Top TV shows that I recommend

Here is the part 2 of my recommendation series. I sincerely hope you weren’t planning on doing anything productive for another year or so, because I’ve put together a list of TV series that I recommend !

Twilight Zone: This was the Great granddaddy of all TV serials. It also is the granddaddy of all serials as in "Rishtey mein to hum tumare baap hain". I know that that is a bad analogy or metaphor or whatever. But I cannot really help it when something is this good. It is an anthology series. Every episode is a separate short story involving a high concept. The stories are bizarre and weird(Wonderfully so!!) and thought provoking. A salute to Rod Serling for weaving such a wonderful diversity of intriguing plots with quirky and memorable conclusions. Watch this and thank me later for recommending.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Half of what I wrote about twilight Zone can be applied to this one also. This was a TV series made in the 60s. The master Hitch himself was the host(He also directed some episodes). It is an absolutely phenomenal series. Each episode is 25 minutes long and each episode is like a short story invovling murder or something strange,bizarre or suspenseful. It has mysteries, dark-humored tales, suspense yarns, ghost stories etc etc. Most of them usually end with an ironic twist. Watch this for wonderfully acted, superbly crafted instalments of Hitchcock inspired mysteries that are deliciously acerbic.

Jonathan Creek is awesome for those who love good mysteries with intelligent solutions by the detective. In this the detective is someone who devises magic tricks, so he uses his skills to solve impossible looking crimes. Very intelligent crimes and ingenious solutions, narrated with the classic British sense of humor. And it is criminally underrated. The show is not a Whodunnit,focus of the show is on how the impossible looking crime was committed (There is an old show called Banacek which also involves impossible looking crimes, it has an insurance investigator solving impossible crimes. Not as good as Jonathan Creek but a good and interesting watch for those who love intelligent solutions to mysteries)

Monk - This funny and heart-warming detective show features a detective who suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder. The lead actor's performance is terrific and it is a delight to watch this quirky and endearing character solve all those unfathomable murders. Another good thing is that the solutions to the crime are usually clever too.

24 - This is the most goose-bumpiest, fist pumpiest series that I have seen after Prison Break. Great thrills and pace and characters. I thought they might run out of steam after a while. But they never slow down. Thrills after thrills after thrills. I have finished 5 seasons now. Not one boring episode. Too good. This is the popcorn entertainment of the highest order. Again, like Prison Break this one forces most people to binge-watch.

Shooting the Past - It's a shame that this miniseries isn't all that famous. Picture this: There is a museum having a sprawling photography collection that is threatened to be destroyed as it becomes a part of a larger buyout. How do you make a something like that interesting,poignant, entertaining, and engaging ? This is how! This miniseries is guaranteed to draw you in with some terrific acting and splendid storytelling.

The Good wife - This one is for the lovers of court room drama. The show cranks out engaging episodes with an interesting court case every episode (which have a weekly payoff) while continuing an ongoing story. Combining of the stand alone episodes and a running story-line works well. The writing is great, the actors are good, and there is rarely a dull moment on the show. Challenge of writing a court room drama is to come up with an interesting case every time that doesn't feel like repetition. That is where this series excels, You get stories that are fresh,thoughtful and well-written. It has a perfect mix of courtroom drama and drama involving the lives of characters.

Damages - This is another top notch legal thriller. It's part legal thriller, part murder mystery and part cat-and-mouse show. Terrific characters and first-rate lead performances by two ladies will draw you into the complex story where nothing is what it seems. Then there are enough twists and turns and shocks and surprises to keep you wanting more. This is compelling TV at its best.

Homeland - This slow burning, compellingly written series has a plot that is a bit like Lives of Others(German) meets Brothers(Susanne Bier's Danish film). The way the
complex,multi-faceted characters slowly ratchet up the intensity and intrigue is remarkable. Don't blame me if the heart-pounding suspense makes you binge-watch one full season!

Jericho - It is a realistic what-if show that has a town that finds itself isolated after a nuclear catastrophe. Think of it as The walking dead without the zombies! A
very underrated thriller with good characters. It is gripping and fast moving and they have explored the premise nicely.

Forbrydelsen(The Killing) - This Danish crime thriller made the world start looking at Scandanavian shows. It is slow but so gripping and atmospheric that it will
haunt you for a long time. The acting is stellar, the drama is compelling and riveting. Makes for an engrossing viewing experience.

Death in Paradise is a fresh detective show. It is set in the lush tropical background of Caribbean Islands, so it has that exotic factor. Crimes and solutions are
good too. There are lots of comedic moments as well as good mysteries, and the recurring characters are wonderfully portrayed.

Vikings: This well researched and fascinating show portrays the lives of Vikings of the 8th century, like other medieval shows it is intense and filled with plenty of
action, violence, and blood. The visuals are gorgeous, characters are well written and there is enough intrigue and adventure to make it a very compelling viewing.

Borgen: This political drama from Denmark has sharp writing and good characters. This superbly acted show combines the struggles of domestic life with the grind of political life that is full of political rivals,spin doctors, media advisers and stuff like that. The result is a quality viewing experience.

Battlestar Galactica (2004 version): There is an excellent miniseries which is a prequel to the main series, you have to watch that first and then get to the series to fully comprehend what happened. It intertwines two genres - post apocalyptic and science fiction. It is the story of the crew of a spaceship called Galactic that is stranded in space, never to be able to return home. It is a sombre, Edgy, gritty, realistic series that focuses on human beings instead of space tech and flashy gizmos.

Rome: This one is set in ancient Rome and the story is about the power struggle between Pompey Magnus and Julius Caesar. Some of the things that come to your mind when you think of Game of Thrones - The nicely done production design, the action, graphic violence, sex, betrayal, murder, scheming it is all there. In that sense it was a precursor to GOT.( (It didn't have the kind of movie like big budget that GOT got) and people say that they have meticulously researched and reconstructed the Rome of that era.

I will not expand on some already famous ones that are good: Prison Break is a personal favourite for me. Breaking bad is good, Game of Thrones has a big budget movie like Production qualities, Dexter has excellent characters and clever one-liners. The walking dead keeps you hooked,House of Cards is razor sharp etc.etc.

Let us move on to some honourable mentions:
Code of a killer: This miniseries is the story of how DNA was discovered and first used for investiagting crimes.It is an interesting subject that has been narrated in
a thrilling and intriguing fashion.

Lie to me: It is about a person who can study body language, and the gestures that people unconsciously make and catch lies. Every episode involves a case or two that depend upon lie detection for resolution. I was expecting them to run out of ideas after 2-3 episodes but they managed to retain interest by coming up with cleverly imagined and inventive ideas and charming lead performances.

Nikita - This is based on Luc Besson's French film La Femme Nikita. It is a Jason Bourne style fast-paced missions of a special agent type series that is entertaining. You will enjoy it as a fun popcorn show with twists and turns as long as you don't expect anything deep or profound.

Lost - This one is a classic that keeps you on the edge of the seat, the intrigue might almost be overwhelming. But then ............... !! Once you are into 4th season you realise that those unresolved threads and unanswered questions will remain mysteries, that might leave you mighty disappointed. So I will put it in the , "Great series but......" category!

Leverage & Hustle - These are recommended for those who love cons. Every episode is a story involving a con performed by a team that makes for good popcorn entertainment(Or good time-pass as we Indians call it)

Burn Notice - This lighthearted show blends the spy genre with comedy, watch this one for some action filled with comedic,smart-ass voiceovers.
Chuck is another spy show that feels like a romantic comedy.

Mentalist has a former mentalist solving crimes, Criminal minds is about solving crimes by doing the profiling of serial killers. Both are quite good, I especially like Criminal minds as watching the profilers outwit the serial killers makes for good viewing.

Banshee: It is set in a small town and it has a Don like silly premise,but it works. Has plenty of violence, sex and badassery. All in all a good show that has a bit of Spaghetti Western vibe to it(like something that Quentin Tarantino would have liked)

Foyle's War has an interesting premise, it has a detective solving crimes during the World War 2 times, you get a mystery and a vivid description of life in Britain during World War 2 . Like in other British shows they take time to develop the characters

If there are some lesser known ones that you have seen, don't hesitate to recommend it in the comments section.