OT: Best TV series of all time
Let's hear your favorites. My favorites are usually things that have great characters (excellently portrayed) and a convoluted plot with various intrigues.
My list of all-time greats:
Babylon 5
Fringe
Band of Brothers
Silicon Valley
Firefly
Twin Peaks
The Wire
Rome
The Tudors
Cowboy Beebop
The Venture Bros.
Rick and Morty
The Prisoner
A Series of Unfortunate Events
The Boys (but too early to tell overall, as it isn't done yet)
I, Claudius
Archer
Deadwood
Breaking Bad is the best TV show off all time
/thread
The wire and sopranos are just as good imo. All fantastic
March 31st, 2020 at 10:02 AM ^
Totally agreed. It's really interesting watching The Sopranos, it seems like it must have been a huge source of inspiration in some ways.
Better Call Saul is potentially right on its ass. I don't like to fully judge shows until they're complete though.
March 31st, 2020 at 10:54 AM ^
agreed, in fact I like better call Saul even more than breaking bad because of the humor
BCS is great too. Ozark is sneaking up there for me as well
Michigan Replay
Cheers, everything else is trash
Cheers definitely tops the list. Next I would probably say MASH
March 31st, 2020 at 11:05 AM ^
My wife and I are on Season 9 of rewatching Cheers. I also agree on MASH. I've been introducing my kids to that show. I'd also throw The Office in the mix.
Game of Thrones
Really friggen good, but the last two years knocks it down below Breaking Bad and Sopranos level shows.
Maybe after S6 was completed, people could say that with a straight face. But the shart that was S7, and the explosive crap that was S8, with Dumb and Dumber ruining such a global phenomenon is nothing short of the biggest TV series flop in the history of entertainment. There's a reason why Netflix and Disney "broke" ties with them. There's a reason why they never showed up to Comic Con. There's a reason HBO cancelled the prequel. They are clowns, and I'll always be upset.
/get off my lawn
Re: Biggest TV series flop.
Lost would like a word with you.
March 31st, 2020 at 11:29 AM ^
Lost brought a whole new level to the phrase “Writing yourself into a corner.”
The Blacklist (still running). I think it qualifies on all your criteria.
Tiger King
Just watched it. I found it to be way overhyped. It's a decent show to watch, but no way it belongs on the list of all-time bests.
Yeah, I didn't get it either. I think its mostly a result of fortuitous timing when people need to feel normal.
I just saw the folks who inhabited the bars I actively avoided when I was stationed in Oklahoma.
March 31st, 2020 at 10:28 AM ^
End thread
The Simpsons
Cheers
The Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
White Shadow
Hill Street Blues
MASH
Married with Children
Magnum PI
Planet of the Apes TV show (my personal favorite)
The best Characters
Sheldon Cooper (Big Bang Theory)
Homer Simpson
Hal (The Middle)
Al Bundy (Married with Children)
Sue Heck (The Middle)
Frankie Heck (The Middle)
March 31st, 2020 at 10:04 AM ^
The best comedic character is either George Costanza (if you discount the last couple seasons when he was yelling all his lines) or Norm from Cheers.
The best dramatic character was Tony Soprano.
March 31st, 2020 at 11:23 AM ^
The Middle was very under rated. I loved how simple they kept the stories. I loved how broken stuff stayed broken for seasons sometimes, because that is real life. And I loved how consistent they were in not everything going amazing, just staying as is in the middle. Great characters and writing.
March 31st, 2020 at 11:32 AM ^
I’m sorry, but The Simpsons loses points when you consider that the number of ass seasons out number the good ones by at least a 2:1 ratio.
March 31st, 2020 at 11:43 AM ^
Probably my personality showing but to me the half hour sitcom is the best form of television. Seinfeld, Big Bang Theory and Fraser were outstanding but there have been many really funny shows. I just like to laugh.
Getting Negged for listing the shows i like ... you dont have to like em
Charlie's Angels, of course.
Those tense, intricate plots in each episode kept me rigid with interest.
March 31st, 2020 at 10:01 AM ^
The progenitor of the "Network T&A" genre.
March 31st, 2020 at 11:33 AM ^
Same with “Wonder Woman”
March 31st, 2020 at 12:35 PM ^
Especially all the slow motion scenes.
John Forsythe: “Angels, your latest mission is to go undercover as bikini swimsuit models to expose a plot at the Hawaiian Tropic top model competition.”
Angels: “Again?”
The Wire... say anything else and Omar comin!!
March 31st, 2020 at 10:12 AM ^
Those whistling scenes gave me chills, man. Dude was such a cool character.
The Wire, The Sopranos, Community, Parks and Recreation, Breaking Bad, Justified, Deadwood, Game of Thrones (up until the last 2 seasons). If I had to pick one it would be The Wire. The characters were amazing and season 4 is the best season of TV I've ever seen.
March 31st, 2020 at 10:54 AM ^
The last two seasons of the wire are brilliant to me, the arc of those characters from the start of season 4 to the end of season 5 is brutal. Some successes and so many kids falling into the roles of the older characters before them.
March 31st, 2020 at 12:45 PM ^
I thought the media component of season five was weak and brought it down a little. The stuff involving the main characters was outstanding. The end of season 4 is just brutal to me. I was just crushed by how it played out. The demise of a certain character that had been around since season one crushed me.
March 31st, 2020 at 12:58 PM ^
Agreed the Baltimore Sun plotline and the deterioration of print media was unnecessary. Mostly meant the path of the corner kids/house kids from junior high on. Who they are in that first episode of season 4 to where they end up. Also Carcetti as the idealistic city council member to the status quo major.
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Joel or Mike - can't get into the new version)
Rick and Morty (see avatar)
Also would nominate the OP's Cowboy Beebop for best theme music.
Username checks out
March 31st, 2020 at 12:27 PM ^
I'M PICKLE RICK!
Abbott & Costello
Benny Hill
The young ones
beavis and butthead
south park
it crowd
office
all in the family
kids in the hall
reno 911
strangers with candy
chappelle show
snl
in living color
hogans heros
Reno 911 is a funny show that most don’t know about.
What, you forgot Green Acres? Would watch it every Noon-hour in a high school lounge on re-run.
its even better when you live on the set, so to speak....
my entry for comedy series though is an oldie but a goodie: soap
+1 that may be the best combo I can remember. The ppl and characters were awesome.
Early SNL may have been one of the funniest, most inventive cast I can remember on TV. It seemed every skit was hysterical and the characters that were created and writing iconic.
Frasier, West Wing are by far my two favorites.
+1 for Frasier. Highly underrated.
Question your "Highly underrated" statement. It went for 11 seasons and won numerous Emmys. Don't think that's underrated.
March 31st, 2020 at 12:11 PM ^
Right but it usually gets left off of lists like this, even with all the accolades.