The Best Dramas on Television.
by ThurzdayNext | created - 11 May 2013 | updated - 21 Mar 2018 | PublicWatch these shows for television with substance.
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1. Hap and Leonard (2016–2018)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Set in the late 1980s, Hap and Leonard is a darkly comic swamp noir of two best friends, one femme fatale, a crew of washed up revolutionaries, a pair of murderous psycho killers, some lost loot, and the fuzz.
Stars: James Purefoy, Michael Kenneth Williams, Tiffany Mack, Cranston Johnson
Votes: 8,322
2. Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)
TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Ten years before Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien.
Stars: Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman
Votes: 134,555
3. This Is Us (2016–2022)
TV-14 | 45 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A heartwarming and emotional story about a unique set of triplets, their struggles, and their wonderful parents.
Stars: Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz
Votes: 159,055
Starring two time Emmy winner, Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, and Justin Hartley, this show brings all the feels and then some! And laughter. But have a box of tissues nearby. It's so worth it.
4. Once and Again (1999–2002)
60 min | Drama, Family, Romance
A divorced father and a soon-to-be divorced mother meet and begin a romantic courtship which is always complicated by their respective children and their own life problems.
Stars: Sela Ward, Billy Campbell, Jeffrey Nordling, Julia Whelan
Votes: 2,995
,Starring Sela Ward and Billy Campbell, this drama takes a clever, sensitive, funny, and at times, heartbreaking look at family life and the roles we're all assigned to play in American society. The acting is fabulous all around, and you can tell that this is truly an ensemble cast.
5. Godless (2017)
TV-MA | 65 min | Action, Drama, Western
In the 1880s American West, murderous outlaw gang leader Frank Griffin hunts for ex-protege Roy Goode. Frank's chase leads him to La Belle, New Mexico--a town inhabited, after a mining disaster, almost entirely by women.
Stars: Jack O'Connell, Michelle Dockery, Scoot McNairy, Merritt Wever
Votes: 78,470
6. Luther (2010–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
John Luther is a brilliant homicide detective with a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers. Unfortunately, his unconventional methods and personal demons put him at odds with his team.
Stars: Idris Elba, Dermot Crowley, Michael Smiley, Warren Brown
Votes: 154,212
"Luther is a British psychological crime drama television series starring Idris Elba as the title character Detective Chief Inspector John Luther."
Fast-paced, thrilling and chilling, you'll hold your breath with this one. Great acting and clever quips, every episode delivers.
7. Hell on Wheels (2011–2016)
TV-14 | 42 min | Drama, Western
The Civil War is past, but former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon can't put it behind him. Fresh are the memories of the death of his wife, killed at the hands of Union soldiers, an act that sets him on a course of revenge.
Stars: Anson Mount, Colm Meaney, Robin McLeavy, Phil Burke
Votes: 55,744
This series is flawless, except for Common's occasional ventures into dramatic acting.
8. Life (I) (2007–2009)
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Detective Charlie Crews was framed, convicted and cleared for a crime he didn't commit. Twelve years of hard time have given him a unique philosophy on life and criminal investigation. Now he's readjusting to a world that's moved on.
Stars: Damian Lewis, Sarah Shahi, Adam Arkin, Brent Sexton
Votes: 35,274
A different kind of cop show, Life follows Damien Lewis, a detective accused of and imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. He is released from prison, awarded damages, and returns to the police force. The series follows his search for answers and his attempts to remain unmarked by his experience. Also starrs Sarah Shahi.
9. The Hour (2011–2012)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama
A behind-the-scenes drama and espionage thriller in Cold War-era England that centers on a journalist, a producer, and an anchorman for an investigative news programme.
Stars: Romola Garai, Ben Whishaw, Dominic West, Anna Chancellor
Votes: 11,028
Starring Dominic West (The Wire), Romola Garai, Anna Chancellor, and Ben Whishaw (Skyfall), The Hour follows a Cold War-era investigative news team. Espionage, and lots of danger. You'll be hooked!
10. Foyle's War (2002–2015)
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
As WWII rages, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front; investigating crime on the south coast of England. Later series, see the retired detective working as an MI5 agent in the aftermath of the war.
Stars: Michael Kitchen, Honeysuckle Weeks, Anthony Howell, Ellie Haddington
Votes: 18,245
Excellent writing!
11. Whitechapel (2009–2013)
TV-14 | 817 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A fast-tracked inspector, a hardened detective sergeant, and an expert in historical homicides investigate modern crimes with connections to the past in the Whitechapel district of London.
Stars: Rupert Penry-Jones, Phil Davis, Steve Pemberton, Sam Stockman
Votes: 14,782
Starrs Rupert Penry-Jones. The goriest show I've ever watched!
12. Wire in the Blood (2002–2008)
TV-MA | 69 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A psychologist gets inside of the minds of both killers and victims to aid the police in solving gruesome serial killings in Northern England.
Stars: Robson Green, Mark Letheren, Emma Handy, Mark Penfold
Votes: 9,358
Very dark, but fascinating.
13. Banshee (2013–2016)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An ex-con assumes the identity of a murdered sheriff in the small town of Banshee, Pennsylvania, where he has some unfinished business.
Stars: Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison
Votes: 123,441
Darkly funny, edge-of-your-seat thrilling.
14. Broadchurch (2013–2017)
TV-MA | 1,143 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart.
Stars: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan
Votes: 127,135
Starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman. You'll never see it coming.
15. Scandal (2012–2018)
TV-14 | 43 min | Drama, Thriller
A former White House Communications Director starts her own crisis management firm only to realize her clients are not the only ones with secrets.
Stars: Kerry Washington, Darby Stanchfield, Katie Lowes, Guillermo Diaz
Votes: 79,669
Savor the first two seasons.
16. Firefly (2002–2003)
TV-14 | 45 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Five hundred years in the future, a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the unknown parts of the galaxy and evade warring factions as well as authority agents out to get them.
Stars: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin
Votes: 281,569
It's Joss Whedon. What's not to love?
17. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
TV-14 | 44 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
A young woman, destined to slay vampires, demons and other infernal creatures, deals with her life fighting evil, with the help of her friends.
Stars: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Head
Votes: 159,620
Joss Whedon.
18. Dollhouse (2009–2010)
TV-14 | 44 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A top secret organization erases the identities of attractive young people, turning them into blank "dolls" ready for imprints of temporary identities they need to fulfill assignments for clients.
Stars: Eliza Dushku, Harry Lennix, Fran Kranz, Tahmoh Penikett
Votes: 51,783
Joss Whedon, and Faith, from Buffy.
19. Elementary (2012–2019)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD's most impossible cases. Following his fall from grace in London, eccentric Sherlock escapes to New York where his father forces him to live with his worst nightmare - a sober companion, Dr. Watson.
Stars: Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu, Aidan Quinn, Jon Michael Hill
Votes: 118,966
Excellent first season, second season, not so much.
20. House of Lies (2012–2016)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Drama
Charming, fast-talking Marty Kaan and his crack team of management consultants use every dirty trick in the book to woo powerful CEOs and close huge deals in this scathing, irreverent satire of corporate America today.
Stars: Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, Ben Schwartz, Josh Lawson
Votes: 26,373
This is dark humor and drama at its finest.
21. The Wire (2002–2008)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The Baltimore drug scene, as seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement.
Stars: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce
Votes: 377,039
22. State of Play (2003)
TV-14 | 52 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Journalists uncover a government conspiracy when a young politician's assistant and mistress is killed.
Stars: John Simm, David Morrissey, Kelly Macdonald, Bill Nighy
Votes: 10,521
23. Suits (2011–2019)
TV-14 | 44 min | Comedy, Drama
On the run from a drug deal gone bad, brilliant college dropout Mike Ross finds himself working with Harvey Specter, one of New York City's best lawyers.
Stars: Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Meghan Markle, Sarah Rafferty
Votes: 478,361
24. The Good Wife (2009–2016)
TV-14 | 43 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Alicia Florrick has been a good wife to her husband, a former state's attorney. After a very humiliating sex and corruption scandal, he is behind bars. She must now provide for her family and returns to work as a litigator in a law firm.
Stars: Julianna Margulies, Chris Noth, Josh Charles, Matt Czuchry
Votes: 82,647
25. Forbrydelsen (2007–2012)
TV-MA | 57 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Police detective Sarah Lund investigates difficult cases with personal and political consequences.
Stars: Sofie Gråbøl, Morten Suurballe, Lars Mikkelsen, Bjarne Henriksen
Votes: 30,168
"Forbrydelsen". Excellent police procedural drama. Season one's the best, so far.
26. The Fall (I) (2013–2016)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A seemingly cold but very passionate policewoman goes head to head with a seemingly passionate father who is in fact a cold serial killer in this procedural out of Belfast. The only thing they share is their common complexity.
Stars: Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, John Lynch, Aisling Franciosi
Votes: 119,569
Gillian Anderson brings such suspense and intelligence to this - you know she's going to get him, in the end.
27. North & South (2004)
TV-PG | 235 min | Drama, Romance
North and South is a four-part adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's love story of Margaret Hale, a middle-class southerner who is forced to move to the northern town of Milton.
Stars: Daniela Denby-Ashe, Richard Armitage, Tim Pigott-Smith, Sinéad Cusack
Votes: 34,934
28. Pride and Prejudice (1995)
TV-PG | 55 min | Drama, Romance
While the arrival of wealthy gentlemen sends her marriage-minded mother into a frenzy, willful and opinionated Elizabeth Bennet matches wits with haughty Mr. Darcy.
Stars: Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle, Susannah Harker, Julia Sawalha
Votes: 92,238
29. Prime Suspect (1991)
TV-14 | 104 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A female police detective investigates a series of serial murders while dealing with sexist hostility from her male comrades.
Stars: Helen Mirren, John Benfield, Tom Bell, Craig Fairbrass
Votes: 9,211
Dame Helen Mirren brings the drama to this police procedural.
30. Ally McBeal (1997–2002)
TV-PG | 45 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Follows the personal and professional life of lawyer Ally.
Stars: Calista Flockhart, Greg Germann, Jane Krakowski, Vonda Shepard
Votes: 36,394
31. The Closer (2005–2012)
TV-14 | 46 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson runs the Priority Homicide Division of the LAPD with an unorthodox style. Her innate ability to read people and obtain confessions helps her and her team solve the city's toughest, most sensitive cases.
Stars: Kyra Sedgwick, J.K. Simmons, Corey Reynolds, Robert Gossett
Votes: 28,896
32. JAG (1995–2005)
TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The cases of Harmon Rabb, former Navy fighter pilot, and his fellow lawyers of the U.S. Navy's Judge Advocate General's office.
Stars: David James Elliott, Catherine Bell, Patrick Labyorteaux, John M. Jackson
Votes: 19,989
33. Medium (2005–2011)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Suburban mom Allison DuBois attempts to balance family life with solving mysteries using her special gift. The dead send her visions of their deaths or other crimes while she sleeps.
Stars: Patricia Arquette, Miguel Sandoval, Jake Weber, Sofia Vassilieva
Votes: 31,099
34. Southland (2009–2013)
TV-MA | 42 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The lives of Police Officers working for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Stars: Michael Cudlitz, Shawn Hatosy, Regina King, Ben McKenzie
Votes: 29,097
35. Downton Abbey (2010–2015)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, Romance
A chronicle of the lives of the British aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the early twentieth century.
Stars: Hugh Bonneville, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Brendan Coyle
Votes: 224,745
36. Wallander (2008–2016)
TV-PG | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Unable to unsee the dark crimes he's tasked to investigate, Wallander's job comes at a cost to his family and relationships.
Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Richard McCabe, Jeany Spark, Sarah Smart
Votes: 16,476
Based on the books by Henning Mankell.
37. Endgame (2011)
60 min | Crime, Drama
The death of his fiancee has left chess master Arkady Balagan agoraphobic and unwilling to step outside of his hotel. This debilitation, however, doesn't stop him from solving difficult crimes.
Stars: Shawn Doyle, Patrick Gallagher, Katharine Isabelle, Carmen Aguirre
Votes: 3,748
38. Common Law (2012)
43 min | Comedy, Crime
Centers on cops Wes Mitchell and Travis Marks, who have a problem -- each other -- so their captain sends them to couples therapy.
Stars: Michael Ealy, Warren Kole, Sonya Walger, Jack McGee
Votes: 6,414
39. House of Lies (2012–2016)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Drama
Charming, fast-talking Marty Kaan and his crack team of management consultants use every dirty trick in the book to woo powerful CEOs and close huge deals in this scathing, irreverent satire of corporate America today.
Stars: Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, Ben Schwartz, Josh Lawson
Votes: 26,373
40. Call the Midwife (2012– )
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, History
Chronicles the lives of a group of midwives living in East London in the late 1950s to late 1960s.
Stars: Vanessa Redgrave, Laura Main, Jenny Agutter, Stephen McGann
Votes: 31,444
You wouldn't expect it by the title, but this is one of the best series produced in recent television history. Even if you're not one for babies and all that jazz, I promise you'll be drawn in by the characters, their lives, and their pure and utter dedication and enjoyment of their profession. Another plus - this show revolves around women at a time when England was changing rapidly after the war, and when the NHS was a lifeline.
41.
Endeavour (2012–2023)
Episode:
Pilot
(2012)
TV-14 | 98 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Young Endeavour Morse joins Inspector Fred Thursday's investigation into the disappearance of a schoolgirl named Mary Tremlett.
Director: Colm McCarthy | Stars: Michael Matus, John Light, Flora Montgomery, Patrick Malahide
Votes: 4,943
Brilliant series about a young Inspector Morse. To be savored on a Friday night.
42. The Paradise (2012–2013)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama
The story of a young woman who works in a department store and gets caught up in the charms of the modern world.
Stars: Joanna Vanderham, Emun Elliott, Stephen Wight, Sonya Cassidy
Votes: 12,595
Sadly, canceled after its second series, The Paradise continued to surprise with each episode. Watch Denise rise from shopgirl to - you'll simply have to watch to find out.
43. Orphan Black (2013–2017)
TV-MA | 44 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A streetwise hustler is pulled into a compelling conspiracy after witnessing the suicide of a girl who looks just like her.
Stars: Tatiana Maslany, Dylan Bruce, Jordan Gavaris, Kevin Hanchard
Votes: 116,905
A new series, I'm excited to see where the suspense will take us.
44. Sherlock (2010–2017)
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The quirky spin on Conan Doyle's iconic sleuth pitches him as a "high-functioning sociopath" in modern-day London. Assisting him in his investigations: Afghanistan War vet John Watson, who's introduced to Holmes by a mutual acquaintance.
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs, Rupert Graves
Votes: 997,266
Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are brilliant in this.
45. The Bletchley Circle (2012–2014)
TV-14 | 314 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In 1952, four women who worked at the wartime code-breaking centre, Bletchley Park, reunite to track down a serial killer.
Stars: Rachael Stirling, Julie Graham, Sophie Rundle, Anna Maxwell Martin
Votes: 14,019
Another wonderfully suspenseful series that centers around women. It follows a group of wartime code-breakers who take up sleuthing after the war. Naturally, they end up in various dangerous situations. Anna Maxwell Martin stars.
46. Borgen (2010–2022)
TV-14 | 58 min | Drama
A political drama about a prime minister's rise to power, and how power changes a prime minister.
Stars: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Søren Malling, Lisbeth Wulff
Votes: 29,895
A Danish political procedural that has been likened to The West Wing, but I find this one more exciting. Focuses on the Denmark electing its first female prime minister.
47. The Bridge (2011–2018)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
When a body is found on the bridge between Denmark and Sweden, right on the border, Danish inspector Martin Rohde and Swedish Saga Norén have to share jurisdiction and work together to find the killer.
Stars: Sofia Helin, Rafael Pettersson, Sarah Boberg, Candice van Litsenborgh
Votes: 76,736
The original Swedish/Danish show upon which all the others (The Bridge) are based. A body found on a bridge that borders the two countries (Sweden and Denmark). A detective from each is assigned to work the case, but interested developments make this so much more than your regular Law & Order procedural.
48. Shameless (2011–2021)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
A scrappy, feisty, fiercely loyal Chicago family makes no apologies.
Stars: Emmy Rossum, William H. Macy, Ethan Cutkosky, Jeremy Allen White
Votes: 284,910
49. The Missing (2014–2016)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Tony and Emily Hughes' vacation turns into a nightmare when their 5-year-old son Oliver disappears from a large celebrating crowd in Northern France.
Stars: Tchéky Karyo, Anastasia Hille, James Nesbitt, Frances O'Connor
Votes: 30,193
50. Parenthood (2010–2015)
TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
The lives and tragedies of the Braverman family tree.
Stars: Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard, Monica Potter
Votes: 37,541
Sadly, this show was canceled after 6 seasons. What makes it great to watch are the familial relationships - all those little elements that can make or break a family. I liken it to the experience of watching The Cosby Show - that perfect family - only better, because it's more realistic.
51. Happy Valley (2014–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Yorkshire-based crime drama centering on the personal and professional life of Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood.
Stars: Sarah Lancashire, Siobhan Finneran, James Norton, Rhys Connah
Votes: 64,504
Starrs Sarah Lancashire and James Norton (of Grantchester).
52. Being Mary Jane (2013–2019)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
The life of a young Black woman, her work, her family and the popular talk show which she hosts.
Stars: Gabrielle Union, Lisa Vidal, Raven Goodwin, Margaret Avery
Votes: 4,279
An underrated and underexposed drama about an ambitious and talented newscaster telling stories that are relevant, today. Stars Gabrielle Union and an excellent supporting cast.
53. Grantchester (2014–2025)
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A Cambridgeshire clergyman finds himself investigating a series of mysterious wrongdoings in his small village of Grantchester.
Stars: Robson Green, Tessa Peake-Jones, Al Weaver, Kacey Ainsworth
Votes: 17,166
Stars Robson Green as a cop, and James Norton as his vicar best friend and partner. Set in the 1950s and has an appropriately quaint setting and well-paced stories.
54. Gran Hotel (2011–2013)
TV-14 | 3,098 min | Crime, Drama, History
A family-owned hotel in the fictional coastal Spanish town of Cantaloa in 1905: love, blackmail, jealousies, crime, comedy, and plots and counter-plots all involving the hotel's owners, guests, detectives, and residential employees.
Stars: Adriana Ozores, Amaia Salamanca, Yon González, Eloy Azorín
Votes: 11,197
If you haven't seen this show yet, are a sucker for period dramas, excellent writing, and can binge watch an entire series, prepare yourself for the most binge-worthy show ever created. but first, take a shower and order a pizza pie. you won't want to bother with such inconsequential things once you've begun watching. Available on Netflix, with English subtitles, and well worth the effort!
55. The Time in Between (2013–2014)
853 min | Adventure, Drama, History
The life of Sira, a dressmaker consumed by the love of a man, left the turmoil of Madrid prior to the Civil War at Tangier, where she inadvertently becomes part of an espionage scheme.
Stars: Adriana Ugarte, Mari Carmen Sánchez, Tristán Ulloa, Francesc Garrido
Votes: 4,654
Another excellent Spanish period drama. The Time in Between stars Adriana Ugarte (Palm Leaves in the Snow) as a simple seamstress whose life is turned upside down after a betrayal by her lover leaves her alone and destitute in Morocco. From Spain to Morocco to Portugal, the evolution of Sira's character (superbly aided by local scenery and beautiful costumes) is fascinating to watch. Leading a double life as atelier by day, spy by night, Sira manages to do both successfully, though with the occasional pang of loneliness and nostalgia for a normal life. Well worth the binge.
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