Top 25 Greatest TV Dramas Award Winning Shows

The digital television industry’s development brings excellent spiritual and commercial value to people. People’s need to enjoy art also follows that increase over time. That is why dramas are gradually becoming more refined in terms of scripts, images, colors, and sounds to meet the strict tastes of the public.

However, the nature of art is multivariable, their existence is valuable and has developed over time. That is why excellent television works have been handed down for decades despite going through many changes of the times.

Key Takeaways

• According to IMDb’s ranking of the 30 best TV dramas, The Sopranos is the highest-rated TV drama of all time.
• Another critically praised TV drama that constantly rates high on numerous lists of the best TV dramas ever filmed is The Wire.
• Another fan-favorite TV drama is Breaking Bad, which recounts the story of a high school chemistry teacher who turns to producing and selling meth to support his family.
• Another popular TV drama is Six Feet Under, a dark comedy-drama about the life of a dysfunctional family who own a funeral parlor.
• The West Wing, a political drama about the inner workings of the White House, is widely regarded as one of the best television dramas of all time.
• Another popular TV show is Game of Thrones, a fantasy drama that became a cultural phenomenon throughout its eight-season run.
• Another widely regarded TV drama is Mad Men, a period drama about the advertising world in the 1960s.
• Another popular TV show is The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian thriller about a woman living in a totalitarian state.
• Another fan-favorite TV drama is Twin Peaks, a surreal mystery drama about the death of a young woman in a tiny community.
• These top-rated TV dramas have made an indelible mark on the television industry with their captivating characters, sophisticated storylines, and powerful performances.

Here are the top 25 greatest TV dramas of all time.

1. Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad is an American long-running television series with a neo-Western style of crime drama directed and produced by Vince Gilligan. The work aired on AMC from January 20, 2008, to September 29, 2013, including five seasons with 62 episodes. Breaking Bad is set and filmed primarily in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

This film is considered the best television work of all time when both critics and the public highly appreciate it through all films. The series has received 16 Primetime Emmy Awards and 58 nominations, including wins for “Outstanding Drama Series” in 2013 and 2014. In addition, Breaking Bad also won two Peabody Awards in 2008 and 2013.

2. Dark

Dark is a German science horror television series co-created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese. The series premiered on the Netflix platform on December 1, 2017, and consisted of three seasons from 2017 to 2020.

The film explores the concept of existence through time travel and its effect on human nature. Thanks to the complex and ambitious script, unique visuals, acting, and soundtrack, Dark is one of the critically acclaimed TV series.

3. Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers is an American television series about the soldiers of Easy Company, the 101st Airborne Division of the United States, during World War II.

The film was first shown in 2001 and has been replayed many times. The series won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for best miniseries.

4. Chernobyl

Chernobyl is a historical drama miniseries written by Craig Mazin and directed by Johan Renck. The film is set in the Chernobyl nuclear disaster that occurred in April 1986 and the efforts to remedy its consequences.

Chernobyl is a series produced by HBO and Sky UK, premiering in the United States and the United Kingdom on May 6, 2019. The series won the Golden Globe Award for the “Best TV miniseries” category and received 19 nominations at the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards.

5. Fanny och Alexander

Fanny and Alexander (Swedish: Fanny ouch Alexander) is a 1982 historical drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. Initially, the film was assigned a 312-minute TV series; later, they created a 188-minute cut version for release in cinemas.

Since then, two film versions have been shown in theaters worldwide. The film received critical acclaim and won four Academy Awards, including “Best Foreign Language Film”, and three Guld Pris Awards, including “Best Picture,” among others.

6. Das Boot

Das Boot (English: “The Boat”) is a 1981 West German war film written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen. The film, set during World War II, follows U-96 and its crew as they set off on a dangerous patrol during the Battle of the Atlantic.

The film is adapted from the 1973 German novel by Lothar-Günther Buchheim based on his experience aboard the German submarine U-96. Das Boot was a commercial success and received generally positive reviews from critics. The film was nominated for an Oscar for “Best Director” and “Best Adapted Screenplay”.

7. Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks is an American mystical television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. The series follows an investigation, led by FBI Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) and local Sheriff Harry S. Truman (Michael Ontkean), into the murder of 

Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) in the nasty town. Twin Peaks structure, Washington.

The series premiered on ABC on April 8, 1990. Twin Peaks received fourteen nominations in its first season at the 42nd Primetime Emmy Awards.

8. Dekalog

Dekalog is a 1988 Polish dramatic television miniseries directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski and co-written with Krzysztof Piesiewicz. The catalog of the Ten Commandments inspires the series. Therefore, the series is divided into ten episodes for 1 hour each.

Each episode revolves around different characters who face moral or ethical dilemmas while living in the harsh conditions of a housing project in 1980s Poland. It is one of fifteen films classified in the “Value” category on the Vatican’s list of films and has received very positive reviews from critics.

9. The Twilight Zone 

The Twilight Zone is an American science horror television series created and presented by Rod Serling. The series was shown in five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964.

The Twilight Zone is considered by many to be one of the best TV series of all time. In 2016, the series was ranked 7th on the 100 Greatest Shows of All Time list and 12th in 2022 by Rolling Stones.

10. The Sopranos

The Sopranos is an American crime drama series directed by David Chase. The series premiered on HBO in 1999 and ran for six consecutive seasons with a total of 86 episodes until 2007. The plot of the series revolves around problems in the life of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a bandit Italian American in New Jersey.

In 2013, the Writers Guild of America named The Sopranos the best-written TV series. In 2016 and 2022, the series topped Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.

11. Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones is an American television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The film is based on the fantasy novel series “A Song of Ice and Fire” by author George R. R. Martin.

Game of Thrones has garnered record HBO viewers and a broad international fan base. The film received 47 Primetime Emmy Awards and many other prominent film nominations.

12. True Detective

True Detective is a crime drama television series produced and written by Nic Pizzolatto. The series aired on HBO in the United States and premiered in 2014.

The film is produced as a different anthology of stories; each True Detective season introduces a separate system of actors, characters, layout, and story. True Detective received critical acclaim from television critics. The series also received Emmy Award nominations for “Best Drama Series” and Golden Globe Award nominations for “Best Drama Series.”

13. Peaky Blinders

Peaky Blinders is a British crime drama film produced in 2013 by director Steven Knight. The film is set in the aftermath of World War I and revolves around the Shelby crime family in Birmingham.

The series premiered on September 12, 2013. In 2020 Peaky Blinders won the best drama award at the NTA and NME Awards.

14. Hannibal 

Hannibal is an American science horror television series produced in 2012 and developed by Bryan Fuller for NBC television.

The film revolves around Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) – an FBI special agent with the ability to detect the motive of murder at the scene and track down the serial killers who confront Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen). – a rogue and perverted forensic psychiatrist, culinary expert, cannibal, and serial killer.

The film received highly positive reviews and receptions from the public thanks to its dramatic and engaging storyline and the talented acting of the cast. In 2013, Hannibal won the Telly Award for TV Program, Segment, or Video/Television – Entertainment Category.

15. Six Feet Under

Six Feet Under is an American black comedy/drama television series created and produced by director Alan Ball, including five seasons from 2001 to 2005. The film’s content describes the life of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in 

Los Angeles, along with the relationships surrounding them.

The film was once on Time magazine’s list of 100 Best TV shows of ALL-TIME.

16. Pride and Prejudice 

Pride and Prejudice is a British television series adapted from the 1813 novel by Jane Austen by screenwriter Andrew Davies. The six-episode series was shown first in 1995 on BBC1 and A&E Network.

The film was a resounding success when it was critically acclaimed and positively received by the public. Pride and Prejudice have been honored with several awards, including the Emmy Award for “Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Miniseries or Feature Film”.

17. Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey is a British historical drama series set in the early 20th century. The series depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era in the country. The fictional Yorkshire of Downton Abbey from 1912 to 1926.

The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV in 2010 and the United States on PBS in 2011. Downton Abbey received generally positive reviews from television critics and won many awards, including the Golden Globe Award for “Best Miniseries or Television Series” and the Primetime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Miniseries or Television Series”.

18. The West Wing

The West Wing is an American political drama series aired on NBC from 1999 to 2006. The series has seven seasons, with 154 episodes created by Aaron Sorkin.

The film is set in the West Wing of the White House, under the fictional Democratic administration of President Josiah Bartlet. The West Wing has been ranked among the best TV shows in publications such as Time, TV Guide, Empire, Rolling Stone, and the New York Daily News.

19. Mad Men 

Mad Men is an American television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. The series has seven seasons, with 92 episodes first shown on AMC from 2007 to 2015.

Mad Men is a TV series that slowly revolves around the theme of commercials and dramatic secrets in the workplace, without a sensational plot but still has enough realistic appeal to attract the public’s attention. The series has won numerous awards, including 16 Emmy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards, and was voted one of the best TV series of all time.

20. Mr. Robot 

Mr. Robot is an American drama horror television series. The film revolves around Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and hacker suffering from social anxiety disorder and clinical depression. Elliot is recruited by a rebel anarchist known as “Mr. Robot” to participate in destroying all debt records by encrypting the financial data of E Corp, the world’s largest corporation.

The series has four seasons with 45 episodes that first show in 2015. Mr. The robot received a rain of critical acclaim and earned numerous accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Peabody Award.

21. Friends

Friends is an American situation comedy television series created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman. The film premiered on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in 1994. The film’s content mainly revolves around the social and emotional life of a group of 6 friends in their 20s living and working in Manhattan. , New York City.

The series appeared on Time magazine’s “100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time” list. They won many notable awards, including an American Comedy Award, a GLAAD Media Award, a Golden Globe Award, 2 Logie Awards, 6 Public Choice Awards, 1 Satellite Award, and 1 Screen Actors Guild Award.

22. The Crown

The Crown is a fantasy drama television series revolving around the life and historical reign of Queen Elizabeth II, created and written by Peter Morgan and produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television output for Netflix.

Currently, the show has shown four seasons with 40 episodes. Although the film was controversial for its historical correctness, it generally received positive reviews for its acting, visuals, and screenplay value. The series has also twice won the Golden Globe Award for Drama – Best Television Series at the 74th and 78th awards ceremonies.

23. Black Mirror

Black Mirror is a British television series created by Charlie Brooker, which premiered in 2011 and continues to the present. The film is set shortly with science fiction technology — speculative fiction.

The film received rave reviews from critics. According to Víctor Cerdán Martínez of Vivat Academia in 2018, Black Mirror is one of China’s five most-watched Western dramas.

24. Stranger Things

Stranger Things is an American science fiction-horror television series created by the Duffer Brothers and released on Netflix. The series first premiered in 2016 and currently has run for four seasons with a total of 34 episodes.

Stranger Things is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s, revolving around investigating a boy’s disappearance in the context of a series of supernatural events around his town. The series has received many significant awards and nominations, including ten Primetime Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations. The child actors in the film have also received countless awards and were shot to stardom in Hollywood.

25. Sherlock

Sherlock is a famous British television series set in modern times, based on the famous detective series Sherlock Holmes by writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The series has shown four parts with 14 episodes of 90 minutes each.

The film is widely received by the public worldwide, especially fans of the Sherlock Holmes detective series. The film received countless significant nominations, including three awards at the 2012 Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards.

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