So on Rolling Stone, the top ten for tv programs mostly consisted of stuff from the 90s-2020s(Seinfeld, Breaking Bad, The Wire, etc). In public, I usually hear only talk about Breaking Bad, Saul, Game of Thrones, and all that. To tell the truth, I do not even watch these shows, but I still find it hard to believe that the best tv shows of ALL TIME came out within the last decade. How about all the stuff from the 70s-80s, but it seems like all that stuff is "cheese" nowadays. I kind of like the cheesiness of what I have seen though, as it makes me feel more comfortable.
I swear that the stuff before the 90s are still relevant even though they are not as talked about. I still think jazz music is still relevant even though it is not popular anymore.
If you like jazz you would like the
Peter Gunn series (1958-61). The show featured the first detective created for television, and it was far and away the hippest show on TV. All shows in those days were pretty much produced on the cheap in terms of sets, action, and special effects. But the chemistry between stars Craig Stevens and the gorgeous Lola Albright was palpable, and featured some of the most innovative and sexiest dialogue on TV. The jazz was during the "cool" era (post bebop) and featured some of the great players of the day.
The shows of the 1950s thru the 1970s featured palatable stories acceptable for their time, which may still be the case. Outside of Gunn, old shows that stand out in my memory were
Have Gun, Will Travel (1957-63) Richard Boone;
The Untouchables (1959-63) Robert Stack; and much later,
The Streets of San Francisco (1972-77) Karl Malden, Michael Douglas.
Comedy fared even better:
I love Lucy (1951-60), Mary
Tyler Moore Show (1970-77), and
Barney Miller (1975-82). There are others, but these stick out in my mind as shows that can still be enjoyed today.
Due to the circumstances cited above, along with changing mores, special effects, and highly increased budgets make many of the older shows anachronistic. There's a similar effect in feature films.
Another thing I miss are variety shows hosted by name celebrities. You got to see not only some of the best acts at the time, but also a wide variety of talent. From Ed Sullivan to the Smothers Brothers, these shows were extremely popular.