papaspur
Kasey Keller
It took a few episodes before I was hooked but The Wire is certainly one of the greatest dramas I've ever watched.
The Shield and The Sopranos are the only other TV shows I've seen which were consistently excellent throughout all their seasons.
The Wire is one heavy show, but it is one of the greatest, most rewarding TV experiences ever. The characters are so deep and the plot-lines are multi-layered, with each season building on the last one.
On the other side of the spectrum...
Another show that I'm loving right now is Archer. I've been watching since Season 1 and it just doesn't let off. There's a decent amount of backstory and inside jokes, so I highly recommend watching the show from the beginning.
It can get a bit ridiculous how caricatured the characters are, but the show knows its audience.