The Greatest TV Dramas of All Time

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated February 24, 2021 176.5k votes 18.3k voters 310.1k views402 items

List RulesVote up the best American and British dramas, whether they're straight dramatic series or a subgenre like fantasy, period pieces, or horror.

The best dramas of all time are the ones that make you feel connected to characters you will never meet in real life to the point where you obsess about their exploits as much as your own. Thanks to their gripping storylines the best TV dramas rank high among the best TV shows of recent memory with many touting characters on the list of best TV characters ever.

Many of these greatest TV drama series, like Lost and The Sopranos, have already come to a close (earning them places on the list of the best TV series finales), while others like Mad Men and Breaking Bad are on the verge of closing up TV shop and leaving us to inevitably wonder about the lives of the surviving characters and what could have happened with the characters that get killed off (I've got even odds on Walter White buying a ticket to the meth lab in the sky in the Breaking Bad finale). Medical TV shows, crime shows, and more grace this list of excellent TV dramas.

What is the best drama series in TV history? Tough question to answer considering many of the best TV series are dramas (and a lot of them are good!) Use this list of the greatest drama TV shows ever to cast your vote for the top drama series so other real people can get caught up in the fictional lives of your favorite TV drama characters.

Photo:

...more

1
5,044
2,775
Breaking Bad
Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul
Premiered: 2008
Network: AMC
More Breaking Bad
The Most Low-Key Evil Things Walter White Ever DidThe Best Breaking Bad Characters of All Time
2
3,577
1,968
The Sopranos
James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco
Premiered: 1999
Network: HBO
More The Sopranos
16 Small Details That Make 'The Sopranos' That Much Better#12 of 12 The Most Emotional Final Scenes In TV Dramas
3
2,804
1,739
The Wire
Dominic West, Lance Reddick
Premiered: 2002
Network: BBC Four, HBO
More The Wire
The Best of The WIRE Characters#12 of 40 The Best Current TV Shows Starring Movie Stars
4
3,968
2,940
Game of Thrones
Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey
Premiered: 2011-04-17
Network: HBO
More Game of Thrones
The Best 'Game Of Thrones' CharactersReal Historical Figures Who Inspired Game Of Thrones Characters
5
834
671
The Americans
Keri Russell
Premiered: 2013
Network: FX
More The Americans
Ranking the Best Seasons of 'The Americans'#93 of 220 The Greatest TV Shows for Women
6
1,182
1,025
The West Wing
Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe
Premiered: 1999
Network: NBC
More The West Wing
Ranking the Best Seasons of 'The West Wing'#26 of 54 The Best NBC Dramas of All Time
7
1,904
1,673
Mad Men
Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss
Premiered: 2007
Network: AMC
More Mad Men
The Best Mad Men Characters of All Time#67 of 339 The Best TV Shows of The Last 20 Years
8
969
844
M*A*S*H
Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers
Premiered: 1972
Network: CBS
More M*A*S*H
#44 of 448 The Funniest TV Shows of All Time#3 of 78 The Best CBS Shows of All Time
9
1,023
843
Deadwood
Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane
Premiered: 2004
Network: HBO
More Deadwood
#213 of 399 The Best Western Movies Ever Made#22 of 63 The Best Serial Dramas of the 21st Century
10
1,688
1,111
Band of Brothers
Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis
Premiered: 2001
Network: British Broadcasting Corporation, HBO
More Band of Brothers
Small But Poignant Details Fans Noticed In 'Band Of Brothers'#4 of 277 The Top Tearjerker Movies That Make Men Cry
11
805
613
Stranger Things
Winona Ryder, David Harbour
Premiered: 2016
Network: Netflix
More Stranger Things
Who Would Be In 'Stranger Things' If It Were Cast In The '80s?Wholesome 'Stranger Things' Moments That Turned Our Hearts Upside Down
12
666
536
Homeland
Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin
Premiered: 2011
Network: Showtime
More Homeland
The Best Characters On 'Homeland'#109 of 166 The Best TV Shows Returning In 2020
13
1,063
684
Fargo
Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton
Premiered: 2014
Network: FX
More Fargo
All of the Clever Easter Eggs Hiding in Fargo the TV Series#5 of 46 New TV Shows of the Last Few Years with the Best Overall Acting

14
1,391
1,264
The Twilight Zone
Rod Serling, Robert McCord
Premiered: 1959
Network: UPN, CBS
More The Twilight Zone
Small Details From 'The Twilight Zone' That Make The Show Much Better#10 of 201 The TV Shows with the Best Writing
15
1,736
1,559
House
Hugh Laurie, Omar Epps
Premiered: 2004
Network: Fox
More House
Small Details From 'House' That Make The Show Much Better#1 of 96 The Best Dramedy TV Series
16
725
506
Vikings
Travis Fimmel, Katheryn Winnick
Premiered: 2013
Network: History
More Vikings
Turns Out The Real Inspiration For 'Vikings' Lagertha Is Even Tougher Than The TV Version#33 of 253 The Best TV Shows Streaming On Hulu
17
593
364
Peaky Blinders
Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory
Premiered: 2013
Network: BBC Two
More Peaky Blinders
The Fascinating True Story That Inspired BBC's 'Peaky Blinders'#6 of 55 The Best Drama TV Shows Airing Now
18
824
705
Justified
Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy
Premiered: 2010
Network: FX
More Justified
The Best Seasons of 'Justified'#8 of 95 The Best Serial Cop Dramas of All Time
19
679
614
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner
Premiered: 1987
Network: CBS
More Star Trek: The Next Generation
14 Small But Fascinating Details Fans Noticed About Star Trek: The Next Generation#310 of 489 Things That Are Not As Cool As People Think They Are
20
408
320
Black Mirror
Daniel Kaluuya, Toby Kebbell
Premiered: 2011
Network: Channel 4, Netflix
More Black Mirror
Wildly Convincing Black Mirror Fan Theories That Somehow Make The Show Even Crazier#3 of 75 Sci-Fi Shows You Should Be Watching Now
21
1,273
1,114
Sons of Anarchy
Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal
Premiered: 2008
Network: FX
More Sons of Anarchy
Here Are All The Things That Sons Of Anarchy Got Totally Wrong About California Motorcycle Gangs#62 of 140 The Worst TV Series Finales Ever
22
1,115
451
Better Call Saul
Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks
Premiered: 2015
Network: AMC
More Better Call Saul
Fan Theories For The Final Season Of 'Better Call Saul' That Just Might Be True#6 of 266 The Best TV Shows Returning In 2021
23
801
730
Star Trek: The Original Series
William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy
Premiered: 1966
Network: NBC
More Star Trek: The Original Series
#8 of 538 TV Shows Canceled Before Their Time#33 of 70 The Best Crime Fighting Duo TV Series

24
190
121
The Crown
Claire Foy, Matt Smith
Premiered: 2016
Network: Netflix
More The Crown
Details About Charles And Camilla’s Affair That 'The Crown' Brought To LightDetails About Princess Diana’s Alleged Affairs That ‘The Crown’ Brought To Light
25
1,769
1,650
Lost
Naveen Andrews, Emilie de Ravin
Premiered: 2004
Network: American Broadcasting Company
More Lost
The Best LOST Characters#1 of 75 The Best ABC Shows of All Time