TV series have been around for about 70 years now, and there have been a lot of them. How could you possibly rank them all against each other? Rolling Stone explains how they did it.
So we undertook a major poll – actors, writers, producers, critics, showrunners. Legends like Carl Reiner and Garry Marshall, who sent us his ballot shortly before his death this summer. All shows from all eras were eligible; anybody could vote for whatever they felt passionate about, from the black-and-white rabbit-ears years to the binge-watching peak-TV era. The ratings didn't matter – only quality. The voters have spoken – and, damn, did they have some fierce opinions.
The great thing about this list is that it’s all on one page, and most of the the listings have video clips. It’s delightful to scroll through and see where your old and new favorites landed, including the abrupt left turns from childhood classics to offbeat shows you’ve never heard of to your current “must see” TV. Enjoy the ride at Rolling Stone.
(Image credit: Ryan Casey)
Speaking of police procedurals, while we have NYPD Blue, where's CSI or NCIS?
Where's Dexter? Granted the ending sucks, it was a pretty good series overall. Speaking of bad endings, HIMYM could've cracked the top 90s IMO.
My Name is Earl? Nope.
Guess the folks who made the list didn't have 'originality' as one of their criteria. Lots of shows I never heard of and lots of cookie-cutter, unfunny sitcoms that I have.