Which Shows on Showtime, HBO, and other Movie Related Networks are worth watching? [Mobile/Archive]

cdeener

08-06-2009, 07:55 AM

Well, my family is finally getting DirecTV so for the first 5 months we get all the movie networks for free so I haven't had any for several years since cut them off the cable bill. Use to have Comcast and we had HBO & Showtime.

So, I wondering what I should watch while we have them outside of stuff I already know about like True Blood and Entourage.

ajh2298

08-06-2009, 08:05 AM

HBO-"Eastbound and Down"

fullmetalfan720

08-06-2009, 08:21 AM

Californication on Showtime is great.

Jek Porkins

08-06-2009, 08:34 AM

I really like HBO's Big Love.

mortalgroove

08-06-2009, 08:38 AM

Dexter on Sho.

bvharris

08-06-2009, 08:57 AM

IMO, Dexter is the best show on any of those networks by a large margin.

For summer shows, I've been watching Hung, which is also pretty good.

Honestly, True Blood and Entourage you can probably skip, they are pretty much garbage. Just my opinion.

A little known comedy on Starz (if you're getting that) which is worth checking out is Party Down. I believe its currently on Demand as well (as is Dexter).

csidegamer

08-06-2009, 09:46 AM

Aother vote for Dexter.

My son was watching Eastbound and Down via downloads, till we got a cease and desist from HBO. :(
He thought it was great, the show that is. Entourage is another favorite.

lordopus99

08-06-2009, 09:48 AM

My Fiance watches True Blood (her favorite show) and Hung. She is also a big fan of the Tudors (Showtime - off until next season).

I have meant to check out Weeds (Showtime)... just never got around to it.

Personally, I think Hung (HBO) is very boring and dry. Both lead characters are very dull.

jlarlee

08-06-2009, 10:37 AM

All good picks, but the Wire was one of the best shows ever

senorwoohoo

08-06-2009, 10:44 AM

Curb Your Enthusiasm.

bvharris

08-06-2009, 11:26 AM

All good picks, but the Wire was one of the best shows ever

"Oh indeed."

But it's off the air, so I didn't mention it.

JolietJake

08-06-2009, 11:34 AM

Check out Penn and Teller's Bullshit on Showtime.

Squall835

08-06-2009, 12:00 PM

Weeds is a great show.

i_bent_my_wookie

08-06-2009, 12:18 PM

Weeds, Big Love, True Blood, Dexter and Penn & Teller's Bull Shit are some of the best, but really all of the shows are worth checking.

Hung, Eastbound & Down, Californication & Nurse Jackie are OK but I didn't get into them.

cdeener

08-06-2009, 12:22 PM

Thanks for the tips.

When I had them before I would watch Big Love, Weeds, and Bullshit so its good to know there still on. Well True Blood is something my fiance loves but she reads the books since she doesn't have HBO.

I will have to check out Dexter, Eastbound and Down, Hung, Californication (Isn't that the sex addict show?), and Party Down.

fullmetalfan720

08-06-2009, 01:07 PM

DestroVega

08-06-2009, 01:18 PM

Showtime:
Weeds
United States of Tara
Californication
and I like Secret Diary of a Call Girl but it's isn't essential
I have never seen Dexter but I have it on my instant queue and everyone says it's great

HBO:
True Blood
Curb Your Enthusiasm.. huge season coming up
Entourage is good but mindless
Eastbound & Down
and it's not out yet, but all the previews I have seen has me thinking Bored to Death is going to be fantastic.

Do you get Starz? Party Down is amazing and I think Head Case is also really funny.
I also liked what I saw of Crash and I hated the movie.

Sc4rfac3

08-06-2009, 01:20 PM

True Blood

bvharris

08-06-2009, 01:59 PM

My girlfriend is obsessed with True Blood. I've watched a couple episodes and I'm pretty sure it's the worst show I've ever seen. And it's not even just backlash against the vampire fad, no one on that show can act. Period. (Except Chris Bauer, he's awesome).

tcrash247

08-06-2009, 02:11 PM

True Blood - HBO
Dexter - Showtime

I watch a bunch of network tv shows, but these trounce them so effortlessly.

deszaras

08-06-2009, 04:04 PM

True Blood on HBO and The Tudors on Showtime.

DestroVega

08-06-2009, 04:59 PM

^oh man, I forgot the Tudors... I thought last season was kind of weak... I'm glad the next is the last, wrap it all up.

HowStern

08-06-2009, 05:50 PM

Is there an echo in here?

HBO
-Curb your enthusiasm
-Eastbound and Down
-True blood

SHO
-Dexter (best show ever)

bvharris

08-06-2009, 11:37 PM

SHO
-Dexter (best show ever)

Not far off.

Someone please give me a defense of True Blood which doesn't involve "there are lots of boobs." I have yet to meet a single straight male in person who likes that show, and yet I assume some of you are that.

mang9432

08-06-2009, 11:57 PM

Not far off.

Someone please give me a defense of True Blood which doesn't involve "there are lots of boobs." I have yet to meet a single straight male in person who likes that show, and yet I assume some of you are that.

I just like the way Stephen Moyer says "Sookie".

But seriously.... watch every single episode of Dexter, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Party Down and the Wire before you watch any True Blood.

captainfrizo

08-07-2009, 12:04 AM

I watch True Blood on HBO and Weeds and Dexter on Showtime. Those are pretty much the only shows I watch on TV too.

becuzimbrown

08-07-2009, 12:07 AM

Dexter and True Blood. However, I shit on both of them all of the time.

crunchb3rry

08-07-2009, 01:42 AM

HBO: Nothing. Until George R.R. Martin's show hopefully gets picked up, there won't be shit on HBO. At least not anything as epic as The Wire, Rome, Deadwood, and The Sopranos was.

SHO: Dexter, The Tudors.

Magus8472

08-07-2009, 02:51 AM

I'll reiterate Dexter, Weeds and True Blood for the nth time. The United States of Tara is also amusing, though it starts to wear out its welcome rather quickly.

And on a side note, The Wire is overrated. Always seemed quite plodding and dull to me.

bvharris

08-07-2009, 09:56 AM

And on a side note, The Wire is overrated. Always seemed quite plodding and dull to me.

Maybe its over your head? Honestly, The Wire is one of the most poignant and significant pieces of television, movies, whatever ever made. I think for a show that was widely considered to be the best on television when it was on and yet never received any love from the Emmys would fall decidedly on the underrated side of things.

shieryda

08-07-2009, 10:50 AM

HBO: Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm (Sept.), True Blood

SHO: Nurse Jackie, Weeds, Dexter. Penn & Teller: Bullshit often has some good topics.

Haven't watched Californication yet, so no opinion on that one.

Magus8472

08-07-2009, 02:27 PM

Maybe its over your head? Honestly, The Wire is one of the most poignant and significant pieces of television, movies, whatever ever made. I think for a show that was widely considered to be the best on television when it was on and yet never received any love from the Emmys would fall decidedly on the underrated side of things.

I didn't mean overrated by critics, I meant overrated by the audience. Granted, I might've liked it more if it didn't feel like such a retread of Homicide. One can only stand so many pessimistic high-drama cop shows. Probably still worth checking out if you're less jaded, but does HBO rerun its old shows with any regularity?

And did you really need to resort to an ad hominem defense of why you like something? :)

bvharris

08-07-2009, 02:42 PM

I didn't mean overrated by critics, I meant overrated by the audience. Granted, I might've liked it more if it didn't feel like such a retread of Homicide. One can only stand so many pessimistic high-drama cop shows. Probably still worth checking out if you're less jaded, but does HBO rerun its old shows with any regularity?

And did you really need to resort to an ad hominem defense of why you like something? :)

Probably not, I apologize. My point is that The Wire isn't about just entertaining people. Granted, I find it plenty entertaining but I understand why it wouldn't be for everyone. But I think the show provided such a realistic and chilling portrait of an American city, in all its facets, that it should be required viewing for anyone who wants to understand how our institutions function (and everyone should). More than any of HBO's other shows, that one delivered on the "It's not television" tag line.

thack

08-07-2009, 05:26 PM

Although your 5 month trail period will probably end too early, you may want to keep HBO for The Pacific which comes out early in 2010.

jaso

08-07-2009, 05:30 PM

True Blood and Weeds. I need nothing else.

Rodimus

08-07-2009, 05:36 PM

Dexter is amazing. I'm anxiously waiting for season 3 on DVD.

I just got done watching the first season of True Blood. It's a little cheesy but enjoyable.

I wish more of these shows were on Netflix Instant Watch.

NJMane

08-07-2009, 05:43 PM

DEXTER. Easily one of the best shows on any channel.

pimpster4183

08-07-2009, 06:22 PM

Entourage. Johnny Drama is classic

pacifickarma

08-07-2009, 06:31 PM

I really like HBO's Big Love.

My uncle is a semi-regular on Big Love. I've still never seen it!

crunchb3rry

08-07-2009, 07:23 PM

Probably still worth checking out if you're less jaded, but does HBO rerun its old shows with any regularity?

Shit no. HBO are cocksuckers. They might air some on their alternate channels but it's rare. They refuse to offer an HD On-Demand channel, never air their "finished" shows (Oz, etc.), and charge a motherfucking fortune for the box sets the aforementioned tactics are clearly trying to get consumers to do. Also doesn't help they don't care about putting much out on Blu-Ray. HBO are pretty much anti-HD. The old excuse of "most of our consumers are still in the SD era" yet the bulk of their Blu-Ray releases are the least watched shows. Generation Kill and stuff like that. They're finally coming out with Rome on Blu-Ray, and season 1 of The Sopranos. So maybe we can hope they finish that set in our lifetimes at the rate they are going.

I fucking hate HBO now. Showtime is starting to have vastly superior shows and charge 50-75% of what HBO charges for a box set with an identical episode count. Plus they have HD On-Demand offerings of full seasons, as well as Netflix streaming, another thing the greedy bastards at HBO refuse to do.

m3talst0rm

08-07-2009, 08:20 PM

Another vote for Dexter (Season 1 & 2 on Netflix instant), Californication (Season 1 on Netflix instant) and Weeds (Season 1 & 2 on Netflix instant).

Honestly though we canceled our cable, so any of my recommendations are from the past seasons...I did have Showtime for a while and while Californication was good, I would almost certainly watch the first season first...I just didn't get the relationship between Hank and Mia until I watched the first season.

gofishn

08-07-2009, 08:48 PM

Shit no. HBO are cocksuckers. They might air some on their alternate channels but it's rare. They refuse to offer an HD On-Demand channel, never air their "finished" shows (Oz, etc.), and charge a motherfucking fortune for the box sets the aforementioned tactics are clearly trying to get consumers to do. Also doesn't help they don't care about putting much out on Blu-Ray. HBO are pretty much anti-HD. The old excuse of "most of our consumers are still in the SD era" yet the bulk of their Blu-Ray releases are the least watched shows. Generation Kill and stuff like that. They're finally coming out with Rome on Blu-Ray, and season 1 of The Sopranos. So maybe we can hope they finish that set in our lifetimes at the rate they are going.

I fucking hate HBO now. Showtime is starting to have vastly superior shows and charge 50-75% of what HBO charges for a box set with an identical episode count. Plus they have HD On-Demand offerings of full seasons, as well as Netflix streaming, another thing the greedy bastards at HBO refuse to do.

Might want to check you On Demand. I'm looking at the HBO on Demand HD channel on Comcast right now...

cdeener

08-07-2009, 11:23 PM

Just caught Nurse Jackie and that show from what I saw is decent and saw Bullshit which is still good as I remembered because I use to watch it all the time.

darthbudge

08-07-2009, 11:26 PM

Flight of the Conchords.

crunchb3rry

08-08-2009, 12:26 AM

Might want to check you On Demand. I'm looking at the HBO on Demand HD channel on Comcast right now...

Must be fairly new. They stonewalled cable companies for years when it came to an HD On-Demand, I think they only ever offered The Sopranos to Comcast before. I have Charter, so I'll probably get it 10 years after Comcast did.

Is it the full channel or just select content?

Stealthcat

08-08-2009, 12:45 AM

Must be fairly new. They stonewalled cable companies for years when it came to an HD On-Demand, I think they only ever offered The Sopranos to Comcast before. I have Charter, so I'll probably get it 10 years after Comcast did.

Is it the full channel or just select content?

Everything, the channel itself has been HD for awhile now and the On Demand just started 3 weeks ago on Comcast? I've been griping about it for over 2 years, finally happy now.

True Blood - Soft core like southern vampire series. Lafayette, Jason and Eric are hilarious even though there is some bad acting.
Dexter - Serial killer killing serial killers
Tudors - Sexed up young Henry VIII's court (also sometimes soft core like)

On AMC (which I guess is a movie Channel that is slightly different: not subscription and has commercials) watch Mad Men, which is arguably better than most of the others mentioned.

antichameleon

08-08-2009, 01:09 AM

Big Love
Curb Your Enthusiasm

AceSXE

08-08-2009, 01:18 AM

Entourage (Arie Gold is the shit)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (If you liked seinfeld youll like this for sure)
Flight of the Conchords (I dont watch it religiously but its good)
Hung (Kinda starting to get into this show,,,,,maybe)

Californication
Dexter

squishface

08-08-2009, 01:32 AM

it's not really a reg show, BuT I know sometime soon there is gonna be a big mma fight on showtime. I think the 15th? Directv kinda screwed me out of showtime, i'm with cable now and no showtime so I gotta miss the fight now

JJSP

08-08-2009, 01:46 AM

Big Love. Fully backed.

DestroVega

08-08-2009, 10:29 AM

Flight of the Conchords.

FALSE

that show was good when it was called Tenacious D.

Taboner

08-09-2009, 02:52 AM

Entourage
True Blood
Dexter

:D

crunchb3rry

08-09-2009, 08:23 PM

FALSE

that show was good when it was called Tenacious D.

Flight of the Conchords was an excellent One Night Stand on HBO. Never understood why they made it into a show. Those guys are hillarious when a bewildered live audience is in front of them. But when they repackage all that into shitty skits, a lot of steam is lost.

I wish Jemaine would go back to doing Outback Steakhouse commercials though.

FrankySox

08-09-2009, 08:28 PM

SHOWTIME
Dexter
Weeds

HBO
Entourage
True Blood (One of my favs of all-time on HBO)

If you can get some on-demand Sopranos and The Wire must be watched.

dabogues

08-09-2009, 08:53 PM

I have to admit, I like True Blood. It's certainly not raising the bar for TV, as the Wire did, but it's fun popcorn. HBO doesn't have anything particularly cerebral right now, which is a bummer. Can't freaking wait for the final Curb season, and I miss the short-lived Extras (which may have only been meant for a single season, I'm not sure). Have DVRd Hung, but having trouble getting into it. That said, Entourage is good for what it is, and their specials (i.e. The Alzheimer's Project") are often peerless. Damn you Deadwood, why'd you have to leave us so soon!?

Edit: can't believe I forgot Big Love. Very good, IMHO. Also, as for the Flight of the Conchords criticism, it is very much in debt to the D for its format, but it's also much more fantastical---enough that it's substantially different. Too clever to pass off as completely derivative. But that's just me

As for Showtime, Dexter is phenomenal, Weeds is good but not as good as it used to be, and Nurse Jackie is my favorite new show this season. That last one totally took me by surprise this year.