If you ever get to Strike Back, I'd skip the UK season. It's slow. It's only 6 episodes, but was a slog to get through. It has Richard Armitage and Andrew Lincoln, but it was really little to nothing in common with the current incarnation. It's a very British spy series. It's not mandatory viewing at all. Cinemax actually aired it after season 3.

The current incarnation is like 24 meets Call of Duty and a little Skinemax softcore porn included for good measure. The 2 leads Winchester and Stapleton have awesome bromance chemistry.

Wire
Shield
Deadwood
Strike Back

Also add Banshee to your list. I'd put it 3rd above Strike Back.

Yeah, I realize now that we don't all use the same definition of "binge". To me it's watching 3-4 episodes in a row every night, maybe with a small break between seasons. It's obviously not like that for everybody.

Yeah, this pretty much sums up my thoughts, too. While I feel The Wire is the vastly superior show out of all of the ones you listed, I'd go with Deadwood first. It's only three seasons and it manages to hook the viewer a lot quicker. I've encouraged too many friends to start watching The Wire (I can't even tell you how many times I lent out the DVD sets before most of my friends had HBO) only to have them complain and stop watching after a couple of episodes. Also, while it's true I love The Wire, I've always found it a tough show to binge. I can handle a couple of episodes in a row, but the show can be pretty emotionally draining at times.

Watch and enjoy Deadwood, then delve into The Wire.

I agree with your approach. If I'm watching a show, that's the show I'm watching. I don't like to bounce around and watch multiple shows at the same time (the only, only exception is for stuff like Veep, Game of Thrones, etc., in which I'm watching them live). I usually find the best way to binge is to watch a disc a night, before bed (if I'm not reading a book). That way you usually get through 2-3 episodes a night. And by the time the disc is over, it's usually bedtime anyway...

If I'm watching a sitcom with my kids, then 6-8 episodes per day.

If I'm watching a drama after my kids are asleep, then one episode per day.

I think for what it's worth, Strike Back is binge worthy because it grabs you straight off and it's a fun ride that's pure adrenaline. It's never boring.

And I like The Shield, but it does slow a bit in the middle seasons before it ramps up again.

Haven't seen The Wire or Deadwood.

The Shield in a cakewalk. It does hit a lull or two during the middle seasons but everything pays off in the most spectacular final season we've ever gotten from a dramatic series.

^^ Better than Breaking Bad?

I would say it's almost a tie in the way that towards the end, every episode was met with a ton of anticipation.

I'm a little surprised you never paid attention to The Shield in the 6 1/2 years it aired. It was one of the more popular basic cable shows talked about here at the time.

If you watched the CNN special "The 2000's" which aired it's 1st episode on Sunday, they talked about The Shield as being the show that changed the traditional cop show.

Yup. They filmed the best fight scene ever for a TV series in season 3. Plus, the storyline is insane. The final season wasn't all that but overall the series was bad ass.

Not even close. I'd put The Shield in the 'B' shows category.

I never paid attention to The Shield either. As soon as I hear "cop show" I keep it moving along people, nothing to see here. Nothing against cops, the same goes with lawyer and doctor shows. I may get to it some day, like I eventually did with The Wire, which I found to be good, not great - like recognizing a really well crafted song but it is in a music genre you don't enjoy.

To answer the OP I would go with Deadwood. It is an added bonus that you can easily watch it on demand. Another great binge show that there is a good chance you overlooked in the past and is available on demand is Rome.

The Shield and Strike back if you want high energy

The Wire if you want more cerebal

I haven't watched Deadwood

And I'll disagree with that Breaking Bad is just outside my all time top 5, but The Shield is in it.