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fuxi 
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 08 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 2488
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 Topic: Which HBO series do you recommend?
Posted: July 07 2009 at 14:21 |
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Hi everyone,
I'm quite a big fan of SIX FEET UNDER, which I bought on DVD last year (all five seasons) and which I'm now enjoying for the second time.
I know the whole show gets a bit repetitive and soap-like in the third-fourth season, but I still think it's one of the most gripping and intensive TV dramas ever. I especially like the fact that it goes straight for the jugular, hitting you with a subject (the death of your loved ones, and your own impending death) which television usually treats in a far more sentimental or melodramatic fashion.
Now I notice there are quite a lot of acclaimed HBO shows (e.g. The Sopranos, The Wire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The West Wing etc.) but I never really watched any of them systematically when they were on TV here in Britain.
Which of these would you recommend, and why? Of course it doesn't necessarily have to have a morbid theme. If it deals with serious subjects (in a comic or a serious fashion), if the acting's great and if there's plenty of excitement I'll be happy!
P.S. If it's any help, I also enjoy TWIN PEAKS and most of the films by Bunuel, Fellini and Almodovar...
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Henry Plainview
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 26 2008
Location: Declined
Status: Offline
Points: 16715
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Posted: July 07 2009 at 14:37 |
Curb Your Enthusiasm is good if you like slow paced, extremely dry humor. I liked the jokes, but there weren't enough of them to sustain my interest. It's sort of like watching an episode of Seinfeld if the characters in Seinfeld were more like real people instead of brilliantly witty TV characters.
And of course President Obama loves The Wire.
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if you own a sodastream i hate you
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Drew
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 20 2005
Location: California
Status: Offline
Points: 12600
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Posted: July 07 2009 at 14:39 |
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Summer Heights High, Curb, Entourage, True Blood- to name a few
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johnobvious
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 11 2006
Location: Nebraska
Status: Offline
Points: 1367
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Posted: July 07 2009 at 14:46 |
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See my avatar. Deadwood. The cussing in it would make Tony Soprano blush. But that isn't why it is good. Great acting. Great stories. Ian McShane is outstanding.
Another one I really loved was Rome. Both of these bump their heads against downright barbarism at times, but the themes and acting are just first rate.
I guess HBO does period pieces that are out of this world.
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Biggles was in rehab last Saturday
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fuxi
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 08 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 2488
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Posted: July 07 2009 at 15:06 |
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Oh, I know Summer Heights High, thanks to my daughters! That's Australian, though. Didn't know it was shown on HBO in the States. Great show!
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630
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Posted: July 07 2009 at 15:11 |
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Yeah, I've enjoyed Six Feet Under, Deadwood, Rome, Sex And The City, Sopranos too. I'll have to get back later on why I liked each of these.
Edited by Slartibartfast - July 08 2009 at 10:09
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Epignosis
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: December 30 2007
Location: Raeford, NC
Status: Offline
Points: 32595
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Posted: July 07 2009 at 15:24 |
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Real Sex, Cathouse, Pornucopia...
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moreitsythanyou
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member
Joined: April 23 2006
Location: NYC
Status: Offline
Points: 11682
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Posted: July 07 2009 at 15:53 |
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Mr. Show is one of the best sketch comedy shows ever, highly recommended. Curb Your Enthusiasm is great as well.
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 <font color=white>butts, lol[/COLOR]
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JLocke
Prog Reviewer
Joined: November 18 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 4900
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Posted: July 07 2009 at 18:20 |
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True Blood and Hung are pretty good in terms of modern shows. The only really good ones on the station right now, in my honest opinion.
If you're looking to invest in an older show that has already been through its full run, then I echo the others in recommending Deadwood and The Sopranos. Great stuff.
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Stooge
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 09 2009
Location: Toronto, Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1003
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Posted: July 07 2009 at 18:43 |
Curb Your Enthusiasm is probably my favorite comedy show at the moment. Larry David can say a joke that hits me where no other comedian can. 
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fuxi
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 08 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 2488
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Posted: July 08 2009 at 03:23 |
Thanks for your recommendations; I'll look into all the series mentioned! (In all honesty, I have seen a few episodes of ROME, and that wasn't really my thang.  Charming actors, though.)
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ColonelClaypool
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 22 2005
Location: Bergen, Norway
Status: Offline
Points: 747
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Posted: July 08 2009 at 08:50 |
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My personal favourite HBO show is The Wire, absolutely fantastic.
A HBO show that hasn't been mentioned yet is Band of Brothers. If you haven't seen it, go out and buy it today. It's that good.
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With magic, you can turn a frog into a prince.
With science, you can turn a frog into a Ph.D. and you still have the frog you started with.
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JLocke
Prog Reviewer
Joined: November 18 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 4900
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Posted: July 08 2009 at 08:52 |
 fuxi wrote:
Thanks for your recommendations; I'll look into all the series mentioned! (In all honesty, I have seen a few episodes of ROME, and that wasn't really my thang. Charming actors, though.) |
Well Rome got f**ked halfway through its run. Actors were re-cast and budgets were cut. Very strange, really. kindof took people out of the experience.
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Badabing666
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 30 2008
Location: Devon, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 248
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Posted: July 08 2009 at 09:16 |
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I'm a huge fan of The Sopranos, The Wire and Curb Your Enthusiasm. At the risk of deviating from your request for another HBO recommendation you might want to check out Dexter whose lead actor Michael C Hall was also in SFU but Dexter is a very different role. Not HBO but a quality series nonetheless.
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johnobvious
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 11 2006
Location: Nebraska
Status: Offline
Points: 1367
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Posted: July 08 2009 at 09:32 |
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Yes, Band of Brothers is essential. More of a miniseries so it slipped my mind. They have replayed it on the History Channel and I think Spike TV is about to run it but you have to see it uncut.
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Biggles was in rehab last Saturday
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JLocke
Prog Reviewer
Joined: November 18 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 4900
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Posted: July 08 2009 at 09:33 |
Badabing666 wrote:
I'm a huge fan of The Sopranos, The Wire and Curb Your Enthusiasm. At the risk of deviating from your request for another HBO recommendation you might want to check out Dexter whose lead actor Michael C Hall was also in SFU but Dexter is a very different role. Not HBO but a quality series nonetheless.
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Yeah, Showtime has better shows these days on the whole. United States of Tara is also a very interesting non-HBO show.
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630
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Posted: July 08 2009 at 10:10 |
p0mt3 wrote:
Well Rome got f**ked halfway through its run. Actors were re-cast and budgets were cut. Very strange, really. kindof took people out of the experience.
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Hmm, the only recasting I noticed was Augustus which made sense as the character got older. The funny thing about that series was all the actors had a British accent. Shouldn't they have had Italian ones? 
Edited by Slartibartfast - July 08 2009 at 10:13
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Blacksword
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 22 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 16130
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Posted: July 08 2009 at 11:59 |
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Curb your Enthusiasm is my fave of those I've seen. I've four series on DVD. My kind of humour; dry and cringeworthy.
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Hexenmeister
Forum Newbie
Joined: July 02 2009
Location: USA
Status: Offline
Points: 24
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Posted: July 08 2009 at 13:46 |
It's probably just easier to name which HBO series aren't good. That list is much shorter. Personally, I thought John from Cincinnati (or whatever it's called) was horrible. I can't wait for the new series based on A Game of Thrones. 
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JLocke
Prog Reviewer
Joined: November 18 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 4900
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Posted: July 08 2009 at 14:42 |
Hexenmeister wrote:
It's probably just easier to name which HBO series aren't good. That list is much shorter.
Personally, I thought John from Cincinnati (or whatever it's called) was horrible.
I can't wait for the new series based on A Game of Thrones.
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Yes, I too am excited for that! Rumour has it J.J. Abrahms will be developing a series based on Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" as well in the coming years. It's a good decade for fantasy.
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Which HBO series do you recommend?
