COLDITZ
Claustrophobic but highly watchable series about the attempts by Allied PoWs to escape from Colditz Castle. David McCallum, Robert Wagner and Bernard Hepton were among the cast members.
Two series, 28 episodes. Available to watch on DVD and on YouTube.
MIAMI VICE
Undercover, sharp-suited vice cops James ‘Sonny’ Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo ‘Rico’ Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) fight crime in steamy Miami. The series had a dazzling list of guest-stars, too.
Five seasons, 112 episodes. Available to watch on DVD and season 1 on Amazon Prime Video (NBC.com stream can’t be accessed in UK)
THIRTYSOMETHING
Influential US TV series about baby-boomers in 80s Philadelphia. “It turned into such cultural phenomenon, the title made its way into the dictionary and, subsequently, into TV history,” The Hollywood Reporter said of it last year on the 30th anniversary of the show’s premiere.
Four seasons, 85 episodes, available to watch on DVD.
ER
Compelling medical drama, created by Michael Crichton, set in the emergency room of Chicago’s County General Hospital. Lots of human drama and engrossing storylines, and a young George Clooney, to boot.
15 series, 331 episodes. Available to watch on DVD, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and GooglePlay.
THE PRISONER
One of the most enigmatic series ever made for TV. Patrick McGoohan plays Number Six, a former secret agent now imprisoned in a mysterious ‘Village’. Strikingly orginal, the series still intrigues viewers more than 50 years after its debut.
One series, 17 episodes, available to watch on DVD and on YouTube.
TAGGART
Gritty, Glasgow-set detective thriller, a huge hit for STV over the years. Mark McManus, the original Taggart, had no shortage of mysterious murders to investigate - the body-count piled up at an impressive rate over the years.
27 series, 110 episodes, available to watch on DVD and on the STV player.
POLDARK
The original BBC adaptation of the series of novels written by Winston Graham. Many viewers who recall the programme (which starred Robin Elllis, Angharad Rees, Jill Townsend and Clive Francis - insist it is superior to the high-profile, Aidan Turner-starring remake.
Two series, 29 episodes, available to watch on DVD.
THIS LIFE
Acclaimed BBC drama about a bunch of would-be lawyers - played by, amongst others, Andrew Lincoln and Daniela Nardini - sharing a house in London, deservedly included in the British Film Institute’s 2000 list of the 100 greatest-ever British TV shows and which helped to define 1990s Britain.
Two series, 33 episodes, available to watch on DVD, some episodes are on YouTube.
BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF
Superbly witty and moving series of five episodes penned by Alan Bleasdale about life in recession-hit Liverpool during the Thatcher decade, starring Bernard Hill and Michael Angelis. First screened in October 1982, its power has not diminished with the passing of time.
One series, five episodes, available to watch on DVD.
THE X-FILES
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson: Mulder and Scully, FBI special agents investigating paranormal phenomena. The agents were sent out, week after week, “into a scarier, more cinematic America than had ever been seen on the small screen,” notes a new book, a critical companion to the long-running show.
Nine seasons, 202 episodes (in original programme’s run), available to watch on DVD and on YouTube.
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