Let's be careful out there : the shows that paved the way -- 1. What we were don't matter : Oz blazes a trail -- 2. All due respect : The Sopranos changes everything -- 3. All the pieces matter : The Wire as the great American novel for television -- 4. A lie agreed upon : the profane poetry of Deadwood -- 5. I'm a different kind of cop : The Shield takes anti-heroism to the limit -- 6. Do you want to know a secret? : the perfect storm of Lost -- 7. She saved the world. A lot : Buffy the Vampire Slayer gives teen angst some fangs -- 8. Tell me where the bomb is! : 24 goes to war on terror, boredom -- 9. So say we all : the thinking man's sci-fi of Battlestar Galactica -- 10. Clear eyes, full hearts : Friday Night Lights goes deep -- 11. It's a time machine : AMC gets into the game with Mad Men -- 12. I am the one who knocks! : Breaking Bad gives the recession the villain it deserves -- Don't stop believing : the lasting legacy of revolution -- Where are they now?

Focusing on twelve innovative television dramas that changed the medium and the culture at large (including The Sopranos, Oz, The Wire, Deadwood, The Shield, Lost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 24, Battlestar Galactica, Friday Night Lights, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad) Sepinwall weaves incisive criticism with entertaining reporting about the real-life characters and conflicts behind the scenes.