Homicide: Life on the Street

This series is an adaptation of a book that I adored. They used all the material in the book in the first season and then freewheeled in a very good manner (except few flops here and there, beginning of the second season for example). They had a magical trick to integrate new characters which has not been achieved since then I think. Every new character felt like he/she was there forever. And it has my one of all-time favourite lines "Ho..ho..ho..Homicide" (During Christmas)

I adore this series. It's a precursor for almost every modern gritty cop show. I like the humor (the only real coping mechanism these people have , after seeing death non stop) and it was one of the first shows with multiple black leads. Andre Braugher crafts one of the greatest TV characters of all time and the rest of the cast is excellent for the most part.