Here are a list of my top 5 favorite TV drams The first two are virtually a tie in my mind, but I had to pick one. Again, these are my favorite shows, not what I necessarily consider the best!
1. The Sopranos- Talk about drama. Look up the word "drama" in the dictionary and you'll find the Sopranos in the description (or at least should). Each week was gritty, occasionally violent, and completely engaging. Probably TV's first R-rated show. Although a couple of the final years dropped off a notch in quality, and the series finale somewhat controversial, the entire run of the show was highly entertaining. Great acting, top notch writing....and only one Best Drama Emmy? Read on....2. West Wing- A close second, and the reason why The Sopranos only won one Best Drama Emmy. It's funny, but there was a time when I refused to watch the West Wing because it kept defeating The Sopranos! But when I finally got around to watching it, I was hooked. By that time, the show had come out on DVD, and I was renting them left and right in order to get caught up. Like the Sopranos, a couple of the final seasons were a little weaker, but overall the show provided a fascinating look into the lives and work of the staff of a (fictitious) U.S. President. Sure, it was based on a democratic White House, but it was written well enough for right-wingers to enjoy.
3. Rockford Files- One of my must-see shows in the 70's. Loved the combination of drama and dry humor throughout the show about the weekly cases of private eye Jim Rockford (James Garner). Rockford was an every day, easy to relate guy, which was a big part of the shows appeal. He would frequently get hit, hurt and cheated on, but he always managed to solve the crime.
4. Hill Street Blues- Ground breaking, realistic police drama about the goings on of a New York police station. This show had some of the most memorable characters in TV history (Belker, LaRue, Renko, Furillo, etc.). The acting and writing were superb. The show wasn't shy about killing off it's stars either, which provided some of the most shocking and at the same time emotional episodes on dramatic TV. Probably the first real gritty, violent show on TV. Paved the way for several other shows (NYPD Blue, Law & Order, etc.)
5. L.A. Law- Another well written, well acted show featuring the daily activity of a Los Angeles Law Firm. If you like courthouse drama, this is your show. Takes Perry Mason to another level, although it wasn't shy to slip in some pretty funny humor from time-to-time. Once most of the major stars left the show in the early 90's, the final two seasons were a bit weaker. But overall, a very enjoyable drama that I watched on a regular basis.
Honorable mention (no particular order): E.R., Lou Grant, Thirtysomething, NYPD Blue, Mission Impossible, Northern Exposure, Perry Mason, Quincy, McMillan & Wife, Police Story, Adam 12, Mad Men, Ellery Queen (anyone remember this?), LOST, Emergency!, Highway to Heaven, This is Us, The Crown.
So those are my five all-time favorite TV dramas. Feel free to chime in with yours and why you chose them!
JW
