Ten TV series which shook up 2015

Given the vast number of series that are broadcast each year on television, it isn't easy to find the new ones or follow those that are worth watching. If you haven't had time to catch them all this year, here's a rundown of ten which got a lot of attention.

Empire

This was undoubtedly one of the TV sensations of 2015. Created by the director Lee Daniels ("The Butler"), "Empire" is a mixture of drama and hip-hop music. This combination has won over American viewers as the finale of season one had an audience of 17.6 million on Fox. In just a few months, the series has become one of the most-watched programs on American TV. Even stars of the music world are eager to be part of it. Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Alicia Keys and Courtney Love have made guest appearances on the show, alongside the main actors Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson.

Better Call Saul

Less than two years after the end of "Breaking Bad", the AMC network has returned to the story with a spin-off centered on Saul Goodman, the lawyer for the lead character Walter White. This prequel, which delves into the rogue's past, has been a hit with AMC subscribers as 6.9 million watched the first episode, setting a record for the best start for a series on cable (which has since been beaten by "Fear The Walking Dead").

Daredevil

This drama, which tells the story of a blind lawyer (played by Charlie Cox), is the first series to come out of the deal sealed between Netflix and Marvel. The result has intrigued superhero fans as only ten days after its launch on Netflix, the drama became the second-most illegally downloaded show of the moment, after "Game of Thrones". While waiting for its second season in 2016, Netflix subscribers have been able to enjoy its second collaboration with Marvel, "Jessica Jones", which started in November.

Wayward Pines

For his first foray into the small screen, the director M. Night Shyamalan stayed true to himself by offering Fox a twisted science-fiction thriller. The filmmaker produced and directed the pilot episode, which centers on the plight of a Secret Service agent investigating the disappearance of two colleagues in a strange town in Idaho. Matt Dillon, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo and Juliette Lewis all star in this mini-series which has not been as successful as hoped at Fox.

Mad Men

On May 17, the New York advertising executive Don Draper said his last farewell to AMC's viewers. Over a period of eight years, covering the whole of the 1960s, the show has earned its place among the greats, as it has won no less than four Golden Globes and 16 Emmy Awards. And in September, the actor Jon Hamm, who played Don Draper, finally won an Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Drama, after seven nominations.

Fear The Walking Dead

To keep viewers occupied until the sixth season of "The Walking Dead" was screened, AMC had the idea to launch a spin-off. This series, which is set in a different place (Los Angeles) and features new characters (a stepfamily), provided an opportunity to explore the story behind the outbreak of the zombie infection. An idea which hooked an audience of over ten million, more than for the first two seasons of the original series.

Narcos

At the end of the summer, Netflix put a lot of effort into promoting this series which is centered on the hunt for the famous Colombian drug dealer Pablo Escobar. The drama got a positive response from the critics and soon secured a second season which is set to see the end of the criminal, according to the director José Padilha.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

After 15 years on the air and over 300 episodes, the Las Vegas Crime Scene Investigators bade a final farewell with a special double episode screened on September 27 on CBS. This gave fans a last opportunity to see the actors who have contributed to this global success, including William Petersen (Gil Grissom), Marg Helgenberger (Catherine Willows), Ted Danson (Diebenkorn B. Russell) and Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle).

American Horror Story

This Bryan Murphy horror series achieved quite a feat this year: it entrusted the leading role for its fifth season to Lady Gaga. Her character, a fashion- and blood-loving owner of a Los Angeles hotel, was a big hit with viewers. Almost six million watched the launch of "Hotel" on October 7, reaffirming "American Horror Story" as FX's most watched series.

Transparent

This Amazon series will begin its second season on December 5. In 2015, the comedy-drama won Golden Globes and Emmy Awards, mainly thanks to its leading actor, Jeffrey Tambor. Launched in 2014, "Transparent" deals with a very current subject in the US as it tells the story of a retired teacher who tells his family he's transgender.