# Your Favorite All-Time TV Shows **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2010, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331 "2010-03-22T13:28:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/41 "2010-03-23T00:53:50Z")
\*Carol Burnett Show Daily Show Dick Van Dyke Frazier House Jeopardy! Monk Outer Limits Star Trek: TNG Twilight Zone \* ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/42 "2010-03-23T00:53:57Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > Top 5? Wow, talk about limiting… > > 1. The Fugitive > 2. The Twilight Zone > 3. The Prisoner > 4. Wojeck > 5. Combat! > > And to round it out to ten, just because I want to: > 6. Tour of Duty > 7. Tales of the Gold Monkey (hey, _I_ liked it!) > 8. Hawaii Five-O > 9. China Beach > 10. ER Combat and Tour of Duty were terrific shows. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/43 "2010-03-23T02:02:45Z")
Red Dwarf ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/44 "2010-03-23T03:25:31Z")
At this point 33 individual posters have helped to build a list of 135 unique shows. When this thread goes to the next page, I’m going to ask that this thread be closed. As soon as that’s been done I will set up as many polls as it will take for all entries to be voted on in 20-25 item subpolls. The top 5-10 results in each of the subpolls will be combined into a final poll for the sake of determining the Top Show as voted by Dopers. The polls will be open to all Dopers, even if they didn’t contribute names to be considered. But only the shows in this thread will be used for the voting. Only shows contributed by posters who haven’t already posted will be added to the list, so if you see that a favorite show of yours hasn’t already been mentioned, and you haven’t already posted to this thread, go ahead and list it (or them) between now and the next page. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Mustardseed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mustardseed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mustardseed)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/45 "2010-03-23T03:55:13Z")
My personal top 5 (in no particular order): The Wire West Wing Gilmore Girls Friday Night Lights and maybe Lost (depending on the ending of the show) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/46 "2010-03-23T13:37:12Z")
After some more thought on the issues, here’s my current thinking. The 136 shows that have been mentioned so far break down into these groups: 88 mentioned only once 22 mentioned twice 26 mentioned three or more times I’m proposing to break the 88 into four groups of 22 each with each group getting its own preliminary poll thread. The top five from each of those polls will go with the other 48 (2 and up) shows to make a total of 68 finalists. Those 68 will be split into two polls of 34 each. The final 10 in those two will go together to make a Top 20 shows poll. The results of that Final Poll will stand as the **Straight Dope Top TV Shows of All Time**. Each poll will run one week until the final poll, which will run a month. Feedback? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/47 "2010-03-23T14:01:57Z")
Fawlty Towers [The Games](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Games_%28Australian_TV_series%29) Monty Python’s Flying Circus Ripping Yarns 涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱 (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/48 "2010-03-23T18:06:17Z")
_The Outer Limits_ (the original) _M_A_S_H\* _Star Trek_ _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ _WKRP in Cincinnati_ _Firefly_ _Kolchak: The Night Stalker_ _Get Smart_ _Hill Street Blues_ _Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In_ _The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson_ _Late Night_ & _The Late Show with David Letterman_ **Guilty Pleasures:** _Gilligan’s Island_ _Lost in Space_ ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/49 "2010-03-24T17:54:02Z")
I have decided against the involved preliminary polls to determine the Top Show. I will continue to monitor this thread for a while longer – depending on its interest – and to maintain a list of shows that have more than a few votes for Best Show or Favorite Show or whatever. If and when the list is convincingly down to a Top X-number of shows, when a poll might really detemine something this thread wouldn’t, I’ll reconsider the poll idea. If discussion would help, let’s do it here. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/50 "2010-03-24T18:22:35Z")
The Bob Newhart Show MASH Cheers The Simpsons Numb3rs Good Eats America’s Test Kitchen Arrested Development ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/51 "2010-03-24T21:23:56Z")
Howdy Doody Captain Midnight 77 Sunset Strip Maverick The Rogues Jonny Quest Ghoulardi All in the Family Barnie Miller MNF with Meredith and Cosell Cheers (Diane, not Rebecca) I, Claudius (I guess that’s actually Masterpiece Theater, but this stands out) Doctor Who (the old ones) Good Neighbors Monty Python Seinfeld Buffy NCIS Bones ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/52 "2010-03-24T21:33:05Z")
Also: Avengers Dick Van Dyke ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/53 "2010-03-26T21:16:50Z")
And Zorro. (Disney) Have I killed this thread dead enough yet. ---
**Author:** ![nachtmusick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@nachtmusick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nachtmusick)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/54 "2010-03-27T06:25:00Z")
X-files Sopranos Buffy Arrested Development Battlestar Galactica (the second one, of course) Seinfeld …and first mention I think for Venture Brothers. Surely I am not the only one watching? ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/55 "2010-03-27T10:02:30Z")
Okay, I deliberately have not peeked at earlier responses: 1. The Professionals 2. As Time Goes By 3.Callan 3. The Avengers 4. The Sweeney 5. Jungle Jim 6. Gilligans Island 7. F Troop 8. McKenzies Raiders 10.Father Dear Father These are in no order. I tried to remember the shows I liked as a child despite artistic merit. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/56 "2010-03-27T20:19:25Z")
Criminal Minds NCIS Bones Family Guy NYPD Blue Cold Case Files My Name Is EARL Forensic Files Flip This House Masterpiece Theatre Vicar Of Dibley A&E Literary Classics Unsolved Mysteries The Golden Girls 3’s Company Gilligan’s Island Hogans Heroes The Big Valley Archie Bunker Good Times Sanford And Son Perry Mason Welcome Back Kotter ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/57 "2010-03-27T20:22:34Z")
Not looking but they’re probably all picked already: Top 5 Dramas: 1. The Wire 2. Rome 3. Battlestar Galactica (remake) 4. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 5. House Top 5 Comedies: 1. The Simpsons 2. Spongebob Squarepants 3. Scrubs 4. Family Guy 5. All In The Family ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/58 "2010-03-28T13:39:36Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > I have decided against the involved preliminary polls to determine the Top Show. > > I will continue to monitor this thread for a while longer – depending on its interest – and to maintain a list of shows that have more than a few votes for Best Show or Favorite Show or whatever. > > If and when the list is convincingly down to a Top X-number of shows, when a poll might really detemine something this thread wouldn’t, I’ll reconsider the poll idea. > > If discussion would help, let’s do it here. If anybody wants to take the data from this thread and build a poll from it, I don’t have a problem with it. As a summary of those shows mentioned at least twice we have: ================================= As of Post #57 All In the Family (4) Angel (3) Arrested Development (5) The Avengers (4) Band of Brothers (2) Barney Miller (3) Battlestar Galactica (4) The Bob Newhart Show (2) Bones (2) Breaking Bad (3) Buffy (8) Carnivale (3) Cheers (3) Cosmos (2) Coupling (2) The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (2) Deadwood (10) Dick Van Dyke Show (3) Doctor Who (3) ER (3) Family Guy (3) Fawlty Towers (4) Firefly (4) Freaks & Geeks (2) Futurama (2) Get Smart (2) Gilligan’s Island (3) Gilmore Girls (2) The Golden Girls (2) Good Eats (2) House (4) I Claudius (2) Jeopardy! (2) Late Night With David Letterman (2) Lost (4) Mad Men (5) M_A_S\*H (4) Monday Night Football (2) Monk (2) Monty Python’s Flying Circus (4) My Name is Earl (3) NCIS (3) News Radio (2) Northern Exposure (4) Nova (4) NYPD Blue (2) The Office (original) (UK) (3) Outer Limits (2) Rome (5) Sanford and Son (2) Seinfeld (7) The Simpsons (9) Six Feet Under (3) The Sopranos (5) Star Trek (original) (6) Star Trek: TNG (6) Taxi (2) 3rd Rock from the Sun (2) 30 Rock (2) The Twilight Zone (3) Twin Peaks (3) The West Wing (4) The Wire (9) WKRP in Cincinnati (3) The X-Files (2) ---
**Author:** ![Euthanasiast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Euthanasiast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euthanasiast)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/59 "2010-03-29T02:20:02Z")
In order: Deadwood – The only flawless television I’ve ever seen. Nothing comes close. The Sopranos The Daily Show With Jon Stewart QI Band Of Brothers Family Guy The Shield Firefly Good Eats ---
**Author:** ![mecaenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@mecaenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mecaenas)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331/60 "2010-03-29T13:25:04Z")
I’ve grouped mine as best as I can, but can’t rank them further so I’ve opted for alphabetically within each group. **Top 1-5** Band of Brothers Homicide Life on the Street The Shield The Sopranos The Wire **Top 6-10** In Treatment [Louis Theroux’s documentaries](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Louis_Theroux_Documentaries) Mad Men Rome Sons of Anarchy **Top 11-15** Breaking Bad Generation Kill Six Feet Under Spooks Weeds **Top 16-20** Brotherhood Dexter Freaks & Geeks It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Top Gear [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-all-time-tv-shows/533331.md?page=4)