Its come to my attention that many of you have been missing out on some of the best television that's ever been produced. No longer simply a home for classic movies, the AMC network has taken a cue from FX and opted to produce gritty shows focused around characters and story. "Story matters here." is the current tagline and after watching any one of their original dramas you'll see that they mean it.
AMC is determined to only put out quality shows that are unique and interesting. They take chances and get creative and make no apologies. Where most network TV fails, these guys soar and you'd swear that you were watching a top HBO drama as all four of these shows can go toe to toe with The Sopranos or The Wire. If you've ever seen the Wire you know how bold of a statement that is, and if you haven't then here's a not-so-subtle nudge to add that to your Netflix queue. Now, onto the shows!
Walter White, a high-school chemistry teacher is diagnosed with cancer and decides to start producing methamphetamine in order to leave his wife and son enough money to live on before he dies. Bryon Cranston is amazing as Walter, struggling to break into the drug world and keep his family together. Breaking Bad returns with its 4th season in July 2011 and I for one can't wait as season 3 ended with quite a bang.
Will Travers, an intelligence analyst working for a secret government think tank stumbles into a conspiracy that he can only begin to understand the shape of. Don't look here expecting explosions and torture every episode because Rubicon uses a lack of action to its advantage. The show's slow pacing highlights the compelling story and really makes the moments of revelation stand out. Season one recently ended and sadly the serious was not renewed for a second. :sadface:
A period piece set in the 1960's marketing world; Mad Men follows Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce's creative director, Don Draper, through a murk of social mores and personal hangups. At its most basic this show is about vices: both how the characters struggle with them, and how they fit into the world during that time in America. Period-shows are notoriously difficult to pull off, but Mad Men's larger than life characters flourish in a world where people fought to be larger than life. Season 4 just ended and you can expect it to start back up next fall.
Rick Grimes, a deputy sheriff rural Georgia, wakes from a coma to find the world overrun by the undead. The premise might sound clichéd but there is really no new ground to break in the zombie franchise. The Walking Dead takes these tired settings and does them the justice that a sea of B-movies never could. The 90-minute pilot that aired this past Sunday was easily the most gripping zombie story in a decade and even people who hate the genre can't deny its quality. The pilot was so good in fact, that a second season has already been confirmed.
