30 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time

15. Deadwood

Deadwood might be a little more "dry" than Lost, but that didn't stop it from being one of the most engaging and brilliantly-conceived TV shows of all time. David Milch's short-lived series takes place in Deadwood, South Dakota in the late 19th century, as we observe Deadwood developing to become a town, with a thriving community and sense of commerce. The show draws heavily from real history, with well-known characters such as Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and Wyatt Earp making prominent appearances, though the protagonists of the piece are Ian McShane's cantankerous, loud-mouthed saloon owner Al Swearengen and Timothy Olyphant's Sheriff Seth Bullock. One of the more diverting aspects of the show is that, despite its setting, Milch opted to have the characters use contemporary swear words in order to give the dialogue the necessary emotional impact. That's not merely it, though, the dialogue typically unfolds in a wordy, Shakespearean style that's quite unlike anything in any other period TV show: the use of modern swearing makes the dialogue feel punchier, and it also allows for frequent hilarity when characters lose their tempers and concoct absurdly elaborate, creative insults. McShane is easily the best thing about the show, delivering a chameleonic performance in which he completely inhabits his part. It's a shame HBO didn't allow Milch to give the show a concrete ending, but it remains a near-flawless testament to singular writing and impeccable casting, even if it's certainly not going to be to all tastes.

14. Peep Show

When comedians David Mitchell and Robert Webb and began starring in Peep Show in 2003, it's unlikely that they or anyone else would have expected that the show would be wrapping up its run with a ninth series to be filmed next year. Despite its evidently low-budget, Peep Show makes the best of its central stylistic conceit, that the drama takes place through the first-person perspectives of protagonists Mark (Mitchell) and Jeremy (Webb), with their inner-most thoughts being projected to us by way of voice-over. A landmark work of cringe comedy, observing their pathetic attempts to better their lives is a frequent source of delicious delight for knowing viewers, particularly in observing how their attempts to meet women or advance their careers fail because of their stupidity (in Jez's case) and their crippling social awkwardness (in Mark's case). Together, they're a hopeless pair, and though not exactly very likeable, they have a certain charm to them that makes viewers capable of cheering them on. There's a good chance that if you're a fan of the show, it's probably because you can relate to these two hopeless schlubs on some level: it's funny because it's true, as much as we might hate to admit it.