Best TV Series

1. The Wire: Written by a journalist who spent ten years reporting in the area where the series was filmed, featuring real-life criminals in its cast; an epic narrative with philosophical undertones, systemic critique, and aphorisms—the most realistic series ever made. The Wire is now taught as a course in universities.
2. Breaking Bad: This series introduced groundbreaking techniques to television, offers the best character analysis, and features a phenomenal performance by its lead actor—a magnificent example of artistry. A work of art.
3. The Sopranos: This series boasts the greatest antihero in television history; it contains psychological theories, robust subtext, and is far more than just a mafia drama.
4. Oz: With all its rawness, this series portrays prison and inmates while offering both philosophical depth and systemic critique. Oz delivers powerful aphorisms through its characters, making it an excellent prison drama.
5. Dekalog: I have never watched a more dramatic series. Kieślowski’s creation for Polish television grips the viewer’s heart with pain and holds it captive; it searches for the meaning of life. I highly recommend this series, which Kubrick praised so highly.
6. Six Feet Under: I’m sure you’ve never seen a better series about death. Full of beautiful aphorisms on mortality and life, this series makes viewers feel close to their own experiences. You will find pieces of yourself in it.
7. Chernobyl: This mini-series is quite impactful, depicting the Chernobyl explosion in Pripyat and its aftermath. The atmosphere is so vivid that it feels like the events are unfolding again before our eyes. Watch this series for its exceptional portrayal of the disaster and its aftermath.
8. Firefly: Cancelled after its first season, Firefly remains the best science fiction series ever made. Its cancellation sparked global outrage, yet the show itself is fluid and high-quality.
9. Battlestar Galactica: Following Firefly, Battlestar Galactica is the best sci-fi series—destined for those seeking philosophical depth and a profound science fiction experience.
10. Seinfeld: Despite my general dislike for sitcoms, this is my favorite comedy series. Some circles consider Seinfeld the greatest comedy ever. Shot under the motto "A show about nothing," this comedy series features clever jokes.
11. Sherlock: We watch how Sherlock, an overly intelligent detective, solves cases using his intellect. If you enjoy crime dramas and mind games, this series is perfect for you.
12. Black Mirror: A highly impactful series exploring the dangers of technology. One of the best English-language series I’ve ever watched. A high-quality show—I only recommend watching the first three seasons.
13. Game of Thrones: The best fantasy series, Game of Thrones is fantastic thanks to its story. It delivers unforgettable moments to viewers and stands out for its narrative, detailing the power struggles for the throne. Watching the fates of its characters, Game of Thrones remains the finest fantasy series.
14. True Detective: True Detective, which I only recommend for its first season, also stands out partly for its aphorisms. A good police procedural series.
15. Rome: If you like historical dramas and films, Rome is just for you. The best historical drama.
16. Boardwalk Empire: Set in the 1920s, Boardwalk Empire is exactly the kind of series crime lovers will enjoy. With its dark side, it's a series that fans of The Wire, The Sopranos, and Oz will also like.
17. The Shield: A police procedural following the experiences of an officer named Vic. The Shield, with its dark side, is a must-watch series.
18. Sons of Anarchy: It tells the criminal life of motorcycle gangsters. A series that those interested in gangsters and crime lovers will enjoy.
19. House: This series, where we follow the operations of a smart doctor, is not exactly but still a series that Sherlock fans will enjoy.
20. Poirot: This 1989–2013 series, which recounts the cases of the eccentric but brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, is the right address for those looking for a series similar to Sherlock. It is almost unknown in Turkey.
21. Luther: Alongside series like Sherlock and Black Mirror, one of the best British series. Idris Elba, whom we know from The Wire, won a Golden Globe award for his role as Luther. It is a good police procedural series.
22. The Killing: One of the best police procedural series, The Killing not only deals with murders but also deeply explores the helplessness of the families of the murder victims.
23. The West Wing: This series, which tells the stories of fictional characters in the White House, is little-known but one of the best series at portraying politics.
24. House of Cards: The series tells what Frank Underwood, who is quite opportunistic and Machiavellian, does to become president. A good series.
25. Southland: This series, which focuses on the lives of police officers working in the Los Angeles Police Department, is a crime, drama, and thriller series that is very little known worldwide. Compared to the attention it received, this series remains undiscovered; unlike typical American series, it doesn't follow their usual flow, and it's a series that fans of The Wire will appreciate.
26. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Some say this series is better than the 2010 Sherlock series; it's a lesser-known Sherlock adaptation. It's a pretty good series.
27. The Return of Sherlock Holmes: This is another lesser-known, good Sherlock series.
28. Bron/Broen: Another good police procedural series.
29. Mad Men: Mad Men, a good period drama, has won Emmy Awards.
30. The Newsroom: This series, which deals with the power and responsibility of the media, was nominated for several Emmy Awards.
31. Severance: A good series dealing with work and private life.
32. Le Bureau des Légendes: A police procedural, drama, and thriller series examining the French secret service's relations with Syria, America, and Russia.
33. Hannibal: A beautiful psychological series.
34. Band of Brothers: A fine war series.
35. Avatar: The Last Airbender: Don't let the fact that it's a cartoon fool you; it's a series with beautiful messages and a somewhat philosophical tone. It's a high-quality animated series that can be enjoyed not just by children, but by people of all ages. The messages within are excellent, and it's a stylish show as well.
36. Batman: The Animated Series: This series, which tells Batman's story, is an animated series that Batman fans must watch.
37. Foyle's War: A British police and detective series that ran from 2002 to 2015, totaling 28 episodes. Set during World War II, this series is almost unknown in Turkey.
38. The Knick: An obscure period drama. Directed by Soderbergh and starring Clive Owen, The Knick is a beautiful drama and historical series. It offers a glimpse into the professional and personal lives of the staff at New York's Knickerbocker Hospital in the early twentieth century.
39. Hagane no Renkinjutsushi 2: This anime series, with its beautiful narrative, considerable depth, and smooth flow, is one of the best anime series ever made.
40. The Twilight Zone: A five-season series featuring different actors and themes in each episode; containing elements of science fiction, horror, and thriller, it paved the way for shows in this genre.
41. Bluey: A realistic and quite enjoyable Australian cartoon series made for preschool children.
42. Death Note: A good anime series.
43. The Office: A good comedy series. An office that seems ordinary but is actually extraordinary and funny: a power-hungry boss, employees with distinct personalities, tasks that need to be completed between 9 and 5, and office life—the most indispensable element of the modern world.
44. Better Call Saul: A series that fans of Breaking Bad should watch. It tells the story of the character Saul from Breaking Bad.
45. Fargo: Fargo, which tells the story of Lester after he kills his wife—who is underestimated by the people around him—is a fine crime series.
46. Friends: It's an intimate, warm, and lovely comedy series. It recounts the humorous adventures of six friends in their twenties who deal with the challenges of career, love, and daily life in 1990s Manhattan.
47. The Last of Us: A series with a very beautiful story. It was adapted from the game of the same name.
48. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: A good comedy series. Five friends with big egos and small brains own an Irish bar in Philadelphia.
49. Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter: A good World War II series that beautifully portrays war psychology, the situation of women and families, and friendship.
50. Das Boot: An impressive and realistic mini-series set on a German submarine during World War II, recounting the experiences of mostly rookie soldiers in combat.
51. Curb Your Enthusiasm: Curb Your Enthusiasm, which focuses on the events happening to a man who has everything, is a good comedy series.
52. Pride and Prejudice: The six-part TV series adaptation of Jane Austen's unforgettable masterpiece Pride and Prejudice, produced for BBC television in 1995.
53. Freaks and Geeks: Freaks and Geeks, which focuses on the adventurous high school lives of a handful of troubled students, is a good comedy series.
54. Twin Peaks: Twin Peaks, a David Lynch series that excels in theory and mystery. It is a beautiful series. It deals with the events that unfold following the murder of a young girl named Laura Palmer.
55. Over the Garden Wall: A good animated series with a wonderful fairy-tale atmosphere. It tells the story of two brothers, Wirt and Greg, who get lost in the Unknown, a strange forest where time seems to be dragged along.
56. Fleabag: A series for those who want to watch the miserable dimensions and reasons of a miserable life. Fleabag tells the story of a woman trying to stand on her own feet alone in London. The series addresses the everyday events the woman in her thirties experiences in love, family, and work life.
57. The X-Files: A series that has won 16 Emmy Awards. FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully investigate strange and inexplicable events despite all obstacles posed by secret powers.
58. Dopesick: A beautiful series. Dopesick takes viewers from the boardrooms of the pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma to a struggling mining community in Virginia and the corridors of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), right to the center of America's fight against opioid addiction.
59. Sa-rang-eui Bul-shi-chak (Crash Landing on You): A beautiful series that portrays North Korean details by consulting those who have defected from North Korea. It is one of the highest-rated Korean dramas in history.
60. The Haunting of Hill House: A beautiful series. It follows a fractured family moving between past and present, confronting unforgettable memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them away from it. It is a drama, horror, and mystery series.
61. Endeavour: A good police procedural. Set from 1965 to 1971, the series follows Endeavour Morse's early years as a police constable. Working alongside his senior partner DI Fred Thursday, Morse conducts a series of investigations around Oxford. Endeavour is a British detective drama series.
62. North & South: A romantic drama series that will appeal to lovers of romance; watch the 2004 version. Adapted from the book, the series focuses on Margaret Hale, who must move from the quiet and peaceful southern town of Helstone to the industrial city of Milton in the north, dealing with the issue of adapting to these two different places and the values they represent.
63. Mr Inbetween: A gripping crime series that depicts the mercy, sentimentality, and inner conflict shown by a man involved in shady dealings, resembling a hitman.
64. Umbre: A beautiful drama, action, and thriller series.
65. The Night Of: A great crime, drama, and mystery series. It follows the investigation and trial process of Nasir Khan (Riz Ahmed), a young Pakistani man accused of killing a woman. Miniseries.

Bonus

• The Offer: Those who love The Godfather can watch this series, which tells the production story of The Godfather.

As a Turkish series

Kurtlar Vadisi (not Pusu), Ezel.

Best Documentaries

1. Planet Earth II (nature documentary)
2. Planet Earth (nature documentary)
3. Blue Planet II (nature documentary)
4. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (universe and space documentary)
5. Cosmos (universe and space documentary)
6. Our Planet (nature documentary)
7. The World at War (World War II documentary)
8. Life (nature documentary)
9. The Vietnam War (Vietnam War documentary)
10. The Blue Planet (nature documentary)
11. Human Planet (nature documentary)
12. Frozen Planet (nature documentary)
13. The Civil War (war and history documentary)
14. Africa (documentary about Africa's nature)
15. Through the Wormhole (wormhole documentary)
16. The Last Dance (sports documentary, Michael Jordan)

Kubrick's Praise Regarding Dekalog

I have always been reluctant to focus on a specific aspect of the works of great filmmakers, as doing so inevitably risks oversimplification and reduction. However, it would be misplaced not to observe that Kieślowski and his co-writer Piesiewicz possess a rare talent for dramatizing ideas rather than merely discussing them. By conveying their intended meaning through dramatic action, they also gain the advantage of allowing the audience to discover what happens beyond the narrative. They do this with such astonishing skill that you fail to notice the emergence of the ideas, only realizing much later how deeply they have penetrated your heart.

— Stanley Kubrick