I’m almost embarrased to say this but somone gave me the first season of Ailias and I really liked it and got pretty hooked. Most shows are so much better on DVD, I think. How old are your kids? Maybe they’d like Smallville. How about Arrested Development? ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/3 "2006-09-29T02:06:09Z")
Alias is good, though I haven’t seen the last season and it gets more and more ridiculous as the seasons continue. Lost season one is great (haven’t seen two yet). ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/4 "2006-09-29T02:59:49Z")
I agree with you. I didn’t even watch the last season. The first couple were great though. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/5 "2006-09-29T03:29:21Z")
Another 48 Hours ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/6 "2006-09-29T06:04:58Z")
Try _The Shield_ or maybe _The Unit_. \*Lost \*is great, but it’s not much like _24_. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/7 "2006-09-29T06:13:08Z")
The British show Spooks, released in the US with the title MI-5. I normally hate cop/spy type shows, but that one really grabs me every time. ---
**Author:** ![Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abby_Emma_Sasha)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/8 "2006-09-29T11:52:19Z")
Since you liked 24, you might enjoy the NBC series “Kidnapped”. It follows the plight of a kidnapped boy, his family, The FBI and a hired gun who tracks kindnapees for a fee and it plays over the whole season. It’s not in real time but you’ll only have to follow one story. If the kids can handle the violent action of 24 they’ll like this show. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/9 "2006-09-29T14:11:49Z")
[QUOTE=Smeghead] The British show Spooks, released in the US with the title MI-5. I normally hate cop/spy type shows, but that one really grabs me every time. [/QUOTE] I’ll second MI-5, currently showing on A&E on Friday nights. Season 5(?) started 2 weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/10 "2006-09-29T17:50:16Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Try _The Shield_ or maybe _The Unit_. [/QUOTE] Definitely, seconded. Although _The Unit_ only applies if you really like Palmer from 24. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/11 "2006-09-29T19:46:29Z")
I gave up on Lost partway through last season. To me, it’s the opposite of 24. It’s slow, very concerned with characterization, and occasionally witty. 24 is blistering, slapdash with the characterization, and rarely funny unless Chloe is on screen. There really isn’t anything like 24 that I’ve seen, but I’ve never watched “The Shield.” My husband loves 24 (as do I) and tried Prison Break and The Unit, and we both tried Vanished, Kidnapped, and Smith without connecting to any of them. Actually “Smith” might be the closest of all the shows I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2006, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/12 "2006-09-29T19:55:22Z")
_The Shield_ is very gritty. It’s probably closer to _The Wire_ than other shows we’ve discussed here, so if the OP doesn’t like _The Wire_, maybe The Shield isn’t the right choice. But I’d say give it ago. Put the first few disks from season one on your NetFlix list-- that’s the way to do it, and I think that’s the best use for NetFlix. ---
**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 30, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/13 "2006-09-30T02:35:31Z")
[QUOTE=c\_goat] Definitely, seconded. Although _The Unit_ only applies if you really like Palmer from 24. [/QUOTE] We saw the first episode of The Unit and it just didn’t do it. We’ll try The shield ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/14 "2006-09-30T02:45:34Z")
I’ll third MI-5/Spooks. I’ve seen discussions where the style was compared to _24_. I’ve only seen the first three seasons, all on DVD. The fourth is the one just airing on A&E. Sadly, I no longer have cable, so I’ll be waiting for the DVD on that one too… But its very very good. [Here’s the link to the IMDB page for it.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160904/) GT ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/15 "2006-10-02T20:15:23Z")
[QUOTE=Plan B] We saw the first episode of The Unit and it just didn’t do it. We’ll try The shield [/QUOTE] I don’t remember if it happened the first episode, but the thing I like about The Unit is that it gives me that _Usual Suspects_ type surprise, when you realize that everything that happened was completely part of the plan, and how slick they were to pull it off. I could do without the wives’ storylines though, although sometimes they’re interesting. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-loved-24-what-should-we-watch/374551/16 "2006-10-02T21:08:14Z")
[QUOTE=Abby\_Emma\_Sasha] Since you liked 24, you might enjoy the NBC series “Kidnapped”. It follows the plight of a kidnapped boy, his family, The FBI and a hired gun who tracks kindnapees for a fee and it plays over the whole season. It’s not in real time but you’ll only have to follow one story. If the kids can handle the violent action of 24 they’ll like this show. [/QUOTE] A big ditto for Kidnapped. But there are already rumors of cancellation, so catch it quick. There are three kids in the show, which might appeal to your kids. For once, they’re intelligent and human, not precocious little snots. Dammit, this is a smart show with a believable plot, good acting, and lots of action. Why won’t NBC give it a chance?