# TV Guide's 60 Best Shows - Which ones have you NOT seen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 8, 2015, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818 "2015-12-08T14:22:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/21 "2015-12-08T16:43:46Z")
Here’s a sorted list after 51 voters. ```auto View Poll Results: TV Guide's 60 Best Shows - Which ones have you NOT seen a complete episode of? The Twilight Zone 2 3.92% Star Trek 3 5.88% Jeopardy! 3 5.88% Cheers 4 7.84% Saturday Night Live 4 7.84% The Simpsons 5 9.80% Seinfeld 6 11.76% M*A*S*H 6 11.76% The Cosby Show 6 11.76% Taxi 6 11.76% I Love Lucy 7 13.73% 60 Minutes 7 13.73% The X-Files 8 15.69% Monty Python’s Flying Circus 8 15.69% All in the Family 9 17.65% The Mary Tyler Moore Show 9 17.65% The Dick Van Dyke Show 9 17.65% Late Night/Late Show with David Letterman 9 17.65% The Bob Newhart Show 9 17.65% The Carol Burnett Show 10 19.61% The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 10 19.61% Friends 10 19.61% Sesame Street 10 19.61% Roseanne 10 19.61% The Andy Griffith Show 11 21.57% The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 11 21.57% Barney Miller 12 23.53% The Big Bang Theory 12 23.53% The Honeymooners 13 25.49% Columbo 13 25.49% The Golden Girls 15 29.41% Breaking Bad 16 31.37% Law & Order 16 31.37% Hill Street Blues 17 33.33% ER 17 33.33% Modern Family 17 33.33% Mad Men 18 35.29% The Waltons 19 37.25% Everybody Love Raymond 20 39.22% The Sopranos 21 41.18% Gunsmoke 21 41.18% NYPD Blue 22 43.14% Sex and the City 23 45.10% Dallas 23 45.10% Masterpiece Theatre 24 47.06% The Ed Sullivan Show 25 49.02% Lost 25 49.02% American Idol 25 49.02% Buffy the Vampire Slayer 26 50.98% Battlestar Galactica (2004) 26 50.98% Survivor 27 52.94% The West Wing 27 52.94% The Oprah Winfrey Show 28 54.90% St. Elsewhere 28 54.90% The Wire 29 56.86% The Larry Sanders Show 31 60.78% Homicide: Life on the Street 34 66.67% The Shield 37 72.55% The Good Wife 37 72.55% Your Show of Shows 40 78.43% Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 51. ``` One might make the case that we’re “backing into” the most popular shows of SDMB voters? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/22 "2015-12-08T16:49:19Z")
I’ve actually only missed six of them. I’m too young to have seen \*Your Show of Shows \*, although like **TriPolar** , I did see the [movie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069663/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1). ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/23 "2015-12-08T16:59:32Z")
Mine: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (I’ve seen clips, but never an episode) The Big Bang Theory The Honeymooners Hill Street Blues Modern Family Gunsmoke NYPD Blue Dallas The Ed Sullivan Show St. Elsewhere Homicide: Life on the Street Your Show of Shows Pretty random, with the exception of my apparent distaste for 80/90s cop dramas. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/24 "2015-12-08T17:39:50Z")
Your Show of Shows last ran in 1954 in it’s original production. There were a handful of edited shows run on Comedy Central in the 90s. I saw Ten from Your Show of Shows at the movie theater in the 70s. It’s not surprising it hasn’t been seen much. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/25 "2015-12-08T17:47:13Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > I noticed another…“The Prisoner”. “The Prisoner” is like licorice. Not all that many people like licorice, but people who like licorice REALLY like licorice. “The Prisoner” is one of the few teevee shows I own on DVD. Last spring the Ukulele Lady and I spent a night at Portmeiron, the bizarre resort colony in Wales where Patrick McGoohan shot the exteriors. We stayed in a small suite just above the courtyard used for the Cafe or the Restaurant in the Village. Cecil Adams and Ed Zotti HATE “The Prisoner.” They hated it 30 years ago, anyway. Maybe they understand it by now. > **[What was the cult TV series “The Prisoner” all about?](https://www.straightdope.com/21341558/what-was-the-cult-tv-series-the-prisoner-all-about)** ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/26 "2015-12-08T17:48:14Z")
For comparison’s sake, the most recent thread/poll dealing with TV Show preferences (that I had anything to do with) is > **[Final Round -- Best All-Time TV Show](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=703529)** > > With just fewer than 200 voters participating since 08-20-2013 in The Best All-Time TV Show – UPDATE it’s time to identify SDMB’s Number One show from the top finishers. Public poll. One choice. Make it count! Final Round – Best All-Time TV Show 09-30-2013, 10:04 AM #94 12-24-2013, 01:42 PM There may be others I’m not familiar with that could be mentioned… **Other threads are mentioned (with links) in that OP and other posts there.** ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/27 "2015-12-08T17:50:22Z")
“Your Show of Shows” was well before my time, but I think it’s brilliant. The “Uncle Goopy” sketch (aka “This is Your Life” parody) never fails to kill me. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gNbT9Lf9xZo/hqdefault.jpg "Sid Caesar - "This is Your Story" with Carl Reiner and Howard Morris (Full Sketch)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNbT9Lf9xZo) ---
**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:** [December 8, 2015, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/28 "2015-12-08T18:05:34Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > I noticed another… _ **Combat!** _ ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/29 "2015-12-08T18:12:25Z")
I had quite a few modern shows that I never saw. The Wire, Lost, Good Wife, Big Bang Theory, Mad Men, etc. I don’t watch much tv anymore except HGTV,DIY, Discovery and History channels. Others like Raymond and Modern Family I saw in reruns channel surfing. Some I’ve only seen a few minutes of. Like Hill Street Blues. I’d land on the show channel surfing and might watch if it drew me in. I’ve seen all the classic tv shows prior to 1985. ---
**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:** [December 8, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/30 "2015-12-08T18:29:11Z")
I would think the original _ **Mission: Impossible** _ deserves a mention too. _ **Sea Hunt** _ and _ **Whirlybirds!** _, whose production values seem very dated today, were also seen as quite innovative back in the '50s. Another show I think deserves a mention is _ **Perry Mason** _, which ran as long as _MAS_H\*\*\*. Surprised \*\*\*Alfred Hitchcock Presents \*\*\*is missing as well. I guess if this were a list of the top 100 shows, at least some of the above would be on it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/31 "2015-12-08T18:50:56Z")
“Your Show of Shows” is going to lead the voting just because it is so old. More telling is the next few shows - all gritty dramas. Seems there are a lot of people like me who have not the slightest interest in wasting their recreational time watching bad people do bad things to other bad people. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/32 "2015-12-08T19:02:16Z")
I like the Good Wife, but it does not belong on the list of the 60 best TV shows. Neither does Dallas. I don’t like the Wire, but it is certainly … significant. Just not enjoyable. I watched about two minutes of the Sopranos, saw that Lorraine Bracco was about to be graphically raped, and ejected the DVD. So I’ll replace it with Rizzoli and Isles, which is actually a mediocre show at best but is reliably and intentionally hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/33 "2015-12-08T19:04:20Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Another show I think deserves a mention is _ **Perry Mason** _, which ran as long as _MAS_H\*\*\*. Hard to believe the list includes Dallas and leaves out Perry. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/34 "2015-12-08T19:37:14Z")
Ed Sullivan. I Love Lucy. Brought back memories of being bored out of my skull at my grandparent’s house watching shitty black and white TV. Not sure I ever saw full episodes of some old shows like Andy Griffith, but I assumed I had but blocked out the memory. Many of the “never seen” shows are actually fairly recent and are either premium cable (Sopranos) or just not that interesting to me. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/35 "2015-12-08T19:45:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Law & Order > Hill Street Blues > The Cosby Show > ER > Sesame Street > Taxi > Sex and the City > Late Night/Late Show with David Letterman > Modern Family > NYPD Blue > The Bob Newhart Show > St. Elsewhere > The Big Bang Theory > The Daily Show with Jon Stewart > The Golden Girls > Homicide: Life on the Street > The Larry Sanders Show > The Good Wife > Everybody Love Raymond Never seen a complete episode of any of those shows, above. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/36 "2015-12-08T19:46:18Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > “The Prisoner” is like licorice. Not all that many people like licorice, but people who like licorice REALLY like licorice. > > “The Prisoner” is one of the few teevee shows I own on DVD. Last spring the Ukulele Lady and I spent a night at Portmeiron, the bizarre resort colony in Wales where Patrick McGoohan shot the exteriors. We stayed in a small suite just above the courtyard used for the Cafe or the Restaurant in the Village. > > Cecil Adams and Ed Zotti HATE “The Prisoner.” They hated it 30 years ago, anyway. Maybe they understand it by now. > > [What was the cult TV series “The Prisoner” all about? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/379/what-was-the-cult-tv-series-the-prisoner-all-about) I don’t like licorice or The Prisoner. I remembered watching it and enjoying it as a kid. I tried watching it as an adult and could only conclude that the juvenile me liked pretentious shite. OTOH, I had the same experience with Dark Shadows, so juvenile me apparently also liked cheezy, overacted gothic melodrama. Juvenile me had shitty taste in TV sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/37 "2015-12-08T19:48:14Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > “The Prisoner” is like licorice. Not all that many people like licorice, but people who like licorice REALLY like licorice. I loooooooove _The Prisoner_, but hate licorice. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/38 "2015-12-08T19:55:59Z")
How old would you have to be, without determined searching it out, to have watched a full episode of Your Show of Shows or Ed Sullivan? At least Gunsmoke and Honeymooners were shown occasionally in rerun when I was quite young (I’m 46 now) but those two I’ve only seen occasional clips of. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/39 "2015-12-08T20:00:58Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I like the Good Wife, but it does not belong on the list of the 60 best TV shows. Neither does Dallas. > > I don’t like the Wire, but it is certainly … significant. Just not enjoyable. > > I watched about two minutes of the Sopranos, saw that Lorraine Bracco was about to be graphically raped, and ejected the DVD. So I’ll replace it with Rizzoli and Isles, which is actually a mediocre show at best but is reliably and intentionally hilarious. It was an important plot point, Tony falling in love with his shrink and white knighting her. It also humanizes Broccos character. Please reconsider and give the show a second chance. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818/40 "2015-12-08T20:03:26Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Hard to believe the list includes Dallas and leaves out Perry. Still a great show. Raymond Burr was just awesome. And Barbara Hale is still with us 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-60-best-shows-which-ones-have-you-not-seen/739818.md?page=3)