My vote for Best TV Shows of all time

Helix · Apr 28, 2014

mccardey said:
I think we all forgot The Forgotten Toys.

I hadn't heard of that. A bit after my time, I think!

Myrealana · Apr 28, 2014

In no particular order...

Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Firefly
Doctor Who
Star Trek
Star Trek:The Next Generation
Stargate:SG1
The Twilight Zone

I'm sensing a theme...

How many is that? I need three more. Only three?

Justice League and Justice League Unlimited (Which I count as one show)
House, MD
Fawlty Towers

It's a fluid list, depending on my mood, but right now, it's based on the ones I feel I could happily re-watch.

Myrealana · Apr 28, 2014

Oh! If I can combine ST and ST:TNG into one vote, I'd add "Life on Mars" to the list.

JimmyB27 · Apr 28, 2014

Cosmos (original, haven't seen Neil De Grasse Tyson's version yet).
Early Scrubs.
Only Fools and Horses.
Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Battlestar Galactica (reboot, haven't seen the original)
Star Trek: TNG
Band of Brothers
Father Ted
Red Dwarf
Blackadder (except for the first series, and especially for the last)

cornflake · Apr 28, 2014

Myrealana said:
Oh! If I can combine ST and ST:TNG into one vote, I'd add "Life on Mars" to the list.

No, no, you cannot combine TOS and anything else! :gaah

NewKidOldKid · Apr 28, 2014

Six Feet Under (plus, the last six minutes of the last episode are genius)

Sam Argent · Apr 28, 2014

1. Farscape
2. Pushing Daisies
3. Xena
4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
5. The Adventures of Brisco County Jr
6. The Twelve Kingdoms
7. Get Smart
8. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
9. Jeremiah
10. Forever Knight

Cath · Apr 28, 2014

Fourthing the contributions from Helix, McCardey, and WillieMeikle and adding Farscape and Babylon 5.

Jersey Chick · Apr 28, 2014

In no particular order:

M*A*S*H
All in the Family
The Honeymooners
ER
The Twilight Zone
CSI (Las Vegas)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Seinfeld
Barney Miller
Taxi

robeiae · Apr 28, 2014

Best shows of all time? I can't really say. But my favs:

Cheers
MASH (minus the last couple of seasons)
The Sopranos
The Rockford Files
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Columbo
Game of Thrones
The Big Bang Theory
Two and a Half Men (up til Sheen left)
The Carol Burnett Show
NewsRadio
Firefly
24

rhymegirl · Apr 28, 2014

A few thoughts here. I think this really is a very personal decision as to which shows rate as the 10 Best TV shows of all time.
Also, it depends on how old you are. Some people will remember some of the shows I'm listing, some weren't born yet.

With these things in mind, here are my top 10, in no special order.

1. I Love Lucy
2. Cheers
3. Hill Street Blues
4. M*A*S*H
5. Seinfeld
6. NYPD Blue
7. Frasier
8. Lost
9. The Red Skelton Show
10. The Carol Burnett Show

Wilde_at_heart · Apr 28, 2014

Blackadder
Cracker (with Robbie Coltrane)
Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett
Harry Enfield and Chums
Twilight Zone
Early but after the first season Simpsons
Babylon 5
Duckman
The Prisoner
The X-files (at least the first few seasons)

I don't watch a lot of television (especially recently) and the only thing I've seen produced in the past decade beyond maybe half an episode is Boardwalk Empire, which was nicely shot but too violent for my tastes.

ajaye · Apr 28, 2014

here's my favourites

the comedies
Yes Minister
Fawlty Towers
Monty Pythons Flying Circus
The Office, UK & US (yes I can have both :tongue

)
Frasier

the oldies
National Velvet
Topper
Randall & Hopkirk Deceased

the quirky
Six Feet Under

the I'm sixteen and in love with the leading man
Alias Smith and Jones
The Persuaders

the Aussie ones
Bony
Mother & Son
Kath & Kim
The Aunty Jack Show

EarlyBird · Apr 28, 2014

Frazier has got to be on the list. Definitely in my top few.

benbradley · Apr 28, 2014

Several of the ones I was thinking of were mentioned, thought it took too many posts for "All In The Family" to show up.
Shows not mentioned I think should be:

The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson

Saturday Night Live (especially the first decade or so)

Pamplemousse said:
I don't know about the rest, but I'd definitely take Dexter out. It was a fantastic show back in the day, but it gradually got worse and the most recent and final season was dreadful.

So it, um, jumped the shark?

mccardey said:
We should do a study of this thread and see how often the Best Shows Ever are born of the country and decade the poster is from

Exactly!

Haggis · Apr 28, 2014

mccardey said:
We should do a study of this thread and see how often the Best Shows Ever are born of the country the poster is from

Yep, and like Ben says, decade too.

When you're seventeen, picking the all time best TV shows is going to be a tad different than somebody seventy doing it. Likewise, an Aussie won't pick what what a Brit, Portuguese or US Merican would.

But you all should have picked Ernie Kovacs.

cornflake · Apr 28, 2014

I don't think age has that much to do with it.

I picked shows that were off the air before I was born. I still grew up watching them, and lots of other shows from before my time.

I know a 14-year-old who can quote the shit out of Mary Tyler Moore and one who has posters of ST:TOS people in her room, and is offended by the existence of Chris Pine, heh. It's not just reruns anymore, but DVDs, Netflix, etc.

Haggis · Apr 28, 2014

cornflake said:
I don't think age has that much to do with it.

I picked shows that were off the air before I was born. I still grew up watching them, and lots of other shows from before my time.

I know a 14-year-old who can quote the shit out of Mary Tyler Moore and one who has posters of ST:TOS people in her room, and is offended by the existence of Chris Pine, heh. It's not just reruns anymore, but DVDs, Netflix, etc.

You've got a valid point, cornflake. But how many kids have access to the stuff that was on TV in the 50s? Hell, much of that wasn't even recorded on kinescope. And, frankly, I wonder if today's kids would even be interested in a 60 year old TV program that was poorly recorded by today's standards. Not a lot of 14 year olds would have a clue who Jack Paar or Milton Berle or Sid Caesar was, though they were huge back then. But you're right. There clearly are 60s and 70s shows that are available now. I appreciate the reminder. I just might go see if Gunsmoke is on anywhere tonight.

cornflake · Apr 28, 2014

Haggis said:
You've got a valid point, cornflake. But how many kids have access to the stuff that was on TV in the 50s? Hell, much of that wasn't even recorded on kinescope. And, frankly, I wonder if today's kids would even be interested in a 60 year old TV program that was poorly recorded by today's standards. Not a lot of 14 year olds would have a clue who Jack Paar or Milton Berle or Sid Caesar was, though they were huge back then. But you're right. There clearly are 60s and 70s shows that are available now. I appreciate the reminder. I just might go see if Gunsmoke is on anywhere tonight.

I dunno how many, but I watched Father Knows Best, Donna Reed, Hazel, Patty Duke (I can still sing the whole theme song), MTM and others when I was a kid, because they were on afternoon reruns (oh, I Love Lucy too), or Nick at Nite.

Some of the kids I know now watch stuff because their parents preferred the old-school shows on Netflix or DVD as allowed TV to Disney Channel stuff now. Some because their parents loved the things and thus watched them and it was absorbed. I'm sure there are plenty of kids who have no clue, but the stuff still exists. Same as there probably aren't as many kids who enjoy Bach or the Beatles, or Donna Summer over One Direction, but they do exist.

Haggis · Apr 28, 2014

cornflake said:
I dunno how many, but I watched Father Knows Best, Donna Reed, Hazel, Patty Duke (I can still sing the whole theme song), MTM and others when I was a kid, because they were on afternoon reruns (oh, I Love Lucy too), or Nick at Nite.

Some of the kids I know now watch stuff because their parents preferred the old-school shows on Netflix or DVD as allowed TV to Disney Channel stuff now. Some because their parents loved the things and thus watched them and it was absorbed. I'm sure there are plenty of kids who have no clue, but the stuff still exists. Same as there probably aren't as many kids who enjoy Bach or the Beatles, or Donna Summer over One Direction, but they do exist.

No doubt you guys got lots of older shows to watch. What you missed is the early TV. The early 50s to the late 50s and into the early 60s. I Love Lucy was special, because they filmed every episode. That didn't happen with the other programs until later. We have some, but not all of the Honeymooners, which I'll bet you've seen, but most of the very early stuff just wasn't recorded.

One of my first "top tens" I mentioned was Ernie Kovacs. I doubt if 2% of our membership would have a clue who he was without Googling his name. Unless, maybe they used Yahoo.

Of course you've got to understand I'm so old that I don't have a clue who or what is ST:TOS or Chris Pine.

And all in all, I think it's all okay. Because that's just the way of life. My folks thought Buddy Holly's songs "weren't music." Fifteen years ago at an entertainment venue, I asked a rock 'n roll band who were asking for requests if they knew any Buddy Holly songs. They said, "Who's he?" And I don't know who Chris Pine is. So, you know, the clock ticks and we all move on.

cornflake · Apr 28, 2014

Haggis said:
No doubt you guys got lots of older shows to watch. What you missed is the early TV. The early 50s to the late 50s and into the early 60s. I Love Lucy was special, because they filmed every episode. That didn't happen with the other programs until later. We have some, but not all of the Honeymooners, which I'll bet you've seen, but most of the very early stuff just wasn't recorded.

One of my first "top tens" I mentioned was Ernie Kovacs. I doubt if 2% of our membership would have a clue who he was without Googling his name. Unless, maybe they used Yahoo. Of course you've got to understand I'm so old that I don't have a clue who or what is ST:TOS or Chris Pine.

And all in all, I think it's all okay. Because that's just the way of life. My folks thought Buddy Holly's songs "weren't music." Fifteen years ago at an entertainment venue, I asked a rock 'n roll band who were asking for requests if they knew any Buddy Holly songs. They said, "Who's he?" And I don't know who Chris Pine is. So, you know, the clock ticks and we all move on.

I agree in general, but there're seminal things, and besides, I have very little patience for 'it happened before I was born, who cares?' That covers nearly everything.

That band should have their license to play rock revoked. That's not ok. He's Buddy Holly. Besides his own work, and the Big Bopper, who gets forgotten, I wonder what they think American Pie was about.

I think those shows I mentioned were all from the 50s or early 60s, no?

ST:TOS is Star Trek: The Original Series. As an apparently official Old, I'd think you'd know that one.

Haggis · Apr 28, 2014

cornflake said:
I agree in general, but there're seminal things, and besides, I have very little patience for 'it happened before I was born, who cares?' That covers nearly everything.

That band should have their license to play rock revoked. That's not ok. He's Buddy Holly. Besides his own work, and the Big Bopper, who gets forgotten, I wonder what they think American Pie was about.

I think those shows I mentioned were all from the 50s or early 60s, no?

ST:TOS is Star Trek: The Original Series. As an apparently official Old, I'd think you'd know that one.

*slaps forehead*

I did not know that acronym. But then again I never got to see the original series. Saw it later but never made the connection. Besides, next Gen was better.

Lots you mentioned were from the 60s, and some, indeed were from the later 50s. In fairness, I watched a couple of Gunsmoke episodes from 1957 last Sunday night, so, yes, some of them are there. I guess I was more bemoaning the stuff that never got recorded. And there's a bunch of that.

But it's all good. Each generation needs their own schtick. A little carryover doesn't suck. I love much of the music from my parent's generation. Many of the movies and books as well. Maybe you guys have the chance to embrace more of my generation's culture than my generation had to embrace the culture of our parents.

But at the end of the day, I'd rather be reading a book than watching TV anyhow.

JimmyB27 · Apr 29, 2014

Haggis said:
I Love Lucy was special, because they filmed every episode. That didn't happen with the other programs until later.

If they didn't film them...what did they do? Was that the days when TVs really did have tiny people inside them acting out the shows?

One of my first "top tens" I mentioned was Ernie Kovacs. I doubt if 2% of our membership would have a clue who he was without Googling his name.

I thought I recognised the name, until I realised I was thinking of Walter Kovacs (Rorschach from Watchmen).

Wilde_at_heart · Apr 29, 2014

JimmyB27 said:
If they didn't film them...what did they do? Was that the days when TVs really did have tiny people inside them acting out the shows?

They went 'live to air' and were broadcast straight from the production stage rather than being recorded on anything first.

Keep in mind that 'filming' refers to the act of recording as well as shooting via camera. Early TV shows were transmitted directly.

rhymegirl · Apr 29, 2014

Haggis said:
And I don't know who Chris Pine is. So, you know, the clock ticks and we all move on.

Just for you, Mr. Haggis:

Chris Pine is a 33-year-old actor best known for playing James T. Kirk in the 2009 film Star Trek and the sequel in 2013.

You're welcome!

My vote for Best TV Shows of all time

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