Greatest TV Shows of All Time

Next week's TV Guide has a list of "the fifty greatest shows of all time". Obviously these are only the choices of their editors and such, but the criteria they put forth is: "Simply put, the best of the best, from day one to the last night: quality, innovation and the ability to stay in our lives year after year after year. A touch of sentiment? Sure, but nostalgia alone couldn't make the cut (sorry, Beav). And TV-movies, mini-series and specials will have to wait. These are the series we watched regularly - and will watch again. And again...."

TV Guide's list...

1. "Seinfeld"
2. "I Love Lucy"
3. "The Honeymooners"
4. "All in the Family"
5. "The Sopranos"
6. "60 Minutes"
7. "Late Show with David Letterman"
8. "The Simpsons"
9. "The Andy Griffith Show"
10. "Saturday Night Live"
11. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"
12. "The Tonight Show, starring Johnny Carson"
13. "The Dick Van Dyke show"
14. "Hill Street Blues"
15. "The Ed Sullivan Show"
16. "The Carol Burnett Show
17. "Today"
18. "Cheers"
19. "thirtysomething"
20. "St. Elsewhere"
21. "Friends"
22. "ER"
23. "Nightline"
24. "Law & Order"
25. "M*A*S*H"
26. "The Twilight Zone"
27. "Sesame Street"
28. "The Cosby Show"
29. "Donahue"
30. "Your Show of Shows"
31. "The Defenders"
32. "An American Family"
33. "Playhouse 90"
34. "Frasier"
35. "Rosanne"
36. "The Fugitive"
37. "The X-Files"
38. "The Larry Sanders Show"
39. "The Rockford Files"
40. "Gunsmoke"
41. "Buff the Vampire Slayer"
42. "Rwan & Martin's Laugh-In"
43. "Bonanza"
44. "The Bob Newhart Show"
45. "Twin Peaks"
46. "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
47. "Rocky & His Friends/The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle""
48. "Taxi"
49. "The Oprah Winfrey Show"
50. "Bewitched"

OK, so the question is: what's your list? You don't have to do a full fifty, but at least a top ten or so. These should be what you consider the best television series of all time.

You can also vote HERE and vote at TVGuideOnline for which you think is number one of their fifty choices.

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

My top twenty-five...

1. "The Simpsons"
2. "The Rockford Files"
3. "The Bob Newhart Show"
4. "The Larry Sanders Show"
5. "Late Night with David Letterman"
6. "Have Gun - Will Travel"
7. "Monty Python's Flying Circus"
8. "Barney Miller"
9. "Your Show of Shows" & "Caesar's Hour"
10. "The Twilight Zone"
11. "Law & Order"
12. "Seinfeld"
13. "Homicide: Life on the Street"
14. "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"
15. "All in the Family"
16. "Rosanne"
17. "The Tonight Show, starring Johnny Carson"
18. "NYPD Blue"
19. "Hill Street Blues"
20. "Get A Life"
21. "Twin Peaks"
22. "Newhart"
23. "Soap"
24. "Maverick"
25. "Northern Exposure"

Since I'm not very familiar with older shows that have been on television I'll take a stab at the ones that I have seen.

And these are in no order:

1. Seinfeld
2. The Simpsons
3. E.R.
4. The Twilight Zone
5. Taxi
6. Saturday Night Live (especially with the first season)
7. Quantam Leap
8. Married With Children
9. Cheers
10. Homicide: Life on the Street

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"I was walking down the street with my friend and he said, "I hear music", as if there is any other way you can take it in. You're not special, that's how I receive it too. I tried to taste it but it did not work." - Mitch Hedberg

TV sucks. So does this list. Seinfield wins over I Love Lucy? My friend did get me kinda obsessed with I Dream of Jeannie. I used to watch the X-Files but that was about it. TV is a big waste of time...

Honestly, if the only shows I had ever admitted to watching with any regularity were "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The X-Files", I wouldn't think much of the format either.

Diff'rent strokes, Mr. Drummond. But thanks for dropping into this thread and expressing your opinion so eloquently. I don't agree with too too much on TVGuide's list either (at least not the rankings), but where's your list?

I don't watch any TV on a regular basis. It is just a waste of my time (and everyone else's in the world) Sure, television might have been good when it first came out, but nobody cares about quality anymore. My friends sucked me into those TV shows, but obviously since I am not glued to the TV all night, everynight watching those two shows, I don't really care much for them...

Generalizations always make for good logic! I think it's pretty irrefutable that "nobody" in the industry cares about quality anymore, and that TV is a waste of "everyone else's" time.

It's clear, to me anyway, that you missed those 'very special' episodes of "Blossom". The medium at its best.

Well, I am entitled to my opinion (that TV is worthless). But I guess my generalization isn't the best in the world. You could say that about anything in the world. But, I am not going to debate about it all day.

Holden, were you just making your list, from their list? I'm surprised, Kids in the Hall isn't one of your top 25.

here are my favorites....not in any particular order;

"Seinfeld"
"The Mary Tyler Moore Show"
"The Tonight Show, starring Johnny Carson"
"The Dick Van Dyke show"
"The Carol Burnett Show
"Cheers"
"M*A*S*H"
"The Twilight Zone"
"The X-Files"
"Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In"
"The Bob Newhart Show"-such a great show!
"Twin Peaks"
"Star Trek"- original show fave of faves!!!!! i lovvve captain james t. kirk
"Taxi"
"Soap" loved that show
"Monty Python's Flying Circus"
"Late Night With David Letterman"
"SNL"
"Northern Exposure"
"Alfred Hithcock Presents"
"Barney Miller"
"Simpsons"

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on dance seul, on dance seul.....

They list 50 shows and don't mention L.A. Law? Whoever made that list certainly knows her/his TV.................................................

Did I put enough periods there?

Hmm... Here's my 25.

1. L.A. Law
2. All in the Family
3. Star Trek: The Next Generation
4. The Howard Stern Show
5. Mash
6. Star Trek
7. Cheers
8. Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher
9. The O'Reilly Factor
10. Dennis Miller Live
11. In Living Color
12. The Chris Rock Show
13. ER
14. The Cosby Show
15. Fear Factor
16. Seinfeld
17 The Jeffersons
18. Perry Mason
19. Family Ties
20. The Twilight Zone
21. Alfred Hithcock Presents
22. I Love Lucy
23. NYPD Blue
24. The X-Files
25. Nightline

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One of the biggest myths told is that being intelligent is the absence of the ability to do stupid things.

Sadie, since twelve of my twenty-five aren't on the TVGuide list, no it should be clear I wasn't simply re-ordering their choices. "The Kids in the Hall" came real close to making my list. It would be in the top thirty. I had two (well, three really) sketch comedy shows in my top ten, "Monty Python's Flying Circus" and "Your Show of Shows"/"Caeser's Hour". I was trying to get representations of all the many types of shows I like onto the list, that's all.

OK, for you Sades...

26. "Taxi"
27. "The Kids in the Hall"
28. "Peter Gunn"
29. "It's Garry Shandling's Show"
30. "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"


Now, where's your list, sadesdrk?

My top shows (Beware some British shows may appear!) in no particular order.

Stargate SG1
Babylon 5
Mary Whitehouse Experience (UK)
Angel
Simpsons
Seinfeld
Friends
Dukes Of Hazzard
West Wing
Kids In The Hall (Thanks for the reminder Sades)
Red Dwarf (UK version)
Men Behaving Badly (UK version)
Fantasy Football League (UK)
Star Trek TNG
Frasier
X-Files
A-Team
Scrubs (I know its current but i love this show)
Brasseye (UK)
Batman (Adam West - classic camp!)



Sopranos would have made it but for a poor third season. My rose tinted glasses are completely on for Dukes and the A-Team but I still watch the latter.

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Lex Luthor: "I'd question your integrity, but you're a journalist."

I'm with Firegod on The O'Reilly Factor - I used to watch that almost every single day. I've cut back a little, but it's still entertaining. O'Reilly's a bulldog. Jesse Jackson is terrified of the guy. Can't agree with Maher's show, though. It annoys the hell outta me usually. I always feel like I'm working when I watch it.

Anywhere, here are a few of my favorites:

• 1. The Simpsons
• 2. Saturday Night Live
• 3. Seinfeld
• 4. The Daily Show
• 5. Late Night with Conan O'Brien
• 6. The Late Show with David Letterman
• 7. Malcolm in the Middle
• 8. South Park
• 9. The Twilight Zone
• 10. BattleBots

Mostly new stuff. I'm not a huge fan of the older stuff I've seen...though Nick at Nite is reasonably entertaining.

so is TV Land

I've managed to catch an episode of Scrubs once and I have been meaning to catch another one, but it's just so hard to do sometimes.

Family Guy!

Number 1 show of all time! Nothing compares!

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I am Jack's smirking revenge.

Wow, someone else who likes the show! There are two of us! I think this cartoon gets a very bad rap. Stewie cracks me up, I think he is very funny.

Damn you vile woman!

You kiddin' me? Everyone I know loves that show. It busts me up every single time.

Ive heard the show get a lot of grief from a number of places. I dont understand myself, I really like it. I had to buy the first series on DVD the day it came out.

Its a shame it didnt get more support from the network.

P.S. I hope you guys aren't being sarcastic and sucking into a clever trap! If so I've completely fallen for it!

no! it's absolutely hilarious - arguably more than the simpsons

i cant believe they've decided to cancel it