Top 10 Drama Shows

The Sopranos

A little jittery in the opening two series, delving as it does into the realm of the soap opera, The Sopranos nevertheless finds it's feet in series 3-6, and in the process becomes the greatest TV drama of all time. A must-see, a life-changer.

Twin Peaks

David Lynch's brilliant, bizarre soap opera deserves its place on this list for basically being like no other show I have ever seen. The main plot, the investigation of the murder of Laura Palmer, was ever-present but it's the bizarre characters - such as the lady who carries a log around, the backwards talking dwarf - and the utterly weird goings-on that made this so memorable. Nearly 20 years later I'm still struggling to figure it all out.

The Wire

Grittier, less glamorous and a damn-sight harder to follow without subtitles than The Sopranos, The Wire is a Baltimore-set drama with oodles of wit, suspense and intelligence that will hook you like a bass to a maggot.

Mad Men

This one's attracted a real cult following, and if you like your American dramas to be thought-provoking and intelligent then Mad Men - set in a 1960s ad agency in New York - more than fits the bill. One of the best shows around at the moment as far as I'm concerned.

Californication

ER

Quite aside from the fact that this is a splendid medical drama (created by Michael Crichton, the man who gave the world Jurassic Park and countless other best-sellers), ER is famous for turning one George Clooney from a virtually unknown actor into an Oscar-winning household name. Although the series continued to go from strength to strength even after he left.

Dexter

The Killing

Danish crime caper featuring - somewhat predictably for this genre - the death of an attractive 20-something girl, and subsequent search for a culprit. Beautifully shot, very well acted and altogether more satisfying than the stock American dramas that have flooded our screens for the last 20 years.

Spooks

It's not just the Americans who can do action-packed, gadget-laden crime drama - Spooks proves that the Brits are just as good at that kind of thing. It's a powerful show which often tackles controversial subject matter - but since our protagonists seem to spend most of their time fighting terrorists, did you honestly expect it to be light entertainment?