The Sopranos vs The Wire vs Breaking Bad

[t_94]

Loved all three shows but have gone back to rewatch The Wire and The Sopranos numerous times and enjoyed it equally. I can't say that I've rewatched Breaking Bad from for start to finish - not quite the same without the plot twist factor.

 

[royboys4eva]

For me The Sopranos will always be number 1 but The Wire was outstanding and a close second. Breaking Bad the first few series were superb but then i thought it lost it's way and was trying too hard. Still a very good series but i consider the other two well ahead.

On a side not if you haven't seen Janus or Phoenix that were on the ABC in the 90s do your self a favour and watch them. Very underrated.

 

[rumply]

For me The Sopranos will always be number 1 but The Wire was outstanding and a close second. Breaking Bad the first few series were superb but then i thought it lost it's way and was trying too hard. Still a very good series but i consider the other two well ahead.

On a side not if you haven't seen Janus or Phoenix that were on the ABC in the 90s do your self a favour and watch them. Very underrated.

Wouldnt surprise to find out something like Phoenix influenced David Simon back in the day, The Wire has that same gritty real life feel.

 

[Roobs321]

Completely agreed. Janus is one of the smartest television dramas I've ever come across, world-beating. It is one of the most overlooked dramas in television history, no doubt.

 

[OhhhhhCyril]

I find lack of The Shied in this discussion an insult. Belongs with the other 3 shows imo.

 

[VineyIsLORD]

I find lack of The Shied in this discussion an insult. Belongs with the other 3 shows imo.

I don't see how.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Can't choose between The Wire and the Sopranos. Both perfect shows that perhaps had a final season that trailed off.

Breaking Bad I liked but never to the point of others. Just seemed all a little silly at times.

 

[pantskyle]

Just based on the three shows in the title, to this day I think about Sopranos (when will I watch it again), I think about The Wire just being a quality show, I don't however think about Breaking Bad, very forgettable.

 

[Lethality]

The Sopranos. I couldn't get into the Wire, maybe I should try it again. Sopranos had it all. Drama, existentialism, humour, characters, rewatchability, great actors and ensemble cast. Probably the best TV series of all time.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

I think because Breaking Bad was around in a time of social media going gangbusters and increasing the hype you were just surrounded by it constantly which I think gave me the shits. They also were the first show (from what I can recall) that had a talk show dedicated to talking about the show which now seems to happens with heaps of shows.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

The Sopranos. I couldn't get into the Wire, maybe I should try it again. Sopranos had it all. Drama, existentialism, humour, characters, rewatchability, great actors and ensemble cast. Probably the best TV series of all time.

Definitely do try The Wire again.

 

[Kirby]

Wow, this thread has just turned into a trashing BB exercise. Is that cool for you kids now?

I've not yet seen The Wire but will soon.

I prefer BB over the Sopranos but that's just my opinion. Both great shows.

 

[Lethality]

One of the few things I didn't like about the Sopranos was the way that even people who only had one line or one scene in the whole series spoke the same as the main characters. Everyone was quippy.

 

[_VXV]

Posted this a while ago in the Sopranos thread but may interest some of the Sopranophiles here.

https://sopranosautopsy.com/

Sopranos for me.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Posted this a while ago in the Sopranos thread but may interest some of the Sopranophiles here.

https://sopranosautopsy.com/

Sopranos for me.

That looks great.

Anyone in New York for a holiday should do the Sopranos tour. It's awesome.

 

[DIG]

Wow, this thread has just turned into a trashing BB exercise. Is that cool for you kids now?

I've not yet seen The Wire but will soon.

I prefer BB over the Sopranos but that's just my opinion. Both great shows.

The Wire's excellent but boy, very slow at times. But Season 4 in particular was just incredible television, maybe the best season of anything I've ever seen. And I liked season 3 almost as much.

The other two shows never had the same hype around them as they were airing as BB. Well, I remember Sopranos being very popular but BB hype was just extreme at one point, which inevitably means it's held to a higher standard and is an easy target.

But I don't think Breaking Bad ever tried to be as realistic as say The Wire. Sacrificed some realism in the quest for plot advancement or more entertainment (eg Gus's face), which I guess some didn't like. I loved the show though, no point arguing that it's "the best ever" but it's my favourite.

 

[FUS_RO_DAH]

Was reading this thread so purchased The Wire bluray boxset yesterday.
Started season 1 and although it started off a bit slow I'm definetly getting into it. Very excited for it to hit it's stride!

 

[pantskyle]

Wow, this thread has just turned into a trashing BB exercise. Is that cool for you kids now?

I've not yet seen The Wire but will soon.

I prefer BB over the Sopranos but that's just my opinion. Both great shows.

Did the bad kids knock your favourite show? Laughable.

Three shows in discussion, one has to be rated third on that list, you haven't even seen them all so your opinion doesn't count.

 

[Chief]

The Wire's excellent but boy, very slow at times. But Season 4 in particular was just incredible television, maybe the best season of anything I've ever seen. And I liked season 3 almost as much.

The other two shows never had the same hype around them as they were airing as BB. Well, I remember Sopranos being very popular but BB hype was just extreme at one point, which inevitably means it's held to a higher standard and is an easy target.

Which was the Wire season on the docks? 2? I didn't get into that one as much.

But I don't think Breaking Bad ever tried to be as realistic as say The Wire. Sacrificed some realism in the quest for plot advancement or more entertainment (eg Gus's face), which I guess some didn't like. I loved the show though, no point arguing that it's "the best ever" but it's my favourite.

They all had their good and bad points IMO. The first ep of BB I thought dragged a bit in places - trying to create tension when you were just thinking "get on with it".

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

To be honest I would probably put Oz above Breaking Bad.

Underrated show imo.

Underrated when it came to Gay Prison dramas with more murders than a Venezuelan prison yes. An early HBO triumph I guess.

 

[Pedro]

Pretty tough to rank these great shows. Personally I find it hard to split The Wire, and The Sopranos. I probably slighty prefer The Wire. Breaking Bad behind those 2 imo.

 

[mickelboy182]

Reckon Breaking Bad is definitely being underrated simply because it is new and 'mainstream'.

I'm about the embark on a rewatch of all 3 series after not having watched them since BrBa finished up. Shall see how we go.

 

[rooboy_07]

The Wire, The Sopranos, BB in that order. All great shows.

 

[mickelboy182]

Also rewatching The Shield, which I reckon stands in the same breakout as these three.

 

[nicky]

There is often plenty of debate about which drama is the greatest to ever hit the small screen. It usually boils down to 3 shows that most people rate as the top 3. The Sopranos vs Breaking Bad vs The Wire. These shows have all in one way or another changed the television industry and set the bar for crime dramas (there may be others but the general consensus is these are the most influential and the best of the bunch).

So my question is what is the greatest show? Now Breaking Bad has concluded we can begin to compare and contrast each show. I will ask people to give each show a 3-2-1 rating for a number of different categories (3 being best and 1 being worst) and explain your answer (if you can). Please tally your scores up at the end of your post. If you can think of any other categories feel free to include them and people can come back into the thread and edit their posts/scores:

• Who was the best leading man: Tony Soprano or Walter White or Jimmy McNulty?
• What show had the best supporting cast behind the leading man?
• What show had the most compelling storyline which made you want to tune in each an every week?
• What show had the best cinematography?
• What show was the most consistent in its quality throughout its run?
• What show was the most unique and groundbreaking?
• What show was the most realistic and gritty?
• What show had the best ending in your opinion?

• Who was the best leading man: Tony Soprano or Walter White or Jimmy McNulty?

3 Tony Soprano - even though I rate the Wire as the best out of the three shows I thought Tony Soprano's character was by far the best out of the 3.
2 Jimmy McNulty - is lucky to come in second and does so only because i hate Walter White's character

• What show had the best supporting cast behind the leading man?

3 The wire, easily wins this imo because the character development was the best i've seen in a show - all these years later i still think, ******* wow.
2 Sopanos - because it's a good show largely due to great characters
1 Breaking bad - ok, so i only got through one and a bit seasons of this which was due to the character development being non existent. Before people tell me that Walter's character develops into a crazed meth dealer, I want to add that I hated every single character in the season and a bit that i watched. The token whinging and annoying wife, the dopey side kick and then there's Walter who was an unbelievable idiot for not accepting the offer he got, to pay for his cancer treatment, from that guy at the BBQ, thus removing his family from the dangers involved in being a meth king pin. Just a terrible plot. Was so annoying, i couldn't watch past this point.
I'm often stunned by how overrated this show is. I thought character development was a key component in making a good show. I don't get it because i found this aspect in the writing of BB to be dreadfully insufficient.

• What show had the most compelling storyline which made you want to tune in each an every week?

3 Sopranos was more of a binge watch show
2 Wire, even though i think its the best TV show of all time, it was definitely a slow burn
1 Breaking bad - s**t show imo.

• What show had the best cinematography?

3 Possibly breaking bad
2 Sopranos
1 the wire, because it was in the Baltimore slums.... having said that, i don't have a strong opinion on this question.

• What show was the most consistent in its quality throughout its run?

3 the Wire was not only consistent, it was poetry. Season 4 is the best TV writing ever.
2 Sopranos by virtue that......
1 ...........breaking bad was s**t

• What show was the most unique and groundbreaking?

3 the wire - because having a storyline that shows the futility in polarising things into good and bad was genius.
2 Sopranos
1 breaking bad - the concept was there but they needed to write one likeable character into the show and create a stronger storyline around why a chemistry teacher would become a meth cook (when he was offered an out - so many guys tell me that it was a pride thing, sure i get that, but it's just too unbelievable that a teacher from the burbs would have that much pride around money and willing to put all his loved ones in danger through becoming a drug lord).

• What show was the most realistic and gritty?

3 the wire, easily. It's like this question was written so that the wire would win this unanimously.
2 sopranos
1 breaking bad was bullshit

• What show had the best ending in your opinion?

3 possibly sopranos had the best ending
2 the wire left me feeling very depressed
1 didn't watch the end of breaking bad