Over 125 of the Most Intelligent TV Dramas

A 4-part British political thriller with Gabriel Byrne doing his genius Gabriel Byrne thing.

Excellent. All around. I'm a big fan of Bernard Cornwell's books, so this was a shoo-in for me and it didn't disappoint except that the first season was too short.

Powerful story.

Always charming.

Fabulous cast. Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar are a terrific team.

One of the better political thrillers.

Great in the first season. When John Goodman leaves the cast, it loses a little momentum, but the writers develop the lesser characters, played by an excellent cast, who really step us and shine.

Benedict Cumberbatch is superb in this thriller set in the near future where being 'safe' from terrorism has been used to form a totalitarian State.

This series had me hooked. Kevin Bacon & James Purefoy are spellbinding pitted against each other. Purefoy outstandingly pulls off a plausible portrayal of the charismatic serial killer with a cult following & Bacon demonstrates his breadth as an actor as the flawed, tenacious FBI agent with a complicated, personal stake in catching him.

At the 3rd season, this series falls to my "Should have quit while they were ahead" list.

A new series by Jimmy McGovern, (Cracker, The Lakes, The Accused), I've added it here after only the first episode, something I rarely do. Set in Australia in the 1800s, it's about the first English penal colony, it's a seven part series with great potential.

For lovers of Gothic literature, variations on Mary Shelly's idea are always intriguing. This seems to be done with some intelligence too.

Caveat: Given that he's the main character, I doubt Sean Bean will die in this mini-series until the last episode... ;-D

Great Cold War thriller. But, then, I'm a big Brian Cox fan.

5-part BBC series for all you Benedict Cumberbatch fans.

If you liked "I, Claudius" then Rome will be a feast. They made a successful attempt at authenticity and historical accuracy, but more importantly, this series is character-driven with superb acting from the whole cast. Its genius is that it follows common folk as well as the nobility so that we come to know that period in history in a new way. Even more brilliant was that the writers, directors and actors made me love the villains (and villainesses) as much as the heroes, (though I confess, Pullo (Ray Stevenson) was my favorite and I couldn't wait to see what Ian McNeice as The Newsreader was going to do next.) Although not a comedy by any means, there was still plenty of choice lines that made me laugh out loud, including the last line of the final episode. Don't miss this series.

“ This one gets 9 stars right out of the gate. This series is sterling on all fronts--writing, directing, acting--for the entire season. How can you go wrong with Paul Giamatti, Maggie Siff and Damian Lewis?

9 stars.

Sophisticated and intelligent. Intriguing, intimate approach without the cliche Hollywood glitz. The sex scenes further the plot without being gratuitous or exploitative, The script and acting employ subtlety and nuance without being obtuse. This could be a great series.

9 stars.

Great premise. Franco is really good, getting better with time. I was hooked after the pilot because the premise is fascinating. The consequences of trying to change the past to save the future seem to be what drives each episode. It's an interesting concept that the past fights back. With pros like Bridget Carpenter & Stephen King writing the screenplays, I'll bet on this one to be a winner.

9 stars.

Staying true to Le Carre's novel, this series is tight, taunt, tense and masterfully done by all the players--including writer David Farr and director Susanne Bier. Hugh Laurie is especially believable as Roper--a role that can only be played right by an actor with power. The rest of the cast is equally superb. One of the best of 2016 so far.

9 stars

There isn't a name for the genre of H & P -- a contemporary Chekhov? IDK. What it IS is brilliant. Louis C.K.'s genius for both dialogue and the dynamics between characters, (played by a revolving cast of the best actors in the biz), the relevance of the topics, the extreme intimacy of the emotions and secrets revealed all come together on basically one stage--the Irish pub, Horace & Pete's. You have to watch it to understand why it's not easily described. It's most definitely FRESH and unlike any other TV show I've seen. I'm hooked and can't wait for the next episode.

9 stars.

Spin off of the Jack Irish movies with all of the same colorful characters (many played by the same actors) that Aussies have come to love. Great writing, acting & directing.

8 1/2 stars.

Gritty, tightly scripted, sterling acting & direction. Constant tension kept me on the edge of my seat.

The story is based on the Oscar-nominated 2010 thriller of the same title written by David Michôd's, who is also writer, director and executive producer with Jonathan Lisco (Halt and Catch Fire, Southland).

I've seen the film recently and this series is both different and even better. Finn Cole (Peaky Blinders) as the main character is riveting, making me care about him from the very first scene. Ellen Barkin is perfect as the maternal head of these surfing gangsters. Shawn Hatosy (Southland) as Pope, is menacing as the ticking time bomb. Scott Speedman (Last Resort) as Baz anchors this turbulent crime family. This show goes to the top of my list for the summer shows.

Series Premiere Tue, Jun 14 at 9:00 PM on TNT or catch it on Amazon.

9 stars.

Excellent in every aspect. Great characters and, of course, gorgeous surroundings. One of the best historical dramas I've ever seen.

10 stars.

If you don't get dark, twisted, sardonic British humor, you'll miss the major appeal of this female gang of coppers. All are wildly flawed and brilliant at the same time. Great acting, writing (the best dialogue I've heard in ages) and direction.

9 stars.

Fantastic premise and plot. Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones is very believable as is David Tennant as the evil Kilgrave. I'm not normally a fan of super-hero stories, but this series by Netflix is well done, although a couple of episodes too long.

8 stars.

The opening scene in the first episode of Season 2 is a spectacular start to an even better season--as long as you don't expect historical accuracy. Benedict Wong who plays Kubla Khan is absolutely brilliant.

SEASON 2 starts 7/1

10 stars.