Empire's 50 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time

[Darkfly]

http://www.empireonline.com/50greatesttv/

My most highly regarded & my most favourite film magazine Empire has posted "Empire's 50 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time". A bit surprised by some of the shows in the top 10 (Friends is good & all but not top 10 material) & its nice to see some shows which don't deserve the praise they get not as high up as I would of expected. There were 3 shows I didn't want to see higher than a Firefly my favouritist (umm yes its a word) TV show of mine, Star Trek: TNG, Heroes, & Doctor Who, & thank God they didn't, not to say I don't like'em, hell I watch'em all but they don't deserve the popularity or praise they get. And WTF is up with Red Dwarf not being in the top 20.

And WTF is with Buffy at #2, never got into myself. I was really surprised to see no Star Trek in the top 20 when makes for a change but is it necessarily right, maybe since yeah Star Trek is like the king of sci-fi but it ain't the best. One of the fairer lists I've seen in quite a while which makes a refreshing change.

 

[Manic]

What the hell is Babylon 5 doing higher up on the list than Star Trek TNG?

You know, I freaking love Red Dwarf. But should it be higher than some of the other shows on that list? I'm not sure.

The hilarious part of this list is that Futurama beat a ton of sci-fi shows, even though it's basically a sci-fi satire.

Blackadder Thank you, you brilliant geniuses, for not putting Mr. Bean on this list.

Doctor Who is at #16? I could understand if it was listed as "1963-1989, 1996, 2005-Present" but they only list the "2005-Present" version. You gotta include the whole mythos to get that show up that high.

Shine on, you crazy Firefly.

You know, I can imagine a ton of Trekkies getting pissed off at this list. The original Star Trek is so low on the list, and you've got stuff like Firefly and Battlestar Galactica sitting in the top 20. Hell, I'm sure some were peeved by TNG being higher, and all were flaming mad when they saw Red Dwarf.

Family Guy higher than South Park? If Parker & Stone were media ****es, I'm sure there'd be a uproar.

Friends & Seinfeld, eh? You know, I never quite saw the appeal.

You know, as much as I love Buffy... #2? Really?

WHERE THE @%$# IS "I LOVE LUCY"?

 

[04nbod]

that list is bollocks. Firstly how is one season wonder heroes above doctor who, and how is firefly even on the list? Tell these people that TV began in the 1950's not 1995

 

[Manic]

The Dick Van Dyke Show should also be on that list. 158 episodes of comedy genius.

 

[Cmill216]

These lists get worse and worse each year.

 

[StorminNorman]

Family Guy in the top 50 is really quite ridiculous.

 

[Darkfly]

that list is bollocks. Firstly how is one season wonder heroes above doctor who, and how is firefly even on the list? Tell these people that TV began in the 1950's not 1995

Hey firstly Firefly is one of the greatest TV shows ever made & I'm surprised it ain't higher. Second it is Doctor Who from 2005 onward so no I don't think it should even be that high unless they counted it from the beginning which they haven't. And dude this is one of the better lists I've seen in quite a while, & yes TV started way back in the 50's but every list has some flaw, some lists I see have too many old films or shows some have too many new or some have to many crap shows to high up, this list may have almost no old shows in it but hey at least there's no rubbish shows to high up, life's a b**** deal with it. And actually Star Trek started in 1966 & there's a decent amount which started in the 80's so its hardly shows only from 1995 onward.

 

[StorminNorman]

Also, the lack of Cheers makes this list completely invalid.

 

[StorminNorman]

Hey firstly Firefly is one of the greatest TV shows ever made & I'm surprised it ain't higher.

Not if quality and writing is taken into affect when evaluating the title "Greatest TV Show Ever Made".

 

[Darkfly]

I've come across people who dislike, hell even hate Serenity but I've never once come across people who have ever had anything against Firefly in the slightest, first time for everything I suppose.

 

[Laderlappen]

No24 is about 23 spots too low.

 

[04nbod]

Hey firstly Firefly is one of the greatest TV shows ever made & I'm surprised it ain't higher. Second it is Doctor Who from 2005 onward so no I don't think it should even be that high unless they counted it from the beginning which they haven't. And dude this is one of the better lists I've seen in quite a while, & yes TV started way back in the 50's but every list has some flaw, some lists I see have too many old films or shows some have too many new or some have to many crap shows to high up, this list may have almost no old shows in it but hey at least there's no rubbish shows to high up, life's a b**** deal with it. And actually Star Trek started in 1966 & there's a decent amount which started in the 80's so its hardly shows only from 1995 onward.

dude no need to get confrontational. Fact of the matter is that firefly didn't make it to a season for a reason. I love serenity the movie because that's where the story works. Its a grossly exaggerated cult classic. Who knows why they didn't include doctor who from the 60's onwards its the same show now as it was back then. Who knows why curb your enthusiasm and arrested development are so high either, in ten years people won't know what they were. Dexter as well! this list can GTFO!

I do agree with the top two though.

 

[Matt]

I've come across people who dislike, hell even hate Serenity but I've never once come across people who have ever had anything against Firefly in the slightest, first time for everything I suppose.

Firefly was a good show. That doesn't make it one of the greatest of all time. Far from it, being as it only had 8 episodes and not one fully developed plot arc. It could've been great, but we will never know.

 

[Speedball]

List is crap!
Sex and the City? C'mon...why is that on there?
Prisonbreak...C'mon...it's only been on for a few seasons, same with Heroes, 24, Lost, Dexter.
The list should consist of series that have ended, are close to ending, or have been on for a long time.
I guess BSG is alright on the list because it's ending soon, but it should be higher.
and uggh...South Park? Really?
And Blink is not the best Doctor Who episode. It is one of the best, but not the best. My pick would be Doomsday.
And the Simpsons? Really? Have they not seen the past few seasons?

 

[Matt]

Anyhow, that list sucks.

Firstly, someone needs to tell Empire that there are more shows on TV than sci-fi ones.

Second, someone needs to tell Empire that TV exisited prior to the early 90s.

Third, is Band of Brothers really a TV show? It was a 10 part mini-series.

Fourth, Friends is ahead of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm? Really? Buffy the Vampire Slayer ahead of The Sopranos? I mean, that is like putting a McDonalds cheese burger above a steak prepared by a gormet chef in a five star restaurant. Both are good...but the latter is just out of the former's league.

Fifth, can someone please tell Empire that there is more to TV than 1990s and beyond Sci-Fi shows?

Sixth, no matter how much promise a show has, it isn't really fair to put a show that lasted less than a season on an All Time Greatest list. There are too many variables that could happen down the road. It is like putting a rookie quarterback who got injured after having a good first season and never played again on the same list as Joe Montana because the rookie showed promise.

Seventh, someone REALLY needs to tell Empire that TV exisited before 1990 and that there is more to TV than Sci-Fi. The few shows from before 1990 on that list are all either small scale cult shows that most have never heard of or sci-fi. Where is Cheers? Where is I Love Lucy? All in the Family? The Jeffersons? Happy Days? Laverne and Shirley? Three's Company? THE ****ING COSBY SHOW! But FRIENDS made the list?

And finally, they had several animated shows on there...South Park, Family Guy, Futurama, etc...but left out the two shows that crossed the line first and made those shows possible. Beavis and Butthead and Ren and Stimpy.

Empire fails.

 

[Dark Carnage]

Dreadful, absolutely dreadful.

 

[Sawyer]

My thoughts on the top 10...

1. The Simpsons (turned to crap late in its run, so it wouldnt make my top 3...)
2. Buffy (should be #1)
3. The Sopranos (Infinitly over-rated)
4. The West Wing (boring)
5. Lost (#2 in my book)
6. 24 (also over-rated)
7. Friends (lasted far too long)
8. The Wire (never saw it)
9. The X-Files (top 5 material)
10. Spaced (never saw it)

The fact that Veronica Mars is so low on the list takes away from the lists credibility. However, most of my favorite show are in the top 30, so I dont find the list all that bad.

 

[Matt]

My thoughts on the top 10...

1. The Simpsons (turned to crap late in its run, so it wouldnt make my top 3...)
2. Buffy (should be #1)
3. The Sopranos (Infinitly over-rated)
4. The West Wing (boring)
5. Lost (#2 in my book)
6. 24 (also over-rated)
7. Friends (lasted far too long)
8. The Wire (never saw it)
9. The X-Files (top 5 material)
10. Spaced (never saw it)

The fact that Veronica Mars is so low on the list takes away from the lists credibility. However, most of my favorite show are in the top 30, so I dont find the list all that bad.

Your analysis of the top ten takes away from your credibility.

 

[StorminNorman]

My thoughts on the top 10...

1. The Simpsons (turned to crap late in its run, so it wouldnt make my top 3...)
2. Buffy (should be #1)
3. The Sopranos (Infinitly over-rated)
4. The West Wing (boring)
5. Lost (#2 in my book)
6. 24 (also over-rated)
7. Friends (lasted far too long)
8. The Wire (never saw it)
9. The X-Files (top 5 material)
10. Spaced (never saw it)

The fact that Veronica Mars is so low on the list takes away from the lists credibility. However, most of my favorite show are in the top 30, so I dont find the list all that bad.

Anyone that has Buffy and Lost in their top 2 isn't worth listening too

 

[Sawyer]

Anyone that has Buffy and Lost in their top 2 isn't worth listening too

Forget you both.

Sorry I dont feel like watching the boring crap that is The Sopranos.

 

[Matt]

Forget you both.

Sorry I dont feel like watching the boring crap that is The Sopranos.

I'd probably say the best show of all time, is Curb Your Enthusiasm, which is hardly boring. It is Seinfeld without the restrictions of being on network TV.

 

[NewYorkSpider]

Cheers?
Nip/Tuck?
Rescue Me?
Prison Break being that low?

This list is ridiculous

 

[Sawyer]

I'd probably say the best show of all time, is Curb Your Enthusiasm, which is hardly boring. It is Seinfeld without the restrictions of being on network TV.

I never said Curb Your Enthusiasm was boring. I actually find it really funny. Same with Seinfeld.

Sopranos, however, I find boring.

Cheers?
Nip/Tuck?
Rescue Me?
Prison Break being that low?

This list is ridiculous

I'm surprised Prison Break even made the list...

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Most of the shows are from the UK anyways therefore the list can't be considered accurate, another thing is that with the exception of Star Trek from the 60's most of those shows are from the past twenty years of so.

who reads Empire anyway?

 

[NewYorkSpider]

I'm surprised Prison Break even made the list...

You seriously think that some of those sci-fi tv series deserves to be on that list? I'm not a huge fan of Prison Break, but it deserves to be higher.

Like Matt said, where are the shows from the 70's? M*A*S*H? The Mash series finale was the most watched primetime event in television history.