Some TV exhibits merely can not seem to miss, sustaining an incredibly constant degree of high quality throughout many seasons. Even probably the most beloved TV sequence are likely to have dangerous seasons right here and there, both dipping in sure locations like in Rick & Morty or slowly declining over time like the pitiful ending of Game of Thrones. Conversely, different all-time-great TV exhibits in some way stored up their greatest efforts throughout a few years, refusing to drop the ball on even a single season.
These uncommon TV exhibits that by no means had a foul season are likely to have a couple of issues in frequent. Normally, they’re poignant drama sequence specializing in heavy topics like crime, envisioned with a transparent starting, center, and finish from the beginning. That being stated, there are some surprising exceptions from different genres, with the whole lot from situational comedies to kid-friendly animated epics having the prospect to endure in high quality over a very long time.
10
Breaking Unhealthy
5 seasons
Thought of to be one of many biggest TV exhibits ever made by many, Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Unhealthy is a real masterpiece of TV. Starring the beforehand typecast Brian Cranston and then-unknown Aaron Paul, the present follows the exploits of a chemistry trainer who groups up with an outdated flunkie pupil to prepare dinner meth with a view to generate income for his household after receiving a lethal most cancers analysis. The entire sequence is one big character examine that slowly sees a mild-mannered, down-on-his-luck Dad remodel into an egotistical felony mastermind.
A part of the enduring attraction of Breaking Unhealthy is its remarkably constant high quality. There is not an oz of fats on the tight writing that ensures every subsequent season neatly flows into the following. Although it realistically may have gone on for much longer, Breaking Unhealthy neatly ends on the good second within the season 5 finale, perpetually leaving its mark on community tv.
9
Higher Name Saul
6 seasons
Breaking Unhealthy left some huge sneakers to fill upon its ending, and following up the critically-acclaimed sequence might have appeared like a frightening activity for Vince Gilligan. Nevertheless, Higher Name Saul not solely meets the lofty expectations of storytelling set by its progenitor sequence, but it surely arguably surpasses them. The spin-off prequel balances two timelines, telling the story of how Jimmy McGill grew to become the sleazy lawyer Saul Goodman and the way he evaded the authorities following the collapse of Walter White’s drug empire.
Although it would begin slower, each single season of Higher Name Saul is packed stuffed with tense cons, heists, and schemes as Jimmy cheats his strategy to victory again and again, heedless of the results. The brand new characters launched within the present, like Howard Hamlin and Lalo Salamanca, are all phenomenal additions to the Breaking Unhealthy universe, and at a sure season, Better Call Saul becomes better than Breaking Bad, proving that Gilligan discovered many classes on the right way to enhance from the primary sequence.
8
Malcolm within the Center
7 seasons
Talking of Brian Cranston, his contact of high quality expands far past the bounds of Vince Gilligan’s true crime universe, proving his mettle far earlier with Malcolm within the Center. Working from 2000 to 2006, Malcolm within the Center was a sitcom that centered on the working-class Wilkerson household, consisting of an eccentric married couple and their 4 sons. The center youngster, the titular Malcolm, is presented with an unimaginable pure intelligence that gives him with alternatives simply as a lot because it will get him into hassle.
Malcolm within the Center eschewed many sitcom traditions equivalent to giggle tracks and dwell studio audiences in favor of taking pictures on movie with intelligent digital camera work and Malcolm’s frequent fourth-wall-breaks by which he talks to the viewers. This contemporary type stored the present extremely entertaining all through its 7 season run, even because the story developed with the Wilkersons gaining a brand new son and the evolution of eldest youngster Francis’ grownup escapades. Above all else, the present is an ideal encapsulation of what rising up within the early 2000s was like.
7
The Twilight Zone
5 seasons
Regardless of being launched again earlier than TVs had been even constantly in colour, The Twilight Zone has in some way endured as an immovable popular culture touchstone since its inception in 1959. An anthology sequence, The Twilight Zone begins and ends every episode with narration from the wonderful voice of host Rod Serling earlier than launching into some disturbing story, usually laden with supernatural or science fiction parts. The brooding theme music, eerie tone, and shockingly good particular results for the time nonetheless maintain up comparatively unscathed right now.
One of many greatest horror TV shows ever made, not to mention among the many anthology horror style the present popularized, The Twilight Zone is a traditional for a motive. Most anthology sequence are likely to have dramatic dips in high quality simply by the character of the format, however none of The Twilight Zone‘s 5 seasons ever had so many duds that they dragged down the entire sequence. It is no surprise that The Twilight Zone was revived a number of occasions, together with one occasion as lately as 2019.
6
Mad Males
7 seasons
Between Breaking Unhealthy, The Strolling Lifeless, and Mad Males, AMC was unstoppable as a TV channel within the mid-2000s. The latter sequence specifically may very well be praised for by no means having a single season that stood out as particularly dangerous, maintaining the intrigue and poignant drama over 7 lengthy seasons. Set within the Sixties, Mad Males tells the story of an advert company’s makes an attempt to remain on high of the market in such a turbulent time interval, navigating workplace politics and relationships in the identical breath.
The star of the present is well Jon Hamm’s Don Draper, a task that he has since turn out to be well-known for, and for good motive. Don’s evolution as a personality is especially charming, from his private struggles to his response to the ever-changing world round him. Some seasons of Mad Man might have been stronger than others, however calling any of them downright dangerous could be an egregious mistake.
5
Avatar: The Final Airbender
3 seasons
Generally, a bit of media ostensibly created for youngsters can break the boundaries of what’s anticipated of the animation style by way of sheer pressure of high quality. That is precisely what occurred with Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Final Airbender, a brief fantasy sequence that is still one of many biggest TV exhibits ever made generally. The story takes place in an Asian-inspired fantasy world by which the 4 main nations every have individuals who can management the 4 parts of nature. When the Hearth Nation assaults, it is as much as the Avatar Aang, grasp of all 4 parts, to save lots of the day.
Every of Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s three seasons, or “books”, have their very own recognizable story to inform, following Aang and his group in particular emotional and bodily locations alongside their harrowing journey to defeat the Hearth Lord. The worldbuilding of the sequence is second-to-none, and it is aware of the right way to steadiness moments of levity and kid-friendly comedy with extra critical topics and themes. Certainly, the typical viewer has to pressure fairly onerous to search out any fault in Avatar: The Final Airbender in anyway.
4
The Good Place
4 seasons
A comedy sequence in contrast to another, The Good Place begins off as a unusual, offbeat joke-fest that quickly proves it has extra methods up its sleeve than is perhaps initially anticipated. The present follows the afterlife of Eleanor, a scummy lady who dies after main a reasonably self-centered and unremarkable life. In some grand cosmic fluke, she’s granted a spot in “The Good Place”, basically heaven, and has to faux her means by way of the cosmic realm of abundance and bliss to show she belongs there with the assistance of ethics professor Chidi.
Each season of The Good Place has its personal distinct story, with the surprising mid-season twist of the primary sequence setting into movement a completely sudden new route for the plot. Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason are all good characters with their very own flaws preserving them from everlasting salvation, intertwining jokes with poignant moments of development and loss. Regardless of how dramatically completely different the stakes and story of every season is, The Good Place definitely seems like a heavenly little bit of TV the entire means by way of.
3
The Sopranos
6 seasons
Whereas loads of crime exhibits have entered the annals of TV greatness, no mafia-centric sequence does it fairly like The Sopranos. One in every of HBO’s most successful original shows, The Sopranos follows the titular New Jersey-based crime household, notably the patriarch Tony, as he goes about his unlawful misdeeds. So as to add an fascinating layer to the drama, Tony is analyzing his psychological well being in a way exceptional for the usually machismo crime lord, commonly seeing a psychiatrist.
The Sopranos might be fairly the advanced and thought-provoking present. Its solid of felony characters are undoubtedly dangerous individuals, but it surely’s onerous to not sympathize with them to some extent, a testomony of the sequence’ absurdly good character growth. Some episodes work as bottle tales that want little context, whereas others advance the serialized narrative in gorgeous methods. In both case, none of The Sopranos‘ six seasons can really be regarded as a weak hyperlink.
2
Peaky Blinders
5 seasons
From The Sopranos to Breaking Unhealthy to Peaky Blinders, criminals simply appear to make wonderful topics for constantly good TV. Slightly than happening in New Jersey or New Mexico, Peaky Blinders trades acquainted Americana for 1910s England, particularly, Birmingham. Right here, a clan of Irish criminals, the Shelby household, plot to keep up their vice grip on town’s felony underworld.
Cilian Murphy’s Thomas Shelby is likely one of the biggest performances of his profession, navigating delicate and tense conditions with astonishing reliability. Every successive season of Peaky Blinders builds on the final in a means that steadily ratchets up the stress to a mad boiling level, expertly weaving collectively a number of storylines with unbelievable deftness. It is onerous to imagine a present like Peaky Blinders is nearly as good as it’s, not to mention that it maintains that high quality throughout 5 lengthy seasons.
1
Hannibal
3 seasons
As nice as organized crime is for TV, generally a single serial killer is all a TV present really must make for an enduring and worthwhile narrative. The likes of Dexter might have outshone it in fashionable tradition, however so far as high quality is anxious, Hannibal is unmatched with regards to bloody charming drama. Basically working as a prequel to Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal follows the cannibalistic psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter nonetheless early on in his profession as a serial killer, hoping to evade seize whereas giving in to his sick wishes.
As nice as Anthony Hopkins is as Hannibal Lecter, the character really feels just like the position Mads Mikkelsen was born to play, bringing the vile physician to life with slimy smoothness. The sequence perches on a novel tackle the traditional police procedural, offering some perception as to how a thoughts may get as wicked as Hannibal’s whereas exhibiting the complete gory fallout of his grotesque crimes. For these that may abdomen it, Hannibal presents among the greatest TV round with its consistency-to-quality ratio.
