Why a post about the best American TV series? Binge series watching is becoming day after day a real hobby here in Italy, mainly because of Netflix. More and more people have been sucked into screens, dodging real life. As some of you already know, I once watched only Italian TV. Since the day in which I realized I couldn’t wait a year to watch the last season of Gilmore Girls (I only knew the Italian title back then: Una mamma per amica, A mom for a friend).
A friend of mine suggested me to watch it in streaming. I was like: Ah, no. I’m so used to the Italian dubbers voices. Plus I won’t understand a thing.
And so it was. In the end I really could not wait and I started watching it online. I could understand one word every 30 or something.
10 years have passed and I can say it was worth it cause I learnt (ish) the English I know that way. I started appreciating the real voices and I began to watch other series, mainly American.
Best American TV series: My favourites
Firefly
It still hurts. How could they cancel Firefly? It was one of the best shows I ever watched, a “space western drama”, as Wikipedia reports. Consider that I don’t even like since fiction that much. And I hate westerns. But Firefly was something else. What made the difference were the characters. They were just perfect, each one of them different, well built. You end up loving them all, or almost all. In the end I got over it (ish), thinking: Better one perfect season than a slow horrible decline like How I met your mother. Vote: 10 masterpiece, said with a sobbing voice.
Favourite character: the captain, Kaylee, Inara, Zoe.
Frasier
The character of Frasier can be annoying, with his quirkiness and his snobbery. But I loved that show. It was just hilarious and witty. By the way, is there someone who thinks that Jennifer Lawrence’s voice and Peri Gilpin’s voice are similar? I can’t help but think about it every time I hear one of them! And what about Eddie? Adorable!
Favourite character: Niles and Roz.
Gilmore Girls
Still one of my favourites. Lorelai is hilarious. Stars Hollow is the ideal village where I’d like to move immediately. The quaint minor characters are adorable. Starting from season 5 the decay begun, with Rory’s whims and Lorelai/Luke problems. But I still like to re-watch the first series, I have the entire box set. But I pretty much hated the new season… Grrr!
Favourite character: Lorelai.
The OA
I had a strange relationship with The OA. At first it seemed to me that I had finally found a different, breathtaking series. I was captivated. But then, in the middle part, the rhythm had slowed down and it seemed to be always at the same point. Probably it was in the intent of the writers. If you’ll watch it, you’ll understand. Anyway, I decided to watch the last two episodes, just to make it to the end. And then, when my hopes were almost gone, it happened. The OA surprised me again and won me over completely. For days and says, after seeing the last episode, I continued t think about it, and the music stuck to my head, lingering like a haunting refrain. I can’t wait for the second season!
Game of Thrones
There’s no need for an introduction. I particularly loved the first series and the fourth (the Brienne “affair”) and also the last events. Of course, there are also many thing I didn’t like, characters I hated, things I would have preferred to be different (not necessarily more close to the books), but I still think it’s a great entertaining show. I almost consider it a British series, because they all have British accents… but I have to include it among the American ones.
Favourite character: Brienne, Jon Snow, Arya and the Hound (yes, I can’t help it, and since the first season). And Sam, too. 😀
Hated characters: Joffrey, Ramsay, Baelish.
Suits
I don’t like legal series, so I didn’t even want to start this one. But I loved it. I adore the characters. I love Donna, “she’s awesome” :D. And I love Louis. Yes! At the beginning you hate him, then you start to understand him, than you adore him, and then you hate him again! What a character! Plus Gina Torres. How beautiful is she? I also like all the quotes of other movies and series. And to Frasier in particular. Like Norma = Maris. Brilliant, brilliant show. Pity the last season was way weaker than the others. Let’s see what happens next.
Favourite character: Louis, Donna. PS the last series… I hate it!
The Leftovers
Now, I’m suggesting a series which I failed to understand, but, nevertheless, I find it compelling and so original, that I love it anyway. Plus, Justin Theroux is pleasant to look at (in my opinion, Jennifer Aniston has cut a gret deal, foget Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt whoooo? Precisely!). I can’t tell you anything, because I don’t want to spoiler anyone, and in the first minutes of the pilot the big event happens, the one that starts everything, so I can’t possibly reveal it.
Other shows that I like. A quick overview:
Friends
I loved Friends. It was very popular in Italy. At first it was a trauma for me to get used to the original voices. But then I appreciated it even more. I think also that Ross is much much more funny in English, rather than in its Italian version.
How I met your mother
I loved that show. Drunken Ted is one of the most hilarious things ever. Unlike many friends of mine, I never loved Barney that much, preferring Marshall. He’s so kind and tender. But the last seasons were a pain. A real long pain I endured to watch the end. And I was so disappointed then! The worst final ever. Not convincing and too far-fetched.
Chef’s table
This series has nothing to do with the others. Each series presents 6 episodes, each one dedicated to a famous chef. You will see the chef, his kitchen and his cooking behind the scenes, and you’ll understand more about his philosophy. Very interesting for gourmets. The photography is amazing, the dishes really seem works of art.
Mozart in the Jungle
I fell in love with this series from the first episode and I was ready to suggest it to you, especially if you like classical music. But the last series disappointed me. It seemed senseless. But there was Placido Domingo, so I can forget them.
Westworld
Strange, fascinating, puzzling. Approved, even if I didn’t lost my mind about it.
Stranger Things
I loved it and I managed to watch it even if I’m chickenshit and I’m scared of thrillers and stuff. Very Goonies, very 80’s atmopshere. I can’t but recommend it.
Daredevil
The title sequence is fantastic. I don’t like the violence parts (which are a lot!) but I like the story and the three main characters and how they work together.
Band of Brothers
I don’t like war series or movies, but this one is so well made that even I had to watch it. Set during WWII. Everyone should watch it and thank those lads who fought for the freedom of everyone in Europe. Moving.
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
I love it. It’s a brilliant show, even if it’s very difficult for me to understand it properly. They all talk very quicky and there are lots of references to things a non American ignore. But I enjoy it as much as I can. 😉
Big Little lies
One of the most interesting and emotional series of the last years, in my opinion. I found the acting exquisite, above all Laura Dern and Nicole Kidman.
Added on June, 2019:
Good Omens and Chernobyl
These two series are both results of a USA-UK co-production. And they’re both great: Good Omens is brilliant. I don’t like to make spoilers. I will only say that David Tennant has the role of a demon and he’s great as always. The second series, Chernobyl, needs no introduction. It clearly depicts the nuclear disaster of 1986. I think everybody should watch it.
I hope I didn’t forget any series. I didn’t include Breaking Bad… I know, many people love it. I tried but it’s not my kind of series. Which are the best American TV series in your opinion? I’d love to find other series worth to be binge watched! 🙂
