1. The Simpsons, Fox, 1989-present
2 The Sopranos, HBO (1999-2007)
3 Seinfeld, NBC (1989-98)
4 The X-Files, Fox (1993-2002)
5 Sex and the City, HBO (1998-2004)
6 Survivor, CBS (2000-present)
7 The Cosby Show, NBC (1984-92)
8 Lost, ABC (2004-present)
9 Friends, NBC (1994-2004)
10 Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The WB (1997-2001); UPN (2001-03)
11 The Wire, HBO (2002-08)
12 South Park, Comedy Central (1997-present)
13 Freaks and Geeks, NBC (1999-2000)
14 The Daily Show, Comedy Central (1996-present)
15 The Oprah Winfrey Show, Syndicated (1986-present)
16 Arrested Development, Fox (2003-06)
17 The Office (U.K. version), BBC2 (2001-03)
18 American Idol, Fox (2002-present)
19 ER, NBC (1994-present)
20 Beverly Hills, 90210, Fox (1990-2000)
21 Roseanne, ABC (1988-97)
22 The Real World, MTV (1992-present)
23 The West Wing, NBC (1999-2006)
24 Star Trek: The Next Generation, Syndication (1987-94)
25 Miami Vice, NBC (1984-89)
26 Chappelle's Show, Comedy Central (2003-06)
27 Law & Order, NBC (1990-present)
28 The Larry Sanders Show, HBO (1992-98)
29 The Shield, FX (2002-present)
30 Late Show With David Letterman, CBS (1993-present)
31 The Civil War, PBS (1990)
32 Gilmore Girls, The WB (2000-06), The CW (2006-07)
33 My So-Called Life, ABC (1994-95)
34 24, Fox (2001-present)
35 CSI, CBS (2000-present)
36 thirtysomething, ABC (1987-91)
38 Beavis and Butt-head, MTV (1993-97)
39 Six Feet Under, HBO (2001-05)
40 Mr. Show, (HBO, 1995-98)
41 Frasier, NBC (1993-2004)
42 L.A. Law, NBC (1986-94)
43 Late Night With Conan O'Brien, NBC (1993-present)
44 Jeopardy!, Syndicated (1984-present)
45 Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO (2000-present)
46 Homicide: Life on the Street, NBC (1993-99)
47 30 Rock, NBC (2006-present)
48 Ally McBeal, Fox (1997-2002)
49 Twin Peaks, ABC (1990-91)
50 Baywatch, NBC (1989-90), Syndicated (1991-2001)
51. Melrose Place, Fox (1992-99)
52. Felicity, The WB (1998-2002)
53. Will & Grace, NBC (1998-2006)
54. Moonlighting, ABC (1985-89)
55. Pee-wee's Playhouse, CBS (1986-90)
56. Desperate Housewives, ABC (2004-present)
57. The Amazing Race, CBS (2001-present)
58. The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, NBC (1992-present)
59. Battlestar Galactica, Sci Fi (2003-2008)
60. Xena: Warrior Princess, Syndicated (1995-2001)
61. The Office (U.S.), NBC (2005-present)
62. House, Fox (2004-present)
63. Mystery Science Theater 3000, Comedy Central (1989-96), Sci Fi (1997-99)
64. The Osbournes, MTV (2002-05)
65. Family Guy, Fox (1999-2002, 2005-present)
66. Grey’s Anatomy, ABC (2005-present)
67. Planet Earth, Discovery Channel (2007)
68. Jackass, MTV (2000-02)
69. The Colbert Report, Comedy Central (2005-present)
70. Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS (1996-2005)
71. Friday Night Lights, NBC (2006-present)
72. NewsRadio, NBC (1995-99)
73. Oz, HBO (1997-2003)
74. Wiseguy, CBS (1987-90)
75. Project Runway, Bravo (2004-present)
76. In Living Color, Fox (1990-94)
77. The Golden Girls, NBC (1985-92)
78. I'll Fly Away, NBC (1991-93)
79. The Comeback, HBO (2005)
80. King of the Hill, Fox (1997-present)
81. Murphy Brown, CBS (1988-98)
82. The Hills, MTV (2006-present)
83. Absolutely Fabulous, BBC2 (1992), BBC1 (1994-2004)
84. Northern Exposure, CBS (1990-95)
85. The Kids in the Hall, HBO (1989-92), CBS (1992-95)
86. Prime Suspect, ITV (1991-2006)
87. Deadwood, HBO (2004-06)
88. Malcolm in the Middle, Fox (2000-06)
89. SpongeBob SquarePants, Nickelodeon (1999-present)
90. Dawson's Creek, The WB (1998-2003)
91. Mad Men, AMC (2007-present)
92. The Ben Stiller Show, Fox (1992-93)
93. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Bravo (2003-07)
94. Married...With Children, Fox (1987-97)
95. Designing Women, CBS (1986-93)
96. The Arsenio Hall Show, Syndicated (1989-94)
97. Party of Five, Fox (1994-2000)
98. MacGyver, ABC (1985-92)
99. The Bachelor, ABC (2002-present)
100. Saved by the Bell, NBC (1989-93)


First complaint: The Hills!?

10/21/2008 7:52:45 PM

Quote :

"43 Late Night With Conan O'Brien, NBC (1993-present) 44 Jeopardy!, Syndicated (1984-present) 45 Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO (2000-present)"

Apples and oranges and grizzly bears

10/21/2008 7:55:04 PM

good to see MST3k, the wire, the x-files, frasier, and twin peaks

10/21/2008 7:57:46 PM

top 100 based on what

it's hard to argue with The Simpsons as #1 no matter what but I'd have to know more to rank the others

10/21/2008 7:58:35 PM

18 American Idol, Fox (2002-present)
22 The Real World, MTV (1992-present)
50 Baywatch, NBC (1989-90), Syndicated (1991-2001)

just a few that made me stop and go, wat?

What's EW? And this list must be in the last 20 years or something, right? Because no old good shows. (like Cheers, etc.)

10/21/2008 8:04:38 PM

yeah MASH would definitely be top 5 if that was the case

10/21/2008 8:06:00 PM

Project Runway???

10/21/2008 8:23:33 PM

This was Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 shows from 1983-2008. If we are talking about influence, #1, 2, and 3 should all just be #1a, b, and c and move Cosby Show and Survivor into the top 5. But I can't take a list like this serious that places Project Runway and Baywatch above Married... With Children, which along with the Simpsons, saved an entire network.

[Edited on October 21, 2008 at 8:49 PM. Reason : grtybvf]

10/21/2008 8:38:26 PM

depends on the criteria

for pure content, The Wire should be 1 or 2 at worst, this from a simpsons lover.

unfortunately, nobody watched The Wire (i wont try to start arguments about the reasons why), so it cnat really be up there for influence

10/21/2008 9:26:30 PM

I'll probably get flamed here but I really cant see Lost anywhere near that top 10. And its not even just because im not a big fan (honestly I am not a friends or simpsons fan but I can see why they are up where they are), I just really dont see much with that show. Seinfeld up there is no surprise, but I was definitely happy to see Freaks and Geeks at 13 and feel arrested development could easily be ahead of at least a few in front of it. I also feel like the wonder years could EASILY be on that list in place of a some others.

[Edited on October 21, 2008 at 9:31 PM. Reason : ]

10/21/2008 9:29:50 PM

^i actually agree

i love lost, dvr, watch all the time, but that is way too high

10/21/2008 9:31:05 PM

Quote :

"This was Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 shows from 1983-2008"

So.. why isn't Cheers on this list then? Probably THE most popular show on the 80's right? It ran about the same time frame as the Cosby Show I think. I mean, if Xena: Warrior Princess can make the list.. lol

10/21/2008 9:31:49 PM

Im assuming thats because they only took shows that started in 1983 or sooner which kinda sucks for Cheers since it started in 82 ha

[Edited on October 21, 2008 at 9:35 PM. Reason : ]

10/21/2008 9:34:40 PM

^i assume they cut off based on the premiere year, cheers missed the cut by 1 year

10/21/2008 9:35:09 PM

yar

10/21/2008 9:36:21 PM

Deadwood is way too low on the list. It was a much better show than the Wire. And I loved them both. Also Rome should have made the top 100.

There are probably 20 shows on that list that are easily worse than The Unit, but I'm not surprised it didn't make the list. For some reason not a lot of people recognize that show's brilliance.

The UK version of the Office is not as good as the American version (Season 1-2 only though) And yes I've seen the UK version. The only people that think otherwise are pretentious fucks and British People.

Also where the fuck is Dexter?

10/21/2008 9:43:17 PM

i agree. i love both versions but the american version for the first 2 seasons definitely trumps it (imo). And yea I forgot about Dexter too.

10/21/2008 9:50:24 PM

Quote :

"I was definitely happy to see Freaks and Geeks at 13 and feel arrested development could easily be ahead of at least a few in front of it. I also feel like the wonder years could EASILY be on that list in place of a some others."

Yeah but it's weird to see them that high on the list when there are so many people that have never heard of these shows. The list is stupid because it mixes shows that are pieces of shit but had a huge cultural impact like American Idol with actual good shows like F&G and AD.

Quote :

"The only people that think otherwise are pretentious fucks and British People."

If you don't agree with me, you're a fuck! Or British! The first few episodes of S1 of US Office are almost word-for-word the same as the UK version. How could you put the US Office on the list when it wouldn't even exist without the UK version?

I think I enjoy the US version a little more because I get all of the pop culture references but I wouldn't say it's the "better" show.

10/21/2008 9:52:26 PM

pretentious fuck

10/21/2008 9:53:40 PM

^^ I can understand your logic, but the reason I knew I thought it was a better show personally was the fact that, even after people told me to watch the UK version first and then watch the US show - I laughed harder at the US shows that were word for word versions of the UK shows I had already seen.

10/21/2008 9:59:27 PM

Exactly. The acting and characters are so much more likable in the US version. And yes, the first 6 episodes were the same. But the direction the show took after that was just not even comparable.

10/21/2008 10:01:11 PM

although the US version wouldn't exist without the UK version, they are really two different beasts. the US version plays to the optimism of americans and michael scott is a dramatically different kind of boss. i've only watched a little bit of the UK version but it was very, very stuffy.

10/21/2008 10:02:38 PM

Quote :

"The acting and characters are so much more likable in the US version."

But that's what makes the UK version so good to me. Your boss is such an asshole even though he wants everybody to like him, and the co-worker beside you isn't just weird but he's annoying-as-hell weird. You can laugh at it but the entire time, you're thinking "damn, that would fucking suck to work there." The US version kind of wants you to feel like it would be annoying to work at Dunder-Mifflin with the way everybody acts at meetings and shit, but it makes it look like a really cool place to work.

Also, and it's been discussed before in Office threads on here, how the US version has really gotten away from the whole documentary feel in some episodes where you're thinking "why the hell would the camera crew be there to see this?" There isn't ever a moment like that in the UK version and sometimes it really feels like it might be a real documentary because they make it seem so boring... I think that's part of the reason it should be considered a "better" show. It starts off with a concept and sticks to it the entire time. The US version has tried to stay with it but there's so much that has happened where you're thinking that there's no way an office could really be like that and that this isn't really a documentary.

[Edited on October 21, 2008 at 10:20 PM. Reason : .]

10/21/2008 10:18:07 PM

Ah, ok, see your idea of entertaining is wanting to watch a documentary.

That should have been my first clue.

10/21/2008 10:20:25 PM

lol whatever

10/21/2008 10:28:26 PM

Just looking at some of the ones I really liked, I'd say that things like Six Feet Under could stand to be higher. I don't have a problem with Project Runway being up there, I'm a PR junkie. It's certainly better than some of the other reality TV shows above it on the list.

In any case, I definitely agree that "1983-2008" is very limiting.

10/21/2008 10:30:02 PM

six feet under should be top 10.. i know Extras just happened, but it should be on this list, too.

and i love the american office, but there's really no contest. the UK version is superior.

[Edited on October 21, 2008 at 10:38 PM. Reason : 30 rock is way too fucking high]

[Edited on October 21, 2008 at 10:40 PM. Reason : .]

10/21/2008 10:37:42 PM

nip/tuck?

season 1/2 were pretty good

10/21/2008 10:39:50 PM

no one else feels the wonder years was left out over some of the crap in there?

10/21/2008 10:40:39 PM

family guy is on this list?

what a joke

10/21/2008 11:02:22 PM

My top 20:
1.Arrested Development
2.Sopranos
3.Seinfeld
4.Friday Night Lights
5.Married With Children
6.Freaks And Geeks
7.Home Improvement
8.MacGyver
9.Deadwood
10.Dexter
11.The Wonder Years
12.The Wire
13.The Simpsons
14.House
15.Salute Your Shorts
16.Nip/Tuck
17.Saved By The Bell
18.Family Guy
19.The A-Team
20.Absolutely Fabulous

10/21/2008 11:02:37 PM

^^shit i missed that

i was going to bitch about futurama, but if family guy makes it, futurama has to

Quote :

"nip/tuck? season 1/2 were pretty good"

i loved that show early, almost made it to near the end of the 4th season before i gave up

but it def doesnt deserve to be on the list

10/21/2008 11:13:53 PM

I'm satisfied with the top 3. I think Arrested Development should rank higher and I'm happy the over-Emmyed Frasier didn't make the top 25.

Futurama definitely belongs on the list and Colbert Report should rank higher IMO.

WTF @ The Hills and Jackass (arguably influential I guess). I barely remember Pee-wee's Playhouse, but it's still a head-scratcher.

10/22/2008 12:06:11 AM

MY top list sooooooo different than that.

10/22/2008 12:20:40 AM

buffy beats oprah??? yeah

10/22/2008 12:23:04 AM

List invalidated by lack of St. Elsewhere.

10/22/2008 12:58:57 AM

me thinks EW has completely neglected older tv shows....

10/22/2008 1:09:24 AM

Quote :

"me thinks EW has completely neglected older tv shows...."

me thinks you didn't read the thread.

10/22/2008 1:16:30 AM

that list was laughable.

10/22/2008 1:22:20 AM

House at 62? Pishaw.

10/22/2008 6:56:12 AM

Quote :

"Deadwood is way too low on the list. It was a much better show than the Wire."

blasphemy!

Deadwood season 1 was phenomenal.

Midway through season 2, i gave up. It just sucked. It takes a lot for me to lose interest in a show. For god's sake i still watch lost.

10/22/2008 7:22:14 AM

Quote :

"Deadwood is way too low on the list. It was a much better show than the Wire."

blasphemy!

Deadwood season 1 was phenomenal.

Midway through season 2, i gave up. It just sucked. It takes a lot for me to lose interest in a show. For god's sake i still watch lost.

10/22/2008 7:22:14 AM

I think Scrubs definitely should have made the list.


And if we're putting shows like American Idol and Oprah Winfrey on there, I think Total Request Live should have made it.

10/22/2008 7:59:49 AM

Quote :

"94. Married...With Children, Fox (1987-97) "

[no]

Xena: Warrior Princess above the office and Family Guy?

Oz below Friday Night Lights?

Saved by the Bell @ 100?

10/22/2008 8:52:14 AM

oh shit Scrubs isn't even on the list!!

burn it

10/22/2008 9:33:27 AM

how is pirates of dark water not in the top 10?

how is reading rainbow not number 1?

10/22/2008 1:31:28 PM

i hereby boycott The EW

10/22/2008 2:00:10 PM

i didnt see the Andy Griffith show on first glance...

10/22/2008 2:09:34 PM

Quote :

"72. NewsRadio, NBC (1995-99)"

NewsRadio is pretty much the best sitcom of all time.

10/22/2008 2:20:09 PM

It shocks me that ER isn't higher.

10/22/2008 2:50:28 PM