TNT’s promos used to proclaim “We Know Drama,” and that wasn’t just big talk. The channel that began as Turner Network Television broke basic-cable ratings records with TV dramas like The Closer Rizzoli & Isles, and Major Crimes, and it bolstered its slate of originals with reruns of other hit dramas.
Like so many other basic cable channels — including corporate sibling and fellow Ted Turner-founded channel TBS — TNT has phased out its scripted originals recently. TNT appears to have just two scripted shows on its current docket — The Librarians: The Next Chapter and the upcoming High Value Target — which is a shame, considering its legacy of programming like the shows below. Here are our picks for TNT’s best shows. (And with apologies to Southland and Babylon 5, we’re only including shows that debuted on TNT.)