We’re in a golden age of TV series, and there’s a little something for everyone. The best shows span just about every genre imaginable. There are crime thrillers, sci-fi and fantasy epics, coming-of-age tales, period pieces, comedies and more.
Some are set in alternate universes filled with monsters and magic and others are rooted around true events and people. Many revolve around power struggles, greed, deception and great characters. Regardless of the setting, they all tell the human experience in one way or another.
To determine the 100 best TV dramas of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on audience reviews from the Internet Movie Database. Television shows with the drama genre label on IMDb were ranked based on average IMDb user rating. Only shows with at least 75,000 user ratings, that have been or were on the air for at least one year, and have a rating from the TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board were considered. Data was collected in November 2021.
Some of the shows that make this list, like “Twin Peaks,” “Oz” and “The Sopranos,” blazed the trail for modern day series. They helped elevate the medium to rivaling movies when it comes to storytelling.
This list also asks what exactly makes a good series. Some of the shows that make the list critically-acclaimed — until they weren’t. But they still have plenty of great plot and characters even if they crumble in the later seasons. Many of these classic shows gave us popular TV quotes that are now part of everyday vocabulary.
The longform aspect of TV dramas lets writers and directors dive deep into the worlds they create and allows them to sculpt complex characters and settings. It’s hard to imagine “The Office ” being as funny if audiences didn’t have time to understand the characters and their relationships well.
TV series are also debatably a much better way to translate books to digital media than movies. Limited time means that a lot of the story is often cut out in movies. Meanwhile, series have more room to include details and tell stories properly. Overall, the dramas on this list do a fantastic job of growing their characters, building up tension, and delivering (most of the time). These are the best TV spinoffs of all time.
Click here to see the 100 best TV dramas of all time
100. The Killing
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 104,947
> Series run: 2011-2014
> Starring: Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Billy Campbell, Liam James
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99. Penny Dreadful
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 116,760
> Series run: 2014-2016
> Starring: Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Eva Green, Reeve Carney
98. White Collar
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 124,673
> Series run: 2009-2014
> Starring: Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay, Willie Garson, Tiffani Thiessen
97. The Originals
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 125,714
> Series run: 2013-2018
> Starring: Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Claire Holt, Phoebe Tonkin
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96. Chuck
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 132,126
> Series run: 2007-2012
> Starring: Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Vik Sahay
95. The Good Place
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 134,379
> Series run: 2016-2020
> Starring: Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, D’Arcy Carden
94. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 138,207
> Series run: 1997-2003
> Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Head
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93. Money Heist
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 398,774
> Series run: 2017-2021
> Starring: Úrsula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Itziar Ituño, Pedro Alonso
92. The Walking Dead
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 909,664
> Series run: 2010-2022
> Starring: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan
91. Atypical
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 77,802
> Series run: 2017-2021
> Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Keir Gilchrist, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Michael Rapaport
90. Ray Donovan
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 81,144
> Series run: 2013-2020
> Starring: Liev Schreiber, Eddie Marsan, Dash Mihok, Pooch Hall
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89. The Leftovers
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 88,575
> Series run: 2014-2017
> Starring: Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler
88. Orphan Black
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 106,044
> Series run: 2013-2017
> Starring: Tatiana Maslany, Dylan Bruce, Jordan Gavaris, Kevin Hanchard
87. Sense8
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 146,566
> Series run: 2015-2018
> Starring: Bae Doona, Jamie Clayton, Tina Desai, Tuppence Middleton
86. Californication
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 175,696
> Series run: 2007-2014
> Starring: David Duchovny, Natascha McElhone, Evan Handler, Pamela Adlon
85. 24
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 179,022
> Series run: 2001-2010
> Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Carlos Bernard, Dennis Haysbert
84. Sex Education
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 228,095
> Series run: 2019-
> Starring: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa
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83. Scrubs
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 245,302
> Series run: 2001-2010
> Starring: Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, John C. McGinley
82. Homeland
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 327,040
> Series run: 2011-2020
> Starring: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Damian Lewis, Rupert Friend
81. Prison Break
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 501,130
> Series run: 2005-2017
> Starring: Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller, Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper
80. Lost
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 521,856
> Series run: 2004-2010
> Starring: Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Yunjin Kim, Evangeline Lilly
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79. The Morning Show
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 77,048
> Series run: 2019-
> Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Nestor Carbonell
78. Euphoria
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 80,985
> Series run: 2019-
> Starring: Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi
77. Billions
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 81,860
> Series run: 2016-
> Starring: Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis, Maggie Siff, David Costabile
76. Stargate SG-1
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 88,147
> Series run: 1997-2007
> Starring: Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge
75. American Crime Story
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 88,813
> Series run: 2016-
> Starring: Sarah Paulson, Annaleigh Ashford, Sterling K. Brown, Kenneth Choi
74. The Americans
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 91,503
> Series run: 2013-2018
> Starring: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Keidrich Sellati, Holly Taylor
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73. Banshee
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 93,879
> Series run: 2013-2016
> Starring: Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison
72. After Life
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 95,423
> Series run: 2019-
> Starring: Ricky Gervais, Tom Basden, Tony Way, Diane Morgan
71. The Last Kingdom
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 99,295
> Series run: 2015-
> Starring: Alexander Dreymon, Eliza Butterworth, Arnas Fedaravicius, Millie Brady
70. Broadchurch
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 103,785
> Series run: 2013-2017
> Starring: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan
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69. Taboo
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 121,839
> Series run: 2017-
> Starring: Tom Hardy, David Hayman, Jonathan Pryce, Oona Chaplin
68. Luther
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 128,530
> Series run: 2010-2019
> Starring: Idris Elba, Dermot Crowley, Michael Smiley, Warren Brown
67. Outlander
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 139,667
> Series run: 2014-
> Starring: Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Duncan Lacroix, Sophie Skelton
66. Entourage
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 163,168
> Series run: 2004-2011
> Starring: Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara
65. Person of Interest
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 169,070
> Series run: 2011-2016
> Starring: Jim Caviezel, Taraji P. Henson, Kevin Chapman, Michael Emerson
64. The Handmaid’s Tale
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 205,582
> Series run: 2017-
> Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Joseph Fiennes, Ann Dowd
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63. Ozark
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 216,671
> Series run: 2017-2022
> Starring: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner
62. Fringe
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 229,008
> Series run: 2008-2013
> Starring: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Jasika Nicole
61. Suits
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 381,648
> Series run: 2011-2019
> Starring: Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Meghan Markle, Sarah Rafferty
60. Modern Family
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 390,002
> Series run: 2009-2020
> Starring: Ed O’Neill, SofÃa Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell
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59. Supernatural
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 412,681
> Series run: 2005-2020
> Starring: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Jim Beaver, Misha Collins
58. Louie
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
> IMDb user votes: 76,602
> Series run: 2010-2015
> Starring: Louis C.K., Hadley Delany, Ursula Parker, Pamela Adlon
57. The Office
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
> IMDb user votes: 104,790
> Series run: 2001-2003
> Starring: Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook, Lucy Davis
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56. The Expanse
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
> IMDb user votes: 124,937
> Series run: 2015-
> Starring: Wes Chatham, Steven Strait, Dominique Tipper, Shohreh Aghdashloo
55. Big Little Lies
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
> IMDb user votes: 175,735
> Series run: 2017-2019
> Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz
54. Boardwalk Empire
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
> IMDb user votes: 179,772
> Series run: 2010-2014
> Starring: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham
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53. The Punisher
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
> IMDb user votes: 201,926
> Series run: 2017-2019
> Starring: Jon Bernthal, Amber Rose Revah, Ben Barnes, Jason R. Moore
52. Shameless
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
> IMDb user votes: 219,197
> Series run: 2011-2021
> Starring: Emmy Rossum, William H. Macy, Ethan Cutkosky, Jeremy Allen White
51. Hannibal
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
> IMDb user votes: 240,344
> Series run: 2013-2015
> Starring: Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas, Laurence Fishburne
50. Sons of Anarchy
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
> IMDb user votes: 276,630
> Series run: 2008-2014
> Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Mark Boone Junior, Kim Coates
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49. Mr. Robot
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
> IMDb user votes: 356,531
> Series run: 2015-2019
> Starring: Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Carly Chaikin, Martin Wallström
48. Vikings
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
> IMDb user votes: 475,015
> Series run: 2013-2020
> Starring: Katheryn Winnick, Gustaf Skarsgård, Alexander Ludwig, Georgia Hirst
47. Sacred Games
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 83,058
> Series run: 2018-2019
> Starring: Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Neeraj Kabi, Elnaaz Norouzi
46. Justified
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 92,276
> Series run: 2010-2015
> Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts
45. Deadwood
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 100,086
> Series run: 2004-2006
> Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Brad Dourif
44. The Newsroom
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 109,678
> Series run: 2012-2014
> Starring: Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill
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43. This Is Us
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 119,850
> Series run: 2016-2022
> Starring: Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz
42. Cobra Kai
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 128,428
> Series run: 2018-
> Starring: Courtney Henggeler, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, Ralph Macchio
41. The Crown
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 177,499
> Series run: 2016-
> Starring: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Matt Smith
40. Doctor Who
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 208,675
> Series run: 2005-
> Starring: Jodie Whittaker, Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Matt Smith
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39. The X-Files
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 210,412
> Series run: 1993-2002, 2016-2018
> Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, William B. Davis
38. Mad Men
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 221,297
> Series run: 2007-2015
> Starring: Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones
37. Mindhunter
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 246,719
> Series run: 2017-2019
> Starring: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv, Hannah Gross
36. Daredevil
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 383,256
> Series run: 2015-2018
> Starring: Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson
35. Westworld
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 454,756
> Series run: 2016-
> Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, Thandiwe Newton
34. Dexter
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
> IMDb user votes: 680,885
> Series run: 2006-2013
> Starring: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, James Remar
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33. The Shield
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 76,589
> Series run: 2002-2008
> Starring: Michael Chiklis, Michael Jace, Jay Karnes, CCH Pounder
32. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 91,583
> Series run: 2017-
> Starring: Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein, Michael Zegen, Marin Hinkle
31. Oz
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 94,063
> Series run: 1997-2003
> Starring: Ernie Hudson, J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen, Dean Winters
30. Fleabag
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 124,386
> Series run: 2016-2019
> Starring: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sian Clifford, Olivia Colman, Jenny Rainsford
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29. Six Feet Under
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 127,501
> Series run: 2001-2005
> Starring: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose
28. BoJack Horseman
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 130,824
> Series run: 2014-2020
> Starring: Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Aaron Paul
27. Freaks and Geeks
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 135,663
> Series run: 1999-2000
> Starring: Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Samm Levine
26. Battlestar Galactica
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 158,772
> Series run: 2004-2009
> Starring: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, James Callis
25. Rome
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 162,087
> Series run: 2005-2007
> Starring: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker, Kerry Condon
24. Downton Abbey
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 182,377
> Series run: 2010-2015
> Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Brendan Coyle
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23. The Boys
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 319,732
> Series run: 2019-
> Starring: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty
22. House
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 433,744
> Series run: 2004-2012
> Starring: Hugh Laurie, Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Jesse Spencer
21. House of Cards
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 482,779
> Series run: 2013-2018
> Starring: Kevin Spacey, Michel Gill, Robin Wright, Kate Mara
20. Stranger Things
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
> IMDb user votes: 924,767
> Series run: 2016-0
> Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, David Harbour
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19. The Family Man
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10
> IMDb user votes: 76,749
> Series run: 2019-
> Starring: Manoj Bajpayee, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi
18. Ted Lasso
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10
> IMDb user votes: 127,451
> Series run: 2020-
> Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammed
17. Twin Peaks
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10
> IMDb user votes: 185,936
> Series run: 1990-1991
> Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Madchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook
16. Dark
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10
> IMDb user votes: 327,576
> Series run: 2017-2020
> Starring: Louis Hofmann, Karoline Eichhorn, Lisa Vicari, Maja Schone
15. Better Call Saul
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10
> IMDb user votes: 361,978
> Series run: 2015-2022
> Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Patrick Fabian
14. Narcos
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10
> IMDb user votes: 385,225
> Series run: 2015-2017
> Starring: Pedro Pascal, Lizbeth Eden, Wagner Moura, Boyd Holbrook
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13. Peaky Blinders
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10
> IMDb user votes: 420,499
> Series run: 2014-
> Starring: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Helen McCrory, Sophie Rundle
12. Black Mirror
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10
> IMDb user votes: 484,949
> Series run: 2011-
> Starring: Daniel Lapaine, Hannah John-Kamen, Michaela Coel, Beatrice Robertson-Jones
11. Fargo
> IMDb user rating: 8.9/10
> IMDb user votes: 348,702
> Series run: 2014-
> Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks
10. True Detective
> IMDb user rating: 8.9/10
> IMDb user votes: 525,873
> Series run: 2014-2019
> Starring: Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch
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9. The Twilight Zone
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
> IMDb user votes: 76,797
> Series run: 1959-1964
> Starring: Rod Serling, Robert McCord, Jay Overholts, Vaughn Taylor
8. Firefly
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
> IMDb user votes: 252,610
> Series run: 2002-2003
> Starring: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin
7. Death Note
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10
> IMDb user votes: 274,096
> Series run: 2006-2007
> Starring: Mamoru Miyano, Brad Swaile, Vincent Tong, Ryô Naitô
6. Leyla and Mecnun
> IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
> IMDb user votes: 91,997
> Series run: 2011-2013, 2021
> Starring: Ali Atay, Serkan Keskin, Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan, Osman Sonant
5. Sherlock
> IMDb user rating: 9.1/10
> IMDb user votes: 856,410
> Series run: 2010-2017
> Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs, Rupert Graves
4. The Sopranos
> IMDb user rating: 9.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 343,676
> Series run: 1999-2007
> Starring: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli
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3. Game of Thrones
> IMDb user rating: 9.2/10
> IMDb user votes: 1,893,144
> Series run: 2011-2019
> Starring: Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey
2. The Wire
> IMDb user rating: 9.3/10
> IMDb user votes: 307,847
> Series run: 2002-2008
> Starring: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce
1. Breaking Bad
> IMDb user rating: 9.4/10
> IMDb user votes: 1,600,709
> Series run: 2008-2013
> Starring: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt
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