Lost

Arguably the most impressive opening scene of any show in TV history, the first few minutes of Lost's 2004 pilot sucked in millions of viewers with its compelling conceit and fascinating characters. A tale of plane-crash survivors stranded on a mysterious and uncharted tropical island, the series, co-created by J.J. Abrams, hit the ground running and rarely let up in intensity, leading rapt viewers through unabashedly left-field twists and turns involving an ominous monster, a polar bear, a hidden stash of heroin, a buried hatch, and the enigmatic Others--and that's just in the first season alone. Masterfully carried by its eclectic international cast, endlessly inventive writers, and superbly proficient directors, Lost proved that a television show could both reach for cinematic heights and remain completely unpredictable. Okay, Season Three lagged a bit at the beginning (a little too much captivity, folks), but overall the series was remarkably consistent and engaging, even as it expanded its scope and reveled in its strangeness. While other similarly adored and eccentric programs met abrupt demises (Twin Peaks) or soldiered on well past their prime (The X-Files), Lost admirably faced its ending on its own terms, ensuring its place in the pantheon of all-time great TV shows.