10 Reasons The Americans Is The Best TV Show You've Never Seen

Like many of the great drama series of the last decade, The Americans doesn't just succeed on great writing and acting, but it's also an exceptionally well-crafted series from a technical standpoint.

While it's not the most cinematic series ever made, The Americans has a distinct feel to it, from its use of location shooting (rather than sets) and at times stunning cinematography.

With the budget of a basic cable series, the show uses it to its advantage to create a distinct visual presentation which captures the atmosphere of Cold War-era America.

It's also a well-directed series, as each of the many directors who worked on the series made great use of repeated motifs to make each episode look and feel cinematic, as well as to create tension.

The tooth-pulling scene mentioned earlier on this list is a great example of the latter, as its use of extreme close-ups of Philip and Elizabeth's eyes really shows the intensity and anxiety of the moment.