The 10 Best US Television Shows

We used to be good at television didn’t we? Hands up those who remember the Pythons, Potter and Bleasedale. Sadly, those halcyon days are long gone. Instead, this is a golden age for small screen entertainment from across the pond, with magic US geese laying series after series of brilliant television.The quality of entertainment arriving over the Atlantic is so good viewers are taking television seriously again. Every wave of imports slowly washes away the endless slurry of reality nonsense from our screens, and the idiot box takes us into a world of intelligent, complex drama.And we can’t get enough. Digital schedules groan under the weight of new American programming, while shows such as The Wire, Mad Men and The Sopranos have found a dedicated following online and via DVD sales.10. Curb Your EnthusiasmThe on rushing juggernaut that is Larry David’s comical ineptness provides entertainment one part hilarious, one part jaw clenchingly awkward. If you found David Brent difficult to watch in The Office, you’ll probably chew your own face off watching the former Seinfeld man’s fictional portrayal of himself. Look out for guest turns by Ted Danson and Steve Coogan and a superb episode starring Mel Brooks in one of the most over dramatic Broadway productions you’re ever likely to see.9. The ShieldIf you’re not shocked by the sheer immortality and corruption of modern society, tune into The Shield to get up to speed. The Wire has often overshadowed The Shield, a gritty, dark and often disturbing show based on a notorious case of LAPD corruption, but it’s great stuff that deserves to be spoken in the same terms as David Simon’s masterpiece. There are no good guys in The Shield, no code of honour to live by; only brutal, shocking acts of violence conducted in a clapped out Los Angeles unrecognisable from The City of Angels Hollywood would have us believe.8. South ParkThe badly drawn boys of Colorado provide the canvas onto which Trey Parker and Matt Stone continue to spew the fettered musings of their politically incorrect minds. No stone is left unturned in their relentless satirisation of society and the show remains laugh out loud funny with a refreshing edginess even after nearly 200 episodes.7. LostI don’t really know what’s going on, and to be honest neither do you. Nevermind, because J.J. Abrams’ sci-fi, mystery, conundrum thingamajig is pure water cooler entertainment.6. The SimpsonsAfter all these years, new episodes of The Simpsons are still a joy to behold. Unless you’re watching Channel 4, in which case the pop culture references are probably as out dated as Betamax.5. The West WingAt one particular point television stopped becoming a dirty word for American actors. Rather than seeing TV as a career graveyard, leading talents were actively seeking out roles on the small screen. That moment was the critically acclaimed first season of The West Wing. Intelligent, fast paced and challenging, the show rewards you just for keeping up.4. 24Innovative in every sense of the word, 24 gave us ‘real-time’ drama and re-introduced split-screen decades after the technique was considered old hat. It was also one of the first major shows to disprove the widely held theory that US TV viewers had attention spans shorter than an episode of Friends spin-off Joey.
3. The SopranosWhile Britain provided a tidal wave of Cockney gangsters, America was busy producing one of the most critically and commercially successful shows in history. One of the key drivers behind the recent surge in brilliant drama on American networks, there is more quality packed into every second of The Sopranos minute-long title sequence than an eternity of Shane Ritchie Minder re-makes could ever hope to accomplish.
2. Battlestar GalacticaThere are two types of viewer when it comes to Battlestar Galactica, those who think it’s brilliant and those who haven’t seen it yet. From unlikely beginnings, the show has given us four seasons of entertainment both epic and intimate, in the process bringing sci-fi back into the mainstream again. I’ve run out of superlatives for this brilliant show, which is every bit as rich and challenging as the best US dramas, but with explosions. Lots and lots of explosions.
1. The WireThe Baltimore based cop show has received widespread praise from critics who fawn at its very mention. Believe the hype, it’s as good as you think it’s going to be, probably better, and well worth checking out (The Wire is currently showing on BBC2 every night). Be warned, episodes are like Pringles, and perfectly reasonable people have been debilitated into muttering “just one more” as they rock back and forth in their pyjamas after an extended Baltimore-fest.



Supernatural dvd
The sopranos seasons 1-6 dvd box set