# "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:** 3
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/41 "2025-04-22T17:13:33Z")
Agreed on Derry Girls. I’d also add Reservation Dogs. I watched the series twice and can’t think of any bad episodes. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/42 "2025-04-22T17:17:54Z")
Justified All Creatures Great & Small Call the Midwife ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/43 "2025-04-22T17:27:02Z")
Saw the thread title and came to nominate _The Good Place_ but was ninja’ed from the get go. Not only hits all the OP’s criteria, but has the greatest twist in TV history (all respect to _Newhart_, but it’s the difference between “What an awesomely clever way to end a series” and “Holy mother forking shirtballs!”). I can get behind _Breaking Bad_ and _BCS_ as well. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/44 "2025-04-22T17:27:40Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > **WKRP in Cincinnati** just missed being perfect by having a few weak episodes in its final season. They had a clip show episode (Mama’s Review). No clip show episode is good, by definition. > [@XOldiesJock](#): > > A perfect sitcom from start to finish. Except “Lou Dates Mary”. Did they have to try to pair Mares up with everyone? That was just cringeworthy. At least she never dated Ted. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/45 "2025-04-22T17:29:13Z")
Nothing is perfect, but I think ‘The Prisoner’ comes close? ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/46 "2025-04-22T17:29:33Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > 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. As long as you don’t include _Justified: City Primeval_ as part of the original show. I’ll nominate _Detectorists_. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/47 "2025-04-22T18:02:59Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I thought there were 3 alternatives, but so far I can’t cite that. I saw a third alternative a couple weeks ago on MeTV: [S3.E1 “That’s My Boy”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNXxWXBShFk) ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/48 "2025-04-22T18:03:34Z")
I wanted to add Derry Girls, but COVID did a number on season 3 on top of the puberty. If it’s all going to be awkward lean into it for the comedy! But they didn’t, just threw in a couple of big name cameos. For a comedy with heart it had a solid ending though. ---
**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, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/49 "2025-04-22T18:05:40Z")
I thought that final season was absolutely inferior to the first 2. So not perfect sadly, but I agree a very solid finish. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/50 "2025-04-22T18:06:33Z")
[Better Off Ted](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235547/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_Better%2520off%2520ted) There’s also a hilarious “outtakes” reel available where the actors all get to use some extraordinarily colorful language. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/51 "2025-04-22T18:09:54Z")
Cheers, I’ll give it a try. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/52 "2025-04-22T18:13:50Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > > > **WKRP in Cincinnati** just missed being perfect by having a few weak episodes in its final season. > > They had a clip show episode (Mama’s Review). No clip show episode is good, by definition. To be fair, that episode originally aired after a two-month hiatus. The Thanksgiving episode might well have been the penultimate without it. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/53 "2025-04-22T18:27:32Z")
I love _The Dick Van Dyke Show_ as much as anyone, but it had a few duds here and there. Like “The Twizzle,” where Sally discovers a new pop singer in a bowling alley, but he really longs to sing show tunes. Or the one where Rob and Laura are trying to find dates for their new neighbor, who turns out to be a wife-beater. Or the one where Rob dreams he’s back in the “good old days” where he’s a gentleman of leisure who doesn’t have to help with any chores around the house. Or the one where Chad and Jeremy pretended to be The Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/54 "2025-04-22T18:49:39Z")
The original 20 season run of _Law & Order_ was perfect in IMHO. And _Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles_ was great as well. Also _The Mandalorian_ And _Star Trek: Lower Decks_ ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/55 "2025-04-22T18:56:58Z")
I’ll vote for Adult Swim’s **Delocated**. A great absurd dark comedy from beginning to end. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/56 "2025-04-22T19:01:54Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Except “Lou Dates Mary”. Did they have to try to pair Mares up with everyone? That was just cringeworthy. At least she never dated Ted. One of the last episodes of the final season had Murray, Lou and Ted sharing a bottle and imagining life married to Mary. Ted’s vignette had one of my favorite lines in the series: On their wedding night, when the bellhop carries their bags into their room, he asks Ted, “Would you like me to show you where everything is?” Ted replies, “No, I’m sure she’ll tell me”. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/57 "2025-04-22T19:04:05Z")
For it’s time, Miami Vice. Unfortunately it doesn’t hold up well. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/58 "2025-04-22T19:15:46Z")
Fifty-plus replies and no one has mentioned _The Wire_, the greatest TV show ever made? [Sheeeeeee-ittttt!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-ykugiRKyM) Yes, Season 5 was not up to the standard of the first four, but considering how good they were, S5 still rates as better than 99% of other shows. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/59 "2025-04-22T19:26:04Z")
The original run (first three seasons) of **Arrested Development**. The later Netflix revival doesn’t count. But I loved, loved, LOVED it from the very first moments. I think it was the introduction of Tony Hale as Buster, and Jason Bateman’s no-winking deadpan. Oh, and David Cross as Tobias. Just a great show. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2025, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366/60 "2025-04-22T19:29:28Z")
I disagree about _ **MTM** _. The episodes in which Mary was dating the dweeb of the month were nowhere near as good as the ones centered on the people around her. They were what made the show funny, while Mary herself seldom made me laugh. Two series I never miss are _ **Heartbeat** _ and (ignoring the two "prequels\*, i.e., failed pilots) _ **Doc Martin** _. I’ve been watching both from the beginning. Not only did they “hit the ground running” (the Nick/Kate and Martin/Louisa relationships were established before the first commercial), I’ve never seen either one have a bad story. Both series evolve naturally with people coming and going, just like in real life. Two others in the same vein were _ **Danger:UXB** _ with its butt-clenching tension, and _ **Foyle’s War** _, which transitioned seamlessly from WWII to post-war espionage. If we’re including documentaries and docudramas, _ **The Six Wives of Henry VIII** _ and _ **Elizabeth R** _ were two of the series that got me hooked on PBS back in the '70s (Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth I in the latter was especially briliant). _ **I, Claudius** _ should be included here, since it was based mainly on the writings of Suetonius, and Jacob Bronowski’s _ **The Ascent of Man** _ was a university-level course on civilization presented in 13 episodes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perfect-television-shows/1017366.md?page=4)