Mad Men. Front to back a masterpiece. A show about some of the best-written, best-acted and most memorable characters in TV history going through some of the most significant cultural and political changes in American history. I can't think of any other show that is as literary, as easily defined by the concept of 'the Great American Novel' or as if the episode you are watching is a classic short story brought to life.

The character-study is also hugely influenced by the showrunners time working on The Sopranos, which is easy to see not just in the way characters are drawn so expertly, but also in how hilarious the show can be, just like The Sopranos.