Recently I've been catching up on the TV that I've not watched over the last decade or so.

The Good

Rome
Mashing up The Lives of the Caesars with Lethal Weapon's partner/buddy dynamic worked really well. Too bad it cost too much to make.

My So-Called Life
1) it's the 90's, and 2) it's high school with all the emotionality dialled way the hell up. Which makes it lots of fun to watch.

Planet Earth
Everyone loves Attenborough, though one can also watch this muted.

The West Wing
Never underestimate the power of snappy fast-paced dialogue. Even though at times the actors are rushing their lines like sophomores playing Shakespeare, this is a blast to watch; and worth pushing through seasons 3 and 4 where the writers lose their way for a bit.

The Over-hyped

The Sopranos
1. Watch Seasons 1 then 6; I waded through four seasons waiting for the Women of Troy^H^H^H^HMafia to get their act together.
2. For the level of understanding of mafia dynamics, this series could have as easily been about second / third generation Irish or Jewish immigrants to the US with a violent family patriarch.
3. They say that every day we live is a day stolen from God... so you want to make sure that the crime is worth the time. Meanwhile we have to watch the plot-filler idiocy of Tony's mom, Ralph, and Janice; or fast-forwarding their scenes whenever they appeared.

The Wire
I expected this to explore the power structures of Charm City. By season 4, the writers had lost their way, and there were 0 characters I cared about. Kudos for trying to show the post-racial side of Baltimore, though (weesaws on tv!).

House of Cards
Season 1 seemed like a great setup: Frank's overplayed his hand, taking too many risks. Season 2 should have been the Revenge of the Herds, where the power players at the center of the Democrats set Frank up for his downfall. Robin Wright's dead eyes make Season 2 watchable, though.