Only A Little Kid Can't Name All Of These TV Dramas

There is definitely no shortage of dramatic television in the world these days. With streaming services like Netflix and Amazon adding so much content into the world, as well as established broadcast networks and cable channels producing more and more shows, there seems to be no sign of things slowing down anytime soon either. And with so many shows being consumed on-demand, viewers are able to watch as many as they can handle!

It's a good thing then that, over the last two decades or so, there has been so much top quality television produced! We have been living in what has been called the 'Golden Age of US Television' for many years now, and it has seen a number of truly defining shows scorch their way into the public consciousness. Many observers believe that TV has housed the very best writing and acting for the last several years, and many of the best characters created in the last few decades have been on TV.

Television is now art. And there's a hell of a lot of it.

And guess what? Many of these awesome shows will be on this quiz!

Let's see how well you know your Walter Whites from your Sookie Stackhouses...

 

Question 1

This Counter-Terrorism action show revolutionized serialized TV

This action packed series, which followed the adventures of Counter-Terrorism agent Jack Bauer (played with gritty pathos by Kiefer Sutherland), debuted in November 2001 on Fox. It ran for 192 episodes over eight seasons, and a TV movie, and then returned for a 12 episode revival in 2014, as well as a 12 episode spin-off in 2017. It was truly a groundbreaking show, with each series taking place over the course of a day. Events were shown in 'real time' (albeit with gaps for commercial breaks, of course).

Question 2

This political drama won 26 Emmy Awards

One of the most critically acclaimed shows ever to grace televison, this political drama debuted on NBC in 1999 and ran for seven seasons. It starred Martin Sheen as President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet and the show gave incredibly realistic insights into his time in the White House. It won countless awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series four consecutive times (from 2000 to 2003). The show's creator Aaron Sorkin went on to win the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for David Fincher's The Social Network.

Question 3

A chemistry teacher turns to crime in this brilliant drama

Largely seen as one of the best television dramas of all time, this neo-Western crime show aired from January 2008 to September 2013. Initially a slow burner in terms of the ratings, by the time the series began streaming on Netflix it had become something of a cultural touchstone. This meant that the show just kept getting bigger and bigger, and stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul became household names. In fact, in 2013 the Guinness Book Of World Records named it the single most critically acclaimed show ever.

Question 4

This mystery show frustrated and elated viewers in equal measure

Every so often a show comes along that EVERYONE watches. It becomes a true 'water-cooler' show, where everybody gathers around and has fun theorising and guessing about what's really going on. For its first two seasons, this massive ABC hit was one of those shows. The whole world wanted to know what was actually happening on that island of mystery, and became invested in the adventures of Jack, Kate, Locke, Sawyer and company. It eventually struggled to give satisfying answers to the questions it raised, but still lasted six highly watched seasons.

Question 5

Ian McShane played the aptly-named Al Swearengen in this Western

This utterly compelling (and completely profane) Western aired on HBO for three seasons, from 2004 to 2006. Set in the 1870's, it featured a large ensemble cast, and real-life historical figures such as Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane appeared. Created by David Milch (who also created NYPD Blue), the show starred Timothy Olyphant (The Crazies, Hitman) and Ian McShane (John Wick, Sexy Beast) and won eight Emmy Awards. In April 2017 McShane confirmed HBO have been sent a script by Milch for an all-new TV movie.

Question 6

This mobster in therapy led one of the best show's ever made

On June 19th 2013, masterful character actor James Gandolfini died of a heart attack. He was discovered by his son Michael after a day of sightseeing in the sweltering heat of Rome, Italy. It was a sad end for an actor who was beloved by the industry. He was most famous for his lead role in this superlative crime drama, created by David Chase. He played a mobster who faced difficulties as he tried to balance his home life with the demands of organized crime.

Question 7

This LGBT drama ran for six seasons

This drama, which portrayed the lives and loves of a group of lesbians in trendy West Hollywood area of Los Angeles, aired for six seasons from 2004 to 2009 and was created by Ilene Chalken. Given how much more aware the general populace/media is of the LGBT communities these days, it's easy to see how the show was ahead of its time. In 2010, a reality show spin-off was created by Chalken, and in 2017 it was announced that a sequel season was in the works with Showtime.

Question 8

This sci-fi procedural was initially entitled 'The Lab'

This science-fiction series was created by JJ Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Transformers). It followed a secret division of the FBI that dealt with investigations into unexplained phenomena. Initially largely dismissed as a clone of The X-Files, the show began to delve more into its own mythology of parallel universes and alternate timelines and became all the better for it. It starred Anna Torv (Mindhunter), Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek) and the wonderful John Noble as loveable mad scientist Walter Bishop.

Question 9

Everyone's favourite serial killer (who only killed bad guys)

This blackly funny crime drama starred Michael C. Hall as a forensic scientist specialising in blood spatter pattern analysis for the Miami Metro Police Department. Of course, his liaising with the police made it easier for him to lead his parallel life as a vigilante serial killer who hunted murderers who slipped through the cracks of the justice system! Based on a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay, it became Showtime's most successful show ever, with the eighth season finale drawing the largest overall viewing figures in the network's history.

Question 10

This crime epic introduced US audiences to Idris Elba and Dominic West

This one is something of a rarity on this list. While its five seasons were airing, the show's ratings were average at best, and it never won ANY major television awards. However, its reputation has continued to grow and grow since it stopped airing in 2008, and its now considered by many people to the be the best TV show ever. A show that demanded its audience pay attention, it was praised for its literary themes, realistic portrayal of urban life in Baltimore, and its accurate depictions of society and politics.

Question 11

Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss and January Jones starred in this period drama

Set in the 1960's, Matthew Weiner's period drama ran for 92 episodes across seven seasons. It told the story of Don Draper (Jon Hamm), the creative director of the Sterling Cooper advertising agency on New York City's Madison Avenue. The show focused on the personal lives of its characters, all the while showing the changing moods and social politics of the US in the 60's. It won lots of awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series four times in a row from 2008 to 2011.

Question 12

Martin Scorsese directed the pilot episode of this 1920's crime drama

When the pilot episode of a show is directed by Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, The Departed) and costs a whopping $18 million to produce, you know the show is going to be a big deal. Created by Terence Winter (The Wolf Of Wall Street), this period crime drama followed Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), the corrupt treasurer of Atlantic City in the 1920's. The show was a gorgeously produced and often brutal depiction of gangsters during this time in history, and featured well-known real life mobsters like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano in recurring roles.

Question 13

This WB teen drama showed us the early days of the world's greatest superhero

These days there are countless shows on TV for fans of superheroes. Netflix has their collection of gritty shows, including Daredevil, The Punisher, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones; the CW has the Arrowverse, which features Arrow, The Flash, Legends Of Tomorrow and Supergirl; and this is not to mention a whole host of animated shows that are currently airing. But back in 2001, comic book heroes on TV were much rarer, which was why this teen drama was such a massive hit for the 10 years it was on.

Question 14

The Strike Team policed the Farmington District in this gritty cop thriller

This gritty cop drama had a rabid cult following when it aired for seven seasons from 2002 to 2008, and was rewarded with plenty of critical acclaim as well. Created by Shawn Ryan (Timeless), the show followed the exploits of a group of corrupt detectives in the fictional Farmington District of Southern LA. Michael Chiklis played Vic Mackey, the leader of the Strike Team (which also included Walton Goggins' explosive performance as Shane Vendrell) and we saw how sometimes they were even worse than the gangbangers and criminals they arrested.

Question 15

This Western starred Anson Mount and rapper/actor Common

This Western series flew somewhat under the radar during its five seasons airing on AMC. Perhaps the network was more focussed on its bigger hits like The Walking Dead, but the show did develop a very dedicated cult following. The story followed Cullen Bohannon, a former Confederate soldier who tried to hunt down the Union soldiers who murdered his wife and son during the American Civil War. The show was created by Tony and Joe Gayton, who also co-wrote the action movie Faster, which starred Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

Question 16

This sexy vampire drama starred Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer

Premiering in September 2008 and running for seven seasons, this steamy vampire drama was proved hugely popular for its network HBO. Based on 'The Southern Vampire Mysteries', a series of novels by Charlaine Harris, the show starred Anna Paquin (X-Men) as the preposterously named Sookie Stackhouse, a telpathic waitress living in Louisiana, two years after the invention of a synthetic blood that has allowed vampires to reveal themselves to the world. The show proved to be actor Alexander Skarsgaard's (Battleship) big break

Question 17

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks produced this HBO WWII drama

The creative team and cast assembled for this 2001 World War II miniseries is truly breathtaking. Executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks (who had previously collaborated on the WWII classic Saving Private Ryan in 1998), the show starred Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston and David Schwimmer and dramatized the exploits of 'Easy' Company aka the Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. Several British actors who would go on to become huge stars also made small appearances: Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Simon Pegg!

Question 18

This show won a Peabody Award for its 'humane explorations of life and death'

We're back in 'one of the greatest shows of all time' territory with this superlative HBO drama. Airing for five seasons, from 2001 to 2005, the show followed the lives and loves of the Fisher family, who run a Funeral Home in Los Angeles. Created by Alan Ball (American Beauty, Banshee), the show received widespread critical acclaim for its writing and acting; it picked up nine Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes. The show starred Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy and Rachel Griffiths.

Question 19

This prison drama was the first show ever produced by HBO

This searing prison drama was sometimes hard to watch, but always compelling. Created by Tom Fontana (Homicide: Life On The Street), the show followed the day-to-day operations of the Oswald State Correctional Facility, a fictional Level-4 maximum security prison. The show holds an important place in television history, as it was the very first show produced by then-new premium cable network Home Box Office (HBO). Without this show being commissioned in 1997, the current golden age of television may have looked very different!

Question 20

This dark fantasy drama starred Nick Stahl and Clancy Brown

These days Daniel Knauf is best known as a staff writer on shows like The Blacklist and Supernatural, as well as comic book writer who has plied his trade for Marvel on titles like Iron Man and Captain America. But back in 2003 he created this critically beloved but audience-starved HBO series which followed a travelling carnival during the Depression-era (1934-35). Knauf reportedly was always interested in 'freaks', due to growing up with a disabled father who wasn't commonly accepted as normal by the community.

Question 21

Hugh Laurie became one of the most well-paid men on American TV for this show

The world loves a good medical drama, and this one, which fratured a magnetic central performance from English actor Hugh Laurie, ran for eight seasons. As a misanthropic and unconventional medical genius, he regularly diagnosed patients with rare maladies that no other doctor would see. The series was initially pitched as a medical 'whodunnit', in which the doctors would investigate symptoms and their causes, as opposed to crimes. In fact, Laurie's character was based on the greatest fictional detective of all time: Sherlock Holmes!

Question 22

This series became a franchise behemoth, spawning comics, novels and video games

This supernatural teen drama, which debuted in March 1997 on The WB, had a lot stacked against it. It was based on a 1992 movie that failed at the box office and was critically savaged, and was airing on a small, fledgling network. But, as we all know, it defied expectations and became a generation-defining show that spawned a multimedia franchise of its own, with comics, novels, video games and other merchandise. The show helped make stars of Sarah Michelle Gellar, David Boreanaz, Alyson Hannigan and Seth Green, amongst others.

Question 23

This dark comedy-drama followed a widower who sold marijuana

This dark comedy-drama starred Mary-Louise Parker (RED) and Elizabeth Perkins (The Flintstones), and ran for eight seasons on Showtime, from 2005 to 2012. It was created by Jenji Kohan, who would go on to create Orange Is The New Black and produced GLOW, both for Netflix. The show followed Nancy Botwin, a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies of a heart attack. In its first year it was the highest rated series for Showtime.

Question 24

This prison drama returned for a revival season in April 2017

These days, Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell are having the time of their lives playing Leonard Snart aka Captain Cold and Mick Rory aka Heatwave on the CW's Arrowverse. But they were previously famed for starring as brothers Michael and Lincoln on this serialized Fox prison drama, from 2005 to 2009. Initially turned down by the studio in 2003, as they didn't see the show's long-term prospects, they eventually greenlit it in 2004 and it became a huge hit with a dedicated fanbase.

Question 25

This medical drama introduced the world to George Clooney

This medical drama was one of the longest-running shows on American primetime TV. Debuting in September 1994, it lasted an astonishing 15 seasons, ending in April 2009 after 331 episodes. It was created by novelist and medical doctor Michael Crichton (who also wrote the novels Jurassic Park and Sphere) and had a cast of characters who rotated and came in and out of the show over the years. George Clooney received his big break when he starred on the show regularly from 1994 to 1999.

Question 26

This dark revival of a 1970's sci-fi show was masterfully crafted

This re-imagining of a 1978 science-fiction TV series debuted on the Sci-Fi Channel in December 2003. It ran for four seasons, as well as a TV movie and a spin-off series. Taking a very serious, militaristic approach to a concept that could have come across as silly or cheesy, the show was arguably the darkest space opera ever created. It was part political drama, part religious debate, part suspense thriller and part sci-fi adventure. The show starred Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell and Katee Sackhoff.

Question 27

This procedural crime drama ran for a massive 246 episodes

This procedural crime drama finally bowed out of the public consciousness with its twelfth season finale, which aired on March 28th 2017. The show, which starred Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, lasted for a staggering 246 episodes, and had a hardcore fanbase. The show focussed on forensic anthropologist Dr Temperance Brennan, who would have human remains brought to her for analysis by FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. Over the course of the show, fans became just as interested in the romance between Booth and Brennan as in the cases they were working.

Question 28

This popular crime drama followed an outlaw motorcycle club

Airing on the cable network FX, this massively popular crime drama followed the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club in the fictional town of Charming, California. It starred Charlie Hunnam (Pacific Rim), Ron Perlman (Hellboy) and Katey Sagal (Futurama) and was created by Kurt Sutter, who is married to Sagal in real life. The show was a gritty, violent masterpiece, which addressed themes of loyalty, racism, corruption and redemption. It became FX's most successful show, and a spin-off show will debut in 2018.

Question 29

This romantic medical drama gave the world Dr 'McDreamy'

Currently in the midst of its 14th season, this medical drama series has shown incredible longevity and staying power. It is still ABC's highest rated drama and the number three rated drama on all of broadcast television. For a show to still have that many viewers after fourteen seasons is an amazing achievement. Created by Shonda Rhimes (who also created the massively popular Scandal and produced current hit How To Get Away With Murder), the show is an institution at this point.

Question 30

This procedural drama once featured Quentin Tarantino as a guest director

Another television institution, this procedural forensics-based crime drama wrapped up a 15 season run in September 2015 with a feature-length finale entitled 'Immortality'. Hell, this show was so popular that at one point Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed a two-part episode named 'Grave Danger'. The show spawned three spin-offs (which ran for ten, nine and two seasons respectively) and has become entirely pervasive in popular culture. In fact, some experts believe it has led to the public having unrealistic expectations about forensic evidence in trials!

Question 31

This witty espionage drama ran for 111 episodes on USA Network

This breezy spy caper flew under the radar for many people, despite lasting for seven seasons and over 100 episodes! It aired on the USA Network and starred Jeffrey Donovan (Sicario), Gabrielle Anwar (The Tudors) and Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead). The series followed Donovan's spy Michael Westen, who has been discredited and disavowed by the CIA, leaving him stuck in Miami with his assets frozen. He has to use his wits to stay alive long enough to find out who hung him out to dry and why.

Question 32

Vera Farmiga received an Emmy nomination for her performance in this show

This psychological horror drama debuted on A&E in 2013, and ran for five well-received seasons. Starring Freddie Highmore (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory) and Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring), both of whom were utterly mesmerizing in their roles, the show told the story of a sheltered boy and his unhealthy relationship with his domineering mother. His mental illness grows over the course of the series, and we see the murderous effect this has on his family and the quaint coastal town they live in.

Question 33

This female-centric black comedy drama was a phenomenon for ABC

This brilliantly subversive comedy-drama ran for 180 episodes over eight seasons, making it the longest running hour-long television series featuring all-female leads. Created by Marc Cherry, the show followed the mysterious and blackly funny lives of four housewives who live on Wisteria Lane. Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria became superstars for playing Susan, Lynette, Bree and Gabrielle respectively. In fact, in 2011 it was reported they all signed a deal, for two seasons of the show, in which they netted $12 million each!

Question 34

Star Trek/Star Wars director JJ Abrams created this spy drama

This spy action drama debuted in 2001 and was created by JJ Abrams (Star Trek, Super 8). It ran for five seasons and made a star of Jennifer Garner, who portrayed double agent Sydney Bristow. The show followed her adventures as she (a CIA Agent) posed as an operative for SD-6, a worldwide criminal espionage organization. Garner was nominated for four Outstanding Leading Actress Emmy awards, and the show also featured Bradley Cooper in the first three seasons, before he broke out as a movie star.

Question 35

Timothy Olyphant played a Southern Lawman in this modern-day Western

Based on a short story entitled 'Fire In The Hole' by legendary crime writer Elmore Leonard (Get Shorty, Out Of Sight), this series debuted in 2010 and quickly built a reputation for whip-smart writing and wry humour. Timothy Olyphant played Raylan Givens, a tough US Marshal enforcing his own brand of justice in his hometown of Kentucky. His main antagonist was Boyd Crowder, a criminal (and former friend of Raylan's) who used his hillbilly accent and surroundings to disguise his keen intellect. He was played with eloquent menace by Walton Goggins.

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