All Time Best "TV Series" ... !

DT

DT

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So I would say this is series that have completed, so that we have a good perspective on the series in its entirety.

And I quoted "TV Series", since a lot of folks watch on something other than a traditional TV, through different mechanisms: physical media, cable/satellite, streaming, buying digital downloads.

Just off the top of my head, these more recent series are absolutely some of the best ever:

The Sopranos
Breaking Bad
Better Call Saul
Succession
Deadwood
Justified
The Wire
The Shield
M.A.S.H. @fischersd :)
The Office (US)
Mad Men
The Leftovers

Not just for entertainment value, but generally fantastic acting, directing, production, really everything about the execution.

And I think there's probably a category for "Best season to date" where it's a series, but one that changes season to season, for example, True Detective Season 1, wow. If that was it? One and done? On the list.

There's also some series that are very episodic, so they won't so much have a landing to stick, I think this applies to a lot of "adult animation", one of our very favorite shows is Bob's Burgers, if it ended today (it's renewed through 2027 :D), it would be GOAT-ed !

Some series that are done, and have stellar reviews, that we still need to watch:

Peaky Blinders
Orphan Black
 
Hogan's Heroes was a lot of fun. Of course, we grew up with Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Get Smart, The Fugitive, Gilligan's Island, Beverley Hillbillies, Green Acres/Petticoat Junction.

Not saying a lot of those should be on the list....the writing on a lot of sitcoms was horrible. :D. Just waxing nostalgic. :)
 
DT said:
So I would say this is series that have completed, so that we have a good perspective on the series in its entirety.

And I quoted "TV Series", since a lot of folks watch on something other than a traditional TV, through different mechanisms: physical media, cable/satellite, streaming, buying digital downloads.

Just off the top of my head, these more recent series are absolutely some of the best ever:

The Sopranos
Breaking Bad
Better Call Saul
Succession
Deadwood
Justified
The Wire
The Shield
M.A.S.H. @fischersd :)
The Office (US)
Mad Men
The Leftovers

Not just for entertainment value, but generally fantastic acting, directing, production, really everything about the execution.

And I think there's probably a category for "Best season to date" where it's a series, but one that changes season to season, for example, True Detective Season 1, wow. If that was it? One and done? On the list.

There's also some series that are very episodic, so they won't so much have a landing to stick, I think this applies to a lot of "adult animation", one of our very favorite shows is Bob's Burgers, if it ended today (it's renewed through 2027 :D), it would be GOAT-ed !

Some series that are done, and have stellar reviews, that we still need to watch:

Peaky Blinders
Orphan Black
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Different generation so it's no surprise that none of these outside of MASH make my list.

Just a few that I'll mention:
Married with Children
Happy Days (and the entire Tuesday night lineup on ABC in the late 70s early 80s)
Columbo (will always be my number 1)
Streets of San Francisco (cheesy but decent cop show for its time)
Big Bang Theory
Cheers
The Carol Burnett Show
The Benny Hill Show
The Golden Girls
The Wonder Years
The Cosby Show (before we knew about the druggin)
Seinfeld
 
Eric said:
You're pushing 70?
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Oh, maybe we're closer, I though you were in your late 40s / very early 50s for some reason.

But if we are close, I still didn't watch any of those shows you posted, so it's not a generational thing, I've just never watched much in the way of network TV. I mean, maybe Happy Days since I was pretty young, at home, probably something we watched as a family.

I had a pretty, umm, out-and-about life during most of the late 80s/90s, tech, cashflow, travel, mixing it up here and abroad :D

I pretty much didn't really lean into series TV till the "prestige" type cable shows became popular. And I almost never watched any modern-ish network sitcoms ... things like Big Bang and Friends would be my personal hell :D

I did love Taxi !
 
DT said:
Oh, maybe we're closer, I though you were in your late 40s / very early 50s for some reason.

But if we are close, I still didn't watch any of those shows you posted, so it's not a generational thing, I've just never watched much in the way of network TV. I mean, maybe Happy Days since I was pretty young, at home, probably something we watched as a family.

I had a pretty, umm, out-and-about life during most of the late 80s/90s, tech, cashflow, travel, mixing it up here and abroad :D

I pretty much didn't really lean into series TV till the "prestige" type cable shows became popular. And I almost never watched any modern-ish network sitcoms ... things like Big Bang and Friends would be my personal hell :D

I did love Taxi !
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Nearly all of the shows yo mentioned are from this century, something I would expect from someone in their 20s or 30s. You probably got out more as a kid then.
 
Eric said:
Nearly all of the shows yo mentioned are from this century, something I would expect from someone in their 20s or 30s. You probably got out more as a kid then.
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Hahaha, yeah, that's why I figured you must've thought I was much younger, then I thought YOU were younger. I guess we're both over the hill :D

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Better Call Saul
Columbo
Breaking Bad
All in the Family
MASH
Cheers
Mad Men
Sopranos
 
Cmaier said:
Better Call Saul
Columbo
Breaking Bad
All in the Family
MASH
Cheers
Mad Men
Sopranos
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So many great shows from that time, forgot about All in the Family, one of the greatest of all time.
 
Eric said:
So many great shows from that time, forgot about All in the Family, one of the greatest of all time.
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Yep. if we are grading on a curve by looking at how innovative a show was given what was going on in entertainment at the time, it might be the best. The funny thing is they probably couldn’t air that show today.
 
Yeah, All in the Family definitely deserves a spot for the the writing/acting and all the barriers it broke, how incredibly subversive it was at the time on network TV.

Not to mention, it's f***ing hysterically funny :)
 
Agree with the shows I've watched that have been mentioned. I have to add Star Trek: The Next Generation to the list as a confirmed Trek fan. I think it's the best of all the series, though the the original still holds up given when it was produced. Sticking with @DT's criteria, I can't include The Simpsons, which has been renewed through season 40.

I sometimes gauge this by asking myself which TV show I'd want with me if I were stranded on an island. My answer is always Seinfeld because its humor holds up so well after many years and viewings, and I'd rather have something to laugh at.
 
Maybe recency bias, but

Yellowstone
Landman
Tulsa King

I do miss “detective” shows like Rockford, Simon & Simon etc. lots of police/law dramas still on but no PI shows anymore.
 
Herdfan said:
Maybe recency bias, but

Yellowstone
Landman
Tulsa King

I do miss “detective” shows like Rockford, Simon & Simon etc. lots of police/law dramas still on but no PI shows anymore.
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Two of my favorites in this genre were Mannix and Columbo. I know Lt. Columbo was a police detective, but he was so good. I once saw Peter Falk at my work and wanted to put my hand to my forehead and say hello.

Some other shows I liked were Adam-12, Emergency!, St. Elsewhere, and Hill Street Blues. IIRC HSB was one of the first productions to use handheld cameras and rapid cuts.

L.A. Law was also fun, though it deteriorated toward the end. I think part of the reason I watched it was my crush on Susan Dey, LOL.

Then there were Airwolf and Knight Rider, which were often silly but had incredible theme music.
 
I don’t think anyone has mentioned Mission: Impossible yet, so I will. I loved the way the teams planned and executed their assignments. And Lalo Schifrin’s music certainly stood the test of time. Hum a few bars and it’s instantly recognizable.

It took me a while to realize the voice on the tape was saying “any member of your IM force.” I thought it was “iron force.”
 
Roller said:
I don’t think anyone has mentioned Mission: Impossible yet, so I will. I loved the way the teams planned and executed their assignments. And Lalo Schifrin’s music certainly stood the test of time. Hum a few bars and it’s instantly recognizable.

It took me a while to realize the voice on the tape was saying “any member of your IM force.” I thought it was “iron force.”
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The two old shows where I bought the DVD box sets and ripped them onto my computer so I can watch from the start every couple years are Mission: Impossible and Columbo.

It’s fun to watch the first season of M:I, in particular - different lead guy (who ended up many years later as D.A. on Law & Order - and much raunchier than subsequent seasons.
 
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