Top 50 TV Shows Of All Time

rosboy

Empire readers recently voter for the top 50 TV shows of all time. Here's the results:

01. The Simpsons
02. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
03. The sporanos
04. The West Wing
05. Lost
06. 24
07. Friends
08. The Wire
09. The X-Files
10. Spaced
11. Seinfeld
12. Family Guy
13. Battlestar Galactica (2003-Present)
14. Firefly
15. Heroes
16. Dr Who (2005-Present)
17. Southpark
18. Arrested Dewvelopment
19. Scrubs
20. Blackadder
21. Angel
22. The Shield
23. The Office (UK)
24. Twin Peaks
25. Futurama
26. Red Dwarf
27. Six Feet Under
28. Fawlty Towers
29. ER
30. Dexter
31. Deadwood
32. Babylon 5
33. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
34. Fraiser
35. Alias
36. Father Ted
37. Star Trek: the Next Generation
38. Curb Your Enthusiasm
39. Monty Pytons Flying Cricus
40. Life On Mars
41. Band Of Brothers
42. Only Fools And Horses
43. Star Trek
44. Cracker
45. Farscape
46. Sex And The City
47. Star Trek Deeps Space 9
48. Veronica Mars
49. Prison Break
50. Quantum Leap

Personally I wouldn't agree with it for a minute (Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the second best TV show of all time:eek:). But thats the nature of these things. While I may not agree with it, obviously a lot of people do!

I think we missed a chance here. With one corcerted effort we could have elevated Fair City and Glenroe to the celestial heights that they deserve:D.

Anyways, thought this list would be of interest so some people.

For the record, my top shows would be:

Drama:

1 - The Wire
2 - The West Wing
3 - Oz
4 - The Shield
5 - The Sopranos

Comedies:

1. Fawlty Towers
2. Father Ted
3. Only Fools And Horses
4. Family Guy
5. Arrested Development

SoupyNorman

Yawn...


Sopranos reign supreme

Mossy Monk

That list is the exact order I would put them. It is like they read my mind.

Mr. Presentable

Empire readers. An oxymoron, surely.

berliner

bravestarr082 wrote: »

Yawn...


Sopranos reign supreme

The Sopranos is the most over rated pile of ****e ever.

Charlie

berliner wrote: »

The Sopranos is the most over rated pile of ****e ever.

IanCurtis

Comedy:

1. The Office (UK)
2. I'm Alan Partridge
3. Shooting Stars
4. Extras
5. Father Ted

Drama:

1. V
2. Columbo
3. Alfred Hitchcock Presents
4. Dynasty
5. Twin Peaks

ShaneU

rosboy wrote: »

02. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
13. Battlestar Galactica (2003-Present)
14. Firefly
21. Angel

FAIL. You might as well get NME fans to do a best bands ever poll while we're at it, My chemical romance ftw!

useful_contacts

01. The Simpsons (Ah NO!!!!!!!! just cos its been runnin for over 15 years doesnt mean nutn

07. Friends (love this show)


12. Family Guy ( has to be no 1 so ****ing funny)

16. Dr Who (2005-Present) (This rocks great show)

17. Southpark ( its gone downhill ive found myself turning off during shows)

19. Scrubs (adore it but been waiting 2 months for the next instalment)

36. Father Ted (This may sound biast cos im irish but so funny- only irish wuld get half the jokes- the sheep thing, i nearly wet myself ha ha)

46. Sex And The City (adore this show,my fella bought me the boxset on dvd last year and i cant wait for the movie)

tvnutz

The Wire. That is all.

Basq

To be honest... i'm just chuffed to see 'Spaced' make the Top 10 as i'm currently re-watching it for the.....

... well, it must be the 400th time!

ShaneU wrote: »

FAIL. You might as well get NME fans to do a best bands ever poll while we're at it, My chemical romance ftw!

Ah now, ShaneU. I noticed you quoted 3 Joss Whedon shows.. despite not being a fan of both 'Buffy' or 'Angel' - I will stand by my opinion that Joss Whedon is one of the more talented writers working today.

Although I really don't understand why BSG made all the way up to number 13... the first series and most of the second were great. But it got really atrocious - fast!

Also, where's the Apatow / Feig love - no 'Freaks And Geeks'? :eek:

Oh.. and it's worth nothing this will NOT descend into a flame bar! People can criticize shows if they wish but don't get up on your high-horse and start name-calling if people don't share your views.

ixoy

Like all these things, it's dominated by fan boy shows. Hence we see Buffy get to #2 when it had many weak seasons (4,6, and 7). We also see BGS there which is quite over-rated - Mr Basquille is right in saying that S3 is very weak. As much as I enjoy "Lost", I don't believe it deserves a #5 placing either and "24" definitely not at #6.

Glad to see "The Wire" there though and it'd probably be higher if people had become more aware of it - it's a show that, like "The West Wing", I genuinely believe deserves its place for quality writing and acting.

Still though, there's always going to be omissions - I'm only halfway through "Freaks and Geeks" and it certainly looks like it'll deserve its place. Never seen a show so accurately capture the humour and awkwardness of growing up.
Also where's the original run of "Doctor Who"? Hmmm?

Basq

ixoy wrote: »

Still though, there's always going to be omissions - I'm only halfway through "Freaks and Geeks" and it certainly looks like it'll deserve its place. Never seen a show so accurately capture the humour and awkwardness of growing up.

Bit late to the party ixoy.. but we'll forgive you. It is top-notch and without doubt, up there with my favourite shows ever.

Oh.. and just noticed why reading the list out to the girlfriend - why is Lost in it twice?

At #15 and #5!

EDIT: Just re-checked the list at Aint-It-Cool-News: #15 should be 'Heroes' (which don't get me started on). An absolutely tremendous first season sullied by a second season in which each episode was poorer than the one before it. Fixed the listing!

rosboy

basquille wrote: »

Bit late to the party ixoy.. but we'll forgive you. It is top-notch and without doubt, up there with my favourite shows ever.

Oh.. and just noticed why reading the list out to the girlfriend - why is Lost in it twice?

At #15 and #5!

EDIT: Just re-checked the list at Aint-It-Cool-News: #15 should be 'Heroes' (which don't get me started on). An absolutely tremendous first season sullied by a second season in which each episode was poorer than the one before it. Fixed the listing!

Thanks Basquille (or Mrs Basquille who noticed my error:))

I typed these out late last night, so was a bit boggle eyed:rolleyes:.

I've edited the post now.

PullMyFinger!

As voted for by its readers http://www.empireonline.com/50greatesttv/

humanji

How in the name of all that is holy, did Sex and the City beat Quantum Leap? I call shenanigans!!!

Xavi6

Buffy at number 2 and Lost at 5? I've seen enough

Mr. Presentable

humanji wrote: »

How in the name of all that is holy, did Sex and the City beat Quantum Leap? I call shenanigans!!!

Empire readers tbh. Not the most independent minded.

giddyup

I'm embarrassed for Empire. No Miami Vice, Larry Sanders, Hill Street Blues and a more recent gem - Rescue Me.

Basq

Merged with existing thread.

kevmy

In fairness most of the 50 best shows are there. Maybe not in the order some (or most) people would put them but they're still there.

Glaring omissions/ mistakes? Well Buffy at No. 2 is the obvious one. As well as an obvious US (both Ted and Fawlty Towers should be further up) and SciFi (13 or 14 of the best shows happened to be SciFi not sure about that) bias. And any list with a show as inane as Sex in the City on it ... well I won't go into it.

Also I wouldn't judge something after 1 or 2 seasons (unless it only did 2 seasons and was brilliant all the time). By that reasoning I can see how things like Freaks and Geeks didn't get in.

Basq

kevmy wrote: »

Also I wouldn't judge something after 1 or 2 seasons (unless it only did 2 seasons and was brilliant all the time). By that reasoning I can see how things like Freaks and Geeks didn't get in.

Suppose so.

But by that reasoning, why is 'Firefly' in it and all the way up at #14? That didn't even get a full season.

Earthhorse

Man, a lot of people are ragging on Buffy but it's a quality show, even if it did fade a little towards the end of it's life. I gotta say, I didn't like it for a long time but when I finally sat down and started watching it I quickly succumbed to its charms.

Empire readers may be rating it too highly (along with lots of other shows), can't help but feel people are doing the same with Freaks and Geeks. A good show but hardly that good.

Basq

Earthhorse wrote: »

.. can't help but feel people are doing the same with Freaks and Geeks. A good show but hardly that good.

Shut yo' mouth! :eek:

Earthhorse

Hey man, I'm just talking 'bout Freaks 'n' Geeks.

Pigman II

Then we can dig it.

Roar

dear god. family guy above futurama? dear god

Pigman II

Peter Griffin's a complicated man.

KnifeWRENCH

I'm just glad Grey's Anatomy didn't get in there.:pac:
No way should Lost be in the top 10 - I watched the 1st two seasons where they killed off all the interesting characters and kept the boring ones.
I'm not a big fan of Sci Fi or cop shows, so I wouldn't agree with Buffy or The Wire, but that's just my personal taste.
I definetly think that Arrested Development should be in the top 10 though...and I think FRIENDS should be No. 1 ahead of The Simpsons.

PullMyFinger!

cheers for the merge, I missed the original

Ivan

While it's never going to satisfy everyone with the order it places everything in... I think we can all agree that it hits all the right buttons by covering all of the shows we all like.

I mean, while I might disagree with Sopranos beating out Veronica Mars or The Wire at least I can say, "Wow, Veronica Mars and The Wire made it onto a top50 list, that must be some kind of first".

So on that note, I personally at least, would call this a win

garth-marenghi

Friends at No.7 and Curb at No. 38!:eek: and none of Alan Partridges tv incarnations or anything by Chris Morris in the top 50,

kevmy

basquille wrote: »

Suppose so.

But by that reasoning, why is 'Firefly' in it and all the way up at #14? That didn't even get a full season.

Not agreeing with voting Firefly in at 14 after less than a season but it is the ultimate in fanboy SciFi which make up (I would say) a fair percentage of the people who voted on this. It also got a film.

Freaks and Geeks ain't SciFi. It's my opinion that if it was kept on more people would be aware of it and it would have a better chance of getting in.

Xavi6

Actually, on reading it again, where the f*ck is Boston Legal? Should have been a shoe in.

Zaph

In reality the list should have been called Top 50 TV Shows Of The Last 15-20 Years. With the exception of Fawlty Towers, Monty Python and Star Trek there's nothing older than that in the list. Where's M*A*S*H or Hill Street Blues, ffs?

Burning Eclipse

Zaph wrote: »

In reality the list should have been called Top 50 TV Shows Of The Last 15-20 Years. With the exception of Fawlty Towers, Monty Python and Star Trek there's nothing older than that in the list. Where's M*A*S*H or Hill Street Blues, ffs?

Yes, finally somebody mentions M*A*S*H...

Also, no Cheers. And on a personal level, no House, which I love!

In any case, the phenomenal bias towards Sci-Fi ruins the thing!

Any poll where The West Wing isn't number 1 is just wrong. (Any poll, doesn't have to be tv related... even ones such as what makes the best salad dressing would do. WW wins every time:pac::pac::pac:)

Mr.Nice Guy

The Simpsons shouldn't be at number 1. Maybe if it had ended in the late nineties and went out on top but it's become so unbelievably sh*tty since that point that I feel the show as a whole has been irreparably tarnished.