Tag Archives: 101 best written TV series

Here’s that “100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century” list

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Okay, if people aren’t arguing to the death over this, we’ll know that the New York Times has squandered its readership and credibility.

I cut my NYT subscription a few years ago so I’m not sure if an accompanying article makes clear the occasion for this ranking of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st Century. Maybe it was because the first quarter of the century ended last year? Or maybe they’re just hoping to make themselves relevant with controversy?

These are the kinds of lists that people used to dwell on and discuss in bars. Top baseball players of all time, top movies. Do people still discuss such things in bars?

Or are we all sprawled at home, in front of our large screens, holding our small screens?

I’m not going to express many opinions on the list – at least the worthiness of the shows ranked – because I haven’t seen the topmost-listed shows. I don’t doubt that “Breaking Bad” – a show I’ve only watched the first episode of – is great. Or “The Wire.”

“Mad Men,” which I have seen all of, deserves to be right up there. If you look for the series on this site, you’ll find a lot of reviews of episodes.

“Succession” was probably effectively made, and I watched it all, but I guess the point was to make a multi-season series about very unlikeable people?

Of the top 10, “30 Rock” is the one I’ve watched multiple times, finishing my latest rewatch just a couple of weeks ago. What a funny show about lovably awful people. “Succession” should have gone to the “30 Rock” well.

I heartily endorse “Deadwood” and “The Crown” in the ranking. “Watchmen” and “Parks and Rec,” wholeheartedly yes.

“Louie?” Really?

“Justified” sure as hell oughta be higher.

Anyway, feel free to discuss.

101 best-written TV series of all time?

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the-sopranos

The Writers Guild of America released its list of the 101 best-written TV series of all time today, and the list is guaranteed to generate some discussion.

I mean, it’s a cool idea and all, and everybody likes lists. But is anybody qualified to say “The Sopranos” is better than “Seinfeld?” I mean, how can you even compare those two?

(Cue funky “Seinfeld” music as Tony Soprano and family sit down in a diner in the final scene of the series.)

I think I’d rank “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” a hellmouth of a lot higher on my list. I can guarantee you that “Sex and the City” and “thirtysomething” don’t belong higher on the list than “Buffy” or “The Rockford Files” or “Freaks and Geeks.”

What do you think of the list?

1.             THE SOPRANOS

2.             SEINFELD

3.             THE TWILIGHT ZONE

4.             ALL IN THE FAMILY

5.             M*A*S*H

6.             THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW

7.             MAD MEN

8.             CHEERS

9.             THE WIRE

10.            THE WEST WING

11.            THE SIMPSONS

12.            I LOVE LUCY

13.            BREAKING BAD

14.            THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW

15.            HILL STREET BLUES

16.            ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

17.            THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART

18.            SIX FEET UNDER

19.            TAXI

20.            THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW

21.            30 ROCK

22.            FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

23.            FRASIER

24.            FRIENDS

25.            SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

26.            THE X-FILES

27.            LOST

28.            ER

29.            THE COSBY SHOW

30.            CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM

31.            THE HONEYMOONERS*

32.            DEADWOOD

33.            STAR TREK

34.            MODERN FAMILY

35.            TWIN PEAKS

36.            NYPD BLUE

37.            THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW

38.            BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (2005)

39.            SEX AND THE CITY

40.            GAME OF THRONES

41.            THE BOB NEWHART SHOW – TIE

                YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS* – TIE

43.            DOWNTON ABBEY* – TIE

                LAW & ORDER – TIE

                THIRTYSOMETHING – TIE

46.            HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET – TIE

                ST. ELSEWHERE – TIE

48.            HOMELAND

49.            BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

50.            THE COLBERT REPORT – TIE

                THE GOOD WIFE – TIE

                THE OFFICE (UK)* – TIE

53.            NORTHERN EXPOSURE

54.            THE WONDER YEARS

55.            L.A. LAW

56.            SESAME STREET

57.            COLUMBO

58.            FAWLTY TOWERS* – TIE

                THE ROCKFORD FILES – TIE

60.            FREAKS AND GEEKS – TIE

                MOONLIGHTING – TIE

62.            ROOTS

63.            EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND – TIE

                SOUTH PARK* – TIE

65.            PLAYHOUSE 90

66.            DEXTER – TIE

                THE OFFICE (U.S.) – TIE

68.            MY SO-CALLED LIFE

69.            THE GOLDEN GIRLS

70.            THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW

71.            24 – TIE

                ROSEANNE – TIE

                THE SHIELD – TIE

74.            HOUSE – TIE

                MURPHY BROWN – TIE

76.            BARNEY MILLER – TIE

                I, CLAUDIUS* – TIE

78.            THE ODD COUPLE

79.            ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS – TIE

                MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS* – TIE

                STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION – TIE

                UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS* – TIE

83.            GET SMART

84.            THE DEFENDERS – TIE

                GUNSMOKE – TIE

86.            JUSTIFIED – TIE

                SGT. BILKO (THE PHIL SILVERS SHOW) – TIE

88.            BAND OF BROTHERS

89.            ROWAN & MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN

90.            THE PRISONER*

91.            ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS (U.K.)* – TIE

                THE MUPPET SHOW – TIE

93.            BOARDWALK EMPIRE

94.            WILL & GRACE

95.            FAMILY TIES

96.            LONESOME DOVE – TIE

                SOAP – TIE

98.            THE FUGITIVE – TIE

                LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN – TIE

                LOUIE – TIE

101.            OZ