The 50 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time

[Y 2 Jake]

According to Empire forums.

50. Quantum Leap
49. Prison Break
48. Veronica Mars
47. Star Trek: Deep Space 9
46. Sex And The City
45. Farscape
44. Cracker
43. Star Trek
42. Only Fools And Horses
41. Band Of Brothers
40. Life On Mars
39. Monty Python's Flying Circus
38. Curb Your Enthusiasm
37. Star Trek: The Next Generation
36. Father Ted
35. Alias
34. Frasier
33. CSI
32. Babylon 5
31. Deadwood
30. Dexter
29. ER
28. Fawlty Towers
27. Six Feet Under
26. Red Dwarf
25. Futurama
24. Twin Peaks
23. The Office (English)
22. The Shield
21. Angle
20. Blackadder (collectively I presume)
19. Scrubs
18. Arrested Development
17. South Park
16. Doctor Who
15. Heroes
14. Firefly
13. Battlestar Gallactica
12. Family Guy
11. Seinfeld
10. Spaced
9. The X-Files
8. The Wire
7. Friends
6. 24
5. Lost
4. The West Wing
3. The Sopranos
2. Buffy The Vampire Slayer
1. The Simpsons

Terrible list, very English list. There is a lot of Sci-Fi on this, I don't know why. Bar The X-Files I'm not really a fan of it. I'm surprised by the high ranking of The Wire. It's not like it's easy to find on English TV.

The poor ranking for Seinfeld is to be expected, it was on at about midnight.

There also appears to be a lot of high ranking current programs. I've seen little of Lost, none of Heroes and so on. But I'm guessing their high ranking is because they're currently on all the time.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Your #28 is one of the single funniest shows in the history of ANYWHERE!

Fawlty Towers was John Cleese's chance to shine AWAY from Monty Python, and collected some of the greatest British comedy ever written. His delivery was always flawless, from his hatred for his wife (Prunella Scales, I believe?) and his interaction with his Barcelonean Bellhop.

The episode "The Germans" is 20 minutes of the funniest comedy in history.

"Would you stop talking about the war?"
"Well you started it!"
"No, we didn't start it!"
"Yes you did, you invaded Poland!"

Fucking classic.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Got it on DVD, IC. It's a shame that and The Office are so far back, they deserve much, much better. Behind Scrubs? I like that show, but c'mon. Simpsons at number one is too predictable. It was once unarguably the best show on TV, but the shit they've recently dished out should take it down a few notches. And Buffy at number two in front of The Sopranos? Are you fucking kidding me!?

 

[X]

What a British list. Half of those wouldn't be on an American list I presume.

And where the FUCK is the Twilight Zone? Are you kidding me? One of the most popular and well-written shows EVER. How can it not be on here? Is that a joke?

And am I the only one that doesn't give a rats ass about anything Joss Whedon does? I've tried numerous times to watch his different shows, and everytime I am disappointed severely and promise myself to never watch it again. Then I read more rave reviews of him, say "Maybe I'll give it another shot", and then once again end up angry. Very angry.

Fuck you Joss Whedon.

 

[Shocky]

Family Guy being above South Park is a crime within itself. South Park is much funnier, much smarter, and all around, just a better show then Family Guy, hands down.

The Simpsons, about as Cliche as it gets, but understand why it's on there.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Was I the only teenager in the 90's that absolutly thought this show was the asshole of television. That show was god awful with terrible stories and terrible effects. It was so unwatchable, yet it has this ridiculous cult following. I don't understand the appeal whatsoever. Sarah Michelle Gellar isn't even that good looking to be eye candy to watch the show. Angel, gag me.

 

[klunderbunker]

That list is a joke. Veronica Mars? I like the show but not top 50 of all time. And no I love lucy, Bob Newhart, All In the Family or any of the 70s classics? That list makes no sense to me. Simpsons is good, but #1 of all time? Please.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Was I the only teenager in the 90's that absolutly thought this show was the asshole of television. That show was god awful with terrible stories and terrible effects. It was so unwatchable, yet it has this ridiculous cult following. I don't understand the appeal whatsoever. Sarah Michelle Gellar isn't even that good looking to be eye candy to watch the show. Angel, gag me.

Oh Shockey, no..

Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel were both great television shows. They improved from season to season with the effects. The way a vampire would turn to dust upon slaying was unique and undone before. It beat the old movie style of just "dying."

I was always a bigger fan of Angel than Buffy, and I agree that Sarah Michelle Gellar isn't hot.. although my favorite seasons of Buffy were with Faith, then Glory. I completely enjoyed watching because of Willow as well. I always enjoyed her. Spike was another personal favorite, and great reason to watch.

I could literally continue with why I enjoyed everyone other than Buffy, but the point is the show was good. The storylines might not of been entertaining to you because you viewed the overall product as shit to begin with, maybe? If you went into the show thinking it could be good, I don't see how you could be disappointed. But if you went in thinking it would be shit, then naturally it'll be horrible.

Personally, I don't find South Park funny because I can't look beyond the crappy graphics of the cartoon. I enjoy the 3D nature of Simpsons, and especially Family Guy.. South Parks next generation stick figure look just doesn't cut it for me. But to each their own.

 

[klunderbunker]

I loved both Angel and Buffy, but like Will I always thought Angel was better. From the fans of both that I've known, rarely do men like buffy better and vice versa for Angel. I've never been a fan of Buffy's looks either. Buffy was a good show,but to say it was top 5 all time is a joke. It was good, but the comics are ruining it. Same with Angel.

South Park is starting to decline. It used to be one of the few shows I'd go out of my way to watch, but now it's just there each week. The plots are really starting to stretch. Maybe it's time they finally reached 5th grade.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

I loved both Angel and Buffy, but like Will I always thought Angel was better. From the fans of both that I've known, rarely do men like buffy better and vice versa for Angel. I've never been a fan of Buffy's looks either. Buffy was a good show,but to say it was top 5 all time is a joke. It was good, but the comics are ruining it. Same with Angel.

I can see how Buffy would/could be a top 5 show especially with as big as its (as Shockey said) 'cult following' was. Buffy had tons upon tons of fans. It really was unreal how many people loved that show, for no more than it was ever originally meant to be.

Maybe I overlooked it, but was Charmed even on the top 50 list?

South Park is starting to decline. It used to be one of the few shows I'd go out of my way to watch, but now it's just there each week. The plots are really starting to stretch. Maybe it's time they finally reached 5th grade.

If you went by this logic though, then Maggie would be in school, Bart & Lisa would be in prison & college respectively, Homer & Marge would be in counselling and Grandpa would be dead.

Sometimes you can't jump TOO far ahead. And going up in grade is truly taking a step forward. Although it does shock me that the Simpsons haven't even progressed with Maggie.. thats one dumbass baby.

 

[Shadowmancer]

well that list even if it is British is missing off one of the greatest TV shows of all time in 'Allo 'Allo. That was so funny. So was Dad's Army. British war comedies are funny and imformative as well. But there is a glaring Ommission on this list. M*A*S*H. how can you have a show that is so popular and hasn't aged at all not be on there. I think the final is still some kind of ratings record for the US still and it has been 20 years.

 

[klunderbunker]

That's true about south park but in like the 4th season they went from 3rd to 4th grade. It does have to be in a frozen time line though. The show wouldn't make sense otherwise. I do like Buffy, but it did have its flat out bad moments and seasons. Btw, Charmed didn't make the cut.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

That list is a joke. Veronica Mars? I like the show but not top 50 of all time. And no I love lucy, Bob Newhart, All In the Family or any of the 70s classics? That list makes no sense to me. Simpsons is good, but #1 of all time? Please.

Anybody who EVER says "this _____ is a joke," IS a joke. Plain and simple. Klunder, I like you, but I am so sick of people looking at lists they don't agree with and calling the list a joke. It's like light trolling.

The list is great because it's causing some debate. Why disqualify someone's opinion by calling it a "joke?" People did that in the Wrestlezone Tournament when their favorite wrestler lost, people have already started doing it in the Music Tournament. Get over yourselves. And I will get off my soapbox.

I love the list. Not because I agree with it - althought I do agree with most of it - but it is very centric on raucus, intelligent situational comedy. Scrubs is my favorite TV show right now, Friends was one of my favorites, and some of the British Comedy needs to have some props given to it. As for the Simpsons, love it or hate it, it's been on for two decades and still reinvents itself.

 

[klunderbunker]

Noted for future reference. How's this. To me this list is pretty bad. It lists mainly shows that are from the early 90s on, or as far as I know, not considered to be classics. Many of the shows I've never heard of, while some that I've heard of I've never heard anyone consider them classics. The main problem I have with it is that as far as I can see, there aren't any American shows from the 70s or before. Some of those are simply classics. There are some shows that are good on there, like the Simpsons and Buffy, but overall I don't agree with it.

Apologies for my earlier post. I'll try to avoid doing that again.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Noted for future reference. How's this. To me this list is pretty bad. It lists mainly shows that are from the early 90s on, or as far as I know, not considered to be classics. Many of the shows I've never heard of, while some that I've heard of I've never heard anyone consider them classics. The main problem I have with it is that as far as I can see, there aren't any American shows from the 70s or before. Some of those are simply classics. There are some shows that are good on there, like the Simpsons and Buffy, but overall I don't agree with it.

Apologies for my earlier post. I'll try to avoid doing that again.

Fantastic! You are still one of my favorites! REP!

EDIT- Rumor has it Jake is going to start up a TV and Movie tournament after the Women's Tournament and Music Tournament have ended...THEN we can put an end to some of this.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

you know the funny thing? I refuse to particpate in the music tournament for the very thing IC was just talking about. JUst becuase something doesnt appeal to YOUR tastes, and what YOU think is quality, and entertaining, DOESNT mean its a "joke" or what the fuck ever. Its music, or in this case television shows, meant for entertainment. If it entertains someone, then why are they stupid for liking it? People most egregiously do this about music, in acting as if others are lower life forms for liking a certain band, and not liking others. Its fucking stupid.

Thanks for letting me borrow your soapbox IC

Yea, its an english list, so I cant particularly say its dumb, becuase different cultures have different sense of humor, and entertainment (see: football)...Had this been an american list, then id have had questions, but its hard to comment on the culture of another country. What it does show, is that the Simpsons whoop ass globally. It would prolly be number 1 on the US list too.

 

[Evan Snow-Wolf]

I really liked Brimstone. If it had gotten a bigger push and was given more than 13 episodes to run with, I think it could have been truly great. But sliding its time schedule around and putting it against stiff competition was a really bad move.

And really, all shows should be allowed to at least finish their first season.