Saturday 3rd March, Channel 4.
1. The Sopranos
2. Boys From The Blackstuff
3. Edge Of Darkness
4. The Singing Detective
5. Cathy Come Home
6. The West Wing
7. Cracker
8. Our Friends In The North
9. Twin Peaks
10. Heimat
11. Prime Suspect
12. Pennies From Heaven
13. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
14. I Claudius
15. Das Boot
16. A Very British Coup
17. This Life
18. Abigail's Party
19. Hill Street Blues
20. Queer As Folk
21. Sex Traffic
22. Bleak House (2005)
23. House Of Cards
24. Shameless
25. Talking To A Stranger
26. Doctor Who
27. 24
28. Scum
29. Brideshead Revisited
30. Traffik
31. Blue Remembered Hills
32. Warriors
33. The Naked Civil Servant
34. Bloody Sunday
35. Auf Wiedersehen Pet
36. Talking Heads
37. Hillsborough
38. The Prisoner
39. Shooting The Past
40. Pride And Prejudice (1995)
41. GBH
42. Made In Britain
43. The Jewel In The Crown
44. Threads
45. Z Cars
46. Caught On A Train
47. Upstairs Downstairs
48. State Of Play
49. Roots
50. Band Of Brothers
Was very good this and I'm (sort of) ashamed to say I've never seen an episode of The Sopranos, tho I'm not surprised a contemporary programme topped the poll. I was expecting Boys from the Blackstuff to come out on top and (currently rerunning) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy to poll higher.
What happened to the Sweeney...???
Aitch,
It finished some time ago, and hasn't had a re-run recently.name='harryfielder']What happened to the Sweeney...???
Aitch,
The people that vote in these polls have a very short memory span
Something that's on at the moment or was on recently will always do better than something that hasn't been shown for a while.
Steve
If a 'one off', 'To Encourage the Others'. Series? Colditz. Does that count? Survivors?
I hope it wasn't like that one the Beeb did a while back on comedy shows and had to admit it was slanted to assist current progs. (For current read C**p!)
From that list my choices would be (not in any particular order):
1. The Sopranos
2. 24
3. Our Friends In The North
4. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
5. Abigail's Party
6. House Of Cards
7. Auf Wiedersehen Pet
8. Talking Heads
9. Boys From the Blackstuff
10. Roots
I'd also include That Uncertain Feeling, Morse and Frost
name='samkydd']From that list my choices would be (not in any particular order):
No Edge Of Darkness? You're certifiable!
I of course list SMACK THE PONY as my favorite drama. I mean - I always took it seriously. Right?
That must have slipped under the radar I've not seen it (there was a time you know when I used to go out a lot)!name='DB7']No Edge Of Darkness? You're certifiable!
name='samkydd']That must have slipped under the radar I've not seen it (there was a time you know when I used to go out a lot)!
It's been repeated a few times on the Beeb's satellite channels but well worth adding to your dvd watchlist.
I was reading a blog piece on the CH4 rundown earlier and the author mentioned a BBC espionage mini-series called Cold Warrior (1984). Anyone seen it? Only mention of it I can find online is on the Action TV website.
name='DB7']Saturday 3rd March, Channel 4.
1. The Sopranos - I like it, but it doesn't deserve to be number one. The Sweeney deserves to be number one and this hasn't even made it to the top 50 at all.
2. Boys From The Blackstuff - I agree with this in the selection, but I don't know whether I would put it at number two.
3. Edge Of Darkness - This was absolutely brilliant.
4. The Singing Detective - I have never seen the appeal of Dennis Potter's work because it is nauseating.
5. Cathy Come Home - I agree, another brilliant piece of television.
6. The West Wing - O.k., but certainly doesn't deserve to be number 6th on the list.
7. Cracker - Excellent programme.
8. Our Friends In The North - O.k.
9. Twin Peaks - I have never seen this.
10. Heimat - O.k.
11. Prime Suspect - Brilliant programme and deserves to be in the top ten.
12. Pennies From Heaven - Again another outing from Dennis Potter which I didn't like.
13. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - O.k.
14. I Claudius - O.k.
15. Das Boot - I have never seen this.
16. A Very British Coup - I have never seen this.
17. This Life - I can't see what all the fuss was about where this programme was concerned.
18. Abigail's Party - O.k.
19. Hill Street Blues - O.k.
20. Queer As Folk - O.k.
21. Sex Traffic - I never saw the appeal in this.
22. Bleak House (2005) O.k., but not something that warrants the title greatest ever.
23. House Of Cards - O.k.
24. Shameless - Don't believe all the hype where this programme is concerned. It is utter bollocks.
25. Talking To A Stranger - O.k.
26. Doctor Who - This is hyped up tosh.
27. 24 - This is very entertaining, but it is also a bit far fetched.
28. Scum - What the hell is this.
29. Brideshead Revisited - This should be higher up on the list.
30. Traffik - Another Channel 4 outing, biased or what.
31. Blue Remembered Hills - Another of Dennis Potter's awful works.
32. Warriors - O.k., but there have been better dramas.
33. The Naked Civil Servant - O.k., but there have been better dramas.
34. Bloody Sunday - This is not something that is the greatest.
35. Auf Wiedersehen Pet - A very good comedy drama series that deserves to be higher up on the list.
36. Talking Heads - This is not something that is the greatest.
37. Hillsborough - Very good and this should be higher up on the list.
38. The Prisoner - O.k.
39. Shooting The Past - This is not something that is the greatest.
40. Pride And Prejudice (1995) - O.k.
41. GBH - O.k. needs to be slightly higher on the list though.
42. Made In Britain - O.k.
43. The Jewel In The Crown - This should definitely be higher up on the list.
44. Threads - O.k.
45. Z Cars - This should definitely be higher up on the list.
46. Caught On A Train - O.k.
47. Upstairs Downstairs - This should definitely be higher up on the list.
48. State Of Play - O.k.
49. Roots - This should definitely be higher up on the list.
50. Band Of Brothers - O.k.
What a load of garbage. How the hell can The Sopranos be the number one choice for the greatest drama. I'm not saying I don't like The Sopranos, but the greatest drama ever, as if, thats exaggeration. The Sweeney wasn't even included and that is the best/greatest drama series of all time without a doubt. Also why weren't the following included - in no particular order - Out, The Forsyte Saga (1967), Colditz, Secret Army, To Serve Them All My Days, Minder, Juliet Bravo, Rumpole of the Bailey, Inspector Morse, Maigret, Dixon of Dock Green, The Brothers, A Family at War, Crown Court, Tenko, and no doubt there are lots of others as well I haven't mentioned. You'll notice a lot of those dramas on the list appeared on Channel 4. I think the word FIXED springs to mind. Obviously, some people's memories cannot stretch further back than 1990.
May one add the brilliant "Nuts in May"
1. Man In A Suitcase
2. Public Eye
3. Callan
4. Hazell
5. Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes (Brett)
6. State Of Play
7. Thriller
8. The Sweeney
9. Strange Report
10. Life On Mars
11. Prime Suspect
12. Pennies From Heaven
13. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
14. I Claudius
15. Out
16. Budgie
17. Z Cars
18. Abigail's Party
19. The Owl Service
21. Sex Traffic
22. Edge Of Darkness
23. The Saint
24. Testament Of Youth
25. The Nightmare Man
26. Doctor Who
27. Danger Man
28. Captain Scarlet
29. Brideshead Revisited
30. Children Of The Stones
31. Blue Remembered Hills
32. Sky
33. The Naked Civil Servant
34. A Pin To See The Peepshow
35. Gideon's Way
36. The Borgias
37. Shoestring
38. The Prisoner
39. Son Of The Morning Star
40. The History Man
41. The Baron
43. The Jewel In The Crown
44. Custer
45. Cracker
46. Follyfoot
47. Upstairs Downstairs
48. Midnight Caller
49. Roots
50. Flambards
Bats.
In no particular order - I'd take any of these for my top 10 -as long as Tinker, Tailor and Our Friends were included:
Boys From The Blackstuff
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Edge of Darkness
Abigail's Party
The Singing Detective
Pennies From Heaven
Prime Suspect
I, Claudius
Our Friends In The North
A Very British Coup
House of Cards
Cathy Come Home
GBH
The Jewel In The Crown
Brideshead Revisited
I would certainly include, in no particular order:
Edward the Seventh
Lillie
Prince Regent
Roots
Upstairs Downstairs
A Horseman Riding By
To Serve Them All My Days
Colditz
Tenko
Rumpole of the Bailey
A Family at War
Jennie, Lady Randolph Churchill
Just to name a few.
name='alex']I would certainly include, in no particular order:
Edward the Seventh
Lillie
Prince Regent
Roots
Upstairs Downstairs
A Horseman Riding By
To Serve Them All My Days
Colditz
Tenko
Rumpole of the Bailey
A Family at War
Jennie, Lady Randolph Churchill
Just to name a few.
That's two out of twelve written by R.F. Delderfield.
If only someone had filmed the God is an Englishman trilogy, you'd probably want to add that as well. It's a book (especially the first) that is crying out to be made into a TV series
Steve
I would put Tenko near the top , the acting was superb by all concerned.
Reading the list, I am struck again by the notable absence of anything shown on Five at the moment, something I found rather curious when originally watching C4's programme. I find it hard to believe that Law & Order didn't get a mention, but maybe the show is just a personal favourite of mine (and the Emmy nomination panel, of course). Even stranger is the omission of CSI or any of its spin-offs, not so much because it is the best drama on television, which would be highly debatable, but simply because it is one of the most successful franchises on tv and, as has been so rightly mentioned before in this thread, viewers have a short memory and therefore current shows can be expected to do well in a poll like this.
But far be it from me to suspect any rigging in any way ...
Hanseat
Another great Drama shown in the 70's Captains and the King's about an Irish imagrant family in America, i loved this and wish they would repeat it also North and South. Roots came out on DVD i always wondered why Captains and the kings never did, it was equally as popular in the 70's.
name='Carmel']Another great Drama shown in the 70's Captains and the King's about an Irish imagrant family in America, i loved this and wish they would repeat it also North and South. Roots came out on DVD i always wondered why Captains and the kings never did, it was equally as popular in the 70's.
I couldn't agree more. I have a copy if you are interested. Just send me a PM
Alex
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