TV shows often explore different genres and cross many boundaries imposed by social stigma and taboos. However, these shows do not fear anything and bravely portray bold content while not just relying on the shock value but also having well-structured plotlines with decent character building and fun concepts. Here is the list of the 10 boldest TV shows compiled by us, read on to find out!
Also Read: 10 Boldest and Hottest Series on Amazon Prime You Should Catch Up With
With this identically-titled Netflix original series, legendary filmmaker Spike Lee revisits his very first feature picture. Nola Darling, a Brooklyn-based artist, juggles her time between her friends, her career, and her lovers—all three of them—while trying to stay true to who she is and what she wants. Jamie Overstreet, a married businessman and father, Greer Childs, a photographer and self-described “biracial Adonis,” and Mars Blackmon, a talkative Michael Jordan lover, make up the three. Along with developing the show, Lee also works as an executive producer with his wife Tonya Lewis Lee and directs each episode.
2. Shameless
John Wells created the American comedy-drama television series Shameless, which Showtime broadcast from January 9, 2011, to April 11, 2021. It is a remake of the same-named British television series by Paul Abbott, and it has a large ensemble cast, including William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum. The drama takes place in Chicago, Illinois’ South Side. The longest-running original scripted series in Showtime history, Shameless debuted its ninth season on September 9, 2018. The show received a tenth season renewal in January 2019, which debuted on November 10, 2019. Shameless definitely solidifies itself as one of the boldest TV shows created.
Orange Is the New Black is a comedy-drama Netflix original series made in the United States by Jenji Kohan. The memoir Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman, published in 2010, details her experiences at FCI Danbury, a federal minimum-security facility. The first episode of Orange Is the New Black, which was created by Tilted Productions in collaboration with Lionsgate
Television, debuted on Netflix on July 11, 2013. The show received a fifth, sixth, and seventh season renewal in February 2016. On July 26, 2019, the seventh and last season of it was published.
American romantic comedy drama Sex and the City was developed by Darren Star for HBO. It is an adaption of the same-titled 1996 book anthology and Candace Bushnell’s newspaper column. With 94 episodes broadcast over six seasons, the show had its US premiere on June 6, 1998, and it ended on February 22, 2004. The series benefited from contributions from a variety of producers, screenwriters, and directors, most notably Michael Patrick King. Sex and the City is an undeniable mention when compiling a list of the boldest TV shows.
5. Scandal
Kerry Washington is the star of the American political suspense drama Scandal on television. Shonda Rhimes was the creator, and it ran on ABC for seven seasons and 124 episodes from April 5, 2012, to April 19, 2018. Judy Smith, a former press assistant in the George H.W. Bush administration who now serves as a co-executive producer, served as a partial inspiration for Kerry Washington’s character Olivia Pope.
6. Vida
The short tale “Pour Vida” by Richard Villegas Jr. served as the basis for the American drama television series Vida, which was created by Tanya Saracho. Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Miranda, Maria-Elena Laas, and Roberta Colindrez are among the cast members of the show. The film Vida depicts the tale of two Mexican-American sisters who, following the passing of their mother, return to the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Boyle Heights.
Tom Kapinos is the creator of the American comedy-drama television series Californication, which debuted on Showtime on August 13, 2007, and ran for seven seasons until June 29, 2014. The programme centres on struggling novelist Hank Moody (David Duchovny), a New Yorker who relocates to California but experiences writer’s block. His drug habit, womanising, and drinking interfere with his relationships with his daughter Becca and his partner Karen (Natascha McElhone) (Madeleine Martin). Charlie Runkle, an agent and Hank’s best friend, and his wife Marcy are two of the show’s other prominent characters (Pamela Adlon). Sex, drugs, and rock & roll are recurring themes, and the seedier side of Los Angeles is also frequently depicted.
American fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones was developed by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s epic novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, the first of which is A Game of Thrones. The programme was filmed in Spain, Malta, Morocco, Croatia, Iceland, Canada, and the UK. With 73 episodes shown over eight seasons, it had its American HBO premiere on April 17, 2011, and it ended on May 19, 2019.
The first episode of the American historical drama television series Masters of Sex aired on Showtime on September 29, 2013. It is partially based on Thomas Maier’s biography Masters of Sex and was created by Michelle Ashford. The series, starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan as Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson, is set between the 1950s and the late 1960s and follows their narrative. The television series has won praise from critics. It received a 2013 Golden Globe nomination for “Best Drama Series.” After four seasons, the show was terminated by Showtime on November 30, 2016. Masters is one of the most boldest and most critically acclaimed TV shows.
10. Outlander
Based on the ongoing Diana Gabaldon novel series of the same name, Outlander is a historical drama television series. The programme made its Starz debut on August 9, 2014, and was created by Ronald D. Moore. In it, Caitrona Balfe plays Claire Randall, a married former military nurse in Scotland who is suddenly thrust into the year 1743 in 1945. There she meets Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), a dashing Highland warrior of Gabaldon’s fictionalised Clan Fraser of Lovat, falls in love with him, and they are married. As a result, she gets involved in the Jacobite uprising.
We believe you should start with these if you are looking for the hottest and the boldest TV shows, and we think these will make into your Watchlist for sure. Happy binging!