![\"Idris](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AY_20878923-0366.jpg\")
\n\t\tIdris Elba soared to stardom with his performance as Stringer Bell in The Wire (Picture: HBO)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tIdris Elba soared to stardom with his performance as Stringer Bell in The Wire (Picture: HBO)<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s face it \u2013\u00a0nowadays, it feels almost impossible to keep up with everything being released on TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n We asked Metro<\/strong> readers to share what they feel are series that you absolutely must watch before you die, and they didn\u2019t disappoint.<\/p>\n One thrilling<\/a> crime drama that came up was The Wire<\/a>, which first aired in 2002 and is widely regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time<\/a>.<\/p>\n It boasted an incredibly star-studded cast, including Idris Elba<\/a> (now Sir Idris Elba<\/a>) in his breakout role as drug kingpin Stringer Bell.<\/p>\n From The Sopranos<\/a> to Buffy the Vampire Slayer<\/a>, here are the TV shows Metro<\/strong> readers believe you have to watch before you die \u2013\u00a0so take note.<\/p>\n Band of Brothers<\/p>\n Top Metro<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n \t\t 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.<\/p>\n While speaking to Deadline<\/a>, Forrest Gump star Tom emphasised why Band of Brothers had such a poignant impact on audiences when. itwas released 25 years ago.<\/p>\n \u2018The key word of the title is Brothers. I think the resonance of the series comes from the sense of \u2018Us,\u2019 that we are all in this together and the primary, instinctive duty is to look after our brothers. A unit \u2013 like Easy Company \u2013 stands alone, together,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n A review published in The Guardian<\/a> read: \u2018I\u2019ve seen nothing in the cinema this past year that impressed me as much as BBC2\u2019s 10-part Band of Brothers.\u2019<\/p>\n Band of Brothers is available to watch on HBO Max.<\/strong><\/p>\n Buffy the Vampire Slayer<\/p>\n If there\u2019s a single show that slays more than most, it\u2019s Buffy the Vampire Slayer<\/a> (I can only apologise for the awful pun).<\/p>\n \t\t Top Metro<\/strong> reader Barbie Roe put forward the action-packed supernatural series as their show to watch before you die, and we don\u2019t blame them.<\/p>\n How can you beat Sarah Michelle Gellar<\/a> as Buffy Summers, whose purpose in life is to defeat evil with every tool in her arsenal?<\/p>\n However in recent weeks Buffy fans were left devastated after a planned reboot was canned.<\/p>\n Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale<\/a>, which had been due to premiere this year, was set to be a continuation of the original series and would have seen Sarah reprise her role as the eponymous hero.<\/p>\n Buffy the Vampire Slayer is available to stream on ITVX and Disney Plus.<\/strong><\/p>\n Frasier<\/p>\n Frasier<\/a> is one of those shows that always crops up in lists of the \u2018best TV sitcoms ever made\u2019. <\/p>\n \t\t Put forward by Metro<\/strong> reader Gerard Heine, the series starring Kelsey Grammer as psychiatrist Frasier Crane and David Hyde Pierce as Frasier\u2019s youngest brother Niles Crane aired from 1993 until 2004.<\/p>\n While the recently released revival might not have been a hit<\/a>, the programme is still held in high regard by critics and fans alike.<\/p>\n A piece about it in The Atlantic<\/a>, published in 2022, reads: \u2018What made Frasier unusual for its time also gives it its enduring appeal. <\/p>\n \u2018Most 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. <\/p>\n \u2018The show punched up at itself, resulting in episodes that are far less cringe-inducing than those of its contemporaries.\u2019<\/p>\n Frasier is available to stream on Channel 4 and Paramount Plus.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Wire<\/p>\n Top Metro<\/strong> reader Asim Raymond had two unmissable TV show suggestions \u2013\u00a0The Sopranos and The Wire \u2013\u00a0stressing that \u2018nothing can beat them\u2019.<\/p>\n \t\t Plenty of fans on Reddit agree. In response to a post<\/a> on the platform asking why it\u2019s remembered as such a masterpiece, a user called Possible_Turnover757 wrote: \u2018The writing is brilliant. The plot is almost hyper-realistic, no contrivances. <\/p>\n \u2018The cast is an excellent ensemble that covers every base of the city\u2019s justice system. The cops, criminals, and politicians all act and seem like real people, with varying degrees of flaws and attributes.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018Gritty, unvarnished, unglamorized realism,\u2019 Rumpelstiltskin2001 added, while ViskerRatio shared: \u2018While the show was obviously well made with some exceptional performances, I think what really made it great is that it said things people didn\u2019t want to hear.\u2019<\/p>\n The Wire is available to watch on HBO Max.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Sopranos<\/p>\n When Metro<\/strong> asked our readers for shows they think people should watch before they do, The Sopranos<\/a> was one of the most popular answers, with Lynda Baker, Kim Edwards and Sureshkumar Khanna also putting it forward.<\/p>\n \t\t 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 2007, a few days before the crime drama came to an end, David Remnick wrote in The New Yorker<\/a>: \u2018To an astonishing degree the characters and the ideas \u2013\u00a0comic, dramatic, and social \u2013\u00a0in The Sopranos were in place from the start. <\/p>\n \u2018Even though its creator, David Chase, never had the luxury of a novelist\u2019s control of length and narrative destiny, he has rarely faltered. <\/p>\n \u2018The show evolved in the manner of a sprawling social novel of the 19th century, constantly sprouting new plotlines, developing recurring jokes, images, and characters.\u2019<\/p>\n Following Gandolfini\u2019s death, his son, Michael Gandolfini, played the younger version of Tony in the 2019 prequel film The Many Saints of Newark.<\/p>\n Speaking to Empire<\/a> magazine about the role, Michael said: \u2018My dad\u2019s character had all this beautiful sensitivity underneath this aggression. This version of him is the reverse. His curiosity and sensitivity comes first. He\u2019s not a gun-wielding gangster. He\u2019s a kid who gets whittled down and pulled in.\u2019<\/p>\n The Sopranos is available to watch on HBO Max.<\/strong><\/p>\n Yellowstone<\/p>\n If you\u2019re after a classic western, then Yellowstone might be your best bet, Metro<\/strong> reader Gareth Taloy suggests.<\/p>\n \t\t Of all of the TV shows on this list, Yellowstone is the most recent, having premiered only six years ago in 2020.<\/p>\n Fans might have been left sorely disappointed by the show\u2019s finale<\/a>, which was described as a \u2018letdown that never should have happened\u2019, but its legacy has still lived on.<\/p>\n The franchise is still going, with existing spin-offs including 1883 and 1923, and more in the works.<\/p>\n Led by Kevin Costner as John Dutton III, Yellowstone has been hailed for its sensational performances, particularly by Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton.<\/p>\n \u2018She is the most talented actor in the show by far,\u2019 shannonH73 wrote on Reddit<\/a>, while Suitable-Grape-1855 admitted: \u2018She\u2019s so good that I hate her character so much.\u2019<\/p>\n Yellowstone is available to stream on Netflix and Paramount+.<\/strong><\/p>\n Breaking Bad<\/p>\n How could we possibly end a list about shows to watch before you die without mentioning Breaking Bad<\/a>? With the Bryan Cranston as the Walter White?<\/p>\n \t\t Fortunately, Metro<\/strong> reader Daniel Jack Dorton selected the beloved crime drama as his chosen pick.<\/p>\n If you weren\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n He goes to extreme lengths to ensure that his family will be financially stable when he\u2019s gone \u2013\u00a0teaming up with his former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) make and sell meth.<\/p>\n Special mention for must-watch shows \u2013 courtesy of Metro<\/strong> reader Carlton Kenzie \u2013 has to go to Better Call Saul<\/a>, the spin-off that follows lawyer and con artist Saul Goodman, portrayed by the legendary Bob Odenkirk<\/a>.<\/p>\n The creator of Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan, recently launched a new TV show that\u2019s been hailed as one of the best of recent years \u2013\u00a0Pluribus<\/a>.<\/p>\n Speaking to Metro<\/strong><\/a>, Vince said of his latest project: \u2018It was a step up budgetarily with Apple, but they\u2019ve also given us the time. They haven\u2019t been breathing down our necks, which to me is just as important, probably more important.<\/p>\n \u2018AMC 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.\u2019<\/p>\n Breaking Bad is available to stream on Netflix.<\/strong><\/p>\n This article was originally published on January 24, 2026.<\/p>\n Got a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk<\/a> entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff<\/a> page \u2013 we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Television](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IP_1509531-d40e.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe cast for Band of Brothers, which was enormous, included celebrated actor Damian Lewis (Picture: David James\/ HBO)<\/p>\n![\"Mandatory](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_238487632-1d54.jpg\")
\n\t\tBuff\u2019s planned reboot was recently binned (Picture: 20thCenturyFox\/ Everett\/ Rex\/ Shutterstock)<\/p>\n![\"David](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_51829509-8653.jpg\")
\n\t\tFrasier retured for a reboot, but the new version of the show wasn\u2019t well-received (Picture: NBC)<\/p>\n![\"Picture](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AY_20740366-de2a.jpg\")
\n\t\tWendell Pierce and Dominic West starred in the crime drama as Detective Bunk Moreland and Officer Jimmy McNulty respectively (Picture: HBO)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_34764386-35a7.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe Sopranos aired for six seasons from 1999 to 2007 (Picture: HBO)<\/p>\n![\"Kevin](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_154376592-1850.jpg\")
\n\t\tAre you a fan of the Yellowstone franchise? (Picture: Paramount Network)<\/p>\n![\"Television](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PRI_91823177-dbe2.jpg\")
\n\t\tWalter White and Jesse Pinkman are a fan-favourite duo (Picture: Frank Ockenfels\/ AMC)<\/p>\n
\nMORE: 8 films premiering at London\u2019s buzziest festival this summer<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: The Young and the Restless star Dee Freeman dies aged 66 from lung cancer<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: Noah Wyle: \u2018The Pitt does something unique \u2013 it\u2019s a stroke of genius\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n