Wondering what to watch after the show you love ended or is on hiatus? We may have the answer for you, whether it’s HBO or Netflix or Apple TV or a sitcom of yesteryear these shows in more ways than one left a legacy behind.
Not every show on the list is an epic that drew millions of viewers, some of them may sound obscure but are well worth a watch. Each one of the shows on this list has something to offer and should be considered.
Here is a list of 25 television shows you should binge watch. We have compiled a list of comedies, cartoons, cop shows, and supernatural shows.
25. Rome
One of HBO’s most underrated and brilliant shows, taking place at the dawn of the Roman Empire, the first season follows the rise and eventual fall of Julius Caesar, the second the conflicts between Mark Antony and Octavian, who will eventually become Augustus, the first and perhaps greatest Roman Emperor.
That is just the icing, the cake is how Rome is presented, with the complexities of a growing city, the economic strife of those trying to get ahead, and the greedy politicians looking to hold onto power. Rome is unique in that rarely do we need to see thousands of soldiers battling, what interests us more is the talking, the planning, the passion for power. The show follows great historical figures but is really the view of Rome through the eyes of two very different Roman soldiers. James Purefoy’s Mark Antony is still one of the best characters in any HBO series.
24. Orange Is the New Black
A unique take on the prison system, what would happen if instead of seeing males in a penitentiary we saw things through the perspective of females? The black comedy was Netflix’s most streamed show for years and won many awards along the way. Edgy and quirky it is most definitely worth a look.
23. Batman the Animated Series
The definitive show about the Dark Knight, yes it was made for “children”, but the show hits a home run on its adult themes and fantastic presentation. Episodes like Heart of Ice, Two Face, The Laughing Fish, and Feat of Clay are true works of art. Never has Batman been so… well Batman. Why settle for subpar shows like Gotham or Pennyworth? Watch Batman and his world at its best, even 30 years later the show is a knockout.
22. Community
This sweet show about a group of community college students just trying to graduate is fun, off beat, and full of heart. Gillian Jacobs, Donald Glover, Joel McHale, and Chevy Chase all bring their A game to a show that could have tanked in the wrong hands but kept itself fresh and fun for six seasons.
21. The Boondocks
Lost in the sands of time is this Adult Swim cartoon about black America, The Boondocks. For 4 seasons we get two very different perspectives on black society and aspects of urban culture from the “I don’t give a ^%^” presentation of the Boondocks. Great voice casting and some very memorable episodes, Uncle Ruckus may be the one of the most despised yet funniest characters on a TV show ever.
20. Okupas
We go international with this very ambitious Argentine show that aired in 2000. Okupas is about how a disinterested upper middle class university student abandons his high-quality life to live in an abandoned house owned by a real estate firm. Eventually he meets three other equally socially deprived roommates as Okupas shows us a completely different Buenos Aires before the economic collapse of 2001. Real, gut wrenching, and at times sweet the show is a harsh look at the ills facing the country just before it completely collapsed.
19. Friends
Do we really have to go into detail here? Friends was a phenomenon in the 90s and is the ultimate binge show to watch today. One of America’s greatest sitcoms ever, at times dated but more than holds its own.
18. Six Feet Under
One of the best television shows ever produced, Six Feet Under follows the Fisher family, who have a unique business. A funeral home. Through death we examine life, its complexities, hardships, and yes even joy.
17. Breaking Bad
A show that truly changed the equation, the life of mild and tamed high school chemistry teacher Walter White changes when he is diagnosed with cancer. In his attempt to “provide” for his family he enters the world of drug trafficking. Eventually Walter “breaks bad” and what started as a “noble” cause showcases the inner demon that lived within Walter White all along.
16. Lost
A group of plane crash survivors have to deal with being stranded on an island and the supernatural in this cult classic show that at one point drew 16 million people to watch. For six seasons fans were glued to their seats and it is considered one of the best television shows of all time.
15. Desperate Housewives
Part network television’s answer to Sex in the City on HBO, but also a show that went off on its own with humor, mystery, and suspense. Desperate Housewives is a very bingeable show, at times very deep as well as “WTF?”. There are flashbacks, fast forwards, and everything in between.
14. House of Cards
The story of Frank Underwood and his rise to power in the American political system was incredible for over five seasons. The show was a smash hit, but Kevin Spacey’s life offset caused the show to fall flat in its final season. Still the show is incredible binge material.
13. The Mandalorian
The only Star Wars show to truly have teeth, The Mandalorian is about a bounty hunter who is hired by what remains of the Empire five years after the events of Return of the Jedi. The show is excellent in making us care about the title character and feels special when other fan favorites show up. It begs the question how Disney can hit a home run with The Mandalorian and strike out so badly with The Book of Boba Fett.
12. Chappelle's Show
For two seasons Chappelle's Show captured America, Dave Chappelle brings his A-game to his sketch comedy show that tackled many social and popular issues of its day, the biggest America’s bigotry. After watching seasons 1 and 2 we are left thinking what could have been, instead simply appreciate a five-star comedy series. So many have tried since, but few have even come close.
11. Homicide: Life on The Street
The best cop show ever, airing from 1993- 1999 on NBC, based on David Simon’s book Homicide: A year on the Killing Streets, we follow the work of a Baltimore Homicide Unit. Gritty, real, and focusing on the work, Homicide is a jewel of a show in an era where network television was so prepackaged. While the show never found a mass audience it was a critical success for seven years, Andre Braugher as Detective Frank Pembleton was the show’s breakout star, although technically we are introduced to the life of a homicide detective via the complex and often unstable Detective Tim Bayliss played by Kyle Secor. A-list guest stars and profound story telling makes Homicide a must see for a new generation of TV viewers, unfortunately unavailable on major streaming services, you might have to go old school and buy a Blu Ray or DVD set. Seasons 1 and 2 are still to this day some of the best television hours ever produced. The episode Three Men and Adena could be network television’s finest hour.
10. Love
Love is an excellent comedy focusing on all the issues that go into a relationship. From meeting someone, convincing them to date you, and then being in a relationship. Gillian Jacobs plays the unpredictable drug and sex addict Mickey Dobbs, while Paul Rust plays the nerdy but equally complex Gus Cruikshank. Together they should be a trainwreck but somehow work. Love isn’t about the payoff, it's about the journey people take together. One of Netflix’s best shows ever.
9. Band of Brothers
HBO’s miniseries about "Easy" Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, of the 101st Airborne Division, during World War II is HBO at its best. We follow the troopers as they go through bootcamp well into the end of the war. Amazing cinematography and great storytelling, no war movie or show about war has been able to touch Band of Brothers, the best account of young men fighting in a war you will ever see.
8. Mad Men
The period piece set in the 1960’s follows New York City ad men and their world of making the country consume products they don’t really need. Don Draper, played by Jon Hamm, is a complex and amoral character that guides us through the world of Ad men at the height of their “power”.
7. The Walking Dead
Taking place in a world overrun by Zombies, the human survivors create their own communities, groups, and hierarchies with their own sets of laws, morals, sometimes leading to open, hostile conflict between each other.
6. Seinfeld
The show about nothing, Seinfeld is considered the best sitcom ever, following comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his group of three unlikeable friends through adventures in dating, work, or just talking about laundry. Seinfeld is comedy gold!
5. Stranger Things
The now Sci-Fi phenomenon follows a group of young friends in Indiana in the 1980’s as they encounter some unexplained phenomena. Stranger Things has turned into one of Netflix’s best shows and has developed a massive following.
4. Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders has run for six seasons or series, kind of like mini movies that follow the criminal gang the Peaky Blinders during the late 1800s to early 1910s in England. Cillian Murphy is amazing as Thomas "Tommy" Shelby, the leader of the gang as they try to get their hand in everything.
3. The Wire
The Wire is not TV, it is a thesis of urban decay, our political system, our education system, the forgotten inner city, our media, and the stupidity of the war on drugs. Maybe visual media’s finest achievement.
2. Better Call Saul
The prequel to Breaking Bad is much more than that, Better Call Saul is a better and more mature show than its predecessor. Instead of focusing on the bang, Better Call Saul focuses on a Jimmy McGill’s character and how he eventually decays into the horrible drug lawyer Saul Goodman. Along the way the audience meets maybe television’s best supporting character ever, Kim Wexler.
1. The Sopranos
The mafia epic follows the life of the emotionally complex Tony Soprano and how he deals with his “two families”, the gangster one and his home life. The first two seasons are more focused on Tony’s emotional problems, mixing in with the typical things you would find in the heavily Goodfellas influenced show on mafia life. The show from season 3 and at the peak of its cultural phenomenon matures and goes in many directions few fans thought it would. Lesser “whacking’s” and more character studies, by the time the show ends we truly see the grim life Tony Soprano has had.
