With increasing availability of on-demand TV series and dedicated TV channels, this autumn you’ve got no excuse not to catch up on those much-hyped shows you’ve always meant to get around to watching.
From thrilling crime dramas to hilarious comedies, here are five all-time classic TV shows for you to spend the next few cold dark months curled up with…
Breaking Bad
Sadly nearing the end of its fifth and final season, if you haven’t yet become addicted to this show yet then you’re probably spending too much time outside. The series documents the life of one Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a chemistry teacher diagnosed with lung cancer who chooses a life of crime in a last ditch effort to provide for his family’s future.
Follow Walter’s progress as things go from bad to worse with increasingly extravagant and unforeseeable plot twists that will keep you riveted from start to finish.
The Wire
Created by former journalist David Simon, and set in Baltimore, USA, The Wire critically addresses the damaging effects of the war on drugs at every level, from the most influential politicians to the users on the street.
Follow the exploits of rogue detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) over five series as he attempts to take down a large-scale drug dealing operation in spite of the debilitating bureaucracy of the judicial system.
The Sopranos
A true tour de force of the medium of serial television, HBO’s The Sopranos is one of the world’s best loved depictions of Italian-American mobsters: a truly unmissable piece of work by David Chase.
If you don’t know, the series spans the life and times of Tony Soprano (the late James Gandolfini), utilising his frequent visits to his psychotherapist Dr Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) as a recurring storytelling device. Follow his story through multiple heists, shootouts and gang disputes and discover their effects on the family life of a Mafia don.
Twin Peaks
Created by Mark Frost and David Lynch, this TV series from the early ’90s is essential viewing for anyone serious about television.
With Lynch’s characteristic exposition of the seedier side of American life behind the white picket-fence, the series begins with the discovery of the dead body of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), and continues to follow the crime’s investigation as it uncovers the horrible truth behind the seemingly quiet American town of Twin Peaks.
Peep Show
If you haven’t already discovered the electric duo that is Robert Webb and David Mitchell, then now is the time.
Channel 4’s Peep Show is an uproarious comedy and insightful social commentary depicting the life and struggles of Mark Corrigan (David Mitchell), a highly educated and unfulfilled wannabe historian, and his tumultuous relationships with his hedonistic, directionless and clueless best friend and flat mate, Jez (Simon Webb), along with workmate and potential future wife Sophie (Olivia Colman).
So plump up the cushions, start the popcorn popping and prepare to embrace your inner couch potato. And if you can’t get these shows with your current TV package, it’s time to upgrade to one with a wide variety of TV channels available, because these are works of audiovisual art you can’t afford to miss.
Which all-time classic TV shows are you planning to catch up on this autumn? Let us know below…
Ben Williams (contact.ben.will@gmail.com) is an entrepreneur and passionate about technology. He says, ‘I try to be up to date about everything related to branding and digital marketing in general. I run my own online business.’