Tag: TV series and miniseries

For Your Viewing Pleasure

Elsewhere I have written at length about feature films and my favorites among them. In the past several years, however, I have (mostly) eschewed feature films for TV series and miniseries. There are several reasons for my revised viewing habit, which I won’t bore you with. Let’s just say I find my new regimen rewarding because when I find a series or miniseries worth watching the enjoyment lasts well beyond a few hours.

The list below consists of my favorite TV series and miniseries of all time, with links to Internet Movie Database entries for each. The earliest entry is The Forsyte Saga (1967); several of my favorites are still running, 57 years later. I have inserted comments about many of the entries. The lack of a comment shouldn’t be taken as a lack of enthusiasm on my part. Every entry earned a high rating (8, 9, or 10) from me.

Many of the series are no longer available, but I’ve listed all that I can remember just in case some of them appeal to you. With luck, you will be able to find some of them on streaming services or DVDs.

There are a few American entries from the 1970s and 1980s — a brief era during which the major networks somehow managed more than schlock. The later American entries, also few (e.g., The Sopranos and Mad Men), were aired by streaming services.

The list is dominated by foreign entries. I have been especially pleased by the quality of Australian, Danish, Swedish, and Italian offerings in the 21st century. British fare figures prominently, of course.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984-1985) — The long-running Jeremy Brett version continues with The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986-1988), The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1993), and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994).

All Creatures Great and Small (2020-?) — Better than the original from 1978.

All in the Family (1971–1979) — It’s worth watching for the humiliation of “Meathead” (Rob Reiner).

Any Human Heart (2010)

Barney Miller (1975–1982)

Beck (1997-?) Offbeat Swedish detective, on the job forever?

The Beiderbecke Affair (1985), followed by the The Beiderbecke Tapes (1987) and The Beiderbecke Connection (1988) — Especially good for afficionados of (real) 1920s jazz.

Berkeley Square (1998)

Better Call Saul (2015–2022) — Spun off from and better than Breaking Bad (which was excellent).

Bleak House (2005) — One of the many adaptations of a Dickens novel that I have listed here.

Bosch (2014–2021) Titus Welliver isn’t the Bosch described in Michael Connelly’s books, but he has the attitude. The original series was followed by Bosch: Legacy (2022-?).

Bramwell (1995–1998)

Breaking Bad (2008–2013)

Brideshead Revisited (1981)

The Bridge (2011-2018) — Excellent Danish-Swedish fare; the British-French remake is The Tunnel (see below).

The Brokenwood Mysteries (2014-?) — This offering from New Zealand was a comedy-mystery for its first six seasons. The comedy departed with the character of D.C. Sam Breen in 2021). I haven’t seen the episodes in which he appears since his return in 2024. Here’s hoping that the comedy and the series have recovered from his absence.

The Buccaneers (1995) — About American women seeking rich British husbands in the late 1800s; not about pirates.

Burn Notice (2007–2013) — Mindless but funny and fast-moving, with a trigger-happy female lead.

Cakes and Ale (1974)

Cambridge Spies (2003)

Case Histories (2011–2013)

The Cazalets (2001)

C.B. Strike (2017-?) — Tom Burke isn’t Strike (not big enough) but he grows on you.

Charters & Caldicott (1985)

The Citadel (1983)

Clouds of Witness (1972) Ian Carmichael as Dorothy L. Sayer’s Lord Peter Wimsey.

Cold Comfort Farm (1995)

Cold Lazarus (1996)

The Camomile Lawn (1992)

Cracker (1993–1996) — Don’t bother with the final episode from 2006, it’s an anti-American screed.

The Crown (2016-2023) — The royal soap opera, almost spoiled (as in real-life) by the Diana saga.

Dalziel and Pascoe — (1996–2007)

Danger UXB — (1979)

Dicte (2013–2016)

Downton Abbey (2010–2015) — Predictable but engaging; the only virtue of the final season is completion.

The Durrells (2016-2019) The final season is a bit of a let-down, but the whole thing is a gem.

Elementary (2012–2019) — Sherlock Holmes in the 21st century.

The First Churchills (1969) — The only non-fiction entry because it’s as good as any historical fiction can be.

Endeavour (2012–2023) — Inspector Morse before his promotion.

Five Red Herrings (1975) More Wimsey.

The Flame Trees of Thika (1981)

Flickers (1980)

Forbrydelsen (2007–2012) — The original (Danish) version of The Killing (see below).

Forgotten Silver (1995)

The Forsyte Saga (1967) — More complete than the later version (next) and well done except for Nyree Dawn Porter’s shrill interpretation of the main female character. Eric Porter (unrelated to Nyree) is Soames.

The Forsyte Saga (2002-2003) — Less melodramatic than the 1967 version.

Foyle’s War (2002–2015)

The Gathering Storm (2002) — Albert Finney does Churchill.

The Glittering Prizes (1976)

Grantchester (2014–2019; 2024-?) — The first four seasons with James Norton as the vicar are great. His replacement in seasons 5-8 (plus part of 9) is “wet” (timid, foolish, lacking character). But the new vicar who arrives in episode 3 of season 9 is a breath of fresh air.

Heat of the Sun (1998) — A cop in British Africa.

The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971)

House of Cards (1990) — This is the British original, not the Kevin Spacey knock-off.

I, Claudius (1976)

Inspector Morse (1987-2020)

Jonathan Creek (2007-2016)

Justified (2010-2015)

Karaoke (1996)

The Killing (2011-2014) — The American version of Forbrydelsen, perhaps better than the original.

The Last Detective (2003-2007)

The Last Tycoon (2016-2017)

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1982)

Lillie (1978) — Francesca Annis in peak form.

Little Dorrit (2008)

The Little Drummer Girl (2018) — A well-made series about a despicable person. My review is here.

Lonesome Dove (1989)

Love Among the Ruins (1975)

Love in a Cold Climate (1980)

M*A*S*H (1972-1983)

Mad Men (2007-2015)

Madame Bovary (1975)

The Man Who Was Hunting Himself (1972)

Martin Chuzzlewit (1994)

MI-5 (2002-2011) — Known as Spooks in the UK; 86 episodes weren’t enough.

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012-2015) — Just for fun.

Moonlighting (1985-1989)

Murder Must Advertise (1973-1974) — Still more Wimsey.

New Tricks (2003-2013) — The first 10 seasons, with Amanda Redman, are fun.

The Night Manager (2016) — Two more episodes are schedule to air in 2024

The Nine Tailors (1974) — It’s Wimsey again.

The Norman Conquests (1977)

Olive Kitteridge (2014)

Oliver Twist (2007-2008) — Timothy Spall is Fagin, the best after Alec Guinness in the 1948 film.

Our Mutual Friend (1998)

Pennies from Heaven (1978-1979) — Bob Hoskins lip-synchs standards from the 1920s-1940s.

The Pickwick Papers (1985)

Piece of Cake (1988) — Aerial derring-do in the Great War.

A Place to Call Home (2013-2018) — A family saga Down Under, with characters you love to love and love to hate.

Pride and Prejudice (1995) — Colin Firth is Mr. Darcy.

Prime Suspect (1991-2006) — The link points to the first series; follow the trail for the rest.

The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

The Railway Children (2000)

Rebecca (1979)

Reckless (1997) Early Robson Green for the ladies.

Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983)

The Restaurant (2017-2020) — A Swedish saga.

Rocco Schiavone (2016-2024) — A cop from Rome, exiled to the Italian Alps, gets help from his crooked friends.

Rumpole of the Bailey (1978-1992)

Seaside Hotel (2013-2024) — Addictive Danish drama mixed with humor.

Shadowlands (1986)

Shetland (2013-?) — A series that might survive and flourish after the departure of its original star.

The Shiralee (1987)

The Singing Detective (1986)

The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970) — Simply splendid.

Shooting the Past (1999)

Slings and Arrows (2003-2006) — Hilarious backstage doings, with an assist from Shakespeare.

Smiley’s People (1982)

Sneaky Pete (2015-2019)

The Sopranos (1999-2007)

Sunset Song (1971)

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)

Touching Evil (1997-1999)

A Touch of Frost (1992-2010) — About an English police detective, not the weather.

To Serve Them All My Days (1980-1981) — Well-done variation of Goodbye, Mr. Chips.

Trapped (2015-2021) — Icelandic cop’s travails on and off the job, followed by the weaker Entrapped (2022).

True Detective (2014-2025) — The first three seasons (2014-2019) are excellent; I haven’t seen the rest.

The Tunnel (2013-2019) — Only a shade less gripping than The Bridge (see above).

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1972-1973) — Another entry in the Lord Peter Wimsey series.

Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-1975) — Better than Downtown Abbey, just played out on a smaller scale.

Vera (2011-2025) — The 2025 season will be the last in this enjoyable series about a DCI in Northumberland.

Victoria (2016-2019) — It ended too soon.

Vienna 1900 (1973-1974)

Wallander (2005-2013) — The Swedish version benefits from the absence of Kenneth Branagh, who agonizes his way through the British version.

Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979)

The West Wing (1996-2005) — Slick but clever and entertaining propaganda for big government.

The Wire (2002-2008) — Excellent example of the gritty-crooked-cops-and-remorseless-bad-guys genre.

Wives and Daughters (1999)

Wolf Hall (2015)

The Young Montalbano (2012) — A faster-paced prequel to Detective Montalbano (1999-2021), which savors human nature, crime, and the charms of Sicily at a suitably languid pace.