Band of Brothers

Spielberg and Hanks' ten-episode HBO epic following Easy Company from D-Day to the Eagle's Nest remains the gold standard for war television over two decades later. Shot with feature-film production values and anchored by Damian Lewis's portrayal of Major Dick Winters, each episode functions as both a standalone story and part of a larger emotional arc. It cost $125 million in 2001 and looks like it was worth every cent.