Posted by DukeTyrion on 2013-11-23 23:05:22

Throwing a few random ideas out there;

Torchwood
Hornblower
Chuck
Scrubs

Posted by the_Sage on 2013-11-23 23:07:19

Is quite liked better than liked or worse?
Also, (why) can't you plug that exact info into imdb or netflix or smth and get some recommendations?

Posted by cowhead on 2013-11-23 23:16:34

Justified could be just what you're looking for.

Posted by Frankenstein on 2013-11-23 23:17:34

If Breaking Bad doesn't suit her, I've got 2 rogue suggestions for the both of you: I, Claudius + Cadfael

Posted by cowhead on 2013-11-23 23:17:50

The Wire is exceptional but is slow going and has tons of swearing.

Posted by PacoSillas on 2013-11-23 23:23:30

Not Torchwood since she didn't like Dr Who.

Criminal minds, Bones, Chuck, The Big Bang Theory

Probably The Wire is not for what you're saying .. or Oz for that matter, both great ones on the other hand.

Posted by gansus on 2013-11-23 23:28:26

The Big Bang Theory
Grimm
Falling Skies

All of them are really nice and i think they would be much nicer to watch with your wife. Mine liked Grimm specially, and it has nice bits of humour, too :)

Posted by Savdog on 2013-11-23 23:34:21

Flash Forward was decent enough only one season though

Community, 30 Rock and The Comeback are pretty great comedy wise

Homeland is very solid and a bit like 24 if she liked that

Posted by fidius on 2013-11-23 23:37:52

The two sets my wife and I have watched beginning to end are the American version of The Office, and Arrested Development. I couldn't think of a worse choice than The Big Bang Theory, not for me anyway.

Posted by koadah on 2013-11-23 23:46:11

Mrs K just luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurves Idris Elba but still wouldn't watch more than two episodes of the Wire.

You may well go the whole hog and buy her the Shield. ;)

Posted by coombz on 2013-11-23 23:46:35

The Wire is far and away the best...but sounds like your Mrs wouldn't like it

Posted by akaRenton on 2013-11-23 23:54:41

Boardwalk Empire is pretty good, or if you have lovefilm they have a series called vikings which is excellent.

Posted by C3I2 on 2013-11-23 23:57:50

Early, the Wire or Homocide: life on the streets. Veronica Mars (before the movie comes out)

Canadian shows: Da Vinci's Inquest, Intelligence, Durham County among others

Take the step to Babylon 5, perhaps? Really big story arcs there!

UK shows: Ultraviolet (6 eps only), House of Cards (3 separate series)

Posted by Savdog on 2013-11-23 23:59:45

Speaking of Mr. Elba, Luther is great if a little short in terms of episodes.
Person of Interest might be worth a shot as well?

Parks and Recreation is also solid comedy wise as its done by the same team that did the US office

Posted by happygrue on 2013-11-24 00:26:45

Alias is a bit older, but if you haven't seen it that's a good one. JJ Abrams did that before Lost, so She Who Must Be Obeyed may also likey.

Parks and Rec is fantastic if looking for lighter fare. Season one is slow, but after that it's off to the races. That 70s Show was also well done I thought.

Dollhouse is interesting, and based on like of Buffy and Firefly a good bet, but it had a short run.

Other random stuff my wife has liked (but may end up in your morally suspect bin):
Six Feet Under
Big Love

For Scifi, my wife loved Battlestar Galactica, but I couldn't get her interested in Babylon 5 or Stargate - both of those were fun shows though IMO.

Posted by hairyscairyman on 2013-11-24 00:41:38

If she liked Smallville, Arrow is in a very similar vein

Posted by ryanfitz on 2013-11-24 00:55:07

In addition to some other good recommendations already made
Farscape
Andromeda
Hustle
Faulty Towers ( not really a serial though)
The Shield
Dead like me

Posted by spubbbba on 2013-11-24 01:14:08

If she liked the BBC Sherlock then Elementary might be worth a look. It's not as consistently good but has a lot more episodes.

Posted by CastleMan on 2013-11-24 01:47:10

Arrow

Posted by licker on 2013-11-24 01:51:54

Anyone who doesn't like Breaking Bad...

It is probably the greatest TV series ever. From story, to acting, to technical aspects.

One should be able to watch it and simply appreciate the brilliance which it encompasses.

However, failing selling her on that. Plenty of good stuff old and new. Just get NetFlix or whatever the european equivalent is and you don't need to worry about these 'boxed sets'.

Posted by fangbanger on 2013-11-24 03:07:09

Entourage, orange is the new black, greys anatomy, Dexter, Justified, Monty pythons flying circus, I liked the Copper series but they ended it after the 2nd season which is twice as long as the firefly series, but I really liked the firefly series, and how about the "Castle? series if She liked the main character from the firefly series she'll love castle

Posted by Zed on 2013-11-24 05:09:30

Father Ted ???, have recently rewatched the whole thing,such a classic

Posted by Topper on 2013-11-24 05:39:43

"I'm not sure if she'd like Breaking Bad or Sopranos. Might be a bit morally suspect."

Ehm, are you saying the series are, or she finds them to be? I mean the whole idea is, that they are challenging society as we perceive it today. If she likes that, then the Wire is probably the best series ever. One needs to acknowledge long plot lines, good acting, slow but steady stories and a love for criticism of society to appreciate it - because that´s what they do. Do they swear yes - are they nude, not too much.

"Would she like The Wire? She generally likes things with long plot arcs and not too much swearing."
Id say the real Q is why she didn´t like Game of Thrones. The tabus being broken, grey over black/white combined with the criticism of society, its in a fantasy world or due to good guys die all the time.

If its the first, then I doubt she´d appreciate The Wire. Otherwise really I think it is great. It´s a slow feeling of appreciation that just grows on you. It is slow and you get to understand and respect "evil" and "good" and their reasoning.

I don´t usually watch any kind of series but that one is great! Along with Game of Thrones IMO. (I bought HBO for GoT and while waiting I watched The Wire). First two series Ive seen every episode of.

Posted by Throweck on 2013-11-24 08:46:32

Grimm is great.

Arrow is also good.

Posted by Dunenzed on 2013-11-24 08:58:06

The Walking Dead, my wife was reluctant to watch, but has become a huge fan.

Vikings was excellent.

Posted by easilyamused on 2013-11-24 09:23:58

My 3 suggestions would be

Arrow (green arrow from DC)
Scandal
Elementary - Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock is inspired.

Posted by Garion on 2013-11-24 10:01:22

Newsroom is written by the same people as the West Wing and studio 60, so the first two series of that could be a good idea. Its pretty good too. The Wire is awesome. Probably the best TV series ever made Though there is a lot of drugs violence and swearing in it.

Newsroom will probably be your safest buy, but there are only 2 series so far.

Posted by Garion on 2013-11-24 10:13:08

oh and also, if you dont mind subtitles the original The killing (the danish version) have 3 series and they are excellent. Far far better than the moronic US version.

Similarly Forbrydelsen is another Danish TV series that is excellent. I would recommend them both to anyone.

Posted by Ziggyny on 2013-11-24 11:02:17

If you both really liked Buffy then I think the spin-off, Angel, is a good option.

Posted by Calcium on 2013-11-24 12:11:26

I enjoyed Supernatural with my missus.....

Walking dead might be a bit hard going, Bones is a good shout.

Dexter is awesome but again a bit 18 I suspect.

Posted by xnoelx on 2013-11-24 12:51:35

As they haven't been mentioned yet, Boss, Brotherhood and Terriers were all pretty good. The first two may be morally suspect though.

Posted by JimmyFantastic on 2013-11-24 14:07:04

Sharpe

Posted by ButtonToo on 2013-11-24 15:01:59

Watch game of thrones again and if she dont like it........watch it again:-P

Posted by Jeffro on 2013-11-24 15:41:59

Underrated and a bit dated... but if she doesn't like swearing and likes long plot lines and clever writing, Gilmore Girls. I've been chastised by friends for even mentioning it before, but it really is good... and both the mom and daughter are fun to look at ;)

Posted by Raughri on 2013-11-24 15:49:30

Newsroom which is about an American news programme, covering real stories such as BP Deepwater Horizon and the Arab spring.

I second easilyamused's recommendation of Elementary - it is a modern Sherlock Holmes set in New York. Both excellent and the missus enjoys them both.

Always Sunny in Philadelphia is also a heap of fun.

Happy viewing, whatever you choose.

Posted by Garion on 2013-11-24 16:23:59

House of cards is excellent both the UK and the US version. Though the original UK version is better and it finished a few years ago, so if you buy it you will have the full story.

Twin peaks is also excellent if you like surrealism.

Posted by koadah on 2013-11-24 16:56:39

How is it that Downton, White Queen, Pillars of the Earth didn't make the liked, quite liked or didn't like lists.

Were they on the "don't even bother" list? ;)

I suppose Tudors & Borgias are out.

Posted by keggiemckill on 2013-11-24 17:02:01

Walking Dead is fabulous. It's half a soap, and the other half killing Zombies. My wife and I watch it together. Best show on TV.

Another good show which surprisingly to me, that most women do enjoy, is Sparticus. If you can get by all the male nudity, it's an awesome show for killing. Again great plot. Most women I know have all gotten into it. The best part is that Spartacus'es wife tells him first episode to Kill All Menz!

Posted by cowhead on 2013-11-24 17:32:34

I concur with Twin Peaks. It is possibly my favourite show of all time along with The Wire and Breaking Bad.

Spartacus is a great show if you can get past the 1st 3 or 4 episodes but as your Wife doesn't like swearing I'd skip that as it has more swearing and nudity in every episode than most other shows have in their entire runs.

Carnivale is another great show that hasn't been mentioned yet. About a battle between good and evil during the Great oppression set in travelling Carnival in 1930's America. It got Cancelled after 2 Seasons though and ended with cliffhanger :(.

I enjoy The Walking Dead but it's a bit over rated in my opinion, which doesn't really count for much.

If you liked X-Files you may like Fringe. The 1st season is a bit procedural but it really starts to get good towards the end of the season and has great mythology. It ran for 5 seasons and was all wrapped up properly.

Posted by albinv on 2013-11-24 19:44:03

Homeland, Community.

Someone mentioned Luther, which is a real good show in my book, but very dark....not so much when it comes down to swearing. just very dark, so your lady might be turned off, its worth the try though.

Parks and Recreations? Havent seen it yet, but i assume its pretty good. Dont know abaout swearing though.

Homeland is a safe bet, probably.

Posted by Wreckage on 2013-11-24 20:20:19

I find most of the suggestions a rather random collection of better shows.

Although probably part of the problem is that the original list doesn't show much of a pattern either.
The wife seems to like long plot archs and "little swearing" huh?
Yet, only BG, 24 and Heroes have long plot archs from the liked list. And I'm not sure about the swearing in either of those. The only series that really stands out in the swearing department is the Wire I guess. Then Prison Break and Game of Thrones has long story archs and I guess Band of Brothers. Band of Brothers is plain boring so understandable its in the not liked category. GoT is hard to understand I guess.
Then most other stuff from the did not like category I don't even know.

If I would have to make a rough estimate of what she likes based on those insufficient informations, I'd say it's certainly not a show with an antihero as main charakter.

Of course for chicks there is always the possibility to choose something about chics.. but you may want to take one that doesn't suck...

So, I recommend Damages. Season long story archs, not so much swearing (lawyers), about chicks and there is some fighting, killing and twists and stuff.

Then maybe a bit more in the direction of 24 meets groundhog day, we have Day Break, but no evil main charakters (like Jack Bauer) or anything. only one wrapped up season.

And maybe a final recommendation: hmm.. No comedy in the like section, so she doesn't like that at all.. ok, there is buffy... but it never was that funny... I'm gonna go with another one about chicks... lemme think... we have.. Orphan Black, wich is unfinished... not gonna recommend unfinished stuff... then there is Revenge, wich is good but evil main charakter.. and then there Scandal.. also unfinsihed but mm... No, that all doesn't work for me here.. Maybe something about vampires... chicks like vampires... True Blood is my third recommendation.

Posted by keggiemckill on 2013-11-24 21:14:00

By the way Wilfred is decent. I havent watch the series entirely, but have enjoyed an episode here and there.

Posted by Dalfort on 2013-11-24 21:44:13

I cant believe Homeland was only suggested 2 posts ago...

My wife watches that and Walking Dead, we watched Supernatural together up to season 5 (the kids didnt buy us s6 for Christmas and it put a stop to it :p)
I have watched the Shield and enjoyed it. The Mentalist is quite good, although I have only ever seen random episodes on TV... the other thing we watched together was Fringe but that stalled at the end of s3...

Either way, enjoy Christmas and the time you share together :)
Take care Dalfort.

Posted by Garion on 2013-11-24 22:03:41

Homeland got a bit crap after series 1 damages is good too. Though gets worse with every series imo. Dexter is good but last series was so bad it ruined the show for me. So if you do watch it stop at series 4.

Posted by happygrue on 2013-11-24 22:32:39

How is it possible to have so many comments about a blog that has no mention at all about clawpomb? More PeteW hax!?

Posted by Chainsaw on 2013-11-24 22:49:05

It's a Sunday. PeteW lucks hardest on a Sunday.

Posted by PeteW on 2013-11-24 23:15:40

WOW!

You guys are awesome. What an amazing response!

It was the gratuitous sex that put her off GoT. Excessive swearing is a no-no, so 18s are usually out.

Homeland, Newsroom, Damages, Chuck are looking like good options so far, although I haven;t had time to check out the rest yet. (She won't watch zombies. :'( )

(We enjoyed Alias and Dollhouse too, but I forgot those.)

THANK. YOU. <3

Posted by maysrill on 2013-11-25 06:10:35

Burn Notice is fun (there are plenty of other suggestions I'd offer, but they've been covered). It's got a lot of clever spy action and a morally upstanding (if legally grey) group of heroes. The main character gives Bond a run for his money.

Posted by cowhead on 2013-11-25 08:38:25

You forgot to mention it has Bruce Campbell and his incredible chin in it.

Posted by liquidorange on 2013-11-25 15:28:35

Seconded on Burn Notice. That show is awesome.

Posted by PeteW on 2013-11-26 18:40:40

I'm now considering:
Gilmore Girls
Damages

I think that I might get BReaking Bad and see if she likes it and if not then I'll go on eBay for a reasonable amount.

Thanks guys!