The West Wing (1999)

Aaron Sorkin's NBC drama about a fictional Democratic White House ran for seven seasons (154 episodes) from 1999 to 2006 and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for its first four consecutive seasons — a record matched only by Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. Sorkin's rapid-fire "walk and talk" dialogue style and morally serious approach to political idealism created the template for the prestige political drama, and it remains a touchstone for discussions of what American government could aspire to be.