A Gen X Dad’s time is extremely valuable and limited. And when we’re not watching baseball or football, it’s critical to focus on shows that aren’t going to be a waste. So stay away from those reality dance and singing shows, and check out these 11 – you won’t regret it. Some are now off the air but can be found on Netflix. And, if you have others that are particularly awesome, please feel free to add them to the list. Yes, I know Sopranos are not on here, but assuming everyone reading this has seen that show already.
1. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Comedy, fx). Similar to Seinfeld’s stories about nothing, it’s based on four intellectually challenged high school friends who decided to purchase a bar and philosophize on life in Philadelphia. Now in their 30s, the friends come up with wacky theories that end in chaos each week. Danny DeVito is great as Frank and Charlie Day is hilarious.
2. Justified (Drama, fx). You’ll see a number of fx shows on this list, but Justified is probably the least watched of the bunch (and may be the best one). Timothy Olyphant is a US Marshall who takes on the Dixie Mafia and other criminals from his home county in Kentucky. Lots of plot twists and great dialogue surprisingly in touch with real events in the Kentucky drug war.
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3. Breaking Bad (Drama, AMC). It still baffles me that many of my friends and family still haven’t watched this show. The character development is phenomenal to the point where you expect to see Hank walking down the street in Glen Rock. The series finale starts soon, so you still have some time in August to get caught up on this five season masterpiece.
4. The Wire (Drama, HBO). Another five season series that is now extinct. The show is set on the streets of Baltimore and addresses crime, politics and controversy. Like Game of Thrones (discussed later) there are a whole slew of characters. I had a hard time tracking them during the first episode, but stick with it. The show is great and – like Game of Thrones – no character is safe. Each season is completely different, but there are many overlapping characters.
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5. Game of Thrones (Drama, HBO). I haven’t read the books, but the show is great. It’s about warring kingdoms that are so focused on gaining power and unifying all of the kingdoms, that they’re oblivious to bigger issues facing their entire society. LOTS of characters make it challenging to follow sometimes, but no character is safe and the character development is complex and addicting. Like many of the other ones here, watch after the kids go to bed.
6. House of Lies (Comedy, Showtime). Much different than the others on the list, this show focuses on Don Cheadle as a marketing consultant struggling with divorce, a gender-confused son and some really dysfunctional colleagues. What makes the show great is Cheadle’s side conversations about the industry and how he’s able to convince naïve clients to pay big money for his advice.
7. Bar Rescue (Reality, Spike). Yes, this one is my guilty pleasure. Jon Taffer goes to failing bars throughout the country to identify what’s wrong, while he explains the science behind bar profitability. It’s like the Gordon Ramsey Kitchen Nightmares, except there’s a greater ridiculousness at many of these bars, and Taffer has no reservations about getting in people’s faces. The show follows a similar format each episode and is fairly predictable, but very addicting. Best of all, it constantly re-running on Spike.
8. House of Cards (Drama, Netflix). Kevin Spacey is tremendous as the House Majority Whip trying to navigate the political system to advance his political career. Only in its first season, the show depicts Washington in a way we feel is probably true but really don’t want to believe. Can’t wait for season 2 of this show.
9. Walking Dead (Drama, AMC). It’s not about the zombies! The character struggle in this show is probably better than any of the others on the list, and you quickly learn that the people, and not the zombies, might be the bigger survival threat. Sure there are technical things in this show that will drive the TV purest crazy (like where do they keep getting all the gas/food; why doesn’t the grass ever grow). However, the suspense in this show is amazing. Even people who poo poo the show initially find themselves watching episode after episode.
10. The Shield (Drama, fx). No longer on the air, this show follows a “Vice squad” on the LA Police force that bring justice to criminals but also carves out dollars for their own time and effort. The complex storyline has Michael Chiklis and his partners always dangerously close to the criminals and getting caught by superiors in an LA precinct that is struggling for survival. Some great guest appearances on this show and like the others on this list, unpredictable.
11. Freaks and Geeks (Drama, NBC). If you’re a child of the 80s, this is a must see show. In one of a long line of horrible programming decisions, NBC only ran this show for one year before canceling it. Freaks and Geeks features great music and a star studded cast of teenage kids struggling to survive the high school years in the 1980s. After canceling the show, Judd Apatow and his cast of James Franco, Seth Rogan, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley and others went on to star in some of the most popular shows and movie comedies in the last 10 years (see 40 Year Old Virgin, How I Met Your Mother, Spiderman, ER, Oz, Bones).
So that’s it. Before you ridicule me for not including one of your favorites, I included these honorable mention ones to be safe: Dexter (Showtime), Deadliest Catch (Discovery), Swamp People (History Channel), Veep (HBO), Sons of Anarchy (fx), Top of the Lake (BBC via Sundance), Arrested Development (Netflix). But please let me know which ones I missed, because I’m always on the lookout for another great series.
