Top Ten TV Series Challenge
Updated: Dec 1, 2020
This week #toptentvserieschallenge became a thing. Everyone put together their list and shared it on social media. I thought I'd expand a bit on the list of shows I selected. I'll do 5(sorta) this week and follow it up with 5 more next Sunday.
First, here is the original list I put together on the fly.
1. Taboo
2. Stargate SG-1
3. Stargate Atlantis
4. Stargate Universe
5. X-Files
6. Archer
7. Rick and Morty
8. Psych
9. Mentalist
10. Drawn Together
A solid list and I've enjoyed all these shows...even if I didn't enjoy all the episodes. But with a little thought, a couple more shows came to mind. Shows where I did enjoy the entire series, not just select seasons. So let's look at a revised list.
1.Taboo
Adventurer James Keziah Delaney returns to London during the War of 1812 to rebuild his late father's shipping empire. However, both the government and his biggest competitor want his inheritance at any cost - even murder.
Exceptional period piece. Tom Hardy is one of my favorite actors, and he shines in this show. There is another season on the horizon, but COVID and movie commitments may delay it for a bit.
You can find this gem on HULU. You can see what I wrote earlier here.
2. Stargate
So I'm going to cheat and make #2 the Stargate Universe. All three shows are fantastic and although they center around a central theme and story device, each show does a great job of being fresh and unique.
Stargate SG-1: A secret military team, SG-1, is formed to explore other planets through the recently discovered Stargates.
The granddaddy of the franchise, based on the movie, and expanded to introduce an amazing science fiction action series. While it takes a few episodes to draw in the viewer, the show delivers several twists and turns over 10 seasons and a handful of movies.
Stargate Atlantis: An international team of scientists and military personnel discover a Stargate network in the Pegasus Galaxy and come face-to-face with a new, powerful enemy, The Wraith.
The next series pops up at the height of SG-1 and offers a nice companion piece. It also introduces a fun race of villains, the Wraith - who feed on humans. This series crosses over with the original in fun and inventive ways
Stargate Universe: Trapped on an Ancient spaceship billions of light-years from home, a group of soldiers and civilians struggle to survive and find their way back to Earth.
This one is after the other 2 and takes place on a spaceship traveling through space. A group of people goes through a Stargate to escape a catastrophe and end up on this ship with no way to get back home. The show focuses more on the human relationships and the tension created by the confines of the ship and the leaders of each group. The only disappointment is season 2 ends with a bit of a cliffhanger and the show wasn't renewed. Don't let that stop you...this show is worth the watch
All three can be found on HULU and Amazon Prime.
So now that we got those three squished together we can forge ahead with the list by adding one of my favorite police shows on either side of the pond...
3.Luther
DCI John Luther is a near-genius murder detective whose brilliant mind can't always save him from the dangerous violence of his passions.
I love Idris Elba, and a big reason is his role in this show. It's everything you want your cop shows to be, honest, gritty, in-your-face, and brutal. Here is a flawed anti-hero, doing his best to get the bad guys off the streets and he won't let something like the law get in his way.
You can watch this on HULU and Amazon Prime.
4.Murdoch Mysteries
Murdoch Mysteries - sometimes called The Artful Detective on some channels in the U.S. -
In the 1890s, William Murdoch uses radical forensic techniques for the time, including fingerprinting and trace evidence, to solve some of the city's most gruesome murders
Based on a series of books, the show takes the main character and turns him on his head a bit. In the books, he is a steady detective who solves crimes by simply doing the work. In the show, he is more like a Sherlock Holmes character who is extremely intelligent and inventive. Surrounded by a solid cast of characters, every show is a fun and entertaining look at the end of the 19th century.
You can watch the whole series with the Acorn app/channel on Amazon or the first 10 seasons on Hulu.
5.Warehouse 13
Pete and Myka, U.S Secret Service agents, are deployed in South Dakota's Warehouse 13 with a new assignment from an authority above and outside the government.
This show is just fun. It had a nice mix of science fiction, action, mystery, and comedy. The real reason to watch though is the cast. This is one of those shows where they got the casting correct, and it makes the show that much more enjoyable.
You can stream it with the Peacock App and IMDBtv on Amazon Prime.
That's it for this week's suggestions, I'll be back next week with 5 more must-watch shows.
The Shadow Within is almost 1! The novel that started it all will be having its birthday next month so keep an eye on here and my Facebook page to see how I'm celebrating this monumental event.
