Little House on the Prairie

Hospital dramas play out in this "Chicago Fire" spin-off.

A drama series following the firefighters, paramedics and rescue squad of Chicago Firehouse 51.

A 'Chicago Fire' spin-off following the men and women of the Chicago Police Department.

Created by West Wing writer Lawrence O'Donnell Jr., the weekly, 60-minute political drama Mister Sterling was a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington for the 21st century. Josh Brolin starred as William Sterling Jr., the idealistic young "reformist" son of a popular retired California governor (James Whitmore). Selected by his state's political machine to fill out the term of a dead Democratic senator, Mister Sterling arrived in the nation's capitol with a naïvely altruistic agenda -- and with no party ties, since he was a registered Independent (though in West Wing tradition, he tended to veer toward the left). Doing their best to educate Sterling to the facts of life about Washington, and sometimes expressing amazement at how much smarter he was than the "established" politicos, were his chief of staff, Jackie Brock (Audra McDonald); his legislative director, Tommy Doyle (William Russ); and resident techno-geek Leon (David Noroña). Mister Sterling was elected to office on January 10, 2003.

Sexual assaults, domestic disputes and kidnappings are often the primary focus of this crime show, which follows New York City detectives working in a specialized division within the police department. The first spin-off of "Law & Order," this series has featured many high-profile guest stars. Richard Belzer brought his character from "Homicide

Durable cops-and-lawyers procedural with gripping headline-inspired storylines and two distinct halves: the investigation of the crime, followed by the prosecution of the case in court.