# The Best All-Time TV Show \[vote for up to 10\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 8, 2010, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-all-time-tv-show-vote-for-up-to-10/538740 "2010-05-08T12:40:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-all-time-tv-show-vote-for-up-to-10/538740/61 "2010-06-06T02:10:42Z")
Star Trek franchise (mostly TOS & later seasons TNG) Doctor Who (original & redo) The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show Life on Mars (BBC) Monty Python’s Flying Circus Night Stalker (1972) X-Files Nova (PBS - any topic) The Star Hustler (Star Gazer) The Carol Burnett Show (not in order, as that would change depending on mood) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-all-time-tv-show-vote-for-up-to-10/538740/62 "2010-06-06T12:04:00Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Star Trek franchise (mostly TOS) > Monty Python’s Flying Circus > Night Stalker (1972) > X-Files > Nova (PBS - any topic) > The Carol Burnett Show > > (not in order, as that would change depending on mood) We share tastes on these. I never saw any of your others. Once they cancelled TOS I lost interest in _Star Trek_. I rank(ed) _NOVA_ in my Top Ten earlier in the thread. They rarely fail to deliver quality shows on subjects I find fascinating and important to know. What’s been puzzling in the course of these TV show threads has been the failure to mention the James Burke _Connections_ shows. His _Day the Universe Changed_ (may not be the exact title) was mentioned but got left behind due to lack of mention support. Burke and Sagan were the main men back in the 80’s for science topics and amazing presentations of them. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-all-time-tv-show-vote-for-up-to-10/538740/63 "2010-06-06T20:35:24Z")
Poll closes in less than 24 hours. Only six voters need to break 300 votes! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-all-time-tv-show-vote-for-up-to-10/538740/64 "2010-06-07T00:03:39Z")
Loved Sagan and Burke. Don’t forget Timothy Ferris. From the late 80s thru the 90s and into the 00s as a science explainer for the interested masses. One of the best, imho. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-all-time-tv-show-vote-for-up-to-10/538740/65 "2010-06-07T12:13:08Z")
Last call for votes. Two needed to top 300. You have less than half an hour to get in on the action. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-all-time-tv-show-vote-for-up-to-10/538740/66 "2010-06-07T13:42:08Z")
Am a bit surprised that the Simpsons won. I guess its competition either has lost some luster over the passage of time (M.A.S.H.), has/had limited appeal (Buffy), or suffered a bad lapse in quality before the end (X-Files). Tho the Simpsons have been coasting on their (its?) reputation for 10 years or so now. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-all-time-tv-show-vote-for-up-to-10/538740/67 "2010-06-07T13:56:14Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Am a bit surprised that the Simpsons won. I guess its competition either has lost some luster over the passage of time (M.A.S.H.), has/had limited appeal (Buffy), or suffered a bad lapse in quality before the end (X-Files). Tho the Simpsons have been coasting on their (its?) reputation for 10 years or so now. Not just won! Slaughtered. Whatever follow-up polling may be done it will be to determine second best or second most popular or second most something. Should _The Simpsons_ be excluded from the next voting? Should votes be limited (as much as an “honor system” allows) to five or less? One only? Out of the 51 shows in this poll how many should go on to some Final Vote process? How long should the other two polls stay open? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-all-time-tv-show-vote-for-up-to-10/538740/68 "2010-06-07T14:13:49Z")
Here are the sorted results: ```auto The Simpsons 133 44.63% M*A*S*H 79 26.51% Seinfeld 76 25.50% The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 74 24.83% Monty Python's Flying Circus 71 23.83% Firefly 69 23.15% The Twilight Zone 68 22.82% The Wire 63 21.14% The Sopranos 63 21.14% Arrested Development 58 19.46% Cheers 54 18.12% All In The Family 52 17.45% Fawlty Towers 50 16.78% Buffy 49 16.44% Futurama 48 16.11% The West Wing 47 15.77% Star Trek: TOS 46 15.44% Doctor Who 46 15.44% Star Trek: TNG 44 14.77% NOVA 43 14.43% Dick Van Dyke Show 41 13.76% WKRP In Cincinnati 39 13.09% Battlestar Galactica 38 12.75% Northern Exposure 37 12.42% Deadwood 34 11.41% Lost 33 11.07% Barney Miller 33 11.07% Band of Brothers 31 10.40% House 31 10.40% The Bob Newhart Show 30 10.07% The Office (Original -- UK) 30 10.07% Six Feet Under 29 9.73% Freaks & Geeks 27 9.06% Rome 26 8.72% News Radio 25 8.39% Whose Line Is It Anyway? 24 8.05% Breaking Bad 23 7.72% Family Guy 22 7.38% Good Eats 22 7.38% Twin Peaks 20 6.71% Angel 19 6.38% The Shield 19 6.38% Mad Men 18 6.04% The Golden Girls 17 5.70% ER 15 5.03% I Claudius 15 5.03% NCIS 13 4.36% The Avengers 11 3.69% My Name Is Earl 11 3.69% Gilligan's Island 9 3.02% Carnivale 6 2.01% Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 298. This poll is closed ``` ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-all-time-tv-show-vote-for-up-to-10/538740/69 "2011-05-23T18:24:04Z")
\*\*\* BUMP \*\*\* This thread is going on a year old and I’m curious how much tastes may have changed in that time and how many of the more recent shows may have moved up in people’s Top Ten since they voted last year. I’m bumping this thread instead of starting a new one with links to all the support threads that went into this one in hopes that somebody else – with a different idea on how to construct it – might want to make a new poll, or collect data for a new poll or something along those lines. Maybe just a little discussion on whether such a thing is worth the hassle. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-all-time-tv-show-vote-for-up-to-10/538740/70 "2011-05-23T19:21:59Z")
By all means, have a new poll. I would’ve voted for: _The Simpsons Seinfeld ST:TNG Monty Python The West Wing Twin Peaks My Name is Earl Whose Line is It Anyway? ST:TOS The Bob Newhart Show_ And would’ve added: _Roseanne Friends ST: DS9 Reaper_ ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-all-time-tv-show-vote-for-up-to-10/538740/71 "2013-08-27T03:32:48Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I never got into _West Wing_ or _House_. I would have added _The Sopranos_ but I really didn’t like that half-season featuring Vito (the gay mobster). _Carnivale_ and _Six Feet Under_ would have made the list but it would have been more than ten. > > When this poll is over, how about a poll asking for just one choice? I’d like to see that – it’s always hard to pick just one. Please excuse this “zombie reply” but I was reading over this old thread and spotted this. After 3+ years you get your wish, **AuntiePam** , and perhaps others may wish to see how much preliminary chatter there was to get to the latest version of this concept. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-all-time-tv-show-vote-for-up-to-10/538740.md?page=3)