Many credit The Sopranos (1999-2007) for raising the bar on television quality and ushering in a new kind of show with an emphasis on quality writing, complicated characters and gritty real-life human interactions. The Sopranos was the first television show people weren’t afraid to admit to watching and actually liking.
Then The Wire came on the scene and slayed audiences and reviewers all over again, especially the high-brow publications. The show has been called novelistic, Dickensian, and even heir to the ancient Greek tragedies.
The Wire is not the only show to flatter our intellect. This website is a list of quality shows worth watching without shame. Though most of these shows draw only a fraction of the audiences that the latest reality show gathers regularly, they have attracted the attentions of thinking, literate people—book people. And these days, few books can attract enough readers to inspire impromptu raps about plot and character like the latest episode of Mad Men. By watching the right programs—complex, well-written programs—you can be proud of your television literacy.
I have listed several of my favorite shows, most of which I consider high quality. Plus one or two, like Gossip Girl, that I can’t help but love—it’s my guilty pleasure.