Liam Cunningham and Kit Harington looking distraught in Game of Thrones
Ambition is something that should be celebrated within any creative field, as it is unlikely for progress to be made without those willing to take risks. Although television was once thought of as a medium that was strictly reserved for mass-market, commercial entertainment, it has evolved significantly over the course of the last several decades, and now exists as a form of art that is taken just as seriously as prestige film.
Today, those interested in telling mature, original stories are more likely to find those opportunities on streaming television shows, as the cinematic box office has been taken over by blockbusters. There’s reason to celebrate any dramas that bet on themselves, even if the results don’t come to fruition or end up being less than the sum of their parts. Here are the ten most ambitious drama TV shows, ranked. 10 'The Last of Us' The Last of Us has a massive task ahead of it, as the show is based on a video game considered not just one of the best of all time, but also instrumental in elevating the art form to be taken more seriously. While shows like Fallout have been able to develop original stories within established universes, The Last of Us had to replicate the nearly cinematic language of the games and find actors that could live up to the original performances. That The Last of Us has thus far been a mixed bag does not detract from its ambition, as the show is clearly made by passionate fans of the material. Although the second season marked a significant decline in quality when compared to the first, there’s hope that these issues can be resolved as the series continues to move forward. 9 'Breaking Bad' Breaking Bad is a novelty among television’s masterpieces because it felt comparatively scrappy to some of the shows on larger networks like HBO or FX. While Vince Gilligan had experience as a television writer on The X-Files, Breaking Bad was an extraordinary vision because it had to rely solely on the strong writing and clever concept, which is what eventually ended up growing a massive audience. Breaking Bad is an even more outstanding achievement when considering the significant expectations the show faced towards its final season, as anything less than a great finale would have been considered a disappointment. It’s because “Felina” wrapped up the story so perfectly for Walter White that Breaking Bad has been immortalized as an all-time classic. The show’s ambitions were so completely fulfilled that it opened the opportunity for a brilliant prequel in Better Call Saul. 8 'Mad Men' Mad Men is a far more ambitious show than some may realize because of the extent of research and planning that went into replicating the history and culture of the 1960s. Not only were the series' sets and costumes developed in order to accurately authenticate the time period, but the groundbreaking TV show’s writers had to plan years in advance to ensure that certain events would line up with historical moments that the audience would recognize. Mad Men was able to pull off an incredible feat in developing its characters subtly, whilst keeping an open mystery about where they would end up. It’s still surprising that a womanizing, mean-spirited con artist like Don Draper transformed into a character whom people fell in love with, and even came to celebrate when he made his critical decision in the finale. 7 'Twin Peaks' Twin Peaks isn’t just an ambitious television show, but a bold proclamation that there were possibilities on the small screen that couldn’t be achieved anywhere else. While David Lynch was at a hot point in his career after winning the Palme d’Or for his masterpiece Wild at Heart, he was able to work with Mark Frost to create a challenging mystery that had audiences glued to their seats, becoming the first “watercooler show.” Twin Peaks was radical in its experimental, surrealist, and deeply metaphorical imagery and storytelling, which has inspired countless theories and works of scholarship. The final season, particularly the legendary black-and-white episode “Part 8,” is among the most obtuse and masterful works of filmmaking to ever come from an American director. Lynch made many great films, but Twin Peaks may be his most beloved and most ambitious project. 6 'Lost' Lost was such a game-changer on television that it's easy to forget how radically it shaped what shows looked like going forward. While it wasn’t the first serialized drama, Lost was able to toggle a massive cast by developing an intense mythology that was laid out years in advance. Whether or not Lost actually paid off is a question that is still up for debate, as the fanbase is still split on whether Lindelof and his team managed to pull off the series finale. Ironically, Lost’s greatest drawback is that it may have been too ambitious, and asked a lot of its audience at a time when television viewers expected to get answers on a regular basis. Although it wasn’t perfect, Lost broke free of its parameters and showed how much fun it could be to become engaged in discourse. 5 'The Leftovers' The Leftovers is one of the most risky adaptations in HBO history because it was tasked with expanding the story after the first season, which adapted the entirety of the original novel. This is a strategy that hasn’t always worked out, as Big Little Lies Season 2 proves, but The Leftovers had a remarkable clarity of vision from Lindelof, who was able to respond to some of the complaints with Lost by making a more confident series. The Leftovers asked massive questions about faith and purpose, but it was also unafraid to go on tangents and develop some humorous subplots, many of which still aren’t completely explained. There wasn’t anything else like The Leftovers for the three seasons in which it was on the air, and it doesn’t seem like another show will usurp its ambition in the coming years. 4 'Andor' Andor was a project that was met with skepticism from the beginning, as none of the Star Wars television shows that were made on Disney+ had matched the quality of the original trilogy. On top of that, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story had been a chaotic production in which there were several creative rehauls and reshoots, and Andor was intended to be a direct prequel that explored how Cassian became involved with the Rebel Alliance. Andor stands as the best Star Wars show ever made because it was centered on actual political ideology and explored the facets of a revolutionary movement and its response to a tyrannical government. Although Disney has frequently been accused of spending too much money on its movies and shows, Andor was so great that it justified the exorbitant costs of its production. 3 'The Young Pope' The Young Pope addressed religion in a meaningful way, which itself is a sign of ambition because of how uncomfortable people can be when asked to describe their faith. Additionally, director Paolo Sorrentino made no attempt to curb his artistic sensibilities because The Young Pope and its sequel series The New Pope were filled with surrealistic, impressionistic imagery that would require significant analysis and knowledge of cinematic history to fully understand. That The Young Pope is able to include celebrity cameos and slapstick humor, whilst also being incredibly moving, speaks to its brilliance. Subscribe for the newsletter on ambitious TV storytelling Discover deeper context by subscribing to the newsletter: thoughtful coverage of ambitious TV dramas, creator perspectives, and curated viewing picks that help you follow bold storytelling without missing the craft behind it. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. The Young Pope is one of the most singularly directed shows ever made, as it progresses its story through themes and symbolism, rather than traditional plot developments. It’s also a series that has become more timely than ever because of the election of the first American pope in the history of the Catholic Church. 2 'The Pitt' The Pitt is by far the most accurate and bracing medical drama in television history, which is no small statement when considering how often the subject has been depicted. By approaching what work is like in a trauma center during a relentless shift, The Pitt developed a real-time approach in which the viewer isn’t able to take breaks, similar to what the doctors are going through. The Pitt managed to keep dozens of cases and patients moving through a tightly wound season, which also managed to address many critical issues that are pertinent to the medical community. The series also broke boundaries in examining the significant burdens placed on the medical community in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to more outbursts from patients and a lack of funding and resources. Noah Wyle is particularly deserving of credit for the work he put into developing the character of Dr. Robby. 1 'Game of Thrones' Game of Thrones isn’t a show that everyone necessarily needs to be a fan of, but it’s impossible not to admit that it's one of the most ambitious undertakings in the history of filmmaking. Adapting the dense and unusual world of George R.R. Martin’s novels was a challenge in its own right, but HBO also had to create an adult-oriented fantasy that included the types of graphic content that weren’t often seen within the “sword and sorcery” genre. Game of Thrones’ ambitions extended beyond the achievements of its writer, as the show was tasked with creating an ending that had not been unveiled in the novels . Although many saw the finale as so awful that it invalidated their experience, Game of Thrones was nothing if not risky, and it remains one of the wildest swings that TV has ever seen. Like Follow Followed Game Of Thrones TV-MA Drama Action Adventure Fantasy Release Date 2011 - 2019-00-00 Showrunner David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Directors David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff Writers D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, David Benioff Cast See All
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