For several years, "Law and Order: SVU TV show" has reigned as the most popular title in the "Law and Order" franchise. As the opening intones, In New York's war on crime, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous.," and the Special Victims Unit works round the clock on the city's most gut-wrenching cases. "SVU" has held onto its legions of loyal viewers by delivering hard-hitting, compelling and complicated plots week after week. Over the years, the characters have evolved, but the core cast has remained constant. The consistency and continuity undoubtedly contribute to viewers' dedication to Detectives Elliott Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). "Law and Order: SVU TV show" also attracts high-powered stars for special appearances in every episode, and it challenges the guests to step well outside their comfort zones, demanding they play parts radically different from roles that made them famous. In recent years, Julie Bowen and Luke Perry co-starred in an episode that told the story of a woman who unwittingly married the man who raped her. Cynthia Nixon of "Sex and the City" fame played a woman with multiple personality disorder; and superstar Sharon Stone has done a stint as Deputy District Attorney. "SVU's" combination of an exceptionally strong core cast plus great guest stars plus intriguing, engaging, labyrinthine plots often "ripped from the headlines" takes viewers on a weekly thrill ride, keeping it riding high in the ratings.

A stylistic and narrative departure from the other titles in the "CSI" franchise, the CSI: Miami edition strives to recreate the neon-drenched allure of South Beach. Veteran television viewers may recognize the show's natural affinity with the eighties hit "Miami Vice"; apparently, in Miami, the light always shines through colored filters and everyday events always have awesome soundtracks. As in all the "CSI" shows, a dedicated squad of forensics experts solves otherwise unsolvable crimes with the benefit of their daunting intellects and their dazzling technology. Plots follow Jerry Bruckheimer's tried-and-proven formula for "following the evidence" wherever it leads. The "pretty" one among the CSI brands, "CSI: Miami TV Show" features at least as much scientific could-be as it depends on forensic facts. Naturally, the characters are as pretty as their surroundings. David Caruso stars as Horatio Cane, the unit leader with a special gift for slowly and deliberately taking off his sunglasses and delivering pithy one-liners as if they were lines from Shakespeare. Emily Procter charms as ballistics expert Calleigh Duquesne, and the juxtaposition of petite southern belle with major firearms is not wasted on the show's primarily male audience. Adam Rodriguez plays the sometimes tormented "Delko," and Rodriguez tops fan polls as the show's most personable actor. Jonathan Togo and Eva LaRue round-out the show's collection of pretty people.

That may well be the title to a dream sequence by some brilliant but unqualified attorney "want to be's" who can only imagine how they could accomplish what Mike Ross has done. He bluffed his way in by convincing Harvey Specter, one of the finest lawyers in Manhattan to hire him in spite of the fact he has no law degree. Although Ross is brilliant and extremely personable he could not afford the schooling and his choices in friends and recreational drugs did not help his situation. However he can pass the bar without attending any law school simply because he has an eidetic memory. Now clean and dedicated to becoming a first rate attorney, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams from FlashForward, Raising the Bar) must prove himself to the man who put his trust in and hired him, Harvey Specter (played by Gabriel Macht from Love and Other Drugs, Middle Men). Mike Ross must convince the other attorneys he graduated from the Harvard Law school because that's the only place they hire new recruits from. And he is a fast learner who's wit and conviction works well in the court room.

Imagine! Once upon a time, Dr. McDreamy, star of "Grey's Anatomy" and a million women's fantasies, was uncomfortably married to Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh). Then, Dr. Montgomery proved complicated, compelling, and cute enough to warrant her own TV show"”"Private Practice." For a very little while, "Private Practice" TV series depended on viewers' basic understanding of "Grey's Anatomy," because it showed Dr. Montgomery, probably much better known simply as Addison, leaving Seattle Grace Hospital and joining the staff at Oceanside Wellness, a practice owned and operated by all of her old medical school buddies. A few of the early episodes depended on the good doctor's broken heart and separation anxiety for their drama and poignancy; after all, withdrawal from McDreamy takes its toll on a girl. But as "Private Practice" gained momentum and popularity, plots focused more and more on cases that challenge the doctors' ethics and skills. Despite her genius and surgical prowess, Dr. Montgomery suffers fierce bouts of self-doubt, making her accessible and an object of empathy for the show's predominantly female audience.

4 Blocks is a German TV series that follows the story of a Lebanese family living in Berlin. The show premiered in 2017 and ran for three seasons, ending in 2019. It revolves around Ali "Toni" Hamady, who attempts to leave his criminal past behind and start a legitimate business, but his efforts are hindered by his brother's recklessness and a rival gang's thirst for power.

It was good while it lasted. Launched with much fanfare and intense audience interest, "FlashForward" brilliantly recreated the mysterious, fascinating, are-they-prophetic? two minutes and seventeen seconds on October 6, 2009, when almost everyone on Earth lost consciousness of their ordinary surroundings and caught glimpses of their lives on April 29, 2010. An ambitious attempt at transposing Robert J. Sawyer's "high-concept" novel from the printed page to the small screen, "FlashForward" focused on the team of FBI investigators charged with determining what had happened. One of the FBI agents enjoyed the special privilege of seeing his team crack the case in his vision of the future; all he has to do is recreate the six months of investigative work that yield the break-through. Meanwhile, the principal characters attempt to cope with the consequences of their visions for their lives in the present, because they have seen broken marriages, lives lost, and great portrayals on their horizons. Most viewers and critics sadly agreed "FlashForward" unfortunately juxtaposed a brilliant high-tech crime drama on some pathetically ordinary people and lives.