1. The Wire
There will never be another show quite like David Simon's The Wire. Its social realism analyses all aspects of society from street-level drug dealers to politicians and everything in between. The War on Drugs is a central theme throughout the run of the show but The Wire also looks at subjects such as education, journalism, the economics of crime and the struggles of the working-class immigrants that are a staple of Baltimore. The Wire goes to uncommon socio-political depths, is written like a novel and features a predominantly black cast which sets it apart from other tv shows. To HBO's credit, they stuck with the show despite the low ratings and lack of mainstream attention and they allowed David Simon to write a full five seasons with minimal interference. The acclaim The Wire has received continues to grow as more and more people have seen it with the show becoming popular on DVD through the power of word of mouth. The Wire possesses the strongest cast of characters of any show. From charismatic stick-up boy Omar to ruthless kingpin Stringer Bell to the tragic Michael Lee, there is a character everybody can believe in and resonate with. The Wire may not have won HBO any awards or gained them huge ratings, but it is the finest thing they ever commissioned and the greatest TV show ever made.