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)

Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams in Southpaw (2015)

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

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in Shot Caller (2017)

Jack Amiel, Michael Angarano, Michael Begler, David Fierro, Eric Johnson, Clive Owen, Molly Price, Reg Rogers, Perry Yung, Juliet Rylance, Eve Hewson, Zuzanna Szadkowski, André Holland, Maya Kazan, Leila Jean Davis, Melissa O'Donnell, Ying Ying Li, and Morgan Assante in The Knick (2014)

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