Top 25 Greatest TV Shows of All Time
What is the greatest television show of all time?
This may be even harder than ranking movies.
Television has produced comedies, dramas, westerns, crime shows, science-fiction series, mysteries, animated programs and everything in between.
How do you compare I Love Lucy with The Sopranos?
How do you compare The Twilight Zone with Breaking Bad?
Or Seinfeld with Game of Thrones?
You really can't.
But we're going to try anyway.
I Love Lucy Changed Television
Any serious ranking of the greatest TV shows ever should include I Love Lucy near the top.
Lucille Ball became one of television's first true superstars, and the show's influence on situation comedy is almost impossible to measure.
Many techniques that became standard in television production were popularized during its run.
More importantly, the show was funny.
Decades later, many episodes still work.
That's the true test of classic television.
The Sopranos Changed TV Drama
If I Love Lucy helped define early television comedy, The Sopranos helped redefine modern drama.
Tony Soprano wasn't a traditional television hero.
He was violent, selfish, complicated and often impossible to like.
Yet viewers couldn't stop watching him.
The show's success helped prove that television could tell layered, cinematic stories built around deeply flawed characters.
Without The Sopranos, many of the prestige dramas that followed might look very different.
Breaking Bad Made the Antihero Even Darker
Breaking Bad took viewers on one of television's greatest character transformations.
Walter White begins as a mild-mannered chemistry teacher and gradually becomes someone entirely different.
Bryan Cranston's performance, the writing, visual style and relentless tension made the series one of the defining dramas of the 21st century.
For many younger viewers, Breaking Bad is the obvious No. 1.
Seinfeld and the Sitcom Argument
Then we get to comedy.
Seinfeld became one of the most influential sitcoms ever by supposedly being “a show about nothing.”
Of course, it was really a show about everything—dating, work, friendship, selfishness and the absurd frustrations of daily life.
Cheers, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All in the Family, MASH*, The Simpsons and The Office all have legitimate claims among television's greatest comedies.
And The Simpsons deserves special recognition for its extraordinary cultural influence and longevity.
Older Shows Cannot Be Forgotten
Modern rankings frequently suffer from recency bias.
The Twilight Zone remains one of television's most creative series.
The Honeymooners helped define the sitcom despite producing relatively few classic episodes.
The Andy Griffith Show remains beloved generations after it originally aired.
Star Trek struggled during its original run but ultimately became one of the most influential television franchises ever.
Then there are shows such as Gunsmoke, The Carol Burnett Show, The Tonight Show, Columbo and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Television history didn't begin with streaming.
The Modern Contenders
Modern television has produced an extraordinary number of serious contenders.
Game of Thrones became a worldwide phenomenon despite controversy surrounding its final season.
The Wire is frequently praised for its realistic examination of crime, politics and institutions.
Mad Men, Succession, Better Call Saul, The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm all have passionate supporters.
That's why a Top 10 isn't enough.
We use a Top 25.
How Should the Greatest TV Shows Be Ranked?
Consider:
- Writing
- Acting
- Originality
- Cultural influence
- Consistency
- Memorable characters
- Longevity
- Rewatchability
- Impact on future television
- How well the show holds up today
A show doesn't need 10 seasons to be great.
And a huge audience doesn't automatically make a show great either.
So what belongs at No. 1?
I Love Lucy?
The Sopranos?
Breaking Bad?
Seinfeld?
The Twilight Zone?
At Ultimate Rankings, the viewers settle it.