IMDb is the most famous and authoritative rating website for movie, TV and celebrity content.  

We list the top 10 classic European and American TV series based on the IMDb ratings, which were released after 1990, while excluding documentary and animations. 

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Number 10: Fargo (2014, rating: 8.9)

Channel: FX 

Created by: Noah Hawley 

Seasons: Three, the fourth season will be released in 2020 

Cast: Allison Tolman, Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, Kirsten Dunst, Patrick Wilson, Jesse Plemons, Ted Danson 

This TV series is inspired by the eponymous 1996 film written and directed by the Coen brothers. Noah Hawley not only made a great film adaptation in the first season but also created a unique story in the second season. It received positive feedback from audiences even better than the first season.

Number 9: True Detective (2014, rating: 9.0)

Channel: HBO 

Created by: Nic Pizzolatto 

Seasons: Three seasons 

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Vince Vaughn 

In the first season, two homicide detectives track down a serial killer in Louisiana who committed murders across 17 years. When True Detective was launched, it got a lot of positive feedback and won numerous awards, including Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series in Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Number 8: Firefly (2002, rating: 9.0)

Channel: Fox 

Created by: Joss Whedon 

Seasons: One season 

Cast: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk 

It is a sci-fi TV series set five hundred years in the future, and portrays the adventures of a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft. Although the TV series was cancelled after 11 episodes (a total of 14 episodes were created), it generated a cult following, and was later adapted to a movie, Serenity.

Number 7: Sherlock (2010, rating: 9.1)

Channel: BBC One 

Created by: Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat 

Seasons: Four seasons 

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs 

The story follows the famous sleuth and his doctor partner solving crimes in the 21st century London. The creators made a brave adaptation with original stories while keeping the classic elements of Sherlock Holmes.  

Number 6: The Sopranos (1999, rating: 9.2)

Channel: HBO 

Created by: David Chase 

Seasons: Six seasons 

Cast: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco 

The story revolves around Tony Soprano, a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying the difficulties that he faces when he tries to balance his family life with his role as the leader of a criminal organization. The series won a multitudes of awards and inspired other TV series such as Breaking Bad.

Number 5: Game of Thrones (2011, rating: 9.3)

Channel: HBO 

Created by: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss 

Seasons: Eight seasons 

Cast: Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Sophie Turner 

It is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin's fantasy novels. Nine noble families fight for control over the mythical lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for thousands of years. Game of Thrones attracted record viewership on HBO and has a broad, international fan base. 

Number 4: The Wire (2002, rating: 9.3)

Channel: HBO 

Created by: David Simon 

Seasons: Five seasons 

Cast: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn 

Set and produced in Baltimore, Maryland. In each season, The Wire introduces a different institution of the city and its relationship to law enforcement. The way that the series describes police work and criminal activities is completely beyond the level of other TV series, it was highly recognized to be one of the greatest works in the history of television.

Number 3: Breaking Bad (2008, rating: 9.4)

Channel: AMC 

Created by: Vince Gilligan 

Seasons: Five seasons

Cast: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn 

The series tells the story of a struggling and depressed high school chemistry teacher, Walter White, who is diagnosed with cancer. Together with his former student Jesse Pinkman, White turns to a life of crime by producing and selling crystallized methamphetamine to secure his family's financial future before he dies.

Number 2: Chernobyl (2019, rating: 9.4)

Channel: HBO 

Created by: Craig Mazin 

Seasons: One season 

Cast: Jessie Buckley, Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård 

The series centers around the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of April 1986, and the unprecedented cleanup efforts that followed. It won several Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Directing, and Outstanding Writing. 

Number 1: Band of Brothers (2001, rating: 9.4)

Channel: HBO 

Created by: Steven Spielberg, Stephen Ambrose 

Seasons: One season 

Cast: Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston 

Band of Brothers follows the stories of "Easy" Company, of the 101st Airborne Division, from jump training in the United States, through the participation of World War II, until the end of the war. Major Richard Winters is the central character, who works hard to accomplish his missions while keeping his men safe. 

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