Top ten television dramas

I found this list incredibly difficult and had to make some tough decisions (Sorry Homicide, X-Files and Veronica Mars). Also, I had this notion of putting things like ER or NYPD Blue on, even though I only watched a few seasons of both, but because those seasons were so strong, I felt like putting them on. However, that is not really how it works. If I did not watch the show all the way through, how could it really be a favorite of mine? The list does include 4 shows that are currently running, but I have faith in all of them. Alright, here we go.

10. Gilmore Girls- Correct, I have not yet seen all the way through the show's final season, but it belongs on this list. It is a funny, sad, beautifully written show with rich characters and an insane town of quirky people. Yet, it belongs on this list mostly because of how I watched it. It is a show my little sister and I watch together and that makes it more special for me. The show on its own is excellent, but that added personal touch makes it always watchable. Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham are a picture perfect mother and daughter team and everyone else just fell into place. I do love the rapid fire patter of the dialogue, but the show also had some great dramatic moments as well.

9. Dexter- Season four is about 5 or 6 episodes in and it just keeps getting better and better. I know some people had issues with season 3, but I think those people are stupid. Michel C. Hall's performance as Dexter is so incredible that I wonder if Michael C. Hall secretly moonlights as a serial killer. The show creates mood and tension as well as any other show and it is very weird that at times, I actually feel for Dexter. I want him to keep getting away with his crimes. The show has done a great job with the guest stars, getting amazing work out of Jimmy Smits and now John Lithgow, but the show is at its best when Dexter is juggling how to be a serial killer and the kind of guy everyone likes and trusts. I have no idea how this show will eventually turn out, but as long as it stays this creativey on fire, I am in for the long haul.

8. Lost- The only reason this show is so low on the list is because of the weak openings to seasons 2 and 3. When the show is good it is one of the best, but sadly, there are just too many bad moments to get higher on my list. Creatively the show really hit its mark in season 4 and has been burning ever since. The show has great rich characters and exciting action to go with a whole series of frustrating questions and unfinished storylines. I am not sure if the creators and writers can ever fully bring this show to an end and satisfy everyone, but I am excited to see how they try to do it this season. The show has been groundbreaking in how it uses the Internet to continue the story for people and I am sure the writers' room looks insane with trying to remember everything that has happened. When the show decided to fully embrace its sci-fi roots and have time travel, I was like, damn this just got even more awesome." Of course, having a villain/hero/whatever he is like Benjamin Linus, you are going to have some awesome things going on.

7. Supernatural- Taking its cues from shows like The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural has a very basic premise: two brothers travel the country killing demons, ghosts, vampires and all such other creatures of the night. Set to a classic rock soundtrack, and featuring a bad ass car, Supernatural has created one of my favorite television worlds. Like Buffy, every season has one big bad guy or storyline and then a whole slew of one-off episodes ranging from horrifically scary to absolutely hilarious and everywhere in between. The writing is strong and the two guys do some excellent genre acting. Every week the show creates an awesome tone and the tone changes from week to week. I love that the show is not afraid to get totally off the wall goofy having Paris Hilton in an episode, but also getting very serious having discussions about God and Satan and whether or not Man is worth saving. This is supposed to be the final season, but because of ratings, I doubt The CW will let it go. Personally, I am not ready to see The Winchester boys ride off into the sunset.

6. Angel- First of all, I love this show because it became very different from Buffy. The tone may have been similar, but this show always felt a bit darker than Buffy. Every season had a very distinct mood and the show was cancelled at least a season too soon. Angel fully embraced the idea of other worlds and became very much wrapped up in a mythology of an Angel with a soul. Angel was a good character on Buffy, but I felt that when he moved to Los Angeles, he really became more interesting. I thought the dynamic of Angel and Cordelia was fascinating and when Wesley joined, the show really started cooking. Every time they added a character, I thought it felt natural and completely understandable and even the move to running Wolfrom and Hart in Season 5 was absolutely the way the show was supposed to go. When the show ended prematurely, I was devastated, but I still have 5 seasons to watch over and over.

5. The Shield- This was the first show on Cable that I remember watching. I vividly remember the first scene of the first episode and thinking "Oh shit, this is serious television." Then later in that same episode our lead cop beat a guy with a phone book and I could not believe what I was watching. If Dexter worked hard to make everyone like him, Vic Mackey constantly dared everyone to hate him. He killed people, stole money, beat up any criminal in his path, cheated on his wife and was constantly under investigation, but he was smart. He was tough and had friends who would do anything for him. His crew was tight, until it wasn't. The final three seasons were so amazing it was hard to see it end, but it ended in such a perfect way, I felt at peace with it. Every actor hit his or her mark, the writing was sparse, but perfectly hard boiled and the direction was phenomenal. Every episode was fast paced, twisted and infinitely interesting and often times, it was a very sexy show. It is not an easy show to watch, but it was always worth it.

4. 24- In terms of pure action, no show has ever delivered more than 24. It is a pure fantasy but man what action it has. Keifer Sutherland's Jack Bauer is the ultimate action hero. He is part ass kicker, part amazing interrogator and part MacGuyver. He is a sharp shooter, a bare knuckle brawler, and the guy who save sour country by staying awake for 24 hours straight. He has sacrificed everything for our safety and the show almost never rewards him. No, instead they give him life threatening illnesses, a bitchy daughter and friends who are always dying. Yet, he keeps doing it. The show has tried to assassinate a president, it has taken the White House hostage and has nearly blown up Los Angels repeatedly. The show is entering it's 8th season and who knows what is going to happen, but with only one bad season to its name, I expect it to be pretty awesome.

3. The Wire- In terms of making a show feel real, this one wins. The Wire creates the most diverse complex and interesting web of characters on both sides of the law and every season the show tackled a different social issue. It was a brilliantly crafted show with no score, unless it was organically in the show and a cast that was so perfect, I cannot believe it was possible. The show treated every character with depth and honesty and gave real personalities to drug dealers and murderers. It was so very layered and interesting and every character was flawed. Every season had highs and lows, but the highs were always absolutely amazing. Plus, the show gave us Omar. Omar was a big black guy with a giant scar down his face who robbed and killed drug dealers and was feared by everyone, who happened to be gay. If you have never seen this show, I think you should do yourself a favor and rent it all. One day I will own the box set because I need this in my life. It is impossible to pick a favorite season because they are all so different from each other, which kept it fresh.

2. The West Wing- Yes, this is based mostly on the first 4 seasons, but they are so strong, they can carry some of the weaknesses of the final 3 seasons. Not that there are not good things that happen in the final three seasons, it is just Aaron Sorkin's voice really carried it. The actors are all wonderful and the show was a critical and commercial darling right from the beginning. Sorkin really found out how to perfectly wield his brand of dialog, storylines and politics in this show and the show excelled because of it. Seamlessly blending comedy and drama, this show covered any topic you can really think of and at the end was Martin Sheen's passionate, arrogant Jed Bartlet. Every character had a point of view, intelligence and was unafraid of clashing with anyone else. The confrontations were always full of fireworks, but it also never lost the sense of humor, which is why this show worked so well for so long. I had a hard time when Sam Seaborn left, but I recovered and there were some great things that happened in the final two seasons, with Jimmy Smits. However, the first 4 seasons are just the highest of caliber of television, really.

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Yes, I love the genre television and Joss Whedon's metaphorical show is tops. Buffy had the laughs, the scares, the hot chicks, the teenage angst, the off the wall episodes, the sex, the effects and did it all without really being a mockery of itself. Sarah Michelle Gellar had the perfect mix of ass kicking and girly mannerisms and was totally believable in every aspect of Buffy. The supporting cast was always exactly what it needed to be and the spawned a debate that will never be solved: Angel Vs. Spike (Spike all the way!!). For 7 seasons the show dared to try different things (a musical episode, an episode where no one could talk) and add characters that angered people or challenged people. It killed off Buffy's mother in a very real and depressing way and the episode that followed remains one of the most hauntingly sad I have seen on television. On any given day I can pop in any episode and get all the human emotions I can hope for and also get action scenes and cool effects. It has kind of been a blueprint for the action/supernatural genre of television, but none will ever match Buffy. I cannot really choose a favorite season, but season 6 is the most discussed because so many hate it, but I love it because it is the darkest and funniest season, plus it did give us an invisible Buffy and it also gave us the brilliant musical episode.