Top 10 Drama Shows
- The Top1043
- Caroline Westbrook’s version
- Your version
×Life On Mars
One of the best dramas to come out of the UK in years, Life On Mars was as memorable for its retro costumes and cars as it was for its thrilling storylines and frankly baffling central plot. It wasn't really until the end of spin-off series Ashes To Ashes that the loose ends were neatly tied up. It was worth the wait though.
×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.
×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.
×Inspector Morse
This is the kind of show British TV does so well, with John Thaw giving a career best performance as the titular detective with a fondness for real ale and cryptic crosswords. Plus of course it did wonders for the town of Oxford.
×Pride and Prejudice
Best drama doesn't necessarily have to mean a long-running series - and however much the Jane Austen classic may have been filmed in the past, the 1995 TV adaptation remains the definitive version and reminds us just how well the Brits can do costume drama. Although most female viewers remember it for the sight of Colin Firth in a soggy shirt.
×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.
×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?
×24
This one earns its place on the list for its ingenious 'real-time' premise - the one which saw it run for eight successful seaosns. As Jack Bauer, Kiefer Sutherland was certainly put through the mill as he cracked a series of complex crimes over the course of a single day - although in eight real-time series nobody once saw him eat or go to the toilet. Poor bloke must be bursting.
×LA Law
A staple of late 80s and early 90s TV, LA Law dealt with some thorny topics but nonetheless remained very watchable, even injecting frequent bursts of humour into its courtroom proceedings. Too bad this one isn't yet out on DVD.
×Homicide: Life On The Street
Before the likes of The Wire and The Sopranos came along there was Homicide, a cop drama which had the same kind of hard-hitting, gritty approach to its subject matter. In the face of bigger, flashier shows this one has been somewhat overlooked but I recommend you check it out as it's a terrific show.
