17. Skins (2007-2013)
Channel E4 Starring Nicholas Hoult, Kaya Scodelario, Joe Dempsie, Hannah Murray, Dev Patel, April Pearson, Mike Bailey, Mitch Hewer, Larissa Wilson, Jack OConnell, Lisa Backwell, Lily Loveless, Kathryn Prescott, Megan Prescott, Luke Pasqualiano, Ollie Barbieri, Klariza Clayton, Merville Lukeba. Arguably the first Generation Y drama, Skins attracted its fair share of both acclaim and criticism following its initial airing in 2007, with the first series becoming notorious for its graphic portrayals of teenage drug use and sex. This was despite its exploration of a wide array of complex social and personal issues, including pregnancy, mental illness, eating disorders, homosexuality, religion and in the case of nearly every character, family dysfunction, something that many modern youngsters are sadly able to relate to. The show was unique in that its cast was replaced with a new group every two years, keeping it fresh, though the writing became increasingly outlandish over time, as the killing of a main character during each cycle became tradition, though new issues such as suicide and financial struggles were explored to good effect. The show has proved to be a good stepping stone for young British actors, who were almost entirely unknown at the time of their casting. Many alumni have graduated to the likes of American television (Hannah Murray and Joe Dempsie in Game of Thrones, and Dev Patel in The Newsroom, amongst others) or major roles in Hollywood (Nicholas Hoult). In 2013, the show will air a seventh and final series, with three characters from the shows first four series Murrays Cassie, Kaya Scodelarios Effy and Jack OConnells Cook each returning for a final swansong, as the generation the show was initially geared at progress through their twenties. An American remake of the show attracted huge controversy, despite being a watered down version of the original, and was hastily cancelled after campaigns by moral crusader organisations such as the Parents Television Council, who have the objective of keeping American television family friendly. Lets be thankful that the UK doesnt have an equivalent, else risky drama such as Skins would never see the light of day.
16. Call The Midwife (2012-)
Channel BBC1 Starring Jessica Raine, Helen George, Bryony Hannah, Miranda Hart, Jenny Agutter, Pam Ferris, Judy Parfitt, Laura Main, Vanessa Redgrave. Attracting viewers in the range of ten million per episode, Call The Midwife is something of a media sensation at the time of writing, having premiered to high audiences in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and many other countries across the world as well as the UK, where university midwifery applications have increased by 16% in the wake of the shows success. Mixing veterans like Jenny Agutter and Vanessa Redgrave with young up-and-comers like Jessica Raine and Helen George, the drama centres on a group of midwives and nuns in the East End in London in the wake of World War II. Despite this being hardly the most glamorous of locations, the shows stories make for heart-warming (or heart-wrenching, in some cases) Sunday-night fare, with the exploration of period social issues such as poverty and pregnancy out of wedlock meaning that the show has more to offer than just sentiment. The success of the series has already seen it nominated for 2 BAFTA awards, with Emmy success likely to follow now that American viewers have begun to flock to it in droves.