Now that all your favorite TV shows are done for the year and we’re entering the summer re-run doldrums, it’s a great time to take a look at some of those terrific cable series you’ve heard so much about, but either couldn’t fit into your schedule till now or couldn’t see because you weren’t subscribed to HBO or Showtime when the shows originally aired.
There’s also something to be said for the simple pleasure of being able to watch episodes back to back, rather than having to wait another week to see how the end-of-episode cliffhangers are resolved. And it’s no secret that for some time now, some of the best drama programming on TV has been coming from the cable channels.
For instance, The Wire. Get all of season one, 13 episodes in all, for $19.99. That’s about a buck and a half per episode for this celebrated crime drama. Seasons two and three are available at $18.99 for the entire season, season four is $20.99, and the final, fifth season is just $15.99.
The gritty western drama Deadwood is another excellent pick.
This is no white hats / black hats saga, like Bonanza*, and like The Wire, it’s most definitely adults-only fare. The characters are complex and flawed, and their brutality is matched by the harsh realities of scratching out a living on the frontier. Season one is available for $19.99, season two is priced at $18.99, and the third and final season is $18.99.
Rome is yet another fantastic entry in the period drama genre, set in ancient Rome and presenting a fictionalized account of life in the Empire. This series only ran for two seasons due to its high production cost, and every penny of that cost can be seen onscreen in the sumptuous period costumes, sets and details. Season one is available for $19.99, and season two is priced at $15.99.
Finally, Showtime’s The Tudors is another riveting historical drama that’s filled with excellent performances, gorgeous sets and costumes, and plenty of court intrigue. Season one is available for $15.99, season two is priced at $15.99, season three is $12.74, and the fourth and final season is available for $15.99. Better still, every episode in all four seasons is currently free to stream instantly for Amazon Prime members!
*seasons one and two of Bonanza are also currently free to stream instantly for Amazon Prime members