Dramatic TV Series Tournament (1 Viewer)

[GregoryM]

As the title says, this is intended to be a tournament for dramatic tv series. For the purposes of this tournament, I want only on-going fiction series, no miniseries or reality. To simplify things, I'll define a drama as being any fiction show that isn't a comedy. Thus, cops, doctors, lawyers, horror, sf, family, spies, prime time soaps, etc. all qualify. The only time limitation is that a show must have comleted a minimum of two full seasons. Shows currently on the air qualify if they have comleted two seasons. To be qualified to vote on a matchup, you should have seen a few episodes of each show. I'll leave it up to each voter to determine how many they think they need to have seen.
Everyone gets 4 nominations and 4 seconds.
To get things started, I've included some that I think are obvious choices, and which I think deserve qualification. I also added some nominations for shows that I like a lot, but which may not be familiar enough to others, so I'll wait for a second on those.
Shows Qualified
Alias
The Avengers
Babylon 5
Bonanza
Boston Public
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
CSI
Dr. Who
Due South
ER
Gunsmoke
Hill Street Blues
Homicide, Life on the Street
LA Law
Law and Order
Law and Order: SVU
Millenium
My So Called Life
NYPD Blue
Picket Fences
The Prisoner
Quantum Leap
The Rockford Files
Six Feet Under
The Sopranos
St. Elsewhere
Stargate SG-1
Star Trek
Star Trek: DS9
Star Trek: TNG
The Twilight Zone
Twin Peaks
24
The X Files
The West Wing
Nominations needing seconds
American Gothic
Angel
The A-Team
China Beach
Charmed
Dallas
The Equalizer
Once and Again
The Outer Limits (Original series)
Oz
The Practice
Quincy
The Shield
Tales from the Gold Monkey
thirtysomething

 

[Ryan Donovan]

I'll nominate Law & Order, Quantum Leap, Homicide: Life on the Street and My So-Called Life (did that last two seasons? If not, then pretend I typed Six Feet Under). I'll have to save my seconds, since I haven't seen much of the four already listed (a half a episode of Picket Fences, and that's it).

EDIT: Nevermind...I just remembered there's a search function on these boards. :b

 

[Scott Weinberg]

I'll nominate 24, Stargate SG-1, Moonlighting, and Tales of the Gold Monkey.

 

[Derek Miner]

I'd like to nominate Max Headroom, Boston Public and Angel.

I'll second Quantum Leap and Six Feet Under

 

[GregoryM]

24 and My So Called Life are both one season shows. I'm glad to see someone else who liked Tales of the Gold Monkey. I think we need some more detective shows. Though I've included the one I consider the best (Rockford Files), one more wouldn't hurt. Magnum, P. I., Simon and Simon, and Spenser for Hire would make good choices.

I hope we get some more interest, I'd hate to see this tourney sputter out before getting started.

 

[Derek Miner]

I just realized my choice of Max Headroom may not count. While it could technically be considered two seasons, there were only 6 mid-season episodes and 8 episodes in the fall before it was cancelled (one of which never aired).
ABC just keeps canning my favorite shows... Max Headroom, Cupid, Sports Night...

 

[Andrew_Sch]

I will gladly second Homicide: Life on the Street.

 

[GregoryM]

Max Headroom has been removed from the nominations list. I know what you mean. I fall in love with a show and it gets cancelled. I think I'm the only one who remembers the show My Life and Times. It was a half hour drama about an 85 year old man in a nursing home telling stories about his life to his grandson. Each episode would have about 3-4 minutes in the nursing home, and the other 20 would be a story from his past, jumping around from the eighties to around 2010. It had Helen Hunt in her first adult tv role as the first wife of the grandfather. It got two airings in it's original time slot, then was moved around, preempted, then they finally cancelled it and dumped the remaining episodes in the summer two at a time. The ratings picked up considerably, but it was too late.

 

[Craig S]

I'll second "Stargate SG-1", "Moonlighting", & "Boston Public", and nominate "The Practice", "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", "Babylon 5", and the greatest prime-time soap of all, "Dallas".

"Tales Of The Gold Monkey" only lasted one season.

 

[GregoryM]

I've updated the list. Tales of the Gold Monkey was removed from nominations due to it being a one season show, and Moonlighting was removed because it's a comedy.

 

[Kristian]

I'd like to second Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Two of my nominations didn't count so how about...

Quincy and Oz

 

[Derek Miner]

It's been a while since I saw Moonlighting, but doesn't have enough elements of a drama to count? Would Ally McBeal be considered a comedy as well? It did win an award for "comedy series," but I thought there was plenty of drama in a majority of episodes. It's tough when a show falls somewhere between heavy drama and sitcom.

 

[Craig S]

I'm with Derek. I would consider shows like "Moonlighting", "Ally McBeal", & "Northern Exposure" dramas with comedic elements.

But this is Gregory's tournament, so I'll defer to his judgement.

 

[MartinTeller]

I second Law & Order.

I nominate The Prisoner.

 

[Craig S]

I have one second left and I'll give that to "The Prisoner".

 

[Elizabeth S]

I second:

Picket Fences
The Avengers

I nominate:

Once and Again
thirtysomething
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

 

[GregoryM]

The list has been updated. The Prisoner was a single season (technically a miniseries, as it was intended to run for just the one season of 18 episodes), but it being one of my favorite series, I couldn't stand to exclude it, so to be fair, I've let the other one season series back in.

Ally McBeal and Northern Exposure are on the line, and have just enough dramatic elements to warrant inclusion if someone chose to nominate them (though personally, I'd call them primarily comedies). Moonlighting, though, was a straight romantic comedy. It had about as much drama as Seinfeld. It's still out.

 

[Brook K]

I'll 2nd Dr. Who

Nominate:
The A-Team
American Gothic
The Outer Limits (Original series)
The Equalizer

 

[Justin_S]

24 is my favorite TV series ever, so I'm glad to see that you have reincluded it. Also, I'll nominate TWIN PEAKS, ALIAS, and MILLENIUM.