Collider ranks television series noted for unusually ambitious storytelling, production scale or artistic intent, arguing that long-form TV can rival films and novels in scope. The article distinguishes ambition from simple quality, while noting that the two often overlap.

– 'Deadwood' (2004–2006): praised as a richly written and performed Western-crime drama, using substantial HBO production values and a partly historical 1870s setting.
– '24' (2001–2010): highlighted for its real-time format, with eight 24-episode seasons broadly covering one day each; its later 12-episode revival retained the approach with a late time jump.