I figured there were enough Movie threads that I'd start a TV one (I hope one hasn't been started recently). Anyway, here are mine:

The Wire
Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Fringe
Max Headroom
Twin Peaks
Bubblegum Crisis
X-Files

Supernatural, in a strange and bizarre fashion.
Drexter, in another.
Most crime drama (Crash, CSI, Law and Order...) though generally more from the law enforcement side than the criminal side, but those are just two sides of the same coin.
Also Leverage, in yet another strange fashion.

I've also seen some movies that made me go "ShadowRun, ShadowRun!" Namely Mission Impossible, Italian Job, and Inception (although Inception pushes the boundary a little).

Supernatural is pretty good. I like all the "rules" that spirits/ghosts/demons etc. have to follow which eventually cumulates into actual consistency. Of course, my main complaint about the show (at least metawise) was that no matter how obscure or bizzare something was they ALWAYS found the answer in a musty tome somewhere (though to be fair sometimes it takes them a bit of legwork).

I don't really care for most crime drama, but I did include The Wire since it digs much deeper, including all aspects of the sprawl: Not just law enforcement but just as in depth with the street, the crumbling ports, the backstabbing politics, and the fucked up media. A great way to get a feel for an entire city instead of just one tiny aspect.

Dark Angel

Bye
Thanee

Leverage! They're hooding though

Serial Experiments Lain. A GREAT example of a world where the Matrix (or the Wired as they call it) is everywhere, affects everything, and even bleeds into real life. Just picture Lain as that scary mix of mage and TM that everyone fears may one day happen.

Whenever I need inspiration for a run, I look for a episode of Burn Notice. Just add magic and its ready to go.

When I watch The Wire I definitely do NOT think Shadowrun. *shrug*

Any of the Law-and-order or CSI variants tend to be good for generating a backstory, although some don't work so great for SR, usually you need to write the hook from scratch.

Whenever I try to write anything, getting started is usually the hardest part, stealing a small story element from someone else usually jump-starts the process.

Silent Witness, Whitechappel, DCI Banks.

Ordered by title:

• A-Team – an arc-typical pink-mohawk team
• Burn Notice – shows just how useful a loyalty 6 contact really is.
• Dark Angel – genetic engineering in a city that could be SR's Denver
• Firefly – think of the ship as a panzer and the verse as UCAS & NAN
• Ghost in the Shell – matrix, near future, etc.
• Leverage – an arc-typical black-trenchcoat team
• Max Headroom – media types as runners
• Stingray (NBC) – my favourite runner turned hooder

I'm worried about supernatural. It got moved to fridays at freaking 9pm, the proverbial deathknell for shows. The wife told me she read somewhere that the producers of the show would be happy as clams if they hit the 6th season, she said this is the 6th season.

Yup this fall is the sixth season. And I'm behind, I missed the 5th season completely.

Hm... i am repeating myself... but oh hell. It's not that i will be hunted down for it. (Or will i, guys? GUYS?... GRAAAAH)

Anime-side of things:

First:
"Outlaw Star" is shadowrun IN SPACE:
You have some people. A guy with a magic gun and mad bounty-hunting skills, a tech genius kid, a sexy bio-android build for some nebulous reasons, a melee-ki adept running around in traditional clothes using a wooden training sword. A ultra-strong cat-girl who can transform into a tiger-like form and an quantum AI in a spaceship (which has arms and wrestles other ships). They follow a main plot, but do bodyguard/thievery/treasure hunting/bounty hunting on the side (or participate in a race or galactic MMA-championship). Some of their main antagonists is a taoistic space-pirate association using MAGIC, cyborgs, weird aliens (like a mind-controlling cactus bend on world domination... out of an ice-cream stand) or some dude and his android...brother?

Totally awesome.

In the same vein we have the
"Coyote Ragtime Show" - again in space... this time with less magic, though.
Just one short season. But it is very focused on this "one last job". They do some training, legwork. And some underground organization hunts them with 12 cyborg-girls in maid-outfits. All while the LAW tries to catch their leader. "Mister" who just broke out of jail 10 days prior to release... so he can get the timing of their job right.

"Gungrave" is great for the "organized crime"-angle and adds in, in the last episodes (and the first one), some biomonsters and enhanced humans. But there is not really "a team" and multiple small jobs or something. But it is great for advice on having "youngsters on the street" work their way up in an organization.

"Cowboy Bebop" has to be named too (again IN SPACE)... but it is not like there is anybody who still hasn't watched it. (If there is: State your name and location, so THEY can hunt you down, thanks). Same as Ghost in the shell, which just lacks the magic to TOTALLY and UTTERLY be Shadowrun... just on the Law- side of things.

And for Pirates in modern times: No augmentation and magic, but lots of style and despair we have:
"Black Lagoon" - trying to get along with multiple organizations. Doing odd jobs like smuggling, treasure hunting and pirating. We have a Sarariman getting out of the corp to experience real freedom. A girl who lived on the street until she learned to just shoot anything which is problem (and found that she is REALLY good at it). Big, black Leader and the tech-wiz. And they have a BOAT.

And if you have watched that, this follows.
"Lost Universe" (yeah you know: IN SPACE)
But you have them doing odd jobs, psionic powers. Augmentation. LASERSWORDS (ok, it is i think a psi-blade... whatever *g*) AI's.
But like the end of Outlaw Star its end is a bit epic.

There is a lot more. Some movies in the 80's had some magical/technical dystopia... i just can't remember their names, though. One could try Wicked City. It has dark, dystopian feeling and MONSTERS from another dimension. But it's not a series.

I am done for now *g*.

Outlaw Star was win. It's a shame that:
1) The fan-service episode is rarely aired on US channels because it actually has plot.
2) It ended and that was it. Main quest complete, now what?

Sixth season probably means hitting the magic 65 episodes, which allows syndication, and therefore long-term opportunities.

Authorities side suggestions:

Flashpoint: police tactical squad - no magic, but lots of tech/internet/planning/adapting
The Border: smuggling, terrorists, internet

Other side:

Human Target: runner team except for magic

Caprica has some Shadowrun elements, to my mind.

Y'know, I own the dvd's and had never realized it, but yes, Outlaw Star is Shadowrun in space. I'ld say Gene is a Gunslinger Adept, Suzuka is a more traditional Physad, Aisha is a shapeshifter (likely adept as well), Jim is a hacker/rigger and Mel is.... prototype the group has to protect!

They even have their own AI^^

Adding to the anime list (since they tend to do the SR thing more often):

Karas
Witch Hunter Robin
Black Cat
Get Backers

Without magic:
Black Lagoon
Lupin III
City Hunter
DSA
Solty Rei
Gunnm
Burst Angel

lots more that I'm drawing a blank on at the moment^^

Outlaw Star is fun, but I would stay away from Angel Links (different characters, same universe), which takes forever to get going, and overall is not nearly as good.

Noir is good, although like a lot of anime, you have mundane, unaugmented humans who do things that would make the most tweaked sammie or multi-initiate adept stare in awe.

You mean like Kirika shooting though a bullet hole in a wall to kill the two guys on the other side?

I mentioned it in the movies thread, but since it's both 2 movies and a 7 season TV show, I'll say it again: Trailer Park Boys.

They're the stupidest shadowrun team ever, and if you statted them out they'd be below average unagmented humans in every respect, with no skills at all except maybe growing pot. I love that show.

The old series from back then when SR was young are nice, too. Like Magnum PI or Simon & Simon. - Ah, and don't forget Knight Rider.

Jericho - evil corporation ends up cutting the USA into little shreds and effectively owning one of them.

Black Lagoon and Leverage are my main inspirations though.

Afro Samurai - futuristic, including cyber ware, but with anachronisms like swords.

Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes! Perfect for the "Get out your 3rd ed characters, they've got one last job."

Excellent choice!!

I am justr watching Buffy, the episode names Innocence. Ok, its in the nineties of the last century, but the part where Alex & co breaks in the military compound, Cordelia distracts guard and Buffy kills the big bad demon with missille launcher has definitive shadowrun feel.