The West Wing. Arguably the best show on television in history - and it was on network! Eat your heart out, HBO. I feel like it's shows like The West Wing that really started the major cable networks in their quests for great programming (HBO, Showtime, AMC...I don't think any of them had serious contenders when TWW started back in 1999...).
Recently I talked to someone about the draw of The West Wing. This friend is about to watch it for the first time but warned me that she might not be so "vocal" about her thoughts after watching. That comment made me think about just what it is about this show that sets it apart for me...