The two TV shows Jason Isaacs called “works of genius”
You may not ever call him your favourite actor, but there’s a high chance that Jason Isaacs has been in several of your favourite films.
As well as his most obvious role as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series (he was also the voice of the Basilisk, for those who don’t know), the British star has turned up in a bunch of other acclaimed movies that don’t feature teenage wizards. From blockbusters like Armageddon and Black Hawk Down to cult hits like Event Horizon and The Death of Stalin, there’s no knowing what the man with two first names will do next.
As well as his great work on the big screen, Isaacs is also a dab hand at acting for TV. In 2025, he appeared as part of the ensemble cast for the third season of The White Lotus, but his cryptic comments about behind-the-scenes conditions left everyone scratching their heads, as much as some of the plotlines for the show itself. In addition to his antics in the Thailand peace resort turned shootout, he is also a prominent voice actor, lending his pipes to major characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Star Wars Rebels.
He’s been a part of some great TV, but what does Isaacs like to watch when he’s not on the job? This question was put to the Liverpool-born star in many forms during an interview with The Guardian. As well as being asked about his favourite box sets (which dates this interview nicely), he was also consulted on what series he would like to see make a comeback.
“What, apart from my own show, Awake?” he said, cheekily referencing the 2012 police procedural that he both starred in and produced, “I thought Deadwood and Rome were works of genius. Both showed me a society that lived by a different set of rules. They felt like different universes.”
Widely regarded as one of the greatest HBO shows of all time, which is saying something as Deadwood aired on the network between 2004 and 2006, putting it in esteemed company alongside The Wire and Six Feet Under. It is loosely modelled on the US town of the same name, which became a popular destination for gold mining in the 1800s. Starring the lies of Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, and Molly Parker, the show was cancelled after just three seasons, much to the chagrin of its many fans. It regularly appears in lists of shows that deserved a longer run (Firefly, anyone?), as well as compilations of the best TV series of all time.
Rome, another HBO product, doesn’t often get the same love as its stablemate. It follows the transition of its titular city from a republic to an empire, capturing a key part of not just Roman history, but of world history too. It was initially planned to run for five seasons and had the popularity to do so, but high production costs meant it was curtailed after just two.
