Top 5 TV Series Currently on air

Top 5 TV Series

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In India we get to watch most of the series that have made it big in the US, though some of them maybe even a season late in being telecasted here. So we get to hear about them before we get to watch them. This actually helps us in being very selective about the series we spent our time watching. So this list given here is our own picks of the shows telecasted here. There are some notable omissions like The Office or Grey’s Anatomy or 24. But hey! You can only have five when you make a list of top five. We are pleading with our readers are to put their own picks in the comments section. So here goes.

5. CSI

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Each episode of the show deals with a crime that is being investigates by the Crime Scene Investigation division of the Las Vegas Police Department. Created by Anthony E. Zuker the show uses forensic investigation techniques to unravel the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths and crimes. Usually the cases points to controversial subjects like sexual orientations and individual fetishes.

CSI, as its theme, focuses a bit more on the technicalities of the investigation of a crime. Therefore it is imperative that they explain the technical details in as simple a term as possible. To this end they show us bullet trajectories, organ damage, blood spray patterns and what not. But it never loses focus on the human side of the things and doesn’t just burden itself with technicalities. The bizarre cases often force us to examine morality and human nature in much more detail. Watch it as it is one of the best investigative series you might have seen.

4. Heroes.

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We have put Heroes fourth in our list only because it’s still in its first season, unlike other TV series in our list. It needs to prove itself for more than one season for it to be considered higher. The series is about a set of people who have extraordinary powers due to a genetic condition (yeah! Sort of like the X-Men). The main story arc deals with an impending explosion which is going to destroy most of New York City which is witnessed by a Japanese character called Hiro Nakammura (who has the power of teleportation) and in the painting of Issac Mendez (who can paint the future). There are other groups of people who are trying to find these people with special powers though their intentions are not entirely good.

The biggest USP of the series is definitely the cool powers that all of these characters have. The effects are top notch and the plots are even more engaging. There is a constant battle between people who wants to use their powers for the good and those who wants to use it for evil. It is the interaction between these characters and unlikely twists and turns in the plot that has kept us entertained throughout the season so far. Created by Tim Kring and premiered in 2006 on NBC, the show has already garnered many awards and has caught the fancy of many. Can’t wait to see how it would unfold later on.

3. House

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House debuted on the Fox Network in 2004 and was created by David Shore. It is about a crippled doctor called Dr.Gregory House who leads a team of young doctors at a fictional hospital. Dr. House is a maverick medical genius and the series is about how he uses unconventional treatment methods and his gut instinct to diagnose the diseases. Each episode deals with a different patient and puts a different disease into the focus. It is sort of like a medical detective story.

The greatest USP of the series is its lead actor Hugh Laurie. He is brilliant as the uncaring, eccentric but brilliant and sympathetic Dr. House. The show breaks down the diseases the patients suffer in as simple a layman’s terms as is possible. Sometimes they even use the aid of CGI to make matters a lot clearer to us by giving us a view of the inner workings of the human body. It also tries to show the human side of a set of professionals whom we take for granted to save our lives. House is highly entertaining and moderately educational.

2. Desperate Housewives

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Created by Marc Cherry and premiered in ABC, Desperate Housewives has now become one of the most watched TV series around the world. It is about events in the lives of people in the fictional Wisteria Lane in a small suburban town called Fairview as narrated by their dead neighbour. The protagonists of the series are four women; Gabrielle, Susan, Lynette and Bree. The lives and events of these four women give a message to the viewer at the end of each episode which forces us to reflect upon our own lives. The fact that the series manages to do it without sounding corny is a tribute to its brilliant team of writers and cast.

The main theme of the series is that everyone has some dirty laundry to wash. We are shown the secrets that are kept behind closed doors and four walls. In fact one of the most interesting aspects of the series is that it manages to combine various genres like comedy, action, thriller and mystery. The characters all initially seem like a person you could be living next door. But as we get closer to them we feel their passion, love, fear, anger and above all their desperation. Watch it and you will definitely love Gabrielle’s vanity, Susan’s quirkiness, Lynette’s strength and Bree’s poise.

1. Lost

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Premiered in 2004 on ABC, Lost is one of the greatest series that I have ever seen. It is on par with our erstwhile favourite; The X-Files. The story starts off when a plane crashes into the sea near the coast of a mysterious island. The survivors find themselves stranded on the island and are forced to co-exist with people from various backgrounds, personalities and issues. We are privy to their life prior to their arrival on the island through the various characters’ flashbacks/back-stories. The mysterious happenings on the island initially suggest to being supernatural in nature. But it is later on revealed to be entirely human and maybe even science fictional in nature.

There are countless theories among the fans of the series around the world to what exactly is happening to the castaways and what their fate would be. But all of them including yours truly are still guessing. But the series’ creators (J. J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, and Jeffrey Lieber) has shown tremendous ability to introduce shocking twists and turns in the plot not to mention maintain that edge of the seat suspense which is so essential for a series like this. The interconnection between the various characters even before their arrival also is another interesting factor because we are aware of it when the characters themselves are not. This series is a must watch and if you watch it once you will be hooked forever.