Dr. Feelgood and I have been watching Fargo–the TV show, not the iconic film–and, midway into season three, I think we’re done. The first two seasons were wildly violent but at least–more or less–the show made sense. The premises of season three are absurdly unbelievable AND Noah Hawley, the showrunner, keeps giving into flights of artistic fancy that do not serve the plot. It’s just not working for me. So, I need something new. (And, please, only suggest shows that are all out now–it can have upcoming seasons but I want something we can binge if we love it.)
Here’s what we’ve watched this year and enjoyed:
Silo
Suggest away!
Here is my current list of Top 10 contenders for 2024:
Fargo S5
Blue Eye Samurai
Artful Dodger
The Gentlemen
Colin From Accounts
Shogun
We Are Lady Parts S2
Hacks S3
Regarding Fargo: Seasons 3 and 4 are not great, but Fargo S5 was a masterpiece.
I hear I can skip Season Four of Fargo and not miss much. Season Three is stepping on my very last nerve, but Dr. FG wants to finish it. I’ve heard good things about Season Five although I hear it has a supernatural component to its horror which is not my favorite.
My husband hates supernatural stuff but also loved Fargo S5. It’s not really overwhelming.
We are starting it tonight!
We’ve watched the first four episodes. I am struggling a bit with the sin-eater but the other characters are so interesting, I’m just going with it!
Yes, he is the only supernatural element in the show. I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I just paused writing this and mentioned it to my husband and he literally said “I don’t really like the supernatural, but in this show it worked.” LOL.
I just finished THE TOURIST with Jamie Dornan on Netflix and loved it. Set in Australia, first episode opens with MC in car chase that ends with him getting amnesia. Slowly realizes he probably isn’t a good guy and might not want answers. Danielle Anderson plays a (traffic) cop who gets invested in helping him. Creative and clever — from the inventive minds that produced FLEA BAG. Season 1 was an absolute delight from start to finish. Season 2 was much more uneven, but the payoff was well worth sticking in. Series finished for now, but door’s open for season 3.
I liked Season One but had sort of forgotten about it. Thanks for reminding me!
Have you watched SLOW HORSES? I read the books and have now begun to watch the series. So far it’s fantastic, with excellent acting and much atmosphere (I think Jack Lowden must have done track in school because he spends so much time running).
And, if you’re willing to read subtitles (I truly dislike the dubbed version), there’s LUPIN and CALL MY AGENT. Paris is the background but should be credited as a character in both. Very fun.
I adore Slow Horses. It’s one of my favorite shows. Also really enjoy Lupin. I struggle with most comedies but Dr. FG loves them so perhaps we should check out Call My Agent. Thanks!
One of the things I loved about CALL MY AGENT is that the clients play versions of themselves. Much exaggerated versions, but it’s fun to watch them having so much fun. Most of the actors are French (bien sur), but there is an episode with Sigourney Weaver.
My husband and I really enjoyed Ripley which is on Netflix. Based on the book The Talented Mr. Ripley – it’s set in 1950s Italy and is in black and white.
I so like the 1999 movie of Ripley–extraordinary cast–that I just haven’t done the new show. I have heard one has to have patience for the show’s storytelling but that the black and white filming is stunning.
BoB is my second favourite TV drama only surpassed by Rome.
If you would like to see BoB lead actors in other roles, Standoff and Billions.
A show with high violence that is sublimely good (and has some nice little romances in it) is Banshee.
The Night Agent season 1 was excellent and it also had a nice romance.
Currently rewatching Burn Notice for the second time and there will certainly be a third.
No idea if you have access to the Australian show Rake, but it is REALLY good with an antihero lawyer as the extremely funny main character.
I could go on, but won’t.
Of these, I’ve seen The Night Agent and Billions. I got bored with the latter after the third season, however, and gave it up. I’ll look at the others here. Thanks!
I got INFURIATED with Billions in the second season when the writers went rogue and had the characters do out of character things, so you did better than I.
Axe was so much saner when married….
Oh Banshee is sooooo good. Was so bummed there wasn’t more. And along those lines, Reacher on Prime is good, fast-paced fun. For a darker (noir) selection, Ripley on Netflix. It’s incredibly filmed and crafted and, though a slow-ish start, is incredibly engrossing. I would third Fisk.
I’ve heard good things about Bodkin (netflix) and the comedy We Are Lady Parts (Prime).
Banshee is an unknown classic.
I loved the second season of Reacher, a considerable upgrade over the first for me. Literally my favourite thing in fiction is conscious friendship, loyalty and trust (the greatest example of which I have ever found is the Modesty Blaise comic) and season 2 dripped with it with all those special investigators.
My recommendations:
Fisk (Netflix): Australian comedy centering around a female; very funny and tender
Lupin (Netflix): Action packed, entertaining and there is romance too
Queen Charlotte (Netflix): Yes, I know you said you will not watch it but I still recommend it 🙂
Daisy Jones and the Six (Prime): Sex, drugs and rock and roll. Lots of music
I haven’t seen Fisk–I’ll check that out. I adored DJatS. It’s another book I think Reese Witherspoon’s company Hello Sunshine improved on with the changes they made. (I also feel that way about Big Little Lies.) Love Lupin–Omar Sy is just so good in that role. I did think the last season sort of turned him into superman but it was still a very good time.
This is almost three years old and you may have already seen it—Giri/Haji on Netflix is very good.
Oooo! That was on my radar when it came out and I forgot about! Thanks!
If you want something a bit on the lighter side, I love White Collar. Those “blue skies” shows from USA Network are having a moment again. I don’t know if you’ve already seen them but both Succession and White Lotus are great shows. And I’m currently midway through Hacks and I love it. Jean Smart is fantastic.
I don’t watch shows where everyone is awful which meant that I gave up on both White Lotus and Succession after a few episodes of each. My kids adore White Collar! We watched a fair bit of it with them during Covid but didn’t commit officially to the show.
Hacks in on the list!
I adored White Collar, which I watched while it was airing. Another of the USA “blue skies” shows that I loved was Royal Pains, which is now available on Netflix.
The Heart Guy (UK) or Doctor Doctor (Australia). The best thing I have binged watched in years; absolutely adored it, clever and funny. Everyone I have mentioned it to has also been completely smitten and that includes their husbands/partners, etc. I did post about this on the Agora a little while ago.
Hmmmm…. Dr. Feelgood is a recently retired surgeon and has very strong feelings about accuracy in medical shows. I’l have to read some reviews and see how the show ranks for that. (He loved The Artful Dodger in part because the medicine was so accurate!)
“This is Going to Hurt: The Secret Diaries of a Young Doctor”, a British show with Ben Whishaw as a NHS doctor has received rave reviews everywhere. I have just started on Season 1 on Hoopla.
I’ll look it up. Thanks!
I watched it when it was first broadcast. It can be hard to watch, but it’s brilliant.
After the shitshow that was season three of Fargo, I’m not sure I’m up for something that is “hard to watch.”
I don’t usually recommend Indian movies but this one is a comedy. It is Laapataa Ladies (roughly translated means ‘misplaced brides’) on Netflix. I am waiting to watch it with my sister but since you have just come back from a wedding, it might be just up your alley
I will definitely check that out!
I haven’t seen Fargo. But I meant in terms of some of the subject matter, given the main character is a harried junior doctor in the NHS.
I did not see the TV series, but I have read the book. The book is hilarious and heartbreaking. The author wrote about his ob/gyn residency in the NHS. He accurately skewers residency (apparently parts of residency are universal no matter what country you train in). It made me understand the NHS system better. He is completely honest about how he burned out and ultimately left medicine.
This is Going to Hurt is a very quick read and I highly recommend it. If the series is even half as good as the book, it deserves rave reviews. Since the author (a doctor) helped write the TV series, I’m sure the medicine part is accurate.
I confess, I don’t usually read books about medicine. I do think that Abraham Verghese writes perfectly about the practice but, other than his fiction, I’ve not read much written by MDs.
I am an Ob/Gyn and I binged The Heart Guy during the pandemic. The lead is a renowned surgeon who was found drinking, doing drugs and had his license suspended. He is sent back to his hometown to work in the local clinic as his probation. He starts out as a complete a$$hole and transforms over the course of the series. The medicine part is pretty well done – the surgeon is not allowed to operate and needs to practice rural family medicine.
Thank you!!!
If you are willing to check out some shows that are aimed at the youngsters (!), I just watched Maxton Hall and loved it. It’s a German show and I watched it dubbed in English, which worked great. It’s a great example of a jerk hero that you hate but end up loving. There is predicted to be another 2 seasons. And if you haven’t already watched it, I cannot recommend Mindy Kaling’s Never Have I Ever highly enough, It is absolutely a delight with the best flawed heroine ever written!
Thanks!
I had read a good review for Maxton Hall and added it to my list. l’ll have to bump it up due to your recommendation 🙂 I second the recommendation of Never Have I Ever – a great show!
My daughter recommended it, and at first I was all *groan* over the bad-boy rich entitled mean guy, but he really earns his place as the story’s hero.
First season of Never Have I Ever had me teary eyed several times and John McEnroe’s voice over was utter delight and that surprise in the last season!
I think casting John McEnroe as the narrator was a stroke of genius. He is absolutely brilliant and adds so much!
We finished season Three of Fargo last night. We’d give it a 4 to 5 out of ten. I understand that Hawley is shooting for arty profundity but I felt his efforts were often obscure and detracted from his basic storytelling.
We are going to skip season Four and see if we’re more entranced by season Five.
Just seeing this! Fargo is an anthology so you don’t need to watch every season. I have seen Season 1 and now Season 5. Really liked it! But I definitely recommend taking a break since it’s a violent show. It’s my understanding Season 4 is not very good so probably best to skip.
I will recommend 2 comedies. Both British. Extraordinary on Hulu is about a world where everyone gets a superpower when they turn 18. Except our main character. To be clear this is not a “superhero show “. It’s hilarious. The second is We Are Lady Parts on Peacock. About an all female Muslim punk rock group. I am watching Season 2 now and loving it. Very funny!
Thanks! We skipped Four. Five was quite good!
I cannot recommend The Leftovers on Max enough! It’s an older show, 3 seasons, each gets better as it goes along. There is a review on Screen Rant posted yesterday from a reviewer that just got around to watching it.
It is my adored nephew’s favorite show and he has been irked at me for years for not watching it. I’ll check out the Screen Rant review. Thanks!
I loved “Suits” which has a fascinating premis, plus Megan, (Harry’s wife) has an expanding role. It was vry popular when it was on cable, years ago, but now is enjoying quite a revival.
I have a friend who just watched the whole thing and loved it. So many episodes!
I’m watching Grantchester. It’s several years old. There are a ton of seasons. Great costumes just the exact right Kind of mystery for me. Nice development of the main characters as well.
i do have a serious crush on James Norton!
Me too! The new season of Grantchester with the new vicar will start in about two weeks. I’m interested to see how his personality compares to the first two.
Another show, if you haven’t already watched it since it’s older than 2024, is Netflix’s Anne With an E. It’s a three season retelling of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables and it is wonderful. It takes a while to warm to Anne because she is a character, and the world is definitely darker and expanded beyond the scope of the book. But it’s very well done and so good.
We watched that. My mom ADORES that show.
Hacks
Dopesick
After the party (New Zealand)
Alone
I am currently watching Dopesick. Shocking, sad and scary.
Newer
SHOGUN – Hulu. A masterpiece. Memorable and haunting.
3 Body Problem – Netflix. Science!
The Brothers Sun – Netflix.
Bridgerton S3 – Netflix.
Older
The Fall of the House of Usher – Netflix
Star Trek: Lower Decks. Animated…awesome.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
The Diplomat – Netflix
I have 3 shows to recommend. The Wire(the best show ever) ,Letterkenny,and Shoresy.
The Wire is amazing–I’ve watched it all the way through twice and will, at some point, do so again. I’ll check out the other two. Thanks!