I'd pretty much agree with most of the series that have been mentioned. I'd also advise you to stick with Sons Of Anarchy too because it just gets better and better. Four series gone over here in the UK and it's one of my favourite things on the box. Still can't quite believe that Jax is the gangly lad from Queer As Folk!

Also, Game Of Thrones is absolutely superb, Dexter, Person Of Interest and like someone said - if you want light hearted try White Collar and Burn Notice. Others that have quite rightly been recommended; The Wire, The West Wing, True Blood, Arrow, Homeland, Six Feet Under, Lost (but the ending of the show was the biggest letdown in televisual history!), Buffy The Vampire Slayer (first three seasons showing the genius that is Joss Whedon), The Walking Dead, The Mentalist and the best cop show on the box at the moment; Southland.

Not to mention 24, Prison Break, The Shield. Man, I watch a lot of TV - hadn't realised just how much until I started typing! Not too much British stuff though, aside from Sherlock I find most of it is usually piss poor attempts to copy much better American stuff. I think someone said that American TV is in a golden age at the moment, and I'd agree with that. Okay, there's a lot of shit on all their numerous channels, but the best stuff is much stronger than what's being made over here. The last truly compelling British shows for me were Cracker and The Lakes. Mainly because I'm a massive Jimmy McGovern fan.

But....the greatest TV show of all time is The Sopranos. That was the game changer. Without that there wouldn't have been 90% of the shows listed above. No Wire, Dexter, Damages, Mad Men, Six Feet Under etc. It redefined what you could show on TV and how far you could push the limits of the medium, attracting the best writers and actors in the process. God bless HBO! Oh,and the best character ever is Tony Soprano. I don't think there's ever been such a wonderfully complex, multifaceted character on TV. You love him, hate him, fear him, laugh with him and are repulsed by him in equal measure - and James Gandolfini gives such a tower house performance that no one else could have played that role. Plus, it also has the coolest theme song of all time too. Still can't believe Alabama 3 are from London, I'd have sworn they were from the deep south living next to some delta in the god fearing wilderness when I first Heard it.

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"In a flash of inspiration, you said of every living thing
We're the first in all creation, to live on the ground and sing"