# What are the ten GREATEST television shows of all time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 22, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867 "2009-07-22T16:10:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [July 22, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/1 "2009-07-22T16:10:47Z")
[Obviously the flip side of **Czarcasm** ’s current thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=11365780&posted=1#post11365780) 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: 1. NYPD Blue 2. Law & Order 3. Battlestar Galactica (reboot) 4. 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. Anybody else? Bueller? ---
**Author:** ![Starbreaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@Starbreaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starbreaker)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/2 "2009-07-22T16:33:38Z")
I have a serious sci-fi bias but… 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 ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/3 "2009-07-22T16:38:18Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/4 "2009-07-22T16:42:37Z")
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. Must get back to work now. ☹ ---
**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:** [July 22, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/5 "2009-07-22T16:44:35Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/6 "2009-07-22T16:45:57Z")
Deadwood WKRP in Cincinatti The Shield Blackadder South Park Lost 24 Babylon 5 Life Tour of Duty ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/7 "2009-07-22T16:47:05Z")
The Sopranos Blackadder My So-Called Life Freaks and Geeks The Simpsons Futurama Rome The Twilight Zone Frasier And I can’t for the life of me think of a number ten. ETA: Damn. Didn’t see the two season rule. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/8 "2009-07-22T16:47:33Z")
1. NYPD Blue 2. Cheers 3. Battlestar Galactica (RDM) 4. The Sopranos 5. Deadwood 6. Hill Street Blues 7. The Muppet Show 8. The Honeymooners 9. The West Wing 10. All In The Family 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. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/9 "2009-07-22T16:48:44Z")
**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. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/10 "2009-07-22T16:50:11Z")
The Rockford Files Gilligan’s Island I, Claudius The Shield Arrested Development Sons of Anarchy 30 Rock Star Wars, The Clone Wars How It’s Made Nova ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/11 "2009-07-22T16:52:30Z")
In no particular order: 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 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/12 "2009-07-22T16:53:33Z")
1. Seinfeld 2. MASH 3. All in the Family 4. The Andy Griffith Show 5. Six Feet Under 6. The Simpsons 7. Arrested Development 8. The Sopranos 9. Cheers 10. Law & Order ---
**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:** [July 22, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/13 "2009-07-22T16:53:51Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > 1. NYPD Blue > 2. Cheers > 3. Battlestar Galactica (RDM) > 4. The Sopranos > 5. Deadwood > 6. Hill Street Blues > 7. The Muppet Show > 8. The Honeymooners > 9. The West Wing > 10. All In The Family > > 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. I somehow forgot about West Wing. I’ll have to make it tie with BSG–which is, in a sense, its dark twin–and kick out B5. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/14 "2009-07-22T16:58:18Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > 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. 😃 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. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/15 "2009-07-22T17:03:54Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/16 "2009-07-22T17:06:04Z")
In no particular order: The Sopranos Rome South Park Dennis Miller Live! (the HBO show) Frasier Lost (hopefully) Newhart Arrested Development Seinfeld Mythbusters Yeah…all I’ve got left are short-term memories. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/17 "2009-07-22T17:08:33Z")
Your Show of Shows I’ve Got a Secret The Addams Family SNL Mary Tyler Moore MASH Cheers Seinfeld Arrested Development Nova ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/18 "2009-07-22T17:22:10Z")
Seinfeld The Andy Griffith Show All in the Family The Simpsons Star Trek Mary Tyler Moore Rome 30 Rock Firefly Frasier ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/19 "2009-07-22T17:25:21Z")
Damn - forgot about **30 Rock**. I’d replace “Soap” with that on my list. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867/20 "2009-07-22T17:29:06Z")
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 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-ten-greatest-television-shows-of-all-time/503867.md?page=2)