The Top 300 Greatest TV Shows of All Time: FBG Consensus: 50 Lists received. 2: Seinfeld 1: Breaking Bad (11 Viewers)

[Manster]

Two episodes into the Wire ......so far, my main takeaway is it's pretty cheesy. I mean the scene where the cops go into the terrace and the idiot guy clocks the kid with butt of his gun, people throw stuff at em. Their car gets torched......next day the burned out squad car is there. All the the thuggy dudes hangung not by it and ****....no way they leave it. It's evidence.......dumb.

Acting is kinda meh......I'm not giving up on it.......yet. I'm definitely struggling to see how this is a top 5 all time at the moment.....also, seems like a show that maybe needed to be watched when it came out. Seems dated, which is crazy......I guess it is 20 years old! Damn I'm getting old

 

[zamboni]

The first season of the office is bad-ish.

They intended to do the show verbatim from the UK version, with Michael Scott being as angry, sullen and bitter as David Brent. But Steve Carrell has such a "nice guy" vibe about him that it didn't work at all.

Yes, they even incorporated some of the very same gags in the first few episodes of the U.S. version, like Jim putting Dwight's stapler in a Jell-O mold (still funny).

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Two episodes into the Wire ......so far, my main takeaway is it's pretty cheesy. I mean the scene where the cops go into the terrace and the idiot guy clocks the kid with bitt of his gun, people throw stuff at em. Their car gets torched......next day the burned out squad car is there. All the the thuggy dudes hangung not by it and ****....no way they leave it. It's evidence.......dumb.

Acting is kinda meh......I'm not giving up on it.......yet. I'm definitely struggling to see how this is a top 5 all time at the moment.....also, seems like a show that maybe needed to be watched when it came out. Seems dated, which is crazy......I guess it is 20 years old! Damn I'm getting old

It probably took me 4-5 episodes to really get into it, and then the last few episodes of season 1 is when I really realized how good it was

I’d say stick with it

 

[BlackCrowes]

Two episodes into the Wire ......so far, my main takeaway is it's pretty cheesy. I mean the scene where the cops go into the terrace and the idiot guy clocks the kid with bitt of his gun, people throw stuff at em. Their car gets torched......next day the burned out squad car is there. All the the thuggy dudes hangung not by it and ****....no way they leave it. It's evidence.......dumb.

Acting is kinda meh......I'm not giving up on it.......yet. I'm definitely struggling to see how this is a top 5 all time at the moment.....also, seems like a show that maybe needed to be watched when it came out. Seems dated, which is crazy......I guess it is 20 years old! Damn I'm getting old

you should stop

 

[Manster]

Two episodes into the Wire ......so far, my main takeaway is it's pretty cheesy. I mean the scene where the cops go into the terrace and the idiot guy clocks the kid with bitt of his gun, people throw stuff at em. Their car gets torched......next day the burned out squad car is there. All the the thuggy dudes hangung not by it and ****....no way they leave it. It's evidence.......dumb.

Acting is kinda meh......I'm not giving up on it.......yet. I'm definitely struggling to see how this is a top 5 all time at the moment.....also, seems like a show that maybe needed to be watched when it came out. Seems dated, which is crazy......I guess it is 20 years old! Damn I'm getting old

you should stop

Theres no one on earth that would say two episodes in, the Wire is all-time top 5 TV show......There has been nothing about it yet, that is any different than any other cop drama. In fact, it's not as good as many of em, imo.....the main characters are not that interesting, so far, imo.....Now I say that knowing that it evolves. I'm trying to get there. I'm not trying to prove anyone wrong here. I really want to like it.

 

[Manster]

The first season of the office is bad-ish.

They intended to do the show verbatim from the UK version, with Michael Scott being as angry, sullen and bitter as David Brent. But Steve Carrell has such a "nice guy" vibe about him that it didn't work at all.

Yes, they even incorporated some of the very same gags in the first few episodes of the U.S. version, like Jim putting Dwight's stapler in a Jell-O mold (still funny).

The Office makes my top 5. It's like Seinfeld for me. I can fire up an episode, or two, and still laugh like I'm seeing it for the first time. The characters are great.......Steve Carell as Michael Scott is about as perfect as it gets. When he's gone from the show, it leaves a void that could not be filled.....they tried, but it wasn't the same. I don't watch the Office sans Michael Scott really

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Theres no one on earth that would say two episodes in, the Wire is all-time top 5 TV show..

What shows would anyone say that about after two episodes?

 

[Ilov80s]

Theres no one on earth that would say two episodes in, the Wire is all-time top 5 TV show..

What shows would anyone say that about after two episodes?

Right. And some great shows famously got off to rough or uneven starts- The Office and Seinfeld for example. Even GoT in the sense that they recast and reshot the whole pilot (we never saw that but the show was very close to never even getting off the ground). Some shows like Breaking Bad are A to B rides The Wire is more like a puzzle. Rides are obvious and fun from the start but puzzles take awhile to take shape. Doesn’t necessarily mean one approach is better than the other. Just different. I actually think that’s what turned so many people against Thrones. It went from a puzzle show driven by the characters to a A to B plot driven show once they ran out of Martin material.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Some shows like Breaking Bad are A to B rides

Good example, those first few episodes were jammed packed. They slowed down eventually to where they were building up to a big one, but still solid pacing.

 

[Manster]

Theres no one on earth that would say two episodes in, the Wire is all-time top 5 TV show..

What shows would anyone say that about after two episodes?

It's a valid point, and I'm taking it into consideration. I think coming in 20 years later, with all the hype surrounding the show, does it no favors to the new viewer. This is why I'm going to give it a legit shot instead of bailing super early.

 

[Ilov80s]

Theres no one on earth that would say two episodes in, the Wire is all-time top 5 TV show..

What shows would anyone say that about after two episodes?

It's a valid point, and I'm taking it into consideration. I think coming in 20 years later, with all the hype surrounding the show, does it no favors to the new viewer. This is why I'm going to give it a legit shot instead of bailing super early.

You are right that all the hype a movie or show can get over the years sometimes can ruin it in a way.

 

[shuke]

Theres no one on earth that would say two episodes in, the Wire is all-time top 5 TV show..

What shows would anyone say that about after two episodes?

Twin Peaks.

 

[Keith R]

Theres no one on earth that would say two episodes in, the Wire is all-time top 5 TV show..

What shows would anyone say that about after two episodes?

Twin Peaks.

Good pick. Six Feet Under also comes to mind

 

[BlackCrowes]

Theres no one on earth that would say two episodes in, the Wire is all-time top 5 TV show..

What shows would anyone say that about after two episodes?

Twin Peaks.

Good pick. Six Feet Under also comes to mind

The Shield had me hooked by the end of the 1st episode

 

[Gally]

Two episodes into the Wire ......so far, my main takeaway is it's pretty cheesy. I mean the scene where the cops go into the terrace and the idiot guy clocks the kid with bitt of his gun, people throw stuff at em. Their car gets torched......next day the burned out squad car is there. All the the thuggy dudes hangung not by it and ****....no way they leave it. It's evidence.......dumb.

Acting is kinda meh......I'm not giving up on it.......yet. I'm definitely struggling to see how this is a top 5 all time at the moment.....also, seems like a show that maybe needed to be watched when it came out. Seems dated, which is crazy......I guess it is 20 years old! Damn I'm getting old

It probably took me 4-5 episodes to really get into it, and then the last few episodes of season 1 is when I really realized how good it was

I’d say stick with it

I would conure with Lambskin's take here. You need to get to know the characters and their place and how things are run. It takes a bit to get up to speed but once you get that it's a great ride. It is not the typical pace of shows these days. You have to let it breathe a bit. It's worth IMO.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

Theres no one on earth that would say two episodes in, the Wire is all-time top 5 TV show..

What shows would anyone say that about after two episodes?

Twin Peaks.

Good pick. Six Feet Under also comes to mind

The Shield had me hooked by the end of the 1st episode

It would have to, wouldn’t it?

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

For me, I think I'm going to adopt the 4 episode threshold that someone in this or the tv thread does since I think that's fair but I also think you can kinda tell if you like a show or not after a few episodes. I've never seen The Wire, maybe it's the best show ever, it's certainly high up the ladder in shows that are considered the best but just because a show (or a movie) is highly regarded doesn't mean it necessarily is. Example, all the Friends hate ITT.

 

[Tau837]

Theres no one on earth that would say two episodes in, the Wire is all-time top 5 TV show..

What shows would anyone say that about after two episodes?

Band of Brothers
Sopranos
Law & Order
Bosch

I realize some of this is taste dependent, especially the last two here, but for me I knew that quickly.

 

[Manster]

So 3 episodes into The Wire, and my wife, and I are starting to get a little bit invested. We both enjoyed the chess analogy (we play chess together) by Deangelo.

Feels like this Avon Barksdale fella is going to have tentacles reaching out into a lot of places.

 

[landrys hat]

Crazy that SImpsons is #6 and Futurama is way down at #132.

 

[Gally]

Crazy that SImpsons is #6

You coulda just stopped with this

 

[Gally]

I have 22 shows not listed so far. Here are their ranks:

1 - I expect it to be top 5
2 - I expect it to be top 10
5 - I expect it to be top 5
10 - I know is not in the top 300 since it was already referenced as my highest show that won't be listed - Criminal Minds)
11 - Won't be on the List. It's not a great show but it just cracks me up and is very re-watchable
12 - I expect it to be top 5
16 - I am guessing it won't be on the list and am shocked. I wonder if I missed it somewhere
20 - I expect it to be top 10
30 - First of many copycats. At the time it was quite revolutionary but kind of got a bad rap over the years because of all the spinoffs.
34 - Another great re-watchable. My go to show to watch during my lunch hour. Not gonna make the top 17
41 - Just like #11 although I would say it's a better show than #11 technically I enjoyed 11 just more. Neither will be top 17
44 - I expect it to be top 10
50 - Very fitting to the pandemic. I watched it during the pandemic and a lot of what happened I could have seen happening if it got worse. Underrated show.
51 - Just a procedural that I enjoyed. I like this type of show
53 - "Spin off" of a show that was ranked #50 and may have had the funniest scene I have ever seen (in show #50 not my spinoff choice)
54 - Surprised it hasn't been on the list yet. I would be surprised if it made top 17 I supposed it could
56 - Another show that surprised me wasn't listed. Makes me wonder if I missed it being listed. Can't imagine it would be top 17
58 - This was hilarious and it's brother was on the countdown. This was the newer version and had one of the best endings of any show ever tying it to it's predecessor.
61 - One of the similar shows was in the countdown but I liked this one better. It probably wasn't technically better but I just enjoyed it more.
66 - Guilty pleasure show from the 70's. Just had to have it on the list.
68 - Similar to my #51 above it type of show. It was entertaining and is a fun rewatch but I really didn't expect it to make the top 300.
69 - The actor playing the main character has a show in the countdown already and another that should be top 5 (and is my #1 show). This show cracked me up and is a nice mindless show to watch before going to bed. I didn't expect it to make the top 300


I will fill in what shows when the unveiling is over just in case I am wrong and 17 of these fill out the remaining shows...haha

So lets see how close I was:

1 - I expect it to be top 5 -------- Correct. This was Seinfeld and finished #2
2 - I expect it to be top 10 ------ Correct. This was Cheers and finished #9
5 - I expect it to be top 5 ------ Correct. This was BB and finished #1
10 - I know is not in the top 300 since it was already referenced as my highest show that won't be listed - Criminal Minds) --- Correct..Not on the list
11 - Won't be on the List. It's not a great show but it just cracks me up and is very re-watchable ------ Correct. This was Rules of Engagement and not on the list
12 - I expect it to be top 5 ---- Correct. This was The Wire and it finished #5
16 - I am guessing it won't be on the list and am shocked. I wonder if I missed it somewhere ----- Correct. This was 2 and Half Men and wasn't listed (and should have been)
20 - I expect it to be top 10 ---- Essentially correct. This was Band of Brothers and it finished #11
44 - I expect it to be top 10 ---- Incorrect.....Curb finished #17. I expected it to be higher in the overall rankings.

 

[Gally]

So now onto the no-listers. I didn't expect most of these to make the top 100 but thought some may be in the top 200-300. Here they are:

10 - Criminal Minds: I am shocked it wasn't on the list at all. I know it's been copied and is kind of formulaic but it has been around so long and been good for the entire time that out of sheer volume it should have made the top 300 at a minimum. I enjoy these type shows. I liked some of the season long story arcs. It had a great run of guest stars that could be extremely creepy (Tim Curry jumps to mind) and some more interesting (Aubry Plaza for example). Disappointed it wasn't on the final list. It should have been somewhere.

11 - Rules of Engagement: Just a silly underrated show that has a great cast that meshes very well. Yes it's dumb. But each character fits the intended stereotype perfectly. Puddy as the old married guy, Spade as the creepy pervert. Oliver Hudson as the dumb guy (still shocked me when I found out he was Kate Hudson's brother). Bianca Kajlich was nice to look at as well as Megyn Price (very underrated). Even Timmy the assistant to Spade was perfect. Give it a shot if you want a stupid sitcom comedy as a filler before bed. Worth it.

16 - 2 and a Half Men: Another shocking omission by the masses. Deserved to be here somewhere. Yes its low brow but it hits it perfectly. Show titles were awesome and fit in the episode. You knew what you would get it and it didn't disappoint.

30 - CSI; Crime Scene Investigation: The original before it was became a parody. Unlike anything before and really well done. The spinoffs were meh but the original was great. Good concept, well executed and unique. Now not so much but at the time there wasn't anything like it. Deserved mentioning and a favorite of mine

34 - Castle: I stumbled upon this show while on a business trip to Norway. I couldn't sleep (jet lag) and it was one of the few shows on that was in English in the hotel. Hooked me in right from the start. From the commercials during it's first run it seemed like it would be dumb but it surprised the heck out of me at how well the chemistry and concept worked. Absolutely sucked me. Great show to watch if you have an hour to kill and want a bit of comedy and whodunit. Had no idea if anybody else would rank it so I didn't expect it to be very high if at all. I hoped it would make the top 200 but I guess nobody else held it up as a personal top 70. Too bad.

41 - Last Man Standing: I enjoyed this more than Tim Allen's first go around with Home Improvement. I didn't get hooked on the original airing but caught it in syndication and it just cracked me up. Mandy made the show for me. She played dumb/ditsy perfect with a bit of street smartness and it cracked me up every time. I also like the Tim Allen character battles with the liberal son-in-law/daughter. Didn't expect it to be on the list.

50 - The Last Ship: I might have just caught this at just the right time. Started it in a year or two into the pandemic. Very fitting. I saw a lot of similarities to real world reactions and how the show portrayed the situation. It seemed very predictive of how the world could have gotten if it got a little more out of hand. Not sure if I ranked shows 5 years from now if it would still make my list but I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed the show.

51 - Bull: I love these type of shows. The super observant character that sees things others don't and uses it to their advantage. Dumb -sure. Procedureal - Sure. Obvious - sure. But it just entertains me. That's what TV is supposed to do. I like this show...and I know it's not winning any awards and I don't care.

53 - Mama's Family: Spin off of a Carol Burnett Show sketch. Probably has the funniest sketch (Tim Conway and Siamese Elephants) ever. The show was dumb but it was funny and I enjoyed it. Haven't seen it in many years so I may think otherwise now but it was a nostalgia pick for me.

54 - Prison Break: Great first season. Each subsequent season got more and more far fetched but it was entertaining. Sure you need to suspend belief and buy into the story a bit but it was a quick binge and kept us wanting to come back. I am surprised it didn't make the list as it seems a lot of people enjoyed it and thought it was good. But I can see where it gets docked for how it progressed as it did get unbelievable. But I still enjoyed it.

56 - The Umbrella Academy: This was a no list shocker to me. I thought for sure it would be in the top 200. Entertaining show. Might have some recency bias in my ranking as I only watched it recently. Liked Klaus. Concept was interesting. Might have extra sentimental value as it was a show my son made us watch so it was one of the few family viewing shows out there for us (he doesn't watch a lot of TV).

58 - Newhart (1982 version): I never really watched the original (a little before my time) but I really liked this version. It also gets a lot of bonus points for the ending. Great tie into the original Bob Newhart Show. Very clever way to end it.

61 - Elementary (2012): The one with Lucy Liu as Watson and Johnny Lee Miller as Sherlock. Other versions are probably technically "better" but this one entertained me more. I wasn't sure if it would be on the countdown but I enjoyed it.

66 - Charlie's Angels: I mean come on. As a boy just coming to age at the time there couldn't be anything better. Detective show with the Angels. Come on man. Had to make the list.

68 - Lie to Me: Similar to Bull. Just a type of show I enjoy. Silly, unrealistic but entertaining. I have seen a couple others mention it so it was on some lists. Didn't expect it to be in the countdown but that doesn't change the fact I enjoyed the crap out of it.

69 - The New Adventures of Old Christine: A Julia Louis-Dreyfus vehicle that is very underrated IMO. I liked it better than VEEP. A very similar character to Elaine just in a different life situation. Another late night sitcom that is mindless but has some chuckles. If you like JLD then you should give this a shot.

 

[zamboni]

66 - Charlie's Angels: I mean come on. As a boy just coming to age at the time there couldn't be anything better. Detective show with the Angels. Come on man. Had to make the list.

Just missed for me - definitely iconic. And team Cheryl Ladd for me.

 

[Jayrod]

Theres no one on earth that would say two episodes in, the Wire is all-time top 5 TV show..

What shows would anyone say that about after two episodes?

Psych and Gilmore Girls.

 

[B Maverick]

30 - CSI; Crime Scene Investigation: The original before it was became a parody. Unlike anything before and really well done. The spinoffs were meh but the original was great. Good concept, well executed and unique. Now not so much but at the time there wasn't anything like it. Deserved mentioning and a favorite of mine

The original CSI with the original cast was an excellent show. Great chemistry between the cast members and they all seemed to play a role that complemented the team. Once William Peterson (Gil Grissom) moved on, the show dipped. Ted Danson and Lawrence Fishburn did well leading the dept, but never matched the level of Peterson. One show that probably hung on too long.

34 - Castle: I stumbled upon this show while on a business trip to Norway. I couldn't sleep (jet lag) and it was one of the few shows on that was in English in the hotel. Hooked me in right from the start. From the commercials during it's first run it seemed like it would be dumb but it surprised the heck out of me at how well the chemistry and concept worked. Absolutely sucked me. Great show to watch if you have an hour to kill and want a bit of comedy and whodunit. Had no idea if anybody else would rank it so I didn't expect it to be very high if at all. I hoped it would make the top 200 but I guess nobody else held it up as a personal top 70. Too bad.

One of my favorite shows. The chemistry between Fillion and Katic was great. I really didn't even notice how much the two actors hated each other by the end of the run. You can tell what season the episode is in by the length of Katic's (Kate Beckett) hair. Such a bad cut in S1 that progressively gets better as the seasons move along. Another great cast that shines throughout.

Nathan Fillion is also great in the Rookie.

 

[Gally]

Psych

Blasphemy. That show is awesome. It was my 17th ranked show. It doesn't take itself seriously, has tremendous 80's references, nicknames, and a pineapple in every show.

 

[Gally]

Nathan Fillion is also great in the Rookie.

That's a show that would probably make my list at some point assuming it keeps being solid.

 

[B Maverick]

Nathan Fillion is also great in the Rookie.

That's a show that would probably make my list at some point assuming it keeps being solid.

Castle and Beckett
or
Nolan and Bailey

 

[Gally]

Nathan Fillion is also great in the Rookie.

That's a show that would probably make my list at some point assuming it keeps being solid.

Castle and Beckett
or
Nolan and Bailey

Gotta go with the original duo.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

16 - 2 and a Half Men: Another shocking omission by the masses. Deserved to be here somewhere. Yes its low brow but it hits it perfectly. Show titles were awesome and fit in the episode. You knew what you would get it and it didn't disappoint.

Frankenstein and the Horny Villager

 

[Gally]

Frankenstein and the Horny Villager

Kissing Abraham Lincoln

 

[Instinctive]

So now onto the no-listers. I didn't expect most of these to make the top 100 but thought some may be in the top 200-300. Here they are:

10 - Criminal Minds: I am shocked it wasn't on the list at all. I know it's been copied and is kind of formulaic but it has been around so long and been good for the entire time that out of sheer volume it should have made the top 300 at a minimum. I enjoy these type shows. I liked some of the season long story arcs. It had a great run of guest stars that could be extremely creepy (Tim Curry jumps to mind) and some more interesting (Aubry Plaza for example). Disappointed it wasn't on the final list. It should have been somewhere.

11 - Rules of Engagement: Just a silly underrated show that has a great cast that meshes very well. Yes it's dumb. But each character fits the intended stereotype perfectly. Puddy as the old married guy, Spade as the creepy pervert. Oliver Hudson as the dumb guy (still shocked me when I found out he was Kate Hudson's brother). Bianca Kajlich was nice to look at as well as Megyn Price (very underrated). Even Timmy the assistant to Spade was perfect. Give it a shot if you want a stupid sitcom comedy as a filler before bed. Worth it.

16 - 2 and a Half Men: Another shocking omission by the masses. Deserved to be here somewhere. Yes its low brow but it hits it perfectly. Show titles were awesome and fit in the episode. You knew what you would get it and it didn't disappoint.

30 - CSI; Crime Scene Investigation: The original before it was became a parody. Unlike anything before and really well done. The spinoffs were meh but the original was great. Good concept, well executed and unique. Now not so much but at the time there wasn't anything like it. Deserved mentioning and a favorite of mine

34 - Castle: I stumbled upon this show while on a business trip to Norway. I couldn't sleep (jet lag) and it was one of the few shows on that was in English in the hotel. Hooked me in right from the start. From the commercials during it's first run it seemed like it would be dumb but it surprised the heck out of me at how well the chemistry and concept worked. Absolutely sucked me. Great show to watch if you have an hour to kill and want a bit of comedy and whodunit. Had no idea if anybody else would rank it so I didn't expect it to be very high if at all. I hoped it would make the top 200 but I guess nobody else held it up as a personal top 70. Too bad.

41 - Last Man Standing: I enjoyed this more than Tim Allen's first go around with Home Improvement. I didn't get hooked on the original airing but caught it in syndication and it just cracked me up. Mandy made the show for me. She played dumb/ditsy perfect with a bit of street smartness and it cracked me up every time. I also like the Tim Allen character battles with the liberal son-in-law/daughter. Didn't expect it to be on the list.

50 - The Last Ship: I might have just caught this at just the right time. Started it in a year or two into the pandemic. Very fitting. I saw a lot of similarities to real world reactions and how the show portrayed the situation. It seemed very predictive of how the world could have gotten if it got a little more out of hand. Not sure if I ranked shows 5 years from now if it would still make my list but I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed the show.

51 - Bull: I love these type of shows. The super observant character that sees things others don't and uses it to their advantage. Dumb -sure. Procedureal - Sure. Obvious - sure. But it just entertains me. That's what TV is supposed to do. I like this show...and I know it's not winning any awards and I don't care.

53 - Mama's Family: Spin off of a Carol Burnett Show sketch. Probably has the funniest sketch (Tim Conway and Siamese Elephants) ever. The show was dumb but it was funny and I enjoyed it. Haven't seen it in many years so I may think otherwise now but it was a nostalgia pick for me.

54 - Prison Break: Great first season. Each subsequent season got more and more far fetched but it was entertaining. Sure you need to suspend belief and buy into the story a bit but it was a quick binge and kept us wanting to come back. I am surprised it didn't make the list as it seems a lot of people enjoyed it and thought it was good. But I can see where it gets docked for how it progressed as it did get unbelievable. But I still enjoyed it.

56 - The Umbrella Academy: This was a no list shocker to me. I thought for sure it would be in the top 200. Entertaining show. Might have some recency bias in my ranking as I only watched it recently. Liked Klaus. Concept was interesting. Might have extra sentimental value as it was a show my son made us watch so it was one of the few family viewing shows out there for us (he doesn't watch a lot of TV).

58 - Newhart (1982 version): I never really watched the original (a little before my time) but I really liked this version. It also gets a lot of bonus points for the ending. Great tie into the original Bob Newhart Show. Very clever way to end it.

61 - Elementary (2012): The one with Lucy Liu as Watson and Johnny Lee Miller as Sherlock. Other versions are probably technically "better" but this one entertained me more. I wasn't sure if it would be on the countdown but I enjoyed it.

66 - Charlie's Angels: I mean come on. As a boy just coming to age at the time there couldn't be anything better. Detective show with the Angels. Come on man. Had to make the list.

68 - Lie to Me: Similar to Bull. Just a type of show I enjoy. Silly, unrealistic but entertaining. I have seen a couple others mention it so it was on some lists. Didn't expect it to be in the countdown but that doesn't change the fact I enjoyed the crap out of it.

69 - The New Adventures of Old Christine: A Julia Louis-Dreyfus vehicle that is very underrated IMO. I liked it better than VEEP. A very similar character to Elaine just in a different life situation. Another late night sitcom that is mindless but has some chuckles. If you like JLD then you should give this a shot.

We have such similar taste - I think you see in my post i agree with 10, 16, 68. i also like 11, 51, 61.

Castle is Nathan Fillion, right? I like him in everything else he's been in...looks like a fairly straightforward procedural? If so, it's getting added for sure.

Sell me on Prison Break and Umbrella Academy - what's the big draw to those?

 

[Instinctive]

Nathan Fillion is also great in the Rookie.

That's a show that would probably make my list at some point assuming it keeps being solid.

I haven't watched it since the unbelievable honeymoon murder mystery multi-episode thing. After the first part of that I was like oh maybe this jumped the shark. Which I kind of felt when they killed of a key character earlier in a wedding saga but got through it.

 

[Psychopav]

So now onto the no-listers. I didn't expect most of these to make the top 100 but thought some may be in the top 200-300. Here they are:

56 - The Umbrella Academy: This was a no list shocker to me. I thought for sure it would be in the top 200. Entertaining show. Might have some recency bias in my ranking as I only watched it recently. Liked Klaus. Concept was interesting. Might have extra sentimental value as it was a show my son made us watch so it was one of the few family viewing shows out there for us (he doesn't watch a lot of TV).

Yeah I was surprised about this too. I don't think I rated it (maybe I should have). It's definitely very well done and I 100% would have expected it to show up somewhere.

 

[Jayrod]

Psych

Blasphemy. That show is awesome. It was my 17th ranked show. It doesn't take itself seriously, has tremendous 80's references, nicknames, and a pineapple in every show.

I wasn't being sarcastic.

I had Psych at #4. It is probably my most re-watched show ever. I'm in love with Juliette and Shawn is my hero.

 

[Gally]

Psych

Blasphemy. That show is awesome. It was my 17th ranked show. It doesn't take itself seriously, has tremendous 80's references, nicknames, and a pineapple in every show.

I wasn't being sarcastic.

I had Psych at #4. It is probably my most re-watched show ever. I'm in love with Juliette and Shawn is my hero.

That will teach me for not reading a post thoroughly enough. I totally thought you were saying that you could tell within two episodes that Psych was terrible.

I am right there with you on Juliet and Shawn.

 

[Gally]

Castle is Nathan Fillion, right?

Yep. It's a typical procedural in format but it has a bit of everything. If you like Fillion you will like Castle. He is awesome in it.

 

[Gally]

We have such similar taste -

Except for that terrible take you have on Seinfeld. Probably cancels out all the other similarities with how polar opposite we are on that......hahahha

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

61 - Elementary (2012): The one with Lucy Liu as Watson and Johnny Lee Miller as Sherlock. Other versions are probably technically "better" but this one entertained me more. I wasn't sure if it would be on the countdown but I enjoyed it.

An excellent show. My grandfather owned a collection of Sherlock Holmes and Elementary captures the spirit and feel of the books in a way that many of the other adaptations do not. Holmes was a drug addicted loner with emotional problems and daddy issues, and Watson was not the amiable sidekick, but was a sometimes antagonist to Holmes, goading and provoking him into taking on a case.

Miller and Liu hit it out of the park with their portrayals. It was well written and directed, too.

 

[Jayrod]

Fun fact about Fillion, I apparently look enough like him that a guy I play basketball with refuses to call me by my real name but refers to me as "Nate" instead. My real name is not even close to that and it confuses everyone on a regular basis.

 

[Gally]

Sell me on Prison Break and Umbrella Academy - what's the big draw to those?

Prison Break was a very unique take on a normal prison break type show (at least for the first season). I found it very well done and each episode made me want to see what was gonna happen next. It gets off the rails in follow on seasons because it gets a bit outlandish but I thought it was entertaining all the way through. You just have to suspend reality a lot for the last season or two.

The Umbrella Academy is a time travel, super hero type show. I am generally not I to super hero/comic book type stuff but thought it was well done and had some interesting characters and story lines. You can probably tell within a show or two if it's for you.

 

[Gally]

Fun fact about Fillion, I apparently look enough like him that a guy I play basketball with refuses to call me by my real name but refers to me as "Nate" instead. My real name is not even close to that and it confuses everyone on a regular basis.

Were you hired by 3XK to impersonate him a few years back?

 

[Jayrod]

Fun fact about Fillion, I apparently look enough like him that a guy I play basketball with refuses to call me by my real name but refers to me as "Nate" instead. My real name is not even close to that and it confuses everyone on a regular basis.

Were you hired by 3XK to impersonate him a few years back?

No.....but how much does s gig like that pay?

 

[Gally]

Fun fact about Fillion, I apparently look enough like him that a guy I play basketball with refuses to call me by my real name but refers to me as "Nate" instead. My real name is not even close to that and it confuses everyone on a regular basis.

Were you hired by 3XK to impersonate him a few years back?

No.....but how much does s gig like that pay?

I don't know but you might get killed by a serial killer trying to cover up his crimes.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Sell me on Prison Break and Umbrella Academy - what's the big draw to those?

Prison Break was a very unique take on a normal prison break type show (at least for the first season). I found it very well done and each episode made me want to see what was gonna happen next. It gets off the rails in follow on seasons because it gets a bit outlandish but I thought it was entertaining all the way through. You just have to suspend reality a lot for the last season or two.

The Umbrella Academy is a time travel, super hero type show. I am generally not I to super hero/comic book type stuff but thought it was well done and had some interesting characters and story lines. You can probably tell within a show or two if it's for you.

I think I shared my thoughts on Prison Break already, Season 1 is definitely worth watching, if you continue, yeah just suspend disbelief and lower your expectations. It’s still entertaining but just gets ridiculous

Umbrella Academy is a fun show, we binged it fairly recently (within the last few months). Final season isn’t great IMO. Obviously didn’t crack my top 70 but it’s a good show nonetheless. Better than some of the crap that made it that’s for sure

 

[Instinctive]

We have such similar taste -

Except for that terrible take you have on Seinfeld. Probably cancels out all the other similarities with how polar opposite we are on that......hahahha

I can't make myself 20 years older.

 

[Psychopav]

We have such similar taste -

Except for that terrible take you have on Seinfeld. Probably cancels out all the other similarities with how polar opposite we are on that......hahahha

I can't make myself 20 years older.

Maybe you need a time machine.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

So now onto the no-listers. I didn't expect most of these to make the top 100 but thought some may be in the top 200-300. Here they are:

10 - Criminal Minds: I am shocked it wasn't on the list at all. I know it's been copied and is kind of formulaic but it has been around so long and been good for the entire time that out of sheer volume it should have made the top 300 at a minimum. I enjoy these type shows. I liked some of the season long story arcs. It had a great run of guest stars that could be extremely creepy (Tim Curry jumps to mind) and some more interesting (Aubry Plaza for example). Disappointed it wasn't on the final list. It should have been somewhere.

11 - Rules of Engagement: Just a silly underrated show that has a great cast that meshes very well. Yes it's dumb. But each character fits the intended stereotype perfectly. Puddy as the old married guy, Spade as the creepy pervert. Oliver Hudson as the dumb guy (still shocked me when I found out he was Kate Hudson's brother). Bianca Kajlich was nice to look at as well as Megyn Price (very underrated). Even Timmy the assistant to Spade was perfect. Give it a shot if you want a stupid sitcom comedy as a filler before bed. Worth it.

16 - 2 and a Half Men: Another shocking omission by the masses. Deserved to be here somewhere. Yes its low brow but it hits it perfectly. Show titles were awesome and fit in the episode. You knew what you would get it and it didn't disappoint.

30 - CSI; Crime Scene Investigation: The original before it was became a parody. Unlike anything before and really well done. The spinoffs were meh but the original was great. Good concept, well executed and unique. Now not so much but at the time there wasn't anything like it. Deserved mentioning and a favorite of mine

34 - Castle: I stumbled upon this show while on a business trip to Norway. I couldn't sleep (jet lag) and it was one of the few shows on that was in English in the hotel. Hooked me in right from the start. From the commercials during it's first run it seemed like it would be dumb but it surprised the heck out of me at how well the chemistry and concept worked. Absolutely sucked me. Great show to watch if you have an hour to kill and want a bit of comedy and whodunit. Had no idea if anybody else would rank it so I didn't expect it to be very high if at all. I hoped it would make the top 200 but I guess nobody else held it up as a personal top 70. Too bad.

41 - Last Man Standing: I enjoyed this more than Tim Allen's first go around with Home Improvement. I didn't get hooked on the original airing but caught it in syndication and it just cracked me up. Mandy made the show for me. She played dumb/ditsy perfect with a bit of street smartness and it cracked me up every time. I also like the Tim Allen character battles with the liberal son-in-law/daughter. Didn't expect it to be on the list.

50 - The Last Ship: I might have just caught this at just the right time. Started it in a year or two into the pandemic. Very fitting. I saw a lot of similarities to real world reactions and how the show portrayed the situation. It seemed very predictive of how the world could have gotten if it got a little more out of hand. Not sure if I ranked shows 5 years from now if it would still make my list but I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed the show.

51 - Bull: I love these type of shows. The super observant character that sees things others don't and uses it to their advantage. Dumb -sure. Procedureal - Sure. Obvious - sure. But it just entertains me. That's what TV is supposed to do. I like this show...and I know it's not winning any awards and I don't care.

53 - Mama's Family: Spin off of a Carol Burnett Show sketch. Probably has the funniest sketch (Tim Conway and Siamese Elephants) ever. The show was dumb but it was funny and I enjoyed it. Haven't seen it in many years so I may think otherwise now but it was a nostalgia pick for me.

54 - Prison Break: Great first season. Each subsequent season got more and more far fetched but it was entertaining. Sure you need to suspend belief and buy into the story a bit but it was a quick binge and kept us wanting to come back. I am surprised it didn't make the list as it seems a lot of people enjoyed it and thought it was good. But I can see where it gets docked for how it progressed as it did get unbelievable. But I still enjoyed it.

56 - The Umbrella Academy: This was a no list shocker to me. I thought for sure it would be in the top 200. Entertaining show. Might have some recency bias in my ranking as I only watched it recently. Liked Klaus. Concept was interesting. Might have extra sentimental value as it was a show my son made us watch so it was one of the few family viewing shows out there for us (he doesn't watch a lot of TV).

58 - Newhart (1982 version): I never really watched the original (a little before my time) but I really liked this version. It also gets a lot of bonus points for the ending. Great tie into the original Bob Newhart Show. Very clever way to end it.

61 - Elementary (2012): The one with Lucy Liu as Watson and Johnny Lee Miller as Sherlock. Other versions are probably technically "better" but this one entertained me more. I wasn't sure if it would be on the countdown but I enjoyed it.

66 - Charlie's Angels: I mean come on. As a boy just coming to age at the time there couldn't be anything better. Detective show with the Angels. Come on man. Had to make the list.

68 - Lie to Me: Similar to Bull. Just a type of show I enjoy. Silly, unrealistic but entertaining. I have seen a couple others mention it so it was on some lists. Didn't expect it to be in the countdown but that doesn't change the fact I enjoyed the crap out of it.

69 - The New Adventures of Old Christine: A Julia Louis-Dreyfus vehicle that is very underrated IMO. I liked it better than VEEP. A very similar character to Elaine just in a different life situation. Another late night sitcom that is mindless but has some chuckles. If you like JLD then you should give this a shot.

I liked the last ship but didn't rank it.

I had last man standing early on but I had felt like the last 2 or 3 seasons weren't as good so I axed it but if this were 100 then I think I'd add it.

castle was a good one that I didn't think of.

I've talked about 2.5 men already and I agree with you that it SHOULD be on a list of 300 but 16 seems a bit high to me.

I didn't pay super close attention but it seemed like Gally and Jayrod were the two with the most matches to me. Honestly, the 5 of us that listed Psych have the best taste on the site.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

Honestly, the 5 of us that listed Psych have the best taste on the site.

and everyone else can

SUUUCCCKKK IIITTT