Got the following from Santa and dont know what to start watching first.

1. The Pacific
2. Treme
3. The Borgias
4. Boardwalk Empire
5. Game of Thrones

What do i go for first?

Boardwalk empire .. Ive just started it and hooked
Ive got this , homeland season1 , dexter season 7 and breaking bad season 2 on the go at the minute

I've seen all five, I'd go in the following order (best to worst);

1. Broadwalk Empire
2. Game of Thrones
3. The Borgias
4. The Pacific
5. Treme

And if you haven't seen it then I would thoroughly recommend - West Wing, the smartest TV for years.

Thanks both.

SS - that is pretty much what i had decided on tbh.

No worries.

I assume that if you've got 'The Pacific' you've already seen 'Band of Brothers'.

I certainly have and it is a remarkable piece of television. From my memory it was probably the first of the big HBO type grand scale big budget programmes that i can think of.

Although it is very US of A orientated, it is something that i would like children to watch, just to help them appreciate the things that happened during WW2.

I am not much of a TV watcher to be honest, but i have really enjoyed a few HBO dramas. The Sopranos and the Wire being possibly the best things I have ever seen.

It is easy to sound like a twerp when saying something like "That television programme is so deep and multi layered" but they really do have the depth of a novel.

Once i have finished the above lists (and any subsequent series) then i really want to watch "Rome" and "deadwood". The West wing would also be high on my list as would finishing of Entourage (not very high brow granted, but very enjoyable).

'Deadwood' and 'Rome', both scandalously dropped with miles left in them, would have been my next recommendations. Rome is very authentic feeling, and Deadwood is just the rawest western you'll ever see. The language in Deadwood takes a bit of getting used to.

With West Wing - buy series 1, and you'll be ordering the other six before the end of the fourth episode.

Cheers pal

I currently have a 6 week old baby in the house. Probably best if i leave the West Wing until i have a bit more spare time .

Have you watched The Wire?

I cannot recommend it enough. Initially i was pretty skeptical as i thought it would be standard yank cop fare. It has the real authentic appeal that you describe in Rome and is such a rewarding experience as it gives you nothing, without you earning it.

One particular scene in the first series literally left me flabbergasted at the things i was seeing. It was nothing that had not been protraied in a drama before, but it played so real to life (As i would expect it anyway) it was stunning television

SPOILER in case you have not seen it -

the shooting of Kima Greggs and the subsequent beating of the suspect in the interrogation room (With Cedric Daniels approval)

I've seen The Wire up until the end of Series 3 when SKY did something wierd with the timings and got my SKY+ box all confused. I will get the relevant box sets and watch it to its conclusion.

The wire was brilliant but maybe ran a series to far tbh