A great read (Article on television's "best"/"greatest" drama)

[Jester]

For those of you who have followed both shows, what do you think of the article and its outcome?

As someone who has never watched a full episode of The Sopranos, but who is a devoted fan of The Wire, I thought it was an interesting read. There are a couple shows I like better than The Wire (Breaking Bad, Firefly), but I can certainly see the argument that it is, full out, the greatest show ever.

Having not seen The Sopranos, I can't judge on relative merits. But the key issue seems to be the balance of consistency and scope. What show has tackled something (or things) as large as The Wire, pulled it off with precision and grace, never disappointed while it was good, and retired before it had to be put down? Firefly stands out in my mind as incredible, but at least part of that is a function of being killed before it could diminish in quality. Joss, for all that he is My Master Now, has never pulled off a consistent show that arced gracefully - Dollhouse is as close as it gets. But The Wire pulls it off. Maybe Breaking Bad will as well. Here's hoping.

-Jester