What is the best TV show of all time? (any genre)

[Screwtape2]

Exactly right !!

Although, the Night Stalker TV series was made because of the two original movies that were first aired back in 1971 "The Night Stalker" and in 1973 "The Night Strangler" ... which (if you haven't ever seen them) are worth getting. They are available on a double feature DVD presentation ... and I believe are even more heart-throbbing than the series was.

I haven't seen those but I'll check them out. Thanks.

 

[MsMofoGone]

Originally posted by Lila64



I think you even missed some.

No love for Kojak? Family Ties? Courtship Of Eddie's Father? (Just trying to be nostalgic here)

Yeah, Lila !! ... I did realize I missed a few others (but, I gave the 'general idea' here for what 'classic TV' basically is.)

I actually thought of Family Ties ... then I even remembered other comedies ... Growing Pains, Silver Spoons, Gimme A Break, I Love Lucy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Tyler Moore, That Girl, The Bob Newhart Show, Sanford and Son and even What's Happening.

But I can't believe I forgot these cartoons ... Josie and The Pussycats, Scrappy Doo, Speed Buggy, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, The Funky Phantom and even Scooby Doo Where Are You?.

Oh sure ... now they all start to 'come back' to my mind !!

 

[MsMofoGone]

Originally posted by Screwtape2

I haven't seen those but I'll check them out. Thanks.

Yes ... indeed do so !!
Darren McGavin definitely 'earned' his Kolchak character role because of these originals. You will NOT be disappointed ... but, a word of caution ... since this is your first time viewing these movies (believe me, they will make you flinch) you may want to watch them with other people. I still can't watch these 'in the dark' ... I must have a light on. I think they're more frightening than anything Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street or even Hellraiser ever was.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Add Frasier to my list

 

[Jack In The Box]

Twin Peaks

sorry, my fanatism blinds me and I have to say: The Simpsons and Futurama comes second

 

[Screwtape2]

sorry, my fanatism blinds me and I have to say: The Simpsons and Futurama comes second

I also love the scene where Homer is watching Twin Peaks and a Mountie is dancing with a horse. Then Marge comes in and asks him what he's watching and his response is 'I have no idea.'

One of the greatest scenes in history from one of the best Twin Peaks episodes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYZ7QTUlyO4

Kyle MacLachlan is the most underappreciated actor.

 

[starsgoblue]

THE WONDER YEARS.

Hands down best ever of all time

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

WHERE IS THE LOVE FOR 'GILMORE GIRLS'....?

Amy and Dan Palladino, for 6 years, had control over the hearts and souls and television sets of boys and girls (any age, any color) in America. THE most brilliantly comedic, complicated, dramatic, resonant, and heartfelt television I've ever come across in my sweet short life...

Good lists from everyone...

I'm young so haven't seen everything but here goes:

Comedies:
#1 - Seinfeld (By far)
Frasier, Wings (a Cheers ripoff that succeeds), Arrest' Devel', Office (US and UK), Friends, Full House

Dramas:
Six Feet Under, Veronica Mars (check out season 1 of this show please), MacGuyver, Buffy, E.R., Lost, and my god the first season of HEROES has kicked so much ass its hard to believe...

Misc:
American Idol, Popstars:The Rivals, The Daily Show, Sportscenter, America's Next Top Model (fierce...), The Real World(for its innovation), Family Guy(first 2 or 3 seasons), etc, etc, etc...

 

[Cin]

Top three in no particular order...
Arrested Developement - so smart, yet so stupid all in one show

That 70's Show - pure comedy, so funny that you spit your food

Gilmore Girls - guilty pleasure, a real girly show. Will she choose Luke? If not then I'll take him.

 

[MsMofoGone]

Here's some more I forgot to add to my previous list ...


American Bandstand
Soundstage
Solid Gold
Dance Fever
The Blue Jean Network
Friday's
Friday Night Videos
Saturday Night Live
The Midnight Special
Don Kirschner's ... Rock Concert
Tony Orlando & Dawn
The Carol Burnett Show
Laugh-In
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Benny Hill
Hee- Haw
The Munsters
The Addams Family
Too Close For Comfort
Eight Is Enough
Soap
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
The Three Stooges
The Little Rascals
I Spy
Secret Agent
Columbo ...... ( I should have thought of this one when Lila64 mentioned Kojak !!)
Cagney and Lacey
Walker, Texas Ranger
Murder, She Wrote
Diagnosis Murder
Knight Rider
Baywatch
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries
Remington Steele
The Dukes Of Hazzard
The Waltons
Bonanza
Gunsmoke
The Twilight Zone
One Step Beyond
Outer Limits
Creature Features
Tales From The Dark Side
Tales From The Crypt
Rod Serling's ... Night Gallery

 

[Screwtape2]

Rod Serling's ... Night Gallery

Kolchak and Night Gallery? You are my new best friend.

Do you remember the Night Gallery episode by Steven Spielberg called Make Me Laugh? What a great peice of television!

 

[FitzChivalry]

You can't really say that any one TV show or film is the best of all time, but, you sure can list your favorites of all-time.

So mine would be:

My #1 all-time fav:

A lot of people have mentioned West Wing qualifying it with, except for after Season 4 when Sorkin left. Well, that's the reason Six Feet Under is my #1, because it had the good sense to know when to leave when it was still and excellent show on top of its game. It didn't overstay it's welcome, and therefore, was absolutely GREAT the entire run.


Followed closely by:

And even though it was a bit melodramatice and soap-opera-ish at time, I still will always love for its sheer in-your-face bravado:

 

[Zoots]

THE WONDER YEARS.

Hands down best ever of all time

I loved that show! Nostalgia...


Also, Freaks & Geeks!

 

[Lila64]

Here's some more I forgot to add to my previous list ...


American Bandstand
Soundstage
Solid Gold
Dance Fever
The Blue Jean Network
Friday's
Friday Night Videos
Saturday Night Live
The Midnight Special
Don Kirschner's ... Rock Concert
Tony Orlando & Dawn
The Carol Burnett Show
Laugh-In
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Benny Hill
Hee- Haw
The Munsters
The Addams Family
Too Close For Comfort
Eight Is Enough
Soap
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
The Three Stooges
The Little Rascals
I Spy
Secret Agent
Columbo ...... ( I should have thought of this one when Lila64 mentioned Kojak !!)
Cagney and Lacey
Walker, Texas Ranger
Murder, She Wrote
Diagnosis Murder
Knight Rider
Baywatch
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries
Remington Steele
The Dukes Of Hazzard
The Waltons
Bonanza
Gunsmoke
The Twilight Zone
One Step Beyond
Outer Limits
Creature Features
Tales From The Dark Side
Tales From The Crypt
Rod Serling's ... Night Gallery

Carol Burnett Show
I loved the skits where they'd all be cracking up thanks to Tim Conway or Harvey Korman losing it - good times!

 

[MsMofoGone]

Originally posted by Screwtape2

Kolchak and Night Gallery? You are my new best friend.

Do you remember the Night Gallery episode by Steven Spielberg called Make Me Laugh? What a great peice of television!

Yes, I agree ... there were alot of GREAT episodes on Night Gallery. I also think Creature Features was a close second.
Talk about a show that could literally 'scare the daylights out of anybody' ... but yet, people still consider it GREAT TV programming.

Nowadays, anything that is remotely scary just doesn't seem to have that same kind of feel as back in the 'classic' days. I mean, yeah, there are scary programs out there ... but some are so gross or gorey ... that people feel sickened by them. I believe there's a way to make TV scary, and a way to just say forget trying to accomplish that task. What it boils down to is if you can be scared, and overall enjoy being scared. When it gets grossly disgusting that's when TV becomes sick and mind-twistedly pathetic. I thought Rod Serling was one talented master-mind when it came to horrorful scary TV ... he was one of the few who knew how to do 'being afraid' right.

 

[MsMofoGone]

Originally posted by Lila64

Carol Burnett Show
I loved the skits where they'd all be cracking up thanks to Tim Conway or Harvey Korman losing it - good times!

And what about Vicky Lawrence ?? She was a GREAT comedian too. I loved when she would jokingly fight with Carol Burnett.
Ah yes, the classics ... how depressing they're only memories now (because there's no new episodes anymore)
Nothing else now can even come close to comparing to those past TV shows.

 

[FitzChivalry]

Nothing else now can even come close to comparing to those past TV shows.

Since "favorites" and "bests" are so subjective, I wonder how many of us pick our favorites not just based upon the material, but also on the timing in our lives.

I've wondered this about music as well, but really I guess it applies to any art form or entertainment. Certain things resonate within us at certain times of our lives. Does that make the material better and thus our favorites over other material that may be technically better, but connects less with us?

Maybe an example. "Supposedly" Achtung Baby! is a better album than The Joshua Tree because it's more nimble, varied, darker and more introspective and has a wider pallette. But for me, The Joshua Tree will always be associated with a great time in my life, my youth. And that was the album that all my friends at school talked about, that everyone I knew owned and played to death, when it was a GREAT time to be U2 fan, and U2 musically, fan-wise, band-wise were just in the pocket. And for me, that time can never be duplicated, and I think the experience of The Joshua Tree album factors into why it is my favorite.

Same for me, for "Seinfeld" and "Queer As Folk". It just took over and it was something more than you, it was bigger than you and you just got swept up in it.

So maybe technically, writing, acting, directing, production, maybe the older shows, "I Love Lucy", "Honeymooners", "All In The Family", "M.A.S.H.", "Carol Burnett Show", maybe they were better quality, but without the experience, the zeitgeist to back them up, for me there's not the same connection as to shows like "Queer As Folk", "Six Feet Under", "Cheers", etc., that I lived through.

Am I crazy? Am I not a fair judge? Or are the shows that we watched and enjoyed with our families or our college housemates, are those always going to be our favorites because of what they represent to us now about a particular great time in our lives.

Just something I've been thinking about for a while, especially the JT v. AB aspect.

Continue listing your favorites. I'm keen to hear what they are.

 

[Lila64]

It's all subjective, of course. But certain shows are still funny 10, 20, 30+ years later, such as I Love Lucy, MASH, Cheers, etc. (at least to me). Some are good, as you say, due to the timing/experience.

 

[MsMofoGone]

Originally posted by FitzChivalry

Am I crazy? Am I not a fair judge? Or are the shows that we watched and enjoyed with our families or our college housemates, are those always going to be our favorites because of what they represent to us now about a particular great time in our lives.

Honestly, I can understand where you coming from ... but, I don't completely agree with you.
First of all, to me ... 'favorite' and 'best' do NOT mean the same thing. I was listing some of the 'BEST' TV shows (and not all were from way back when) These are not all considered 'personal favorites' ... but, as keeping in line with this thread's topic ... I thought, were some of the BEST shows ever made for television. Alot of them had more 'acting-skilled' people and even better 'direction' on story lines ... even some plots were alot more realistic than how some of today's television programs are. The 'classic' shows are known as 'legendary' status ... most shows today will NOT ever begin to be known as that.

Actually, there are alot of today's TV shows that although they are still in syndication, you might wonder how they STAY on television, only to witness that some shows will later on in the season, end up getting shelved because their ratings are NOT on a high-topping status. Alot of the 'classic' era TV shows were NOT shelved ... in past decades, hardly any shows were cancelled due to ratings or most disliking the show.

Will alot of today's shows become known as TV 'classics' in years ahead ?? Probably not, and that isn't because of the show being from today's era !! ... No !! ... The majority of reasons are primarily because of WHO is on that show, and how much of a GREAT actor/actress they really are (to create a show that people can enjoy watching ... not necessarily have to relate to it in their own life) Alot of actors today are considered as more 'popular-oriented' ... rather than someone who could be known as a TV legend.
Here's an example of what I'm tring to say ... Look at Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Phyllis Diller (for starters) ... is there any actor out there today that could possibly compare to these 'outstanding' TV classic legends ?? I honestly don't believe so, and if you might possibly agree now ... that was my point why most 'classic' TV shows are BEST and why today's shows cannot compare.

 

[Pop Artist]

Good to see a couple nods each for St. Elsewhere (80s) and West Wing (00s). I would also add Northern Exposure (90s).

Yay for the Northern Exposure love...that was my fave back in the day and there wasn't anything else like it on back then.

Also, while probably not an "all-time" best, I was quite attached to LA Law.

 

[dazzlingamy]

UK
The LEague of Gentlemen
The Office
Spaced

US
Arrested Development
The X-Files
Sex and the City

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

fuck...i forgot about sex and the city...carrie bradshaw is my idol...gilmore girls anyone? anyone? anyone? EVERYONE!

 

[AngelofHarlem01]

Perfect Strangers

Larry and Balki

 

[AngelofHarlem01]

Actually in all seriousness, I think these would be my top 5 in no particular order:

The Cosby Show
I Love Lucy
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Seinfeld
ER (the first seasons with the original cast)

 

[bayou12780]

 

[Lemonchick]

House
Six Feet Under
Seinfeld
Friends
The Wonder Years
and

Daria

Edit: I can't believe I forgot Gilmore Girls, especially the first seasons.

 

[MsMofoGone]

OK !! ... Here's some more 'Kids TV' to add to my previous list !!

The Mickey Mouse Club (with Frankie and Annette)
The New Zoo Revue
ZOOM !!
The Banana Splits (this one should have been listed when I mentioned H.R. Pufnstuf.)
Sesame Street
The Electric Company

Schoolhouse Rock (I actually own this series on DVD)
it included ... Grammar Rock, Science Rock, Multiplication Rock, America Rock and Money Rock.

 

[trevster2k]

Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High

 

[Lila64]

I believe I forgot to mention the Larry Sanders Show. Hey Now!.

 

[hotpepper]

My favorites (in no certain order):

Arrested Development
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Weeds - did anyone mention this great show?
21 Jump Street
The Charlie Rose Show