I am probably in the minority out there. My cable bill is $15 a month. If I can get good reception on the main channels and watch Criminal Minds and Cold Case reruns on ION, I am a happy camper. And then there are those times that the lure of the HBO, AMC and other networks series shows is simply undeniable. Darkness is coming earlier and the weather guys keep telling us it is going to get cold. What a perfect time to hole in and watch great TV? And you don’t have to wait for the following week to see another episode! Four or five in one night? There are those times when it just feels right. These are adult dramas with adult themes I am suggesting so be aware. What series to watch? Here are three of my favorites. There are other series from other networks out there. Try a search on IMDB under TV/Top TV Series.
Six Feet Under (HBO)
Five seasons 2001-2005
This addictive drama series takes a darkly comical look at members of a dysfunctional California family that runs an independent funeral home. Each episode begins with a death, some hilarious, and the funeral home preparations surrounding that death. These characters will become part of your life in an inexplicable way. The final episode is the best I have seen.
The Wire (HBO)
Five seasons 2001-2008
Before you even order the first season of this series, be sure you know how to turn on your subtitles. I spent the first season seldom being able to understand the dialog. Set in Baltimore, this show centers around the city's inner-city drug scene. We see the Baltimore drug scene through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement and it is not pretty – gritty, violent, rough – be prepared for lots of language. There are those moments though when the humanity of the characters is undeniable and endearing.
Rome (HBO)
Two Seasons 2005-2007
This series, again from HBO, was a down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic. The turbulent transition from Roman republic to autocratic empire is sketched both from the aristocratic viewpoint of Julius Caesar, his family, his adopted successor Octavian Augustus, and their political allies and adversaries, and from the politically naive viewpoint of a few ordinary Romans, notably the soldiers Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo and their families. It is a great historical account of the time. The characters are engaging and believable. It's sad that Rome had only two seasons. Enjoy them!
