Let’s face it – nowadays, it feels almost impossible to keep up with everything being released on TV.
So, if you want to narrow it down to stellar shows that you simply have to see at some point in your lifetime, we have you covered.
We asked Metro readers to share what they feel are series that you absolutely must watch before you die, and they didn’t disappoint.
One thrilling crime drama that came up was The Wire, which first aired in 2002 and is widely regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time.
It boasted an incredibly star-studded cast, including Idris Elba (now Sir Idris Elba) in his breakout role as drug kingpin Stringer Bell.
Metro readers have their say
From The Sopranos to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, here are the TV shows Metro readers believe you have to watch before you die – so take note.
Band of Brothers
Top Metro reader Stephen Price recommended that TV fans check out the critically acclaimed wartime period drama Band of Brothers, which was created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, and starred the likes of Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston.
The show, which came out in 2001, was based on the 1992 book of the same name by Stephen E. Ambrose and followed a group of American paratroopers during the Second World War.
While speaking to Deadline, Forrest Gump star Tom emphasised why Band of Brothers had such a poignant impact on audiences when. itwas released 25 years ago.
‘The key word of the title is Brothers. I think the resonance of the series comes from the sense of ‘Us,’ that we are all in this together and the primary, instinctive duty is to look after our brothers. A unit – like Easy Company – stands alone, together,’ he said.
A review published in The Guardian read: ‘I’ve seen nothing in the cinema this past year that impressed me as much as BBC2’s 10-part Band of Brothers.’
Band of Brothers is available to watch on Sky and NOW.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
If there’s a single show that slays more than most, it’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I can only apologise for the awful pun).
Top Metro reader Barbie Roe put forward the action-packed supernatural series as their show to watch before you die, and we don’t blame them.
How can you beat Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, whose purpose in life is to defeat evil with every tool in her arsenal?
One more reason why you should definitely binge Buffy if you have the chance is the fact that it’s actually coming back with a brand new spin-off.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, which is due to premiere this year, is a continuation of the original series and will see Sarah reprise her role as the eponymous hero.
Are you excited about the Buffy continuation series launching this year?
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In an Instagram post, the actress assured fans that they would only return if they knew that they could ‘do it right’, adding: ‘I will tell you that we are on the path there.’
She continued: ‘I feel so lucky to be on this journey with these four unbelievably talented women, all of whom love “Buffy” as much as I do. And as much as you do. ‘Thank you to all the fans who never stopped asking for this. This will be for you.’
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is available to stream on ITVX and Disney Plus.
Frasier
Frasier is one of those shows that always crops up in lists of the ‘best TV sitcoms ever made’.
Put forward by Metro reader Gerard Heine, the series starring Kelsey Grammer as psychiatrist Frasier Crane and David Hyde Pierce as Frasier’s youngest brother Niles Crane aired from 1993 until 2004.
While the recently released revival might not have been a hit, the programme is still held in high regard by critics and fans alike.
A piece about it in The Atlantic, published in 2022, reads: ‘What made Frasier unusual for its time also gives it its enduring appeal.
‘Most sitcoms of the era followed charming lead actors wisecracking about love interests, annoying neighbors, and other caricatured minor characters. On Frasier, the lead actors were the caricatures.
‘The show punched up at itself, resulting in episodes that are far less cringe-inducing than those of its contemporaries.’
Frasier is available to stream on Channel 4 and Paramount Plus.
The Wire
Top Metro reader Asim Raymond had two unmissable TV show suggestions – The Sopranos and The Wire – stressing that ‘nothing can beat them’.
Plenty of fans on Reddit agree. In response to a post on the platform asking why it’s remembered as such a masterpiece, a user called Possible_Turnover757 wrote: ‘The writing is brilliant. The plot is almost hyper-realistic, no contrivances.
‘The cast is an excellent ensemble that covers every base of the city’s justice system. The cops, criminals, and politicians all act and seem like real people, with varying degrees of flaws and attributes.’
‘Gritty, unvarnished, unglamorized realism,’ Rumpelstiltskin2001 added, while ViskerRatio shared: ‘While the show was obviously well made with some exceptional performances, I think what really made it great is that it said things people didn’t want to hear.’
The Wire is available to watch on Sky and NOW.
The Sopranos
When Metro asked our readers for shows they think people should watch before they do, The Sopranos was one of the most popular answers, with Lynda Baker, Kim Edwards and Sureshkumar Khanna also putting it forward.
Mob boss Tony Soprano is without a doubt one of the revered characters ever to grace the small screen, played by the equally formidable James Gandolfini.
In 2007, a few days before the crime drama came to an end, David Remnick wrote in The New Yorker: ‘To an astonishing degree the characters and the ideas – comic, dramatic, and social – in The Sopranos were in place from the start.
‘Even though its creator, David Chase, never had the luxury of a novelist’s control of length and narrative destiny, he has rarely faltered.
‘The show evolved in the manner of a sprawling social novel of the 19th century, constantly sprouting new plotlines, developing recurring jokes, images, and characters.’
Following Gandolfini’s death, his son, Michael Gandolfini, played the younger version of Tony in the 2019 prequel film The Many Saints of Newark.
Speaking to Empire magazine about the role, Michael said: ‘My dad’s character had all this beautiful sensitivity underneath this aggression. This version of him is the reverse. His curiosity and sensitivity comes first. He’s not a gun-wielding gangster. He’s a kid who gets whittled down and pulled in.’
The Sopranos is available to watch on Sky and NOW.
Yellowstone
If you’re after a classic western, then Yellowstone might be your best bet, Metro reader Gareth Taloy suggests.
Of all of the TV shows on this list, Yellowstone is the most recent, having premiered only six years ago in 2020.
Fans might have been left sorely disappointed by the show’s finale, which was described as a ‘letdown that never should have happened’, but its legacy has still lived on.
The franchise is still going, with existing spin-offs including 1883 and 1923, and more in the works.
Led by Kevin Costner as John Dutton III, Yellowstone has been hailed for its sensational performances, particularly by Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton.
‘She is the most talented actor in the show by far,’ shannonH73 wrote on Reddit, while Suitable-Grape-1855 admitted: ‘She’s so good that I hate her character so much.’
Yellowstone is available to stream on Netflix and Pararount Plus.
Breaking Bad
How could we possibly end a list about shows to watch before you die without mentioning Breaking Bad? With the Bryan Cranston as the Walter White?
Fortunately, Metro reader Daniel Jack Dorton selected the beloved crime drama as his chosen pick.
If you weren’t already aware (if so, where have you been for the past 18 years?), Breaking Bad follows Walter, a chemistry teacher whose life is flipped upside down when he discovers he has terminal lung cancer.
He goes to extreme lengths to ensure that his family will be financially stable when he’s gone – teaming up with his former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) make and sell meth.
Special mention for must-watch shows – courtesy of Metro reader Carlton Kenzie – has to go to Better Call Saul, the spin-off that follows lawyer and con artist Saul Goodman, portrayed by the legendary Bob Odenkirk.
The creator of Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan, recently launched a new TV show that’s been hailed as one of the best of recent years – Pluribus.
Speaking to Metro, Vince said of his latest project: ‘It was a step up budgetarily with Apple, but they’ve also given us the time. They haven’t been breathing down our necks, which to me is just as important, probably more important.
‘AMC was very generous to us on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, but this show is at a whole different level, scope-wise. But even then, the budget was barely enough. At a lot of times we were running out of money.’
Breaking Bad is available to stream on Netflix.
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