# "Perfect" television shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [April 22, 2025, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366 "2025-04-22T15:42:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/1 "2025-04-22T15:42:14Z")
What shows do you consider to have been perfect? Not just good or even great, but perfect. Please use spoilers where appropriate! Some criteria (in my head). - No growing pains, the show hits the ground running from the first episode. - A satisfying series finale, even if the show itself was strictly episodic. - No “dud” episodes. Even the weakest episodes are still good. - No “gollum” scenarios where the show lives much longer than it should have There are lots of excellent shows that aren’t perfect. Ted Lasso season 1 is perfect TV, I think, but it went longer than it needed to. So it doesn’t count for these purposes. My nomination is _The Good Place_. No notes. Hooks you from the first scene and keeps you there until the end. A show you wish you could scrub from your mind and watch fresh. You don’t have to follow my rubric, but please show your work and explain why your choice isn’t just great, but is perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/2 "2025-04-22T15:43:27Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > My nomination is _The Good Place_. I can get behind this. My suggestion is _The West Wing_, although some will say it lost a little at the end. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/3 "2025-04-22T15:47:19Z")
I think there may have been a few not so good ones, but not bad enough for me to remember, so they can’t have been that bad, I would go for _Frasier_, (ignoring the recent reboot). I think I could watch any episode and it’d be better than anything on any recent sitcom I’ve seen. Also _Fawlty Towers_ and _Firefly_ for shorter run shows. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/4 "2025-04-22T15:48:01Z")
**The Good Place** and **Barney Miller** were the first two that came to my mind. So I match you on your example. For **Barney Miller** , it now feels like I’m watching a period piece. Amazing how well done it is. **The Dick Van Dyke** show avoids duds. It range from well done Sitcom episodes to great shows unlike anything at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/5 "2025-04-22T15:48:27Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > A show you wish you could scrub from your mind and watch fresh. I see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/6 "2025-04-22T15:51:36Z")
I think Breaking Bad qualifies; opened strong and stuck the landing, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/7 "2025-04-22T15:52:05Z")
But it had _Fly_ ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/8 "2025-04-22T15:52:51Z")
Which was an _excellent_ episode. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/9 "2025-04-22T15:55:28Z")
_As Time Goes By_ _Breaking Bad_ (and even _The Fly_ was a good episode) _Northern Exposure_ (which is debatable – some of the Phil Capra episodes fell flat but they were still good episodes overall). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/10 "2025-04-22T15:58:04Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > _Northern Exposure_ (which is debatable – some of the Phil Capra episodes fell flat but they were still good episodes overall). That final season was very uneven, one of my favorite shows but not perfect. **Get Smart** went one season too many, as did **Taxi**. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/11 "2025-04-22T15:58:51Z")
I will reach way back for a classic that holds a special place for me - The Dick Van Dyke Show. Always funny, with a cast that clicked right away and excellent writing. They also had the good sense to call it quits after 5 seasons because they didn’t want it to get stale. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/12 "2025-04-22T16:00:28Z")
I shall play the role of middle-aged British man to the hilt and say _Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy_. It has the advantages of being both an adaptation and only seven episodes long\* but nevertheless, a perfect shining gem of what television drama can be: character led drama with enough suspense and action to drive the plot but willing to pause and dwell on its themes and dilemmas enough that you actually care, all grounded in a painfully authentic setting.. Also _Justified_, pretty much any episode of which I can happily watch again because of the characters and commitment to setting and tone, and the best of which offer reasonably serious examination of criminal and lawman psychology, not always to the benefit of the latter. \*This is not cheating, this good decision making. Fewer episodes and fewer seasons = more quality, less filler, fewer mis-steps. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/13 "2025-04-22T16:02:18Z")
Agreed on _The Good Place_. It had the benefit of a showrunner who was with the show from beginning to end, and a well-thought-out arc which was stuck to, including a solid ending. One of my favorite series was _Pushing Daisies_; every episode was exceptionally well-done. When it was suddenly cancelled by ABC, the producers were able to quickly revise the last episode which had been filmed at that point, and shoot some additional scenes, to wrap up the storylines and provide fans with a “here’s what happened to everyone” ending. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/14 "2025-04-22T16:03:37Z")
Can a series have just one weak episode? If so the not very stealthy, stealth spin-off episode was the only sour note in the otherwise perfect **Stranger Things.** They still have to stick the landing, but I think they will. This was the episode with #8, Kali. Season 2, episode 7. > **["Stranger Things" Chapter Seven: The Lost Sister (TV Episode 2017) ⭐ 6.1 |...](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6020810/)** > > 45m | TV-14 * * * * * * @kenobi_65; **Pushing Daisies** is a great example, still sad the network treated that gem so poorly. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/15 "2025-04-22T16:07:30Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > I shall play the role of middle-aged British man to the hilt and say _Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy_. > > It has the advantages of being both an adaptation and only seven episodes long\* but nevertheless, a perfect shining gem of what television drama can be: character led drama with enough suspense and action to drive the plot but willing to pause and dwell on its themes and dilemmas enough that you actually care, all grounded in a painfully authentic setting.. I think in American terms, something that short would be either a miniseries or a limited series, and opening the subject up to that expands the options. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/16 "2025-04-22T16:09:27Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > One of my favorite series was _Pushing Daisies_; every episode was exceptionally well-done. _Pushing Daisies_ made me think of another show from around the same time that I _would_ consider for the “perfect” list except, being strangled in the cradle, it doesn’t have a satisfying finale: _Wonderfalls_. I think _Pushing Daisies_ fails on the “good ending” criterion, too. They abruptly crammed a season or two worth of plot development into the last two or three minutes of the final episode, and it shows. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/17 "2025-04-22T16:09:30Z")
Good point, **Band of Brothers** was longer and absolutely perfect. But probably doesn’t count here. That would add a lot of candidates. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/18 "2025-04-22T16:10:33Z")
**30 Rock** **Letterkenny** (Ok, “Fartbook” is considered a weak episode but it exists) **Peep Show** **Spaced** Other than _30 Rock_, my list mainly relies on a low number of episodes (as being discussed in another thread) and I think that really helps make for a tight show. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/19 "2025-04-22T16:11:31Z")
My vote is for **The Mary Tyler Moore Show**. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/20 "2025-04-22T16:12:48Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > That final season was very uneven, one of my favorite shows but not perfect. Did you know that it’s available on Amazon Prime streaming now, with most (if not all) of the OG music? _fist pump_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366.md?page=2)