Best Drama Series of All Time | 2023 Ranking of the Top Drama TV Shows Like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad

Discover our definitive ranking of the 10 best drama series of all time. This must-read list covers classic shows like The Sopranos and The Wire as well as modern hits like Breaking Bad and Ted Lasso. Learn what makes these complex, compelling dramas so binge-worthy and culturally significant.

The 10 Best Drama Series of All Time Ranked for Their Gripping Storylines and Complex Characters

This definitive top 10 ranking highlights the best drama series that have wowed audiences and critics alike, from pioneers like The Sopranos to recent hits like Ted Lasso. Discover why these specific shows are considered the gold standard of television dramas for their compelling hooks, binge-worthy suspense, superb acting, and ability to resonate deeply through masterful storytelling. Learn how each of these 10 dramas - spanning genres from crime sagas to period pieces to comedic brilliance - have earned their spots among the best of the best for their cultural impact, critical praise, and timeless entertainment value. Whether you're a fan of antiheroes like Tony Soprano, morally ambiguous characters like Don Draper, or lovable underdogs like Ted Lasso, these top-tier television dramas showcase all-time great writing, directing, and acting.

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Discover the Best Drama Series of All Time

Television dramas have come a long way since the early days of black-and-white episodic shows. The best drama series offers complex storylines, multidimensional characters, stellar acting, and thought-provoking themes that resonate with viewers. But what constitutes a “best” drama is highly subjective, with shows that critics rave about sometimes failing to connect with audiences. Generally, the best dramas boast critical acclaim matched with high viewer ratings over multiple seasons. These shows have compelling hooks, binge-worthy suspense, and sympathetic characters that keep fans addicted. Read on to explore some of the all-time best drama series that have captivated audiences decade after decade.

The Evolution of Drama Series

Television dramas date back to TV's beginnings in the late 1940s and 1950s with anthology series like Playhouse 90 and The U.S. Steel Hour. These shows told a different dramatic story each week, with mini-movies boasting Hollywood talent. In the 1960s and 70s, character-driven dramas gained popularity with hits like Bonanza and Marcus Welby M.D. Police shows and legal dramas also emerged as enduring genres during this period. The 1980s brought a new breed of polished dramas with glitzy primetime soaps like Dallas and Dynasty. By the 1990s, cable television started expanding the possibilities for daring dramas with boundary-pushing series like HBO's Oz and The Sopranos.

The Golden Age of Television

Many critics consider the late 1990s through the early 2000s to be a “Golden Age of Television.” Sophisticated dramas on cable channels like HBO and FX freed writers from the constraints of network television. During this time, The Sopranos revolutionized television with its serial storyline following a mob boss balancing family and crime. The Wire earned acclaim for its gritty realism in depicting urban life in Baltimore. Mad Men captivated audiences with its stylish mid-century aesthetics and the morally ambiguous behaviors of its characters. Shows during this golden age began displaying the cinematic quality and complexity of storytelling once reserved for feature films.

Modern Drama Series

While complex serial dramas remain popular today, the television landscape has greatly expanded. Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon are now major players, with their own award-winning original dramas. Anthology series have made a comeback, with shows telling a different story each season. Dramas have also grown more diverse, with an increase in female-led shows and stories centered on minorities. Police procedurals and legal dramas have evolved to increase representation on both sides of the law. Science fiction and fantasy dramas are also on the rise. Visually stunning shows like Game of Thrones have built elaborate fantasy worlds. Overall, modern dramas are faster paced, more diverse and increasingly cinematic compared to their predecessors.

Top 5 Best Drama Series

The drama series that critics and fans widely regarded as the greatest of all time consistently offer superb writing, acting, production values and cultural impact. Here are five shows across eras that stand out as the best drama series ever made.

Ted Lasso

This fish-out-of-water comedy/drama has stolen viewers’ hearts with its unrelenting optimism. Jason Sudeikis plays the title character, an American football coach who takes charge of an English soccer team despite having zero knowledge of the sport. With his folksy earnestness, Ted manages to motivate and connect with his skeptical players. Critically acclaimed for its clever writing and emotional depth, Ted Lasso transcends its underdog sports premise with hilarious yet heartwarming storylines.

Breaking Bad

Few shows have delivered the sheer intensity and suspense of Breaking Bad. Bryan Cranston’s portrayal of Walter White, a terminally ill chemistry teacher turned meth kingpin, is one of TV’s greatest performances. Over five seasons, the show chronicles Walt’s transformation from a downtrodden family man to a morally compromised drug lord. With vivid characters, diabolical plot twists, and a bold visual style, Breaking Bad cemented its status as a modern classic that launched the golden age of prestige dramas.

Image Credit: Flickr

The Wire

The Wire stands as one of the most realistic and socially poignant urban dramas ever made. Set in Baltimore, each season focuses on a different city institution, from drug gangs to politics to schools. With nuanced storytelling and a diverse cast, The Wire unpacked complex social issues while developing some of television’s most memorable characters. The show earned widespread critical acclaim despite low ratings during its run, and it is now regarded as a masterful achievement in episodic drama.

Mad Men

This stylish period drama delivered an incisive portrait of 1960s America through the world of advertising. Don Draper, the dashing yet damaged creative director of a top ad agency, remains one of television’s most fascinating antiheroes. Well-written and impeccably designed, Mad Men captured the style and shifting social dynamics of the 1960s to perfection. While offering a glamorous peek into another era, the show also packed an emotional punch in depicting romantic and family relationships.

The Sopranos

Widely considered one of the greatest TV series ever made, The Sopranos paved the way for the modern television drama. James Gandolfini delivered an iconic performance as anxiety-prone mob boss Tony Soprano. The show balanced mafia power struggles with Tony’s attempts at normal family life. Its sharp writing and unpredictable violence made it a game-changing drama that inspired the TV Renaissance. Even years after its controversial finale, The Sopranos remains an unforgettable slice of dramatic brilliance.

Image Credit: Flickr

Honorable Mentions

While the top 5 dramas stand out as arguably the best series ever made, many other shows deserve honorable mentions for their dramatic excellence and cultural impact. Recent critical hits like Succession subvert family drama conventions with scathing humor. Fantasy epics like Game of Thrones bring cinematic scope to serialized television. Classics like The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents helped establish anthology dramas. Legal series like L.A. Law and The Practice set templates for procedural courtroom thrillers. From sweeping historical sagas to contemplative character studies, the dramatic depth of television in the modern era is undeniable.

Why We Love Drama Series

Great drama series allows audiences to invest emotionally in the lives of their characters over multiple episodes or seasons. Unlike a standalone movie, serialized dramas have more time to slowly stoke empathy for their characters. Compelling dramas feature high-stakes plots along with intimate character development. The best dramas blend entertaining stories with thought-provoking looks at moral questions and social issues. Cliffhangers and suspense keep viewers hooked across episodes. The complex characters at the heart of dramas often grow and evolve in surprising ways that give audiences fodder for debate. For these reasons and more, gripping drama series that reflect and touch on universal human experiences will always draw in audiences, even in an age of endless entertainment options.

The Enduring Appeal of Drama Series

As long as there have been televisions, viewers have been transfixed by drama series that envelop them in compelling narrative worlds. From the moral dilemmas of the Golden Age of Television to lavish modern fantasies, dramas speak to universal human struggles and relationships. Over the decades, landmark shows like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Wire, and more have proven that television can inspire audiences just as powerfully as high art. With so many new streaming outlets emerging, we're sure to see continued innovations in prestige drama. But at their core, honest portrayals of characters and human stories will always make for irresistible television. The best drama series stands the test of time by tapping into timeless aspects of the human condition.

(Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)