The Top 300 Greatest TV Shows of All Time: FBG Consensus: 50 Lists received. 2: Seinfeld 1: Breaking Bad (17 Viewers)

[Bottomfeeder Sports]

Google sheet is up with top 300 and everyone's individual lists.

FFA Top 300 TV Shows All Time

docs.google.com

A quick browse of the list had @krista4 ‘s American Bandstand jumping out. (Didn’t look for it elsewhere.). This could not make my list because it competed early on with The Buddy Dean Show (the inspiration for Hairspray). Even though The Buddy Dean Show ended before I was born and American Bandstand continued for quite a bit much longer, it stayed off the air in Baltimore most of that time.

 

[B Maverick]

2 - Seinfeld​

Comedy
Score: 2665
Average Rank: 9

The continuing misadventures of neurotic New York stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his equally neurotic New York friends.

zamboni 52
Rand al Thor 62

Stay strong you two! Don't let anyone here tell you this is wrong. Stay away from the hype!

I watched Seinfeld, fairly sure I've seen all the episodes and I get its place in TV history. Heck, I enjoyed the finale that everyone hates. For me its overrated and I'd have it down the list as well. I just don't find it rewatchable.

 

[Psychopav]

I can’t say I’ve watched a ton of shows, but if there is a single better episode in TV history than “Ozymandias”, I’d like to know about it.

maybe "Two Cathedrals" from The West Wing. "33" from Battlestar Galactica

I dont know about "better", but ones that are up there for me.

Finale of The Americans

The finale of the Americans was fantastic as we discussed earlier, but not sure it’s in the rarified air of Ozymandias.

Not only the greatest episode of all time, I would say this was the greatest TV teaser of all time, with the most satisfying payoff to just enormous expectations.

246,000 votes on IMDB for this episode, with a 10/10 rating.

Anthony Hopkins famously wrote this letter to Bryan Cranston after watching the series, and I can't imagine better acting in any medium than Bryan Cranston's performance in the phone call scene from this episode.

I still vividly remember my visceral reaction to both the trailer and that scene in particular. And the show absolutely stuck the landing imo.

BB at #1 of 300 is an easy no brainer.

 

[Ilov80s]

Breaking Bad was very entertaining and well done. I had it ranked high but it’s a show I haven’t and never will go back to. It was a perfectly designed ride but I didn’t see any depth to it. It was pure entertainment which is great and I flew through it but it didn’t resonate with me the way many other great shows did. Once you know what happens, it stopped being so interesting. Also the Skylar problem was a real problem for me.

I have a solution to the Skylar and Marie problems - fast forward.

Number 1 show of all time shouldn’t come with a just FF through one of the main characters suggestion.

I knew this would be somebody's reply but there's not a show on the list, IMO, that doesn't have the same issue when thinking about rewatching. And to be clear - I don't fast forward through all of Skylar but I'm probably about at 80-90% with Marie.

True and I really like the show, had it pretty high. Just wasn’t quite top top tier for me but wife would tell me I’m wrong (she’s good at that) since she’s watched it like 4 times and is probably her all time favorite.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Don’t sleep on Walt Jr…I mean Flynn as a hated character

“Heyyyy dahhhddd”

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Would be interested in hearing what folks think was the biggest snub.

I think The Honeymooners makes a case, although it likely wasn’t as ubiquitous in reruns for many of us compared to other syndicated shiws.

Good call. Probably had the most basic setting of any show mentioned in this thread, so it fell onto the writers and performers to carry it. And carry it they did. Along with I Love Lucy, you can draw a straight line from The Honeymooners to pretty much every sitcom of the last 70 years.

 

[Ilov80s]

Don’t sleep on Walt Jr…I mean Flynn as a hated character

“Heyyyy dahhhddd”

Oh yeah he was not a good character at all. I’ll give him a little bit of a pass because he does have cerebral palsy and was trying to kind of undo his therapy to play someone with more severe symptoms but I was never happy to see him on screen. There were some great performances but some key spots were a little weak.

 

[Ilov80s]

No The Fly and Ozymandias were 2 of the 3 in episodes directed by Rian Johnson. Brought in the big guns for those and it showed.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Don’t sleep on Walt Jr…I mean Flynn as a hated character

“Heyyyy dahhhddd”

Oh yeah he was not a good character at all. I’ll give him a little bit of a pass because he does have cerebral palsy and was trying to kind of undo his therapy to play someone with more severe symptoms but I was never happy to see him on screen. There were some great performances but some key spots were a little weak.

Yeah I just feel like they didn’t really know what to do with him so his appearance always felt forced

 

[AAABatteries]

Breaking Bad was very entertaining and well done. I had it ranked high but it’s a show I haven’t and never will go back to. It was a perfectly designed ride but I didn’t see any depth to it. It was pure entertainment which is great and I flew through it but it didn’t resonate with me the way many other great shows did. Once you know what happens, it stopped being so interesting. Also the Skylar problem was a real problem for me.

I have a solution to the Skylar and Marie problems - fast forward.

Number 1 show of all time shouldn’t come with a just FF through one of the main characters suggestion.

I knew this would be somebody's reply but there's not a show on the list, IMO, that doesn't have the same issue when thinking about rewatching. And to be clear - I don't fast forward through all of Skylar but I'm probably about at 80-90% with Marie.

True and I really like the show, had it pretty high. Just wasn’t quite top top tier for me but wife would tell me I’m wrong (she’s good at that) since she’s watched it like 4 times and is probably her all time favorite.

Yeah, I’m not going to sit here and quibble about someone ranking BB in the top 20 - people have different tastes and no show is perfect. If you say it’s horrible and unworthy or being ranked then we have a problem. Honestly, I just did a quick glance through the top 100 and there’s basically no show on there I would say, that’s horrible TV. Which is how it should be.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Anthony Hopkins famously wrote this letter to Bryan Cranston after watching the series, and I can't imagine better acting in any medium than Bryan Cranston's performance in the phone call scene from this episode.

I still vividly remember my visceral reaction to both the trailer and that scene in particular. And the show absolutely stuck the landing imo.

That's a hell of a letter to be getting from "Tony" Hopkins.

But I agree, the overall cast is top notch (comic relief Saul and his henchmen in particular). And some beautiful desert shots that made the perfect backdrop for some of the more dramatic scenes.

 

[B Maverick]

Probably not the demographic here, but somewhat surprised Grey's Anatomy isn't listed.

 

[Ilov80s]

Don’t sleep on Walt Jr…I mean Flynn as a hated character

“Heyyyy dahhhddd”

Oh yeah he was not a good character at all. I’ll give him a little bit of a pass because he does have cerebral palsy and was trying to kind of undo his therapy to play someone with more severe symptoms but I was never happy to see him on screen. There were some great performances but some key spots were a little weak.

Yeah I just feel like they didn’t really know what to do with him so his appearance always felt forced

Yep like he needs to have a kid for the premise of the show to make sense but also there’s not really a place for the kid in the general arc and actions of the show. Which is kind of funny but happens a lot with kids in tv shows. Mad Men had that problem for awhile until Kiernan Shipka transformed into a really good actress very late in its run. The Marvelous Miss Maisel was the funniest to me. Her kids are only ever around when they need a little plot device to inconvenience someone but in general they are all able to have their cake and eat it too- stressed 50s mom who doesn’t actually have to take care of her kid.

 

[Psychopav]

Don’t sleep on Walt Jr…I mean Flynn as a hated character

“Heyyyy dahhhddd”

Why do you hate breakfast? This is why we can't have nice things.

 

[Psychopav]

No The Fly and Ozymandias were 2 of the 3 in episodes directed by Rian Johnson. Brought in the big guns for those and it showed.

"Fly" (not "The Fly") was, in many people's opinions, the worst episode of BB. 7.9/10 on IMDB fwiw.

 

[zamboni]

and I can't imagine better acting in any medium than Bryan Cranston's performance in the phone call scene from this episode.

Yes - that scene. I think in a hundred years people will still be talking about that. What a gut punch/master class in acting.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

No The Fly and Ozymandias were 2 of the 3 in episodes directed by Rian Johnson. Brought in the big guns for those and it showed.

**** that guy.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

One show that barely missed the mark for me that I regret is Somebody Feed Phil.

This is a show my wife and I have watched since back when it was a PBS show. We're all about travel and food and we've based several trips around places Phil has highlighted in his travels. That kind of effect on me should have counted.

He’s genuinely a wonderful dude.

 

[Scoresman]

That's the thing about Breaking Bad. Despite having a couple annoying characters, the show was good enough to overcome this and still be brilliant because every other character and story arc was that good. I cant think of another show where I more dreaded the last 5 minutes of an episode because I knew it would be over soon and it would be a whole week until the next. Maybe 24 at its peak had this same level, not sure.

 

[Scoresman]

One show that barely missed the mark for me that I regret is Somebody Feed Phil.

This is a show my wife and I have watched since back when it was a PBS show. We're all about travel and food and we've based several trips around places Phil has highlighted in his travels. That kind of effect on me should have counted.

He’s genuinely a wonderful dude.

Agree, I know some people find him annoying, but I share his sense of humor perfectly. Sarcasm and self degrading.

My favorite line of his is when he's describing himself as a travel celebrity he said "I'm like Rick Steves, without the sex appeal".

 

[Dr. Octopus]

So, I won, right?

You’re All Winners!!

 

[Anarchy99]

So, I won, right?

You’re All Winners!!

But suddenly a new contender has emerged . . .

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

I think that was inevitable given that ###### ###### ###### didn't finish the books.

My theory is that he didn't and won't finish the book because season 8 WAS the ending but since most people dislike it he just noped out

I love that this exercise has been all about personal preference. I don't love Mafia/mob stories, so The Sopranos never appealed to me. Fantasy stuff is not my thing either, so Game of Thrones was an autoskip. I think I might have given The Wire a shot, but didn't have access, but also drug-centered stories don't appeal to me either, so I've also never seen Breaking Bad, and he'll always be Tim Whatley to me.

Hmmm. I get that people don't necessarily dabble in some genres, like fantasy. That being said, while I'm not into fantasy shows, I ended up binging Game of Thrones and put it in my top 15. It's just that good.

I didn't realize it was such an issue that people wouldn't watch shows on a particular topic such as mafia/mob or what they perceive to be shows that are "drug-centered." To me, a story is a story, but I get what you're saying. I would not at all call The Wire "drug-centered" though there is drug trade in there. Breaking Bad is more drug-centered as a story. But at least you didn't say The Wire was about journalists.

I generally think fantasy is like the lamest thing but GoT seasons 1-6 are about as good as anything ever put on TV.

YOU.ARE.DEAD.TO.ME!

Scanned the list again and didn't see Spartacus. Maybe because it was on a less popular streaming service? That first season with Andy, before he died, was marvelous. Blood, sex and violence. I actually enjoyed the later seasons also. Gannicus and Crixus.

First season was pretty good but it went down hill fast. I talk about it in the streaming thread. Haven't even bothered with the last season though.

 

[titusbramble]

Would be interested in hearing what folks think was the biggest snub.

I'm still fairly shocked that with the demographics of this board that Everybody Loves Raymond didn't make the top 300. Astounded really.

I cannot believe that Only Fools and Horses wasn't in given the amount of UK stuff that made the list. Also don't know whether Red Dwarf ever got aired in the US (I know there was a pilot of a remake) but if not that is at least understandable

 

[Psychopav]

I think that was inevitable given that ###### ###### ###### didn't finish the books.

My theory is that he didn't and won't finish the book because season 8 WAS the ending but since most people dislike it he just noped out

The thing is, that would be fine if the plotlines and dialogue had stayed strong and driven to that outcome. People would be fine with the destination if the journey hadn't gone so sideways.

Most likely why we're still waiting for him to untie his self-described gordian knot.

 

[Scoresman]

So, I won, right?

You’re All Winners!!

I'm coming up with some stats to kind of show who "won". Give me a sec.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

I still think the biggest "snub" is Supernatural, I know it did make the list but Buffy was 200 slots higher

 

[Scoresman]

Ok, here's how everyone measured against the overall top 300. I took everyone's lists and compared the ranking of each show to the ranking on the consensus top 300.

So if you put Breaking Bad at 70, you get 69 points for it. 70 (for your rank) minus 1 (overall rank). Total everone's score and the lowest overall score is the "Winner" since the goal is to be closest to the overall list.

This is pretty rudimentary and there's probably a better way of measuring this.

Nick Vermeil 2615
Dr Octopus 2632
Yo Mama 3015
shuke 3170
The Gator 3212
Dan Lambskin 3244
Atomic Punk 3375
Runkle 3394
Scoresman 3445
ilov80s 3509
John Madden's Lunchbox 3510
Chaos34 3572
kupcho1 3580
Tick 3608
AAABatteries 3624
Binky 3728
Frostillicus 3775
Pip's Invitation 3806
zamboni 3838
Barry2 3887
Sullie 3901
landrys hat 3987
Jayrod 4019
simey 4031
Todem 4031
BlackCrowes 4034
whoknew 4065
turnjose7 4155
McBokonon 4184
Bottomfeeder Sports 4247
timschochet 4270
Rand al Thor 4272
gr00vus 4280
Eephus 4282
Maik Jeaunz 4293
Keith R 4397
Brutal Penquin 4438
KarmaPolice 4461
Hastur 4493
Gally 4641
Tau37 4767
Don Quixote 4776
Psychopav 4856
krista4 4860
BLOCKED PUNT 4905
Shaft41 5118
Instinctive 5227
steelerfan1 5282
UncleZen 5427

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

So Zen "won"? and I was 5th?

 

[Scoresman]

I also measured against my own rankings.

Here's the list of you who have taste similar to my own (ie: good taste) The higher on this list the more similar to my list yours was.

Runkle 1488
The Gator 1597
BlackCrowes 1655
Dan Lambskin 1666
Yo Mama 1674
shuke 1681
Dr Octopus 1721
Atomic Punk 1721
Frostillicus 1737
Psychopav 1755
Todem 1769
Maik Jeaunz 1784
krista4 1834
Tick 1873
KarmaPolice 1874
kupcho1 1882
timschochet 1884
ilov80s 1885
simey 1890
Sullie 1907
Binky 1913
Barry2 1923
McBokonon 1940
AAABatteries 1948
zamboni 1956
Tau37 1970
Bottomfeeder Sports 1987
Pip's Invitation 1993
Keith R 2012
Rand al Thor 2016
Chaos34 2043
Gally 2053
Nick Vermeil 2058
landrys hat 2059
Brutal Penquin 2067
gr00vus 2079
Don Quixote 2082
turnjose7 2093
John Madden's Lunchbox 2108
Jayrod 2110
whoknew 2112
steelerfan1 2147
Hastur 2156
UncleZen 2205
Eephus 2248
BLOCKED PUNT 2265
Shaft41 2295
Instinctive 2371

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

oh lowest so nick

 

[Scoresman]

So Zen "won"? and I was 5th?

Sorry, this is like golf. Lowest score is "better"

Unless you want to be different from the rest. Then of course you are a winner.

 

[Hastur]

Listing Svengoolie at #7 is killin' me!

 

[Nick Vermeil]

Ok, here's how everyone measured against the overall top 300. I took everyone's lists and compared the ranking of each show to the ranking on the consensus top 300.

So if you put Breaking Bad at 70, you get 69 points for it. 70 (for your rank) minus 1 (overall rank). Total everone's score and the lowest overall score is the "Winner" since the goal is to be closest to the overall list.

This is pretty rudimentary and there's probably a better way of measuring this.

Nick Vermeil 2615
Dr Octopus 2632
Yo Mama 3015
shuke 3170
The Gator 3212
Dan Lambskin 3244
Atomic Punk 3375
Runkle 3394
Scoresman 3445
ilov80s 3509
John Madden's Lunchbox 3510
Chaos34 3572
kupcho1 3580
Tick 3608
AAABatteries 3624
Binky 3728
Frostillicus 3775
Pip's Invitation 3806
zamboni 3838
Barry2 3887
Sullie 3901
landrys hat 3987
Jayrod 4019
simey 4031
Todem 4031
BlackCrowes 4034
whoknew 4065
turnjose7 4155
McBokonon 4184
Bottomfeeder Sports 4247
timschochet 4270
Rand al Thor 4272
gr00vus 4280
Eephus 4282
Maik Jeaunz 4293
Keith R 4397
Brutal Penquin 4438
KarmaPolice 4461
Hastur 4493
Gally 4641
Tau37 4767
Don Quixote 4776
Psychopav 4856
krista4 4860
BLOCKED PUNT 4905
Shaft41 5118
Instinctive 5227
steelerfan1 5282
UncleZen 5427

I support this rationale.

 

[AAABatteries]

So Zen "won"? and I was 5th?

Instead of "winning" I would say "had the chalkiest list".

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

Driving to Jets games, I pass the real Bada Bing (called Satin Dolls).

Have you ever visited Pine Barrens? I have heard it is actually quite impressive, that even today there are parts of it that have not been visited by humans.

 

[Ilov80s]

No The Fly and Ozymandias were 2 of the 3 in episodes directed by Rian Johnson. Brought in the big guns for those and it showed.

"Fly" (not "The Fly") was, in many people's opinions, the worst episode of BB. 7.9/10 on IMDB fwiw.

They are crazy, for sure one of the best and gets ranked pretty high by critics I think as well.

 

[Ilov80s]

No The Fly and Ozymandias were 2 of the 3 in episodes directed by Rian Johnson. Brought in the big guns for those and it showed.

**** that guy.

Is this some kind of Star Wars thing?

 

[Nick Vermeil]

So Zen "won"? and I was 5th?

Instead of "winning" I would say "had the chalkiest list".

I think this is an over simplification.





-Nick Vermeil
Top 300 Greatest TV Shows Winner

 

[zamboni]

Driving to Jets games, I pass the real Bada Bing (called Satin Dolls).

Have you ever visited Pine Barrens? I have heard it is actually quite impressive, that even today there are parts of it that have not been visited by humans.

I haven’t - it’s pretty far from me. A few other Jets fans around here are closer and may have gone there.

 

[KarmaPolice]

No The Fly and Ozymandias were 2 of the 3 in episodes directed by Rian Johnson. Brought in the big guns for those and it showed.

**** that guy.

Pooping on the man who gave us the best Star Wars movie???

 

[timschochet]

I ain’t no skank

 

[B Maverick]

No The Fly and Ozymandias were 2 of the 3 in episodes directed by Rian Johnson. Brought in the big guns for those and it showed.

**** that guy.

Pooping on the man who gave us the best Star Wars movie???

Funny way to spell Gareth Edwards or Irvin Kershner

 

[timschochet]

Did Soul Train make it?

 

[Hastur]

Driving to Jets games, I pass the real Bada Bing (called Satin Dolls).

Have you ever visited Pine Barrens? I have heard it is actually quite impressive, that even today there are parts of it that have not been visited by humans.

I've trekked thru a lot of the pine barrens. Hard to believe this is true.

Before pot became legal in Jersey, you had to be careful not to stumble upon someones crop. I've been shot at once or twice.

The Sopranos episode with Chris and Paulie having to hide a body in the pine barrens is a great one!

 

[pecorino]

I don't see Bosom Buddies on the list which I'd call a significant oversight.

 

[zamboni]

I don't see Bosom Buddies on the list which I'd call a significant oversight.

Who knew one of the male leads would inevitably become an enormous superstar? Also had Tom Hanks in it.

 

[Hastur]

What actor or actress appears the most on this list? A regular, not just guest spots.

 

[Runkle]

I knew I had the best taste of all y'all

 

[Gally]

So if you put Breaking Bad at 70, you get 69 points for it. 70 (for your rank) minus 1 (overall rank).

I assume you used absolute value. So if a ranker put Rules of Engagement at #11 and it was on the lost at #71 you get 60 pts and not minus 60 pts.


ETA: what did you do in cases if a show on a ranker list at #10 but it wasn't in the top 300. Did that count as 300?