From 30 Rock to Deadwood: 6 US TV classics to binge on RTÉ player
Here are five of our favourites, currently available to binge in their entirety...
30 Rock
Liz Lemon, head writer of the sketch-comedy show TGS with Tracy Jordan, must deal with an arrogant boss and a crazy star while trying to run a successful television show without losing her mind... Tina Fey's whipsmart classic is often ranked among the greatest (and most eminently quotable) US sitcoms of all times, and rightfully so; her banter with co-star Alec Baldwin is for the ages - watch all seven seasons here.
Deadwood
People flee to Deadwood, South Dakota, with the dream of getting rich. However, not everyone can survive the chaos and lawlessness of the town... One of the cornerstones of the modern age of Peak TV, David Milch's western epic boasts one of the greatest anti-heroes of them all, Ian McShane's despicable (and eminently quoatable) Al Swearengen - watch all three seasons here.
The West Wing
Martin Sheen stars as U.S. President Jed Bartlett in Aaron Sorkin's seminal political drama, documenting the triumphs and travails of White House senior staff - 25 years on, it's a snapshot of a radically different era in U.S. politics, anchored by one of the great ensemble casts - watch all seven seasons here
The Good Fight
First came The Good Wife, then came this spin-off starring theincomparable Christine as Good Wife scene-stealer Diane Lockhart, a high-flying lawyer scammed out of her life savings and forced to start afresh... It's a choice legal drama, one unafraid to tackle the madness of modern American politics, with a knockout lineup of guest stars (including Matthew Perry's last great performance - watch all six seasons here
Frasier
One of the few TV spin-offs that holds its own against the original, Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) leaves the bar at Cheers and moves back to his hometown of Seattle, where he lives with his father (the late, great John Mahoney), works as a radio psychiatrist and blunders his way through an endless number of sublimely farcial scenarios - for a masterclass in comedy, watch all 11 seasons here
Mad Men
In 1960s New York City, an ad agency mixes cutthroat business and social ambition with glamorous allure... Often found vying for the top spot in lists of the Greatest TV Show Of All Time, this gives us another unforgettable anti-hero, Jon Hamm's inscrutable Don Draper, and totally lands the ending, to boot - watch all seven seasons here
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