Best Television Drama Series - APT

[BoSoxGal]

Sorry if this has been done; with the load time I couldn't go through 17 pages of threads to check.

Anyway, despite my recent vow of minimalist anti-materialism, I recently ordered the complete boxed set of Homicide: Life on the Streets. (It's unavailable on Netflix or iTunes.)

Definitely one of the top five American TV drama series ever aired, IMHO. One of my personal favorites; I'd be hard pressed to think of another drama series I'd place ahead of it.

[dales]

"The Fugitive"

[Sue U]

As much as I loved Homicide, The Wire was better, I think.

[BoSoxGal]

I have only seen the first season of The Wire, but I did find it tremendously compelling. I look forward to viewing the rest, and would also like to see The Corner.

I guess I'm just a huge David Simon fan.

[Lord Jim]

[Rick]

Throughout my life I have enjoyed many

Combat and Rat Patrol (around the 3rd or 4th grade I do remember Rat Patrol was in color and our neighbors had a color TV)

While over seas The Fugitive (it was offered in simulcast)

I used to watch CSI Las Vegas and Criminal Minds (too many cast changes)

Currently NCIS, NCIS LA, Person of Interest, unforgettable (cause of Poppy Montgomery) and of course House (unfortunately till the end of this season)

[dgs49]

I have enjoyed House over the past few years, but the writers have simply thrown in the towel this year. They are writing improbable crap, imbuing House with supernatural powers...and by the way providing a last view of him as someone who is deeply disturbed, with almost no redeeming personal qualities. If there ever was a dramatic personality who deserved to get the shit kicked out of him, week after week, he is it.

Right now, of the dramas that I watch, I think The Good Wife is the most consistently excellent, followed by Blue Bloods and Person of Interest.

My wife is a fan of Shonda Rimes (or however she spells it), but the more I watch her programs the more I long for a reinvigoration of the Death Penalty.

On cable, I haven't seen anything better than The Wire, and I am enjoying Treme when it is available. Dexter is entertaining but not particularly meritorious. But there are a lot of highly recommended cable series that I haven't gotten into yet. I've come to prefer waiting until they are done and renting an entire season when its available.

[Gob]

All 17 episodes on 10 discs in thinpaks
New 60-page Limited Edition series companion guide, fully illustrated with extensive episode guides and complete with liner notes detailing the many hidden mysteries behind the series, plus a new, deluxe fold-out map of The Village
Ultra-rare original footage of the 1966 location shooting, accompanied by commentary with Bernie Williams
Bonus program: "The Prisoner Video Companion"
Rare, alternate version of the episode "The Chimes of Big Ben"
Rarely seen "Foreign File Cabinet" footage
Rarely seen "textless" intro & outro
Original broadcast trailers
Original series promotional trailer
Gallery of original production and promotional materials
Production stills galleries
Interactive map of the Village
Prisoner trivia

Glorious. My one bugbear is there's no subtitles on it.

[Gob]

All 17 episodes on 10 discs in thinpaks
New 60-page Limited Edition series companion guide, fully illustrated with extensive episode guides and complete with liner notes detailing the many hidden mysteries behind the series, plus a new, deluxe fold-out map of The Village
Ultra-rare original footage of the 1966 location shooting, accompanied by commentary with Bernie Williams
Bonus program: "The Prisoner Video Companion"
Rare, alternate version of the episode "The Chimes of Big Ben"
Rarely seen "Foreign File Cabinet" footage
Rarely seen "textless" intro & outro
Original broadcast trailers
Original series promotional trailer
Gallery of original production and promotional materials
Production stills galleries
Interactive map of the Village
Prisoner trivia

Glorious. My one bugbear is there's no subtitles on it.

We visited Porthmeirion, the mock-Italian village where the Prisoner was shot, on one of our trips to the UK. Fantastic place, and they do not over use the Prisoner connection. In fact there is one shop selling souvenirs of The Prisoner, and that's it.

[BoSoxGal]

I have The Prisoner on DVD, after previous CSB recommendations by you folks; I still haven't got round to watching it, though. It was packed away a long time and I just found it. I'll put it next in line after Homicide.

[Daisy]

Fringe. I know its more Sci-Fi than drama, but the drama part, more than the SF leaves me gasping for air and arms flailing every single episode.

Brilliant show.

Also can Doctor Who qualify as Drama?

[Long Run]

Justified, best thing going now.
Others that are better than good most of the time:
The Sopranos
The Shield
Rescue Me
Sports Night
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Boomtown
Homicide (clearly a cut above good shows like Law & Order)
Dexter

Hard to judge shows that were excellent for their time, but don't seem as good as the art they pioneered (e.g., Hill Street Blues, Star Trek). Still good, just not worth getting the box set.

It is hard to compare the British shows that are produced on a less regular basis, but some of the best
The Prisoner
Morse
Prime Suspect

[Gob]

Also can Doctor Who qualify as Drama?

Only if you are 9 1/2.

[Gob]

This has to be the best Brit drama in many years.

Check also, "Wire in the Blood", and "New Tricks".

[BoSoxGal]

Loved Wire in the Blood, & Prime Suspect is in my top 5 all time favorites.

I guess I have a thing for crime dramas?

[Crackpot]

Which reminds me:

The Wire

[Daisy]

Also can Doctor Who qualify as Drama?

Only if you are 9 1/2.

[Crackpot]

You do realize that means it's far to advanced for him right?

[Lord Jim]

Speaking of sci fi drama series...

I've become a fan of Battlestar Galactic....

I didn't warm to it when it was on Sci Fi originally, (I liked the original Battlestar Galactica back in the late 70's and I didn't initially care for this dark "re-imagining"...)

But I started to get into it as it's been re-broadcast on BBC America... (what the justification for showing it on BBC America is, I don't know....)

And even though it can become quite confusing at times, (with all the time jumps, and actors playing multiple Cylon characters) it really was a very good series...

The episodes focused on "The Trial Of Guyas Baltar" after his stint as a Quisling leader on New Caprica, and the way they tried to resolve the moral issues that arose from that whole experience, I thought were particularly well done....

(I'm also a big fan of Mary McDonnell; I think she has one of the dead sexiest voices of all time)

[loCAtek]

Not much into Dramas, maybe 'cause you can't be much into television, when you can't afford it... but I remember M*A*S*H, that show never jumped the shark, and always stayed relevent. Once when my mom was hospitalized, she watched that show four times a day, when it was so popular it was syndicated on multiple channels.