Top 5 Dramas of All Time

Unlike comedies, TV dramas keep us on the edge of our seat week in and week out. Whether it’s a peculiar island, a mob family, a crazy doctor or a show about prohibition, dramatic television shows are where great writers shine and bring their imagination to the big screen. Here at the top five dramas of all time.

1. The Sopranos
2. 24
3. Lost
4. Dexter
5. Friday Night Lights

1. The Sopranos

America’s favorite mob family gave us six tremendous seasons of great television. Every Sunday night, you knew what you were going to get on HBO in that 8:00 time slot. Who would have thought a true mob television series would evolve around the boss and his psychiatrist? This series brought us sex, drugs, corruption, gambling, cheating, explosions, homosexuality and deception.

We had Christopher, the man who would one day take the big seat, but drugs and a wife who turned into a rat for the FBI changed all that. How about Tony’s best friend Pussy? He got caught pushing H and also became a rat. What a great way to end his Sopranos career on Tony’s boat getting shot up by Paulie, Sil and Mr. Soprano. Who could forget Carmela? Wait, on second thought, I can forget Carmela. Tony’s endless battle with his uncle June (who is making an appearance on HBO’s newest mob show) was another great story all together. And to think, creator David Chase had the confidence to end the entire series on a cliffhanger. What really happened in that diner that night?

When it’s all said and done, Tony Soprano is America’s modern day Don Vito Corleone. The Sopranos, simply put, was, and still is the best show to ever air on television.

2. 24

One of the most thrilling TV shows was 24. How could one come up with an entire television series running with actual time? Jack Bauer did it all. He jumped out of planes. He experienced three years of torture by the Japanese.  He watched friends turn on him and later get killed in combat. Jack, with the help of the Counter Terrorism Unit, saved the world multiple times throughout its eight season career. But what made this show No. 2 on my list was the writing. To think that a producer and writer could write an entire season that spans one day is astounding. Throw in the Middle-East, Russia, Japan, explosions, sexy costars (Kim Bauer), murder, technology, terrorism and you’ve got the No. 2 spot on my list.

3. Lost

If there is any show that thrills, entertains, angers or confuses a fan more, I haven’t heard of it. Lost may have been the most popular and most viewed show of any of my top 5. The endless question of what is going on never leaves the mind. The ongoing Kate battle between Jack and Sawyer sure sparks a debate at any Lost showing. How about the lead role debate? Do you prefer Captain America in Jack, the conservative doctor who seems to have all the answers? Or maybe you prefer John Locke, the liberal who welcomes the island and all its endeavors. Every good show needs plenty of subplots and Lost had no shortage of those.

In the end, what drove me to the show every week were the back stories. It’s amazing how Locke, a disabled and depressed man who was conned into giving away his own kidney, would become a leader and later the “smoke monster.” Hugo and his tenuous run of bad luck after winning the lottery was a personal favorite. As the series came to a conclusion, it was astounding how the power of the Island drives Jack into a mental breakdown and forces him back into no man’s land. But, as any fan knows, the power of Lost doesn’t only apply to the characters; the show itself drives it audience back every week.

4. Dexter

America’s favorite serial killer. One may notice a theme with my first three picks. We fall in love with television, but more specifically, we fall in love with a character on that show. Dexter is no exception. The blood analyst who goes out and kills the true enemy has made for a great series. Season one, the all important season that is supposed to entice the audience, did not disappoint. The creators brought us the Ice Truck Killer. Turns out, he is Dexter’s biological brother. After watching the inaugural season, the audience knew what they were getting into. And who could forget season two? Sergeant Doakes catches on to Dexter’s way of life, but in the end, fails like all those who oppose him.

The reason this show works is because we are rooting for what seems to look like a villain, but really is the hero. Everyone has that urge to be bad sometimes. We may not go as far as killing, but sometimes it slips into the back of our mind. On the other hand, we all want to make this world a better place. Dexter encompasses all these feelings (which is ironic because the premise of the show is largely based on a man who should have no emotion).  Our emotionless, quiet, meticulous, genius and wrenching serial killer comes in at No 4.

5. Friday Night Lights

Clear Eyes. Full Heart. Can’t Lose. This is the phrase Friday Night Lights viewers came to love. It’s even Stuart Scott’s go to on Sportscenter. This is the true inspirational television show. Coach Eric Taylor is an All-Star coach, mentor and father in this five-season drama extraordinaire.

Unlike some of my earlier picks, this show is for everyone. It’s for the football freaks who love the weekly pounding of that Texas gridiron. It’s for the family who loves a censored drama that can relate to everyone. We have teenagers going through the daily grind of fitting in, dating, working and getting into college. We have the grownup relationship between Coach Taylor and his wife. If any couple knows how to fight in that loving manner we all seek; it’s them. And who can’t love that opening theme song by “Explosions in the Sky?”

But once again, we come back to television for that special character. Some may say Coach Taylor, but this guy’s going with Tim Riggins. Who doesn’t love a guy who binge drinks all night and the next day runs over a defense for two touchdowns? Hell, he even sleeps around with the hot mom next door. If that isn’t a high school star, I don’t know what is. At No. 5, the family drama of Friday Night Lights.

Honorable Mentions

• Sons of Anarchy
• Boardwalk Empire
• ER
• House

Boardwalk Empire vs. The Sopranos

Before Boardwalk Empire ever started, true HBO watchers knew this had to be the next Sopranos. The characters, the storyline, the channel, the time and the writers all gave you the feeling of the greatest show ever to hit television. For my last Boardwalk blog, I am going to jump back into the season and compare/contrast four characters from the thrilling HBO dramas. Let’s get into it.

Margaret versus Carmela

When the series started, we see Margaret as a weak, shy and timid mother of two. Boy what a change a season makes. We now see her standing up to her more powerful, rich and straight up baller husband in Nucky Thompson. She now steals from him. She cheated on him. She treats their housekeepers like they are below her, when in fact, she was in their position not long ago. Now who does this all remind you of?

Carmela Soprano. Let me start off by saying she may be one of my most hated characters in all of TV, so I may have some bias here. Anyways, at the beginning of Sopranos, Carmela wasn’t really a factor to the show. She was more of an afterthought. She was Tony’s wife who helped him portray that frame of normalcy in a mobster’s world. However, as the series progressed, she gained some steam. She had romantic relationships (in non-sexual ways). She started stealing money from the bird feed out back and giving it to the church or school (remind you of anyone?). She had more of a pivotal role in the show during the divorce that happened later on in the series. At certain points, she was the vocal point of the show, when in all honesty, she had no business being the center of attention. Really sounds familiar doesn’t it.

Jimmy versus Christopher

The most intriguing comparison has to be Jimmy and Christopher. When the second season of Boardwalk got under way, the audience has that feel that Jimmy is on his way up in the world. As expected, he starts making moves. He leaves Nucky and runs back to the father who abandoned him. He then teams up with fellow second men Lucky Luciano and Al Capone. They end up forming their own bootlegging business. Turns out, Jimmy bites off more than he can handle. Jimmy doesn’t know how to play the politics game. He doesn’t know the finance world of Atlantic City. He doesn’t know how to handle business in a nonviolent manner. After failing on his own, killing his father, reflecting on his wife’s murder, he comes running back to Nucky. Mr. Thompson sees this as an opportunity. After convincing Jimmy to do his bidding, he ends up killing him. It was a surprise ending, but not unexpected.

And now we go to Christopher. A bright up and comer related to the big man. At the beginning, there wasn’t much Chris couldn’t handle. Nevertheless, it was clear he was not ready for the big time. As time moved on, Chris gained more confidence and looked for ways to move up. He started his own dealing business. He bought a club for his wife. He was an ambitious kid looking to become captain, if not more. Then, drugs got to him. He got greedy. He wanted the world before he was ready. That’s when it changed. He bit off more than he could handle. He debated killing his Uncle Tony (hint, hint). His wife turned into a rat and therefore, had to be taken out. He took his relationship with Tony for granted. In the end, Christopher was too much. After a car accident most likely caused by Chris’s drug habit, Tony decides it’s enough. He chokes him on his own blood, putting an end to the “up and coming.” I can imagine, something along the lines of “I don’t seek forgiveness” was going through Tony’s head at that moment.

Other tidbits in Boardwalk Empire that reminded me of Sopranos;

• In Boardwalk, the priest mentions the children having a better life as a result of blood money.
• In Sopranos, Carmela went through the same situation with her priest (who she had a bizarre relationship with).
  
• During her preparation, the DA in Nucky’s trial said “he orders up murder like you or I order up a cup of coffee.”
• During Uncle Junior’s trial (who, by the way, is a regular on Boardwalk), the DA mentions the line, “he orders up murder like you or I order up a steak.”

As the seasons move on, keep an eye out for Soprano moments in the hit series Boardwalk Empire.