One of the best TV series of all time evolved from one of the best-selling series of novels in modern literary history. Outlander is based on the hugely popular Outlander series of books written by Diana Gabaldon. The novels have enjoyed a devoted following for each installment since the 1990s.

The TV series debuted on the Starz Network in 2014 with much fanfare from devoted fans. It stars the highly talented and gorgeous duo of Catriona Balfe and Sam Heughan as Claire and Jamie.

Outlander is an unforgettable, genre-bending series bringing to life the tale of World War II British Army nurse, Claire Randall, who steps through a stone circle in the Scottish highlands during her honeymoon only to find herself hurtled back in time to the year 1743—and into the middle of a skirmish between English Dragoons and a band of Jacobite ruffians including young James Fraser.

Claire faces the unimaginable as she comes to terms with the truth of her fantastical journey into the past. She soon finds she has no option but to become a highlander herself by marrying Jamie Fraser in order to legally avoid questioning and torture by sadistic Captain Black Jack Randall—the dead-ringer ancestor of Claire’s husband in the 1940s.

Together, Claire and Jamie face persecution and deprivation in 18th century Scotland as the Jacobites move steadily toward the battle at Culloden which Claire alone knows will end in the devastation of the Scottish clans and their entire way of life.

Not only is Claire forced to endure war-torn primitive Scotland, but she herself is soon torn between two husbands and two vastly different worlds.

Outlander is one of the best TV series to watch as a couple, with plenty of romance, drama, and epic non-stop action.

The Sopranos is inarguably the most talked-about-around-the-water-cooler television show of all time and lauded by critics as groundbreaking and one of the best TV series of all time. Even years after its six-season run between 1998 and 2007, The Sopranos remains a relevant and highly watchable series today. The HBO series won critical acclaim as well as 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and 5 Golden Globes.

In The Sopranos, New Jersey organized crime boss, Tony Soprano, has a lot on his plate but believes he’s handling the immense responsibilities of a high-maintenance wife, two troubled teens, and a complex organized crime operation diligently and with confidence—until a panic attack causes him to pass out and seek the help of a psychiatrist to whom he slowly begins to open up to about the high-intensity stress of his lifestyle as the head of a large and complicated New Jersey-based crime syndicate.

Tony’s life and position are at risk when he butts heads with his powerful but elderly uncle Junior. Will Tony’s devotion and love for both his family and his extended crime family be enough to see him through the dangerous rivalries ahead, or will he have to become as ruthless a killer as his Uncle Junior?

The Sopranos is not only an epic journey through years of organized crime lifestyle but also a family saga of unprecedented emotional power and depth. Once you’ve seen The Sopranos, you’ll never forget the impassioned storylines, startling violence, phenomenal casting, and the plumbing of emotional depths you didn’t know you felt. It’s inarguably at the top of the list of the best TV series of all time.

One of the best TV series of all time is the hit ABC series that unexpectedly took the world by storm, Desperate Housewives. Airing from 2004 until 2012 in 8 glorious seasons, Desperate Housewives is a one-of-a-kind blend of drama, mystery, hilarious comedy, and surprising wisdom—all wrapped up in beautifully filmed television series complete with picket fences and flowerbeds.

On the suburban street, Wisteria Lane, things aren’t always as they seem. When a group of neighborhood female friends discovers the apparent death by suicide of one of their own, they set out to unravel the mystery of Mary Alice, a woman who seemed to have it all, yet was unhappy enough to take her own life. The women put personal problems aside while they band together to learn what went wrong in the suburban life of one of their own. But will rivalries over the affection of handsome, mysterious, Mike, a newcomer to Wisteria Lane, come between the friends just when they need each other the most?

Each season of Desperate Housewives brings a new mystery and reveals new layers of old mysteries as Lynette struggles to cope with a career and houseful of boisterous boys, Gabrielle learns to balance her love for her husband with her desire for excitement and glamour, single-mom, Susan, fights to hold on to the love her life, and Bree learns to let go of her self-destructive need for perfection.

Desperate Housewives is one of the best TV series to feature an all-star cast and center around strong, diverse, female-driven storylines and characters. If you’ve never seen Desperate Housewives, you’re in for both a storyline treat and a treat for the eyes in the lovely world of Wisteria Lane.

One of the best TV series of all time is the one that first put the binge in binge-watching, the 2006 to 2013 crime series, Dexter. First aired by Showtime and then streamed on multiple platforms, Dexter is the groundbreaking series that actually led to millions of viewers siding with a serial killer—and waiting impatiently for the release of each new thrilling season of blood and butchery.

Dexter Morgan is a forensic blood-spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department by day. In his off-hours, he lives a secret life as a butchering serial killer who believes he has no conscience. Adopted by Miami police detective, Harry Morgan, at age 3 after witnessing the brutal, bloody murder of his own mother, Dexter lives a soulless life, guided only by memories of his adoptive father’s words of wisdom. Harry alone understood Dexter’s true nature but saw something worth saving in his adopted son. Instead of having him institutionalized, Harry carefully groomed Dexter to pass himself off as normal, while satisfying his blood lust on the side by killing only the most dangerous of madmen and serial killers.

Each season of Dexter focuses on his tracking and killing of a different brutal murderer while trying to keep the truth of his secret life from his coworkers, people who consider him a friend, and the only person in the world he cares about—without really understanding that truth—his adoptive sister, Debra. Can Dexter keep walking the fine line between law enforcement agent and killer, or will his carefully constructed world come tumbling down, taking innocent victims with it?

If you haven’t watched Dexter, this is the best TV series to binge-watch in the coming months. It's also worth a rewatch if you enjoyed it the first time. After an 8-year hiatus since the final season, Michael C. Hall returns to the title role of Dexter for a new, single-season reprisal of the series.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel may be the best TV series in a period drama that’s lighthearted, fun, and addictive. Set in 1950s New York City, this series brings the New York City of the 1950s back to gritty life.

Released by Amazon Studios for Amazon Prime Video, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel debuted in 2017 and met with rave reviews by critics and fans. With 3 seasons available for streaming and more episodes in the works, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel makes the perfect weekend binge-watch anytime you need a good laugh.

Midge Maisel is a happy housewife from a wealthy Jewish family in New York City. Unlike most of her peers, she’s not completely satisfied to be a wife and mother, greeting her husband with a martini at the door and putting on lavish dinner parties. Instead, she takes on the role of manager for her husband’s dream of leaving the corporate world behind to take up a career as a stand-up comic.

When Midge’s world crashes around her after she learns of her husband’s infidelity, she takes her frustrations out on stage at the Gaslight Cafe in a biting stream of sharp witticisms about her marriage. Midge’s outrageous observations capture the attention of the audience, a new manager, and some local police officers who arrest her for obscenity when she flashes her breasts during her impromptu grand finale on stage.

Can a wealthy Jewish socialite like Midge make a career out of comedy in a male-centric world of nightclubs, alcohol, and seedy gigs around the city?

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel will keep you laughing and keep you watching one of the best TV series from Amazon Prime Originals.

One of the best TV series featuring relatable characters in extraordinary circumstances is AMC’s Breaking Bad. Originally aired on AMC in 6 seasons from 2008 to 2013, and then available through streaming platforms, Breaking Bad is still a cult classic favorite and cited by critics as one of the best TV series of all time. It became one of the first major binge-watched series while the phenomenon was still at its grassroots. The dark humor and neo-western vibe add to each episode’s sense of dramatic urgency and keeps the viewer hooked and watching “just one more episode.”

In Breaking Bad, Walter White is an ordinary high school chemistry teacher with an ordinary life—until he’s diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. Afraid to leave his pregnant wife and teen son in a financial bind, he hides his condition and the expensive treatment he requires.

With little left to lose, Walter uses his chemist’s skills to make a perfect batch of crystal blue meth, hoping to provide money for his treatment and to ensure his family’s financial future. He teams with Jesse, a troubled young drug dealer to work out the distribution level of his product.

Together, they make a winning team for cooking and selling, making fast cash. But when their unexpected success attracts the attention of a violent Mexican drug cartel, a risky situation grows far more dangerous than either ever imagined.

Breaking Bad is one of the best TV shows to keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The series sparked a great spin-off, AMC’s Better Call Saul.

From 2005 until 2014, devoted viewers tuned in each week for the next episode of one of the best TV series of all time in the expectations not only of 30 minutes of raucous sitcom laughs but also of picking up just one more hint about a mystery that stumped the world for 9 years—who was “The Mother?”

How I Met Your Mother originally aired weekly on CBS, meaning original viewers had to literally wait years for the resolution to the ongoing mystery. Thanks to today’s streaming platforms, viewers no longer have to wait for the next episode, but instead can enjoy the complete nine seasons of epic sitcom binge-watching, with each episode filled with the fun of hanging out with best friends at the local bar.

In How I Met Your Mother’s unusual premise, each episode begins with Ted Mosby 25 years into the future telling his teen children the long, twisting story of how he met their mother. Each episode unrolls as a flashback to Ted’s young, single days in New York City where he hung out with his best friends, the legendary playboy, Barney, and the sweet, long-term couple, Lily and Marshall. The gang is soon joined by a new friend, Robin, a Canadian immigrant news reporter who becomes the catalyst for romance and rivalry between Robin, Barney, and Ted that lasts for years. But is Robin “the mother?” or is there much more to Ted’s story?

If you’re in the mood for laughs, love, mystery, and most of all the company of friends, How I Met Your Mother is the best TV series to deliver all you’re looking for in every episode.

One of the best TV series still in production for an upcoming 6th season is the phenomenally popular family drama series by NBC, This is Us. Premiering in September of 2016, This is Us features Emmy-winning actor, Sterling K. Brown, as well as Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz, Susan Kelechi Watson, and Chris Sullivan, as well as a talented younger cast portraying some of the characters in their childhood and teen years.

In This is Us, the three Pearson triplets and their mother, Rebecca, manage their lives, loves, and complicated family dynamics in the present, while frequently flashing back to the children’s childhood during the 1980s.

Jack and Rebecca Pearson meet, fall deeply in love, and marry despite opposition from her upper-class parents. When Rebecca delivers triplets, one son dies at birth at the same time a newborn African American baby boy is brought to the hospital after his father abandoned him at a fire station. The Pearsons—already set up in their home and hearts for 3 babies—bring abandoned baby Randall home and raise him as one of their own.

This is Us deals with the complex lives of the adult Pearson children and the impact on their relationships from the disruption of their happy childhood by the death of their father. Each episode brings on both chuckles and sniffles with heartwarming and emotional depictions of family dynamics. It’s one of the best TV series for family drama and is sure to continue to be a favorite on streaming platforms for years to come.

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman may be the best TV series for the whole family to enjoy. It’s filled with heartwarming moments, true love, family values, and adventure—all wrapped up in a historical western drama you’ll love curling up on the couch together to watch.

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman originally aired on CBS for 6 seasons between 1993 and 1998 and followed by a reunion movie in 1999. Inspired by the real-life story of a woman doctor’s struggles for acceptance in a world where women medical professionals were almost unheard of, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman is a fictionalized account of the settling of Colorado Springs and its rebounding effects on the local Cheyenne tribe population, as well as one female doctor’s experience in the growing frontier town.

When city-born and raised Dr. Michaela Quinn answers an ad calling for a new doctor in the frontier town of Colorado Springs, she braves the journey west into the unknown, only to find that the town expected a male doctor. The local telegraph officer thought the A at the end of her name was a middle initial.

Michaela struggles to set up a practice and find acceptance among the locals, soon running into frontiersman and blood-brother to the Cheyenne tribe, Sully, when he rescues her from a gang of drunken locals. While setting up her practice and renting a cabin in the woods from Sully, Michaela’s first friend in town, local boarding house owner, Charlotte, unexpectedly dies, asking on her deathbed for Michael to take care of her three children.

Can Dr. Quinn learn how to care for three children on her own in the wilds of Colorado while also earning the trust of the local townspeople who desperately need medical care? And what role will the mysterious woodsman, Sully, play in Michaela’s new life?

Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman is an adventure and drama-filled TV series the entire family can enjoy together and it remains one of the best TV series of all time.

No series earned more devoted fans than the beloved historical drama, Downton Abbey. The saga of the aristocratic Crawleys and their servants below stairs is the best TV series focusing equal attention on the lives of an aristocratic British family in the early twentieth century and the equally fascinating lives of their house servants.

Downton Abbey originally aired in the UK on ITV beginning with the first season in 2010. In 2011 it came to the US on PBS and Americans fell in love for the first time with the pomp and splendor of the huge Yorkshire country estate, Downton Abbey, and the lives of its inhabitants. The Crawley family, including Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, and his wife, Countess Cora, played by Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern — as well as the lives of their three daughters — keeps viewers streaming one gorgeously filmed episode after another.

In the fictional estate of Downton Abbey, trouble begins with the sinking of the Titanic which causes the loss of Lord Grantham’s nephew, the Downton Abbey heir. The family fortunes and way of life for the family, house servants, and tenants on the estate hang in the balance due to laws governing titled landowners that allow only for inheritance by male heirs—the Crawleys have only daughters.

From the shocking loss of innocence with the sinking of the Titanic, the horrors of World War I, and the deadly Spanish flu pandemic, to the changing times and hemlines of the roaring twenties, Downton Abbey is the best TV series delivering 6 seasons of spectacular settings, gripping storylines, and beloved characters both above and below stairs.