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Entertainment Weekly's Best 100 TV Shows from the Last 25 Years

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DrForester

Kills Photobucket
Hot on the heels of the lousy top 100 movies of the last 100 years is the (apparently) much more thought out "best TV Shows of the last 25 years". Still problems, but not as bad as the movie list I think.

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20207076_20207387_20207339,00.html

1. The Simpsons, Fox, 1989-present
2 The Sopranos, HBO (1999-2007)
3 Seinfeld, NBC (1989-98)
4 The X-Files, Fox (1993-2002)
5 Sex and the City, HBO (1998-2004)
6 Survivor, CBS (2000-present)
7 The Cosby Show, NBC (1984-92)
8 Lost, ABC (2004-present)
9 Friends, NBC (1994-2004)
10 Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The WB (1997-2001); UPN (2001-03)
11 The Wire, HBO (2002-08)
12 South Park, Comedy Central (1997-present)
13 Freaks and Geeks, NBC (1999-2000)
14 The Daily Show, Comedy Central (1996-present)
15 The Oprah Winfrey Show, Syndicated (1986-present)
16 Arrested Development, Fox (2003-06)
17 The Office (U.K. version), BBC2 (2001-03)
18 American Idol, Fox (2002-present)
19 ER, NBC (1994-present)
20 Beverly Hills, 90210, Fox (1990-2000)
21 Roseanne, ABC (1988-97)
22 The Real World, MTV (1992-present)
23 The West Wing, NBC (1999-2006)
24 Star Trek: The Next Generation, Syndication (1987-94)
25 Miami Vice, NBC (1984-89)
26 Chappelle's Show, Comedy Central (2003-06)
27 Law & Order, NBC (1990-present)
28 The Larry Sanders Show, HBO (1992-98)
29 The Shield, FX (2002-present)
30 Late Show With David Letterman, CBS (1993-present)
31 The Civil War, PBS (1990)
32 Gilmore Girls, The WB (2000-06), The CW (2006-07)
33 My So-Called Life, ABC (1994-95)
34 24, Fox (2001-present)
35 CSI, CBS (2000-present)
36 thirtysomething, ABC (1987-91)
38 Beavis and Butt-head, MTV (1993-97)
39 Six Feet Under, HBO (2001-05)
40 Mr. Show, (HBO, 1995-98)
41 Frasier, NBC (1993-2004)
42 L.A. Law, NBC (1986-94)
43 Late Night With Conan O'Brien, NBC (1993-present)
44 Jeopardy!, Syndicated (1984-present)
45 Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO (2000-present)
46 Homicide: Life on the Street, NBC (1993-99)
47 30 Rock, NBC (2006-present)
48 Ally McBeal, Fox (1997-2002)
49 Twin Peaks, ABC (1990-91)
50 Baywatch, NBC (1989-90), Syndicated (1991-2001)
51. Melrose Place, Fox (1992-99)
52. Felicity, The WB (1998-2002)
53. Will & Grace, NBC (1998-2006)
54. Moonlighting, ABC (1985-89)
55. Pee-wee's Playhouse, CBS (1986-90)
56. Desperate Housewives, ABC (2004-present)
57. The Amazing Race, CBS (2001-present)
58. The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, NBC (1992-present)
59. Battlestar Galactica, Sci Fi (2003-2008)
60. Xena: Warrior Princess, Syndicated (1995-2001)
61. The Office (U.S.), NBC (2005-present)
62. House, Fox (2004-present)
63. Mystery Science Theater 3000, Comedy Central (1989-96), Sci Fi (1997-99)
64. The Osbournes, MTV (2002-05)
65. Family Guy, Fox (1999-2002, 2005-present)
66. Grey’s Anatomy, ABC (2005-present)
67. Planet Earth, Discovery Channel (2007)
68. Jackass, MTV (2000-02)
69. The Colbert Report, Comedy Central (2005-present)
70. Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS (1996-2005)
71. Friday Night Lights, NBC (2006-present)
72. NewsRadio, NBC (1995-99)
73. Oz, HBO (1997-2003)
74. Wiseguy, CBS (1987-90)
75. Project Runway, Bravo (2004-present)
76. In Living Color, Fox (1990-94)
77. The Golden Girls, NBC (1985-92)
78. I'll Fly Away, NBC (1991-93)
79. The Comeback, HBO (2005)
80. King of the Hill, Fox (1997-present)
81. Murphy Brown, CBS (1988-98)
82. The Hills, MTV (2006-present)
83. Absolutely Fabulous, BBC2 (1992), BBC1 (1994-2004)
84. Northern Exposure, CBS (1990-95)
85. The Kids in the Hall, HBO (1989-92), CBS (1992-95)
86. Prime Suspect, ITV (1991-2006)
87. Deadwood, HBO (2004-06)
88. Malcolm in the Middle, Fox (2000-06)
89. SpongeBob SquarePants, Nickelodeon (1999-present)
90. Dawson's Creek, The WB (1998-2003)
91. Mad Men, AMC (2007-present)
92. The Ben Stiller Show, Fox (1992-93)
93. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Bravo (2003-07)
94. Married...With Children, Fox (1987-97)
95. Designing Women, CBS (1986-93)
96. The Arsenio Hall Show, Syndicated (1989-94)
97. Party of Five, Fox (1994-2000)
98. MacGyver, ABC (1985-92)
99. The Bachelor, ABC (2002-present)
100. Saved by the Bell, NBC (1989-93)

Kind of wish Adventures of Pete and Pete had gotten a nod. Same with Deep Space Nine. And I'm surprised how far apart Married with Children and Roseanne are. Other than that it seems a much better list than the movie one. And of course #63 should be #1.
 
Oh. My. God.:lol :lol

This list is just: :lol. Where is Deep Space Nine? Babylon 5? Battlestar Galactica? The Simpsons is most definitely NOT the best TV show ever.
 

DrForester

Kills Photobucket
Dax01 said:
Oh. My. God.:lol :lol

This list is just: :lol. Where is Deep Space Nine? Babylon 5? Battlestar Galactica? The Simpsons is most definitely NOT the best TV show ever.


Sci-Fi always gets the shaft on these lists, I've just learned to accept it. However, Battlestar Galactica is #59.
 
DrForester said:
Sci-Fi always gets the shaft on these lists, I've just learned to accept it. However, Battlestar Galactica is #59.
Ah. Didn't catch it, thanks. Why does Sci-Fi always seem to get the shaft? I don't understand it. If you are going to make a Top 100 whatever, you should be very knowledgeable in the area.
 
No Futurama or Farscape is a crime against humanity.

There is so much shit on that list. Ewwww. I mean it's not *that* bad i guess, but the ranking of them is.

Survivor, Lost, Oprah, Sex and the City and other shit that high, while Battlestar is all the way at number 59? No, just NO. *facepalm*
 

mollipen

Member
Dax01 said:
This list is just: :lol. Where is Deep Space Nine? Babylon 5? Battlestar Galactica?

I'm guessing your average person really doesn't give a shit about shows like that. Unless you're pretty hardcore into sci-fi, stuff like that can be really hard to get into. (My tastes for sci-fi are only slight, and I've never been able to care at all about any of those you listed - well, save for Battlestar, which I've only seen one episode of.)
 

ToxicAdam

Member
Larry Sanders show should be top 10. Basically put HBO on the map for original programming and was hugely influential on other shows that came after it.

---

Murphy Brown, CBS (1988-98)
Ally McBeal, Fox (1997-2002)

These two are absolute garbage and should be nowhere near this list.
 

BobLoblaw

Banned
Deep Space 9 should definitely be on there. But even if it was, ranking The Sopranos higher than The Wire means this list is full of fail anyway.
 
Simpsons and Buffy being in the top 10 sounds about right. I don't know how I feel about a spoof show like Family Guy, which has its moments, being ahead of a way-beyond-its-time classic like Married...With Children though.

The lack of Scrubs is appalling, meaning the list ultimately fails.

No Entourage either? Yikes.
 

demon

I don't mean to alarm you but you have dogs on your face
Sex And The City and Survivor in the top 7 tv shows of the past quarter century? whatever.
 
Just noticed: where is Home Improvement and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was really good, but Home Improvement is definitely the best TV sitcom ever for me.
 

Acid08

Banned
Sho_Nuff82 said:
Simpsons and Buffy being in the top 10 sounds about right. I don't know how I feel about a spoof show like Family Guy, which has its moments, being ahead of a way-beyond-its-time classic like Married...With Children though.

The lack of Scrubs is appalling, meaning the list ultimately fails.

No Entourage either? Yikes.
THIS. THIS FOREVER.
 

ZeoVGM

Banned
Buffy being in the top 10 is how it should be, though I'd have to question The Bachelor being on there, yet Angel isn't even on the list, when it was a spin-off that managed to be better than the original.

While it's not as IMPORTANT as Buffy, so I understand it not being that high, it should at least be in the top 50.

Same with Firefly as well. While only having half a season filmed, the quality of the show was so high and what the show managed to accomplish in its death makes it deserve a spot in the top 100.
 

MisterHero

Super Member
I'm appalled that Married with Children is rated so low.

Here's to the Best Season of #10 ever:
jenny-bow.jpg

omg rite said:
Close for me, but here's my tribute to the best season of #10 ever:

THE MAYOR
:lol :D Yeah he was the best part of S3 for me.
 

ZeoVGM

Banned
MisterHero said:
I'm appalled that Married with Children is rated so low.

Here's to the Best Season of #10 ever:
jenny-bow.jpg

Close for me, but here's my tribute to the best season of #10 ever:

Mayor_buffy.jpg
 

YYZ

Junior Member
I'm sure Entourage is better than a lot of stuff on that list, didn't bother going through the whole thing after that lol-worthy film list they put up.
 

Teddman

Member
I remember reading an early issue of Entertainment Weekly that cited Crime Story as one of the best TV shows of all time. A decade or two later and they bump it out of the top 100? Flip-flopping hacks!
 
There aren't 100 shows worth watching in the last 25 years anyway. This list was always doomed to shit, though no Futurama is pretty appauling considering "saved by the bell" made the cut.
 
SpongeBob shouldn't be the only children's cartoon when every episode after and including the movie is total ass. I guess the first three seasons had enough quality for it to be included. They really should have included Rocko's Modern Life or Ren & Stimpy or Animaniacs or or something.

Also, a lot of these shows are really out of place. How is Friends #9? How is Mr. Show only #40 and how the hell is MST3K only #63? And surely Top Gear is better than at least one of the shows on this list.

In conclusion, Seinfeld should be #1 and EW should stop making lists.
 

AniHawk

Member
Good to see Freaks and Geeks up there. They could've knocked off a lesser show to give Pete & Pete a slot though.
 

ToxicAdam

Member
demon said:
Sex And The City and Survivor in the top 7 tv shows of the past quarter century? whatever.


I know your complete lack of contact with the opposite sex makes this hard to understand .. but women watch TV too....


... and they like DIFFERENT THINGS THAN YOU!!!
 

Fifty

Member
Entertainment Weekly must have figured out that the best way to get traffic on their site is to keep coming out with a stream of "Best" or "Worst" lists. Their site is just one list after another. I'll knock points for originality, but give them credit for knowing what people will click on.

Under "Today's Most Popular" (links), they have

For Better and For Worse: 14 Memorable Movie Weddings
In honor of June's brides and grooms, we look at some beloved onscreen nuptials, including those that really took the cake (''My Big Fat Greek Wedding'') -- and others that didn't quite come off without a hitch (''Old School'')

10 Great (and 10 Grating) Karaoke Songs
Summer's here and the time is right for beltin' out a tune! Here are some surefire hits to choose (from Pat Benatar, Carrie Underwood, and, yes, O-Town) -- and deadly ditties to avoid (you're not Neil Diamond, Amy Winehouse, or Bob Dylan)
 
disappeared said:
Fucking right.
Frasier has as many Emmy's as this list's top three combined. It beat Seinfeld for Best Comedy every single year that they went up against each other.

Some at EW is either smoking crack or hates big words and opera.
 
ToxicAdam said:
Larry Sanders show should be top 10. Basically put HBO on the map for original programming and was hugely influential on other shows that came after it.

---

Murphy Brown, CBS (1988-98)
Ally McBeal, Fox (1997-2002)

These two are absolute garbage and should be nowhere near this list.

Yeah, it's downright offensive that Roseanne is 7 slots higher.

Regardless, the whole list is shit peppered with a handful of correct choices, just like the last shitty thing EW put out.
 
I'm surprised you guys read that far into the list. After the hideous top 100 movies in the last 25 years list, I couldn't even bother with this one once I hit #99 being The Bachelor. Are you fucking serious?
 
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