Best of the Small Screen, Favorite Series of All Time, No. 1

 


Welcome to this year's exploration of TV, the Best of the Small Screen. Throughout the year I'll be looking at my favorite shows in four categories: Network Sitcoms, Network Dramas, Cable Series and Streaming Series. We'll cap the exploration with my Top 10 shows of all time regardless of format. Check back each Saturday for another installment in the countdown!

Nora Durst: “Terrible things happen in this world. And the only comfort we get is that we didn’t cause them.”

The Leftovers (2014-2017)
Starring: Carrie Coon, Justin Theroux, Christopher Eccleston, Amy Brenneman, Margaret Qualley, and Ann Dowd
Original Position: Cable Series, No. 1
About: And now we get to my favorite series of all time. If you were going through the countdown, you'll remember that I talked about the idea I never thought anything would displace The Wire on my list of series. Then came The Leftovers. It's based on the novel from Tom Perrotta, but Damon Lindelof's series reaches far beyond the content of the novel. The first season is OK but compelling. The second season builds the world and characters. But it's the final season that just threw things over-the-top. It's a beautiful work of art, an in-depth meditation on grief and loss. But it's also about finding joy and connection in some ways, especially after what you have has been lost. Theroux and Coon are at the center of the journey, and it was always Kevin and Nora that pulled me in and kept me hooked. I loved the journey and the depth of emotion it elicited. As you'll have guessed by now, what takes things to the next level for me is a depth of emotional response and the way it makes you think about the world and a life of faith. This series did that in spades. I'm grateful for the journey and that's why it sits atop my list.

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