What was the best TV series ever…
Here are a few suggestions.
The West Wing
Star Trek
Mission Impossible
Battlestar Galactica (revisioned)
The Bob Newhart Show
M*A*S*H
Upstairs Downstairs
Dr. Who
The Honeymooners
Gunsmoke (what a name!)
The Eastenders
All In The Family
The Sopranos
The Simpsons
I would like to say Masterpiece Theatre.
But…
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“The Rifleman” w/ Chuck Conners.
NCIS and Frasier come to mind
Stargate SG1
Bonanza
Alias
Life is Worth Living
The Waltons
Babylon 5.
Followed by Firefly, Buffy, and Lost.
Twin Peaks
The Wire
I might add Frasier to the list. People are always surprised to see that a 21 year old can find Frasier comical, but I always reply that good television is timeless.
Several omissions on that list from my own personal favorites, which would include:
Mary Tyler Moore
Fawlty Towers
The Prisoner
Barney Miller
I’m currently a pretty big “Lost” fan, but I have to see how that ages.
I totally agree on:
Bob Newhart
All in the Family (the first five seasons are simply revolutionary)
MASH (hasn’t aged as well)
I have a good friend who always says ‘Twin Peaks’ even though I’ve never heard of it. Probably because of my age. Yet, I know about DALLAS. ;)
But I’d say Law & Order (Original is THE best) and The Cosby Show.
I can’t believe you all missed MacGyver! It is the greatest series ever.
While it only ran for two seasons, I think that Arrested Development had some of the most incredible comedic writing ever, combined with a fantastic, razor-sharp cast. There is enough in it that you can watch the seasons several times and still find clever details that had escaped you previously. I admit, the humor was not always appropriate, but it was always funny.
The Phil Silvers Show (aka “Bilko”)
Frasier
LOST & Alias
Three way tie:
1. The West Wing
1. Battlestar Galactica (mark II, of course)
1. Dr. Who (John Pertwee onward)
The West Wing HAS to the best, as a republican Catholic I say that Bartlet would be better than any of the personally opposed but Catholic Politicians we have now.
Last of the summer wine. (BBC)
The Bob Newhart Show.
Barney MIller.
Naked City
The West Wing HAS to the best, as a republican Catholic I say that Bartlet would be better than any of the personally opposed but Catholic Politicians we have now.
– YOU GOT MY VOTE ON THIS ONE JACK.
I also miss the “Father Dowling Mysteries” which was written by Notre Dame professors Ralph McInerny,Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Jacques Maritain Center, and Michael P. Grace Professor of Medieval Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
Maybe a sequel is coming up: “The Father Jenkins Mysteries”
Cheers!
You wanna be where everyone knows your name!
Yes Minister (the dialog beats the West Wing by far)
Rumpole of the Old Bailey
“Friends”
Top Gear
Einstein’s favorite was, “Time For Beany.”
Definitely Mary Tyler Moore, especially the later episodes.
Eek! Reading some of the other entries, I can only conclude that there’s no accounting for taste! :-)
Chalk me up for West Wing.
Emergency!
Gage, DeSoto and Dixie McCall, RN
Julie London (rowr!)
I go for all trekkie stuff, but I feel that TV wasn’t the same after The Sopranos (and its finale…)
In comical series, Frasier and Seinfeld (although only Cosmo Kramer was a memorable character. Michael Richards at his best).
I have always enjoyed: Taxi, Cheers, and Seinfeld
Now watching from NetFlix: Hawaii Five-O
I do miss Northern Exposure dearly though it started to lose its appeal once the principal character, the Jewish doctor from NY, Joel Fleischman, left the show.
Yes the Father Dowling mysteries have been shown on British television and I found them delightful. Full of gentle humour. And ‘just one more thing’ how about ‘Colombo’? I even watch the repeats!
The Dick Van Dyke Show
I know EWTN in not a series but its worth mentioning.Back when we still had a TV we watched M.A.S.H.We got rid of the TV about 20 years ago when the kids started growing up.I’m glad we did because it’s only gotten worse.It’s such a collassal waste of time with so many good books to read and other activities.
Police Squad.
Fawlty Towers
Seinfeld
The Larry Sanders Show
The Rockford Files
The Shield
Oh I want to mention,perhaps the greatest show ever,Life is Worh Living with Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.At one time the most watched show on TV.
In the science fiction genre, I would have to say Babylon 5 was about the best.
The Prisoner
The X-Files
Frasier
House
24
Top Gear (since ’02)
Have Gun,Will Travel(Paladin)
Only Fools n Horses
Fawlty Towers
Cheers
Yes Prime Minister.
The Andy Griffith Show
Combat! “A Quinn Martin Production”
The Avengers
Car 54 where are you? Find “The Star Boarder” on Youtube, and see why.
Bob Newhart Show
Frasier
Andy Griffith (Barney Fife years only)
The Big Valley (can’t beat Barbara Stanwyck)
The Office
M*A*S*H – worth watching just for Klinger’s excuses to get out of active duty
I Love Lucy
The Andy Griffith Show
All in the Family
LOST
KING OF THE HILL
Many of the other shows are great too. I like King of the Hill because of its constant mockery of liberals, do-gooders and bureaucrats.
I Love Lucy
Mama’s Family
Carol Burnett Show
Golden Girls
The Fugitive.
Northern Exposure
Quark
Animaniacs
Perry Mason
One that was canceled before it ever aired.
24
The Andy Griffith Show
All In The Family
I Love Lucy
Ozzie and Harriet
NCIS
What about Family Guy? And Twin Peaks?
WKRP in Cincinnati
The Andy Griffith Show
To The Manor Born
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_the_Manor_Born
IMO, the British have cornered the sitcom market.
“Are You Being Served” – Quite ribald, but incredibly funny poke at their class system
“Fawlty Towers”
“The Good Life”
“Keeping Up Appearances”
I Love Lucy
The Andy Griffith Show
The Beverly Hillbillies
Hogan’s Heroes
Bonanza
Gunsmoke
Star Trek
All in the Family
Sanford and Son
Ugh…how could I forget…
Dragnet (the original, not the putrid remake a few years back)
Jack Webb is possibly THE coolest cat ever.
West Wing
JAG
ER
Joe Gallaher–I have to agree with you. TV is a total waste of time.
I recognized as a young teen in the mid \’70\’s the poor way in which some programs portrayed family life – kids smarter than the parents, kids back talking etc. Lost my TV to lightening and went w/o TV for about 3 years and really didn\’t miss it. Got married last summer and me & my wife discontinued cable and we don\’t miss it now. Actually I can\’t believe some of the stuff that passes for \’entertainment\’ these days.
On the plus side, not having TV helps me to spend more time in prayer, that is, when I actually push away from the computer — oops!
Father – these posts are always so much fun – thanks!
A family favorite is “Monk” – in fact, we have a dog named Mr Monk and a cat named Sharona!
My husband and sons would also make a pitch for “Combat”. They watched it once a week for ages. It was such a hallowed tradtion that when my husband deployed for a year, Combat was lovingly put away and instead we watched “All Creatures Great and Small”.
I would vote for “Upstairs Downstairs”. Our daughter is a big fan of “House”.
Fawlty Towers
Soap
St Elsewhere
Drop the Dead Donkey
The Wonder Years or Fraiser
A show I don’t think has been mentioned yet:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – the BEST show ever!
West Wing at the top…my fantasy president is Martin Sheen’s Jedediah Bartlett…he’d have my vote in a heartbeat.
Frasier second…Gunsmoke third…BBC’s Ab Fab, quite irreverent at times, but always funny…Little House on the Prairie…and am just discovering the Gary Sinise CSI series. Oh, & I agree with Law & Order original actor series.
Father Ted
West Wing? Ugh…it became so liberally biased we couldn’t watch it anymore.
My husband insists that the best American television show of all time is Columbo. My personal favourite is All Creatures Great and Small, but for the best I’d have to agree with the person who suggested Yes, Minister for comedy, and Brideshead Revisited for drama.
To Serve Them All My Days
Foyle’s War
Sherlock Holmes (with Jeremy Brett)
U.X.B.
West Wing is great, but Bartlett is EXACTLY the kind of Catholic politician that we don’t want. “Personally opposed but” 100% NARAL rating.
The Wire
To Mac McLernon: Thanks! I could only hear \”St. Elsewhere\” theme song in my head…couldn\’t remember the series name & I really liked it.
LOST.
Captain Kangaroo
Either The Prisoner (‘You are, Number 6.’) or James Burke’s Connections.
The ‘A Team’ I like it when everything comes together.
Malcolm in the Middle
ER!
For a blue-collar Italian from the Bronx, all else pales in comparison to The Honeymooners. But here are some paler ones (lots of repeats from above):
The Commish
Rockford Files
Andy Griffith Show
Carol Burnett
All in the Family
Twilight Zone
Outer Limits
Topper
Taxi, Cheers & Seinfeld
Dragnet
The Lone Ranger
Mission Impossible
Beverly Hillbillies
You Bet Your Life (Hooray for Captain Spaulding!)
Texaco Star Theater
Dobie Gillis
Jack Benny
12 O’Clock High
Man from UNCLE
My Three Sons
The Saint
That Was the Week That Was
Walker, Texas Ranger
Combat
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Miami Vice (Yes, with reservations)
Simon & Simon
Columbo
Perry Mason (old & new)
Poirot
Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett versions)
Fawlty Towers
Horatio Hornblower
Robin Hood (Richard Greene)
Dragnet (w/ Jack Webb)
Mission: Impossible
Father Z: for the next question in this category, I propose: the best cartoon ever…
Keeping Up Appearances
I second Marilyn, the Dick Van Dyke Show.
I’ll third Bp. Fulton J. Sheen’s Emmy-winning masterpiece “Life is Worth Living”.
Somewhere beneath it on the list belongs Due South.
I would add:
24 (the series)
Mayberry RFD
The Green Hornett
And I loved some of the Saturday Cartoon Series
Space Ghost
Johnny Quest
Of course all of the older Buggs Bunny Series and Road Runner Ect..
I do not like the newer Cartoons. They are politically correct and usually have a liberal political slant.
Jim Dorchak
The Wire
Stargate SG1
Twin Peaks (except the last season)
The X-Files
My wife and I are fans of two older British series…”Are You Being Served?” and “Keeping Up Appearances”…both examples of excellent comedy writing. I have to admit to being a huge M*A*S*H fan when younger…
Boy, did those entries (and the subsequent ones) bring back memories!
I remember going next door in the late ’40’s and watching Milton Berle and later Ed Sullivan on my neighbor’s 6-8 inch TV!!!! Sorry… I realize those are probably not sophisticated enough to even mention… :)
I loved MacGiver
All in the Family
Cheers/Frasier
So many great ones in the past… slim pickins nowadays.
So many different types of TV series… For candidates, I’d start with:
I Love Lucy (great, talented core cast; technical pioneers in so many elements of television production)
All In The Family (fantastically talented core cast, groundbreaking in the matters that were raised)
—honorable mention to The Honeymooners somewhere in there
Star Trek (the Original Series meant so much to me, DS9 built into an ensemble saga that may actually be a better series)
Hill Street Blues (the ensemble cast, continuing drama of character development, a little bit of the police procedural. So many shows owe so much to them, and they owe so much to Ed McBain)
Northern Exposure (talented ensemble, through the looking-glass, defied easy compartmentilization as merely a comedy or drama)
The Muppet Show (imagination, creativity, comedy, music, song&dance, slapstick, vaudeville)
Sesame Street (children’s television that was imaginative, intelligent and educational to a degree unseen in most of its predecessors and a lot of its successors (talking about the pre-Elmo era, of course))
Some of the Britcoms that PBS imported – Keeping Up Appearances and As Time Goes By (wonderfully talented actors)
Quantum Leap (fantastic concept, don’t know if there’s ever been anything else quite like it, wonderfully executed)
Julia Child – assorted cooking shows. (Pioneer. Practically invented a genre. Being comparitively early in the history of television allowed them to invent, experiment, and present real people instead of carefully-profiled mass appeal packages In some senses, she ‘couldn’t happen’ today – ironically, none of her successors (derivatives) has been quite as successful)
Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood (some of the same as Julia Child. Just talked to children like real people – about fears, feelings, curiosity. Imaginative, creative. ‘Brought children along’ to learn about things. Stood for simple decency, gentleness and respect in all that he did.)
Monty Python’s Flying Circus, though of course that isn’t quite episodic, series television in the same sense that many of the others are.
Masterpiece Theater certainly brought great classics to the small screen.
For miniseries (or is it maxiseries), I’d suggest Backstairs At The White House and Upstairs, Downstairs (two absolute classics)
Johnny Carson for late-night talk shows.
Carol Burnett for live skit-variety shows.
This Week In Baseball & The Game Of The Week (yes, I was formed in a pre-ESPN world)
I can’t believe no one has given “props” to The Odd Couple!
(It’s a well known fact that Lincoln loved mayonnaise!)
Semper Fi!
Futurama – it had the best mix of high brow jokes and a drunken robot that says a$$ a lot. Also, some great social and politcal humor.
Magnum PI
Star Trek: The Next Generation
The Waltons
Gunsmoke
All in the Family (the earlier years)
Bonanza
MASH (the earlier years)
The High Chaparral
The Sopranos, without a doubt my favourite TV series of all time.
I don’t really watch TV, but the best show ever would have to be CBC’s “The Great War” because my Grandfather (Lt. N. C. Parsons, Somerset Light Infantry) and I were in it!
Lost
Two Fat Ladies (the reason I love to cook)
BSG
M.A.S.H.
St. Elsewhere (I really wanted E.R. to end with an autistic kid looking into a snow globe)
E.R.
Simpsons
The F Word (Gordon Ramsay BBC)
Monty Python’s Flying Circus
The Young Ones
Absolutely Fabulous
The Woodwright Shop
Nature
Twin Peaks
Miami Vice
The Unit
Dr. Who (All series)
Fishing shows to many to count…
Of the shows listed that are still in production the only one I am really able to keep up with is “Lost”, I watch the others when I don’t have a thousand other things to do. My list is in no real order just what I thought when they came to me. Of the ones that are no longer on the air I miss “Two Fat Ladies” the most, for a guy who many think of as a tough guy I did cry the day that Jennifer Paterson died.
I love topics like this because it remind me of shows from the past and those I always wanted to watch and have a chance to catch up on via Netflix. So here is my list
1. Star Trek
2. Quantum Leap
3. Homicide
4. Benny Hill
5. The Cosby Show
6. 24
Now this is a show on NBC that is worthy of watching and if it stays on long enough it will make my list: Kings
As Time Goes By
To the poster who mentioned “To Serve Them All My Days” – Bless You — one of my favorites and have it on DVD. The book is a classic and gets an annual reading.
Elizabeth R
The First Churchills
The Six Wives of Henry VIII (Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived)
Forever Knight
Laugh In
Secret Agent & The Prisoner
Wind at My Back (CBC)
Call to Glory (one yr and Done)
Beauty and the Beast
7th Heaven (except last season)
MST3K – with Joel
Hockey Night in Canada
I will third The Dick Van Dyke Show and vote I Love Lucy a close second maybe tying with Andy Griffith.
All Creatures Great and Small might also fit that description though I only discovered it later and it hasn’t had as much opportunity to prove itself.
I can watch these shows over and over and over and STILL enjoy them even after they are practically memorized.
Some of the shows mentioned are quite nostalgic and I enjoyed them when they were on, but I haven’t been able to revisit them and enjoy them as much. (Macgyver comes to mind as one I loved growing up but can’t seem to enjoy watching as much when I tried the DVDs recently).
I must confess, though, that we got rid of our television some years ago and haven’t missed it. Most of our viewing is via Netflix now, but after detoxing, many things aren’t as enjoyable as they once were.
Red Dwarf on BBC. Hysterical.
Fulton Sheen’s “Life is Worth Living”
Maybe I’m missing the purpose behind this thread… :-D
Mary Tyler Moore, Space 1999, Hart to Hart, Dallas, Eight is Enough, LA Law, The Jefferson’s, Maude to name a few more.
Babylon 5
Red Dwarf (BBC)
Quantum Leap
But I haven’t watched in about a decade.
Mystery Science Theater 3000
The Simpsons, WooHoo!
Firefly!
I never get tired of watching it on DVD.
My nominees: “Murder, She Wrote” (early seasons); “The West Wing”; “Mary Tyler Moore”; “Rhoda” (earlier seasons); “Law & Order” (original, especially with Jerry Orbach and Chris Noth); “Magnum, PI”; “The Saint” (with Roger Moore, pre James Bond); Brideshead; The Six Wives (with the marvellous Keith Michell as Henry — but I still can’t stand the King!). Also, there’s a BBC presentation called “Spread of the Eagle” which features Shakespeare’s 3 Roman plays — “Coriolanus”, “Julius Caesar”, and “Antony and Cleopatra”. Robert Hardy of All Creatures Great and Small appeared (I think) as Coriolanus. In the other two dramas, Keith Michell played Mark Antony — I watched, spellbound, his delivery of the funeral oration. He was also pretty easy on the eyes, LOL! I was raving about him long before Six Wives, even though no one had a clue who he was. Anyway, speaking of raving, that’s my two cents worth for today (Canadian funds).
I’m glad someone finally mentioned “Homicide,” which was a wonderful ensemble show. Andre Brauer played a Catholic cop whose faith was in doubt… and who ended up teaching at a Jesuit (?) school. (Perhaps his faith failed!) And the original Twilight Zone; I still get shivers when I hear the scary theme.
(When I was very young I loved “Flipper”)
Father, I love your position on all things Catholic but….we could never watch TV together…I am only 40 but if I liked to watch TV which I don’t I would watch, The Loretta Young Show, The Big Valley, Bonanza, Life is Worth Living, Little House on the Prairie, The “OLD” Battlestar Galactica, Emergency, Get Smart, Dr. Quinn…
Brother Cadfael.
Father Z;
Without a doubt, “WKRP in Cincinnati”, especially the Thanksgiving stunt episode:
“…As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly…” – the Big-Guy Arthur
King of the Hill is really great!
Twilight Zone Best ever.
Mission: Impossible gets honorable mention
Kung Fu as the eccentric nominee.
Nobody liked “Touched By An Angel”?
Let’s see:
Carnivale
And some new ones:
Saving Grace
The Closer
Chuck
Life
Numb3rs
Criminal Minds
What about “Hawaii 5-0”?
Over 100 posts and no one has mentioned Green Acres. For shame!
Nor any votes for the excellent Miss Marple series starring Joan Hixon (sp?). My pastor and I once swapped memorable lines over dinner, to my wife’s amusement.
Best series ever I would have to say “Little House on the Prairie.” Other very good shows:
The Waltons
The Twilight Zone
The Simpsons
Ballykissangel (Irish)
Life is Worth Living, Carol Burnett, Gunsmoke, Twilight Zone, all the old Looney Tunes.
LOST
Firefly
X-Files (I think I see a pattern here)
From the musings of a twenty-something…
Star Trek TNG
West Wing
The Simpsons
Good Eats (Food Network — I will be Alton Brown in 30 years)
The show I miss the most though from my youth was watching the Boston Pops Orchestra on PBS every Sunday night. I fully give my parents credit for exposing me to good music, which laid the foundations for the music I am blessed to make today!
I’m surprised by how relatively few votes “Lost” has garnered. Maybe people are hesitant to list a series that isn’t over yet, but does anyone really expect the last two seasons to be of wildly lower quality than what we’ve seen so far?
I’ve gotta give my vote to Lost, if for no other reason than that it has far excelled almost every other show by way of both character development and storytelling mechanics. My top three:
1.) Lost
2.) West Wing
3.) Battlestar Galactica
In no particular order:
Battlestar Galactica
All things Stargate – SG1, Atlantis, and I am sure Universe will be awesome.
Star Trek (including the ones no one seems to like but me)
and Firefly – a terrific, although obscure show that every sci-fi fan should watch.
The Wire
The Office (UK)
Seinfeld
Arrested Development
-Carol Burnett was so great
-MTM
-Bob Newhart
[that Sat evening CBS lineup of the 70s!]
-I Love Lucy, Dick Van Dyke and Andy Griffith trio
-Sopranos
-L&O with Mike Moriarty and Chris Noth (& whatever partner)
-I agree w/Homicide as well, great under-rated show
-LOST & Mad Men are our current faves. Only things we watch. We\’ll see how they last.
-Absolutely don\’t like SciFi, though huz does. I was surprised that as a 12 yo kid, I fell in love with Star Wars and Luke Skywalker!
In no particular order:
Cadfael
I Claudius
Monty Python’s Flying Circus (obviously)
Father Ted – why has *noone* mentioned Father Ted????
Top Gear
StarTrek TNG
A few folks have similar taste to mine. Some of these are heavy on the banality of evil. I’d include (in roughly chronological order):
Monty Python’s Flying Circus;
Carol Burnett Show;
Bob Newhart Show (1970s version);
Barney Miller;
Are You Being Served;
Connections;
The Day The Universe Changed (sequel to Connections);
Seinfeld;
Sopranos;
House MD; and
Life on Mars (US version, excluding the finale and the gay pride episode).
My wife likes the TV on during waking hours for background noise. Most of what I watch any more is:
Baseball or Football (depending on season);
How It’s Made;
Mythbusters;
Good Eats;
Unwrapped;
Designed to Sell;
House Hunters.
I would vote for:
Get Smart
Bonanza
The Andy Griffith Show
Combat
Hawaii 5-0
I can’t say as anything more recent grabs my interest, though for a current show, Monk is best.
I have always been a Dark Shadows fan. They are making a new movie can’t wait.
My life hasn’t been the same since Seinfeld left the air.
Frasier. Frasier.
St. Elsewhere -all time best-
Boston Legal -great characters- until the end when sitting through the liberal lectures got to be too much.
I Love Lucy -Who doesn’t?
Back when I was smoking pot I thought Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp was the apex of art. I mean, Lancelot was part of APE, the Agency to Prevent Evil. Who wouldn’t love an agency with that as its goal?
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=lancelot+link+secret+chimp&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=FJjoSeWoJ52stgeE4IjIBQ&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#
Hmm.. I have no idea why those words ^^ came out with a strike=thru. Was it something I said?
Fawlty Towers!
Here’s a radical suggestion: nearly all this stuff is a waste of time compared with a decent novel or play, or even an evening’s conversatrion…
Give up the TV and get a life! And give a life to your kids…
We’ve raised four without a TV in the house: and they’re surviving this abnormal and abusive regime pretty well!
Bar none: Star Trek
also
Star Trek TNG
Combat
Jonny Quest
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Firefly
and
Battlestar Galactica (redux)
Oh and stick on that list The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.
Third vote for Magnum P.I., the only show of its era that didn’t make Vietnam veterans out to be monsters or whack-jobs. People mostly remember the babes and car chases, but underneath that was a serious story about a boy belatedly becoming a man, especially in the later seasons.
All the BSG fans should check out Star Trek: Deep Space 9 if they missed it back in the day. Especially once Ron Moore came on board, it had the long, complex story arcs and deep characters in conflict that he’s brought to BSG, but leavened with a bit of the essential optimism of Trek. Great stuff.
It is fun to watch people date themselves. So many people decide to “get off the train” so to speak when they reach a certain age.
All time best series is hard to nail down. It really depends on HOW MUCH TV you watch and from which time periods.
I would think the most compelling series I have seen in the last five years is the new Battlestar Galactica. Edward James Olmos will forever go down in history as Admiral Adama. He will join precious few men who will have immortal status as the Character they played. A few examples are:
William Shatner: Captain Kirk (Although “Denny Crane!” will be in there too. Kirk is better though)
Lenard Nimoy: Spock
Patrick Stewart: Captain Picard
These are men, that if you saw them on the street, would call them by their screen name. It would be a very tough choice for me as to which actor I think has the most immortal screen name. I am really torn between Captain Picard (loyalty, clarity of thought, pristine character) and William Adama (Honor, Loyalty, Leadership, Down to earth man.)
Adama may be my choice. So Say We All! (Such a great way to drill it into peoples heads)
Another vote for the new Battlestar (I miss it so much)
Firefly
Star Trek
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Good Eats (I think that counts?)
+1 more for Life Is Worth Living. Gentle humor, excellent language, elevating content. There was nothing like it before, has never been anything like it since.
There have been a few mentions already of my favorite of all time, “All Creatures Great and Small”. The complete series (90 episodes) is available on DVD. Series 1 to 3, plus two Christmas episodes (43 total), are the best of TV anywhere, ever. The later episodes were performed ten years after the series first began, after a hiatus of several years. While still very worthwhile, they don’t have quite the magic of the first half. If you think it’s just about animals and veterinarians (as I once did, refusing to watch), you’d be very wrong. And if you’ve only seen episodes made in 1988 and later, you’ve missed the very best.
Sledge Hammer!
And Twilight Zone.
Homefront (Especially the first season.)
Hogan’s Heroes
Dragnet (Jack Webb-Harry Morgan episodes)
The Avengers (Especially the episodes with Diana Rigg)
When Things Were Rotten (Far better than Mel Brooks’ later treatment of the Robin Hood story, “Men in Tights”)
F-Troop
Star Trek Deep Space Nine
The Japanese Film (A PBS series that showed classic Japanese films, with commentary by Edwin Reischauer, former US Ambassador to Japan.)
Saturday Night Live (with the orignal cast)
Mahabharata (An Indian series depicting the story of the Hindu epic. It was shown on a local cable access channel. Special effects were cheesy, and there was a lot of scenery chewing, but it was still interesting.)
StarGate I
I’ve seen only one complete episode of Babylon 5, in which a prisoner was being interrogated; it could have been a scene out of The Gulag Archipelago.
Keeping Up Appearances
The Flying Nun
Spartacus: thanks for the Lancelot Link link! – wow, I hadn’t thought of that show in a long time: what a “flashback.”
Also reminds me of “It’s about time.”
Another cult classic: “UFO”
Halls of Ivy
The Rogues
Aelric-
My brother had a UFO lunchbox. I had forgotten about that show.
Semper Fi!
I wouldn’t consider myself a devotee of any series and I haven’t really gotten into anything the last few years, but here are some I’ve watched in the past.
Batman (the original)
The Munsters
Little House on the Prairie
Cosby Show
Incredible Hulk
Six Million Dollar Man
Cheers
Gilligan’s Island
Flintstones
Star Trek (original and Next Generation)
Dancing with the Stars
The Fugitive
I remember scaring my mother to death by hiding in the clothes racks at the department store pretending I was Dr. Richard Kimble hunting for the one armed man. I must have hid a little too long because store security found me.
Twilight Zone (the original)My wife had never even heard of it until the Sci-Fi channel had a marathon showing of the episodes on New Years Day. The following year was so strange she has absolutely refused to watch it since, claims life with me is enough of a Twilight Zone for her!
Outer Limits (original)
Touched By An Angel (sappy but some sap is good)
Babylon 5
Inner Sanctum
One Step Beyond
Mannix
Manimal
My favorites:
All Creatures Great and Small (British)
Bless Me Father (British)
Perry Mason – with Raymond Burr
The Untouchables – Robert Stack
I can’t believe nobody has yet mentioned Jeeves and Wooster? With Hugh Laurie and Stephen Frye?
Other than that: Poirot (David Suchet is perfect), and the Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett
No votes for Blackadder, or ‘Allo, ‘Allo?
I second Get Smart and the Simpsons, and add Bad Girls and Monarch of the Glen.
The Simpsons “You dont eat meat on friday?!? What do you eat? Lightbulbs?”
SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis
NCIS
Dirty Jobs
How its Made- probably the show with the lowest overhead cost of all time, but its always interesting.
The Soupy Sales Show
The Honeymooners
The Real McCoys
Magnum PI. Gotta love Ferrari’s and 1911’s.
HAD ONE BUL-LET FOR HIS PISTOL
HAD TO KEEP IT
IN HIS POCKET
The Andy Griffith Show (by leaps and bounds!)
m
Doctor Who! No contest.
I almost said Black Adder, but I’ve only seen bits of it (which were really funny), so I didn’t.
Get Smart gets honorable mention. :)
The Cosby Show
Freaks and Geeks
Threes Company
Law and Order (especially SVU and Criminal Intent)
X-Files
Farscape
Firefly
There should be a different category for PBS programs based on books (laid on, finite plot) as opposed to situation comedies with stock companies that must go on, year after year trying to keep to their original inspiration. Most of the ones of my youth, when I watched more of them, seemed to run out of oomph after a few seasons, The central characters remained addictively charming,although they sometimes suffered a sea change–often through an effort to be more “relevant” or “with it”. I’m thinking of I Love Lucy, and the Andy Griffith Show.
I also remember with fondness Magnum PI and The Rockford Files.
Liked Monk when I caught it a few seasons ago. Oh, and I got a British one from the library last year called, I think, Waiting for God, (about non-conformists in a nursing home) which was hilarious.
BTW, I loved Father Dowling years ago, but I don’t think Professor McInerny wrote it, although it was inspired by his mystery series. The characterizations did not match his brilliance.
Brass
x-files
MST3K
Quantum Leap
Simpsons
and one more vote for Good Eats
Quantum Leap.
Babylon 5
I don’t have a favorite to contribute, but would like to comment on two “clerical” series previously suggested.
Professor McInerney had nothing to do with the Fr. Dowling TV screenplays. The novels continue, however, and Fr. Dowling is implementing the brick by brick approach to SP: last years Holy Week services were in the EF, though the Easter Sunday Masses were English NO. (Of course, all his Masses have been ad orientem since he noticed that the rubrics expected it several years ago.)
I saw only one episode of the Brother Cadfael series on TV (“One Corpse Too Many”) and liked it so much that I ordered the whole series in DVD. Big mistake. Most of the episodes seem to have some unnecessary changes from the novels that appear to be intended to make the characters seem more uncivilized and savage. (What do you expect from monks, right?) The nadir was “The Pilgrim Of Hate”. I hope there is a place in the lowest circle of Hell reserved for the degenerates who wrote that screenplay.
THE FALL GUY
starring Lee Majors
Given my age (born 1981) my selections are biased towards the more current
Best Drama – The Sopranos by a mile. I’d put individual episodes like “Pine
Barrens” up against anything that’s been on TV the last 25 years. And although
not a comedy, when the Sopranos is funny, man oh man is it funny (although in
a dark humor way). Exhibit A: Christopher’s intervention scene.
Best Comedy – Seinfeld was probably the most consistently funny. The earlier
seasons of The Office (US) rival Seinfeld but the quality of that show has been
more inconsistent since. South Park also has had some moments of brilliance.
Surprising number of Star trek fans on a Catholic oriented site.
I used to be a trekkie as well. Many of the shows were well-written and entertaining. However, there was something just under the veneer of the show that I found troubling. The future of a united federation kind of resembling a European Union of planets where religion has died (or at least practiced privately) and secular humanism has triumphed. Let us not forget the episode where a primitive Vulcan species mistaks Picard for a god when he was beamed up and how the episode revolved around stamping out any religious beliefs of these people. Looking at Gene Roddenberry’s wikipedia entry, he was an avowed secular humanist atheist and as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien put Christian themes in their stories, his intention was to put in secular humanist themes.
Like I said the show was a classic but I am surprised to see so many conservative Catholics embracing the show.
Millenium.
I have to put in a vote for Joan of Arcadia . . . it was cancelled after only two seasons, but I am still sad about it!!!
Or maybe Road to Avonlea – anyone else a fan of this fantastic mid-90’s Canadian TV series?!
“It would be a very tough choice for me as to which actor I think has the most immortal screen name. I am really torn between Captain Picard (loyalty, clarity of thought, pristine character) and William Adama (Honor, Loyalty, Leadership, Down to earth man.)”
I disagree, Matt; How can you go wrong with James Tiberius Kirk?
Semper Fi!
I have no problem with TV sf shows that focus on stamping out belief in false gods. :) Old Star Trek had certain episodes (“Not the Sun! They worship the Son of God!”) which gave the idea that the future was very Christian. I know now that such was not the intention, but it was there anyway.
What my Air Force vet brother is still mad at is not the false gods, but that Stargate had no chaplain characters. How could you have even a small military unit without a chaplain? Why were command personnel handling chaplain jobs? Why were there so many shrinks and no chaplains, even at funerals? Etc.
1)Upstairs Downstairs
2)Massada – made for TV film
3)Star Trek Voyager
4)West Wing
5)I Claudius – despite some terrible “situations” a riveting story
West Wing
Sopranos
Hill Street Blues
La Femme Nikita
Hmmm…for me it changes order, but here goes:
Battlestar Galactica (Ron Moore’s vision thereof)
Babylon 5
While I obviously like Star Trek in all its incarnations, here’s the current order:
Star Trek (anything having to do with the Mirror Universe either in book, TOS or DS9)
Star Trek TOS
Star Trek TNG
Star Trek DS9
Star Trek VOY
Star Trek ENT
Boston Legal
Stargate SG-1
Stargate Atlantis
Crusade
Taxi
I would recommend (not necessarily in this order):
Barney Miller
The Foresyte Saga (original 1960’s version, not the 1992 remake)
The Pallisers
Doctor Who (both original series and revamped version)
Babylon 5
Star Trek – Deep Space Nine
CSI (the original series)
The Body in Question (documentary on the history of medicine, hosted by Doctor Jonathan Miller)
Civilization (documentary series hosted by Sir Kenneth Clarke)
Drama: Battlestar Galactica (the new version)
Comedy: The Jack Benny Program
Twin Peaks. ‘Nuf said.
Best TV Series ever: “I Love Lucy”-an American cultural icon
A few shows I like that were not on our esteemed host’s list but not sure they are the best EVER but were/are influential: Centennial (miniseries), Magnum PI (Did you see the sunrise? Baam. Didn’t see that coming), Carol Burnett Show, The Tonight Show (all hosts-very influential show), Jeopardy (how about some game shows?), Tanner ’88 (HBO mockumentary), King of the Hill, Cosby Show, Dick van Dyke Show, Your Show of Shows, Twilight Zone, Texaco Star Theater, Ed Sullivan Show, Brideshead Revisited (miniseries as aired on Masterpiece Theater), Riley Ace of Spies (miniseries that aired on Mystery!), Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Seinfeld, Simpsons
I’d pair Bob Newhart Show with Newhart. All in the Family and M*A*S*H have not aged well. They are very much time capsules.
I don’t know that I’d consider the entire series of Sopranos, Dr Who or The West Wing worthy of best overall. Sopranos jumped the shark after Livia died. Dr Who depends on who the Doctor was (don’t talk to me about Tom Baker). The West Wing was often buried under the weight of it’s own pompous self-importance. However, I’ll grant that the dialogue delivery was innovative. With that, maybe ER should be on the list too.
I think Upstairs/Downstairs was actually a Masterpiece Theater air in the States. I agree that I would not put Masterpiece Theater in wholesale. They had great and dreck. Poldark? Lord have mercy.
Numb3rs,
Family Ties,
Hill Street Blues,
CSI,
Get Smart,
Combat,
Wonderful World of Disney
Firefly
Man V. Food
Top gear bbc
the simpsons
The Apprentice bbc
Babylon 5
Dr Who
Life on Mars (UK version)
Firefly
A lot of good shows. I’ve skimmed through the entries, but I don’t think anyone mentioned “Hill Street Blues”.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081873/
This show became the prototype of many subsequent cop/drama shows.
HOMECOMING
Life on Mars (the BBC original, of course)
Battlestar Galactica (the ABC original, of course)
Add to my list Rome on HBO- a bit racy but spot on. L. Verus and and T. Pullo were two of the best characters in TV. And it was sheer genius to pluck names-hapaxlegomenoi- from Caesar and to build characters around them.
Rome, Foyle’s War, Inspector Morse, Prime Suspect, Dallas, Seinfeld, Joan of Arcadia,
“The Prisoner”
Twin Peaks- quirky/strange/odd/riveting!
Maureen wrote: “What my Air Force vet brother is still mad at is not the false gods, but that Stargate had no chaplain characters. How could you have even a small military unit without a chaplain?”
I wouldn’t let that be the principal source of disappointment with Stargate. At the least, this reflects the normal situation (for many decades) for deployed U.S. Armed Forces. I was on a ballistic missile submarine (crew of 130) based in Scotland for four years and never saw a chaplain on board even for a short visit.
@ “I am not Spartacus” — I’m twice as ashamed to say that as a kid, I thought Lancelot Link Secret Chimp was the apex of art WITHOUT the excuse of having had smoked pot LOL
FRIENDS! of course!
I can never possibly read through all the comments here! I do believe that the best TV show of all time was…
Hogan’s Heroes.
There’s simply never a dull moment in that series. Almost every second there’s something witty being said, provoking a great deal of laughter. That came out right before the unwholesome modern TV shows started coming out…
The X-Files, Seinfeld, Frasier,
Couldn’t stomach the lefty “West Wing”, I liked All in the Family when I was a lefty, not now.
I agree on Frazier, Cheers, Father Ted, Bishop Sheen, Flambards, The Avengers, The X-Files, LOVED FIREFLY!
I’m currently enjoying Mad Men because of the great style and intrigue but it’s getting a little soapy. How It’s Made is great as well.
My hubby LOVES Lancelot Link, Green Acres, Sledgehammer!, and the Beverly Hillbillies.
Father Z’s list and all the contributions above bring back such wonderful memories of time happily wasted! But how to choose a best? And how do you define best? And only one? Across all categories?
The West Wing has to be there among the front runners, in spite of sagging horribly in the middle just after Sorkin left and Wells & Co didn’t quite know what to do. For all sorts of different reasons The Sopranos, The Simpsons, Monty Python, The Lone Ranger, Yes Minister, Steptoe and Son, The Beverly Hillbillies and Dr Who join the Pantheon.
Although excellent in their very different ways Twin Peaks, The (original) Forsyte Saga and I Claudius were all dramatisations of a single author’s one story in many episodes, so don’t meet the definition of a “series”. Also Rumpole, Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, etc are not strictly tv series but short story dramatisations.
If out and out soaps are to be considered (e.g. Eastenders) then the daddy of them all Peyton Place, or perhaps Doctor Kildare, should also be considered (but not by me).
The 1960’s series The Outer Limits was excellent, intelligent, groundbreaking and thought provoking science fiction – much better than many much hyped series since and leagues in front of the insipid 1990’s remake. Deserves an award!
For intelligent plotting, excellent characterisation, accomplished acting and sheer nostalgia for old college days my desert island viewing would probably be Morse – but then ask me again tomorrow.
subvet says: Inner Sanctum???
Hmmmm. I listened to it on the radio; but not on TV… Yeah, I know I am dating myself…
Then Came Bronson
Burke’s Law
Mission Impossible
Honeymooners
Robin Hood with Richard Green, which I watched as a child and loved dearly-This series went on for many years in the 1950s and spurred interest in things medieval, British, and honorable in me. I especially liked those featuring Jane and Paul Asher, the Paul of Peter and Paul singing fame, and the actress who played much later in the Brideshead series-another great series, albeit a mini-series.
P.S. another vote for Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. And, the old Peter Wimsey series on the BBC, both series, one with Ian Carmichael and one with Edward Petherbridge. These were great series on the BBC.
Mystery!
Perry Mason (original)
Columbo
Gunsmoke
Law & Order (early episodes)
Simon & Simon
Mary Tyler Moore
Remington Steele
Monk
Live from Lincoln Center
I agree with Londiniensis that we ought to be a bit more discriminating in how we judge shows. For example, a miniseries seems to me to be a separate category, as much as I enjoyed Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes. Also, at least in my mind, it’s possible to rate a show’s quality independently of the pleasure it brought to me personally. I enjoy CSI on occasion, but really, it’s not a very great show; the dialogue is painful and the plots are often wildly unrealistic. It’s just kinda fun sometimes for the glitz and the glitter and the (mostly made up) high-tech forensic toys. Get Smart was a favorite of my childhood (watched on Nick at Nite) but I don’t really think it was a stunning achievement. Just silly and fun.
Also, it seems to me that a really great show should demonstrate an ability to sustain the goodness over multiple seasons. Extra points if it also holds up over time. So, Firefly was great while it lasted, but unfortunately, fourteen episodes isn’t enough to make it into the TV Hall of Fame under any heading but “unjustly cancelled.” Lots of shows start out great and taper off. With the comedies, sometimes they just play themselves out (aka The Office). With dramas, I think often the really good, thoughtful, subtle ones just don’t get enough viewers, so they “go downmarket” and drag in all kind of sensationalism and soap opera shenanigans. The Unit and Friday Night Lights are two current shows that have suffered from this, I think.
And as good Catholics, I really don’t think we should be lauding shows that are basically enthusiastic celebrations of liberal values and anti-religious prejudice. Such as West Wing and Star Trek:TNG.
With all that said, here would be my picks:
Children’s TV: Sesame Street, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Square One
Oldies: Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart
More recent shows… always the hardest to judge… but I would give a nod to Buffy and to The Wire. Buffy was really a brilliant and groundbreaking show, and even though it had some ups and downs, overall it kept on pretty strong through seven seasons. (And even a down season, like season six, would have several very bright spots, like “Once More With Feeling.”) The Wire is a phenomenal drama — very subtle plotlines, excellent writing, and a strong showing through multiple seasons with maybe just a little decline at the very end. It doesn’t get the love it deserves, mainly, I think, because it’s a little *too* subtle and complicated. You pretty much have to start at the beginning and watch every single episode without missing any, or it’s not very good.
Babylon 5
Allo’ Allo’
Firefly
Jeeves and Wooster
Frank’ Place
Dang it! The s came off of Frank’s Place.
Definitely Bishop Fulton J. Sheen’s “Life is Worth Living”. After all he has bette writers than Milton Berle; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Get Smart
The Avengers
LOST
X-Files
24
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (with Jeremy Brett in the title role)
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Batman: the Animated Series
Mythbusters
I’ll say Wishbone.
Anyone else annoyed by the superficial religious debate between Brennan and Booth on “Bones”? It is so aggravating that stalwart Catholic Booth is so inadequate in countering her atheism/Darwinism..but maybe that is the intent. I don’t watch it much anymore, too much gay bedhopping and not enough crime solving.
Ooops, sorry about the rabbit holing above!
Gunsmoke
Twilight Zone
Perry Mason
Fawlty Towers (all-time gut-busting funniest)
The Forstye Saga (original)
Upstairs, Downstairs
I, Claudius
War and Peace
The Jewel in the Crown
Nostromo
Dragnet
Brideshead Revisited (original)
Columbo—for a good mystery with a humorous element.
The Fugitive—for the thrill of the chase and rooting for the good guy.
Mission Impossible—for intrigue and adventure.
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and The Twilight Zone—for Friday nights in the dark, popcorn, and guaranteed chills (I can still call to mind the creepy music!)
The Andy Griffith Show—for homespun, feel-good innocence…
My whittled-down (!) list of candidates:
Dick Van Dyke (New Rochelle, Mary Tyler Moore)
My Three Sons (before California)
Bewitched (with the original Darrin)
Hogan’s Heroes
Wild Wild West
Man from UNCLE
Mission: IMPOSSIBLE
Rockford Files
Mary Tyler Moore (St. Paul/Minn.)
Bob Newhart (Chicago, Pleshette)
Brideshead Revisited
Knots Landing (you know you loved it)
Taxi
All Creatures Great and Small
Northern Exposure
Keeping Up Appearances
As Time Goes By
Frasier
Seinfeld
Waiting for God
America’s Test Kitchen
Malcolm in the Middle
King of the Hill
Good Eats
House Hunters
Divine Design
Iron Chef America
Inspector Linley Mysteries
Foyle’s War
Monk
Vicar of Dibley
Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (oink oink)
The Closer
Real Housewives of New York City (not OC or Atlanta)
Out of those, my top four:
(1) Rockford, (2) Newhart, (3) My Three Sons, (4) Frasier
The only show I watch is LOST. Sometimes I catch other shows when visiting relatives, but there’s nothing to keep me coming back.
So my list is short:
Stargate SG1
LOST
Avonlea
The John Larroquette Show
Gladys and I must be about the same age! My first choice is Father Knows Best.” What a great example of wisdom of the Church in having the father as the leader/head of the house. Oh that we could regain this heritage.
When I was a child tv had little and I remember radio fondly. I was a fan of Arthur Godfrey and Art Linkletter on the radio and when they came to tv. I liked the Honeymooners and Jack Benny with Rochester too, but the best tv program that I’ve seen since 1952 to today was Rumpole of the Bailey. It was never revealed but he must have been Catholic and a friend of Chesterton. My tongue is planted firmly in my cheek. Cheeky aren’t I.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the best ST series.
Boston Legal is also an amazing show!
The Simpsons
Boston Legal
Monk
Dexter
The A-Team
the sopranos, dexter, deadwood, basically any hbo or showtime original!!!!
Wow! I cannot believe someone said “Quark”. One of my all time favorite tv lines is “Now, we wait for the bees”.
Lots of good shows allready listed. I saw several votes for the Bellisario productions “Black Sheep Squadron”, “Magnum PI” and “Quantum Leap”. One more series he did that I remember fondly was “Tales of the Gold Monkey”. It was a short lived series meant to capitalize on the Indiana Jones popularity.
Another short lived series I was fond of was a show called “Legend” that ran for a season in 1995. On paper, it should have been a sure fire hit. It starred two popular sci fi actors (RD Anderson and John De Lancie) in a Brisco County Jr/Wild Wild West type storyline.
I forgot one…
Remington Steele