Top TV Series (and Mini-Series)
Easier than top 10 movies, but deceptively so. This is an attempt to pick which series I enjoy watching and rewatching. (Be aware that I haven't yet started The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Boardwalk Empire or Deadwood; I'm also not counting talk shows like The Daily Show).
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- CreatorGraham ChapmanEric IdleTerry JonesStarsGraham ChapmanJohn CleeseTerry GilliamThe original surreal sketch comedy showcase for the Monty Python troupe.Perhaps the greatest comedy series humans will ever produce. Monty Python is THE great comedy troupe, and their entire series (even the Cleeseless last season), along with their classic films, are on top of all English-language comedy.
- CreatorDavid SimonStarsDominic WestLance ReddickSonja SohnThe Baltimore drug scene, as seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement.Five seasons. Five perfect seasons. The crime/cop/criminal genres cannot be looked at in the same way after the gritty realism of the Wire. CSI's infra-red crime scene scanners are rediculous after seing the Baltimore PD using manual typewriters to write reports. Never playing to audience expectation, the show raised the stakes every episode and never lost.
- CreatorDavid BenioffD.B. WeissStarsEmilia ClarkePeter DinklageKit HaringtonNine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.This has started for Fantasy what Battlestar Galactica started for science fiction. It is potentially that epic series that defines a genre and helps to push television a step closer to the infinite possibility offered by film.
- CreatorAaron SorkinStarsMartin SheenRob LoweAllison JanneyInside the lives of staffers in the West Wing of the White House.The Bartlet administration was - for many liberal people - an emotional antidote to the Bush administration. The series dealt with the fascinating world of the US Government and included terrific moments of acting, writing, and staging. Anyone can find, somewhere in the show's 7 seasons, a debate on a topic that will engage their interest.
- CreatorJonathan NolanStarsJim CaviezelTaraji P. HensonKevin ChapmanAn ex-CIA agent and a wealthy programmer save lives via a surveillance AI that sends them the identities of civilians involved in impending crimes. However, the details of the crimes, including the civilians' roles, are left a mystery.This clearly reveals how much of The Dark Knight was the work of Jonathan Nolan, and in many ways it is the closest we'll get for a long time to a Batman television series.
- CreatorMatthew WeinerStarsJon HammElisabeth MossVincent KartheiserA drama about one of New York's most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.John Hamm is the head of a great ensemble, which tells the story of a time in American History that is just inside the memory of the baby-boom population. A warts-and-all portrait of the WWII generation, Mad Men is fantastic TV drama.
- CreatorVince GilliganStarsBryan CranstonAaron PaulAnna GunnA chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with a former student in order to secure his family's future.Bryan Cranston anchors a brilliantly well-written show. As some episodes open in the same scene the previous one ended the entire series feels like a massive, epic film. Brilliant and shocking.
- StarsScott GrimesDamian LewisRon LivingstonThe story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.Possibly the greatest American war film ever produced, the 10-episode series follows the amazing true story of Easy Company. When watching it, somewhere during episodes 5 and 6, viewers will realise they ware watching more than just an action story or a drama; Band of Brothers manages to surpass the classic war films of the past to create something entirely new.
- CreatorJames Manos Jr.StarsMichael C. HallJennifer CarpenterDavid ZayasHe's smart. He's lovable. He's Dexter Morgan, America's favorite serial killer, who spends his days solving crimes and nights committing them.Few shows manage to challenge the morality of the audience as often as Dexter. Mixing murder, comedy, sadism, drama, suspense, romance, and the philosophy of violence, Dexter is a deeply satisfying thriller. Season 4 is the best, but 2 and 5 were very good. Season 1 was great, and Season 3 has the positive addition of Jimmy Smitts (but the themes of that season were repeated to greater effect in season 5).
- CreatorGlen A. LarsonRonald D. MooreStarsEdward James OlmosMary McDonnellJamie BamberWhen an old enemy, the Cylons, resurface and obliterate the 12 colonies, the crew of the aged Galactica protect a small civilian fleet - the last of humanity - as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth.Starting with a genocide against humanity, the series then gets dark and suspenseful. One of those shows that can't be watched with commercials, and when seen on DVD requires to be watched non-stop, Battlestar Galactica is a good way to remove yourself from society and stop sleeping.
- CreatorMark GatissSteven MoffatStarsBenedict CumberbatchMartin FreemanUna StubbsThe quirky spin on Conan Doyle's iconic sleuth pitches him as a "high-functioning sociopath" in modern-day London. Assisting him in his investigations: Afghanistan War vet John Watson, who's introduced to Holmes by a mutual acquaintance.Only three episodes in series 1, but two of them are the best Sherlock Holmes stories I've ever seen. The leading pair are brilliantly original playing the famous crime-solving duo. The modern additions are seamlessly worked into the original character. I say to Martin Freeman, "Forget the Hobbit, make more Sherlock now."
- CreatorJoss WhedonStarsNathan FillionGina TorresAlan TudykFive hundred years in the future, a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the unknown parts of the galaxy and evade warring factions as well as authority agents out to get them.The godfather of all cancelled television shows, Firefly was continued in comic books and then in the film Serenity. All the extra content just serves to remind fans how much potential was lost. The always-watchable Nathan Fillion centers the great cast, and the story is prime Joss Whedon ensemble sci-fi. Here's hoping for the success of the Avengers leading Whedon to a successful return to TV.
- CreatorRon CowenDaniel LipmanRussell T. DaviesStarsGale HaroldHal SparksRandy HarrisonBrash humor and genuine emotion make up this series revolving around the lives, loves, ambitions, careers and friendships of a group of gay men and women living on Liberty Avenue in contemporary Pittsburgh, PA.The British series was great, but this US remake took all the best bits and made them better. The terrific cast has no weakest link, and it is also a landmark series for the uncensored content and stylish direction.
- CreatorJ.J. AbramsAlex KurtzmanRoberto OrciStarsAnna TorvJoshua JacksonJohn NobleAn F.B.I. agent is forced to work with an institutionalized scientist and his son in order to rationalize a brewing storm of unexplained phenomena.All the sci-fi of the X-Files, but with the added charm that J.J. Abrams and the Orci/Kurtzman team brought to Star Trek. Good mysteries that bounce between science fiction and science fact are backed up by a multi-season arch-plot that has developed wonderfully.
- CreatorSteven LevitanChristopher LloydStarsEd O'NeillSofía VergaraJulie BowenThree different, but related, families face trials and tribulations in their own uniquely comedic ways.It seems unfair to the rest of television that this series remains so funny through every episode. It could have been a cliche 90s mash-up of Will & Grace, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Married With Children. Instead it is a brilliant 21st Century revision of Will & Grace, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Married With Children.
- CreatorChuck LorreBill PradyStarsJohnny GaleckiJim ParsonsKaley CuocoA woman who moves into an apartment across the hall from two brilliant but socially awkward physicists shows them how little they know about life outside of the laboratory.It may have started as a cliche sitcom, but the Big Bang Theory has evolved into a terrific series. As the characters became more clear, the writing became more complex, and the geek-culture references became more indepth. Targeted for a very loyal core audience of geeks who "get it" this is a sitcom to be enjoyed for its inside jokes.
- CreatorDan HarmonStarsJoel McHaleDanny PudiDonald GloverA suspended lawyer is forced to enroll in a community college with an eccentric staff and student body.Hilarious and self-aware in a way even 30 Rock hasn't managed, this is the show that gave me new confidence in the genius that is Chevy Chase. The paintball episodes alone are worthy of mass praise, but the entire series has outdone itself over and over again.
- CreatorPaul AbbottJohn WellsStarsEmmy RossumWilliam H. MacyEthan CutkoskyA scrappy, feisty, fiercely loyal Chicago family makes no apologies.I really enjoyed the British series at first, but the show suffered a slow death after season 4. Characters were suddenly removed and awkwardly explained away and, by season 7, the main character was the second-youngest kid from the first season. Carl was great to watch, but the show just didn't have it. Seeing the American reboot bring the family back to the roots was a relief and the new cast filled the roles perfectly.
- CreatorTom FontanaStarsErnie HudsonJ.K. SimmonsLee TergesenA series chronicling the daily activities of an unusual prison facility and its criminal inhabitants.As shocking as any series is likely to be, Oz addresses themes that had never been touched before and will likely never be breached in the same way again. Extremely explicit, all 6 seasons were brilliantly done. It ends as good as it began, and that makes Oz one of a very few TV series without a "worst" season.
- CreatorBryan FullerStarsEllen MuthCallum BlueJasmine GuyAfter being hit on the head by a toilet seat that fell from Mir space station, a young temp clerk becomes a grim reaper in death.Cut short just when it was expanding to something bigger, Dead Like Me eventually saw a revival in direct-to-DVD movie form. That was a patch on the terrific cast dynamic of the original. All the characters, from Rube and George to Mason, Daisy and Roxy, were relatable and entertaining. The show itself deals with life, death, and grief in brilliantly original ways.
- CreatorIan BrennanBrad FalchukRyan MurphyStarsLea MicheleJane LynchMatthew MorrisonA group of ambitious misfits try to escape the harsh realities of high school by joining a glee club headed by a passionate Spanish teacher.The idea of a show where people break out into song didn't appeal to me, so I avoided Glee at first. Then I realised that the singing was done as a part of reality, or rationalized through dreams, instead of the Mamma Mia-style random singing. So I started watching. It has fallen off the rails recently, but there will always be that first terrific season.
- CreatorGene RoddenberryStarsPatrick StewartBrent SpinerJonathan FrakesSet almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.I also really enjoy Voyager, but TNG was the first non-Shatner series. New crew, new missions, and some of the best additions to the Star Trek universe including the Borg. The Picard-led crew also made two of the best pre-Abrams movies: Generations and First Contact.
- CreatorJosh FriedmanStarsLena HeadeyThomas DekkerSummer GlauSet after the events in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Sarah Connor and her son, John, try to stay under-the-radar from the government, as they plot to destroy the computer network, Skynet, in hopes of preventing Armageddon.Once again a series cut too short. This time with a cliffhanger ending. The series (particularly the second season) is superior to both Terminator 3 and Terminator: Salvation. As an alternate timeline it succeeds in the same way as JJ Abrams' first Star Trek film, by creating a new branch for fans of the original to explore their own ideas without damaging - or being slaves to - the original.
- CreatorDavid E. KelleyStarsJames SpaderWilliam ShatnerCandice BergenBoston Legal is a spin-off of the long-running David E. Kelley series The Practice (1997), following the exploits of former Practice character Alan Shore (James Spader) at the legal firm of Crane, Poole, and Schmidt.Proof that Shatner is the man, the first three seasons (and parts of seasons 4 and 5) are terrific television. The Denny/Allan relationship is hilarious and endearing, and supporting players including Candice Bergan help to make the show massively entertaining.
- CreatorJames L. BrooksMatt GroeningSam SimonStarsDan CastellanetaNancy CartwrightHarry ShearerThe satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.It's as old as I am, so the Simpsons is one of the longest-running shows in existence. Like a math class wave graph, the show has had its highs and lows. Highs like seasons 5-7, and lows like 12-19. There have always been moments of brilliance, but as crazier shows like Family Guy and 30 Rock appeared the Simpsons became old fashioned. Starting with the feature film, the show has seen a revival in its orginality.
- CreatorBonnie TurnerTerry TurnerStarsJohn LithgowJane CurtinKristen JohnstonA group of aliens is sent to Earth, disguised as a human family, to experience and report life on the third planet from the sun.Originally a mid-season replacement for a failed show, the basic premise and low budget produced one of the greatest first seasons of any sitcom. Later the show became silly, but it is still the classic piece of television that revealed John Lithgow's comedy brilliance and introduced the boy who would become Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
- StarsJohn CleesePrunella ScalesAndrew SachsHotel owner Basil Fawlty's incompetence, short fuse, and arrogance form a combination that ensures accidents and trouble are never far away.John Cleese left the Flying Circus in its last season and created this show with his then-wife after they had stayed in a country Inn and were witness to the craziness. Cleese is at his uptight best dealing with catastrophe after catastrophe.
- CreatorDiablo CodyStarsToni ColletteJohn CorbettRosemarie DeWittA woman struggles to find a balance between her dissociative identity disorder and raising a dysfunctional family.Each episode is only a half hour, each season is only 12 episodes, and it has been cancelled after only 3 seasons. The result leaves fans desperate for more about the lives led by Tara. Her family, particularly Kier Gilchrist as her son, are just as interesting. Perhaps extended seasons or longer episodes would be too much of a good thing, but this show (created by Juno writer Diablo Cody) is so good it hurts.
- CreatorTina FeyStarsTina FeyAlec BaldwinTracy MorganLiz Lemon, head writer of the sketch-comedy show "TGS with Tracy Jordan", must deal with an arrogant new boss and a crazy new star while trying to run a successful television show without losing her mind.Absurdity was given center stage when Tina Fey put together this comedy and added Alec Baldwin to the mix. Several seasons in it is impossible to imagine the show working without him, but at the time Baldwin didn't seem like the comedy type. How wrong I was.
- CreatorAndy BreckmanStarsTony ShalhoubJason Gray-StanfordTed LevineThe series follows Adrian Monk, a brilliant former San Francisco detective, who now consults the police as a private consultant whilst battling with an obsessive-compulsive disorder.Tony Shaloub took the quirky detective archetype to new levels of crazy, and he was rewarded with multiple Emmys for it. All the praise was deserved, since Monk was centered by a great performance but included tons of original mysteries and a solid supporting performance from Ted Levine.
- CreatorDavid AngellPeter CaseyDavid LeeStarsKelsey GrammerJane LeevesDavid Hyde PierceDr. Frasier Crane moves back to his hometown of Seattle, where he lives with his father and works as a radio psychiatrist.The first show that I can remember not dumbing itself down for a mass audience. Some people just didn't get the jokes, and that was fine with them. The show also includes some of the best physical humour - slapstick and screwball comedy - that has ever appeared on TV.
- CreatorRand RavichStarsDamian LewisSarah ShahiAdam ArkinDetective Charlie Crews was framed, convicted and cleared for a crime he didn't commit. Twelve years of hard time have given him a unique philosophy on life and criminal investigation. Now he's readjusting to a world that's moved on.Another series cut short, Life only made 2 seasons. Damian Lewis makes an endlessly entertaining lead detective with quirks to match Monk and detective skills to match Sherlock Holmes. Creative storylines and a good dynamic with supporting characters and recurring villains made this more than just another detective show.
- CreatorAaron SorkinStarsJeff DanielsEmily MortimerJohn Gallagher Jr.A newsroom undergoes some changes in its workings and morals as a new team is brought in, bringing unexpected results for its existing news anchor.