I really like the long arcs of today's top end TV. It's funny, I was thinking the other day that when I just want a short self-contained piece of entertainment, I reach for a movie. Which is a complete reversal from 15 to 20 years ago.
Also, have you watched any of the newer TV shows? They have astronomical budgets, better than some movies. And certainly better than 1980s TV. Knight Rider may have had practical car stunts, but it also had bad writing, bad acting, and bad directing. Modern TV has elevated all those things dramatically.