How many times has a close friend or family member said these words to you? “What have you been watching lately?”, and you struggle to recall a show that you saw over the past few years ago that you stayed up half the night because of each episode’s cliffhanger?
Well, today we’re here to help you out, at least in the (mostly) dark, drama series category. We took a look at series from the late 90’s or later that we’ve watched from beginning to end and ranked them on a “Moteventurous” scale between 1 and 10 (using decimal places to break any ties). We then also considered the IMDB rating and the audience and critic ratings from Rotten Tomatoes.
Inputting all four rankings into a spreadsheet, we then sorted by the sum of the ranking themselves to arrive at our Top 20 Grittiest (yet bingeable) Drama Series. How does your personal rank fit with ours? What great series have we not seen yet? Let us know in the comments!
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TODAY’S 10 ARE NEWS STORIES & LINKS THAT ARE HELPFUL, INSIGHTFUL, INFORMATIVE, AND (HOPEFULLY) ENJOYABLE TOO.
20
PRISON BREAK
Due to a political conspiracy, an innocent man is sent to death row and his only hope is his brother, who makes it his mission to deliberately get himself sent to the same prison in order to break the both of them out, from the inside.
BINGE IT HERE: Hulu
Our Thoughts: The two leads plus Sarah Wayne Callies (The Walking Dead) make this series binge-worthy from beginning to end.
IMAGE AND TEXT CREDIT: Fox/IMDB
19
SPARTACUS
The life of Spartacus, the gladiator who led a rebellion against the Romans. From his time as an ally of the Romans, to his betrayal and becoming a gladiator, to the rebellion he leads and its ultimate outcome.
BINGE IT HERE: Amazon Prime Video/Showtime
Our Thoughts: The choreography of the fights and the action-packed plot (as well as the devastating cancer journey of original star Andy Whitfield) compel you to keep watching.
IMAGE AND TEXT CREDIT: STARZ/IMDB
18
THE TUDORS
A dramatic series about the reign and marriages of King Henry VIII.
BINGE IT HERE: Amazon Prime Video/Showtime
Our Thoughts: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Natalie Dormer, and a pre-Superman Henry Cavill drive this soapy drama with incredible conquests, decisive choices and hellacious consequences (and plenty of heads rolling).
IMAGE AND TEXT CREDIT: Showtime/IMDB
17
DEXTER
He’s smart. He’s lovable. He’s Dexter Morgan, America’s favorite serial killer, who spends his days solving crimes and nights committing them.
BINGE IT HERE: Amazon Prime Video/Showtime
Our Thoughts: Leaving nothing on the “table”, Michael C. Hall embodies Dexter Morgan with qualities that make you forget he’s a serial killer. John Lithgow only elevates the series to greater heights midstream, with a letdown in the ending until they corrected the finale in “New Blood”.
IMAGE AND TEXT CREDIT: Showtime/IMDB
16
THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE
In a dystopian America dominated by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, a young woman discovers a mysterious film that may hold the key to toppling the totalitarian regimes.
BINGE IT HERE: Amazon Prime Video
Our Thoughts: The first time we attempted watching this, it didn’t grab our attention. We tried it later and it became something of an obsession. Great cast, excellent imaginative story and well-plotted through to the end.
IMAGE AND TEXT CREDIT: Amazon/IMDB
15
MR. MERCEDES
Tells the story of a psychopathic killer who drives a stolen Mercedes into a crowd and a recently retired detective who tries to bring him down.
BINGE IT HERE: Peacock
Our Thoughts: Adapting a series of Stephen King novels, David E. Kelley enlists an A-List cast with this deeply psychological story, capping it with a standout performance from Harry Treadaway as killer Brady Hartsfield.
IMAGE AND TEXT CREDIT: AT&T/IMDB
14
YELLOWSTONE
A ranching family in Montana faces off against others encroaching on their land.
BINGE IT HERE: Paramount+
Our Thoughts: Much is said of Rip and Beth in this modern take on “Dallas”, but the ensemble cast and superb writing (ending of season 3!) make this Montana-based series must-see TV.
IMAGE AND TEXT CREDIT: Paramount+/IMDB
13
THE FALL
A seemingly cold but very passionate policewoman goes head-to-head with a seemingly passionate father who is in fact a cold serial killer in this procedural out of Belfast. The only thing they share is their common complexity.
BINGE IT HERE: Amazon Prime Video
Our Thoughts: Seems there is something captivating about a cat and mouse story involving a serial killer and the authorities. This entry includes Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) and Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades of Grey) working to stay one step ahead of each other.
IMAGE AND TEXT CREDIT: Acorn/IMDB
12
BATES MOTEL
A contemporary prequel to Psycho, giving a portrayal of how Norman Bates’ psyche unravels through his teenage years, and how deeply intricate his relationship with his mother, Norma, truly is.
BINGE IT HERE: Amazon Prime Video
After watching this series, I still find it hard to see “The Good Doctor” and not think to myself “Wow, Norman did okay after all”.
IMAGE AND TEXT CREDIT: Acorn/IMDB
11
HOMELAND
A bipolar CIA operative becomes convinced a prisoner of war has been turned by al-Qaeda and is planning to carry out a terrorist attack on American soil.
BINGE IT HERE: Showtime
That first season when you are serious questioned if Nicholas Brody had been turned or if Carrie Mathison was imagining things while off her meds…gripping tv there I tell you.
IMAGE AND TEXT CREDIT: Showtime/IMDB
It’s so unfortunate that being “The Home of Today’s 10” limits us to just 10 entries each day. Please check back later this week when we reveal our Top 10 grittiest, most bingeable drama series. What would you recommend? Leave a comment with your favorite!
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