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VERONICA MARS!! GALACTICA!! SOUTH PARK!! WIRE!! LOST!! Empire Magazine Picks The 50 Best TV Shows Of All Time!!

Twin Peaks by Chester_Desmond	Mar 28th, 2008 05:24:11 PM
Only 24? Half the shows ahead of it wouldn't be on today without TP.
Friends Over Seinfeld? by Chester_Desmond	Mar 28th, 2008 05:25:18 PM
Sorry to post again but I just noticed that. This list is bonkers!
First? Second? Third? by Chester_Desmond	Mar 28th, 2008 05:25:45 PM
Wow slow day.
What what whaaaaaat? by theredtoad	Mar 28th, 2008 05:27:26 PM
Buffy is No. 2? Seriously?? ROMFLAFOAMAO it goes Simpsons > Lost > Sopranos > The Wire > everything else.
Friends isn't even in the same league as Seinfield by bullet3	Mar 28th, 2008 05:27:39 PM
And buffy the vampire slayer is better than the wire? Total bullshit.
Those crazy limey bastards!!!!!! by SoylentMean	Mar 28th, 2008 05:28:32 PM
Hilarity and bad teeth for all!!!!!
It's Obvious... by Falcon-1	Mar 28th, 2008 05:29:23 PM
...that the people who put this list together are collectively barely drinking age considering most of the entries are from the last ten to fifteen years. Even British television was good when we in the States were enjoying MAS*H. For once, I'd like to see one of these lists that REALLY takes in the full breadth of television's history and not just the formative years of the person creating the list. I know remembering history isn't vogue (else we wouldn't have so many protesting the War on Terror); but if you want a "The Greatest..." list to have the least amount of validity, consider looking back further than when you were suckling your mother's teet.
Friends over X-Files? by SoylentMean	Mar 28th, 2008 05:29:56 PM
Somehow this list must apply to string theory, because that could only be true in an alternate, parallel universe.
um, it's teat by SoylentMean	Mar 28th, 2008 05:31:28 PM
That's a very important word that deserves everybody's respect.
WAIT?? No Twilight Zone? by Chester_Desmond	Mar 28th, 2008 05:33:25 PM
Am I reading this right? SERIOUSLY? That's the biggest injustice of all. It's clearly a Top 10 show IMHO. And it's certainly in my Top 5.
where's Wonderfalls by JackDonkey	Mar 28th, 2008 05:33:36 PM
it should be around 30. 24 sucks. Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu Kung Fu
Empire has never been very comprehensive by SoylentMean	Mar 28th, 2008 05:33:50 PM
besides, their movie reviews never make a lick of sense. It's a bullshit magazine that cares more about being trendy than credible.
any list is bullshit if Wire isn't #1 by Holodigm	Mar 28th, 2008 05:33:55 PM
simple as that. i'll settle for UGO's #2
FRIENDS?! #7?! by BoggyCreekBeast	Mar 28th, 2008 05:35:07 PM
No, Jennifer Anniston still won't sleep with you, Empire TV picker!
Could have been worse... by Dutch Angle	Mar 28th, 2008 05:35:15 PM
"Family guy" is the only true travesty. Where's "I'm Alan Partridge"?
Then it's already settled. by theredtoad	Mar 28th, 2008 05:36:12 PM
This list, this magazine, is bullshit. Bollocks. plain stoopid.
this list by The Real MiraJeff	Mar 28th, 2008 05:36:22 PM
is fucking bullshit. Nothing else to say. Absolute trash and Empire's editors should be ashamed. Seriously, it's scary how awful this list is. Scrubs at 19? I don't even know how that's possible. I could name 19 better TV shows if I had my memory erased and my tongue cut out.
Red Dwarf? by JackNF	Mar 28th, 2008 05:37:44 PM
Y'know, don't get me know I love the show, but how exactly does it get on the list, or at least get HIGHER on the list than stuff like Monty Python and Farscape?
All print magazines do these days is make lists. by Flim Springfield	Mar 28th, 2008 05:39:03 PM
They've realized they're obsolete as a source of new information.
These" best of" lists are worthless... by AndrewWanKenobi	Mar 28th, 2008 05:39:19 PM
Especially when a list states that the best South Park episode of all time was "Make Love, Not Warcraft". Also, while "The Germans" may be the most memorable of the Fawlty Towers episodes, it certainly isn't the best. "Communication Problems" gets my vote.
SCRUBS IS BETTER THAN DEADWOOD!?!? by Strabbo	Mar 28th, 2008 05:40:17 PM
FUCK YOU, YOU CELESTIAL COCKSUCKER!
gotham's eve... more like by theredtoad	Mar 28th, 2008 05:42:12 PM
SIMPSONS FTW!! The No.1 on this list is the only thing they got right.
WHOA! simpsons is the greatest show of all time? by jig98	Mar 28th, 2008 05:43:40 PM
that's saying something right there. the movie proved that last year i guess. it should, it was fucking mindblowing. i'm surprised south park was in the bottom ten. remember when the all time greatest show was seinfeld? jerry seinfeld had the greatest show of all time and now he has a wife with a plagurized cook book and a fucking bee cartoon.
true jig but syndication has been good to Jerry by theredtoad	Mar 28th, 2008 05:46:15 PM
I find myself surfing the channels and more and more I'm watching a seinfeld episode, albeit one I almost know by heart. Always funny.
Friends Season 3 by Strabbo	Mar 28th, 2008 05:46:35 PM
Now with footage you've never seen! OMG! Count me in.
MiraJeff.. by brolly	Mar 28th, 2008 05:48:13 PM
The list was made from a poll posted on the empire website and had nothing to do with the magazine editors.
Better than Seinfeld: by Hercules	Mar 28th, 2008 05:49:14 PM
* The Larry Sanders Show * Curb Your Enthusiasm Word to your mother.
fucking Friends?! by Judge Briggs	Mar 28th, 2008 05:50:15 PM
No way should that shitty show be on that list!
The Simpsons Movie by Strabbo	Mar 28th, 2008 05:50:28 PM
Mindblowing? Maybe I was expecting else, but that movie was completely underwhelming. Spiderpig? Seriously? That's it?
by Strabbo	Mar 28th, 2008 05:51:44 PM
Insert the word "else" in my last post.
Best Top 50 List I've Ever Seen... by nalapou	Mar 28th, 2008 05:51:50 PM
Of course there are some questionables... but at least most of the pure quality is there.
Speaking of UK shows by Strabbo	Mar 28th, 2008 05:54:05 PM
I grew up watching "Are You Being Served". Certainly not top 50 best of all time. Fucking weird though.
Wow... by abulafia24	Mar 28th, 2008 05:54:39 PM
This really is sad. No Twilight Zone? No All Creatures Great and Small? No Brideshead Revisited? Your Show of Shows? The Dick Van Dyke Show? The Andy Griffith Show? I Love Lucy? Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood? Sesame Street? The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson? Hell, I'd watch Family Feud before many of the shows on this list. Do these people not realize television existed before 1990? I've never seen anything so silly in my life.
brolly by The Real MiraJeff	Mar 28th, 2008 05:58:24 PM
I did not know that. I guess the Empire website's readers are simply retarded infants then.
The list has some good things... by photoboy	Mar 28th, 2008 06:01:14 PM
... but it falls apart in the top 10, especially with the Simpsons and Friends in there.
i don't know why they keep doing this.... by torpor_haze	Mar 28th, 2008 06:03:39 PM
i guess they want to see Billy and grandpa at each others throats.
No M.A.S.H.?!? by mostsavage	Mar 28th, 2008 06:05:02 PM
Okay I love Scrubs, and I'm glad it made the list, but how can you honor that show without offering a nod to the show Scrubs is obviously so desperately trying to be. you know MASH, just the show that had the most watched episode of any series EVER!
Red Dwarf is better than Monty Python? by newc0253	Mar 28th, 2008 06:07:05 PM
Father Ted is better than Star Trek TNG? Family Guy is better than Twin Peaks? Prison Break is on the top 50 list? There's a lot of great shows on the list but all lists like this really demonstrate is the stupidity of lists like this.
BIGGEST TRAVESTY = DS9 MAKING THIS LIST!!! by Err	Mar 28th, 2008 06:09:08 PM

NO FUGITIVE??? by Err	Mar 28th, 2008 06:10:54 PM
wth?
Prison Break? What about Mr Belvedere by Jugdish	Mar 28th, 2008 06:11:12 PM
what a dumbass list
Pretty good list... by DanielKurland	Mar 28th, 2008 06:11:29 PM
Although the order may be a little skewed. As much as I love Buffy, I wouldn't say it's better than The Wire, and I loved Angel an ungodly amount more, but it just seems sacriligious to be higher than Twin Peaks. A lot of good stuff on there though, Frasier, for instance.
Not retarded infants by SoylentMean	Mar 28th, 2008 06:13:44 PM
That applies an inapplicable humanity to Empire's list contributors. Retarded aardvarks is more like it.
No Rome? by Strabbo	Mar 28th, 2008 06:14:14 PM
Boobs and bloodspray in the first episode. What more can you ask for?
The more I look at this list... by mostsavage	Mar 28th, 2008 06:15:14 PM
The more I'm filled with blinding rage. I can't comment on the shows I haven't seen, but this thing looks like it was compiled by a twelve year old trying his hardest to actually come up with fifty shows. I'm a huge fan of Heroes, but to call it the 15th best show of all time after one good season (with a mediocre finale) and one piss poor mess of a half-season is just stupid. and I know this will enrage some people but the American import of The Office has far exceeded the quality of the original. Much like Next Generation versus Original trek, you have to give credit to the pioneering show, but you can't sanely argue that the second incarnation isn't just superior. prison break is just another flash in the pan. Good first season, horrifically bad second season. Don't even get me started on Sex in the City. God I hate this list. I can't even think in complete thoughts anymore.
my personal quickie lists by The Real MiraJeff	Mar 28th, 2008 06:15:21 PM
I'm at work and the NCAA Tourney is about to start so I don't have all day to think about this but just off the top of my head, here are the Top 20 half-hours and Top 10 hour-long shows I've ever invested myself in. 1. The Wonder Years 2. Seinfeld 3. Curb Your Enthusiasm 4. Friends 5. The Simpsons 6. The Office 7. Sex and the City 8. Arrested Development 9. The Mind of the Married Man 10. Sports Night 11. The Twilight Zone 12. I Love Lucy 13. Mr. Show with Bob and David 14. The State 15. The Dana Carvey Show 16. Action! 17. Undeclared 18. Weeds 19. Saved By the Bell 20. Cops 1. The Wire 2. The Sopranos 3. Lost 4. Freaks and Geeks 5. Homicide: Life on the Street 6. Big Love 7. Six Feet Under 8. 24 9. Dawson's Creek 10. Law and Order: SVU
No Venture Bros? by Strabbo	Mar 28th, 2008 06:15:48 PM
Not yet at least.
Angel by Prior Walter	Mar 28th, 2008 06:16:02 PM
Glad it made the list. I prefer it over Buffy, but I'm probably alone there.
In retrospect, the list is trash... by DanielKurland	Mar 28th, 2008 06:17:01 PM
There's some good stuff on it, but the order is not right at all. Also, no Larry Sanders, but Scrubs. Also, it is not premature to add Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and In Treatment to the list.
Oh my fucking God, I forgot Sports Night... by DanielKurland	Mar 28th, 2008 06:18:08 PM
That should be in the top 5.
Prison Break. by BitterMan23	Mar 28th, 2008 06:18:24 PM
Huh.
Buffy over The Wire? Yeah okay... by JimCurry	Mar 28th, 2008 06:18:34 PM
great fuckin list...
sigh by AllieJamison	Mar 28th, 2008 06:19:42 PM
Soooo...I see Family Guy in front of South Park. Big fucking fauxpas. Cartman has already stated why. But the worst thing: I see Friends in front of Six Feet Under. While a completely different genre and tonally in a different world a funny scene of Six Feet Under has ten times the wit of a "better" scene on Friends. Friends is insulting crap. The fact that it's in the top ten is just disturbing. So ...why the fuck don't you list TV-Shows the way you list films, namely in their respective genres and forms??
That UGO link goes to Empire... by JimCurry	Mar 28th, 2008 06:21:50 PM
way to go.
Ya know... by mostsavage	Mar 28th, 2008 06:22:29 PM
I f they called this the "Editor's favroties" I couldn't bitch, but yeah. I hadn't even thought of Wonder Years MiraJeff. How about All in the Family? Happy days? Married... with children? Shows that actually impacted society. And yes it is too premature to include Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and In Treatment... a show has to be on a for a few seasons before you can say its a "greatest." There a lot of shows that started out great but ended up dreadful after a year.
Better idea for a list by Strabbo	Mar 28th, 2008 06:22:43 PM
best season of all time. Any season from any show. That way we can possibly have the Simpsons in the top 3 without having to consider Season 9, 10, etc.
good idea Strabbo by mostsavage	Mar 28th, 2008 06:24:19 PM
That would be much easier to stomach... and then I could understand the "Heroes" and "Losts"
Family Guy at #12 is the worst part by fastcars	Mar 28th, 2008 06:25:35 PM
I like Family Guy alright, but better than Arrested Development, Futurama and South Park? Really? Jesus. These lists will never please everybody, but, at the very least, they could not contain ridiculousness.
polls by AllieJamison	Mar 28th, 2008 06:26:32 PM
suck. They make me sad. They are a display of collective stupidity.
Re:Futurama by Strabbo	Mar 28th, 2008 06:27:52 PM
Used to be in my top ten. Then "Bender's Big Score" came out. Not funny. Not touching. Not Futurama.
That list is shite by CherryValance	Mar 28th, 2008 06:28:35 PM
See, I watch British TV. But that list is the worst ever. I think I will go make my own list of best tv shows, which I'm surprised I haven't done already. I doubt if I'll be able to come up with 50 though, I'm not really a fan of television.
Band of Brothers 41? by El-Gorko	Mar 28th, 2008 06:31:02 PM
That's complete nonsense seeing as Band of Brothers is easily the best piece of television ever produce. Hell, it's one of the best pieces of film ever produced. While I'm on the subject, where the hell is From the Earth to the Moon?
Twin Peaks at 22? by johnnyjlawless	Mar 28th, 2008 06:31:20 PM
And Family Guy almost in the top 10?? I call shenanigans on this. And The Wire and The Shield should be top 5 by default.
Just #48 for Veronica Mars? by Pennsy	Mar 28th, 2008 06:32:42 PM
Time for Duncan to call Clarence Weidman for another job. ;)
and Empire (and Q) should stop making fucking lists by johnnyjlawless	Mar 28th, 2008 06:34:22 PM
i'm super serial. Every month, there's some top 10/top 50/top 100 bollocks in there. Each year the magazine goes up by 40p, gets 35% thinner and has 20% more adverts. Throw in a letters page and the DVD reviews and hey, presto! Money for nothing. I still buy the damn thing, though.
television and the world by AllieJamison	Mar 28th, 2008 06:35:40 PM
As an editor this would make me so mad I'd just fake it I guess. Btw: Another thing you do with films (mostly) is that you differ between American, British and/or foreign films. You do that although sometimes it's hard to tell "where" a film is from as it involves talent and money from all over the world. However...even though mostly crap...there ARE indeed television shows outside the English speaking world. Yeah...believe it or not. And while television is mainly dominated by the US of A and the UK (and I'm grateful for that) there are not many but some great foreign shows out there. sigh What I wanna say is that it's fucking ignorant (but speaking for the state of the art-as far as tv and the way we think about it are concerned)to proclaim these shows the universalle best of all time.
Father Ted is hero worshipped by johnnyjlawless	Mar 28th, 2008 06:35:49 PM
in the UK. Thought it would have been higher.
dumbest list ever by LarryTheCableGuy	Mar 28th, 2008 06:37:32 PM
did i miss something? all time?
by AllieJamison	Mar 28th, 2008 06:38:42 PM
replace that 'e' with an 'y' and make it universally. And correct all the other syntax and spelling mistakes. thanks.
Any of those shows below BAND OF BROTHERS... by -guyinthebackrow	Mar 28th, 2008 06:39:01 PM
... is a fucking joke. Seriously.
Star Trek Voyager by StarkCEO	Mar 28th, 2008 06:40:09 PM
Jesus Deep Space Nine made the list but not Star Trek Voyager.... Bull Shit!!!
The Prisoner is #1 by Le Vicious Fishus	Mar 28th, 2008 06:41:04 PM
I agree, Herb. This list was compiled by feeble-minded teenagers (or perhaps pre-teens). The Prisoner alone is more original, more thought provoking, better written, better acted, better directed and generally more daring than most of the shows on this list put together. With a bare handful of exceptions (e.g., The Muppet Show), this list is compiled as if there was no such thing as television before 1990. And, btw, anyone who places the POS that was Friends on their top anything list is a fucking moron. That show was truly insufferable.
my top 10 in no real order by johnnyjlawless	Mar 28th, 2008 06:41:07 PM
1.Arrested Development 2.Twin Peaks 3.The Shield 4.The Wire 5.Father Ted 6.Freaks and Geeks 7.Spaced 8.Curb Your Enthusiasm 9.Red Dwarf 10.Shameless 11.Police Squad
most savage by The Real MiraJeff	Mar 28th, 2008 06:41:14 PM
i knew i made that list too fast... married with children would definitely be on it. cops was more of a joke, but i'll be damned if that show hasn't had its share of entertaining moments, unintentional or not. i'll be back after texas kicks the shit out of stanford. don't mess with texas!
what about MR show by LarryTheCableGuy	Mar 28th, 2008 06:41:21 PM
the father of all tv shows
12.South Park and 13.Futurama by johnnyjlawless	Mar 28th, 2008 06:44:18 PM

And, yeah, where the FUCK by Le Vicious Fishus	Mar 28th, 2008 06:44:23 PM
is Freaks and Geeks, Empire? How could anyone choose Arrested Development over Freaks and Geeks? Fuckheads.
"only 39"??! by aversiontherapy2	Mar 28th, 2008 06:45:03 PM
You should be grateful you got that many :p
Some people don't seem to understand context by aversiontherapy2	Mar 28th, 2008 06:48:03 PM
This is an English list, a lot of shows like The Wire get a lot less attention over there. Series like Only Fools and Horses and legendary in England, even if Yanks have never heard of them.
If it's a limey list... by Strabbo	Mar 28th, 2008 06:51:34 PM
Then where is Are You Being Served? You guys love Mr Humphries right?
always with the simpsons by Charlie Murphy	Mar 28th, 2008 06:55:47 PM
fuck... prison break and dexter? wtf? i think not. dexter has 24 episodes in the can and it's on the list? CSI should not be near any "best" lists ever (although i fear it will always show up) and... god i always get mad when these lists come out because they're never perfect
empire are fags by SpazmoCalrissian	Mar 28th, 2008 07:00:03 PM
buffy, friends and the simpsons before the wire... shield should be higher...fucking lames i think a girl wrote this
Actually, no "Freaks and Geeks" is the worst by fastcars	Mar 28th, 2008 07:05:56 PM
At the very least, that show should be on the top ten. Was this list made by a small farm family in Colorado?
EMPIRE dropped this list from this month's issue by palimpsest	Mar 28th, 2008 07:06:30 PM
and dumped it on their website. That's how little they think of it. It's a shame how far Empire has fallen from its early years in terms of quality. The only reason to read it these days is to see what movie maven Kim Newman is reviewing. He's flat out the best movie reviewer in the world. For the record, Mark Kermode comes in at number two (and if you've got access to BBC Radio 5 Live via whatever means, just check out his weekly broadcast/podcast).
Friends by jimmay	Mar 28th, 2008 07:06:49 PM
When oh when will American society collectively sober up to the crushing reality that Friends is one of the worst television shows of all time? I've hated it since the first time I ever saw it. It is derivative, uninspired, witless, toothless, patently insincere, shallow, utterly predictable, gutless, culturally worthless, lowest-common denominator targeted mass market swill; the least influential, meaningful or otherwise important cultural phenomenon ever. Other than that and Monty Python being ranked so low this list actually isn't that bad.
I registered just to say... by rabidpingu	Mar 28th, 2008 07:07:30 PM
What, no Chucklevision?
Apparently in England TV was invented in 1987 by TVguy4566	Mar 28th, 2008 07:08:57 PM
There are only three or four shows on this list that didn't have first run episodes past 1990. Hello?!? Where are classic television that blow away half the shows on this list like All in the Family, MASH, the Fugitive, Hill Street Blues, I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners,etc. Don't they get Nick at Night in England? I figured Empire was run by a bunch of geeks, but I didn't realize it was run by geeks all under the age of 30.
Now maybe I am alone in this... by historygirl	Mar 28th, 2008 07:10:47 PM
but I am fucking glad Spaced was in there; amazing show, geared towards us geeks. And I agree with you, Prior Walter, Angel was better than Buffy, especially near the end. Okay, flame away...
I am a fan of Prison Break, but... by TVguy4566	Mar 28th, 2008 07:13:46 PM
I don't even know if it would be on my top 50 of all time guilty pleasures on TV. How anyone could put them on a top 50 list of all time is mind-boggling. Prision Break is TV junk food. It isn't good for you, It tastes good when you consume it, but isn't all that satisfying. You forget about it soon after you consume it.
As an englishman.... by ian216a	Mar 28th, 2008 07:17:13 PM
... I can not apologise enough for that fucking abortion of a list that "claims" that Friends IS FUCKING BETTER THAN THE WIRE!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!! WHAT THE FUCK!! Seriously WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!
Re: Star Trek Voyager by Err	Mar 28th, 2008 07:19:04 PM
Voyager = Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Next Generation. It was just a rip off of TNG. Determining whether the doctor was an artist and therefore a person is a mirror of "Measure of a Man" in which Data's sentience was brought into question. Q popping up not once, not twice, but three times. And when Voyager did push the limits, it stunk. Remember the Warp 10 episode "Threshold" and Tom and Janeway became like bug worm alien things and had children? It was so bad that it was forgot about in its own series when they kept saying warp 9.9 is the fastest anyone has ever gone. Or how when Seven of Nine joins the crew, a lot of the episodes become about her because the nerds want eye candy. Voyager's best episodes, like "Year of Hell," couldn't hold a candle to the likes of "The Best of Both Worlds Part 1," "All Good Things...," "Tapestry," or "Measure of a Man."
We need a better list by Stranamore	Mar 28th, 2008 07:20:59 PM

A better list by Stranamore	Mar 28th, 2008 07:23:28 PM
would have a sense of history and not pander to current tastes so blatantly. It would also be based on having actually watched MANY TV series. Where's Phil Silvers? Where Homicide: Life on the Street? etc. etc. This is silly.
You'd think an English list would have... by DanielKurland	Mar 28th, 2008 07:24:53 PM
Extras on it. Or did it, I can't recall. And yeah, Angel was better than Buffy. Seasons 3 and 4 are astounding.
by Stranamore	Mar 28th, 2008 07:25:59 PM
dragnet? the twilight zone? etc. etc.
Where's the AICN top 50 list? by Pops Freshemeyer	Mar 28th, 2008 07:28:25 PM
As gay as it would be thanks to Herc being in love with all things Buffy, it would be a zillion times better than a list that doesn't even include The Twilight Zone. Sure, the last two Twilight Zone attempts have sucked, but the original series ruled...
WHAT? NO SNORKS?!?! NO TELETUBBIES?!?! by Err	Mar 28th, 2008 07:38:19 PM
NO MISS JEAN'S STORYTIME?!?!?!
Top 50 List by Hercules	Mar 28th, 2008 07:45:12 PM
Just scroll down to the end of every Tuesday HercVault.
#1 should be the YouTube clip of MiraJeffs by Xiphos	Mar 28th, 2008 07:50:18 PM
Beat down at the hands of Dr. Uwe Boll.
Ashamed by albermarle	Mar 28th, 2008 08:01:16 PM
No Larry Saunders, no MAS*H and the vapid evil that is Friends placed so highly. Am currently ashamed to be British. And generally annoyed that Empire has so dropped in quality over the last few years. It used to be a must read but now it's a meh.
...no complaint from me... by mr ahole ramirez	Mar 28th, 2008 08:06:00 PM
...dont really care what the order is (as long as the Simps are #1) but I like the list...all my fav shows are on there...so good job Empire...
gotham by historygirl	Mar 28th, 2008 08:08:49 PM
flying circus is there - though i can understand if you missed it - i had to reread a few times, expecially after my temporary rage-induced blindness at seeing Friends on there. Blech
by TomBodet	Mar 28th, 2008 08:09:00 PM

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ by TomBodet	Mar 28th, 2008 08:09:28 PM
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ MORE GIANT ROBOT TV SHOWS DAMMIT! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ etc
Heroes SHOULD NOT be on anybody's list!!!! by captboulder	Mar 28th, 2008 08:09:31 PM
But besides that minor nitpick, I like this list!
Xiphos-you mean "Bolling for Dollars"? by TomBodet	Mar 28th, 2008 08:11:04 PM
I got the sequel-in it, he gets eaten by a Giant Robotic Lion. You gotta know it's worth yer while.
Heroes by Le Vicious Fishus	Mar 28th, 2008 08:17:18 PM
Your right, Capt. Nothing shows this list's intrinsic idiocy like the inclusion of the abysmal, disappointing Heroes. This show must have one of the worst second season's ever.
No Carnivale? by alphajerk	Mar 28th, 2008 08:17:29 PM
: (
AICN top 50 tv show list by Mr Spork	Mar 28th, 2008 08:17:33 PM
would 25 each Buffy and Firefly. Buffy gets odd numbers, Firefly even.
Why I don't like all of these by Series7	Mar 28th, 2008 08:25:38 PM
shows. I totally fucking agree with it! Then again I did get my start learning about movie geek news with probably the best movie mag ever. Empire. HOOAH!
Mirajeff - way to troll with your USA ROOLZ hat on! by Specktron	Mar 28th, 2008 08:26:40 PM
"I guess the Empire website's readers are simply retarded infants then". That's brilliant, brilliant stuff. More incendiary reporting from the frontline of McDonalds Counter like this please AICN! Yup-yup. PS - trollhat on Albemarle - if you love it so much, get the name right. Meh. bakatcha. I think its a good list - Friends IS better than The Wire, and I don't even like Friends! Fire in the hole!
meh by RoseBuddy	Mar 28th, 2008 08:39:23 PM
All In The Family? Lucy?..Andy Griffith Show? et al DALLAS?? (LOL)
Jesus, yes Firefly!! by Specktron	Mar 28th, 2008 08:44:38 PM
Run! When they see this everything is over!! Prepare to have this talkback Browncoated.
Specktron... by albermarle	Mar 28th, 2008 08:45:13 PM
You're right, I can't spell. That's how crap the Empire list is, I was rendered briefly stoopid by its sheer awfulness.
No China Beach = bull-fvcking-shit. by Pennsy	Mar 28th, 2008 08:48:49 PM

WHERE'S THE NIGHT STALKER, FUCKERS?!? by RaveX	Mar 28th, 2008 08:49:25 PM
and no, not the spotnitz-helmed abomination he called the remake. the original one.
quantum leap? by jccalhoun	Mar 28th, 2008 08:49:37 PM
Quantum Leap is the 50th best television show? WTF? Quantum Leap was ok but there are 50 show on my television right now that are at least as good as Quantum Leap. Nothing wrong with Quantum Leap but I wouldn't even think to put it on a list of the 100 greatest shows ever.
Props for putting on some of these... by Larry of Arabia	Mar 28th, 2008 09:01:42 PM
Cracker and Father Ted deserve to be there. Scrubs, maybe, if they had quit after season 3.
HOLD THE FUCK UP! by mr ahole ramirez	Mar 28th, 2008 09:05:20 PM
...WHERE THE HELL IS KING OF THE HILL?...FAMILY GUY BUT NO KOH?!?...THIS LIST FUCKIN SUCKS!...
No FREEBIE & THE BEAN???? by Riley Martin	Mar 28th, 2008 09:05:49 PM
Who gets the money for all these Amazon referrals anyway? Herc himself or AICN?
14. Firefly by sidshifty	Mar 28th, 2008 09:09:35 PM
There's Firefly. Maybe reading the list before assuming mainstream media ignored your favourite show would help.
The Tiny Blonde One is Pleased But Annoyed..... by arzbest	Mar 28th, 2008 09:16:00 PM
"Veronica Mars" makes the list, but only at #48. Someone's gonna get a beat-down, I reckon!
XIPHOS by The Real MiraJeff	Mar 28th, 2008 09:21:06 PM
Glad you and a half a million others got a kick out of it. I know I sure did. And Specktron, I didn't realize I was manning the McDonalds counter these days. Thanks for clearing that up you knicker-dropping wanker.
No MASH equals completely useless list by Secretagentnumber6	Mar 28th, 2008 09:21:47 PM
How can you not put MASH on this. This list is completely useless and EMPIRE SUCKS.
WHERE THE FUCK IS BJ & THE BEAR???? by INWOsuxRED	Mar 28th, 2008 09:24:53 PM
This list is just as retarded as the every other list you've posted. Stop giving them attention.
Columbo, Gunsmoke, All In The Family, Laugh In, T.H.E. Cat by Fred	Mar 28th, 2008 09:35:33 PM

HOLD THE FUCK UP AGAIN by mr ahole ramirez	Mar 28th, 2008 09:38:34 PM
...where is Married wit Children? I literally grew up on that show (instead of Sesame Street or those other baby/kid shows)...MwC is the reason why I was such a horny bastard at the age of 4...
whiskey tango foxtrot by palooka_boy	Mar 28th, 2008 09:40:46 PM
Family Guy? Seriously? And ranked higher than South Park? Give me a fuckin break. Both shows have declined in quality, for sure, but Family Guy, on its best episode, was never better than a mediocre South Park. Also no MASH, no All in the Family, no I Love Lucy??? Lots of these shows are good, but don't hold a candle to the other ones.
also by palooka_boy	Mar 28th, 2008 09:41:18 PM
Which Office are they referring to? Both are great, and both deserve different spots on the list
HOLD THE FUCK UP AGAIN by mr ahole ramirez	Mar 28th, 2008 09:42:40 PM
...where is Chapelle Show?...I gotta stop thinkin bout this damn list...
Sienfeld is NOT funny by vadakinX	Mar 28th, 2008 09:47:40 PM
It's not that I don't "get" Sienfeld, because I do. I just don't find it funny. It's dull and repetitive and lazy and up it's own ass. As for the rest of the list...well yeah, of course The Simpsons is #1...it's the TV version of Star Wars in terms of being a cultural phenomenon. Prison Break is nice popcorn entertainment, but it's the equivalent of putting Independence Day in the top 50 movies list. Law & Order should be there before CSI, Only Fools & Horses is a hell of a lot better than Friends and Siendfeld AND Larry Sanders put together...and here's the comment that's going to get me flamed... Firefly shouldn't be on the list. No tv series that was cancelled after a single season should be on a Best TV Show list, unless the series was only intended for a single season. I also think that any show that has been been in production for under 7 years (general syndication time) that is still in production while a list is being compiled should also be excluded...this means that shows like Lost and Heroes should be excluded until they either reach 7 seasons or finish their run, whichever happens first. Only then should the show be eligible for inclusion in the list.
re: vadakin by mr ahole ramirez	Mar 28th, 2008 09:54:54 PM
...I agree wholeheartedly, Sienfeld is not funny...Seinfeld, on the other hand, funniest live action sitcom ever (wit Arrested Development close behind)...
Only Fools and Horses is better by vadakinX	Mar 28th, 2008 10:01:37 PM
http://tinyurl.com/2vt4ja I rest my case.
Ah I see... by vadakinX	Mar 28th, 2008 10:02:38 PM
I before E except after crap :P
Yeah... by ebonic_plague	Mar 28th, 2008 10:03:54 PM
...no. Fuck this list in it's entirety.
FATHER TED!!! by VictorNewman	Mar 28th, 2008 10:05:11 PM
ARSE! FECK! DRINK!
Heroes season 2 hasn't yet premiered on BBC2, though... by Pennsy	Mar 28th, 2008 10:07:14 PM
So the high rank was on the strength of season 1 alone. Not an excuse, just an explanation.
list is bull shit by angrykirby.tk	Mar 28th, 2008 10:07:26 PM
twighlight zone, aint on it, cased closed
arzbest, the TBO will be doing some serious Tasering... by Pennsy	Mar 28th, 2008 10:08:57 PM
As Backup will chase down others while Weevil and Logan wreck their cars and Mac will hack into their computers, and...you get the pic.
Is this an April Fools joke? by waylayer	Mar 28th, 2008 10:33:37 PM
Off the top of my head: Honeymooners, Twilight Zone, Laugh In, I Love Lucy, All in the Family, Cosby Show, Three's Company, MASH, Married with Children, MST3K, Cheers, and mother-fucking Homicide. What a mind-boggling out of touch list written by someone who doesn't realize television existed before 1998.
Hey Herc by tbransonlives	Mar 28th, 2008 10:39:22 PM
Next time coaxial gets slow do one of these. Let us vote our top 10 shows and count them down giving us a tb for each show. Us geeks like lists, us geeks like arguing, us geeks like arguing over lists, it just makes sense.
How does The Twilight Zone not make the cut? by BlueTigerMask	Mar 28th, 2008 10:59:32 PM
Am I biased towards this show? Perhaps. But who has ever seen an episode or two that isn't biased towards it's greatness. Not a fan of this list at all. At all.
Family Guy ranked higher than Futurama? by Osmosis Jones	Mar 28th, 2008 11:02:07 PM
Hell, Family Guy, PERIOD?
Wow, this list belongs on the IMDB by blindambition238	Mar 28th, 2008 11:04:21 PM
along with all the other screwed up 'best of lists' cobbled together by the bottom of barrel movie going masses. Family Guy as the 12th 'greatest' tv series of all time? Really? No matter how you interpret the term 'greatest' that doesn't compute. Either most of their readership didn't actually take part or I should be proud to not be a subscriber.
What a waste of time. by George Newman	Mar 28th, 2008 11:05:23 PM
Pathetic list, based on polls from morons.
Hey now! by Stefan McTierney	Mar 28th, 2008 11:06:11 PM
This almost entirely ignores TV before 1990. And if you're going to make a best of 1990-present, excluding Larry Sanders is kinda criminal. My tastes tends towards the more recent, and this catches a lot of good ones. It also overrates a few current shows (anyone who watched the most recent season of Prison Break knows how not-great it's been).
The Simpsons and Buffy... cool. Lost and Friends... by GravyAkira	Mar 28th, 2008 11:35:23 PM
in front of The Wire:Bullshit!
I miss The Wire. by Doc Manhattan	Mar 28th, 2008 11:43:42 PM
Yes, I do.
WHAT, THEY DON'T GET NIGHT COURT IN LIMEYVILLE??? by Doc Manhattan	Mar 28th, 2008 11:48:00 PM
Fucktards. My Top Ten goes like this.... The Wire.
The only omission that hurts me... by filmicdrummer17	Mar 28th, 2008 11:49:03 PM
The Muppet Show. Deserves to be in the top 10 of any list, of anything.
Okay.... ANGEL??? Really?????...... by Doc Manhattan	Mar 28th, 2008 11:54:44 PM
Could've put The Wire on there twice is all I'm saying.
What? A is WAAAYYY better than B!!! by necgray	Mar 29th, 2008 12:06:17 AM
And C should be on there twice! This is a fucking travesty and Empire's fans must be a race of mentally-retarded apes descended from men with Downs Syndrome. I'm so fucking furious I could just paint flames all over my mint condition Optimus Prime!!!!!!!!!
HEROES? You kiddin' me? by Canada's King	Mar 29th, 2008 12:39:02 AM

I think... by futureboymaddog	Mar 29th, 2008 01:54:50 AM
that the fact that PRISON BREAK is on this list pretty much invalidates any authentic status this countdown has.
20 somethings should not be picking the best by bacci40	Mar 29th, 2008 02:19:57 AM
of anything of all time....no i love lucy, twighlight zone, the fugitive, st elsewhere, hill street blues, dick van dyke, bob newhart, mary tyler moore or homicide on the list??? friends does not belong on anyone's list for anything
this list was put together by brits....and no by bacci40	Mar 29th, 2008 02:26:49 AM
monty python, fawlty towers or steptoe and son??? fuck, these guys are real idiots
JW shows by Trik_Ster	Mar 29th, 2008 02:37:51 AM
Firefly > Angel > Buffy
And Heroes by Trik_Ster	Mar 29th, 2008 02:38:57 AM
should be nowhere near the top 50
ernie kovacs by bacci40	Mar 29th, 2008 02:39:06 AM
btw...any tv top list must have kovacs on it....without kovacs there is no laff-in, no snl, no letterman, etc....the man was an originator when no one had a clue what tv was really about....kovacs motherfuckers....ernie fuckin kovacs...dont forget that name
oops....i found monty and fawlty by bacci40	Mar 29th, 2008 02:48:15 AM
they were so far down on the list that i missed them...
WHERE THE FUCK IS LITTLE HOUSE? by Shermdawg	Mar 29th, 2008 02:52:47 AM

MY LIVING DOLL by Napoleon Park	Mar 29th, 2008 03:01:51 AM
Judd for The Defense. The Outsider. Tush. The Rifleman. 120 Minutes. Morning Stretch. My Mother The Car. Action. The Loop. Greg The Bunny. Thundarr the Barbarian. Saving Grace. Joan of Arcadia. The Venture Brothers. Night Flight. buffalo bill. The duck Factory. Just Shoot Me. New Wave Theatre. Nude Female Volleyball. Okay, that last one isn't really a show, but it would be at the top of the ratings most weeks if it was.
Friends better than Arrested Development??? by Urge to Kill	Mar 29th, 2008 03:10:46 AM
Bull-Fucking Shit
WTF? NO CAVEMEN OR HOMEBOYS IN OUTER SPACE??? by grendel824	Mar 29th, 2008 03:15:34 AM
But seriously, it's a bunch of good-to-great shows in no particular order. But complaining about great shows like Firefly or Seinfeld or something just makes you look stupid. We get it - you're not smart enough to "get" some good shows, which may or may not "belong" at certain slots on a list like that. There are actual BAD shows to complain about that don't make you look ignorant. Try those!
Also by Urge to Kill	Mar 29th, 2008 03:19:02 AM
Any list of top 50 shows that doesn't include Homocide: Life On The Streets is shit
This is a list primarily voted by British TV viewers- by biggerjohn	Mar 29th, 2008 03:20:07 AM
Hence- most people in this country don't actually like Seinfeld- as in at all- (I do but I know many people- most who have never watched the show- who hate the show). And this list has nothing to do with how cool the empire staff are- it was voted for by average joes- hence 'the best show ever' Freaks and Geeks typically didn't place. Hero's ranked high as the second series has never aired here. i love lucy, st elsewhere, dick van dyke, bob newhart, MST3K, mary tyler moore, honeymooners- these are all references that mean nothing to most brits. They may air on repeats regularly Stateside but never over here (at least not in my lifetime. It's the same as a British person moaning that 'Only Fools and Horses' didn't appear in an us-based lists (because that show was easily the biggest show in Britain for twenty years). I'm still disappointed the OC didn't get even a low placing- but it's just a poll- I'll live.
fuck by Urge to Kill	Mar 29th, 2008 03:22:10 AM
can't spell at 2 am, of course it is spelled Homicide
Yaaay, Quantum Leap and Farscape made the list! by DerLanghaarige	Mar 29th, 2008 03:41:16 AM
Well done!
MiraJeff by Xiphos	Mar 29th, 2008 03:48:11 AM
You got a kick out of getting beat down? A kick is about the only thing Dr. Bowl Winder didn't do to you. Also, you get a kick out of knowing that for all of eternity your shame will be on YouTube? Did I understand that correctly?
Who picked the best episodes? by DerLanghaarige	Mar 29th, 2008 03:52:03 AM
Most of them are crap!
NO LARRY SANDERS by moviemenace	Mar 29th, 2008 04:14:47 AM

NO LARRY SANDERS by moviemenace	Mar 29th, 2008 04:20:38 AM
NO CREDIBILITY. If you have never seen the show, do yourselves a favor and pick up the best of. Amazing show. Amazing extras. "The Wire" is the best show ever. For those of you coming to bat for "Married with Children", you clearly did not watch the finale three seasons. So, so bad.
biggerjohn by GreenFlashlight	Mar 29th, 2008 04:27:19 AM
thank god for the voice of reason. if you had posted at the start of this i could have saved the last few minutes of my life reading these yanks bitching about 1960's sitcoms. i am embarrassed about mash not being on the list. and no ari gold
The Wire is a far better David Simon project than Homocide by Doc Manhattan	Mar 29th, 2008 04:32:39 AM
So if there can't be both, at least there's The Wire.
.... and Specktron is a douche by Doc Manhattan	Mar 29th, 2008 04:40:07 AM
times infinity. Now who wants some dap?
Where do I go on Youtube... by mrfan	Mar 29th, 2008 04:46:20 AM
to see the MiraJeff video? Just curious.
Farscape? What. The. Fuck. by Motoko Kusanagi	Mar 29th, 2008 05:04:08 AM
Farscape sucked ass. And Buffy in the top 10? That crappy show shouldn't have made it into the top 50...
Only Fools & Horses?!? by pokadoo	Mar 29th, 2008 05:07:51 AM
Seriously?
Frasier, but no Cheers? by pokadoo	Mar 29th, 2008 05:09:20 AM
Frasier is a Norm-less show! Norm show beats Norm-less show every time!
Heroes higher than Doctor Who? by kwisatzhaderach	Mar 29th, 2008 05:13:34 AM
Hifuckinglarious.
People are being WAY too harsh. by Desmondo	Mar 29th, 2008 05:28:16 AM
Firstly as most people have pointed out most of the shows people are mentioning ( I Love Lucy? What??) mean nothing to us Brits. Ok secondly this poll is as much about popularity as it is about quality. A lot of people LOVE Father Ted, and Only Fools and Horses is held in very high esteem. Similarly having 'Friends' so high is fair - I'm not sure how much airtime it still gets in the US, but its shown at least like 10 times a day here. Whether or not its good, its has a pretty big impact, because we don't have the stream of endless sitcoms you guys have. Also I'm suprised the Wire is so high in the list. I would be hard pushed to find many folk that had really heard of it. I'm not sure it really got shown on TV here apart from on an obscure cable channel FX. I understand that may be criminal to many people.... BUT anyway - its a trivial internet poll, an Empire fluff-piece. You see a poll like on a website, you think for about 30 seconds about something you saw recently that was good, and put down Prison Break. I think its fairly reflective of what shows are popular/in peoples mind's just now. Really the question is why didn't Neighbours make it on the list?
Worst. List. Ever. by Bono Luthor	Mar 29th, 2008 06:36:47 AM
But kind of what I would expect for fucking Empire now days. It's a pamphlet, not a magazine. Apart from when it's full of adverts at Christmas. As for the level of reporting, it seems to presume that the average reader has the same level of film knowledge as a Sun reader. Some very good shows not high enough and some great shows missed out altogether. If it was voted for by forum users then I guess Empire staff can look at this and get a pretty good idea of who their readers are...and shudder.
OK MY TURN TO VENT by knowledge1027	Mar 29th, 2008 07:46:28 AM
While I don't agree with alot and i do mean alot of shows on the list i do love some of them.For instants...i love Family Guy sure it's should not be that high on the list but what's with all the hate for the show.Buffy,Angel..great shows to me.Now where the list fails is not having the Wire as number on..also not having Homicide life on the streets on the list hurts.Friend is a drab,rascist show..Sex in the city in just a mental porn show for old women,and hell if I konw why the Twlight Zone did not make the cut..All in all nobody is going to agree with ever list,we all have our favorite shows even if others think less of them
Mirajeff haahhahahaha by SpazmoCalrissian	Mar 29th, 2008 07:48:00 AM
thanks xiphos i didn't realise an aicn critic was one of the people who lost to the fat german....hilarious. Mirajeff kept running away...he looked like a hamster"!!""
duffgina! by ironic_name	Mar 29th, 2008 07:58:01 AM
http://tinyurl.com/2exkrx
EMPIRE IS RIGHT. FUCK Y'ALL. by The Gospel According to Bastardface	Mar 29th, 2008 08:06:24 AM

Frasier was better than Cheers by nobletoast13	Mar 29th, 2008 08:09:46 AM
And what the fucks with people complaining about shows like I Love Lucy? Its a British magazine, the only reason I know what the fuck that show is, is because of the Simpsons. I'm shocked the Wire is in this, I dont know a person whose seen it here, its on a channel most people dont know esists. This list is just a reflection of whats on peoples mind currently through an internet pole, why do people give a hoot. And what the fucks with the Father Ted bashing. Any Father Ted haters can feck right off.
Motoko by the podosphere	Mar 29th, 2008 08:20:42 AM
Farscape frelling rocked first season.
why post a British list on US site anyway? by nobletoast13	Mar 29th, 2008 08:23:00 AM
Seinfeld, Sports Night, The US Office, I Love Lucy, Arrested Development, Mr. Show and hundreds named never took of at all here. The trend seems that onlu US sitcoms and shows with gimmicks seem to take off. I'd like to note that this note is a clear representation of people who read empire and not the British public, because nobody knows Spaced, The Wire, Veronica Mars, Dexter. Anyone responsible for voting Spced higher than Fawlty Towers and Blackadder has no respect for logic.
why post a British list on US site anyway? [ignore last post] by nobletoast13	Mar 29th, 2008 08:25:22 AM
Seinfeld, Sports Night, The US Office, I Love Lucy, Arrested Development, Mr. Show and hundreds named never took of at all here. The trend seems that only traditional US sitcoms and shows with gimmicks seem to take off. I'd like to note that this list is a clear representation of people who read empire and not the British public, because nobody knows Spaced, The Wire, Veronica Mars, Dexter. Anyone responsible for voting Spaced higher than Fawlty Towers and Blackadder has no respect for logic, history, justice and whats funny. (and I actually like Spaced)
No Duckman??? Nothing from the 1950s? SNL??? by the podosphere	Mar 29th, 2008 08:29:34 AM
Duckman was amazing and in retrospect feels ahead of its time. And where are Milton Berle, Red Skelton, Jackie Gleason, Carol Burnett, Your Show of Shows, and the Dick Van Dyke Show??? Come to think of it, where's Ed Sullivan? And whoever asked about I Love Lucy has a point. Desi Arnaz INVENTED the sitcom. Oh and say what you will about SNL after 30 years, when it hit in '75 it was a total game-changer.
Concerning The Office by the podosphere	Mar 29th, 2008 08:32:09 AM
Empire copped out. They didn't specify whether they were referring to the Brit version, the Yank version, or if #23 is a two-for-one.
Nobody knows the Larry Sanders Show here either by nobletoast13	Mar 29th, 2008 08:34:39 AM
just thought id throw that in. And whats a SNL?
Great to see Farscape gettin some love. Heard by CrichtonAstronut	Mar 29th, 2008 08:35:45 AM
it had a decent following in Britain. As does Whedon and his serieses. DS9 should be on the list for breaking out of the pandering formula that TNG slipped in to and Voyager threw the franchise back into. I like to think of it as one briefe shining moment when the Star trek franchise might have joined the future scifi greats like Babylon 5 and Farscape. Then along came Voyager. I'm a little surprised Life on Mars isn't higher on the list not to mention Veronica Mars. Being more recent especially Life on Mars. Farscape keeping the love after all the time it's been gone is aweome, stil people in the U. S. who've never heard of it. Overall, pretty solid list.
PS What's this Muppet Show you speak of ? by CrichtonAstronut	Mar 29th, 2008 08:38:54 AM

also, while im ranting by nobletoast13	Mar 29th, 2008 08:52:51 AM
This list is missing the greatest British TV series ever made - The Boys From The Black Stuff. Not to mention the lack of great comedy shows such as I'm Alan Partridge, The Day Today/Brass Eye, Peep Show (I know it’s recent), The Young Ones (may have dated a bit but it still revolutionary), The Royle Family and the masterpiece that is Phoenix Nights. At least Cracker was on there. I think the most accurate list i've seen was the More 4 Top 50 drama shows one, although that had a giant Lost sized hole. Probably still bitter over losing the rights to it.
found the channel 4 top 50. by nobletoast13	Mar 29th, 2008 08:56:47 AM
The Sopranos Boys From the Blackstuff Edge of Darkness The Singing Detective Cathy Come Home The West Wing Cracker Our Friends in the North Twin Peaks Heimat Prime Suspect Pennies From Heaven Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy I, Claudius Das Boot A Very British Coup This Life Abigail’s Party Hill Street Blues Queer as Folk Sex Traffic Bleak House House of Cards Shameless Talking to a Stranger Doctor Who 24 Scum Brideshead Revisited Traffik Blue Remembered Hills Warriors The Naked Civil Servant Bloody Sunday Auf Wiedersehen Pet Talking Heads Hillsborough The Prisoner Shooting the Past Pride and Prejudice GBH Made in Britain The Jewel in the Crown Threads Z Cars Caught on a Train Upstairs Downstairs State of Play Roots Band of Brothers
Man, I hate this fuckin Best of Lists! So here is mine: by ev1ldead	Mar 29th, 2008 09:10:33 AM
Series that delivered several years of great episodes deserve more credit than equally great but shortlived series. Thats why Jim Profit, Space - Above and Beyond, Brisco County jr., Starved, Studio 60 or Action didn't made the list. I have not seen candidates like The Wire or Carnivale. Buffy otherwise didn't made the list because I think it's a soapy crapfest. Firefly was the only good thing Whedon ever made. The reason that only shows from the last 20 years made the list: Before HBO TV wasn't really reaching for high quality. Stuff like Twin Peaks was the exception of the rule. Drama: 1. DS9 2. The Shield 3. Deadwood 4. X-Files 5. Sopranos 6. Lost following without order: Babylon 5 Huff Rescue Me Jim Profit 24 E.R. Picket Fences Twin Peaks Battlestar Galactica (2003) Oz TNG Nip/Tuck Dexter Rome West Wing Six Feet Under Miniseries: Band of Brothers Life on Mars The Tripods Riget / The Kingdom The Sea-Wolf (1971) V Comedy 1. Simpsons 2. Seinfeld 3. South Park 3. Futurama 3. Scrubs following without order: Weeds Entourage The Office Arrested Development Curb your Enthusiasm Married with Children Alf Cheers Sports Night
Why do you guys bother to post this shite? by GodMars	Mar 29th, 2008 09:19:03 AM
What a joke.
The Brits have no excuse... by Le Vicious Fishus	Mar 29th, 2008 09:20:05 AM
for not including The Prisoner, which is hands down the great tv show ever produced.
GREATEST tv show even... by Le Vicious Fishus	Mar 29th, 2008 09:20:26 AM

Father Ted rocks by LazyEagle	Mar 29th, 2008 09:38:57 AM
I agree, this list is pretty dodgy, however, I'd recommend that you yanks take this opportunity to check out some of the shows you've never seen before. Take Father Ted for instance, I don't know if its ever been shown stateside,but I wonder if it would even translate. However, to an Irish native, who was raised a roman catholic, its hilarious. Would love to know if its funny to you guys.
cant hate this list too much by palewook	Mar 29th, 2008 09:44:31 AM
ton of sci-fi in here. i might not care for the top 10. but the 11-50 slots are rather solid
LazyEagle by vadakinX	Mar 29th, 2008 09:50:39 AM
Father Ted is being Americanized. It will be the same premise, bunch of priests living on an island, though it will be off the coast of New York or something. It won't be called Father Ted though because the creators have insisted that the characters names are changed.
NYPD Blue? by BankyEdwards2309	Mar 29th, 2008 09:52:25 AM
One of the best cop series ever to grace the small screen.
yikes... by br1947	Mar 29th, 2008 09:53:29 AM
No "MAS*H", No "I Love Lucy", No "Married with Children"... what a shitty list. Leaving out MASH alone should be grounds for having your rights to watch tv revoked.
The British time warp. by BankyEdwards2309	Mar 29th, 2008 10:00:31 AM
If you've lived here, visited here or downloaded any British series, you'd soon notice that NOTHING has been made here that could compare to the quality of gritty drama, comedy or escapist sci-fi (Buffy, Angel)in the past, say ten years! This why the list has been over run by Only Fools and Horses ( a show that peaked in the mid-eighties but was canceled some time in the early 90's) 1960's/ 1970's sketch shows that have not grown old gracefully, But people still believe they 'have' to include them as it would seem almost blasphemous not to. We've never produced a cartoon series of any sort. As for comedy. We could never match Scrubs, Curb, Cheers, Married with Children (first three series), Police Squad or even Frasier. Instead our license fee is paying for 'Green Green Grass of home, Vicar of Dibley and My family! - and if we don't pay it, we go to prison or get fined heavily!! God have mercy on us all.
ChrictonAstronut by filmicdrummer17	Mar 29th, 2008 10:03:51 AM
I can't tell if you're sarcastic or not, so I'll answer as if "What is this Muppet Show you speak of" is a legitimate question. Which is especially strange coming from you, as Jim Henson (the genius behind the Muppets)'s workshop designed all the creatures for Farscape. The Muppet Show, to be sure, was a revolutionary variety show running from late '70s to early '80s, where the jokes and musical numbers flew by, and the guest start (who ranged from Elton John to Bob Hope to Julie Andrews) interacted with the puppets as though they were real. Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy are staples of global culture--at the end of its run it was seen weekly by more than 200 million viewers worldwide. Finally, it was THE quintessential "family show," and unlike some others, the episodes don't feel dated, because the comedy is universal. Whew. Sorry for everyone who already knew all that. I just can't believe I'm the only one who's brought it up.
http://tinyurl.com/2exkrx by ironic_name	Mar 29th, 2008 10:33:02 AM

I was joking. EW printed an article once that by CrichtonAstronut	Mar 29th, 2008 10:35:05 AM
said they couldn't take Farscape seriously because it had Muppet's and they weren't used ironically or something. A) Farscape has pleanty of humor and irony. B) Muppets were awesome. Don't know why they'd think that comparison was a critism. C) Farscape has no Muppets. I'd be cool with it if it did, it just doesn't. They have awesome scifi puppets but they aren't Muppets. It's a completely different franchise. Like The Dark Crystal. Noone calls the Dark Crystal that Muppet show. If the company's gonna try and do something different than their main brand they should get credit for that. I love Spock on star trek, but if Nimoy's doing Hamlet, I'm sure he it would seem a bit odd to call the Hamlet production that Spock show.
WHERE THE HELL IS THE COSBY SHOW by tonyd1411	Mar 29th, 2008 10:49:10 AM
which many people would seriously consider #1, this list is a joke
FIREFLY IS # 14!!! WHOO HOO!!! I guess it's fitting since... by wackybantha	Mar 29th, 2008 11:14:59 AM
...they only produced 14 episodes. IT'S THE BEST SHOW IN THE 'VERSE!!!
Why is Prison Break so low? by Kragmose	Mar 29th, 2008 11:18:51 AM
It's certainly a lot better than many of the higher ranked. Pfft.
Plus it tends to make people, not in the know by CrichtonAstronut	Mar 29th, 2008 11:21:52 AM
think that Farscape is a family friendly show and that's pretty far from the truth. In fact Brian Henson, Jim Henson's son, wanted to be involved with Farscape as a starting point for the Henson company to expand outside family entertainment and add more adult fare to their credits. And yes i love that the gyuest on Muppets could interact with the Muppet and how that was expanded so the actors on Farscae could interact with the puppet character. Maing the most alien looking aliens on tv, and having them so the actors could see them and handle them like they couldn't do with CGI.
Most inane, trendy, meaningless list EVER... by mr_sinister7381	Mar 29th, 2008 11:27:42 AM
Star Trek DS9 shouldn't even be on a list of top 50 sci fi shows.
Love that Farscape's next to Cracker by CrichtonAstronut	Mar 29th, 2008 11:47:11 AM
one of the best known and best Farscape episodes is called Crackers Don't Matter. Kind of funny. Course the series Cracker is brilliant and has nothing to do with the deep South.
List seems fine until you hit the Top 10 by Ashok0	Mar 29th, 2008 12:07:14 PM
Ehh... had some good shows, like The Wire, Dexter, LOST, BSG, X-Files, Twin Peaks, everything Wheadon, etc. But those should have been in the Top 10. Not Friends and Simpsons. ?
Simpsons #1 and no Freaks and Geeks? by Nozoli Apples	Mar 29th, 2008 12:16:01 PM
Sorry but that list lost so much legitimacy without F&G.
Ummm... switch BSG and Buffy by Razorback	Mar 29th, 2008 12:27:19 PM
Buffy is in no way the second best show of all time.
Buffy by krish-0	Mar 29th, 2008 12:34:08 PM
I know it has a ton of fans, but I've never understood what the fuck was so great about Buffy. Number 1 on UGOs list? Come the fuck on.
Twin Peaks should have been number 1 by Detective_Fingerling	Mar 29th, 2008 12:41:58 PM
-Six Feet Under should have been higher -Lost in front of the West Wing -Freaks and Geeks need to be on the list -Twin Peaks should be number 1 -It's always sunny in Philadelphia should at least be number 50
Rumpole of the Bailey should be on that lisyt by CrichtonAstronut	Mar 29th, 2008 01:18:10 PM
somewhere. Seriously, Leo mcKern's hilarious. Brilliant writting.
that 70's show by deliciouscowbell	Mar 29th, 2008 01:22:43 PM
sorry that was no IS one of the funniest shows ever dont care what anybody on here says. and it was perfect seasons 3, 4, 5, and 6. 7 was alrite it was clear it was meant to be the last season but nooooooo lets make a season 8 without the main character. ummmm ok. besides that though the show is a all time classic.
Buffy by Hercules	Mar 29th, 2008 01:22:44 PM
makes every all-time best TV list published in the last decade for this reason: It fucking rules. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen AND it sometimes even made me cry like the little bitch I am. The world can be divided into two camps: those who love Buffy and those who have not seen very much of it. You can hate shows about hot teen girls and hate movies about vampires and still love Buffy. My pal Harry Knowles stayed away from Buffy until I mailed him a spare season-four set a few years ago, just after the show ceased production. (I think he did not consider indulging it because it starred a girl who cuddled with the despised Freddie Prinze Jr.) But when he watched season four, he promptly fell in love with Willow and Spike and Anya and the Gentlemen and Harry now loves the show. Buffy DVDs are super-cheap at the moment. If you never got into Buffy, I HIGHLY recomment you pony up $19.99 for season four. Watch straight through until you get to the end of episode 10, "Hush." No matter how much you hate "Buffy" now, you will at that point find yourself reluctantly evangelizing and purchasing the other six seasons, and probably "Firefly" and "Angel" too.
Where's Prisoner Cell Block H? by MontyPigeon	Mar 29th, 2008 01:24:05 PM
One of the greatest tv shows of all time. Nevermind The Prisoner, The Fugitive or The Twilight Zone. That list sucks harder than what's at #7.
top 50 by mikeyone	Mar 29th, 2008 01:28:14 PM
as an englishman i feel some explanations are required: friends is so high because it is on three channels here at least 12 times a day - it has become the saturation show. seinfeld was on tuesday at midnight here so no-one watched it - it got moved around the schedules on bbc. the wire is on a minor cable channel which only a small minority of people can access so am amazed it is so high. deadwood only on sky cable channel VERY late at night - no one watches it. veronica mars has only JUST started here, and again it is on a tiny viewer cable channel. cosby show was not a big hit here was only shown on C$ when the channel started then it disappeared. NYPD blue it stopped broadcasting here after series nine. you must also remember that Empire is now a shadow of what it once was. All lists are subjective and usually xenophobic in nature. The Simpsons is the best show of all time though.
about the simpsons and this list... by deliciouscowbell	Mar 29th, 2008 01:28:20 PM
i just dont know how a show thats been so fucking awful the past 6-7 years could be at number one. it was just decling in 2000 but about 2001 it was just getting awful. AWFUL. and this list is like they just looked at somebody elses rankings of great tv shows, threw in a few new ones the just randomly placed the list together by closing their eyes and seeing which name there fingers landed on.
Simpsons by Hercules	Mar 29th, 2008 01:36:41 PM
makes every best-TV list of the last decade because its first four seasons manifested the funniest sitcom of all time, bar none. It would be wrong to denigrate that accomplishment -- and put "The Simpsons" lower on any list --because Sam Simon ditched the show after season four. Those first four seasons were the gold standard.
Lost = 1 by A G	Mar 29th, 2008 01:39:44 PM
or else Epic Fail.
Reader's Digest condensed Buffy by Ben Addiction	Mar 29th, 2008 01:50:10 PM
Buffy would be the second best show ever if it could be somehow condensed into five seasons without losing story continuity. The "mopey/angsty Buffy" seasons could lose half their episodes without any real effect except saving those who are working their way through the series on DVD some mental exhaustion. And Angel just got plain silly in most of its run (although the Jasmine season was pretty fun).
well the first season of the simpsons by deliciouscowbell	Mar 29th, 2008 02:22:31 PM
is incredibly dated but i would say it was classic until 97-98 and i understand it could be the greatest show ever but i assumed wed some it lower on some lists after 8-9 awful seasons
and i mean AWFUL by deliciouscowbell	Mar 29th, 2008 02:28:19 PM
it hits a all time low every new season. i thought the movie would help but it obivously didnt. still have the classics to look back on though
we would see it lower by deliciouscowbell	Mar 29th, 2008 02:33:48 PM
the edit button seems to be not working on this site today
re: the Simps and 70s Show by mr ahole ramirez	Mar 29th, 2008 02:37:14 PM
...70s show was pretty damn good...only prob was Jackie F'ed the entire cast of chars cept for the Foremens...and the Simps...Im tired of hearin the decline in quality...sure its like they have a diff story after every commercial break, but people act like there is no funny jokes...and also, Ive been watchin reruns of Simps 1st season, and while it is good, I actually prefer the middle-later seasons just cuz it expanded on the whole town of Springfield...I mean, in the beginning Milhouse was a straight man (joke wise, not sexuality wise), there was no Cletus (greatest hillbilly ever), and Maggie wasnt even a char (now she is the GREATEST baby ever made and hope my future daughter could be cool as her...minus the skin color and hairstyle)...so I say, Simpsons HAS ALWAYS BEEN GREAT, past, present, and futur(ama)...
Hold the FUCK up!!! by boyhowdy	Mar 29th, 2008 02:39:49 PM
Where is V.I.P? This list is total shit without it!
Buffy was GREAT... by ebonic_plague	Mar 29th, 2008 02:53:28 PM
...until around the part after she went to college and the show took a dive into self-aware hamfisted angst/snark fanfic. But those first few seasons were terrific. I look at it a lot like X-Files where the majority of it is classic but the show and it's creative team take a wrong turn up their own asshole and it becomes almost a parody of itself for the last season or two.
BUFFY & ANGEL by Mr_X	Mar 29th, 2008 02:55:16 PM
both rule.
when the worst list comin out? by mr ahole ramirez	Mar 29th, 2008 02:55:55 PM
...I wanna see that list now...I couldnt even fathom whut would top(or in this case, bottom) the list...
Where the hell is House? by Paragon Complex	Mar 29th, 2008 02:57:04 PM
Seriously now. I'm pleased with Buffy, but where the hell is House? Battlestar Galactica isn't in the Top 10? What the hell?
re: Buffy WAS great by mr ahole ramirez	Mar 29th, 2008 02:59:34 PM
...I say was cuz its over now, but for the most part, I loved the entire francise, even the Spike gone soft part...I mean, if u liked Angel (the show or char) then how could u hate Buffy and Spike's relationship? all it was, was showin a transformation of a monster into a loving monster, which is exactly the same story as Angel cept we see his story hundreds of years later...my only true complaint of the show is how the bastard-of-a-bastard Xander always one-uppin Spike...YOU LEFT YOUR BRIDE AT THE ALTAR AND GET MAD CUZ SHE GOT LAID?!?...I wished he died instead of Anya...
Buffy and Angel were gems don't know what by CrichtonAstronut	Mar 29th, 2008 03:33:10 PM
all the hatin's about.
One thing is perfectly clear from this list... by conspiracy	Mar 29th, 2008 03:39:04 PM
The Brits have far superior cannibis than we do... Buffy? Angel? Original Trek not in top 20? Family Guy over South Park? Fucking "Friends"? Maybe they mean the 50 most "Popular" when they say "best"...maybe they based it upon ratings share... As it stands what they are saying is akin to saying Britney Spears is a better composer than was Mozart cuz more people listen to her shit... Yes...definitly high grade cannibis is readily avaiable over there.
Heroes? Prison Break? Alias? CSI? Babylon 5? Jebus.... by Zardoz	Mar 29th, 2008 03:53:18 PM
Totally flawed list. Although the top ten is pretty good. How is "Scrubs" ahead of "Twin Peaks", "Veronica Mars" and ANY of the "Star Trek" shows? And I really do need to watch "Spaced"...
TV Guide by kolchak	Mar 29th, 2008 03:55:11 PM
Already voted Seinfeld #1. FUCK Simpsons being at the top. They jumped the shark years ago.
Also The Dick Van Dyke show by kolchak	Mar 29th, 2008 03:56:47 PM
CLASSIC FUCKING SHIT.
Herc hearts Buffy by chewyou812	Mar 29th, 2008 03:57:06 PM
and that's cool. Buffy & Angel were both fun and I'd put Buffy proudly on my top show list. But above Sopranos, Lost, Deadwood, The Wire? Can't say I agree with that at all.
No HOUSE??? by sarsy	Mar 29th, 2008 04:06:50 PM
Yet Scrubs makes the list? Yes Scrubs is good.. but House definitely deserves to be on this list.
WEST WING should be NUMBER ONE by justanothermoviefan	Mar 29th, 2008 04:47:03 PM
The first four seasons of The West Wing are just unbelievably great.
Ranting and Raving about... THE LIST!!! by LennyNero123199	Mar 29th, 2008 04:50:17 PM
Actually I just couldn't resist adding my own two cents sooooo here goes... No OZ?! No Sleeper Cell, Carnivale, Sports Night or Twilight Zone?! No Moonlighting, St. Elsewhere, MAS*H or Larry Sanders Show?! No Columbo, Cheers, Fugitive, Abbott & Costello Show, No Homicide?! Oh and if mini-series are okay (Band of Brothers) then what about The Corner and the Kingdom. P.S. As an American it is my humble opinion the the original Office was far superior to the remake.
Gotham_Night by Hercules	Mar 29th, 2008 04:50:52 PM
As someone (me) noted earlier, you need to watch more than half an hour. You'll note that "Charmed" is NOT on the all-time best lists of Time, TV Guide, Empire etc. etc.
No Wiseguy? by kitkatbar	Mar 29th, 2008 05:17:53 PM
Am I the only one that liked Wiseguy? Nah, can't be. And Friends? Yuck. I'm a girl and I'm probably the demographic it was aiming for but still....eew!
Objectively speaking... by ebonic_plague	Mar 29th, 2008 05:22:12 PM
...my Top 10 list looks a lot like Doc Manhattan's: #1: The Wire. The rest is debatable (I won't consider any list that doesn't have Venture Brothers or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia featured prominently) but that number one slot is almost pure quantifiable fact.
XIPHOS by The Real MiraJeff	Mar 29th, 2008 05:24:07 PM
I wasn't exactly shamed, Xiphos. The better boxer won. You do know that Boll was a prolific amateur boxer in Germany, and that he ran 11 miles a day to train for the fights. He had about 30 pounds of muscle on me, and a personal trainer. I'm a smoker with asthma who had never been in a boxing ring who didn't train at all. Not a single sit-up or push-up, and considering that, I think I did just fine. When it became clear that Uwe was out for Harry and Quint's blood and that mine would have to suffice, you can see me signal to my 'cornerman' to throw in the towel. I did press interviews all over the world and I am a footnote in pop culture history, plus I got a free trip to Vancouver. So... in short, Fuck You, dude. I could give a shit what you think. At least I manned up and got in the ring. If we ever cross paths I will bury you. So I lost a boxing match, big deal. I'm not a boxer and I wasn't exactly supposed to win so no, I don't feel any shame at all. And Spazmo, this hamster could kick your ass every which way but up. I'd take the two of you at the same time. You're probably a couple of nerds sitting at home in your bedrooms with Tron posters adorning the walls. I'd roll up one of the Wired magazines with the Boll article in it and go Berserker on your asses. Stick to the talkback rather than dredge up year-old shit. The two of you are almost as bad as the good doctor.
Also... by ebonic_plague	Mar 29th, 2008 05:25:43 PM
...Sledge Hammer needs to be high on that list. And Night Court too.
by The Real MiraJeff	Mar 29th, 2008 05:27:16 PM
By the way, my official Top 10 would be 1. The Wire 2. The Sopranos 3. Lost 4. The Wonder Years 5. Seinfeld 6. Curb Your Enthusiasm 7. Freaks and Geeks 8. Homicide: Life on the Street 9. Friends 10. The Simpsons (and it's only this low because its later years have been inconsistent and I don't watch regularly anymore) Go UNC!
The Wire Isn't #1? Credibility. Lost. by DrTobiasFunke	Mar 29th, 2008 05:40:37 PM
To say shows like "Friends" is better than The Wire is insulting on every level.
MIRAJEFF by Xiphos	Mar 29th, 2008 05:44:38 PM
When and where would you like to meet? If your going to run your piehole fuckboy I will call you on it.
Xiphos & MiraJeff by tk 421	Mar 29th, 2008 06:07:58 PM
If you guys are gonna fight, I would personally like to offer my front yard as the local for this titanic clash. We could sell some tickets, popcorn, beer and put it on youtube. What do you say?
Also by tk 421	Mar 29th, 2008 06:11:55 PM
I don't care where this list was made. The fact that M.A.S.H., Mary Tyler Moore, TAXI, Cheers, Frasier, Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue, The Cosby Show, and All in the Family were left off makes it a joke. And yeah, Buffy was an ok show, but no way it belongs on any list in the absence of these other classics. No fucking way.
kitkatbar is right... by bacci40	Mar 29th, 2008 06:14:38 PM
wiseguy does belong on everyone's list...as for lists, they need to be divided between

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