Godwin Nii-Armah Okine Writes -My Top Ten Most Captivating TV Series Of All Time

Everybody watches television series. As entertainment goes, there are very few things in this world that beats getting a world class television series and binge watching it. These are the times when the outside world ceases to exist and it becomes just you and your computer screen. Anything else is a needless distraction - food, hygiene, s*x... And the library of potential shows to watch is so large and so deep, that there's always one to watch whenever you need. And new ones keep springing up at a pace no normal person can keep up with. The beauty off this diversity is that the average person has watched just a tiny minuscule of the tv shows available, and thus is probably always on the lookout for more. And the best way to get into a show is after someone recommends it to you. So I am going to recommend here the top ten most captivating shows of all time, in my humble opinion - and hope that you return the favour so I can get more shows to watch. These are the shows I most enjoyed and most identified with whilst watching, and thus have been permanently etched in my mind. Before we dive in, honourable mention goes to these shows, which are just as enjoyable as any in the top ten but just didn't make the cut - Suits, Deadwood, 30 Rock, Spartacus, Rome, The Originals, Arrested Development, The Big Bang Theory, South Park, Lost and Boardwalk Empire. Click through the pages to check out my list of the top ten most captivating tv shows. #10 - 24 (2001-2010 - original run) Fox For pure adrenalin inducing suspense, nothing beats the Fox counter-terror drama that starred Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer. Every season the best laid plans get messed up in the worst ways possible, and Jack has to race against the clock to save the day. And nobody beats 24 for cliffhangers. #9 - Family Guy (1999-present) Fox My love of comedy rears its ugly head. Family Guy is an animated comedy about the Griffin family, created by and run by the incredibly talented Seth MacFarlane. Middle aged moron Peter Griffin and his family live in Quahog, where there's never a dull moment. Watch out for time machine building matricide craving baby Stewie Griffin. Giggity! #8 - Fringe (2008-2013) Fox The J.J Abrams time travel series follows Anna Torv as FBI special agent Olivia Dunham, and the work she does with the Bureau's 'Fringe Division - set up to investigate strange cases that seemingly involve supernatural forces. This was one of the first time travel shows I really followed and it has remained a favourite since. #7 - The Wire (2002-2008) HBO A younger Idris Elba appears in the show routinely named in the greatest of all time tv shows debate - 'The Wire' - set in the Baltimore projects. It portrays life in those disadvantaged communities and the crazy dynamics between organised crime and politics - as both crush the common person under their heel. It's set at an almost snail's pace - even for HBO - but provides almost unparalleled insight into the human condition. #6 - Rules of Engagement (2007-2013) CBS Five friends in New York City - two couples and the token promiscuous bachelor. Rules provides laughs through the deeply cynical Jeff Bingham (Patrick Warburton), slow but well intentioned Adam Rhodes (Oliver Hudson) and womaniser Russell Dunbar (David Spade). It's great fun for 20 minutes whilst you rest your brain before you get back to work on that report or assignment. #5 - Breaking Bad (2008-2013) AMC What happens when a cancer stricken chemistry teacher who thinks he has nothing to lose becomes a drug dealer? He becomes a very effective drug dealer who becomes too immersed in his new world to remember the niceties of the old one. Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) remain one of the best duos ever seen on television. Breaking Bad starts slow but by the end, it'll all be worth it. Trust me. #4 - Burn Notice (2007-2013) USA 'My name is Michael Westen, I used to be a spy'. This introduction played in my head almost daily for seven continuous years. If I was ranking this entirely by sentiment, Burn Notice would be an easy number 1. Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) is a spy who gets 'burned' (fired) from his legitimate CIA job by a nefarious organisation who wants him desperate so they can recruit him. He returns home to Miami to plan his next move, and along the way starts helping out ordinary people being hassled by criminals to make some little cash. BURN NOTICE - Official Trailer by CokeAndPopcorn #3 - Person of Interest (2011-2016) CBS Man has been obsessed with the eventual rise of Artificial Intelligence ever since we became smart enough to make computers. Person of Interest provides a unique take on the subject, an omniscient machine that observes human behaviour and predicts crime. Harold Finch (Michael Emerson) built the machine, and hired John Reese (Jim Caviezel) to serve as the muscle to stop the crime ferreted out by the machine. Eventually, a rival AI arises - and the battle for mankind's future is brutal. #2 - Game of Thrones (2011-present) HBO The hit HBO show, as I always make sure to note when I write about it, is the epitome of what a successful tv series should be. The Young Turk's Cenk Uygur (a US journalist), says Thrones is most successful because it has a healthy dose of VIMS every episode - VIMS being Violence, Intrigue, Mystery and S*x. What more could you ask for? Thrones follows the great houses of Westeros as they battle for the right to sit atop the Iron Throne. When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die - there is no middle ground. If you are permitted to watch only one show off this list, I'll recommend GOT all day long. #1 - Seinfeld (1989-1998) NBC And my love for comedy wins out in the end. Seinfeld, imo, is not only the greatest sitcom of all time, but the best tv show ever made, period. They call it 'the show about nothing' because it deals with the boring minutiae of daily life that every other show takes for granted, but does it in a fascinating and hilariously captivating way. Show creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld are both legends of comedy, and together they created a show with unique characters that can be watched in no particular order, yet still immensely enjoyed all the same. Seinfeld is the only show on this list I have watched, start to finish, over five times - and thus, no question, earns this spot ahead of a behemoth like Game of Thrones. So there's my list. I can't stress enough this is simply my opinion, and since different people like different things, disagree all you want. Just try listing your ten best tv shows, ranked 1-10. It is a challenging yet ultimately rewarding exercise. And don't forget to share it with us so we can also get new shows to watch. PS: There are many great shows I've not yet got down to watching, so naturally those miss out. Off the top of my head I can list The Sopranos, Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Da Vinci's Demon's, X-Files etc etc. PPS: This list is moot anyway - everybody knows Kumkum Bhagya rules.

Godwin Nii-Armah Okine Writes -My Top Ten Most Captivating TV Series Of All Time

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