Shows like Game of Thrones

GottaGetGatt · 19-05-2019 7:46pm

The Expanse

Rezident · 19-05-2019 8:09pm

OP - thank you for reminding me what to watch when GoT ends tonight: I will rewatch Rome and Spartacus.

The end of the penultimate episode of season 1 of spartacus is still one of my favourite moments in TV, in fact I will watch it again now

GottaGetGatt · 19-05-2019 8:56pm

is_that_so wrote: »

Stuck with it for two seasons, which I enjoyed, but then dropped it. All too predictable after a while and as mentioned above it started to get a lot weaker.

Disagree, Season 1 was a bit slow but from there it went from strength to strength. Probably one of the best shows for character development I’ve ever watched. Deeply under rated Tv show that had some fantastic acting. People have mentioned Vikings, The Last Kingdom and Spartacus, all good shows but Black Sails blasts them out of the water. Excuse the Pun

Guffy · 19-05-2019 9:07pm

Just to add

Turn (Washington's spies)

Was decent enough. Newer one on Netflix is good too, can't think of the title but was a 1 season show about a servant who had been sentenced for murder.

The_Honeybadger · 19-05-2019 9:11pm

GottaGetGatt wrote: »

Disagree, Season 1 was a bit slow but from there it went from strength to strength. Probably one of the best shows for character development I’ve ever watched. Deeply under rated Tv show that had some fantastic acting. People have mentioned Vikings, The Last Kingdom and Spartacus, all good shows but Black Sails blasts them out of the water. Excuse the Pun

Really? Must get back on it I don’t think I gave it enough time I did find season 1 a bit slow like you said

is_that_so · 19-05-2019 9:43pm

GottaGetGatt wrote: »

Disagree, Season 1 was a bit slow but from there it went from strength to strength. Probably one of the best shows for character development I’ve ever watched. Deeply under rated Tv show that had some fantastic acting. People have mentioned Vikings, The Last Kingdom and Spartacus, all good shows but Black Sails blasts them out of the water. Excuse the Pun

I preferred Season 1, which I thought was good but I can't say I share any of the character development stuff. Some of them for me were just caricatures and you could almost predict by the end of Season 2 what a particular character was going to do. Yes a decent cast in the main but scripts just didn't hold up for me.

ThunbergsAreGo · 20-05-2019 11:31am

Spartacus is brilliant, might well be my favourite show of all time.

Despite its shallow appearance - and the crushing inevitability of their defeat, the character development is brilliant

paulbok · 20-05-2019 12:11pm

On a tangential topic, is there ever going to be another series as widely popular as GOT?
Perhaps this is the beginning of the end for the golden age of TV? Definitely for live TV I think.
Sure, there are plenty of fantastic series out there, but none seem to hold people's and the media's attention anything like GOT has.
I honestly can't think of anything out now that has a broad fan base. Hopefully open to correction there as I could do with something new to watch.

The glut of the options has perhaps made it that bit harder, when there were fewer channels and streaming services, it was easier for more people to watch the same program (thinking back to Friends).
Now, GOT aside, you speak to your colleagues at work about what's on TV and everyone has a different 'must see' show and chances are you won't look at half them.
And then those everyone does watch is at different times, "stop talking about X, I'm only on season 2" etc.

I've only started The Soprano's recently so am nearly 20 years late to that party, I could be wrong but while I do remember some friends on about it when it was first broadcast, I don't remember much hype about it then apart from the finale, most people I know have binge watched it - it was one of the first big box sets along with The Wire (which was on TG4 around midnight when broadcast here? So not popular at the time) to become hugely popular giving rise to the binge watch phenomenon.

nix · 20-05-2019 3:30pm

paulbok wrote: »

I've only started The Soprano's recently so am nearly 20 years late to that party, I could be wrong but while I do remember some friends on about it when it was first broadcast, I don't remember much hype about it then apart from the finale, most people I know have binge watched it - it was one of the first big box sets along with The Wire (which was on TG4 around midnight when broadcast here? So not popular at the time) to become hugely popular giving rise to the binge watch phenomenon.

The Sopranos revolutionised TV, it was pretty much the first show that was just one long continuous story. Sure there were shows like the x-files and what have you, but they were a new case each week and only touched off the growing story arc every so often.. You could skip an episode or two and not miss much overall..

The Sopranos was the first of its kind, it was a top show when it came out, but got bigger as it went on when watching the episodes in order became easier, streaming services were non existent back then and even pirating a season of tv was very hard back then given internet speeds. It aired in 1999 and we in Ireland didnt start getting cable internet until like 2004ish, so we were all on dial up back then which was pish.

beauf · 20-05-2019 4:08pm

I always though it dipped in and out of the main story arc same other other shows, you could watch single episodes and not lose much of the main arc.

for example...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Barrens_(The_Sopranos)

That said I had no idea how popular it was until I looked it up.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/have-more-people-watched-the-sopranos-or-game-of-thrones-on-hbo.html/
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/was-the-sopranos-the-most-popular-show-in-hbos-history.html/
https://www.vulture.com/2007/06/the_sopranos_ratings_only_119.html

nix · 20-05-2019 4:32pm

Well yeah, thats one of the funnier episodes, but a lot more happens in it than just the stuff with Chris and Paulie.. Tony has a lot of **** with his mistresses and the one hes seeing has a melt down.. And her **** carries over into the next episode.. And then there's also the sessions with Dr Melfi, which are very important in the overall arc..

expectationlost · 21-05-2019 1:58pm

Blacksails

False Prophet · 21-05-2019 8:51pm

Spartacus if you enjoy battle/duals.
Bsg if you like the idea of space white walkers hunting down your heroes.
gomorrah if you prefer scheming side with a plenty killings.
Billions if you prefer scheming side with little killing.
Walking dead if you enjoyed complaining about writing in season 8.
Chernobyl if you want to see how close we came to a real winter is coming.

Rome is decent watch that doesnt take much investment.
Last kingdom is meh enough and shouldn't be in the conversation unless all the above is watched Imo as it's fairly predictable. I'd have Vikings ahead of it but its lost it's way a bit.

RickBlaine · 21-05-2019 10:50pm

The genre is totally different, but if you haven't seen The Americans, I'd definitely give that a watch. The writing and acting are absolutely top notch. Its best episodes are of the same quality as the best ones of GoT. The final season aired last year and it pretty much maintained its quality throughout the 6 seasons. I do remember one season (maybe 4 or 5) that was much slower than the others, but I wouldn't let that dissuade you.

There is one character death that is so sudden (even though you know it is a possibility) it was as surprising to me as the Ned Stark's death.

CastorTroy · 24-05-2019 11:10pm

I would also recommend Spartacus. Watched the first episode when it first aired but the digital sets and all put me off. Heard later it was good so gave it a second chance and found it great. When the Andy Whitfield got cancer and was getting treatment, the makers didn't recast and made a prequel season which was also good, even though it wasn't originally planned, in order to give him time to be treated and get better. Sadly they had to recast anyway, with his blessing.
Only about 39 episodes overall and wrapped up, so not a huge commitment.
I do find it funny when I see so many Spartacus cast members in the Arrowverse shows.

And while not like Game of Thrones in most ways, if you want great hand to hand fights, Banshee is the way to go

eire4 · 31-10-2023 1:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/110172174#Comment_110172174

Fontier is a good shout. I just finished all 3 seasons of that recently and really enjoyed it. I would give Black Sails another go. Maybe the last season got a bit dodgy towards the end but I loved all the other seasons. With you on Britannia as well. Dreadful stuff.

Guffy · 31-10-2023 6:56pm

Turn: washintons spies... was a decent show. Its about a local farmer who passes info to the revolutionary armies. 4 seasons i think wraps up nicely.

Agree on blacksails was a good watch. Would have loved more Rome. Wasn't a fan of spartacus, i think season 2 turned me off when it was just splashing blood for the sake of splashing blood. 300 cinematography.

Kingslayer · 17-05-2024 1:54pm

It is a film rather than a show but the lion in winter has some similarities. Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close remind me of Robert and Cersei a bit.

Shows like Game of Thrones

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