"The Sopranos" (1999-2007)

David Chase's mob epic is the daddy of all "Golden Age" television. It's the sprawling story of Tony Soprano — a towering James Gandolfini — trying to stay sane while straddling his personal life as a suburban dad and his other life as a ruthless mob boss.

It's one of the first shows to introduce novel-like storytelling powers and character-building in a serialized television show, and still stands as one of the best.