Making any type of favorites-list is a highly-subjective endeavor. Everyone has their own opinions on what makes a good TV show. Lists are hotly debated as everyone has different tastes, and what appeals to one person will not appeal to another. With this in mind, here are the three most addicting shows currently on TV. Madmen, Sons of Anarchy, and Dexter are all hits with both fans and the critics alike.
Mad Men first debuted on the AMC Network in 2007. This show has won fourteen Emmy Awards and four Golden Globes to date. This series is focused on the character of Don Draper, played by Jon Hamm. Draper is a founding member of a New York advertising agency. It is set in the 1960s and regularly explores the changing moods and social ideologies of that era. The artistic direction and cinematography in this series are top notch. It captures the look and feel of 1960s New York with style. The writing by show-creator, Matthew Weiner, is consistent and thought provoking. The show is very character driven and is essential viewing for all TV fans.
Sons of Anarchy is often overlooked when it comes to lists of this type. Think of this show as The Sopranos on motorcycles. TV and film has given us plenty of looks into organized crime families and urban gangs. Sons of Anarchy has some of the familiar dynamics of those genres, but within the world of biker gangs. This show debuted on the FX Network in 2008 and focuses on Jax Teller, the club vice president who begins questioning himself and the role of his club. Excellent acting by Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman, and Katey Sagal, make this show impossible to stop watching. The characters can be both nasty and charismatic at the same time. The relationships within the club and the well-written stories keep you coming back for more.
Dexter is a show that has appeared on Showtime since 2006. It is based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. Dexter is a sociopath and a serial killer who was adopted by a police officer named Harry Morgan. Dexter has his own ethical code taught to him by Harry in order to make sure he does not get caught and only kills other killers. In this way, Dexter can be a use to society, albeit in a questionable way. This show takes a serial killer who often admires other murderers and transforms him into a charismatic character. You can’t help liking Dexter and then you sort of feel dirty for doing so. This is the mark of some brilliant writing and it makes the show one of the most addicting on TV.