5Oz (1997-2003)
Created by Tom Fontana
If you’re thinking of the Yellow Brick Road, the Emerald City, or even the cuteness that is Toto, stop thinking that. The HBO version ofOztook the premise of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and put it in a prison setting. Premiering in 1997, the drama follows inmates who are incarcerated in an experimental unit of the Oswald State Correctional Facility known as “Emerald City” that focuses more on rehabilitation rather than inhuman punishment. While this all sounded promising, it wasn’t a magical place. It is prison, afterall, and Em City (as it was referred to in the series) was plagued with the same issues that other jail units suffered from, such as waring gangs, drugs, and murder.
Ozwas a gritty look into the world of prison politics, and it didn’t hold back on showing how this world operates through pure black-and-white lenses.Oz took full advantage of freedoms that HBO had over network television, and this made Oz an even more compelling series to watch, even if it was hard to watch at times.
4Big Love (2006-2011)
Created by Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer
On its surface,Big Loveseemed like your fairly typical family drama that would have been perfectly safe for network television. However, beneath that shallow layer of banality, lies a forgotten drama that pulled no punches on its subject matter and was packed with star power. Starring the lateBill Paxton,Amanda Seyfriedamong a stellar cast,Big Lovefollows a fundamentalist Mormon family living in suburban Salt Lake City and how they navigate their lives in and out of the public consciousness.
Pretty surface-level, right? Well, here’s the kicker: the head of the family practices polygamy, and he has not one, not two, but three wives all living under one roof. A series based on pologamy would certainly not be safe for network TV, but it was just right for HBO, andBig Lovewalked away with widespread acclaim and awards, including snagging an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. With so many accolades, it’s hard to fathom thatBig Loveis forgotten; but thanks to Hulu’s scandalous reality hitThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and to get ready for what certainly will be a bonkers, revisit this series to get you ready for all the drama.
3True Blood (2008-2014)
Created by Alan Ball
Sinnershave everyone in “vampire fever” and rightfully so. It is one of the best movies of the year so far, and has garnered a slew of award talk. WhileSinnersrevitalized the vampire genre, it wasn’t that long ago that vampire fever was at its highest, with the Twilight films having moviegoers in a chokehold, and HBO’sTrue Bloodproviding plenty of horror and gore for those not interested in a young adult romance mixing in with their vampire carnage.
True Bloodfollows Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), a waitress in small-town Louisiana who happens to have telepathic powers. While we follow Sookie and her abilities, we also come to find out about “Tru Blood,” a synthetic blood that allows vampires to walk among mankind during the day and night. Now, this isn’t a “vampires slaughter innocent people” type of show.There’s a deeper meaning inTrue Bloodthat relates to modern-day struggles for equality for minorities and trying to fit in with society at large.So, if you’re a fan of Sinners, give this forgotten horror drama a try.
True Blood
Telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse encounters a strange new supernatural world when she meets the mysterious Bill Compton, a southern Louisiana gentleman and vampire.
2Treme (2010-2013)
Created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer
Soon after David Simon’s gritty crime dramaThe Wireleft the HBO airwaves, he pivoted to a drama series set in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. That drama isTreme, which took its name from a real-life neighborhood in The Big Easy that’s trying to pick itself up and rebuild three months after the hurricane wrecked unimaginable destruction on New Orleans.Tremetouched on the real-world issues that many New Orleans residents were facing at the time, not only trying to rebuild lives that were washed away in Kartina’s floodwaters, but rebuilding and keeping the unique culture and spirit of the city alive.
While Treme has become a forgotten series, the performances of the cast (which includedWirealums,Wendell PierceandClarke Peters), the intoxicating music, and the gritty, complex portrayal of New Orleans at a cultural crossroads, made this series a hit among critics. It may not be as strong asThe Wire, but Simon managed to create something special withTremethat deserves to be revisited by modern viewers.
1Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996)
Created by William Gains and Steven Dodd
“Good evening, boils and ghouls!” That Iconic opening line from The Cryptkeeper greeted viewers who tuned intoTales from the Crypt, the horror anthology series based on the EC Comics series. While some could compareTales from the CrypttoThe Twilight Zone, they’re different in a lot of ways, from the wisecraking monologues of the Cryptkeeper to the foreboding horror episodes that, at times, shocked audiences.
Tales from the Cryptalso had a huge advantage in that it didn’t need to adhere to the censorship rules thatThe Twilight Zonehad to deal with, meaning that it could go all-out in its content without fear of punishment from the FCC (although it did have to edit out a lot of content when it was syndicated to broadcast networks). Yes,Tales from the Cryptwas far from being “family-friendly” television, but the episodes are simply memorable; and who can ever get the opening shot of The Cryptkeeper rising from his tombstone with that sinister laugh? Not me, I can tell you that.
Tales From the Crypt
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