No. 10 – “Andor”
Premiere Date: Sept 21, 2021 (2 seasons)
Disney+
A prequel series to a prequel film, “Andor” is simply the best movie or television series ever set in the “Star Wars” universe. The brainchild of Tony Gilroy, this allegory for the rise of fascism centers around the title character, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a petty criminal who is recruited by Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) to join the fledgling resistance. While. Luthen and his colleague Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau) pose as antique dealers on the political capital of Coruscant, a web of secret rebel agents attempts to hinder an increasingly corrupt Empire through any means necessary. Over just two seasons and 24 episodes, imperial senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) secretly raises funds to support the movement while in nearby government facilities, Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), a supervisor in the Imperial Security Bureau, becomes fixated on killing a rebel leader known as “Axis,” and our flawed hero, Cassian, increasingly finds himself in the middle of some of the most consequential moments in the history of the Empire. Uttelry inspired with scenes that will haunt you for weeks, “Andor” is brilliant by demonstrating how the mundane, bureaucratic actions of a ruling power can slowly seep their way into a seemingly stable democracy. This is a tale as old as contemporary civilization, but horrifyingly relevant today.
No. 9 – “Watchmen”
Premiere Date: Dec 20, 2019 (limited series)
HBO
Damon Lindelof‘s “remix” of “Watchmen” has to be the most inspired, creative, and visionary adaptation of an already acclaimed visionary story ever put to the screen. Set 34 years after the events in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ landmark comic book series (or the movie for those who don’t like to read), this alternate timeline is forever changed by the false flag alien bombing of New York City in 1985, by the “world’s smartest man,” indusralist Adrian Veidt (now Jeremy Irons). Tackling systematic racism and generational trauma, among other grounded subject matter, the series begins with Tulsa Detective Angela Abar (Regina King), who finds herself at odds with a White Supremacist organization, the Seventh Calvary, in both her day job and her secret identity as vigilante Sister Night. As the former second Silk Spectre, Laurie Blake (Jean Smart), investigates in her role with the FBI run Anti-Vigilante Task Force, Lady Trieu (Hong Chau), arrives in Tulsa with a nefarious plot to trap the all-powerful Doctor Manhattan, who has taken a new form as Angela’s husband, Cal (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Full of incredible twists, jaw-dropping performances, and arguably responsible for bringing the devastation of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre to countless generations after its significance was tossed aside by educators for decades, “Watchmen” is an expectedly emotional opus of profound significance that surpasses any of the previously perceived limits of its genre.
No. 8 – “Atlanta”
Premiere Date: Nov 10, 2022 (4 seasons)
FX
A cast member on the popular comedy “Community,” Donald Glover broke all the rules and genre conventions you can think of with a personal endeavor, the remarkable “Atlanta.” The premise almost sounds too simple. Earn (Glover) has dropped out of Princeton and vacillates between living with his parents and his ex, Van (Zazie Beetz), who is also the mother of his daughter. When he realizes his cousin Alfred, aka Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry), is on the verge of music stardom, he may have just found a fulfilling career path as his manager. As the series progresses, Glover and his producing team take the show in increasingly bold directions, including the now-classic “Teddy Perkins” stand-alone episode, where Glover portrays a mysterious recluse with bleached skin who may or may not be an allegory for Michael Jackson. The series often became a series of surrealistic short stories, especially in season three, which follows Earn, Paper Boi, and their buddy Darius (LaKeith Stanfield) in Amsterdam and London, playing with the expectations of the fish-out-of-water storyline. As you root for Earn and Zazie to get back or stay together (take your pick), Glover is always ready to throw in a weird twist that keeps you guessing where these characters will end up. But for the characters in “Atlanta,” the destination may not be as important as the experiences they are having right now.
No. 7 – “Breaking Bad”
Premiere Date: Oct 20, 2008 (5 seasons)
AMC
What a logline: After discovering he has terminal lung cancer, high school chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston), begins producing and distributing meth in hopes of leaving a financial future for his family. “Breaking Bad,” indeed. White, who has teamed up with a former student (Aaron Paul) to pull this off, goes from dealing with disaffected students to avoiding the DEA, Mexican drug cartels, among other criminal enterprises. As he continually puts his family’s life in danger, Vince Gilligan’s ingenious modern Greek tragedy asks the viewer whether White always had a dark side hidden in his psyche or whether his often prideful actions deserve to be viewed through a sympathetic lens. Exquisitely written, filled with a universe of unforgettable characters (see the aforementioned “Better Call Saul”) and fueled by a transformative performance from Cranston that in hindsight is even more jaw-dropping than initially praised, “Breaking Bad” was a singularly creative morality tale that paid off in five stellar seasons of unforgettable prestige television.
No. 6 – “Game of Thrones”
Premiere Date: April 17, 2011 (8 seasons)
HBO
Despite continuing frustration over its final few episodes, few programs have ever come close to achieving the grand, fantastical tapestry woven by “Game of Thrones.” An adaptation of the first five novels of George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, “Thrones” chronicles the political machinations, subterfuge, scandal, and wars between the House Stark, House Lannister, and Daenerys Targaryen, the last of House Targaryen, as they battle over the Iron Throne, the seat of power in the fictional land of Westeros. Over 74 episodes, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), the Queen of Dragons, survives a forced marriage to a Dothraki warlord (Jason Momoa), to raise an army and her three dragons (previously thought to be extinct). Meanwhile, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) conspires with her brother Jamie (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) to keep their family on the Throne, making mortal enemies of the Starks, including Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), and Anya Stark (Maisie Williams). Often finding himself as a voice of reason to numerous throne holders (and seekers) is Tyion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), perhaps one of the more beloved anti-heroes in recent memory. With the threat of the Night King and the supernatural White Walkers descending upon the land, show creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss laid out numerous narrative threads into an utterly glorious world-building effort, resulting in some of the most memorable moments and characters in television history. And if the duo had made Daenerys’ arc in the final season a wee bit more succinct, this HBO phenomenon could be the top of this list. But hey, we’ll always have Lady Olenna Tyrell (Dianna Rigg) and her legendary mic drop to Jaime before her death, “Tell Cersei. I want her to know it was me.”
No. 5 – “Underground Railroad”
Premiere Date: May 14, 2021 (limited series)
Prime Video
Thank heavens the budgets of the Peak TV era allowed Barry Jenkins to write and direct “The Underground Railroad.” A masterful adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s 2016 novel, the limited series is set in an alternate reality where the Underground Railroad, a term used to describe the network of abolitionists helping slaves escape the South in the 19th Century, is an actual railroad with trains traveling by tunnel from one station to another. This triumphant tale, peppered with magical realism, begins with Cora (Thuso Mbedu) and Caesar (Aaron Pierre) escaping their slave plantation in search of the whispered railroad they hope will take them to freedom in Canada. Once Cora unwittingly kills a slave catcher, she also becomes a fugitive. The cuthroat but troubled bounty hunter Arnold Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton) and his young black aide Homer (Chase W. Dillon) are soon on her trail. Over the weeks and months that follow, Cora travels to communities that seem safe havens at first, and others where the racism is so blatant that even a person of Irish descent is discriminated against. Eventually landing in an African American paradise in Indiana, Cora thinks she’s found long-term safety, but as with anyone of color in America, it’s all a mirage. Featuring jaw-dropping sequences, iconic imagery, and a score from Nicolas Brittell that should be played by symphonies in perpetuity, “Underground Railroad” is not only the best limited series of the Century so far but a defining piece of cinematic episodic content.
No. 4 – “The Leftovers”
Premiere Date: June 29, 2014 (3 seasons)
HBO
Initially an adaptation of Tom Perrotta‘s 2011 novel, Damon Lindelof‘s second entry in our top 10 follows the residents of a small town in upstate New York three years after the “sudden departure.” That unexplained event saw the disappearance of 2% of the public’s population. Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux), the chief of police, attempts to keep society civil as cult religious groups such as the Guilty Remnant begin to pop up. While the general public cannot understand their actions, the Guilty Remnant exists to confront and remind people that the world is different and that nothing they do truly matters. Kevin’s life is rocked when his wife Laurie (Amy Brenneman), who lost her pregnant baby during the “departure,” joins the cult. As the series progresses, Kevin, Laurie and their family head their separate ways. First to Jarden, Texas, and a town called Miracle, where no one departed and, in the third season, to Australia, where Kevin’s delusions (or not) take an apocalyptic turn. Like its source material, “The Leftovers” never answers what happened to the 2%. The characters have to try and come to terms with that fact and find meaning in moving forward. After three singularly confident seasons, the Lindeloff and an absolutely breathtaking cast including Regina King, Carrie Coon, Margaret Qualley, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler and Ann Dowd, have created a breathtaking tome that confronts death with empathy, anger and absolute wonder.
No. 3 – “Succession”
Premiere Date: June 3, 2018 (4 seasons)
HBO
“You are not serious people.” That exasperated pronouncement by Logan Roy (Brian Cox) encapsulated the entire run of Jesse Armstrong’s brilliant takedown of a cutthroat, rich family, scheming against each other for control of their media empire. An empire not so subtly based on Robert Murdoch‘s FOX and News Corporation organizations. Over four seasons the eldest (and most entitled) sibling, Kendall (Jeremy Strong), the political operative who believed she was her father’s pick, Shiv (Sarah Snook), and the youngest and seemingly most immature (perhaps sensitive), Roman (Kieran Culkin), see their chances to replace their father as the head of WayStar RoCo rise and fall. When Logan decides not to retire, the trio, along with Shiv’s eventual husband Tom (Matthew Macfadyen), end up attempting to wrestle control of the company, sometimes together, sometimes not. In the end, the siblings are inherently fighting for the affections of a father they all want to impress, and as the series suggests that despite some legitimate business skills, they ever will. Logan knows his kids are a mess, and comes to a realization that was obvious all along. Often hilarious and at times arrestingly profound, “Succession” is an essential portrait of a billionaire class that lost sight of its humanity and morality this century.
No. 2 – “The Sopranos”
Premiere Date: Jan 10, 1999 (6 seasons)
HBO
It may sound cliche, but there had truly never been a television program like “The Sopranos.” David Chase’s masterful drama flipped the romanticized mafia conventions the public knew from the likes of Martin Scorsese, and painfully grounded it to the unglamorous confines of semi-suburban life in Northern New Jersey. The logline is inspired: a mobster, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), begins seeing a psychiatrist (Lorraine Bracco) to deal with his stress after a debilitating panic attack. While the show depicts the violent nature of Tony’s business, Chase has stated publicly that he was more interested in the daily and monotonous minutiae of figuring out who owes money to who. As Tony’s counseling confronts his strained relationship with his manipulative mother (Nancy Marchand), he must also face a contentious relationship with his wife (Edie Falco) and the increasing threat of the Lupertazzi crime family across the Hudson River. Drenched with rich supporting players, cinematic moments some well-known auteurs could only dream of, and a final scene for the ages (that still has people talking), “The Sopranos” is often credited as heralding the beginning of a new golden age of television. Sounds about right.
No. 1 – “The Wire”
Premiere Date: June 2, 2002 (5 seasons)
HBO
A towering tragic sociopolitical/humanist masterpiece about a city, its community, its crime, its policing, its drug trade, its politics, its injustices, its imbalances and inequities, its systemic failures, and the people impacted by its corruption, moral breakdowns, and cruelly capitalistic nature all told in an epic and sprawling Dickensian scope told across five seasons, there may never been something as virtuoso as writer/showrunner David Simon’s “The Wire” again. With a mammoth cast—most of whom were unknowns at the time, but when on to have huge careers— Dominic West, Michael K. Williams, Idris Elba, Wendell Pierce, Lance Reddick, Amy Ryan, Aidan Gillen, Domenick Lombardozzi, and dozens more, over five seasons and 60 episodes, Simon’s show, weaved an immense tapestry about people doing their best—and sometimes their worst—with the slow grind of societal institutional dysfunction, much of it patriarchal, racist, sexist, biased, unfair, unjust, corrupt, favoring the ruling, capitalistic, corporate class, needlessly bureaucratic, and institutionally regressive. Featuring co-writers like Ed Burns, George Pelecanos, Richard Price, Dennis Lehane, and more, “The Wire” was highly intelligent and sharp, but gripping and empathetic: making you care and often have your heart ripped out by watching the fates of its many characters often failed by the system or the communities around them. In many ways, “The Wire” is about the futility of redressing society, establishment culture and rule, and institutional change despite our best efforts; a slow erosion of our civilization within the microcosm of Baltimore, its tragic epicenter. Regardless, Simon made one for the ages, one that will stand the test of time and one that will likely be studied for ages. – Rodrigo Perez
Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order): “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” “The Affair,” “Archer,” “Big Love,” “Big Mouth,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,””Big Love,” “Cheer,” “Community,” “Dear White People,” “Devs,” “Downton Abbey,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” “Gilmore Girls,” “The Good Fight,” “House,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “I Am Not OK With This,” “Insecure,” “In Treatment,” “Inside Amy Schumer,” “Irma Vep,” “Harley Quinn,” “Jane the Virgin,” “Kroll Show,” “The Last Dance,” “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” “Legion,” “Loki,” “Lost,” “Malcom in the Middle,” “The Mandalorian,” “Masters of Sex,” “The Mindy Project,” “Monk,” “The Night Manager,” “New Girl,” “Nip/Tuck,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Orphan Black,” “The Other Two,” “Our Flag Means Death,” “Pachinko,” “Party Down,” “Pose,” “Project Runway,” “Pushing Daises,” “Ray Donovan,” “Rectify,” “Reno:911,” “Ripley,” “Skins,” “Scandal,” “Schitt’s Creek,” “Sherlock,” “Scrubs,” “Search Party,” “Severance,” “Sex Education,””Silicon Valley,” “SMILF,” “Sons of Anarchy,” “Steven Universe,” “Stranger Things,” “Ted Lasso,” “This is Us,” “Top Chef,” “‘Treme,” “True Blood,” “Ugly Betty,” “The Venture Bros.,” “WandaVision,” “We Are Lady Parts,” “What We Do In The Shadows”
