{TV} The art form of TV is NOT yet dead! Proven by these programmes; whether in the format of drama, comedy drama, ents, or factual

These are TV programmes that show that great television is still being made. They prove that well-thought-out craftsmanship is the basis of a good TV programme.

In this list are TV broadcasts that are either in the format of a dramatic tale, a sitcom/comedy drama, an entertainment programme, or a documentary/factual production. Some are a multi-episode series, and some are a 1-off programme.

All are programmes that stand out from the overall TV output. They are particularly well put together in their artistic style - be it ground-breaking, different, or just plain good.


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NOTE re TV programmes I have chosen to include in this list:

In order to keep this list pertinent to its implication - by the "yet" in the list title - that the programmes cited are of a more recent TV output, I chose to leave out older series. Superb series - e.g. programmes from the 1990s - such as 'Drop the Dead Donkey' (1990–98) & 'The Larry Sanders Show' (1992–98) spring to mind; and still older series that snaked back into the '80s! - e.g. 'Seinfeld' (1989–98).

I thus opted to include only TV progs made from (approx.!) the year 2000 onwards.

However, a few of the older greats just crept their way ,-) onto the list! (Although they were, at least, all from the final decade of the last century . . . rather than rolling back further still ,-) to the 1980s!) I have included several outstanding series, that lasted till the Noughties but began back in the '90s. These include, amongst other great TV programmes, the sitcoms 'Frasier' (1993–2004) & '3rd Rock from the Sun' (1996–2001). I have also included a FEW programmes of the 1990s: they had just stuck in my mind as so memorable. One of these was a superb miniseries - 'Takin' Over the Asylum' (1994) - starring Ken Stott & a very young man now well-known to viewers: David Tennant. It is so brilliant a programme in concept & delivery that I automatically put it on this list before I remembered it was such an early TV drama! I had watched it 25 years before I created this list (!), but I still remembered the programme's powerful effect on me. That is the timelessness & quality of certain TV programmes.


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{w.i.p. - i.e. list is not yet fully updated in this respect:}

NOTE re date I first watched the programmes in this list:

If no watch date is notated by me in this list, then I watched the programme when it was INITIALLY broadcast on UK TV.