The Wire or The Sopranos?

Prodgey

So ... Breaking Bad is finally over (RIP)

What would you recommend for someone who has watched neither, The Wire or The Sopranos? ( I understand neither will live up to BB)

anncoates

Sopranos.

Stojkovic

Sopranos better than both by a country mile.

Fr_Dougal

Sopranos. It's not even close.

Brego888

The Wire wins hands down.

mikom

Wirpanos.

krudler

just watch both!

jesus_thats_gre

The Wire. Just though! Based solely on the fact that it got better as it went on. I love The Sopranos but thought it gradually went downhill with each season. It also pisses me off just how different episode 1 is from the rest. Episode 1 is incredible - incredibly funny and I like Tony narrating.

wp_rathead

Both very good, but I preferred The Sopranos

Burlap_Sack

Just watch both;)

beat to it

Sulla Felix

Why can't you watch both OP?

They're very different and both very different to Breaking Bad.

anncoates

Brego888 wrote: »

The Wire wins hands down.

Wins what?

A Nobel Prize for packing fudge?

OP, you'll have to watch the sopranos to know what I mean.

FortuneChip

Character Study - The Sopranos
Social Structure Study - The Wire
Witty One Liners - Justified

Ah feck it, just watch Sliders!

BreakingBoard

1. Breaking Bad
2. The Sopranos
3. The Wire

In my opinion

50/50 in the poll results at the moment. This one will go down to the... (wait for it) ... wire :P But yes, The Sopranos for me, all day long

Kylo Ren

Watch both.

I prefer The Sopranos, but they are both up there with the best of the best.

mewe

Sopranos all day long.

Dont be at yourself

Sopranos by a mile. The Wire is very hit and miss.

Also check out Oz.

Too Tough To Die

Law and Order: Criminal Intent

Brego888

anncoates wrote: »

Wins what?

A Nobel Prize for packing fudge?

OP, you'll have to watch the sopranos to know what I mean.

Wins the prize for being better than the sopranos.

anncoates

Law and Order SVU as well.

Great show.

Cienciano

The Wire for me. But both are really good, enjoy! Would love to be starting either of them for the first time.

Too Tough To Die

Cienciano wrote: »

The Wire for me. But both are really good, enjoy! Would love to be starting either of them for the first time.

Check out Monk.

LETHAL LADY

Anyone like Boardwalk Empire? It's going to fill the gap for me this winter.

Caonima

Sopranos is character-driven, Wire is plot-driven, with some decent character development. Depends on what floats your boat.

If you want my recommendation, just download both series and watch 'em both. And after that, rediscover your masculinity and watch Californication. It's one of the funniest things I've ever watched. Perfect antidote to the uber-seriousness that sometimes pervades the former two shows.

anncoates

LETHAL LADY wrote: »

Anyone like Boardwalk Empire? It's going to fill the gap for me this winter.

Had high hopes but just could not get into it.

MadsL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIom3LSbB0I

Cienciano

I really liked Entourage too. Nothing like the "big 3" (wire, sopranos, breaking bad), but funny and really enjoyable.

armchair fusilier

The sopranos. As good as the wire was, no one in it was in the same class as James Gandolfini.

IvaBigWun

The Wire is the most over rated TV show ever, I gave it a full season to see what all the fuss was about before deciding it wasnt for me.

The Sopranos is on my To Watch list for sure.

I recently discovered The Shield and so far so good

Tombo2001

Will probably get slammed for saying this.....but...

The West Wing.

Not quite as good as The Wire or Breaking Bad, but pretty damn close imho.

The other thing is, as someone alluded to.....

Completely different shows.

Breaking Bad is basically a fantasy western with not much grounding in reality.

The Wire is about the world we live in and very much grounded in reality, in fact that is its raison d'etre.

West Wing is about the American Presidency, the most powerful position for any one person in the world.

Bit like arguing over whether the World Cup is better than the Olympics. I love them both.

(For whatever reason, I never got into The Sopranos......just didn't find it interesting, sorry. I've no interest in horse racing either, couldn't care less who wins at Cheltenham).

calanus

Im sorry but you are all incorrect in your opinions.... Six Feet Under

Caonima

IvaBigWun wrote: »

The Wire is the most over rated TV show ever...

And the fact that you use outsized fonts to hammer home your point... I think The Wire was lost on you. I hear Coronation Street's still on, though. See ya

Tar.Aldarion

The wire is amazing, great at capturing views from the street up to the politics. The writing is amazing.

Retrovertigo

The Wire and Sopranos are both decent but pale in comparison to Deadwood if you want a grittier, more brutal show to watch.

Banjo String

anncoates wrote: »

Had high hopes but just could not get into it.

Ah no man, give it another go. Some legendary characters in that show.

Nucky Thompson
Chalky white
Arnold Rothstein
Al Capone
Waxy Gordon.

The story line got better as each week passed. I can't wait for it to restart Tbh.

(Not a patch on the Sopranos though) but definitely up there with the rest.

Retrovertigo

Banjo String wrote: »

The story line got better as each week passed. I can't wait for it to restart Tbh.

If you're talking about Boardwalk Empire Season 4 is already 4 episodes in.

Banjo String

Retrovertigo wrote: »

If you're talking about Boardwalk Empire Season 4 is already 4 episodes in.

Not on sky yet though.

david75

The wire
Deadwood
West wing

(Big drop off)

Sopranos

That's how I view them in terms of quality and longevity and sheer enjoyment.

Holsten

The Sopranos.

Tonyandthewhale

The wire is incredible. Downloading sopranos season one now and my expectations are scarily high.

I enjoyed breaking bad but can't believe anyone would put it on the same level as the wire (or sopranos from what I've heard).

ringadingding

Breaking bad, then the wire.

But neither would be here without the sopranos paving the way.

anncoates

Sopranos on Sky Atlantic at the moment if want a little entrée, OP.

Both are excellent.

Find it hard to say which is better.

Lenin Skynard

I love the Sopranos but it's blasphemy to even compare it to The Wire.

IvaBigWun

Caonima wrote: »

And the fact that you use outsized fonts to hammer home your point... I think The Wire was lost on you. I hear Coronation Street's still on, though. See ya

I havent watched a soap in more than 15 years, they'te all shíte

The West Wing is my favourite show ever, followed by Breaking Bad, followed by House Of Cards. Yet my thinking The Wire is ridiculously over-hyped doesnt seem to sit well with the precious pedestal the show is put on.

Oh well.

The Pheasant2

Prodgey, as your friend I can tell you having watch all of 'em; Sopranos is the best of the three

david75

ringadingding wrote: »

Breaking bad, then the wire.

But neither would be here without the sopranos paving the way.

I thought the wire was older than sopranos? By a good stretch?

Hilly Bill

Oz
Sons Of Anarchy
The Unit
The Shield
The Wire ( It takes a few episodes to get into it but then its good )
Sopranos.

Yet to watch Breaking Bad.

BreakingBoard

IvaBigWun wrote: »

The Wire is the most over rated TV show ever, I gave it a full season to see what all the fuss was about before deciding it wasnt for me.

The Sopranos is on my To Watch list for sure.

I recently discovered The Shield and so far so good

To be fair The Wire starts rather slow, in my opinion. I remember giving up after the first 7 episodes. Then a few months later during a week I was housebound due to sickness I gave it another go. Ended up watching it the full way through from there over a few weeks or so and enjoyed it.

That said I still wouldn't rate it anywhere near The Sopranos.

Nothing against The Wire though, I'm guilty of liking Prison Break and I really enjoyed Dexter

Band of Brothers is a great little mini series to watch if you need time deciding :P don't see people talking about it much on Boards but I really really enjoyed it and have re watched it more than once.

Elbaston

The Sopranos - can get real dark at some points, it hits points later on in the series where the violence is way darker than anything in the wire - so if you're squeemish then maybe stay away from Sopranos. Theres some very fcked up stuff in there on at least 5 occasions I can think of.
Theres hilarious stuff in there though and overall its seriously addictive. Watch two or three good ones and you will watch the whole box set.

The wire - theres some paddywhackery in it ..arrgh. It sometimes goes a bit too far fetched and a bit comic book at times. Loses the run of itself a bit. Then again theres plenty of intelligent aspects to it, it shows how criminals are smart and sophisticated, know their way round the law and technology. Sopranos beats it for realism and character depth. But its still excellent. Can get a bit confusing though, but if you can keep up its worth it....emm i think
Plus it has a character (not copied, Ive checked) that is the image of, and has the exact same manner and outlook as a character from breaking bad

Gustav Fring

The Sopranos will put you in a dark place, but it will be very realistic.
The Wire will give you good crime drama, less hard core and you wont be psychologically scarred for life.

david75

Elbaston wrote: »

The Sopranos - can get real dark at some points, it hits points later on in the series where the violence is way darker than anything in the wire - so if you're squeemish then maybe stay away from Sopranos. Theres some very fcked up stuff in there on at least 5 occasions I can think of.
Theres hilarious stuff in there though and overall its seriously addictive. Watch two or three good ones and you will watch the whole box set.

The wire - theres some paddywhackery in it ..arrgh. It sometimes goes a bit too far fetched and a bit comic book at times. Loses the run of itself a bit. Then again theres plenty of intelligent aspects to it, it shows how criminals are smart and sophisticated, know their way round the law and technology. Sopranos beats it for realism and character depth. But its still excellent. Can get a bit confusing though, but if you can keep up its worth it....emm i think
Plus it has a character (not copied, Ive checked) that is the image of, and has the exact same manner and outlook as a character from breaking bad

Gustav Fring

The Sopranos will put you in a dark place, but it will be very realistic.
The Wire will give you good crime drama, less hard core and you wont be psychologically scarred for life.

Wrong. The wire is definitely older than breaking bad so the character copying you mention is by breaking bad.