Best All Time TV Drama series

[quickccc]

Breaking Bad

Every season was perfect, a bad episode wasn’t made, and it ended after just the right amount of time.

Truly Awesome show !! - characters extraordinaire:. Walter, Jessie, Saul, Gus, Mike, Hank, Tuco,
Hector and Skyler .etc.

All Well introduced and so very well developed.
Plot and story write was legendary, it never let up or had a down-sleeper episodes. it didn't fall into the traps
of fillers and tail end dragging and run out of last part of series that eventual shows like True Blood, Dexter
and Walking Dead seem to.

Even my 2nd best series , Game of Throne had a disappointing last season and season finale
with questionable moments and plot holes.
Breaking Bad just, kept great momentum and suspense and surprising twists.
going up into it's final season end. Even a great many shows seem like they wanted to hurry up
and put a end to their show, and end up falling apart at that point. But i never got that feeling
with Breaking Bad.

Man, i really luuuved Gus Fring (portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito) the ever calm, cunning and cool
as ice hell drug kingpin villain as i can remember in any series.
Even Vincent Philip D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin in Netflix's Daredevil wasn't as top end intriguing
as Gus Fring.
Though i loved how he cleverly met his demise, i also hated he was no longer in the picture.
He and Saul were the ones that had me watching Better Call Saul, the prequel to BB.

Two Thumps up ...Waaay Up !!

 

[JoeKing]

BB, hands down. I'd like to see a BB movie come out.

 

[CouchCoach]

Breaking Bad

Every season was perfect, a bad episode wasn’t made, and it ended after just the right amount of time.

I agree, especially with how and when they ended it. I was a big Sons of Anarchy fan but I think they went one season too long in ending it.

BB was actually the first series that I couldn't record them and watch back later, the spoiler could ruin the surprise. And they really did a great job on where they placed the surprises because we were conditioned to wait until the end of an episode or season and they changed the rules. The "Hank episode" stayed with me well after I watched it as I was awaiting a different showdown. They caught me again.

They also gave me a great payoff for watching for so long with an excellent last season and episode. I had no regrets. They took me from the original premise of what would I do if faced with what Walter was facing to the next step, a somebody from a nobody, a man of importance. Best series ever on the art of self seduction.

 

[rags747]

Sopranos. I much prefer bingeing than waiting week to week. No longer have much patience, rather watch them all over a few weeks time.

 

[CouchCoach]

Sopranos. I much prefer bingeing than waiting week to week. No longer have much patience, rather watch them all over a few weeks time.

Now, that's a different category because that was on subscription, we need to categorize this. Get into that arena and you've got Sopranos, GOT, The Wire but Band of Brothers was a limited series so that needs it's own category.

 

[morasp]

Bonanza
Rawhide
Daniel Boone
Hawaii Five-0 (classic+new)
Star Trek (all five)
Perry Mason
Rockford Files
Murder She Wrote
JAG
Walker Texas Ranger
The Saint (Roger Moore)
Adam-12
Emergency
Ironside
Magnum PI
Adam-12
Mission Impossible

 

[cowboyec]

Branded

 

[quickccc]

Now, that's a different category because that was on subscription, we need to categorize this. Get into that arena and you've got Sopranos, GOT, The Wire but Band of Brothers was a limited series so that needs it's own category.

naah, i'm not for restricting and defining iconic series such as Band of Brothers,
Shogun and Salem Lot as limited
We start doing that and then it's only a matter of time before series such as
True Blood American Horror Story, Dark Shadows, Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock,Night Gallery, and Walking Dead possibly becoming subjective.

 

[quickccc]

I agree, especially with how and when they ended it. I was a big Sons of Anarchy fan but I think they went one season too long in ending it.

BB was actually the first series that I couldn't record them and watch back later, the spoiler could ruin the surprise. And they really did a great job on where they placed the surprises because we were conditioned to wait until the end of an episode or season and they changed the rules. The "Hank episode" stayed with me well after I watched it as I was awaiting a different showdown. They caught me again.

They also gave me a great payoff for watching for so long with an excellent last season and episode. I had no regrets. They took me from the original premise of what would I do if faced with what Walter was facing to the next step, a somebody from a nobody, a man of importance. Best series ever on the art of self seduction.

- As much as i liked Saul the ever manipulative attorney at law, i had ..and stilll have a tough time getting into the show. Same BB creator and initially i was thrilled to have a prequel to such a legendary show such as BB.
But the pace, new characters doesn't add up to the workings of BB. i know that was a challenge, but that's the
challenge of bringing anything in related to BB.

- There are times where Better Call Saul was just too slow, lethargic, non-appealing, waay too late in plot write, developing characters and characters that just were not
that appealing (such as Saul's germaphobic brother) ..but i do admit that because of extraordinary previous character such as Gus Fring and Mike Ehrmantraut, and even Saul himself that kept me back to trying to endure (fast foward?) through BCS,.

- i love the idea of an origin of crooked, slick thinking attorney Saul Goodman as he is a great host of very intriguing characters of BB ..i loved the idea of seeing even more Gus ..but BCS because of the various holes in BCS, its is challenging to have to keep attention to it.

 

[jsb357]

Free TV regular series

MASH
to me more comedy than drama but no one can deny the impact it had

NYPD Blue and LA Law
both had a good run

China Beach

House
having worked in a hospital I generally don’t like medical shows, this one was the exception


Free TV Mini Series

Rich Man Poor Man
Roots
Lonesome Dove


Pay TV Regular Series

Sopranos
Game Of Thrones
Deadwood

True Blood
mostly for the eye candy… Deborah Ann Woll

I also liked Banshee
However some scenes were massively intense

John Adams


Pay TV Mini Series

True Detective Season 1 ( 2 & 3 were decent)
Season 1 at least once a year

Band of Brothers
At least once a year

The Pacific

For me, True Detective Season 1 is the measuring stick by how all shows are judged.
It is a high standard that few can come close to.


I have yet to see Breaking Bad and that is by design.
Everyone says I will like it. I hope they are right.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Well, I see no mention of Yellowstone, which is surprising to me. That is one of the best pieces of TV I've seen.

Also, for those who like SyFi, try out the new WestWorld.

 

[EGTuna]

Just Dramas.

1a. Breaking Bad.
1b. The Sopranos (had a handful or two of below average actors, e.g., Jackie Jr., AJ, and too many dream sequences to make 1a).
2. Mr. Robot
3. The Wire
4. Mad Men
5. Deadwood
6. Fargo
7. Better Call Saul
8. Justified
9. Narcos
10. The Shield

Honorable mention to shows that had a tremendous 1st season, still in the works, or just not quite top 10:
Homeland Season1. Amazing stuff, then steadily went downhill, then went back up a little.
Ozark. Season1 and 2 were very good. S3 was great. Renewed for 14 more episodes.
Stranger Things
Lost (if it came out in 2017 as a Netflix show so that it trimmed all the fat, probably would be even more terrific)
Six Feet Under (got kinda silly the last two seasons, but perhaps the best finale of all time)
True Detective S1 was truly transcendent. S2 was terrible, and S3 was solid.
Quarry. Only 1 season ever made, but it was a great show.
Bloodline s1 and s2.
Patriot and Perpetual Grace, LTD. Two shows done by Steven Conrad that wholly unique, dark and hilarious.

 

[EGTuna]

BB, hands down. I'd like to see a BB movie come out.

El Camino? You see that on Netlfix?

 

[JoeKing]

El Camino? You see that on Netlfix?

I'm talking about a movie at the cinema theater, not a two hr Netflix production. Yes, I saw El Camino. It was alright, I'm glad Jessie made it to Alaska. The posthumous appearance of Robert Forster, I found the most interesting.

 

[CouchCoach]

- As much as i liked Saul the ever manipulative attorney at law, i had ..and stilll have a tough time getting into the show. Same BB creator and initially i was thrilled to have a prequel to such a legendary show such as BB.
But the pace, new characters doesn't add up to the workings of BB. i know that was a challenge, but that's the
challenge of bringing anything in related to BB.

- There are times where Better Call Saul was just too slow, lethargic, non-appealing, waay too late in plot write, developing characters and characters that just were not
that appealing (such as Saul's germaphobic brother) ..but i do admit that because of extraordinary previous character such as Gus Fring and Mike Ehrmantraut, and even Saul himself that kept me back to trying to endure (fast foward?) through BCS,.

- i love the idea of an origin of crooked, slick thinking attorney Saul Goodman as he is a great host of very intriguing characters of BB ..i loved the idea of seeing even more Gus ..but BCS because of the various holes in BCS, its is challenging to have to keep attention to it.

I agree, Saul moves a little too slowly at times and the time vested doesn't really deliver a payoff. I am so far along in it that I am in it to see when BCS collides with BB. Add to this, I am not seeing a lot of great things to watch so BCS wins by default.

 

[Tabascocat]

Criminal Minds
Lost
ER
True Detective(season one)
Yellowstone
Blacklist
The Sopranos
GoT
The X-Files
Person of Interest
Fringe

and last but not least........Miami Vice

 

[Creeper]

The Sopranos was great until the last season.

Game of Throes was beyond great for the 1st 4 seasons. 6 ft. Under was also great for a while then went off the rails.

But both series soiled were ruined by how they ended.

If greatness is measured by the effect on the psyche, then OZ is the winner. That show gave me nightmares.

The Wire was really good.
But I'd go with Chernobyl, which was too short to shoot itself in the foot, but for what it was, it was really well done.

Roots was good in its day too.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

Bonanza
Rawhide
Daniel Boone
Hawaii Five-0 (classic+new)
Star Trek (all five)
Perry Mason
Rockford Files
Murder She Wrote
JAG
Walker Texas Ranger
The Saint (Roger Moore)
Adam-12
Emergency
Ironside
Magnum PI
Adam-12
Mission Impossible

Good choices.

 

[Boom]

1) Breaking Bad
2) The Sopranos
3) Six Feet Under
4) The Wire
5) Seinfeld
6) Game of Thrones (Seasons 1-7 = #2)
7) Curb Your Enthusiasm
8) The Office (US)
9) M*A*S*H
10) Arrested Development
11) Friends
12) The Shield
13) Sons of Anarchy
14) Justified
15) The Americans
16) Star Trek: Original
17) I Love Lucy
18) Chapelle's Show
19) Cheers
20) Star Trek: TNG
21) Better Call Saul
22) Fargo
23) Rick and Morty
24) True Detective
25) Scrubs (Season 1-8)
26) Dexter
27) CSI: Las Vegas
28) Happy Days
29) Good Times
30) The Jeffersons

 

[quickccc]

The Sopranos was great until the last season.

Game of Throes was beyond great for the 1st 4 seasons. 6 ft. Under was also great for a while then went off the rails.

But both series soiled were ruined by how they ended.

If greatness is measured by the effect on the psyche, then OZ is the winner. That show gave me nightmares.

The Wire was really good.
But I'd go with Chernobyl, which was too short to shoot itself in the foot, but for what it was, it was really well done.

Roots was good in its day too.

i would have ranked GOT. even ahead of Breaking Bad if it were not for the questions and flaws of the very last season series, which even the more devoted GOT fans had to complain how after all the terrific fashioned way of build up -such with the family origin mystery of Jon Snow as an unknown Targaryen and add to what became the fate of Cersei Lannister . the conclusion of the entire series ended up coming out so flat, very confusing, and seemed like a pointless lack of effort. Totally non-climatic as a whole.. That gave the impression that the writers were growing weary of thinking out the final brilliant exploits and wanted to hurry it up and get it over with. Even the awesome (though too visually dark) final battle of Winterfell couldn't make up for what the writers surprisingly plotted as the eventual ending.

As much as i've praised BB for its' host of intriguing characters, it doesn't compare to that number and level of characters that GOT possessed (Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen the family Lannisters, the family Starks,.. King Joffrey, ..Tully family,.. Brienne of Tarth,...Ser Jorah Mormont, Theon , Davos, Ramsey, Night King, etc) and GOT had some mythical CGI images (Dragons, Krakens, Giants, Grumpkins ) and special effect if you liked that element.
When you combined the incredible cast of characters to the story write plot that were so masterful in the series prior to the finale season,.. there isn't ANY series that could have come close to comparing with GOT.