

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.




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.


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.