10. Transmetropolitan
Genre: Sci-Fi Political Drama
What it is: Warren Ellis and Darick Robertsons Transmetropolitan follows the exploits of heavily tattooed outlaw journalist Spider Jerusalem, and his two filthy assistants, as he exposes the corruption inherent in politics, sometimes in very clever if not wholly disgusting ways. Its Hunter S. Thompson in the future, basically.
Why it would be great: The fans have been clamoring for this series for years, so it has a small yet built in fan base. Unless HBO or another pay channel tackled it, youd definitely have to tone down some of the language and situations, as this series is not for the faint of heart. That said, it is full of brilliant moments that would translate to the screen easily, be they comedic or heart wrenching. The world this series inhabits is a perfect sci-fi mish mash of cultures and times, with everything youd expect in your science fiction, from genetic engineering to lots of neon in different languages, not to mention the pervasive consumerism, sex, oppressive police, and drugs. A shiny, yet dystopian world Spider inhabits so that we dont have to. The main characters are full of charisma, our Gonzo journalist Spider himself being a wonderfully funny, if not a bit insane protagonist/antagonist at times. His two assistants do not suffer fools lightly, and totally have his back, yet have lives and motivations of their own. Theres cult leader Fred Christ, Transient human/alien hybrids, Revivals who were formerly in cryogenic stasis now trying to find their place in the world, cloned Vice Presidents, and of course President Gary Callahan, AKA The Smiler, constantly going after Spider. Plus, we need more two-headed cigarette smoking cats on television. Dont we?