Top 50 TV dramas ever

by Ed Bowsher on 12 January 2010  |  2 comments
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The Guardian has published a list of the 50 greatest TV dramas ever. And 'I Claudius' isn't there. Ridiculous!

The Guardian has published a list of the Top 50 TV dramas ever as chosen by their critics.

Here's their Top 10:

1. The Sopranos

2. Brideshead Revisited

3. Our Friends in the North

4. Mad Men

5. A Very Peculiar Practice

6. Talking Heads

7. The Singing Detective

8. Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit

9. State of Play

10. Boys From the Blackstuff

It's not a bad list. Lots of good shows are there. But there is one glaring omission. 'I Claudius' isn't anywhere in the Top 50. This is ridiculous. OK, the production values are a little creaky when compared to modern shows such as 'Mad Men', but the script and the acting are superb. Meanwhile 'The Sweeney' is in there at No. 47. Surely no one can truly believe that an hour of punch-ups and dodgy coppers saying 'you're nicked' is superior to Derek Jacobi as the stuttering Emperor?

Other lesser omissions include 'Edge of Darkness,' 'Testament of Youth,' and my favourite high school drama, 'My So Called Life.'

So what do you think? What are your favourite TV dramas? Are you ploughing your way through a nice big DVD box set at the moment? Let me know in the comments box below.