Happy Viewing: Best Streaming Recommendations

Baseball hasn’t been the national pastime for many years now – no sport is. The national pastime, like it or not, is watching television.~ Bob Greene

Happy Viewing: Best Streaming Recommendations

I often see on social media people asking for recommendations for something to stream. Like most folks, I often shoot off a couple of things I’m currently watching. Recently however, a friend underwent surgery and was immobile for a time. So I took some time to go through and really create a list of streaming shows that I’ve seen that I really liked and would be willing to recommend to folks. I thought about how to lay out the list and initially I thought I would do it by genre, then I realized exactly how I would use a list like that. I’d shoot straight to the science fiction section and possibly miss some really great shows. Then of course there are shows like Bodies that are a mix of genres. Also, if there’s a foreign section and you don’t like subtitles you might skip over things like a fantastic Korean film, Train from Busan. This list, outside of mentioning Train of Busan, will focus on serial shows, not movies and I’ll list them by streaming service, quick summary and location. No need for reviews, if it’s on the list, I recommend it. And I’ll apologize in advance for location, streaming services have started selling off parts of their catalog to other services so some of these may have moved around.

How does this tie into the blog, I like TV, or streaming now. I need novelty and new information to be entertained and living in the golden age of TV has definitely been a happy experience. The shows on this list made me happy by entertaining me and hopefully they’ll entertain you. ~ Rev Kane

Amazon

The Expanse – One of the best shows in a long time, and one of the best science fiction shows all-time.

The Man in the High Castle – This is one of those frustrating series that doesn’t end but the first couple of seasons are amazing. It’s an alternate history series, lots of Nazis, multiple universes but not in a stupid Marvel way.

The Boys – The single most insane series ever, there are scenes that are beyond description. Not even close to politically correct at any level, if you are offendable at all, skip this series. But if you like off the wall, insane, sometimes disgusting, humor with a solid story line and good acting, check it out. It’s basically anti-marvel superheroes.

Wheel of Time – Definitely for the fantasy lovers, great cast, well acted but definitely your mystical forces type of fantasy series, prophecies, powers, reincarnation the whole thing. I’ve really enjoyed it and honestly I think the next season will be ever better.

Reacher – If you liked the Jack Reacher movies even a little bit, you’ll love Reacher. Much closer to the character in the books and I really dig this series a lot.

Lord of The Rings: Rings of Power – Basically the prequel to the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings stories, really well done, interesting, just enough action and you don’t need to know the Lord of the Rings story to enjoy it.

Truth Seekers – This series is stupid and kind of funny.

Falling Skies – A really early on alien invasion story, the story always felt intense and very real and enjoyable watch.

Resident Alien – This show is kooky and funny as hell. An alien comes to Earth and decides to live here, his take on humans and what we do is hilarious.

Fringe – If you liked the X-Files, you’ll totally dig Fringe. Basically, hipper version of the X-Files with a little multiple universe angle, series ran for like five years so there’s a lot to watch.

Counterpart (extra purchase only) – As far as I’m concerned, the best multiple universe show ever, not because of the multiverse angle, but because the acting was incredible, can’t believe this didn’t last longer, there’s only a couple of seasons and no wrap up.

West Wing – The single best political show ever created, there were episodes that will give you shivers down your spine. One of Aaron Sorkin’s early series and it’s absolutely fantastic, one of the best shows ever on television.

Netflix

The 100 – Drop a 100 young people on a planet and make them fend for themselves, fun science fiction and it sure doesn’t hurt that the entire cast is gorgeous. Storyling is engaging, good drama and good action, very much a strong female-centric series.

Lost in Space – The remake of the original series that I watched initially with a lot of trepidation and ended up really digging and they wrapped it decently.

Sweet Tooth – Imagine a super sweet hybrid kid with antlers living his best life in the apocalypse. Sounds ridiculous, kind of is, but it’s also sort of sweet and fun to watch. Also, definitely tween friendly.

Dark – (German) Super cool science fiction, even if you don’t like subtitles check this one out, it’s super engaging and pretty amazing.

Travelers – I love this show, really engrossing, great story, good performances, 3 seasons and no wrap up at all which absolutely sucks. If you dig scifi, definitely check it out.

Squid Game (Korean) – Dystopian madness at it’s absolute best, can’t wait for the second season, the first was absolutely unique and brilliant.

Vikings – What a great show, get’s a bit soap opera like in the last couple of season but the first few seasons, the story of Ragnor Lothbrook’s life is amazing. Great adaptation of one of the classic Norse Sagas.

Vikings: Valhala – A Vikings spin off that I didn’t have high expectations for, especially when they cast a model as the lead. But Frida Gustavsson absolutely rocks! And the show is a really great ride, new season coming out soon I believe.

The Sandman – A series comic nerds have been waiting for, forever! It didn’t disappoint, really well done, just the right level of trippy. I always think of it as a serious live Nightmare Before Christmas vibe.

Midnight Mass – Crazy vampire shit in a small New England town, short series, good watch.

Cowboy Beepop – The live action and the cartoon are both good. The live action only got one season but I really liked it, may not be everyone’s cop of tea, a bit of an anime edge.

All of us are dead (Korean) – Like zombies, fun high school zombie series, think Walking Dead lite.

Kingdom (Korean) – Historical zombie show that absolutely kicks ass, think of every good season of the Walking Dead and this is right at that level.

Sweet Home (Korean) – Korean monster show, but in an incredibly unique way. I LOVE this show, two seasons so far and both were fantastic. One thing that always disappoints me is when I can see things coming, I rarely get surprised by shows. This show surprises and astounds me in every episode, some of the best TV ever made.

Stranger Things – You all know it, it’s great, if you haven’t seen it, check it out.

Santa Clarita Diet – This show has an amazing cast, cool premise, great acting and writing and it’s totally nuts and hysterical in a very bloody and violent suburbia sort of way. Absolutely worth a watch but another series that went belly up without a wrap up.

Mindhunter – Dig shows like Criminal Minds, well this show takes you back to the FBI agents who created how to hunt for serial killers, great show, not enough seasons.

HBO Max

The Wire – The best cop show ever, maybe the best TV show ever. If you’ve never watched it, watch it start to finish, the characters actors played in this show are who they will always be to me. I see Wire actors in other shows but it doesn’t matter how good the new character is, I can only see their Wire character, that’s how iconic and incredible this show was. Cop show about cops in Baltimore, put this at the top of your list.

The Newsroom – Short-lived, great cast, the first episode has one of the greatest speech Aaron Sorkin has ever written for a character and that’s saying something.

The Last of Us – One of the few video game conversions that has really worked well, just a season so far, but man it was fantastic. The frustration however, is that even before the actor’s strike this was on a slow roll out schedule with a year or two between seasons planned.

Peacemaker – I’m not a huge Marvel fan, and I have a tendency to like the fringe Marvel stuff way more than the mainstream movies and series. I LOVE Peacemaker, John Cena is magnificent in this series and plays the lunkhead superhero to perfection and in a way that really makes you care for his character. Another slow roll out, another season is coming, eventually….

United States of Tara – Toni Collette at her very best as a person with DID (multiple personalities) also the series where Brie Larson got her start.

Chernobyl – An absolutely kick ass drama with fantastic performances.

True Blood – Did you like Buffy the Vampire slayer, you’ll likely dig True Blood, consider this the R-rated version of the PG Buffy, with a Louisiana Cajun spin and one the single most kick-ass opening songs of any series ever. And like Buffy, absolutely filled with pretty people at ever turn, but also really well written storylines.

Treme – An HBO series you have likely not heard of, but a series about the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans. I love New Orleans which probably pre-disposed me to love this series but it’s really good with a great Crescent City vibe.

Station Eleven – When I read this book, I wasn’t sure what to think of it. But it definitely stuck with me. The series will do the same to you, but is a bit more coherent and wraps up better than the book did.

Six Feet Under – Since it aired this has always been one of my favorite series. Set around a family who runs a funeral home, you’ll recognize every primary actor in the series, they’ve all gone on to do great work. Just a masterful series that will hit every emotional note for you.

Deadwood – They finally did a wrap-up movie, the lack of a wrap up was the only weakness in this series. A spectacular western set in the mining boomtown of Deadwood. Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane lots of characters and actors you’ll recognize. The one thing I will say, if you’re offended by F-bombs, stay away from this series, they drop F-bombs like breathing. But great acting, great writing, fabulous performances, really satisfying.

The Leftovers – Man this is a damn roller coaster ride. I’ll tell you nothing of the story, it is a series that will get under your skin, screw with your mind and entertain the hell out of you. Intense, extremely well done and mind blowing.

The Boondocks – Animated series about a black family in suburbia. This series is hardcore social commentary, the N-word flies constantly and the show at times, completely on purpose will make you completely uncomfortable watching it. It will challenge how you think about things and it will make you laugh your ass off.

Watchmen – Short run series with no plans ever for another season. This series is the reason that most Americans know about the Tulsa massacre. It’s an amazing series, helps if you’ve seen the movie, or read the graphic novel, but not necessary to follow the story and be incredibly entertained.

Falling Skies – A really early on alien invasion story, the story always felt intense and very real and enjoyable watch.

Game of Thrones – The books are magnificent as well as this series. Easy to get addicted to and take everything you think about the series and how things will go after the first couple of episodes and throw those ideas away, you’re wrong. The twists and turns in this series are absolutely magnificent.

House of Dragon – Game of Thrones spinoff, prequel. Watch Game of Thrones first, if you love it, watch this, if you don’t let this one go. It’s enjoyable if you like the GoT universe.

Boardwalk Empire – A Steve Buscemi lead series that is really fabulous, it’s all about the early days of Atlantic City.

Carnivale – Take a dive into the world of carnivals and sideshows with a cast of absolutely amazing characters. I loved this show when it came out, but like so many, it was cut short with no wrap up. Great cast, great characters, great writing.

Band of Brothers – The most amazing World War II show ever made, follows Easy Company from Normandy all the way through to Germany and the end of the war. Intense, incredibly well acted, historically accurate and characters who will stay with you forever.

OZ – Absolute warning on OZ, it is an incredible TV show. It is also NC-17 or higher. If you can’t handle violence, rape and brutal abusive scenes do not watch this show. It’s a brutal, gritty and incredible series about live in a maximum security prison. If you like the Elliot Stabler character from Law and Order, or the psychiatrist played by JK Simmons, DON’T WATCH OZ, you’ll never be able to look at those actors the same way again.

The Sopranos – Everyone knows this series, if somehow you don’t know the single greatest mob TV series ever, check it out. For the record I hate the series ending episode.

The Stand – I’m a huge fan of the book, The Stand and every version ever made. The most recent is on HBO and it’s very good, go on down to Sweet Home and save the world.

Big Love – The show that taught most people in America about Mormons and Jack Mormons. Super interesting series with an amazing cast, great writing and great performances.

Paramount

Yellowstone – I really resisted watching Yellowstone, figured it was just another over-hyped soap opera masquerading as a western drama. Then I watched the next show I’ve listed 1883. And 1883 was absolutely spectacular. Given that, I decided to check out Yellowstone and yes, it’s primetime TV soap opera-ish drama but it’s a damn good one. Taylor Sheridan is a damn genius and also a pretty good actor with a small role in the show.

1883 – If you ever played the ancient computer game, The Oregon Trail, here’s the live action version with everything you can imagine, mutiny, bandits, Native American attacks and culture, and on and on. All centered around a family and the performances are beyond spectacular.

Tulsa King – Sylvester Stallone as a mobster, fresh out of a long prison stint and exiled to Tulsa. Man I had no expectations for this show and man I love it. Perhaps Stallone’s best performance since the original Rocky and far more nuanced. I really modern and interesting mob story set in Tulsa, Oklahoma of all places.

Halo – Another video game adaptation that actually works pretty well, definitely your basic alien, space battle hero science fiction but well done.

Dexter and Dexter II – Dexter, the show that made people cheer for a serial killer, Michael C Hall is brilliant in this series. He was also one of the stars of Six Feet Under. There is also a sequel series that came out last year, it’s pretty good. The original Dexter is genius and the second benefits from the love of the original series.

Apple TV+

Servant – This is solid M. Night Shyamalan, it’s twisty and weird and intense and at times confusing and creepy and definitely worth a watch.

Invasion – This show was the reason I got Apple in the first place after watching the very first episode on an airplane. Basic science fiction alien invasion in season one and really well done, then season two is an absolute gear change and gets way more interesting. Can’t wait for season three.

Hulu

The Bear – Hulu’s big break out hit during the pandemic, season 1 is a magnificent thrill ride right out of the gate. Season two is a much more nuanced and complex season, it moves along deliberately until the last few episodes that suddenly punch like George Foreman. Two great seasons.

The X-Files – The series that brought UFO’s and the paranormal to the masses, up until the last couple of season an incredible series with a couple of episodes that are some hall of fame level episodes.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – It’s funny, this is a show that really polarizes people just from the title, the premise or the movie and now because of Joss Whedon. People see this show from the surface, pretty blonde girl, surrounded by a cast of pretty people fights vampires and worries about her nails and whether or not she’ll make the cheerleading squad. And yes, all of that is true and makes it seem like an utterly vapid show, but man that surface level read completely misses the boat. This series is not only completely fun, but constantly and sometimes subtly addressed all kinds of relevant issues to teenagers, suicide, bullying, loneliness, being an outsider, losing a parent, sibling rivalry, cultural appropriation, sexual assault, discrimination and on and on and on… All handled incredibly well, made interesting and relevant and yes, pretty people, lots of monsters and witchcraft. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the best shows to have ever been on television, if you never have, give it a watch, you’ll get hooked.

Under a Banner of Heaven – Interesting murder mystery centered around the Mormon culture and if you don’t know much about Mormon culture and history it’s an interesting watch.

Nine Perfect Strangers – Weird little show that absolutely sucked me in, definitely worth a watch with a big time cast.

Legion – As I’ve stated, I have a tendency where Marvel is concerned to be drawn to the fringe Marvel shows. When I first watched Legion I didn’t even realize that it was a show in the Marvel universe. This show is the single trippiest show to ever air on network television and FX absolutely knocked it out of the park. Aubrey Plaza is insanely good in this show, this show is absolutely mesmerizing.

Disney Plus

The Mandalorian – I really loved the first two seasons, it’s slipped as it’s gone on but it’s still pretty good, plus Baby Yoda.

Moon Knight – I watched this mostly because I own a mint first edition of the comic book that I gifted my brother and I couldn’t believe they made it into a series. But holy cow, they did an amazing job, I really loved the first season of this show. I have no idea if they are doing a second season or not, but I really hope so.

Obi Wan Kenobi – I loved Ewan McGregor as Obi Wan in the movies, equally loved him in this mini-series and thought it was very well done.

Boba Fett – Standard Marvel fare, if you love Star Wars you’ll like it, if not, probably meh.

Jessica Jones – I love Krysten Ritter, I love the character and I really dug the show, again an off-brand Marvel product. Jessica Jones is the anti-hero superhero and a complete badass, and a a complete screw up. Always thought is made for a fascinating character and show, apparently it didn’t push the right buttons with the masses.

Wanda Vision – Probably the one Marvel mainstream project that I really dig. This is a great contained series, great arc, great story and really well done, definitely worth a watch.

Hulu

The Tick – Animated series, may not be everyone’s taste, but it’s totally insane and cracks me up.

Firefly – Joss Whedon’s masterpiece space western, show that got way too little air time, they did a good job of wrapping it up with a movie. Amazing characters, beautifully written and amazing cast and performances. If you’ve ever liked any science fiction, it’s a must watch.