That’s not an issue, in my opinion. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Dopers have yet to vote. Whether that can be intrepreted as anything meaningful is beyond my ability, or interest.
Here’s a second shot at an answer to that question.
I just bumped an old thread Which SDMB Poll Has Had The Most Voters? which I started 06-03-2011, 10:27 AM.
Until somebody finds a bigger number than the …
How old are you?
06-02-2011, 03:33 PM
Voters: 785
… it would be a reasonable ballpark to say 800 voters would be a measure of how many people might be expected to vote in an SDMB poll. What we can do with that information is beyond my skills.
Voting milestone:
It has taken this long for a show to register 10 votes:
View Poll Results: What's the Best All-Time TV show?
This poll will close on 10-31-2013 at 10:07 AM
M*A*S*H 10 15.87%
Breaking Bad 8 12.70%
Doctor Who 8 12.70%
Star Trek: TOS 6 9.52%
Buffy 5 7.94%
Seinfeld 5 7.94%
The Simpsons 5 7.94%
The Wire 5 7.94%
The West Wing 4 6.35%
Band of Brothers 3 4.76%
Firefly 2 3.17%
The Sopranos 2 3.17%
Voters: 63
How long before the second show gets there?
It really isn’t.
Without a “none of the above” option your poll results will be unable to reveal the fact (and very likely it is a fact) that most potential respondents think that none of the shows listed is the best ever. Furthermore, in the less likely event that that is not the case, the results will not be able to show that either. Also, without that option, it is almost certain that many people who do vote will be voting not for what they think is the best all-time show at all, but for what they think is best out of the restrictive options listed.
Your objection makes sense. On the other hand, those who may have participated in any (or all) of the threads/polls I listed above have helped to narrow down to 12 the dozens (if not hundreds) of shows mentioned and voted on earlier.
As I have suggested several times before. I welcome somebody else’s approach to finding the SDMB choice for “best/favorite all-time TV show.”
Please be my guest in that effort.
I think we have to wait until 30 years after the last ep to see if Breaking Bad is the best show. That’s the thing about MAS*H - even over 30 years later, I can watch any episode and enjoy it. People are coasting on a Breaking Bad high right now, but next year it’ll be something else. To me, to be the best you have to endure the test of time.
StG
I admit to my own Breaking Bad high at this time. This last season elevated the show above earlier “bests.” I hope there’s another show in the wings (or on the drawing board) that will challenge its ownership of Number One long before 30 years, by which time I will most likely be dead.
The “long view” approach is worthy, but I’d just as soon see another survey in a year or two to accommodate new shows arriving and old ones’ shine wearing off.
I genuinely hope Justified can continue to rise in appreciation and acclaim. But even if it doesn’t, I’ll be watching and enjoying it.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have voted, as I’ve only ever watched a couple shows on this list.
But Seinfeld gets my vote. Doctor Who would have almost gotten it but it has crapped out since Moffat took over.
I have no doubt that a finer-tuned poll of the top five rated shows in the poll coupled with an age group would show an age-group bias that explains all.
Sounds like a fun idea. Go for it!
Refer to Post #10 for how things were this time yesterday morning. And now:
=============================================
View Poll Results: What's the Best All-Time TV show?
This poll will close on 10-31-2013 at 10:07 AM
Breaking Bad 15 17.24%
M*A*S*H 15 17.24%
Doctor Who 8 9.20%
Star Trek: TOS 8 9.20%
The Wire 8 9.20%
The Simpsons 7 8.05%
Buffy 6 6.90%
Seinfeld 6 6.90%
Band of Brothers 5 5.75%
The West Wing 5 5.75%
Firefly 2 2.30%
The Sopranos 2 2.30%
Voters: 87
=============================================
It would be great if we could top 100 voters.
None of the Above isn’t needed for a poll like this since Zeldar already narrowed down the field with previous polls.
I voted TOS because of the long lasting impact it’s had on the entertainment industry.
I think the fact that MASH is holding its own against a show that just went out on a spectacular finale in the past week, and that the two of them are leaving the other shows far behind, suggests that even if Breaking Bad pulls ahead MASH* wins anyway.
For those who are dissatisfied with the 12 shows in this poll, or who would have preferred other shows over these 12, the poll is still open at
=================================================
The Best All-Time TV Show – UPDATE
08-20-2013
Voters: 195
This poll will close on 11-18-2013 at 12:06 PM
That’s plenty of time to affect the Top X-number and perhaps lead to yet another “final” poll. 
And maybe samclem has some tricks yet to be shown after stating
I went with Buffy, not because I think it actually is the best series ever, but because it has my heart.* The West Wing *was certainly better, Breaking Bad probably was too (though it needs more time). But it’s too hard to choose. And Buffy will always have my heart! 
Next voter gets to be #100!
Also, we now have three double-digit shows:
View Poll Results: What's the Best All-Time TV show?
This poll will close on 10-31-2013 at 10:07 AM
M*A*S*H 17 17.17%
Breaking Bad 16 16.16%
Star Trek: TOS 10 10.10%
Doctor Who 8 8.08%
Seinfeld 8 8.08%
The Simpsons 8 8.08%
The Wire 8 8.08%
Buffy 7 7.07%
Band of Brothers 5 5.05%
The Sopranos 5 5.05%
The West Wing 5 5.05%
Firefly 2 2.02%
Voters: 99
The latest status:
=============================================
View Poll Results: What's the Best All-Time TV show?
This poll will close on 10-31-2013 at 10:07 AM
Breaking Bad 17 15.89%
M*A*S*H 17 15.89%
Star Trek: TOS 11 10.28%
Seinfeld 10 9.35%
The Simpsons 10 9.35%
Doctor Who 8 7.48%
The Wire 8 7.48%
Buffy 7 6.54%
The West Wing 6 5.61%
Band of Brothers 5 4.67%
The Sopranos 5 4.67%
Firefly 3 2.80%
Voters: 107
=============================================
The last few years of MASH were the Alan Alda show, and featured very few laughs. The best show ever has to be consistently awesome throughout its entire run, which is why I went with The Wire.
At least for a moment we appear to have a distinct Top Half and Bottom Half of these 12 shows.
How long will that grouping last?
View Poll Results: What's the Best All-Time TV show?
This poll will close on 10-31-2013 at 10:07 AM
Breaking Bad 19 16.96%
M*A*S*H 17 15.18%
Seinfeld 11 9.82%
Star Trek: TOS 11 9.82%
The Simpsons 10 8.93%
The Wire 10 8.93%
Doctor Who 8 7.14%
Buffy 7 6.25%
The West Wing 6 5.36%
Band of Brothers 5 4.46%
The Sopranos 5 4.46%
Firefly 3 2.68%
Voters: 112