As we all know, 95% of everything sucks. With television it’s probably closer to 98.6%. But there’s some greatness in its history. Restricting yourself to shows that lasted at least two complete seasons–that is, they must have been renewed after the second season, but it doesn’t matter what happeend after that time. I add this stipulation because television is a serial medium, and though the number of episodes doesn’t necessarily say anything bad about a show’s quality, it doesn’t seem fair to me to compare a show that lasted 12 episodes to one that lasted a hundred.
My list:
NYPD Blue
Law & Order
Battlestar Galactica (reboot)
The Simpsons
5-6. Gilmore girls & Angel (tie)
7-8. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine/Babylon 5 (tie)
9-10. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Star Trek: TOS (tie)
I thought about giving Cop Rock a spot, if only to stick my thumb in the eyes of all the people who hate it (you bastards!!! :D), but my two complete seasons rule prevented me. But I’ll give it an honorary mention along with Pushing Daisies and Firefly, which would be tied for second place if not for that rule.
Lost
Dexter
Babylon 5
Farscape
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Battlestar Galactica
Stargate: SG-1
Weeds
How I Met Your Mother
The Wire
Deadwood
Battlestar Galactica
Mad Men
Sopranos
Firefly
thirtysomething
Freaks and Geeks
My So-Called Life
X-Files (its last few seasons notwithstanding)
I’ll probably change my mind or remember something I forgot in 10 minutes.
Sesame Street has to be on that list. It’s the only show that lived up to TV’s potential to both entertain and educate. It brought literacy to the masses. The segments where some of the world’s best actors recite the alphabet are among the best on television.
I’d add the Twilight Zone, and probably Playhouse 90 although that was before my time.
I Love Lucy is a classic sitcom for a reason.
The Cosby Show resurrected the sitcom when it was supposed to be dead, saved NBC, and anchored the “Must See TV” line up. It was also a positive show that was funny.
I liked DS9 best of the Start Trek TV franchise, but ST-TOS should probably get the credit in a “best of” listing, since it started it all. I really liked B5. I’m not sure either B5 or any of the Star Treks make it to the top ten.
Hill Street Blues should be on the list also.
Ernie Kovacs’ talk show also should be on the list.
I was going to complain about Mad men not qualifying under the two-complete seasons rule. Then I read the rest of your list and saw that you decided to ignore that anyway.
I don’t have a problem with disregarding the last few seasons of shows like X-Files. I did the same thing for the Simpsons, after all.
I think I’ve seen every episode of each one with the exceptions of AITF and Honeymooners. I put them in because every time I do catch an episode I’m surprised by how funny and ahead of their time they were and how well they hold up.
The Wire
Arrested Development
The Shield
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
The Sopranos
Seinfeld
Freaks and Geeks
The Simpsons (just for seasons 1-10)
Lost
Soap
Twin Peaks might have made it if it weren’t for the dragging middle section of season 2.
The Dick Van Dyck Show
Monty Python’s Flying Circus
NYPD Blue
Babylon 5
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Homicide: Life on the Street
The Simpsons
Picket Fences
Arrested Development
Doctor Who
Mad Men has had two complete seasons, hasn’t it? Its seasons are shorter than regular network shows.
I would also like to add Breaking Bad and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to my list. You can swap out the shows that didn’t have a complete season, like Freaks and Geeks and Firefly, to accommodate them. Told ya I’d reconsider in 10 minutes.
The Dick Van Dyke Show
MASH
The Simpsons
The Sopranos
The Wire
The Twilight Zone
Jeopardy
60 Minutes
The Wide World of Sports
The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
The space coverage by Walter Cronkite
The Wire
The Simpsons
Sesame Street
The Sopranos
Six Feet Under
Rome
My So-Called Life (I know this wasn’t two full seasons, but still deserves a nod)
The Cosby Show
The Office (UK version)
Mad Men
