15 Best TV Action/Dramas of all time
#14 Six Feet Under
A beautiful meditation on death. Like the family of funeral directors who were at the center of this show, it managed to soften the tragedy while still being intensely direct about facing the emotional impact and inevitability of dying.
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15:
NYPD Blue
Today's police procedurals and serial dramas are both influenced by this long running and groundbreaking gritty drama. From the first episode it pushed the limits of what could be portrayed on network television. While other cop shows told great stories, few had the emotional impact of this well crafted drama.
14:
Six Feet Under
A beautiful meditation on death. Like the family of funeral directors who were at the center of this show, it managed to soften the tragedy while still being intensely direct about facing the emotional impact and inevitability of dying.
13:
Twin Peaks
Bringing both mystery and ambiance to TV drama, greatly influencing many of the most creative genre shows to follow, such as the X-Files and Lost. This show made an art of reflecting the horror and humor of the American dream festering in a secluded town filled with secrets.
12:
L.A. Law
Reflecting the changes going on in the late 80s and early 90s, this show combined weekly legal dilemmas with social issues and some humor, influencing the many legal dramas that came after. Perhaps the best example is the 1992 episode that includes both a Homer Simpson amusement park greeter and the L.A. riots.
11:
The Fugitive
Probably one of the most original concepts for a dramatic series, The Fugitive was perfect for TV, giving us interesting episodes week to week with a clear reason why the protagonist never settles down in one place and avoids bring the police in to help with his problems.
10:
Columbo
The detective drama that upended the whodunit cliche and gave the audience a clear view of the crime, this show maintained its drama by giving great characters and dialogue, as passive aggressive Detective Columbo played rope-a-dope with a series of overconfident murderers. He Rarely resorted to force, and seemed to genuinely sympathize with the criminals he went after.
9:
Battlestar Galactica (2004)
Few expected a re-imagining of the 1978 space adventures of the Battlestar Galactica to deal with the issues of war, religion, politics, and ethics in such a though provoking and suspenseful manner. Resolving its mysteries was problematic, but at it height it reflected the still relevant issues of the war on terror better then any other show if it's era.
8:
ER
The longest running primetime medical drama in TV history, this show juggled a large ensemble with episodic and serial storytelling. It combined suspenseful and realistically filmed medical cases with great character development.
7:
Friday Night Lights
A sports drama that transcends the genre, bringing authentic human stories about a small town in the heartland coping with modern life and authentic problems. One of the few TV series entirely filmed on location, with real small town locals as extras.
6:
Justified
One of the best acted crime dramas of all time, with some of the most compelling and villains ever seen on TV. Other shows have more balletic action pieces but no one does cool menace and sudden violence better then this. Honorary mention goes to Olyphant's previous gun-fighting series Deadwood, shot in the back by HBO execs.
5:
The West Wing
One of the most beloved TV dramas, this show gave us an optimistic and likeable President and White House staff. While the dialogue was sharp and the interest in the real functions of government genuine, it succeed in part because of its failure to portray the bleak reality and dirtiness of real politics.
4:
Lost
This drama combined compelling mystery with some great character building and amazingly beautiful imagery. While the mythology could never live up to the promise, this show found a way to bring its characters and themes together after being separated by vast distances of space and time.
3:
Breaking Bad
The latest in a string of compelling TV anti-heroes, Walter White is perhaps the most difficult to consistently root for, making the wrong decisions and failing to be honest with himself about the damage he is doing to the people around him. Still watching his mistakes and faults is compelling TV.
2:
The Sopranos
Probably the most talked about "water cooler" show of all time, this show gave us an iconic self-aware mobster with an existential struggle to maintain the facade of a tough crime lord or loving family father while his world was changing too fast to make sense of.
1:
The Wire
A police procedural that asked viewers to patiently watch as cases developed across the course of a season. This ensemble show never had much of a center, rather showing how an interconnected web of realistic characters were effected by the various systems of organized crime, street justice, and city government.
