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Some ofthe full idiot box show everfaced multiple rejections before becoming tremendously successful . It may be hard to believe , but many were even turned down a shocking number of times . Whether due to budget , a complex write up , or a genre that felt too niche , they were see too risky or too different from what consultation were used to .
However , they eventually find out their place among the stars , show that sometimes the most unexpected idea can lead to incredible triumphs . In increase to great storytelling , arresting visuals , and all the other chemical element that make for a great series , the one up the sleeve these title had was doing things no one had done before . From HBO’sThe SopranostoNetflix’sSquid Game , these cases prove that it does n’t count how slowly one goes , as long as they do n’t stop .
10Orange Is The New Black (2013 – 2019)
IMDb rating - 8.0 / 10
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Based on the memoir by Piper Kerman , Orange Is the New Black observe Piper Champman ( Taylor Schilling ) after she turns herself in for a 15 - month sentence in a minimum - security char ’s prison house for aid in a drug - smuggling operation run by her ex - girlfriend Alex Vause ( Laura Prepon ) . One of Netflix ’s most popular original serial , the show explores the corruption inherent in the US prison system through the crystalline lens of Piper ’s experience .
Premiering on Netflix and unravel a very successful class over seven seasons , Orange is The New Blackis not the show anybody would opine ever got passed up . However , that ’s precisely what go on when Jenji Kohan , the creator , cant over the estimation to HBO and Showtime . concord to Kohan , who spoke toThe Guardianin 2019 , she had a lot to offer ; a year ’s worth of material , that is .
gratefully , Netflix did recognizeOITNBas the next heavy thing . base on Piper Kerman ’s 2010 memoir of the same name , which details her experience in a federal women ’s prison , the story was masterfully brought to life by a stellar hurl . The serial went on to be one of Netflix ’s first master to reach meaning commercial and critical succeeder , cement its position as one of the most trailblazing piece of media of all time .
9Mad Men (2007 – 2015)
IMDb rating - 8.7 / 10
Mad Men is a drama series countersink in sixties New York , focusing on the lives of militant Isle of Man and women working in Madison Avenue ’s ad diligence . The show explores the societal mores and ethnical dynamics of the era while delving into the personal and professional challenge faced by its role .
TV show can modify a lot before they in the end slay the small screen , and these iconic serial publication were almost very unlike from their last incarnations .
Notably , the premise itself evidently was n’t the problem , asMad Men’screator Matthew Weiner shared in an interview withVanity funfair . Instead , HBO wanted David Chase ofThe Sopranosto produce it , which Chase decided not to do . However , after it was greenlit , the show quickly gained massive popularity , and for safe reason . excited Mendrew heavily from its biggest motion picture inspirations , which not only made it better but ultimately place the standard for high - character television content . It enclose after seven season and 92 episodes .
8Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013)
IMDb rating - 9.5 / 10
Breaking Bad , created by Vince Gilligan , follow a chemistry teacher turn drug kingpin constitute Walter White ( Bryan Cranston ) as he attempts to provide for his family surveil a fatal diagnosis . With nothing left to fear , White ascends to power in the world of drugs and offence , transforming the round-eyed family man into someone know only as Heisenberg .
Surprisingly , despite arguably being one of the greatest show of all prison term , Breaking Badfaced significant challenge before it in the end got approved for a pilot . Vince Gilligan , the series ’ creator , had the vision for the account long before it was accepted , and the journeying to get it pick up was not leisurely . As he divvy up in a 2011 interview with theTelevision Academy Foundation , his script got rejected four times before AMC finally saw its potentiality .
Vince Gilligan made the decision to wrap upBreaking Badin season 5 , as he did n’t want to reprise the mistake that many successful shows make by proceed past their prime and risking a decline in quality .
Arguably , break Badaged so wellbecause it set a new bar for what television could achieve , among other component . With its intricate storytelling , complex characters , and eminent production time value , it essentially produce the idea of binge - catch TV , paving the way for streaming avail to excel . The legendary show run on to get ahead nearly 100 awards , include a dozen Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes .
7The Walking Dead (2010 – 2022)
IMDb rating - 8.1 / 10
found on one of the most successful and democratic amusing Holy Writ of all time , AMC ’s The Walking Dead appropriate the on-going human drama postdate a automaton apocalypse . The series , developed for television by Frank Darabont , follow a mathematical group of survivor , led by police officer Rick Grimes ( Andrew Lincoln ) , who are move in search of a good and secure dwelling . However , instead of the zombi , it is the support who remain that sincerely become the walk dead . The Walking Dead lasted for eleven season and spawned several spinoff show , such as reverence the take the air Dead and The Walking Dead : World Beyond .
The Walking Deadstands out as another great snag for AMC , as the web was the one to pick up the hit series after it was already refuse twice . Both NBC and HBO decide to pass on it due to the excessive violence and bloodshed describe , as the series ’ makeup creative person Greg Nicotero shared when speaking toThe Huffington Postin 2012 . Interestingly , it was at long last on the button the gore that attracted so many ofThe walk Dead’sviewers down the credit line .
The production became a pop refinement phenomenon and spread out intoThe Walking Deadfranchise , spawning multiple continuation and spin - offs .
Custom image by Yeider Chacon
After its debut , The Walking Deadquickly became one of the most popular TV shows of the decade . It gather a vast global fan base and generated a lot of bombination , establish itself to be a major winner . found on the laughable book of the same name , the production became a pop cultivation phenomenon and expand intoThe Walking Deadfranchise , spawning multiple continuation and spin - offs .
6Desperate Housewives (2004 – 2012)
IMDb rating - 7.6 / 10
Desperate Housewives was a read-only memory - com drama that aired on ABC for eight seasons between 2004 and 2012 . The prize - winning series follow Susan Mayer ( Teri Hatcher ) , Lynette Scavo ( Felicity Huffman ) , Bree Van De Kamp ( Marcia Cross ) , and Gabrielle Solis ( Eva Longoria ) , who name dark secret obscure in their unruffled town of Fairview .
Anybody who has ever seenDesperate Housewivesknows it ’s more than just a typical dramatic play about suburban life . However , six networks did n’t recognize that when presented with Marc Cherry ’s book , per aTimereport . Showtime , Lifetime , Fox , HBO , CBS , and NBC all reject it , leave it up to ABC to bring it to spirit . Luckily , they did it marvelously , creating a unique blend of dark humor , juicy drama , and mysterious twists .
Desperate Housewives was a striking because along with being fun and fashionable , it was full of secrets , twists , and dark turns , just like these other shows .
Based on the memoir by Piper Kerman, Orange Is the New Black follows Piper Champman (Taylor Schilling) after she turns herself in for a 15-month sentence in a minimum-security women’s prison for aiding in a drug-smuggling operation run by her ex-girlfriend Alex Vause (Laura Prepon). One of Netflix’s most popular original series, the show explores the corruption inherent in the US prison system through the lens of Piper’s experiences.
The show commence with a twist correctly from the beginning , drawing viewers in like no other before it . Notably , one of the biggest reasons it became so relevant is its mediate - cured female dramatis personae . The iconicDesperate Housewives’characters , played by Teri Hatcher , Marcia Cross , Felicity Huffman , Eva Longoria , and Nicollette Sheridan , remain etched into our mind decade after we first see them on the screen . The series run for eight seasons and bring home the bacon seven Primetime Emmys .
5Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997 – 2003)
IMDb rating - 8.3 / 10
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a television series created by Joss Whedon , focus on Buffy Summers , portray by Sarah Michelle Gellar , a youthful char chosen to battle against vampire , demons , and other supernatural force out while navigating the complexities of adolescent life .
We may sleep together her as one of the most iconic faces of the nineties , butBuffy the lamia Slayeralmost did n’t happen in a televised version . Joss Whedon , the show ’s creator , went through a rough darn when his idea was turned into a rather unsuccessful movie in 1992 . However , he bind to his visual sense . As elaborated inJoss Whedon : The Biography , which was written by Amy Pascale , Fox and NBC were n’t thrilled with the narration , passing it on to WB , a new meshing that was at last up for producing it .
Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar , not only didBuffygo on to send for seven seasons , but it evolve into a cultural measure . Despite being a ware of its time , there was never another Buffy like Gellar ’s . However , she might grace us with her presence again shortly , as there ’s a lot of lecture about aBuffy the Vampire Slayerrevival .
4The Sopranos (1999 – 2007)
IMDb rating - 9.2 / 10
regard to be a quintessential drama serial to look on , The Sopranos is a crime - drama series that follows Tony Soprano , who endeavor to manage the expectations of an Italian - American patriarch while acting as the promontory of a fertile New Jersey crime kin . Burdened by the stress of the expectations thrust upon him , Tony regularly visits a healer throughout the serial publication run . This helps give context to Tony ’s actions as a remorseless boss with violent tendencies .
When talk about the greatest show ever made , The Sopranosnever bomb to make the list . It ’s one of those uncommon , top - pass quality work of art that one can watch over and over again , making it quite baffling that it got reject by every major web of the nineties . fit in to a theme fromIndieWire , David Chase reveal during a lecture at the Vulture Festival that HBO was the sheer titan that finally took a gamble ( and what a winning bet it turned out to be ) .
The fabled show did n’t just make headway over 100 award , but it changed the full TV landscape , making viewers rethink what television can be . Even afterThe Sopranosended in 2007,the serial publication remains a triumph of storytelling and a while of television story that ’s as thrilling today as it was when it first air out .
3Stranger Things (2016–2025)
Inspired by eighty pa - culture and elements of Stephen King ’s works , Stranger Things is a supernatural action - drama TV series put in the fictional town of Hawkins , Indiana . When a young boy give out missing , his group of friends stumbles upon a young girl with telekinetic tycoon who recently escaped from a mystical facility . They presently realize that she may be their only probability at arrest an impendent doom that imperil to engulf Hawkins whole .
WhenStranger Thingspremiered on Netflix in 2016 , it became an instant ethnical phenomenon , capturing the hearts of looker with its mix of supernatural mystery , nostalgic ' fourscore vibes , and unforgettable characters . However , the fib was shockingly rejected close to 20 time , as the Duffer brothers portion out withThe Rolling Stone .
Matt and Ross Duffer never lost survey of their visual sensation , which led to the birth of one of the most pop pieces of amusement of all fourth dimension . In 2022,Stranger Thingswas Netflix ’s most - streamed production , with viewers streaming a staggering 52 billion minutes of it . Without the final instalment , which is set to debut in 2025 , it pull together 323 award nomination and win 114 of them . It ’s safe to say thatStranger Thingsis more than a show ; it ’s a pop culture phenomenon .
Mad Men is a drama series set in 1960s New York, focusing on the lives of competitive men and women working in Madison Avenue’s advertising industry. The show explores the social mores and cultural dynamics of the era while delving into the personal and professional challenges faced by its characters.
2Squid Game (2021 – 2025)
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 about financially struggling someone who are invited to participate in a series of minor ’s game . The competition offers a moneymaking prize but come with perilous consequences , as the players soon fall upon the deadly stakes involved in each round .
Squid Gametook the world by storm when it came out on Netflix in 2021 , make it seem unlikely that the concept of the show was continuously rejected for an total tenner . The Wall Street Journalspoke to the show ’s Jehovah , Hwang Dong - hyuk , who told the publication thatthe studio did n’t feel like the storyline was naturalistic enough .
Most TV shows necessitate to keep up their original premiss , but some have improved immeasurably by dropping their initial idea and expanding their narration .
Fast - forward to 2025 , and the highlyanticipatedSquidGameseason 3is all anybody can talk about . The South Korean survival dramatic play became Netflix ’s openhanded show of all clock time , blend heart - stopping suspense , unrelenting societal comment , and jaw - send away visuals into a binge - suitable masterpiece . The show also became a ethnical phenomenon worldwide , with its costume overshadow Halloween and memes flooding the internet . As we wait it out for the final segment to collide with the popular streaming table service , Squid Gamebasks in its severely - earn resplendency .
1The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
IMDb rating - 8.5 / 10
base on the novel by Walter Tevis , the Netflix special series drama The Queen ’s Gambit is a coming - of - eld account that explores the actual cost of champion . Abandoned and entrusted to a Kentucky orphanage in the late fifties , a youthful Beth Harmon ( Anya Taylor - Joy ) discovers an astonishing natural endowment for chess . Haunted by her personal demons and fueled by a cocktail of narcotics and compulsion , Beth transforms into an imposingly skilled and glamorous outcast , determined to stamp down the traditional boundaries established in the male - dominated world of free-enterprise chess .
Even though she was in a smattering of democratic title before , The Queen ’s Gambitwas a term of enlistment de force for Anya Taylor - Joy . She played the splendid but troubled chess omen , Beth Harmon , render a operation nothing myopic of captivating . Despite the engaging report , it took screenwriter and manufacturer Scott Allan a shocking 30 years to get it into production , as he told theBBCin a 2020 conversation .
Thanks to consultants National Master Bruce Pandolfini and Grandmaster Garry Kasparov , the Bromus secalinus boards inThe Queen ’s Gambitare always fructify up correctly , with naturalistic games and positions .
Granted , while chess might not vocalise like the most interesting thing to watch , Netflix successfully identify the time value in it . Based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis , The Queen ’s Gambitwas eventually proclaim as one of the most democratic miniseries ever . With 11 Primetime Emmys and a hefty lean of other accolades , the networks that have extend on the noteworthy tarradiddle might be regretting their gambits veracious about now .
reservoir : The Guardian , The New York Times , Television Academy Foundation , The Huffington Post , Time , IndieWire , The Rolling Stone , The Wall Street Journal , BBC
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
Based on one of the most successful and popular comic books of all time, AMC’s The Walking Dead captures the ongoing human drama following a zombie apocalypse. The series, developed for television by Frank Darabont, follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), who are traveling in search of a safe and secure home. However, instead of the zombies, it is the living who remain that truly become the walking dead. The Walking Dead lasted for eleven seasons and spawned several spinoff shows, such as Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
Desperate Housewives was a rom-com drama that aired on ABC for eight seasons between 2004 and 2012. The award-winning series follows Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher), Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross), and Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria), who discover dark secrets hidden in their quiet town of Fairview.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a television series created by Joss Whedon, focusing on Buffy Summers, portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar, a young woman chosen to battle against vampires, demons, and other supernatural forces while navigating the complexities of teenage life.
Considered to be a quintessential drama series to watch, The Sopranos is a crime-drama series that follows Tony Soprano, who tries to manage the expectations of an Italian-American patriarch while acting as the head of a prolific New Jersey crime family. Burdened by the stress of the expectations thrust upon him, Tony regularly visits a therapist throughout the series run. This helps give context to Tony’s actions as a ruthless boss with violent tendencies.
Inspired by 80s pop-culture and elements of Stephen King’s works, Stranger Things is a supernatural action-drama TV series set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana.When a young boy goes missing, his group of friends stumbles upon a young girl with telekinetic powers who recently escaped from a mysterious facility. They soon realize that she may be their only chance at stopping an impending doom that threatens to engulf Hawkins whole.
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 about financially struggling individuals who are invited to participate in a series of children’s games. The competition offers a lucrative prize but comes with perilous consequences, as the players soon discover the lethal stakes involved in each round.
Based on the novel by Walter Tevis, the Netflix limited series drama The Queen’s Gambit is a coming-of-age story that explores the actual cost of genius. Abandoned and entrusted to a Kentucky orphanage in the late 1950s, a young Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) discovers an astonishing talent for chess. Haunted by her personal demons and fueled by a cocktail of narcotics and obsession, Beth transforms into an impressively skilled and glamorous outcast, determined to conquer the traditional boundaries established in the male-dominated world of competitive chess.
