OT: Best TV series of all time
Let's hear your favorites. My favorites are usually things that have great characters (excellently portrayed) and a convoluted plot with various intrigues.
My list of all-time greats:
Babylon 5
Fringe
Band of Brothers
Silicon Valley
Firefly
Twin Peaks
The Wire
Rome
The Tudors
Cowboy Beebop
The Venture Bros.
Rick and Morty
The Prisoner
A Series of Unfortunate Events
The Boys (but too early to tell overall, as it isn't done yet)
I, Claudius
Archer
Deadwood
I read Expanse books already and watched some shows. One of the main characters bugs me so much, though, and having read the books, the series isn't as appealing to me as it otherwise would be.
I watched the Sopranos. Good, but I liked The Wire better and so just listed that.
I like Stranger Things -- just not as much as the other things in my list. I put it more on the popcorn level -- good, but not as substantial as the other stuff. At that level, I also liked Falling Skies.
I'll have to check out Leverage. Don't know anything about that. Thanks!
March 31st, 2020 at 10:21 AM ^
The Andy Griffith Show.
March 31st, 2020 at 10:22 AM ^
"The Wire" like many have said. Can't rewatch it though because it's too depressing and real.
"Lost" because it had so many great moments. Impossible to end that show, and the writers strike really fucked up one season.
"Battlestar Galactica" (the new one) was incredible.
"Homeland" is up and down but a great mix of action and drama.
"GoT" until the last season which was pointless. They should reshoot it honestly when/if the books come out.
"Simpsons" of course. It has aged way better than Seinfeld or Cheers or most comedies, really.
March 31st, 2020 at 10:22 AM ^
Letterkenny
March 31st, 2020 at 10:30 AM ^
Yeah this show is getting a lot of hype. I just don't have hulu.
March 31st, 2020 at 10:50 AM ^
Hulu gives you a month free. I got the free trial solely for Letterkenny. It was so good I watched all 8 seasons in like a week (6-7 episodes, like 20 minutes each...its not a long show or season). Canceled Hulu.
March 31st, 2020 at 10:32 AM ^
Gotta STRONGLY disagree with you about the Simpsons. After Season 9, it has completely plummeted. It is now just a parody comedy that lost basically everything old Simpsons did.
Simpsons seasons 2-8 are probably the best years of ANY TV show, and even rivals my favorite, Seinfeld. But after that, it's been awful.
March 31st, 2020 at 10:24 AM ^
Not sure if it has got a mention yet, but one of my all-time favorites is Mr. Robot.
Does not drag on too long, every single episode is intense and you'll never really understand what is going on until the last 5 seconds of the final season.
Each episode also has a very unique thing, especially in the final season. One of the episodes goes the entire hour without anyone saying a word, and you won't notice until the end.
March 31st, 2020 at 10:39 AM ^
I don't remember that episode, which one was it?
March 31st, 2020 at 11:01 AM ^
It was the one where Elliot and Darlene broke into that facility and got captured at the very end. Vera was the only person to speak a sentence before the credits rolled.
March 31st, 2020 at 10:32 AM ^
MacGyver (the original).
March 31st, 2020 at 10:49 AM ^
The Shield starring Michael Chiklis.
Hogan's Heroes I have the DVD box set of every season.
March 31st, 2020 at 10:55 AM ^
The Rifleman
West Wing
Madam Secretary
ER
The Good Wife
Hill Street Blues
Gunsmoke
good list....West Wing to me is an all time top 5 in TV history, the way it was shot, the cast/acting, etc......I loved NYPD Blue in it's prime as well, in terms of dramas.....Comedies- Seinfeld, MASH, Cheers, among others
March 31st, 2020 at 11:11 AM ^
For me, it was Black Sails.
I don't think it gained a lot of popularity, but it really seemed to be a perfect show for me.
Characters were all well written and consistent. Motives and actions all made sense through the series run with no diversion of a character action to move the plot. This includes the "bad guys" who really didn't take actions that were particularly bad. Everyones actions and decisions were all based on their own interest
Deaths and twists were usually very unexpected and all had great meaning to the plot, again maintaining consistency with the characters.
Seasons, only 4 seasons, and writers new this early on, so they were able to write and plan succinctly for the series.
Pirates are cool, action scenes are fun, dialogue has natural humor among very serious dark show. As well as extremely well acted.
Hopefully quarantine builds viewers so I can finally talk to more people about the show.
March 31st, 2020 at 11:17 AM ^
Growing Pains......of course.
March 31st, 2020 at 11:20 AM ^
My top 5:
The Office
MASH
Cheers
Longmire
Corner Gas
Other good ones:
The IT Crowd
Warehouse 13
Damn forgot Corner Gas,you can shoot me now
Easily the best Canadian TV show All Time and is one of my top 5s and i love the IT Crowd too
March 31st, 2020 at 11:22 AM ^
twilight zone (original series) and seinfeld
March 31st, 2020 at 11:28 AM ^
Breaking Bad
Better call saul
X files
Person of Interest
March 31st, 2020 at 11:38 AM ^
NewsRadio is one of the top 10 funniest sit-coms of all time and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.
March 31st, 2020 at 11:51 AM ^
Boardwalk empire was great
March 31st, 2020 at 12:11 PM ^
Michigan football, basketball, and baseball games. Lions, and Pistons at times, but recorded. Apart from that I really don't watch t.v....
March 31st, 2020 at 12:30 PM ^
The Sopranos gets my vote. As far as animated shows, I think South Park is the top of the class.
Reno 911! and Trailer Park Boys are really funny, too.
March 31st, 2020 at 12:43 PM ^
The Elephant Show
Seinfeld
Psych
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Chuck
I forgot about The IT Crowd. I loved that one.
I also did like much of Game of Thrones a lot. But the end episodes -- ye, gods, what a bunch of total crap.
Here's a hilarious video on the ending of Game of Thrones:
Automan without a doubt.
In no order,
Seinfeld
The Sopranos
Deadwood
Happy Days
Threes Company
Ozark
Bosch
NYPD Blue
ER
In no particular order:
Hill Street Blues
All in the Family
Homicide: Life in the Streets
Cheers
Seinfeld
The Wire
Frazier
Barney Miller
In no particular order:
Penny Dreadful, season 1. Eva Green deserved an Emmy
True Detective, season 1.
The Expanse.
Battlestar Galactica: The new one. (except the ending)
Star Trek: TNG
Breaking Bad
The Sopranos
Twilight Zone (The Original)
Black Mirror
Star Wars: The Clone Wars S1-6
Stargate SG1
Counterpart
March 31st, 2020 at 11:39 PM ^
The Wire
The Shield
Fargo
Breaking Bad
Better Call Saul
Boardwalk Empire
Handmaid's Tale
MTV's The State
Always Sunny
Gilmore Girls
Lodge 49
The Office
Justified
Mindhunter
The Killing
Honorable mention because they fell apart towards the end:
Dexter
Game of Thrones
Sons of Anarchy
wow that list is overall terrible...a few good ones, but lots of questions
Battlestar Gallactica (the remake, not the original)
Justified
The Wire
Breaking Bad
Sons of Anarchy
Fargo
Westworld
Man, I forgot some great ones:
Halt and Catch Fire (awesome series themed on microcomputer revolution)
Legion (some great characters, very unusual and interesting science fiction/fantasy show)
Frisky Dingo (animated series, sort of like Archer in its vibe)