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Great TV: Classics and Modern Essentials

A living, curated watchlist of outstanding scripted TV and limited series. It combines established classics with newer shows that have earned lasting critical acclaim. Not a raw user-score ranking; reviewed regularly as recent series mature.

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  • TheTVDB.com List ID 17527
  • Created By mfox3454222
  • List Type Custom
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  • Created September 25, 2026 by
    mfox3454222
  • Modified September 25, 2026 by
    mfox3454222

The Sopranos

1999

New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.

The Wire

2002

Follows one single drug and homicide investigation throughout the length of an entire season. Centered on the drug culture of inner-city Baltimore, the series' storyline unfolds from the points of view of both the criminals lording the streets and the police officers determined to bring them down.

Breaking Bad

2008

When Walter White, a chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of two years left to live, he chooses to enter a dangerous world of drugs and crime with the intent to secure his family's financial security.

Better Call Saul

2015

See the rise of Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer searching for his destiny, but hustling to make ends meet. Working alongside, and often against Jimmy, is ‘fixer’ Mike Ehrmantraut. The series tracks Jimmy's evolution into Saul Goodman, the man who puts the word ‘criminal’ in ‘criminal lawyer’.

Mad Men

2007

In 1960s New York, alpha male Don Draper struggles to stay on top of the heap in the high-pressure world of Madison Avenue advertising firms. Aside from being one of the top ad men in the business, Don is also a family man, the father of young children.

Succession

2018

A drama about a dysfunctional media family dynasty in the 21st century. The Roy family – Logan Roy and his four children – controls one of the biggest media and entertainment conglomerates in the world. "Succession" tracks their lives as they contemplate what the future will hold for them once their aging father begins to step back from the company.

Band of Brothers

2001

The story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. Based on interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as soldiers' journals and letters, the series chronicles the experiences of these young men who knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear.

Chernobyl

2019

Chernobyl dramatizes the story of the 1986 nuclear accident — one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history — and the sacrifices made to save Europe from unimaginable disaster.

Deadwood

2004

In the Black Hills Indian Cession, the town of Deadwood is a settlement violating treaty obligations; a violent and uncivilized outpost that attracts outlaws and entrepreneurs, ex-soldiers and racketeers, Chinese laborers, prostitutes, city slickers and gunfighters.

The Americans (2013)

2013

Set during the Cold War period in the 1980s, The Americans is the story of Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, two Soviet KGB officers posing as an American married couple in the suburbs of Washington D.C. and their neighbor, Stan Beeman, an FBI Counterintelligence agent.

Fargo

2014

Various chronicles of deception, intrigue and murder in and around frozen Minnesota. Yet all of these tales mysteriously lead back one way or another to Fargo, North Dakota.

The Leftovers

2014

Three years after the disappearance of two percent of the global population, a group of people in a small New York community try to continue their lives while coping with the tragedy of the unexplained nature of the event.

Severance

2022

Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. When a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.

Andor

2022

In an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue, Cassian Andor will discover the difference he can make in the struggle against the tyrannical Galactic Empire. He embarks on a path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.

The Bear

2022

A young chef from the fine dining world returns to Chicago to run his family's sandwich shop after his brother’s suicide.

Shōgun

2024

Set in Japan in the year 1600, at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.

The White Lotus

2021

The White Lotus follows the guests and employees of a luxury resort chain during a week-long stay in paradise. Each season takes place at a different White Lotus location and explores personal tensions, class dynamics, and social issues simmering beneath the surface of an idyllic vacation. As secrets unfold and relationships unravel, the line between relaxation and chaos blurs—often with fatal consequences.

Slow Horses

2022

This quick-witted spy drama follows a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents – and their obnoxious boss, the notorious Jackson Lamb – as they navigate the espionage world's smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces.

The Pitt

2025

The staff of Pittsburgh's Trauma Medical Center work around the clock to save lives in an overcrowded and underfunded emergency department.

Industry

2020

In the cutthroat world of international finance, a group of young graduates compete for a limited set of permanent positions at a top investment bank in London. The boundaries between colleague, friend, lover, and enemy soon blur as they immerse themselves in a company culture defined as much by sex, drugs and ego as it is by deals and dividends.