The Top 300 Greatest TV Shows of All Time: FBG Consensus: 50 Lists received. 2: Seinfeld 1: Breaking Bad (8 Viewers)

[Runkle]

It's hard to explain how big The Civil War was when it was on. Stuff on PBS rarely breaks through to mainstream pop culture. But once that dropped, absolutely everyone was watching it and talking about it.

 

[Don Quixote]

I was 11 when Ken Burns’ The Civil War. Remember watching it then, and I think it did a great deal to spawn my interest in history. Own the DVDs and still one I pop in from time to time.

If we did a ranking of nonfiction books, Shelby Foote’s trilogy would rank high there too.

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

65 - Ken Burns’ The Civil War​

Documentary
Score: 436
Average Rank: 27.4

The 25th anniversary of the documentary series "The Civil War" includes video clips and interviews with Ken Burns, Geoffrey Ward, Ric Burns, Buddy Squires and others.

List Breakdown

Bottomfeeder Sports 4
Don Quixote 11
ilov80s 12
turnjose7 15
Binky 29
Eephus 30
timschochet 32
Sullie 42
Jayrod 48
Runkle 51

The Civil War

For whatever unexplainable reason I avoided this for a long time. Guess I was saving it for when I could appreciate it.

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

Anyone else see the Netflix mini series Adolescence? It's four one hour episodes shot in real-time. Each episode, they turned the camera on and shot for an hour without any editing. But they go seamlessly in and out of buildings and vehicles. I can't even begin to imagine how much preparation went into it to have the exact timing down. The actors couldn't flub any lines. Really good stuff.

Yes. A big omission from my and every other list.

 

[Anarchy99]

Anyone else see the Netflix mini series Adolescence? It's four one hour episodes shot in real-time. Each episode, they turned the camera on and shot for an hour without any editing. But they go seamlessly in and out of buildings and vehicles. I can't even begin to imagine how much preparation went into it to have the exact timing down. The actors couldn't flub any lines. Really good stuff.

Yes. A big omission from my and every other list.

Not sure it can count as an omission seeing how it came out well after the lists were compiled and results were getting released.

 

[northern exposure]

Hotter take: Who do you consider the second character on Seinfeld - Kramer, George,Elaine?

There's no second character; it's an ensemble. There's no first character either, title of the show notwithstanding.

That said, Niles Crane is still the best.

Shtick? How is Frasier not an ensemble with Marty, Daphne, Roz, etc. ?

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

Anyone else see the Netflix mini series Adolescence? It's four one hour episodes shot in real-time. Each episode, they turned the camera on and shot for an hour without any editing. But they go seamlessly in and out of buildings and vehicles. I can't even begin to imagine how much preparation went into it to have the exact timing down. The actors couldn't flub any lines. Really good stuff.

Yes. A big omission from my and every other list.

Not sure it can count as an omission seeing how it came out well after the lists were compiled and results were getting released.

Details!

 

[zamboni]

65 - Ken Burns’ The Civil War​

Documentary
Score: 436
Average Rank: 27.4

The 25th anniversary of the documentary series "The Civil War" includes video clips and interviews with Ken Burns, Geoffrey Ward, Ric Burns, Buddy Squires and others.

List Breakdown

Bottomfeeder Sports 4
Don Quixote 11
ilov80s 12
turnjose7 15
Binky 29
Eephus 30
timschochet 32
Sullie 42
Jayrod 48
Runkle 51

The Civil War

For whatever unexplainable reason I avoided this for a long time. Guess I was saving it for when I could appreciate it.

It’s been on my list forever to watch, but never carved out the time. Yet somehow I watched this crappy drama.

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

I wonder if Ken Burns and Jackson Browne have ever met. They share a kinship--the same haircut that they have held onto for half a century.

 

[UncleZen]

Al Bundy is a true American hero who also scored 4 touchdowns in a single high school football game. Ted not only didn't kill the series, he made it better.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

65 - Ken Burns’ The Civil War

I really enjoyed this. Unforntuately,he did every other documentary the exact same way, whether or not the topic fit the style. I just couldn't plod my way through baseball, national parks, or the Viet Nam War. Ugh. Endless torture. Very disappointing since Mr R and I love documentaries.

 

[rockaction]

Frasier was 67 and behind Married With Children?

I should have submitted a list so you troglodytes didn't give the world a poor impression of FBG.

Frasier would have been top ten for sure in my world. Oh my. Perhaps it was a bit before your times? Or after your bedtimes? Holy smoke.

Married With Children got sent up by Oliver Stone as the worst of American culture. Frasier is about as highbrow as America gets. Oof. No wonder we . . .

I won't finish that sentence.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Married With Children got sent up by Oliver Stone as the worst of American culture.

I guess Stone couldn't see the irony here.

 

[rockaction]

Married With Children got sent up by Oliver Stone as the worst of American culture.

I guess Stone couldn't see the irony here.

Perfect response. Natch.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

67 - Frasier​

Comedy
Score: 42

Frasier is the Three's Company of the 90s. Someone overhears something, misinterprets it, and hijinks ensue. Good characters, well acted and not bad writing.

IMO that's being pretty disingenuous to Frasier. The writing was super sharp and the plotlines were somewhat more complex than that.

Yeah, the Three’s Company comparison is a bad take. A few episodes used the “someone mishears something, hijinks ensue” structure, but most were smartly written. The characters were developed well and most plot movements made sense. I also liked how they never held back how Fraiser could be an a$$ at times.

Niles getting a favorable divorce settlement against the odds because Maris didn’t want it revealed that her family’s fortune came from urinal cakes still makes me chuckle.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

66 - Married... With Children​

Comedy
Score: 431
Average Rank: 44.1

Al Bundy is a misanthropic women's shoe salesman with a miserable life. He hates his job, his wife is lazy, his son is dysfunctional (especially with women), and his daughter is dim-witted and promiscuous.

List Breakdown

UncleZen 2
Dan Lambskin 12
Scoresman 22
Gally 25
Shaft41 34
Keith R 39
Rand al Thor 46
Chaos34 49
ilov80s 55
Pip's Invitation 56
John Madden's Lunchbox 56
Sullie 58
KarmaPolice 59
kupcho1 61
steelerfan1 65
landrys hat 66

There was nothing like this show when it debuted. The cultural pundits hated it and thought it was a sign of society going down the tubes. But while all the characters were an exaggerated form of their archetypes, they were still more realistic than most of what else was on network TV. You didn’t really see “main characters” depicted as pathetic, materialistic, dumb and promiscuous until this show. At least not on a sitcom structured around a family.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

66 - Married... With Children​

Comedy
Score: 431
Average Rank: 44.1

Al Bundy is a misanthropic women's shoe salesman with a miserable life. He hates his job, his wife is lazy, his son is dysfunctional (especially with women), and his daughter is dim-witted and promiscuous.

List Breakdown

UncleZen 2
Dan Lambskin 12
Scoresman 22
Gally 25
Shaft41 34
Keith R 39
Rand al Thor 46
Chaos34 49
ilov80s 55
Pip's Invitation 56
John Madden's Lunchbox 56
Sullie 58
KarmaPolice 59
kupcho1 61
steelerfan1 65
landrys hat 66

There was nothing like this show when it debuted. The cultural pundits hated it and thought it was a sign of society going down the tubes. But while all the characters were an exaggerated form of their archetypes, they were still more realistic than most of what else was on network TV. You didn’t really see “main characters” depicted as pathetic, materialistic, dumb and promiscuous until this show.

I mean, it was a direct response to The Cosby Show right?

 

[Snoopy]

66 - Married... With Children​

Comedy
Score: 431
Average Rank: 44.1

Al Bundy is a misanthropic women's shoe salesman with a miserable life. He hates his job, his wife is lazy, his son is dysfunctional (especially with women), and his daughter is dim-witted and promiscuous.

List Breakdown

UncleZen 2
Dan Lambskin 12
Scoresman 22
Gally 25
Shaft41 34
Keith R 39
Rand al Thor 46
Chaos34 49
ilov80s 55
Pip's Invitation 56
John Madden's Lunchbox 56
Sullie 58
KarmaPolice 59
kupcho1 61
steelerfan1 65
landrys hat 66

There was nothing like this show when it debuted. The cultural pundits hated it and thought it was a sign of society going down the tubes. But while all the characters were an exaggerated form of their archetypes, they were still more realistic than most of what else was on network TV. You didn’t really see “main characters” depicted as pathetic, materialistic, dumb and promiscuous until this show.

I mean, it was a direct response to The Cosby Show right?

Yes. The working title was "Not the Cosbys".

 

[zamboni]

66 - Married... With Children​

Comedy
Score: 431
Average Rank: 44.1

Al Bundy is a misanthropic women's shoe salesman with a miserable life. He hates his job, his wife is lazy, his son is dysfunctional (especially with women), and his daughter is dim-witted and promiscuous.

List Breakdown

UncleZen 2
Dan Lambskin 12
Scoresman 22
Gally 25
Shaft41 34
Keith R 39
Rand al Thor 46
Chaos34 49
ilov80s 55
Pip's Invitation 56
John Madden's Lunchbox 56
Sullie 58
KarmaPolice 59
kupcho1 61
steelerfan1 65
landrys hat 66

There was nothing like this show when it debuted. The cultural pundits hated it and thought it was a sign of society going down the tubes. But while all the characters were an exaggerated form of their archetypes, they were still more realistic than most of what else was on network TV. You didn’t really see “main characters” depicted as pathetic, materialistic, dumb and promiscuous until this show. At least not on a sitcom structured around a family.

Plus...Anthrax

 

[zamboni]

67 - Frasier​

Comedy
Score: 42

Frasier is the Three's Company of the 90s. Someone overhears something, misinterprets it, and hijinks ensue. Good characters, well acted and not bad writing.

IMO that's being pretty disingenuous to Frasier. The writing was super sharp and the plotlines were somewhat more complex than that.

Yeah, the Three’s Company comparison is a bad take. A few episodes used the “someone mishears something, hijinks ensue” structure, but most were smartly written. The characters were developed well and most plot movements made sense. I also liked how they never held back how Fraiser could be an a$$ at times.

Niles getting a favorable divorce settlement against the odds because Maris didn’t want it revealed that her family’s fortune came from urinal cakes still makes me chuckle.

The writers were so sharp that if any plotlines resembled Three's Company, it's probably because they were parodying and/or paying homage to their predecessor.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

67 - Frasier​

Comedy
Score: 42

Frasier is the Three's Company of the 90s. Someone overhears something, misinterprets it, and hijinks ensue. Good characters, well acted and not bad writing.

IMO that's being pretty disingenuous to Frasier. The writing was super sharp and the plotlines were somewhat more complex than that.

Yeah, the Three’s Company comparison is a bad take. A few episodes used the “someone mishears something, hijinks ensue” structure, but most were smartly written. The characters were developed well and most plot movements made sense. I also liked how they never held back how Fraiser could be an a$$ at times.

Niles getting a favorable divorce settlement against the odds because Maris didn’t want it revealed that her family’s fortune came from urinal cakes still makes me chuckle.

The writers were so sharp that if any plotlines resembled Three's Company, it's probably because they were parodying and/or paying homage to their predecessor.

Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce are as good at facial expressions as John Ritter was at physical comedy.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Did any character have redeeming features?

Buck the dog seemed like a good boy.

He killed that girl dog during breeding

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I don't think I've had a more unexpected literal LOL than when Frazier is dating the Jewish woman...and Niles shows up dressed as Jesus. It's better when you watch the complete setup but you get the idea.

Whenever my wife and I exchange a "sure" answer between us, it's always with the poorly done American accent used by Daphne to get back across the Canadian border.

More Daphne accent...and Niles' reaction.

 

[Scoresman]

63 - I Love Lucy​

Comedy
Score: 457
Average Rank: 29.5

A daffy woman constantly strives to become a star along with her bandleader husband and gets herself in the strangest situations.

List Breakdown

Runkle 1
Keith R 6
Bottomfeeder Sports 15
The Gator 19
Yo Mama 28
Rand al Thor 33
Todem 33
ilov80s 41
Don Quixote 41
UncleZen 45
Scoresman 62

 

[Runkle]

It still holds up.

 

[FarFromHome]

63 - I Love Lucy​

Comedy
Score: 457
Average Rank: 29.5

A daffy woman constantly strives to become a star along with her bandleader husband and gets herself in the strangest situations.

List Breakdown

Runkle 1
Keith R 6
Bottomfeeder Sports 15
The Gator 19
Yo Mama 28
Rand al Thor 33
Todem 33
ilov80s 41
Don Quixote 41
UncleZen 45
Scoresman 62

I was a young child and to this day I serenade women with a beautiful song in a Cuban American accent. Ricky was dope.

 

[Scoresman]

Up next: The #1 ranked show if you sort the entire list alphabetically!!

 

[BlackCrowes]

Up next: The #1 ranked show if you sort the entire list alphabetically!!

Aardvark vs Zebra?

 

[zamboni]

Up next: The #1 ranked show if you sort the entire list alphabetically!!

My guess

 

[Scoresman]

62 - 24​

Action
Score: 466
Average Rank: 24.4

Jack Bauer, Director of Field Ops for the Counter-Terrorist Unit of Los Angeles, races against the clock to subvert terrorist plots and save his nation from ultimate disaster.

List Breakdown

titusbramble 2
Todem 3
Scoresman 7
timschochet 11
Tau37 13
BlackCrowes 22
Bottomfeeder Sports 34
krista4 48
Dan Lambskin 48
simey 56

 

[Scoresman]

24 is probably the first serialized show I really got into. I had watched others before this, but 24 really started the phenomenon where it's so good that you agonize at the end of each hour having to wait an hour to see the next episode. Just pure entertainment.

 

[Yo Mama]

63 - I Love Lucy​

Comedy
Score: 457
Average Rank: 29.5

A daffy woman constantly strives to become a star along with her bandleader husband and gets herself in the strangest situations.

List Breakdown

Runkle 1
Keith R 6
Bottomfeeder Sports 15
The Gator 19
Yo Mama 28
Rand al Thor 33
Todem 33
ilov80s 41
Don Quixote 41
UncleZen 45
Scoresman 62

An all time classic. Broke so much ground in its time.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I'll rescue my abducted daughter twice in one day but the third time she's on her own.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

63 - I Love Lucy​

Comedy
Score: 457
Average Rank: 29.5

A daffy woman constantly strives to become a star along with her bandleader husband and gets herself in the strangest situations.

List Breakdown

Runkle 1
Keith R 6
Bottomfeeder Sports 15
The Gator 19
Yo Mama 28
Rand al Thor 33
Todem 33
ilov80s 41
Don Quixote 41
UncleZen 45
Scoresman 62

Not seen enough episodes to rank it. But what I have seen is pretty funny. You can tell why the whole country was obsessed with Lucy and Desi.

 

[Scoresman]

61 - Sesame Street​

Childrens
Score: 466
Average Rank: 35.2

On a special inner city street, the inhabitants, both human and puppet, teach preschool subjects with comedy, cartoons, games and songs.

List Breakdown

Rand al Thor 4
Yo Mama 14
krista4 23
KarmaPolice 27
Pip's Invitation 29
Psychopav 37
Atomic Punk 39
AAABatteries 40
ilov80s 44
Nick Vermeil 45
gr00vus 48
Runkle 53
zamboni 54

 

[McBokonon]

Completely forgot about 24. Totally ridiculous and it definitely went on too long, but I was absolutely hooked for the first 5 seasons or so. GB Chloe's resting "I just smelled a fart" face.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Sesame Street was primarily conceived to teach inner-city children, particularly those from low-income and minority backgrounds. The show's creators aimed to use television as an educational tool to level the playing field for disadvantaged children.

That's just a factoid, not any sort of value judgement.

I grew up a rural, white kid and watched the heck out of it. Telephone Rock rules!

 

[zamboni]

61 - Sesame Street​

Childrens
Score: 466
Average Rank: 35.2

On a special inner city street, the inhabitants, both human and puppet, teach preschool subjects with comedy, cartoons, games and songs.

List Breakdown

Rand al Thor 4
Yo Mama 14
krista4 23
KarmaPolice 27
Pip's Invitation 29
Psychopav 37
Atomic Punk 39
AAABatteries 40
ilov80s 44
Nick Vermeil 45
gr00vus 48
Runkle 53
zamboni 54

If this doesn't get you choked up, you have no soul.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[KarmaPolice]

Frasier was 67 and behind Married With Children?

I should have submitted a list so you troglodytes didn't give the world a poor impression of FBG.

Frasier would have been top ten for sure in my world. Oh my. Perhaps it was a bit before your times? Or after your bedtimes? Holy smoke.

Married With Children got sent up by Oliver Stone as the worst of American culture. Frasier is about as highbrow as America gets. Oof. No wonder we . . .

I won't finish that sentence.

I was 17. Do I watch a show about some old stuffy psychologists that I have no context for (never saw an episode of the show this is a spin off of), or do I watch some crap with hot ladies like 90210 and Married with Children?

 

[KarmaPolice]

Sesame Street was primarily conceived to teach inner-city children, particularly those from low-income and minority backgrounds. The show's creators aimed to use television as an educational tool to level the playing field for disadvantaged children.

That's just a factoid, not any sort of value judgement.

I grew up a rural, white kid and watched the heck out of it. Telephone Rock rules!

I loved THESE TWO

 

[Pip's Invitation]

61 - Sesame Street​

Childrens
Score: 466
Average Rank: 35.2

On a special inner city street, the inhabitants, both human and puppet, teach preschool subjects with comedy, cartoons, games and songs.

List Breakdown

Rand al Thor 4
Yo Mama 14
krista4 23
KarmaPolice 27
Pip's Invitation 29
Psychopav 37
Atomic Punk 39
AAABatteries 40
ilov80s 44
Nick Vermeil 45
gr00vus 48
Runkle 53
zamboni 54

One of my first memories is watching Stevie Wonder perform "Superstition" on Sesame Street. Of course I was going to rank it.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[Dan Lambskin]

61 - Sesame Street​

Childrens
Score: 466
Average Rank: 35.2

On a special inner city street, the inhabitants, both human and puppet, teach preschool subjects with comedy, cartoons, games and songs.

List Breakdown

Rand al Thor 4
Yo Mama 14
krista4 23
KarmaPolice 27
Pip's Invitation 29
Psychopav 37
Atomic Punk 39
AAABatteries 40
ilov80s 44
Nick Vermeil 45
gr00vus 48
Runkle 53
zamboni 54

I probably should have ranked this one. Kids had a Silly Songs DVD they used to watch all the time

 

[rockaction]

Sesame Street is an awesome show that I never would have thought to rank, but if I had, would easily be a top ten show. I can't think of too many I'd rank ahead of it. My youth is Sesame Street/Electric Company and This Week In Baseball with pro wrestling (because of my brother and his friends) mixed in.

 

[zamboni]

The term "groundbreaking" gets thrown around a lot, but Sesame Street is one of those few shows that truly earns that description.

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

63 - I Love Lucy​

Comedy
Score: 457
Average Rank: 29.5

A daffy woman constantly strives to become a star along with her bandleader husband and gets herself in the strangest situations.

List Breakdown

Runkle 1
Keith R 6
Bottomfeeder Sports 15
The Gator 19
Yo Mama 28
Rand al Thor 33
Todem 33
ilov80s 41
Don Quixote 41
UncleZen 45
Scoresman 62

I Love Lucy

This defined a genre, maybe TV itself and was hilarious decades after being created and I'm sure most everyone can remember at least one skit that had them changing underwear.

 

[rockaction]

61 - Sesame Street​

Childrens
Score: 466
Average Rank: 35.2

On a special inner city street, the inhabitants, both human and puppet, teach preschool subjects with comedy, cartoons, games and songs.

List Breakdown

Rand al Thor 4
Yo Mama 14
krista4 23
KarmaPolice 27
Pip's Invitation 29
Psychopav 37
Atomic Punk 39
AAABatteries 40
ilov80s 44
Nick Vermeil 45
gr00vus 48
Runkle 53
zamboni 54

One of my first memories is watching Stevie Wonder perform "Superstition" on Sesame Street. Of course I was going to rank it.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

That performance is so good that even the YouTube comments are illuminating rather than insipid. Man, that is some funk and soul right there. The part when he starts riffing on the words "Sesame Street" at about six minutes in was shocking and wonderful in case you didn't really think that utter symphony was playing live.

 

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

62 - 24​

Action
Score: 466
Average Rank: 24.4

Jack Bauer, Director of Field Ops for the Counter-Terrorist Unit of Los Angeles, races against the clock to subvert terrorist plots and save his nation from ultimate disaster.

List Breakdown

titusbramble 2
Todem 3
Scoresman 7
timschochet 11
Tau37 13
BlackCrowes 22
Bottomfeeder Sports 34
krista4 48
Dan Lambskin 48
simey 56

24

I wonder if this would have been better if released in the era where entire seasons drop at once? (Though I guess binge watching diminishes the week long impact of a silent clock.)

 

[Shaft41]

61 - Sesame Street​

Childrens
Score: 466
Average Rank: 35.2

On a special inner city street, the inhabitants, both human and puppet, teach preschool subjects with comedy, cartoons, games and songs.

List Breakdown

Rand al Thor 4
Yo Mama 14
krista4 23
KarmaPolice 27
Pip's Invitation 29
Psychopav 37
Atomic Punk 39
AAABatteries 40
ilov80s 44
Nick Vermeil 45
gr00vus 48
Runkle 53
zamboni 54

Complete misfire on this one. Should have definitely been in my top 25. I think I enjoyed watching it with my own kids as much if not more than I enjoyed watching when I was a kid.

 

[Yo Mama]

61 - Sesame Street​

Childrens
Score: 466
Average Rank: 35.2

On a special inner city street, the inhabitants, both human and puppet, teach preschool subjects with comedy, cartoons, games and songs.

List Breakdown

Rand al Thor 4
Yo Mama 14
krista4 23
KarmaPolice 27
Pip's Invitation 29
Psychopav 37
Atomic Punk 39
AAABatteries 40
ilov80s 44
Nick Vermeil 45
gr00vus 48
Runkle 53
zamboni 54

Sesame Street remains such an impactful publicly-funded effort that has touched so many lives for the better.

Even as a suburban kid fortunate enough to be able to have preschool and other avenues for learning, lessons I learned on Sesame Street still stick with me today.

I still occasionally count to the tune of the Pointer Sisters, and I once made my college Spanish 101 crack up by throwing out a loud “abierto. . . CERRADO!” when those words came up in vocab.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

It's probably a good thing that I didn't send in a list. There are so many great shows listed so far that I would probably have forgot to include, I would be feeling embarrassed by now...