What has been voted the best tv crime drama of all time?

[Allan Black]

I don’t have any programs saved, in 2002 when we got an offer for our 4 story studio building I got multiple real estate advice which said, ‘Look out you’ll get a skyscraper either side of you and you won’t be able to sell.’ So I sold the studio business then the building and retired now working freelance as a writer.

Now I’ve got 5 teenage grandkids and with writing chores I’d never had the time to watch saved programs, except I’m now streaming Breaking Bad which I enjoyed first time around years ago.

And here’s Breaking Bad news. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are coming to Australia January 2027 for an evening with Bryan and Aaron. The’ll visit Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland, for 110 minute shows with 20 minute intervals.

They’ll discuss how BB was made, the writing and production challenges, memorable scenes, and their personal experiences during the show's filming. They will also share insights about their friendship and the impact of the series on their lives.

And they’re not cheap, in Sydney 2 seats in ‘good’ rows cost A$450.00. In Sydney the premium rows are booked out, as is the meet and greet them both after the show. My wife and I are going hope to report back.
Cheers.

[Allan Black]

A few of us here are following the promotion and sales for seats for the January visit of Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. Here they are the day after winning more Emmys. It’s long maybe start at 9.05 …

YouTube (Short URL)

[Doug Jensen]

We crisscross the US at least once or twice per year in our RV, and Albuquerque is one of my favorite places to stop for a day or two. A few years ago we took a Breaking Bad tour that goes to many of the most important locations. They drive you around in the same model Bounder RV as they had in the show. It was a lot of fun and I highly recommend it if you find yourself in that neck of the desert. Plus free samples of blue meth, for those who want the full experience. Ha, ha.

https://www.viator.com/tours/Albuque...xoCw0UQAvD_BwE

[Allan Black]

Hi Doug.

The colours and scenery in Albuquerque are definite features of BB and your tour sounds great. I remember Bryan Cranston saying on a talk show he gets a few dollars for every booking.

I wondered why Cranston and Aaron Paul are coming to Aust for their tour. It looks like the late R.J. Mitte might have recommended us, he came here in 2025 worked in a local movie and loved spending time on Bondi beach.

The other reasons are BB has a huge tv audience here, so they might be performing here to get their show into shape, before appearing in the U.S. Also they might be videoing all their shows here, cut the best bits into an hour tv show, translate it into a few languages and sell it to Europe TV. More $$$.

As I said my wife and I are going to the Sydney show, which is the last one in Australia before Auckland. So there’s 3 shows before us to work it into shape. I’ve been to the Sydney venue before so I knew where to book good seats and a week ago that section was 1/2 full. I just had a look on line, 2 months before the show now our section is fully booked out.

Here there’s a total of 8000 seats at an average of say $150 each x 5 shows, so we can get an idea of just how successful Breaking Bad is for these guys.
Cheers.

[Allan Black]

Hi all, someone has asked, will their January tour be profitable. Let’s see …

Fri 15 Jan 2027. Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, QLD

The Brisbane Entertainment Centre has a seating capacity of 13,601.

Mon 18 Jan 2027. RAC Arena, Perth, WA

RAC Arena Perth has a maximum capacity of 15,000 seats.

Fri 22 Jan 2027. The Plenary, Melbourne, VIC.

Plenary at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre has a seating capacity of up to 5,500 guests.

Mon 25 Jan 2027. TikTok Entertainment Centre, Sydney, NSW

The TikTok Entertainment Centre has a seating capacity of 8,000 seats.

Thurs. 28 Jan 2027. The New Zealand International Convention Centre's
Te Paepae Theatre has 2,852 seats.

So that’s 39958 seats. Let’s say at $200 ea.

So their total takings will be $7,991,600. Now let’s say their total expenses will be 4 million, that’s 2 million each for Bryan and Aaron for one months work.

Plus the money for the special packages meet and greet, t-shirts etc. It looks like soon there will be a ‘sold out’ sign on all the venues, in which case there might be additional concerts on sale. More to come.

Cheers.

[Allan Black]

Many people know that Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have released their own Dos Hombres (Two men) brand, 750 Litre bottles of Mezcal and Tequila. I’m not a serious drinker but I’ll try a glass and while I know what Tequila is, but what is Mezcal.

Dos Hombres Mezcal is a small-batch Oaxacan (Mexican state) mezcal brand founded by Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, producing Espadín and Tobazíche expressions from a single planta (plant) in the Mexican village of San Luis del Río.

And Mezcal is distinct from Tequila, which is specifically made from the blue agave plant. Common agave uses include producing agave syrup as a sweetener and fermenting the sap to create tequila and mezcal.

So I looked to see if any Dos Hombres product is available in Sydney but currently there is not, but with their visit next January the Dos Hombres will likely set up distribution. There is various types …
Cheers.

[Boyd Ostroff]

I was a summer camp counselor following my freshman year in college and became good friends with another counselor from Mexico. Quite a fascinating experience as I had never known anybody from Mexico before. I learned some "interesting" words and phrases. ;-)

At the end of the season there was a nice staff party at a lakefront restaurant about 10 miles away. Well, Luis said he would show me "how it's done" and we started drinking Margaritas, did the whole thing with salt on the rim of the glass (or something like that... I don't remember much of that evening!) we even did some Tequilla shots.

We stayed until the place closed and they threw us all out. Then I had to drive back to the camp, it's a miracle that I made it without causing a tragedy. I can still vaguely remember pulling over at least twice to barf. Somehow I made it home.

Now that was 1968, but to this day I just can't even look at a bottle of Tequilla!

[Christopher Young]

Originally Posted by Allan Black

Well it’s Breaking Bad, have you seen it?

Breaking Bad first premiered on US television on January 20, 2008. The 5 series 62 Episodes ran until September 29, 2013.

This is long but it needs to be to convey what I think. As a general overview I would agree BB was very good. One of the few series I purchased all series of. But just looking at English language TV series is a great injustice to the rest of the world who make some amazing TV series. Especially the Scandanavians.

Very rare do I buy BD discs. But both the following series and "Bron", The Bridge (Sweden) series I have.purchased. All three productions now sit on my server and will remain there for a long time as they are all very re-visitable.. if there is such a word.

The Killing (originally titled Forbrydelsen) is a critically acclaimed Danish television police procedural drama and a defining pillar of the "Nordic Noir" genre. Created by Søren Sveistrup, the series follows the meticulous, deeply-obsessed Detective Inspector Sarah Lund (played by Sofie Gråbøl).

Unlike traditional procedural shows that wrap up a case in a single episode, The Killing devotes an entire season to a single murder investigation. Each episode typically covers twenty-four hours of the case, allowing for a slow-burn, highly detailed narrative that explores the psychological toll on the victims' families, the political ramifications, and institutional corruption.

Series #1 takes 20 episodes to unravel the crime.Given 20 episodes to develop the story line the production develops an amazing depth in the characters and the detail in each crime. There are 3 series. The whole series is NOT for lazy or superficial viewing.

The success of The Killing (Forbrydelsen) both in Europe and worldwide stands as one of the most significant watershed moments in modern television history. It effectively shattered the long-held industry belief that foreign-language, subtitled television could not achieve mainstream international appeal.

It became a domestic triumph in Denmark before conquering the globe, The Killing was a massive ratings phenomenon at home. Produced by the Danish public broadcaster DR, its first season drew over a third of the entire Danish population to their screens. Danes would famously stay home on Sunday nights, treating the unraveling of the Nanna Birk Larsen murder case as a national event, while debating the political and moral complexities of the plot the next day.

The breakthrough in GermanyGermany was the first major international market to embrace the series on a large scale. Co-produced in part by Germany’s ZDF, the series (dubbed locally as Kommissarin Lund) found an enormous and receptive audience. Major broadcast slots pulled regular audiences of around 3.4 million viewers, proving that the slow-burn, atmospheric style resonated deeply outside of Scandinavia well before its Anglo-Saxon breakout.

It became a cultural phenomenon in the United Kingdom. Following its European success, The Killing was sold to over 120 countries globally introducing international audiences to the bleak, moody aesthetics of "Nordic Noir".. The Killing set the stage for a few more brilliant police series. The Bridge (Bron/Broen), being one of them.

If you want something with everything to hold your attention watch "Borgen" Though not strictly a 'crime drama' police series but a series with very strong crime elements that is IMHO one of the best political, crime intrigue series ever to hit the small screen also came from Denmark. "Borgen." Borgen (meaning "The Castle," the colloquial term for Christiansborg Palace, which houses the three branches of the Danish government) is a critically acclaimed Danish political drama created by Adam Price. Alongside The Killing, it stands as one of the definitive pillars of international Scandinavian television. Another thing about Borgen for those of us on this forum is the fact that a lot of the scenes take place in a TV network setting where a lot of the political decision making in TV media as to who to interview, promote or discredit goes on. All in the name of media political influence.

Chris Young

The Killing

The Killing | Season 1 Trailer | Topic - YouTube

Borgen

Borgen Series One trailer - YouTube