Feeling nostalgic? Old favourites to binge-watch on Showmax

Great TV shows, even when they end, can never be forgotten. And if in the vast world of newer TV shows, they escape our memory, Showmax is there to remind us that their catalogue is boundless with unforgettable favourites that will get you feeling nostalgic.

The Wire S1-5

Even in many years to come, The Wire will still be recognised as one of the greatest shows of all time. A show that became so much more than it first set out to be (fun fact: it was initially pitched as a procedural cop show), The Wire, unrestrainedly dived into the moral decay and the socio-political struggles of Baltimore, a city wallowing in violence and drugs, and caught in a system that is too self-serving to save it. So good was The Wire that it even made its way into the Harvard curriculum and earned a spot on Obama’s coveted list of favourite TV shows. And just as a bonus, Idris Elba (Luther), Michael B Jordan (Creed) and Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) are in it.

The Sopranos S1-6

Like The Wire, The Sopranos was (is) a cultural phenomenon that has stood the test of time 21 years after it first aired. The Sopranos follows Tony Soprano, a ruthless New Jersey mob boss and a family man who also struggles to cope with personal issues. And while some shows’ endings are sufficient on their own, and some we swear never to speak of again (if only the internet would let us forget), The Sopranos delivered an ambiguous cut-to-black ending that divided fans on whether Tony lived or died and is still a subject of debate 13 years later.

Sex and the City S1-6

If Sex and the City’s (and its offsprings Younger and The Bold Type) representation of relationships is to be believed then dating in New York City is nerve-wracking and tumultuous. And it’s comforting to know that we’ll always have Carrie Bradshaw, a style icon and our own relationship expert who passed down her unforgettable wisdom on the matters of the heart: “Some people are settling down, some people are settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies.”

Boardwalk Empire S1-5

Labelled one of TV’s most underappreciated gems, a Vulture critic pointed out that perhaps Boardwalk Empire would have thrived and placed higher had it not come almost immediately after The Sopranos and The Wire or premiered at a time when other shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones had already staked their claim in the hall of greatness. Steve Buscemi (Fargo) plays Nucky Thompson, a crime boss who controls politics and organised crime in 1920s Atlantic City.

Banshee S1-4

Like Boardwalk Empire, fans can agree that Banshee is one of the most underrated shows out there, a great injustice to a show that is never spoken about in the same breath as Sons of Anarchy, which it has been compared to, while the latter which gained a cult following. Banshee follows an ex-con released from prison after 15 years and assumes the identity of the town’s sheriff – Lucas Hood – to hide from a dangerous crime lord while also attempting to get his portion of stolen diamonds from his former lover and accomplice.