“The Penguin” is currently chronicling Oz Cobb’s rise from relative nobody to one of Gotham’s criminal kingpins on HBO and Max (one of the best streaming services).
Picking up just days after the events of “The Batman” — wherein Gotham’s seawall collapsed and Carmine Falcone was assassinated — Oz sets out to stake his claim on the city. Anchored by brilliant performances from both Colin Farrell and a scene-stealing Cristin Milioti (as Carmine’s daughter, Sofia Falcone), the series is already proving to be a grounded, gritty watch every week.
If “The Penguin” has given you a taste for criminality and you’re looking for more great shows to stream between episodes, here are five more shows like “The Penguin” that we think you might want to watch next.
‘Gotham’
Fox’s DC Comics prequel series might not be quite as grounded (or quite as well-received) as “The Penguin,” but I’d wager anyone enjoying the new HBO series might at least get a kick out of the other gritty exploration of the streets of Gotham City.
Playing out like a police procedural, “Gotham” follows a young Jim Gordon (here played by Ben McKenzie) as he grapples with some of the many members of Batman’s rogues gallery before Bruce Wayne adopts the Dark Knight mantle. Along the way, you’ll see Gordon battle and even occasionally join forces with countless Batman villains in the days leading up to their criminal careers.
If you’re looking to spend even more time in Batman’s world, or you want to cross paths with more criminals — including Robin Lord Taylor’s version of Oswald Cobblepot — then be sure to add “Gotham” to your watchlist; there are five seasons and 100 episodes to enjoy, so it’ll keep you busy long after “The Penguin” comes to a close.
Watch on Max
‘Boardwalk Empire’
We’ll kick off our recommendations with “Boardwalk Empire,” another HBO crime drama that’s well worth watching.
Terence Winter’s series takes us back to the 1920s, to Prohibition Era New Jersey to witness the birth and meteoric rise of organized crime within Atlantic City. There, we meet Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Steve Buscemi), the man who runs the show (both legally and otherwise) as the corrupt treasurer of Atlantic County.
Nucky’s more than happy to brush shoulders with plenty of historical figures, both from the political world and from both key political contacts and all the big-time mobsters, and his lavish lifestyle soon attracts the attention of the Federal Government. Stylish, character-driven, and engrossing, it’s a great “The Penguin” follow-up.
Watch on Max
‘Gangs of London’
We already singled out “Gangs of London” as an unmissable action-thriller show ever made when it landed on Netflix, and that’s because it’s a brutal, bloody look into the lives of the many criminal organizations that operate out of the English capital that packs in plenty of pulse-pounding thrills.
Following the assassination of Finn Wallace, the head of the dominant Wallace crime family, the show descends into a “Game of Thrones“-esque power struggle. Finn’s son Sean (Joe Cole) steps up to replace his father, but the other factions take issue with the way he conducts himself as he ruthlessly tries to find his father’s killer.
With Sean out for blood, members of the other families begin eyeing the throne … and we see all of this through the eyes of Elliot Carter (Sope Dirisu), a trusted new enforcer who is secretly an undercover police officer who had set his sights on infiltrating the Wallace Organisation and tearing it down from the inside.
‘Peaky Blinders’
If you find yourself being drawn into Oz Cobb’s mission, then I’m quite sure you’ll enjoy being sucked into Tommy Shelby’s (Cillian Murphy) criminal underworld just as much.
Beginning in the months after the end of the First World War in Birmingham — and based loosely on the exploits of a real-life British gang — “Peaky Blinders” follows Shelby gang leader Tommy as he sets out to forge a vast criminal empire, grabbing wealth, power and status wherever he can find it and tackling all manner of rivals along the way. It’s easily among the very best British dramas to air in recent memory.
Now’s the perfect time to binge it, too, as a “Peaky Blinders” movie just went into production for Netflix not long ago.
Watch on Netflix
‘The Sopranos’
Yes, this is another HBO crime drama, but the network’s got a proven track record in the genre. The fact is, “The Sopranos” is often regarded as one of the very best television shows ever made, and I’ll always take any chance I can get to recommend it to someone who might not have streamed it already (or is due for a rewatch).
David Chase’s landmark HBO series revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a mobster from New Jersey who is caught between his family life as a middle-aged husband and father and his role at the head of his criminal enterprise, a difficult life he unpacks under the guise of being a ‘waste-management consultant’ with his psychiatrist.
“The Sopranos” is one of the big reasons HBO is as synonymous with prestige TV as it is; it’s celebrated for brilliant writing, its excellent ensemble, and its presentation. And seeing as many viewers have likened the DC crime drama to this landmark HBO release, why not see what all the fuss is about next?
Watch on Max
