10 TV Shows To Fill That Game Of Thrones Shaped Void

2. The Sopranos

Where to start. Without The Sopranos, the rest of this list wouldn't exist. The Sopranos was the first TV show to feature an anti hero, high production values and a script that didn't treat its viewers like complete idiots. Original airing in 1999, the seminal HBO show is still just as powerful as it was fifteen years ago, and most certainly lives up to the hype. This is the second show on our list to feature the writing talent of master scribe Terrence Winter, and for good reason. His collaboration with Sopranos creator David Chase, resulted in one of the most captivating shows on television. The brilliantly written Tony Soprano, his family and his partners in crime all become characters you can't help but find yourself routing for, even after they commit crime after horrific crime. A lot of this comes down to the show's terrific performances, with the late Gandolfini giving one of the best performances ever seen on television and a great supporting cast with heavyweights like Steve Bucemi and Joe Pantoliano. Sopranos is one of the few modern shows to include a healthy does of surrealism into each season. Tony's troubled and often bizarre dreams play a large part in setting the mood for the series and giving you an insight into the troubled mobster's psyche. But arguably the reason the show became a hit was not its surrealist qualities, but for how human and relatable it made the villains.The genius of making a mob boss more than a cartoon-esque villain is a huge reason for the show's success, as he receives therapy, hates his mother and balances his domestic life with extortion and mass murder. While the first season may be a little slow initially, it is more than worth persevering through, as if you stick with it you will be rewarded with one of the best pieces of on screen entertainment you can ever hope to see. Utterly essential viewing.