After years of being known only as the “idiot box” or the “boob tube,” television has finally received the respect it deserved. Here are some of the greatest shows ever produced on this medium.
1. The Sopranos
Throughout its six-year run on HBO, The Sopranos won audiences over with its complex characters and innovative writing style. Considered one of the best TV shows ever made, its legacy lives on.
James Gandolfini stars as Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob boss attempting to balance family life and running his Mafia organization while dealing with panic attacks, infidelity, and violence.
Before The Sopranos, television was generally reluctant to embrace crime dramas with dark themes or characters with internal struggles that resonated with viewers. David Chase’s masterpiece challenged this by offering audiences an antihero who still managed to draw them in with his inner turmoil; setting the precedent for future gritty series such as Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones.
2. The Wire
David Simon and Ed Burns created this intense drama, which descended into the murky waters of drug wars, social inequality, political corruption, police department bureaucracy, and police department bureaucracy. It provided a complex examination of an entire city with particular focus given to schools and media institutions. Many viewers appreciated its in-depth look into such places as schools and media organizations.
However, The Wire may not be for everyone and its slow-burning narrative style may have resulted in lower individual episode ratings than some of the other shows on this list. Still, its legacy lives on today!
Criminality as an analogy for business was depicted as an evolutionary struggle wherein weak were crushed while strong increased their power – something which occurs when cultures lose faith in an idea of original accumulation.
3. Oz
Before The Wire came along, Oz was the pioneering example of scripted TV shows existing outside the broadcast network ecosystem. Created by St. Elsewhere and Homicide: Life on the Street veteran Tom Fontana, this gritty prison drama allowed audiences to get close up with some of television’s most unsavory individuals – from sadistic white supremacist Vern Schillinger to menacing gangster Jefferson Keane.
Before there was ER, Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs or any of the other medical dramas out there like it (ER, Grey’s Anatomy etc) there was Oz. This series by Jenji Kohan expertly captured all the chaos, tragedy and occasional humor associated with emergency room medicine while showing viewers that characters like Taylor Schilling’s Piper (played by Taylor Schilling himself) could still have compelling stories to tell on screen.
4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy became a critical and commercial success at a time when television was still struggling to develop its own teen-oriented genre, thanks to its clever writing, female empowerment themes, and teenage drama — giving even its seemingly ridiculous premise real emotional weight.
The show became well known for its “monster of the week” structure, often featuring characters with complex backstories that developed over time. Furthermore, this show pushed boundaries on what could be depicted of women characters on television while still making room for their weaknesses and quirks.
Sarah Michelle Gellar’s performance as Buffy bridged yearning and guardedness while remaining steely yet open and vulnerable – giving the character real depth.
5. NYPD Blue
Following in the footsteps of Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue brought to light the personal side of New York City police detective work. Most episodes followed two detectives and integrated their personal relationships into professional ones.
Over its 12-year run, NYPD Blue was defined by two characters who consistently made appearances – Det. John Kelly played by iconic David Caruso and alcoholic Detective Andy Sipowicz portrayed by Dennis Franz.
These characters broke TV taboos and helped pave the way for future antiheroes. Additionally, they gave Gordon Clapp, Amy Brenneman, and Kim Delaney an outlet. The series won numerous Emmy awards while garnering creator Steven Bochco an illustrious career.
6. Orange is the New Black
Orange is the New Black was a smash success during its initial two seasons on Netflix and marked its entry into original programming with groundbreaking themes of class, race and sexuality that transcended boundaries with ease that would otherwise be unthinkable in today’s cookie-cutter TV shows.
Jenji Kohan made an astute choice in giving each character on her show their own arcs, like perpetually vulnerable yet hopeful Piper (Uzo Aduba), troubled Sophia (Uzo Aduba), Cindy’s mistreatment by the system (Kate Mulgrew) and Taystee’s wisecracking humor (Danielle Brooks). Even during a nightmarish prison riot season or the eventual loss of Poussey, emotions remained authentic and tears earned.
With themes of sexuality, drugs, and violence at its center, this high-quality prison dramedy is best suited to adults who can cope with its language, nudity, and strong plot lines.
7. Squid Game
As soon as news broke that Squid Game, an award-winning South Korean drama about an explosive competition based on children’s games, would be made into a reality show, some feared it would fall short. A real life version wouldn’t be about classicism and greed; instead it’d likely become more about spectacle and pageantry than suspense.
Studio Lambert and Netflix have produced Squid Game into an eye-opening and often gripping drama series, Squid Game. Although not intended as an analysis of capitalism, it does show how desperate some individuals can become when given the chance of extraordinary wealth. Friendships are broken and enemies arise while also showing players’ true motivations for entering this particular game.