This list is for the shows that *might* earn a spot on the sacred roster of Real Men’s TV—but they’re still on probation. Consider them candidates auditioning for the honor of making you grunt approvingly. I haven’t watched ’em yet, obviously, because real men don’t binge—they strategically allocate time between oil changes and bench presses. If these shows survive a rigorous vetting process (i.e., no crying, no musical numbers, and at least one scene involving a flamethrower or a fistfight over a parking spot), they’ll graduate to the big leagues. Until then, they’re just pretty faces with unverified grit. Proceed with caution, and keep your whiskey neat and your expectations lower.

Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Shane Taylor, and Peter Youngblood Hills in Band of Brothers (2001)

Carol Burnett in The Carol Burnett Show (1967)

Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver in Annette (2021)

David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike in A United Kingdom (2016)

Willem Dafoe, Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Hong Chau, Margaret Qualley, Mamoudou Athie, Joe Alwyn, and Hunter Schafer in Kinds of Kindness (2024)

Jon Øigarden, Agnes Kittelsen, Pål Sverre Hagen, Simon J. Berger, Ine Marie Wilmann, and Tobias Santelmann in Exit (2019)

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