History Gush / LiveActionTV

* Series/TheFugitive is the greatest tv series ever with one of the most intriguing premises - a man on the run while trying to find the person who murdered his wife. The show has a bit of everything: action, drama, humour, suspense, etc and was the first series to have a main plot (albeit simplistic) and an ending, even though [[StrictlyFormula most episodes could be watched in any order]]. Brilliant acting from David Jensen and Barry Morse along with a great narrator and amazing soundtrack. A bit dated and formulaic by today’s standards (but what old show isn’t?), it still holds up well and is still relevant. Each episode is like a mini-movie. Show’s format influenced later series such as The X-Files. One of the best 60s dramas.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''. It was groundbreaking when it came out, it's still fun to watch now, and some of the episodes are truly, truly awesome. Plus, redshirts getting eaten by bad special effects never gets old. Or [[LargeHam hammy]] [[Creator/WilliamShatner Shatner]]. Or [[TheSpock Spock]]. Just ''Spock''.
* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' may have [[FlawedPrototype aged more poorly]] than the other 24th Century shows (especially seasons 1 and 2 were one season's worth of ''good'' episodes spread out over two years), but there wouldn't ''be'' a 24th Century without TNG. TNG had one of the best Captains in the franchise (even if you don't think he's the best, Captain Picard very seldom ranks lower than #2 on anybody's "rank the Captains" list) and several of the best episodes of the entire franchise ("Best of Both Worlds", "Tapestry", and "Darmok" are all fan favorites). Characters like Picard, Riker or Data reached mainstream recognition and they have lasting cultural impact because even people who didn't watch the show are likely to know who they are.
* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' is a great Trek series. The premise is awesome and the cast is just so darned good! So often, it's overshadowed by the other series and everyone forgets how good it was. It had not just a great cast, but a great set of characters that went through some believable and wonderful growth over the series. Not to mention the fantastic humor that didn't rely solely on guest characters (like Q) and lest we forget the kickass action sequences, with the captain herself taking point because she's TheCaptain, dammit, and nobody threatens [[TrueCompanions her crew.]] The show is generally better than people give it credit for, and despite the appearance of some terrible episodes, which most shows have anyway, is still fun and engaging to watch. Also, Voyager makes absolutely kick-ass two-parters.
* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' was the most human of the ''Treks'' for good reason -- it wrote interpersonal relationships deftly, dealt with the consequences of its actions, had a ton of supporting cast who were all written with depth, had [[MagnificentBastard Cardassians]] every which way, actually dealt with religion and did it well, had an actual friggin ''war'', the first same-sex kiss on ''Franchise/StarTrek'', while still managing to be damned hilarious, and wasn't above taking potshots at itself. ''Deep Space Nine'' was the very best of all the Treks and it had an awesome cast and writers whose love of ''Trek'' showed. Ron Moore cut his teeth here and on ''TNG'' years before ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' and you can see parallels between the two shows, with the aforementioned wonderful supporting cast and lots of moral gray areas. It had amazing, fully-developed characters on this show, including both the main characters and the outstanding ensemble cast. They all have real, believable backstories that actually go with the characters' personalities (Kira pulls off coming from a CrapsackWorld, being a ChildSoldier in LaResistance, and learning firsthand that WarIsHell without a single drop of {{Wangst}} and plenty of badass and becomes one of the best characters on the show, and even Dr. Bashir's InsufferableGenius-ness ties in with the rest of his character) and most of them are just plain AWESOME. And as for the supporting cast's amazingness. Garak. Just... Garak. Also, Batlithe duels, Klingon mythology, and Worf/Jadzia, a great BattleCouple. And Quark, and all his scheming and comic relief mixed with his moments of Badassery when his family is in danger. Great show! It attained the perfect balance between the sometimes overly-optimistic Roddenberry vision of the other Treks and the sometimes overly-pessimistic Ron Moore vision of [=BSG=]. Just enough darkness to tone down the lightness of Trek and make it real, combined with long arcs that allowed for deeper story and character development, resulted in a great show that made all of its parts greater than they had any business being. Watching [=DS9=], more so than any of the other Treks, was like watching real people and true stories. Everyone was incredibly flawed without being overly messed up or unlikable, all of their relationships were suitably complicated, and there were "always" two sides to every argument, conflict, plot, and character. The heroes were good without being right all the time and the villains were anything but pure evil--admit it, you were sad when Weyoun was gone for good. Just like real life, this show was hilarious, emotionally draining, complicated, depressing at times, heartbreaking, and uplifting.
* ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' rocked. People bitched about it and hated it, but you know what? Some viewers loved it. The cast came together better and faster than any of the previous Trek shows. Yeah, it had its flaws, but what Trek show didn't? It had some of the best characters -- Trip was amazing and made up for any inept blandness displayed by the rest of the cast. It gave the world Malcolm Reed. And Scott Bakula is the man. It was so much more relatable and human than any of the other ''Star Treks''. It just felt much more approachable, it had some great Funny Moments, and was cut short far too early in its life. It was a fabulous show that was handled very badly, but fans still love ''Enterprise'' and they always will.

* Anyone can talk back to a bad movie, but how many can make it consistently funny and entertaining for years and years? ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'', TV Tropes salute you. It's rare that somebody can mock ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' and actually be really, really funny. If you ever need a summary of Hamlet's "to be or not to be" soliloquy, it's hard to beat "I'm a chicken for not stabbing myself". The show is one of the greatest THINGS of all-time. It's funny and incredibly random (''he tried to kill me with a forklift HUZZAH!'') Smartass robots FTW. Even though a lot of [=MST3K=] reviews on Website/IMDb point out that these guys are just doing what we do naturally -- sit in front of a TV and talk at it -- and that it's not creative or necessary because anyone can do that on their own, but that's the thing: anyone can do anything. It takes true brilliance to elevate something as simple as mockery to an art form.
* ''Series/RedDwarf''. At its height, it featured some of the funniest scenes ever shot on television. It was the best thing ever for the longest time.
* You know what's a great show? ''Series/CornerGas''. With consistently hilarious and endlessly watchable episodes, as well as a diverse set of quirky characters, the show is a true Canadian relic. Too bad it ended.
* ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''. No show can be so ''[[TearJerker/{{Scrubs}} touching]]'' and so ''[[Funny/{{Scrubs}} hilarious]]'' at the same time. So ''[[http://www.scrubs-hq.com/news/archives/134 human]]''. It manages to give [[AnAesop aesops]] without coming off stupid or preachy and it has quite possibly the best [[MusicVideoSyndrome soundtrack]] of all live action shows... Yes, it started to [[JumpingTheShark get crappy]] after the fifth season, but god, it is managed to be one of the best shows. Season 8 rocked. People got hooked a few minutes into the first episode when JD asked Turk if, when they're singing along to rap music together, he could use "this one word that the singers sometimes use..." and Turk cut him off with a curt "No." By the time JD and Elliot were racing (compete with fantasy race elements and the great music that would be a highlight of the show), viewer got a new favorite comedy. And yet by the third episode it established itself as a solid drama with, "My Old Lady," showing emotional range perhaps not seen since ''Series/{{Mash}}'', if then. Also, the music... seriously, even if you aren't familiar with ''Scrubs'', go to Website/YouTube and search for "scrubs music scenes" or something like that.
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Never has a show reached such heights, while shooting itself in the foot as often as it did... but when the heights are that high, why focus on the lows?
** Season 1 was far better than people give it credit for, season 2 was famously epic and showed what a deep show this was, season 3 was made with pure class, and season 4, probably the worst, still had some of the most beautiful standalones of the show, if the arc was a bit of a let down. Season 6 was the bravest televisual move ever, and they pulled it off with aplomb. In general: ''Series/{{Buffy|the Vampire Slayer}}'' is awesome.
** Some fans supposedly hate season six and seven, but both of those seasons offer a tiny slice of life and they capture everything so incredibly perfectly, with layer upon layer of pathos, humour, irony, and some of the best damn characters ever put on a television. That is how awesome ''Buffy'' is. Seasons 6 and 7 may not have been as good as the rest of the series, but they were nowhere near as bad as everyone claims.
** Episode "Once More With Feeling". Vamp!Willow's characterization, and how Willow actually was at the end of season 6.
--->''"Bored now."''
** The show's franchise! The show itself, [[VideoGame/BuffyTheVampireSlayer the]] [[VideoGame/BuffyTheVampireSlayerChaosBleeds games]], [[ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Season 8]], all amazing. How can you not like a show that changed TV forever? Also, without ''Buffy'', TV Tropes would have never been made...
** [[SelfDemonstratingArticle And this is what Gushing About Shows You Like is all about.]] A meta example...let's play a little game and look through the number of tropes and works on the site. Pick out the pages that ''don't'' reference Buffy in some way. The show is not just TropeOverdosed, it may be the Most Triumphant Example of trope kilowicked.
** ''Buffy'' and ''Series/{{Angel}}'' are wonderfully, amazingly hilarious. We're speaking Rolling On the Floor Laughing hilarious!
* ''Series/{{Angel}}'' is just as good as its parent show, ''Buffy'', and for all the same reasons. Joss Whedon is a master at taking a real life situation, adding a supernatural twist, and having it come out more relatable than the original situation. ''Angel'' is even better, due in part to Angel being a bit of a psych geek and an INFP. There's too few of them in starring roles, because they come off as {{Wangst}}y to everybody else even in RealLife, but a ByronicHero like Angel can pull it off ([[DarkAndTroubledPast almost]] by [[TroubledButCute definition]]) no matter how big the DeusAngstMachina or the {{Angst}} itself gets. From the amazing characters from Angel to Fred to their even more amazing character development, everything is just perfect and brings out some of the best drama and humor. It didn't just have great heroes but great villains as well. This show raised AffablyEvil to an art form with Lindsey ("Stop it evil hand, stop it!"), Holland Manners's calmly awesome evilness, Lilah's spectacular bitchiness, Darla's... it was endearing how she always seemed to end up failing at villainy), "Cordy" running her scheme while spouting hilarious quips no one got, even Jasmine had her moments, plus the King of hilarious badass-laden psychological/physical tormenty villainy, Angelus. Actually a lot of the minor villains like Skip and Archduke Sebassis were great as well. It had some of the greatest dramatic moments ever seen. Doyle's final episode or Cordy's last one are absolutely tear-jerking.

* ''Series/MadMen''. The smartest, most artistic, most compelling show on TV. Why it still hasn't caught on here, or for the general public, is a criminal offense.
* ''Series/TheOfficeUK'' is the single most monumental series in the history of comedy. And no, I'm not talking about the American remake (which is actually very good in itself), but the original, 12-episodes, Christmas Special, Paper-company-in-Slough, UK ''"The Office"''. God Bless Gervais & Merchant.
* ''[[Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'' is, without a doubt, incredibly awesome and one of the best shows ever. It's intelligent, funny, armed with a great plot and character development, and an interesting assortment of [[DysfunctionJunction screwed-up characters]], plus takes full advantage of the ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' mythos and the myriad plot elements it offers up. Plus, it has Creator/SummerGlau. Sarah Connor is just fantastic.
* ''Series/FawltyTowers'' will always remain one of the most twistedly hilarious programs ever made. Even after watching it a million times, (and yes, US public TV stations probably ''have'' shown it ''that many times,'') it still manages to be consistently funny. Kudos to John Cleese for choosing to end it before it could become stale and repetitive.
* {{Game Show}}s:
** Tropers showing their nerditude and geekiness, but... ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}''. Nothing like half an hour of random trivia, especially when you watch it with your family, and among them, well, some tropers know all the answers. Yes, all of them. Many a troper secretly wants to be on it since childhood. Perhaps you are one of them. It also has one of the best game show theme songs of all time.
** Nothing wrong with nerditude. Seeming non-sequiturs can be explained by "I'm watching ''Wheel of Fortune''!"
** ''Series/LegendsOfTheHiddenTemple''. Best game show ever. Even if the show's been cancelled for years, people still dream of one day facing Olmec's temple. That Silver Monkey is going DOWN. One of the greatest forms of entertainment known to mankind. The temple guards to be the best part and always jumped when they came out of the trees.
* ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' is awesome and it is the ''Series/{{Lost}}'' of comedy. One essay said that "The complexity of a drama is measured by the number of plot threads and how they intertwine, the complexity of a sitcom is measured by how much media you have to have experienced for maximum enjoyment," and it that regard it certainly holds up. It's complex by dramatic standards too -- the narrator is there for a ''reason''--and the characters remain consistently fresh and interesting. It took one of the dullest subjects on the face of the planet and made from it an original sitcom without a single dull moment in its entire run. The cast was the total embodiment of their roles, and there wasn't a single joke with poor delivery. This show is the golden standard of what a sitcom should be, and let's salute all involved for making it perfect. Another amazing thing next to the BRILLIANT, dark humoured dialogue, is the fact that none of the characters is really likeable, yet viewers can be intrigued with each and everyone of them. Also, there are many little in-jokes and bits of foreshadowing. (For example, [[spoiler:H. Maddas is Saddam H. backwards.]]) It's rare there's ever been a show with such great rewatch value.
* ''Series/TheCloser'' deserves ''soo'' much more love. Unfortunately, you may find it dull at the beginning... but it's totally addictive! The gloriously dysfunctional and flawed main character, the strong ensemble cast, the dedication to realism... ''The show is just awesome!''

* ''Series/Studio60OnTheSunsetStrip'' might have sounded like it was going to be a rip-off of ''30 Rock'' but it was an imaginative, very clever show that you get to see very rarely. Aaron Sorkin's and Tommy Schlamme's name appearing on the small screen again was way too cool for their fans. To the creators' credit, the series tried to wrap up everything very quickly when they realised it was going to finish. It was a great, very well done show; it was funny and it had very likable characters. It was simply great.
* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'':
** ''Series/PowerRangersWildForce'' is many fans' favourite series of the franchise, namely because of how the Zords were interchangeable. With the amount of Zords and amount of combinations that happened, what more could you ask from that series... more Zords! The show is completely different than ANYTHING on American television. It may have its weaker moments, but RuleOfCool always pulls through. Always.
** ''Series/PowerRangersRPM''. Razed planet, Eddie Guzelian taking the show to a whole new level, and the best part, the rangers go through actual CharacterDevelopment! Is this show awesome or what?
** ''Series/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue''. Yeah, it's different with the heroes' identities being revealed, but that's only part of the reasons why it's so awesome. The other reasons include the plot (the demons plotting to take over Mariner Bay), the twists (for example, Ryan, the series' first American-made Ranger, being revealed as Captain Mitchell's son), and the impressive cast! It had [[MemeticBadass Carter the Red Ranger]] and one of [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic the best]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reRbINQO4b4 Power Rangers themes]]. Saying that this show SugarWiki/NeedsMoreLove is an understatement, even though some fans have come to respect the series in retrospect.
** ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'' is one of, if not THE, greatest Power Rangers seasons ever. It completely averted NeverSayDie in its first frelling episode, it had great characters, cool action scenes, and one of the zords was basically Batman. How could this not be awesome?
** ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge'' won many disillusioned fans back with just it´s first episode, which is contains only original footage (the first one in 22 years). It has a well balanced cast, suprisingly good acting (for Power Rangers) and reputation of being CrazyAwesome. The resident Red Ranger, Tyler definitely takes the cake. His EstablishingCharacterMoment? Flying on the scene like a Tarzan and protecting his fellow future Ranger by deflecting laser blasts with a shovel. Also, he draw a map with a crayon, stating that it´s good for outdoors because it is waterproof. And the best thing is that he is completely sane, well-adjusted person despite the fact that he does not see anything weird going on with all the aformentioned things. His father taught him that after all. Well, then there are the other characters. Including an absent minded [[CasanovaWannabe romantic]], a [[NiceGuy adorable]] caveman and a [[LargeHam medivial knight]]. It has enjoyable villains too. Dino Charge has Sledge, who is not after the destruction of Earth for little to no reason, has a pretty good characterization and a love interest on board. Dino Supercharge takes it even further with [[HamAndCheese Heckyl]], who is 100% more evil than Sledge, smart enough to outthink the Rangers for several times and still very much insane.
* ''Series/SquareOneTV'' made some people appreciate Math and get them feel excited ''all week'', waiting for a new Mathnet segment to come up. And it also taught its viewers logical and critical thinking. Oh joy, the debunking points in the Mathnet Bermuda Triangle episode...
* Kids' shows:
** Kids' game shows in the '90s were amazing. But the most amazing of all was probably ''Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?'' It created many a dedicated student of History and Geography. DO IT, ROCKAPELLA!
** ''Series/TheElectricCompany1971'' was one of the greatest children's shows of all time. It had witty humor, great songs, and a very talented cast. Not just Creator/MorganFreeman and Rita Moreno, but everyone. Them, the writers, the directors, everyone who worked on the show were people who knew what really entertained kids [[ParentalBonus and adults]]. Not to mention the graphics were cool. Most importantly, they taught a whole generation of kids how to read and to love reading. Nothing made afterwards comes close, not even ''Series/BetweenTheLions''.
* ''Series/MostExtremeEliminationChallenge'' is the perfect show to watch when everyone but you is asleep and you need some good laughs. The fast pace of the GagDub narration makes all the puns funnier, and who wouldn't want to at least try a game of Irritable Bowl Syndrome?
* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'': It's awesomesauce story telling and characters that are actually fallible and therefore interesting are what kept viewers coming back season after season! It had some bumps, but its [[ExpansionPackWorld Expansion universe]] and attempts at realism in a sci-fi setting is admirable. [[http://heroeswiki.com/Main_Page Heroes Wiki]] is full of fun trivia to explore. And it's ''great'' for fanfiction for the reasons previously mentioned. And while the later seasons may be lacking, the first season is ''still'' the best of the whole show.
* The show ''Series/{{Reaper}}'' deserves love and gushing for its ridiculously attractive main character, hilarious writing, adorable romance, and Satan fitting in all of that seamlessly.
* Pre-Bobby Lee ''Series/MadTV''. From that time, Nicole Sullivan, Debra Wilson and Phil [=LaMarr=] were awesome and popular cast members.

* The ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' has spent the better part of a half-century capturing the hearts of viewers.
** ''Series/UltramanMebius'' is quite possibly the greatest entry in the franchise's very long run. The {{Mythology Gag}}s, {{Homage}}s, and ContinuityPorn it brought as [[MilestoneCelebration the 40th anniversary series]] are absolutely wonderful for any long-time ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' fan (So great to see so many classic monsters return!). The cast is very endearing and well-developed, the show pulls of major [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments heartwarming]], [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments funny]], [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome]], and [[TearJerker sad]] moments, the optimism is refreshing, and the stories are always top notch with a nice balance of light-hearted and serious. They even got actors from the earlier entries to reprise their former roles, creating many amazing guest appearances! It is well-paced, well-toned, and probably one of the best tokusatsu series in general. The characters are well-done but not overworked, the humor is well-done, and it doesn't take itself too seriously.
** ''Series/UltramanMax'' is a fantastic entry. From its fun and likable cast to its excellent usage of classic monsters to its solid special effects to its fairly lighthearted charm, there's something for anybody who loves {{Toku}}, {{Kaiju}}, or Ultraman as a whole. It's also a fantastic entry for newcomers to get introduced to the standard Ultraman formula without the troubles of adjusting to the more outdated effects of older series, being locked out of continuity and {{Homage}}s, or getting the wrong idea of the franchise's general nature. Unfortunately being sandwiched between grimdark franchise reboot ''Ultraman Nexus'' and nostalgia-fuelled MilestoneCelebration ''Ultraman Mebius'' keeps ''Max'' from getting as much attention as other series. [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Oh, and the theme song is kickass.]]
** Despite the short run, ''Series/UltramanX'' was a great entry in the franchise. It had [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome amazing visual effects]], a well-written story, and likable characters. There's many returning monsters and Ultramen, cool new monsters, and a creepy yet awesome villain! We also get great interaction between the Ultraman and his host, both entertaining and meaningful, as well as a better handling of the MerchandiseDriven Spark Dolls compared to ''Ultraman Ginga'' that actually help in pushing its themes of peaceful coexistence. Every episode was top notch from the dramatic "Living Together" to the hilarious "We Are Nebula!".
** ''Series/UltramanGaia'' is another great entry in the series with its darker elements, overarching storyline, interesting characters, and intriguing conflict between Ultraman Gaia and [[AntiHero Ultraman Agul]]. It also has lots of memorable monsters and some pretty good special effects. Also worth mentioning is how the show deconstructs HumansAreTheRealMonsters and the various new spins it put on the Ultraman formula, such as a larger and more diverse defense team, the changing views towards Earth monsters, a new origin story for the Ultramen, and having adventures or crises beyond Japan.
** Creator/FourKidsEntertainment dub aside, ''Series/UltramanTiga'' was exactly what the franchise needed after a fifteen year period devoid of satisfying content. Although it maintained much of the episodic formula established by the Showa series, it still felt like a fresh new take on the Ultra Series, thanks to its new twists on the Ultraman character that Tiga introduced and would codify for the franchise. It had a likable cast of characters, was loaded with creative monsters, and produced many enjoyable episodes with the welcome additions of a darker overarching storyline and occasional visiting of more adult themes. Overall, the perfect opening series for the franchise's Heisei era.
** ''Series/{{Ultraseven}}'' was the best of the Showa entries (entries from 1966-1981) in the ''Franchise/UltraSeries''. While it was actually fairly sparse in terms of Kaiju, which the franchise is famous for (even so, it produced many memorable ones), the aliens made for far more interesting villains. It had smart writing, thought-provoking episodes, and [[DarkerAndEdgier darker elements]]. It touched on subjects like genocide, war, racism, tyranny, and so much more. The special effects [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny may look awful]], but they were amazing for their time (Some actually hold up not too badly!). There is a reason why Ultraseven has gotten more remakes and appearances than the original ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'' after all!
** The original ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'' deserves a lot more credit than it gets. Carrying over the special effects magic of the classic Franchise/{{Godzilla}} movies that made [[Creator/EijiTsuburaya Eiji "Master of Monsters" Tsuburaya]] famous, it's got lots of charm ([[NarmCharm the lovably cheesy kind included]]), genuine heart, and characters you can truly root for. There's no denying that it is rather outdated from the 60s values to the old-school practical effects, but the same old-fashioned feel adds to the retro charm like the phone that sounds like King Ghidorah or the wrestling-type battles. Of course, we have the real stars of the show - the monsters, of which the very best (Zetton, Gomora, Antlar, Baltan, Red King...) are worthy of the Master of Monsters' best Toho creations. All in all, the original ''Ultraman'' is the perfect show for anybody who loves old-fashioned television or Showa-era Kaiju flicks. After all, there ''is'' a reason why the titular red-and-silver giant hero is such a pop culture icon is his homeland!
** As the franchise's 50th anniversary series, ''Series/UltramanOrb'' was everything an Ultraman fan could ask for. Tons of SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome, stories that could be either fun or serious, great homages to the generations of heroes, an interesting storyline, and a nice mix of great new and beloved old monsters. It also does a pretty good job at integrating the MerchandiseDriven Ultra Cards into a believable part of the show and there are some well-done changes to the franchise's usual formula that really show why the ''Ultraman'' franchise is still alive and kicking after 50 years.

%% * Much of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' is pure awesomeness:
%% ** In particular the movie ''First Contact''. '''That''' is how you write a Trek movie, people!
%% ** "The Royale" is a completely pointless episode, but considering how funny the overall concept was, it doesn't matter.

* Series/TheFugitive is the greatest tv series ever with one of the most intriguing premises - a man on the run while trying to find the person who murdered his wife. The show has a bit of everything: action, drama, humour, suspense, etc and was the first series to have a main plot (albeit simplistic) and an ending, even though [[StrictlyFormula most episodes could be watched in any order]]. Brilliant acting from David Jensen and Barry Morse along with a great narrator and amazing soundtrack. A bit dated and formulaic by today’s standards (but what old show isn’t?), it still holds up well and is still relevant. Each episode is like a mini-movie. Show’s format influenced later series such as The X-Files. One of the best 60s dramas.

* Warning; sickening gushing about to begin in 3... 2... 1... '''''[[Series/TwentyFour 24]]''''' is the best television series of the decade and one of the top 25 shows of '''all''' time. This show takes plotlines that would be patently ridiculous on another show and turns it into high-grade win. The show is so [[RuleofCool wonderfully and epically unrealistic but you don't really care so much because it's so good]]! The show is not just your run of the mill action show; it has loads of political intrigue, interesting characters and a very complex plot. It always leaves you on the edge of your seat, and when the show's over, it always leaves you wanting more. The acting is win, the special effects are win, and the music by Sean Callery is pitch-perfect win. ''24'' has caused all of television to TakeALevelInBadass. And that's no small feat. Top shelf TV.
* ''Series/TheJoyOfPainting''. Holy ''shit'' is this a beautiful show. Bob Ross was a damn fine painter, had an incredibly friendly and soothing voice, featured lots of cute little critters on the show, and was just... ''awesome.'' Made me wanna become a painter!
* ''Series/{{The Office|US}}''. While the show has been far from perfect and arguably [[JumpingtheShark jumped the shark]] around season eight, the US version is still a great TV show because the humor is so damn cringeworthy but infused with enough heartwarming moments to keep it from getting too dark. It's an awesome show, no doubt due to the comedic stylings of Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson and the other amazing cast members and crew that made this show a legend. A hilarious show, indeed.
* ''Series/{{Skins}}''. You might think it's going to be some HBO-style sex-drama, but it turns out to be so much better than that. It is thoroughly entertaining, and it's so easy to get into the characters, who are very well thought out and [[CharacterDevelopment superbly developed over the course of the show]]. The first two series are absolutely great, but the guilty pleasure, which should be loved even more than Generation 1, is Generation 2. You will absolutely love [[AnguishedDeclarationOfLove Naomi]], [[EnsembleDarkhorse Emily]], [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Katie]], [[{{Adorkable}} J.J.]], and [[CrazyAwesome Cook]]. Plot-wise, the 4th series doesn't [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot go in a great direction]], but the characters are so great [[RuleOfEmpathy you empathize with them]] regardless of what happens. Had the writers realized how great those particular characters were without the LoveTriangle or Thomas, this generation could have [[EvenBetterSequel far surpassed its predecessors]]. It is a crying shame that [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks so many people hate on Generation 2]]. All 4 series are awesome.
* ''Series/{{Oz}}''. It had its ups and downs, but was always incredibly entertaining. Adabesi and O'Reilly were classic characters who felt like mythic archetypes at times. It paved the way for great shows like ''Series/TheSopranos'' and ''Series/TheWire''. The sheer quality of the performances particularly from Lee Tergesen, Chris Meloni and J.K. Simmons is superb. And the theme song is one of the catchiest you'll ever hear.

* ''Series/RutlandWeekendTelevision''. People say it's SoOkayItsAverage to DarthWiki/SoBadItsHorrible, but others simply have to love the chronicle of this immensely small, immensely low-budget TV station, the nervous and apprehensive announcers (from catchphrase -spewing talkshow fellows to stuttering army men to a capella groups to '''the Ricochet brothers, spelt Ricochet, but pronounced rick-ot-chet'''), the oddball programs they show ("So let's nonetheless as soon as possible!"), the JerkAss guards or policemen who do everything -- from chasing actors away because "This is a fire lane!" before spending some time juggling in place to ignoring obvious typos for 'cancelling' a hanging with 'candelling' a hanging ("The executioner might want t'do it by candlelight!"). You have to love Idle's rant against critics causing critics to love him and then his rant for critics causing his ''cast'' to hate him, the roof collapsing, the champagne overflowing, every single Neil Innes song, ''Slaves of Freedom'', with its cigar-smoke and the wine and the ''chorus''. You might feel slightly ashamed of admitting your love, but this is SugarWiki/SugarWiki and gushing is encouraged, and so the slightly can be gone.
* The first season of ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' was weak and felt like wasting an immensely talented cast and having no identity of its own.The second season exploded with awesomeness. But ''Parks'' has become one of the most hilarious, smartest, sweetest, most eminently ''watchable'' shows on TV. The cast is amazing. Ron, Tom, April, and Andy are four of the greatest supporting characters currently on any show, comedy or drama, network or cable. The whole show is just so funny and charming in a way that ''Series/{{The Office|US}}'' hasn't been in a very long time. And then third season came. Which, unless the last two episodes turn out to contain an unbelievable amount of wall bangers, would have to be a strong runner for the most consistently funny, awesome and heartwarming season a live action series has ever had. Definitely gush-worthy show. It's just that good.
* ''Series/TwinPeaks'', in all its dream-like, mysterious, gothic brilliance, IS the best live action TV show ever made. It's madness, and the quality varies hugely after the half-way point, but ''damn''. A typical episode will mentally scar you for life, make you laugh, break your heart and leave you utterly bewildered, all within minutes. Get it watched!

* The muthafrakkin' ''Series/TheATeam''! The concept was absolute brilliance, four badass Special Forces buddies unleashed against every crook and mobster in 1980's America. Ass-kicking and pithy one-liners abound. And people can bash the "cartoonish" all they want. Those action scenes were cooler than some of the stuff in the movies. Long live the A-Team!
* Anyone remember ''Series/VengeanceUnlimited''? It's up there with ''Brisco County, Jr.'' in the pantheon of tragically short-lived cool shows that finally gave a terrific character actor a break. (In this case, the redoubtable Creator/MichaelMadsen.) That show rocked! How did he afford his WeHelpTheHelpless gig if everyone always paid the favor rather than the $1 million?
* ''Series/StepByStep'' was great. Sasha Mitchell will forever be known as Cody -- and that's probably for the best.
* The most epic event in the history of educational television would be if Bill Nye from ''Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy'' was a guest star on an episode of ''Series/MythBusters''. We have no idea what would happen if this actually happened; [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation possibly the universe would explode.]] '''[[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation And it would be AWESOME.]]''' He DID guest star on ''Series/StargateAtlantis''. As himself. And it '''was''' awesome. The Mythbusters guesting on ''Series/{{CSI}}'' was pretty awesome, although they needed a bigger role. Some tropers credit their lifelong love affair with science ''solely'' to ''Bill Nye the Science Guy''.
* ''Series/{{Carnivale}}'' is the perfect example of what can be achieved in television. The intricate, incredibly well planned narrative, Jeff Beal's wonderful soundtrack, the performances, the superbly realised 1930s setting and the pervasive gothic atmosphere add up to create a transcendentally brilliant piece of storytelling. It's a crime it was cancelled just a third of the way through the story. ''Carnivale'' was just brilliant, and it holds up to repeated viewings years after cancellation. You can watch it fifty times and still discover something you'd never noticed before on previsous viewings. And knowing even a little of what's going on doesn't dilute the story at all - it just makes you appreciate all the foreshadowing and sly little references the writers and production team put into every episode.
* ''Series/VeronicaMars''. Sure, the quality of the mysteries did decline during seasons two and three, but that never stopped how good the writing and acting were. The very last episode was a TearJerker, with "It Never Rains In Southern California" playing as Veronica walks away in the... well, rain. It was innovative, witty and despite being set in a highschool, it was never just a highschool show. It showed that a mystery show ''can'' be a vessel for smart, sassy, entertaining allegory.
* Sweet Jesus, you gotta love ''Series/PushingDaisies''. It's like watching someone announce that he's going to cartwheel on a high wire: you think "this cannot possibly work", and then the guy DOES it, and for an encore goes on to ''tap dance'' on the high wire, as if he'd been set free from gravity, and it is all just terribly, terribly awesome. Shows like this are so rare. It is so happy, so upbeat and optimistic, so heart-warming. There aren't words for the absolute love that fans have for this show. Each and every episode brought more joy than whole seasons of other excellent shows. It's an hour-long show that viewers can re-watch over and over and over again. Things to love most about it are: 1) Chuck and Ned and their ridiculously adorable skirting around the whole [[BlessedWithSuck no touching thing]]; 2) Emerson and Olive and their weird, hilarious, touching friendship ("I'm Itty-Bitty again?"); and 3) Kristin Chenoweth, just Kristin Chenoweth. Bryan Fuller is a genius. And so is every actor on that show. The show's just so quirky and neat, you can't help but like it! That's it.
* ''Series/{{Knightmare}}'' was a classic of children's television and should be brought back. Watch it and petition to bring the series back! Does anyone else think Pickle the Elf is pretty hot?
* ''Series/BreakingBad'' is one of the the best shows on television, period. The writing, the acting, the ''SceneryPorn'', and all those many ''Moments of Awesome'' from season 3 that look like they belong on a big budget movie and not on small screen, such as the car exploding behind the cousins as they walked away (yeah, it's kind of a cliché scene, but the scene was so awesome it made up for it), Hank taking out both of the cousins by himself, and Mike killing four of the Mexican cartel members with only one gun and a handy bunch of balloons. Plus it has Saul. [[DramaBomb "Ozymandias"]] from Season 5 is the best episode on the show. No doubt. The acting is superb, the writing is flawless, the drama is anxiety-inducing. You really see how much Walt has lost control of his life to Heisenberg. If that's not enough, take a look at how both fans and critics are calling it one of the best episodes of television ever made. If there is an episode from the show that deserves its own place on here, it's this one.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' is cool. The Winchesters have [[ThereAreNoTherapists more issues than the world's best psychologist is trained to handle]], and their dad's a dick, but the show deserves love anyway. For some reason, even though it's a CrapsackWorld and the [[BreakTheCutie cuties are broken]], viewers got addicted. The mythology is really interesting, and when they're not being [[{{Wangst}} Wangst-y]], the Winchesters are hilarious. Bobby wins at life, [[CoolCar the car]] is sex on wheels, hotties all over the place ([[EvenTheGuysWantHim for EVERY taste]]), action, snark, drama, highly underrated acting... You gotta love this show. It's not afraid to [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall make fun of itself]], and the writers actually pay attention to what the fans say and manage to tease them for [[LoonyFan our insanity]] while at the same time [[{{Fanservice}} giving them what we want.]] And if you can manage to avoid the [[ActorShipping darker]] [[{{Fanwank}} parts]] of fandom, you find the really cool, funny, engaging, awesome fans who just make the experience a billion times better. Creator/JaredPadalecki and Creator/JensenAckles are two of the prettiest men and the show is smart, engaging, unapologetically dark, and snappily written, with an interesting mythos, a killer blend of tones (what other show could pull off an episode like "Mystery Spot"?), and very, ''very'' good acting. It can do hysterical comedy and heartbreaking pain in the same episode, and not make you feel like they're screwing around with you.

* ''Series/ThirtyRock'' is one of the best shows on TV, and it make fans feel hope and faith that there is a place for quality, intelligence and originality in this business after all... You know a show is good when the network executives keep it on, despite the ratings not being high enough, because ''they'' like it.
* ''Series/{{Being Human|UK}}'' does not get NEARLY enough press. While it stumbled a bit in the middle of season two the overall show is brilliant, funny, dark, and very human. And they get their vampires just right.
* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' is just plain kickass. Wait, it is so much more than kickass. ''Firefly'' proved that television could be beautiful. Artistically, it was flawless. You could get technical about it, but the warm tones that permeated the set made viewers fall in love with the show before they got into the story. Musically, it was complex and interesting, with a beautiful orchestral western/Chinese fusion score that was nearly as eloquent as the cast members themselves. ''Firefly'' brought back the zoom. ''Firefly'' popularized the shaky cam. ''Firefly'' is eminently quotable (example: "I'm sort of liking this poetry idea... 'here lies my beloved Zoe, my autumn flower... not so attractive now that she's all corpsified and gross ...'") Also, it had the most attractive cast ever. It also had the most ''balanced'' cast ever. Every character could carry an episode by themselves, but didn't need to because the scripts let everyone shine without overshadowing the other. It was clever and interesting and funny, and browncoats will be forever furious with the Fox network for cancelling it. ''Firefly'' is 14 episodes of perfection and it has something for everyone. It's a show about family and honour and love, it has ethical dilemmas, political intrigue, adopted families and sibling loyalty, one of those that make you want to show it to everyone. A specific gush-worthy moment from ''Firefly'': The scene in "Bushwhacked", where all the Alliance goons are tearing through the ship looking for Simon and River, and then the camera slowly pulls through the window to reveal them clutching the outside of the hull. It was the most beautiful scene, and even more so because of the fact that ''it had no sound''; just the heart-wrenching violins that always seem to come up in space scenes. River's ecstatic smile, and Simon's terrified look after he slowly and carefully turns to see what she's looking at. Perfect blend of humour and drama.

* ''Series/TheMiddleman'' is awesome, and it just kept getting better as it went on. It was really way too good to last. It had the uncanny ability to make every episode better than the one before. It is also THE show for tropers.
* ''Series/TheDailyShow'' and ''Series/TheColbertReport'' will always be the funniest, smartest, most awesome-est hour on TV. God bless you, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert!. There are days when people think Jon and Stephen really ''are'' the only sane men left on the planet. Usually, nothing is less funny than comedians laughing at their own jokes. But when Creator/StephenColbert's genuine smile and laughter (like the infamous [[http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/427506/july-01-2013/5-x-five---celebrities--filliam-h--muffman Filliam H. Muffman]] segment) occasionally break through the act, there is just something indescribably ''wonderful'' about it. Jon Stewart even admitted to being [[http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-october-8-2013/the-shutdown-blame-game "totally fangirly"]] about interviewing [[PluckyGirl Malala Yousafzai]].
* The new ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' is one of the best TV shows ever. The acting is consistently excellent, the CGI battles are brilliant and the plotting and characterization are among the best ever seen. It manages to keep a sense of hope in a CrapsackWorld (assuming things pick up, as they must do, after the S4 mid season finale) and have deep and moving plots while only rarely becoming anvillicious and we shouldn't let a few bad apples ruin the whole basket. It even manages a few sincere comedic moments and makes you care about the characters and believe in their plight. Tear-jerking moments that resonate with viewers. Plus Baltar is awesome. Furthermore the character development is the finest on television, the interplay between every individual and group is absolutely brilliant. The situations were so vividly depicted and beautifully played out, and the characters were strong, gallant, deeply flawed, and amazingly human. Plus the dialogue was great. It is so morally grey and full of multi-sided political dilemmas, and yet was SO riveting and intense. If it had a better sense of humour, it would be the perfect show. As the Joker said: "Ron Moore, why so serious?"
* ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' deserves some serious love even if people say it's "bad ''Series/DoctorWho'' FanFic". Even though Jack gets [[{{Wangst}} Wangst-y]], he's still really funny, Ianto and Tosh are/were adorable, Owen became much more likeable in the second season, and even Gwen is sort of cool. Let's hope some day James Marsters will come back and reprise his role as [[FanNickname Captain Spike]] -- ooh, Captain John Hart. Even though his episodes had plotholes, he was still awesome in them.

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' was the most human of the ''Treks'' for good reason -- it wrote interpersonal relationships deftly, dealt with the consequences of its actions, had a ton of supporting cast who were all written with depth, had [[MagnificentBastard Cardassians]] every which way, actually dealt with religion and did it well, had an actual friggin ''war'', the first same-sex kiss on ''Franchise/StarTrek'', while still managing to be damned hilarious, and wasn't above taking potshots at itself. ''Deep Space Nine'' was the very best of all the Treks and it had an awesome cast and writers whose love of ''Trek'' showed. Ron Moore cut his teeth here and on ''TNG'' years before ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' and you can see parallels between the two shows, with the aforementioned wonderful supporting cast and lots of moral gray areas. It had amazing, fully-developed characters on this show, including both the main characters and the outstanding ensemble cast. They all have real, believable backstories that actually go with the characters' personalities (Kira pulls off coming from a CrapsackWorld, being a ChildSoldier in LaResistance, and learning firsthand that WarIsHell without a single drop of {{Wangst}} and plenty of badass and becomes one of the best characters on the show, and even Dr. Bashir's InsufferableGenius-ness ties in with the rest of his character) and most of them are just plain AWESOME. And as for the supporting cast's amazingness. Garak. Just... Garak. Also, Batlithe duels, Klingon mythology, and Worf/Jadzia, a great BattleCouple. And Quark, and all his scheming and comic relief mixed with his moments of Badassery when his family is in danger. Great show! It attained the perfect balance between the sometimes overly-optimistic Roddenberry vision of the other Treks and the sometimes overly-pessimistic Ron Moore vision of [=BSG=]. Just enough darkness to tone down the lightness of Trek and make it real, combined with long arcs that allowed for deeper story and character development, resulted in a great show that made all of its parts greater than they had any business being. Watching [=DS9=], more so than any of the other Treks, was like watching real people and true stories. Everyone was incredibly flawed without being overly messed up or unlikable, all of their relationships were suitably complicated, and there were "always" two sides to every argument, conflict, plot, and character. The heroes were good without being right all the time and the villains were anything but pure evil--admit it, you were sad when Weyoun was gone for good. Just like real life, this show was hilarious, emotionally draining, complicated, depressing at times, heartbreaking, and uplifting.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' may have [[FlawedPrototype aged more poorly]] than the other 24th Century shows (especially seasons 1 and 2 were one season's worth of ''good'' episodes spread out over two years), but there wouldn't ''be'' a 24th Century without TNG. TNG had one of the best Captains in the franchise (even if you don't think he's the best, Captain Picard very seldom ranks lower than #2 on anybody's "rank the Captains" list) and several of the best episodes of the entire franchise ("Best of Both Worlds", "Tapestry", and "Darmok" are all fan favorites). Characters like Picard, Riker or Data reached mainstream recognition and they have lasting cultural impact because even people who didn't watch the show are likely to know who they are.

* It may have gotten off to a slow start, but once it got the ball rolling, ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}'' became pure gold. Even before it got epic, it had potential. It's very nice indeed to see a mainstream show with Asians on it. It's like Creator/JossWhedon saying, "Sorry for not putting any on ''Series/{{Firefly}}''... here, have ''lots'' of them!" It's pretty impressive how engaging this show is, despite the fact that, at the beginning, there is basically one main character who isn't either involved in really morally sketchy shit or can't remember anything from one episode to the next.
* Just...''Series/{{Rome}}''. A show that refused to shy away from both {{Fanservice}} and {{Squick}} with its portrayals of the ancient civilization's practices. With main characters who verge on sociopathy not out of choice but simply because that is how their society works. It had Moments of Awesome and Tearjerkers that simply blew you away. With great writing and great actors (Creator/KevinMcKidd and Ciaran Hinds), this show is one the best, if not the best, portrayals of ancient Rome.
* ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' is awesome. Where to begin with the gushing? Let's start with the title sequence. The extreme close-ups of a morning routine, made to look strangely gory. The show had people hooked from the first few seconds! Then hearing Dexter's thoughts, which are laced with exactly the right amount of dark humor delivered with deadpan perfection. And lets face it, it takes quite a special show to have a serial killer as its main character, but not only that, a serial killer that the audience can like. Then there are the other characters, each one of them filled with complexities, flaws and virtues so that it feels as though each one were a real person. ''Dexter'' could well be one of the best TV shows ever.
* ''Series/{{The Prisoner|1967}}'' took a goofy, over-the-top genre like the '60's Spy Movie and used it to make an iconic, intelligent exploration of Individuality vs. Conformity. It raised questions that are still being asked 40 years later. It also showed us just how much fun, infuriating, and thought-provoking MindScrew endings could be. During the [[GainaxEnding finale]] it took an already pretty surrealistic series, completely ran it off the rails, and made no apologies. Not even an ''attempt'' to explain anything we had just seen. It was a conscious attempt to burn conventional storytelling to the ground. Some people who watch it believing they're entitled to answers may feel ripped off, but it was in a way truly amazing. It was uncompromisingly intelligent and compelling, even ''before'' the finale. It's the sort of show that requires the ''viewer'' to think long and hard about it, but rewards those who do with some truly great television. You will be impressed with the complexity of its plots, the cleverness of the dialogue, and the philosophical depth of its themes. And of course, [=Patrick McGoohan=]'s acting and characterization of Number Six is exceptional. He's one of the best protagonists in television history.
* ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' has a cast of characters viewers can care about. It has neat plots. It has adorable actors. It has United States Marines. Go watch it and fall in love. Quirky, original characters? Mostly realistic situations? A plot that actually makes sense and can be followed relatively easily? Well-written scripts? Believable character interactions? Fan love? All of the above, and so much more.
* Let's throw out ''Series/TheMentalist''. Because it is amazing; the characters are great, the relationships they have with each other are adorable, the arc plot is chilling and suspenseful, the crimes-of-the-week are usually really good... oh and the show has Simon Baker's smile. Tim Kang generally, and his arms especially -- it makes it the Thursday Night Gun Show. Simon Baker and Robin Tunney work well as a double-act. It's consistently funny yet serious, too. Also, the one-off (for now) appearance of former ''Series/TrueBlood'' actress Creator/StacieLeahRippy was great; she's under-rated, and doesn't get big roles.

* Series/TheFugitive is the greatest tv series ever with one of the most intriguing premises - a man on the run while trying to find the person who murdered his wife. The show has a bit of everything: action, drama, humour, suspense, etc and was the first series to have a main plot (albeit simplistic) and an ending, even though [[Strictly formula most episodes could be watched in any order]]. Brilliant acting from David Jensen and Barry Morse along with a great narrator and amazing soundtrack. A bit dated and formulaic by today’s standards (but what old show isn’t?), it still holds up well and is still relevant. Each episode is like a mini-movie. Show’s format influenced later series such as The X-Files. One of the best 60s dramas.

* [[Series/TheFugitive]] is the greatest tv series ever with one of the most intriguing premises - a man on the run while trying to find the person who murdered his wife. The show has a bit of everything: action, drama, humour, suspense, etc and was the first series to have a main plot (albeit simplistic) and an ending, even though [[Strictly formula most episodes could be watched in any order]]. Brilliant acting from David Jensen and Barry Morse along with a great narrator and amazing soundtrack. A bit dated and formulaic by today’s standards (but what old show isn’t?), it still holds up well and is still relevant. Each episode is like a mini-movie. Show’s format influenced later series such as The X-Files. One of the best 60s dramas.

* ’’[[Series/TheFugitive The Fugitive]]’’ is the greatest tv series ever with one of the most intriguing premises - a man on the run while trying to find the person who murdered his wife. The show has a bit of everything: action, drama, humour, suspense, etc and was the first series to have a continuous storyline and an ending, even though most episodes could be watched in any order. Brilliant acting from David Jensen and Barry Morse along with a great narrator and amazing soundtrack. A bit dated and formulaic by today’s standards (but what old show isn’t?), it still holds up well and is still relevant. Each episode is like a mini-movie. Show’s format influenced later series such as The X-Files. One of the best 60s dramas.

* ’’[[Series/TheFugitive The Fugitive]]’’ is the greatest tv series ever with one of the most intriguing premises - a man on the run while trying to find the person who murdered his wife. The show has a bit of everything: action, drama, humour, suspense, etc and was the first series to have a continuous storyline and an ending, even though most episodes could be watched in any order. Brilliant acting from David Jensen and Barry Morse along with a great narrator and amazing soundtrack. A bit dated and formulaic by today’s standards (but what old show isn’t?), it still holds up well and is still relevant. The stories and characters make it worth watching to this day. Show’s format influenced later series such as The X-Files. One of the best 60s dramas.

* ''Series/BigTimeRush'': [[NarmCharm It can be nutty and over the top at times,]] while still managing to take itself seriously at others. It's far from a SadistShow, ''it has no LaughTrack'', and the goal of the show doesn't seem to be to see just how much [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar crap]] and HoYay it can get into a kid's show, unlike [[Series/ICarly some]] [[Series/{{Victorious}} other]] Nick shows that seem to be more popular. ([[Radar/BigTimeRush Though it gets]] [[HoYay/BigTimeRush plenty of both]]) The characters are interesting, the relationships sweet, [[LittleMissBadass Katie]] and [[OnlySaneMan Kendall]] are not your normal TV brother and sister, the jokes hilarious, and despite being a BoyBand, the music is [[EarWorm actually pretty good]].

** ''Series/UltramanMax'' is a fantastic entry. From its fun and likable cast to its excellent usage of classic monsters to its solid special effects to its fairly lighthearted charm, there's something for anybody who loves {{Toku}}, {{Kaiju}}, or Ultraman as a whole. It's also a fantastic entry for newcomers to get introduced to the standard Ultraman formula without the troubles of adjusting to the more outdated effects of older series, being locked out of continuity and {{Homage}}s, or getting the wrong idea of the franchise's general nature. Unfortunately being sandwiched between grimdark franchise reboot ''Ultraman Nexus'' and nostalgia-fuelled MilestoneCelebration ''Ultraman Mebius'' keeps ''Max'' from getting as much attention as other series. [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Oh, and the]] [[EarWorm theme song is kickass.]]

* ''Series/HarpersIsland''. Sure, it might be a bit cliched, [[TropesAreNotBad but is that really that much of an issue?]] First of all, it's a mini-series, so you can be absolutely sure that all of your questions will be answered in a satisfactory manner (which they were). It's great fun to try and guess who the killer is throughout the episodes, and the "at least one death per episode" rule creates plenty of tension as you'll be constantly wondering who will bite it next. On top of that, the acting is surprisingly good and you'll truly feel emotion when characters die, which is an accomplishment for a slasher series.

* ''Series/{{Batman}}''. Fans don't care that it's campy. Fans don't care that everyone overacts, underacts or just plain doesn't act. Fans don't care that half the punches don't come anywhere near their targets. Fans don't care that the bad guys' plots don't make sense. You can keep your DarkerAndEdgier [[Film/TheDarkKnight Batman]], because he is ''never'' as good as when he's Creator/AdamWest.

* ''Series/ThePrisoner'' took a goofy, over-the-top genre like the '60's Spy Movie and used it to make an iconic, intelligent exploration of Individuality vs. Conformity. It raised questions that are still being asked 40 years later. It also showed us just how much fun, infuriating, and thought-provoking MindScrew endings could be. During the [[GainaxEnding finale]] it took an already pretty surrealistic series, completely ran it off the rails, and made no apologies. Not even an ''attempt'' to explain anything we had just seen. It was a conscious attempt to burn conventional storytelling to the ground. Some people who watch it believing they're entitled to answers may feel ripped off, but it was in a way truly amazing. It was uncompromisingly intelligent and compelling, even ''before'' the finale. It's the sort of show that requires the ''viewer'' to think long and hard about it, but rewards those who do with some truly great television. You will be impressed with the complexity of its plots, the cleverness of the dialogue, and the philosophical depth of its themes. And of course, [=Patrick McGoohan=]'s acting and characterization of Number Six is exceptional. He's one of the best protagonists in television history.

* ''Series/UltramanMebius'' is quite possibly the greatest entry in the franchise's very long run. The {{Mythology Gag}}s, {{Homage}}s, and ContinuityPorn it brought as [[MilestoneCelebration the 40th anniversary series]] are absolutely wonderful for any long-time ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' fan (So great to see so many classic monsters return!). The cast is very endearing and well-developed, the show pulls of major [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments heartwarming]], [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments funny]], [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome]], and [[TearJerker sad]] moments, the optimism is refreshing, and the stories are always top notch with a nice balance of light-hearted and serious. They even got actors from the earlier entries to reprise their former roles, creating many amazing guest appearances! It is well-paced, well-toned, and probably one of the best tokusatsu series in general. The characters are well-done but not overworked, the humor is well-done, and it doesn't take itself too seriously.
* ''Series/UltramanMax'' is a fantastic entry. From its fun and likable cast to its excellent usage of classic monsters to its solid special effects to its fairly lighthearted charm, there's something for anybody who loves {{Toku}}, {{Kaiju}}, or Ultraman as a whole. It's also a fantastic entry for newcomers to get introduced to the standard Ultraman formula without the troubles of adjusting to the more outdated effects of older series, being locked out of continuity and {{Homage}}s, or getting the wrong idea of the franchise's general nature. Unfortunately being sandwiched between grimdark franchise reboot ''Ultraman Nexus'' and nostalgia-fuelled MilestoneCelebration ''Ultraman Mebius'' keeps ''Max'' from getting as much attention as other series. [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Oh, and the]] [[EarWorm theme song is kickass.]]
* Despite the short run, ''Series/UltramanX'' was a great entry in the franchise. It had [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome amazing visual effects]], a well-written story, and likable characters. There's many returning monsters and Ultramen, cool new monsters, and a creepy yet awesome villain! We also get great interaction between the Ultraman and his host, both entertaining and meaningful, as well as a better handling of the MerchandiseDriven Spark Dolls compared to ''Ultraman Ginga'' that actually help in pushing its themes of peaceful coexistence. Every episode was top notch from the dramatic "Living Together" to the hilarious "We Are Nebula!".
* ''Series/UltramanGaia'' is another great entry in the series with its darker elements, overarching storyline, interesting characters, and intriguing conflict between Ultraman Gaia and [[AntiHero Ultraman Agul]]. It also has lots of memorable monsters and some pretty good special effects. Also worth mentioning is how the show deconstructs HumansAreTheRealMonsters and the various new spins it put on the Ultraman formula, such as a larger and more diverse defense team, the changing views towards Earth monsters, a new origin story for the Ultramen, and having adventures or crises beyond Japan.
* Creator/FourKidsEntertainment dub aside, ''Series/UltramanTiga'' was exactly what the franchise needed after a fifteen year period devoid of satisfying content. Although it maintained much of the episodic formula established by the Showa series, it still felt like a fresh new take on the Ultra Series, thanks to its new twists on the Ultraman character that Tiga introduced and would codify for the franchise. It had a likable cast of characters, was loaded with creative monsters, and produced many enjoyable episodes with the welcome additions of a darker overarching storyline and occasional visiting of more adult themes. Overall, the perfect opening series for the franchise's Heisei era.
* ''Series/{{Ultraseven}}'' was the best of the Showa entries (entries from 1966-1981) in the ''Franchise/UltraSeries''. While it was actually fairly sparse in terms of Kaiju, which the franchise is famous for (even so, it produced many memorable ones), the aliens made for far more interesting villains. It had smart writing, thought-provoking episodes, and [[DarkerAndEdgier darker elements]]. It touched on subjects like genocide, war, racism, tyranny, and so much more. The special effects [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny may look awful]], but they were amazing for their time (Some actually hold up not too badly!). There is a reason why Ultraseven has gotten more remakes and appearances than the original ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'' after all!
* The original ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'' deserves a lot more credit than it gets. Carrying over the special effects magic of the classic Franchise/{{Godzilla}} movies that made [[Creator/EijiTsuburaya Eiji "Master of Monsters" Tsuburaya]] famous, it's got lots of charm ([[NarmCharm the lovably cheesy kind included]]), genuine heart, and characters you can truly root for. There's no denying that it is rather outdated from the 60s values to the old-school practical effects, but the same old-fashioned feel adds to the retro charm like the phone that sounds like King Ghidorah or the wrestling-type battles. Of course, we have the real stars of the show - the monsters, of which the very best (Zetton, Gomora, Antlar, Baltan, Red King...) are worthy of the Master of Monsters' best Toho creations. All in all, the original ''Ultraman'' is the perfect show for anybody who loves old-fashioned television or Showa-era Kaiju flicks. After all, there ''is'' a reason why the titular red-and-silver giant hero is such a pop culture icon is his homeland!
* As the franchise's 50th anniversary series, ''Series/UltramanOrb'' was everything an Ultraman fan could ask for. Tons of SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome, stories that could be either fun or serious, great homages to the generations of heroes, an interesting storyline, and a nice mix of great new and beloved old monsters. It also does a pretty good job at integrating the MerchandiseDriven Ultra Cards into a believable part of the show and there are some well-done changes to the franchise's usual formula that really show why the ''Ultraman'' franchise is still alive and kicking after 50 years.

* ''Series/TheCatch'': The awesomely cute Mireille Enos plays Alice Vaughan, a [[ActionFashionista a kick-ass fashionista]] PrivateDetective with a {{Retraux}} style of dress, and is a LadyInAPowerSuit. Supporting cast are AllStarCast - John Simm from ''Series/DoctorWho'', Sonya Walger from ''{{Series/Flashforward}}'' and up-and-coming actress Elena Rusconi. Plus, the split-screening effect... ''that's good!''. Gotham font is used (''a la'' ''{{Series/Supergirl}}'' done in the style of ''{{Film/Inception}}'' for the title card and OBB. And every episode gets a good soundtrack too.

* ''Series/StrangeDaysAtBlakeHolseyHigh'': This is one of the best children's shows ever made. Josie Trent and her Science Club friends are fascinating and developed characters. The premise is also something you don't see everyday: Five students and their science professor investigate the bizarre phenomena at their boarding school using their knowledge of science. Meanwhile, one of the student's father attempts to reopen Pearadyne Labs, but there is more to him than how he appears. Over the course of 39 episodes counting a three-part finale, the show managed to offer plenty of funny, awesome, and heartwarming moments. It also pushed the limits on what is allowed on a live action kid's show (NeverSayDie is averted), and has educational science lessons. I've learned concepts I've never learned about such as Pheromones, Chirality, and Tesseracts. To top it off, it was never overly {{Anvilicious}} when it came to their Aesops. In conclusion, this series is highly underrated and deserves more love.

* ''Series/StrangeDaysAtBlakeHolseyHigh'': This is one of the best children's shows ever made. Josie Trent and her Science Club friends are fascinating and developed characters. The premise is also something you don't see everyday: Five students and their science professor investigate the bizarre phenomena at their boarding school using their knowledge of science. Meanwhile, one of the student's father attempts to reopen Pearadyne Labs, but there is more to him than how he appears. Over the course of 39 episodes counting a three-part finale, the show managed to offer plenty of funny, awesome, and heartwarming moments. It also pushed the limits on what is allowed on a live action kid's show (NeverSayDie is averted),and has educational science lessons. I've learned concepts I've never heard about before such as Pheromones, Chirality, and Tesseracts. To top it off, it was never overly {{Anvilicious}} when it came to their Aesops. In conclusion, this series is highly underappreciated and deserves more love.

* ''Series/StrangeDaysATBlakeHolseyHigh'': This is one of the best children's shows ever made. Josie Trent and her Science Club friends are fascinating and developed characters. The premise is also something you don't see everyday: Five students and their science professor investigate the bizarre phenomena at their boarding school using their knowledge of science. Meanwhile, one of the student's father attempts to reopen Pearadyne Labs, but there is more to him than how he appears. Over the course of 39 episodes counting a three-part finale, the show managed to offer plenty of funny, awesome, and heartwarming moments. It also pushed the limits on what is allowed on a live action kid's show (NeverSayDie is averted),and has educational science lessons. I've learned concepts I've never heard about before such as Pheromones, Chirality, and Tesseracts. To top it off, it was never overly {{Anvilicious}} when it came to their Aesops. In conclusion, this series is highly underappreciated and deserves more love.

* ''Series/StrangeDaysATBlakeHolseyHigh'': This is one of the best children's shows ever made. Josie Trent and her Science Club friends are fascinating and developed characters. The premise is also something: Five students and their science professor investigate the bizarre phenomena at their boarding school using their knowledge of science. Meanwhile, one of the student's father attempts to reopen Pearadyne Labs, but there is more to him than how he appears. Over the course of 39 episodes counting a three-part finale, the show managed to offer plenty of funny, awesome, and heartwarming moments. It also pushed the limits on what is allowed on a live action kid's show (NeverSayDie is averted),and has educational science lessons. I've learned concepts I've never heard about before such as Pheromones, Chirality, and Tesseracts. To top it off, it was never overly {{Anvilicious}} when it came to their Aesops. In conclusion, this series is highly underappreciated and deserves more love.

* ''Series/DeadliestWarrior''. Say what you want about DanBrowned facts and such, but it managed to get people interested in history, from the well-known pirates and ninjas, to the lesser-known (outside their home countries) Maori and Rajput. And Zombies vs Vampires... Brutality, monsters, and vampires taken back to their roots mythological roots, unrelenting predators that haunt the nightmares of their prey. No romantics, [[Creator/AnneRice no angst]], and most importantly [[{{Twilight}} no SPARKLING]]!

* ’’[[Series/TheFugitive The Fugitive]]’’ is the greatest tv series ever with one of the most intriguing premises - a man on the run while trying to find the person who murdered his wife. The show has a bit of everything: action, drama, humour, suspense, etc and was the first series to have a continuous storyline and an ending, even though most episodes could be watched in any order. Brilliant acting from David Jensen and Barry Morse along with a great narrator and amazing soundtrack. A bit dated and formulaic by today’s standards (but what old show isn’t?), it still holds up well. Show’s format influenced later series such as The X-Files. One of the best 60s dramas.

* ’’[[Series/TheFugitive The Fugitive]]’’ is the greatest tv series ever with one of the most intriguing premises - a man on the run while trying to find the person who murdered his wife. The show has a bit of everything: action, drama, humour, suspense, etc and was the first series to have a continuous storyline and an ending, even though most episodes could be watched in any order. Brilliant acting from David Jensen and Barry Morse. A bit dated and formulaic by today’s standards (but what old show isn’t?), it still holds up well. Show’s format influenced later series such as The X-Files. One of the best 60s dramas.

* ’’[[Series/TheFugitive The Fugitive]]’’ is the greatest tv series ever with one of the most intriguing premises - a man on the run while trying to find the person who murdered his wife. The show has a bit of everything: action, drama, humour, suspense, etc and was the first series to have a continuous storyline, even though most episodes could be watched in any order. Brilliant acting from David Jensen and Barry Morse. A bit dated and formulaic by today’s standards (but what old show isn’t?), it still holds up well. Show’s format influenced later series such as The X-Files. One of the best 60s dramas.

* ’’[[Series/TheFugitive The Fugitive]]’’ is the greatest tv series ever with one of the most intriguing premises - a man on the run while trying to find the person who murdered his wife. The show has a bit of everything: action, drama, humour, suspense, etc and was the first series to have a continuous storyline, even though most episodes could be watched in any order. Brilliant acting from David Jensen and Barry Morse. A bit dated and formulaic by today’s standards (but what old show isn’t?), it still holds up well. Show’s format influenced later series such as The X-Files.

* ’’[[Series/TheFugitive The Fugitive]]’’ is the greatest tv series ever with one of the most intriguing premises - a man on the run while trying to find the person who murdered his wife. The show has a bit of everything: action, drama, humour, suspense, etc and was the first series to have a continuous storyline. Brilliant acting from David Jensen and Barry Morse. A bit dated and formulaic by today’s standards (but what old show isn’t?), it still holds up well. Show’s format influenced later series such as The X-Files.

* ’’[[Series/TheFugitive]]’’ is the greatest tv series ever with one of the most intriguing premises - a man on the run while trying to find the person who murdered his wife. The show has a bit of everything: action, drama, humour, suspense, etc and was the first series to have a continuous storyline. Brilliant acting from David Jensen and Barry Morse. A bit dated and formulaic by today’s standards (but what old show isn’t?), it still holds up well. Show’s format influenced later series such as The X-Files.

* ’’[[Series/TheFugitive]] is the greatest tv series ever with one of the most intriguing premises - a man on the run while trying to find the person who murdered his wife. The show has a bit of everything: action, drama, humour, suspense, etc and was the first series to have a continuous storyline. Brilliant acting from David Jensen and Barry Morse. A bit dated and formulaic by today’s standards (but what old show isn’t?), it still holds up well. Show’s format influenced later series such as The X-Files.

* ''Series/{{Merlin}}''. It's the best thing to come out of British television since the newest season of ''Doctor Who''. Best re-imagining of the Arthurian legend in ages. Also, it's one of the very few shows that can get the whole family hooked on. It's sweet without [[TastesLikeDiabetes tasting like Diabetes]], occasionally dark without reaching {{Wangst}}, and some of the best examples of complex, interesting, relatable characters that are still likable. Not to mention the hilarious behind-the-scenes antics you can find on Youtube.

* ''Life on Mars'' had its worthy successor in ''Series/AshesToAshes''. Higher stakes, new MythArc theories, and more of the Gene Hunt who viewers love so much. Just the fact that [=A2A=] could take a character like {{Jerkass}} Ray Carling and build him up to where you didn't just love to hate him, you plain out loved him is just amazing. They cared for all of their characters and never once sacrificed quality for the easy shock value or ratings stunts. It was amazingly well-written, well-shot, and well-acted. They had Galex, and it actually did solve the grand mystery. The best thing about LOM and [=A2A=] is that after you see the [=A2A=] finale, you can go back to the beginning and see how it was all planned in incredible detail right from the start. The masterful GrandFinale of ''Ashes to Ashes'' might have even surpassed [=LOM=]'s ending and it was just perfect.

* ''Series/BreakingBad'' is one of the the best shows on television, period. The writing, the acting, the ''SceneryPorn'', and all those many ''Moments of Awesome'' from season 3 that look like they belong on a big budget movie and not on small screen, such as the car exploding behind the cousins as they walked away (yeah, it's kind of a cliché scene, but the scene was so awesome it made up for it), Hank taking out both of the cousins by himself, and Mike killing four of the Mexican cartel members with only one gun and a handy bunch of balloons. Plus it has Saul.
** [[DramaBomb "Ozymandias"]] from Season 5 is the best episode on the show. No doubt. The acting is superb, the writing is flawless, the drama is anxiety-inducing. You really see how much Walt has lost control of his life to Heisenberg. If that's not enough, take a look at how both fans and critics are calling it one of the best episodes of television ever made. If there is an episode from the show that deserves its own place on here, it's this one.

* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' is just plain kickass. Wait, it is so much more than kickass. ''Firefly'' proved that television could be beautiful. Artistically, it was flawless. You could get technical about it, but the warm tones that permeated the set made viewers fall in love with the show before they got into the story. Musically, it was complex and interesting, with a beautiful orchestral western/Chinese fusion score that was nearly as eloquent as the cast members themselves. ''Firefly'' brought back the zoom. ''Firefly'' popularized the shaky cam. ''Firefly'' is eminently quotable (example: "I'm sort of liking this poetry idea... 'here lies my beloved Zoe, my autumn flower... not so attractive now that she's all corpsified and gross ...'") Also, it had the most attractive cast ever. It also had the most ''balanced'' cast ever. Every character could carry an episode by themselves, but didn't need to because the scripts let everyone shine without overshadowing the other. It was clever and interesting and funny, and browncoats will be forever furious with the Fox network for cancelling it. ''Firefly'' is 14 episodes of perfection and it has something for everyone. It's a show about family and honour and love, it has ethical dilemmas, political intrigue, adopted families and sibling loyalty, one of those that make you want to show it to everyone.
** A specific gush-worthy moment from ''Firefly'': The scene in "Bushwhacked", where all the Alliance goons are tearing through the ship looking for Simon and River, and then the camera slowly pulls through the window to reveal them clutching the outside of the hull. It was the most beautiful scene, and even more so because of the fact that ''it had no sound''; just the heart-wrenching violins that always seem to come up in space scenes. River's ecstatic smile, and Simon's terrified look after he slowly and carefully turns to see what she's looking at. Perfect blend of humour and drama.

* ''Series/TheCatch'': The awesomely cute Mireille Enos plays Alice Vaughan, a [[ActionFashionista a kick-ass fashionista]] PrivateDetective with a {{Retraux}} style of dress, and is a LadyInAPowerSuit. Supporting cast are AllStarCast - John Simm from ''Series/DoctorWho'', Sonya Walger from ''{{Series/Flashforward}}'' and up-and-coming actress Elena Rusconi.
** Plus, the split-screening effect... ''that's good!''.
** Gotham font is used (''a la'' ''{{Series/Supergirl}}'' done in the style of ''{{Film/Inception}}'' for the title card and OBB.
** Every episode gets a good soundtrack too.