1. Oz
Fox tried to get dark and edgy with Profit. John Gaunt was the ultimate corporate shark, utterly amoral, breaking the fourth wall to confide his schemes. It was too much for '90s network television, a show ahead of its time by a decade. It proved that sometimes a brilliant, serialized anti-hero story just couldn't find an audience when it debuted. A bold, unsettling experiment.
2. Profit
Aaron Sorkin's first TV outing, Sports Night, was a revelation. It played like a sitcom but felt like a drama, with that signature rapid-fire, intellectual Sorkin dialogue. The ensemble navigated workplace stress and personal lives behind the scenes of a sports news show. It was a sophisticated, serialized blend of humor and heart, hinting at the smart, character-driven television to come.
3. Sports Night
Once and Again brought a quiet, naturalistic intimacy to network TV. Zwick and Herskovitz explored mid-life romance and blended families with an honesty rarely seen. The serialized storytelling, combined with those distinctive black-and-white interview segments, created a deeply emotional, character-driven experience. It was about people figuring things out, messy and real, pushing the boundaries of what a network drama could be.
4. Once and Again
The original UK Office wasn't just a comedy; it was a phenomenon that launched a thousand mockumentaries. Ricky Gervais's David Brent was excruciatingly real, a boss you simultaneously pitied and cringed at. This show perfected the art of awkward silence and subtle character work, demonstrating how a documentary style could amplify both humor and pathos. It truly redefined workplace comedy.
5. The Office
Arrested Development was a comedy operating on another level. Its intricate, serialized humor, packed with callbacks and running gags, demanded attention. It defied traditional sitcom structures, creating a deeply dysfunctional, hilarious family narrative that felt fresh and utterly unique. It was almost too smart for its own good, finding its true cult status later thanks to early on-demand viewing.
6. Arrested Development
Northern Exposure was a breath of fresh, Alaskan air. It mixed quirky humor with genuinely philosophical explorations of life, death, and community. While often episodic, its rich ensemble cast and their intertwining lives created a serialized emotional core. It dared to be different, proving that network TV could still deliver smart, character-driven stories with an undeniable, eccentric charm.
7. Northern Exposure
Rome was a massive swing, a joint HBO/BBC venture that brought cinematic scale to cable television. It was dirty, violent, and historically ambitious, focusing on both the movers and shakers and the common soldiers. This was prestige serialized drama at its peak, with incredible production design and an unflinching look at power and empire. It paved the way for even bigger historical epics.
