Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. By Justin Kirkland and The Esquire Editors. Jon Stewart hosted The Daily Show for 16 years before his departure in 2015. Over the course of its turbulent five-season history, In Living Color tackled the sketch comedy scene in a way its gargantuan competitor Saturday Night Live couldn't touch: with a diverse cast of comedians, voices from all walks of life tackling risky subject matter. Nearly every member of the ensemble, from Ron Swanson and the many Tammys of his life to Donna and Tom and their creation of Treat Yo Self, had a chance to shine as the series cemented itself in comedy history. Its willingness to skewer political leaders, pop-culture icons, and racial tensions in America brought a breath of fresh air and a new voice to the forefront. Actor RJ Mitte, who plays Walt Jr., has cerebral palsy in real life too, albeit a much milder case that does not require crutches. Gillian Anderson and Alan Rickman were slated to appear as a couple on the show, but Anderson wasn’t able to fit the role into her schedule. All four main cast members won Emmys for their performances, which has only occurred on two other shows: Golden Girls and All in the Family. Melvin Williams who played The Deacon, was one of the real life inspirations for the Avon Barksdale character. But Lost was more under-the-hood than that. One of Esther Rolle's conditions for returning in season 6 was that J.J. be made a better role model for African American youth. We invite TV dynasties into the middle of our full houses (upstairs, downstairs) for happy days and good times. Abrams was inspired to create Alias after imagining a Felicity storyline where the main character had to hide her identity as a secret agent. As admirable for his talent and skills as a puppeteer as he is for his moral compass, Mister Rogers guided Americans through issues of civility and how to respond to adversity with kindness and strength. And for more shows that came to a memorable conclusion, these are The 25 Best TV Series Finales of All Time. #99. Read reviews and watch clips and interviews. We dare you to watch the tale of Fry’s long-lost dog Seymour and not shed a tear. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! The Office ran for a total of 14 episodes split across two series, and became one of the most successful British comedy exports ever! The central character of Jack Bauer, which resurrected the career of film star Kiefer Sutherland, was part John McClane, part Rambo, all brutal ass-kicker. When Robin Wright learned she was being paid less than Spacey, she threatened to go public unless producers raised her salary. Created by Armando Iannucci, who based it off his own British comedy series The Thick of It, HBO’s Veep features a howlingly funny and cynical look at American politics with expert comedic performances and some of the best, expletive-filled insult-hurling of all time. It's easy to mark the late-Season 1 twist as the turning point for Game of Thrones' popularity — it prompted a deluge of surprise main character deaths across the TV landscape — but the show's greatness isn't just in its unpredictability. See more ideas about Pretty litle liars, Pretty litte liars, Pretty little liers. The name of Lost’s fictional Oceanic Airlines has been used in a variety of other films and TV shows. Based on best selling book by Candace Bushnell, and holding the distinction of being the first cable show to win an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, Sex and the City became a cultural phenomenon as a show featuring four single New York women talking frankly about sex, confiding in each other, and celebrating friendship. Californication. Estelle Getty required 45 minutes of makeup work before filming, a process that became even more complicated when she had a facelift after the first season. Judd Apatow made his directorial debut with The Larry Sanders Show. ER is an American medical drama television series that premiered on NBC on September 19, 1994. The Twelfth Doctor's costume was inspired by David Bowie. We binge-watch them all! It’s set in a fictional hotel called Fawlty Towers, in the seaside town of Torquay on the “English Riviera.” It centers around Basil Fawlty, the proprietor of the hotel, and his wife Sybil as they attempt to run their hotel amidst several farcical situation s and demanding guests. The series is notable for it’s hilariously juvenile humor and unique animation style. The BFI TV 100 is a list of 100 television programmes or series that was compiled in 2000 by the British Film Institute (BFI), as chosen by a poll of industry professionals, with the aim to determine the best British television programmes of any genre that had been screened up to that time. Yes, that’s 11 seasons of TV for just three years of actual war. Oz was produced by the premium cable network HBO and ran for six seasons, with the finale aired in February 2003. We owe Bob Odenkirk and David Cross’ fantastic surreal sketch comedy show a giant debt of gratitude for introducing us to a litany of incredible comedians who are now household names. John DiMaggio, who voiced Bender, also provides the vocals for Jake on Adventure Time and Marcus Fenix in Gears of War. Tony Soprano, his family, and his other Family live and operate in an era where the mythos of the Mafia has faded with the dawn of the 21st century — an existentially troubling and emasculating effort for Tony himself, who decides to attend therapy at a time when the stigma around anxiety and depression was finally being torn down. Here are the best reality shows of all time—not in chronological order, don't yell at us if you think this is a ranking!—and where to find them. No disrespect to Stephen Colbert, but the Ed Sullivan Theater simply isn't the same without Dave. Related Stories. Two series of six episodes were produced, and the show was named the greatest ever British TV sitcom by a panel of comedy experts compiled by the Radio Times. Creator Dan Harmon originally modeled the characters of Jeff Winger and Britta Perry after himself and his ex-girlfriend. The show was ranked No. Oliver North, a former staff member for the Reagan administration, has served as a historical consultant for the series. As a man who’d deluded himself into thinking he was an effective leader, Brent also believed himself to be quite talented in the arenas of writing, comedy, and music. Tomatometer rankings of the top 100 best TV shows of 2021 and all time. The best of Norman Lear's many television shows, "All in the Family" was a sitcom that turned a mirror on America. 30 Best TV Shows of All Time; The 50 Dreamiest TV Wedding Dresses of All Time "Finding Carter" Is Your Show of the Summer; It’s Officially Time to … These are the top 100 TV shows of all time. Before becoming one of television's most important showrunners, Breaking Bad mastermind Vince Gilligan was penning episodes of The X-Files. Creator Noah Hawley also gifted us with new characters that stood strongly on their own while still smartly mirroring roles from the original story. Originally, Avatar was conceived as taking place thousands of years in the future. In the “root for the bad guy” Golden Age of the Aughts, Chiklis still stood out as one of TV’s most troubling, and stunning, lead characters. So, without further ado, here’s a list of the 50 best TV shows of all time. Alias will always deserve a place in pop culture history because it elevated the careers of both creator J.J. Abrams and star Jennifer Garner. The TV show premiered on September 16, 1993, and ran for 11 seasons. We certainly do. The American political satire sitcom is about the antics of Indiana town’s public officials as they endeavor to clean up the city and make it a better place for all. The series originally debuted in 1989 as a series of one-minute shorts on Short Attention Span Theater. The Walking Dead creator, Robert Kirkman is a big fan of The Wire and looks to hire as many alumni from the show as possible. There are arguably no truly bad episodes of the Vince Gilligan-created series thanks to its impeccable writing, direction, and, of course, the performances of its cast, most notably Bryan Cranston as Walter White and Aaron Paul as his former student-turned-drug partner Jesse Pinkman. Missguided Save Up to 70%. These are the top 100 TV shows of all time. The Wonder Years was always entertaining, but it also struck a powerful chord with viewers both young and old. The bar Cheers is based on, formerly known as the Bull & Finch Pub, remains open for business in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood. A great TV show can become a dear part of your life like few movies or books are able to. Filed Under. Survivor didn’t invent the concept of reality television, but it certainly perfected the formula. Leaving behind Walt and Jessie in favor of a secondary character like Saul was a risky decision, but creator Vince Gilligan and actor Bob Odenkirk have created an original story that smartly exists as both prequel, as well as a sequel. 2.5 years later they'd all quit, giving Stewart control. By Kayleigh Roberts and Bianca Rodriguez. Throughout his entire run, Carson was joined by announcer, sidekick, and friend Ed McMahon, a television legend in his own right. The show immediately impressed with its authentic look and feel (having Martin Scorsese direct the pilot certainly didn’t hurt), but it was the incredibly talented cast and engrossing character drama that kept viewers hooked over the course of five seasons. Music, Film, TV and Political News Coverage. The series spanned sixty-three episodes across five seasons. Breaking Bad won numerous industry awards and is often regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time. Wesley Snipes was almost cast as Geordi La Forge before LeVar Burton got the gig. Band of Brothers (2001) Louis CK's real ex-wife is not African American, but he cast Susan Kelechi Watson for the part anyway because of her impressive audition. And as the first Netflix series to win an Emmy award, House of Cards proved that streaming services can stand toe-to-toe with traditional TV networks in terms of both viewership and critical acclaim. (Literally in some cases; ask Mr. Creosote, he'll tell you all about it.) The Muppet Show ended at the peak of its ratings popularity — which is what Jim Henson always wanted. The Golden Girls quickly became a ratings powerhouse, helping pull NBC out of an ongoing slump and making audiences fall in love with Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia. The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time was a weekly series of nightly summer specials that follows a list of game shows from past to present that represents themselves as the best of all time. The 40 Greatest Comedy Series of All Time. Before launching his career with Ace Ventura, Carrey cut his chops on In Living Color, yet another reason to be thankful for the show's existence. One of the last torchbearers of NBC’s two-hour Thursday night comedy dynasty (at least for now), Parks and Recreation sold a different brand of comedy than most other shows around it. Star Alan Alda co-wrote 13 episodes of the series and directed 31 episodes. While some critics lambast the latter half of Season 2 for needlessly dragging on unlikable arcs, Twin Peaks ultimately offered one of the most compelling murder mysteries in TV history. Inspired by the (non-comedic) 1972 film Silent Running, starring Bruce Dern as a lone human living on a space station with three robots. We were rooting for you! February 9, 2020. The character Leela’s name was inspired by the Fourth Doctor's companion, who shared the same name on the classic series Doctor Who. By The Editors. The series premiered on September 12, 2013, and ran for 30 episodes across five seasons. The Wire (2002–2008) 3. The American crime drama television series focuses on the life of New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano, as he tries to lead his criminal organization while maintaining his family life. Fast food taste tests, waitresses getting massive tips, the best … Blue Planet II (2017) Star Glenn Howerton has stated that the first title for the show was “Jerks.”. Creator Terence Winter made a point of personally phoning cast members to inform them when their characters were going to be killed off. Abed and Rachel can be seen watching Rick and Morty in season 5, episode 6 — another Dan Harmon show. Chappelle’s Show is hands-down one of the most important sketch comedy series in television history. Before Grey's Anatomy came along, NYPD Blue was ABC's longest running primetime drama. ... Not to mention that it had the best musical episode of all time. From fantastic performances to gorgeous cinematography, an iconic score and stellar writing, Game of Thrones has raised the bar for the quality of genre television. Following his final Tonight Show, Carason and NBC nearly struck a deal for another series, but the host eventually decided on retirement. Stacker compiled data from IMDb to determine the best Western TV shows of all time. There is at least one Wilhelm Scream per season. This American post-apocalyptic horror television series was based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. Hollywood Showdown 45. Hill Street Blues spawned an ill-fated spinoff, 1987’s Beverly Hills Buntz, featuring the Norman Buntz character played by Dennis Franz. His team helps several patients while House guides the deliberations and diagnosis. Coming in at a low (for this list) 8.6, Parks and Recreation blazes into the list of the best sitcoms of all time (according to IMDb) despite having ended only five years ago. After the series finale, Friends spawned a short-lived spinoff, Joey, focused on Matt LeBlanc's character forging a new life in Hollywood. The series follows the life and shenanigans of psychiatrist Fraiser Crane after he returns to his hometown of Seattle, Washington, to build a new life as a radio personality. By Amanda Mitchell and Bianca Rodriguez. It's gutting, it's empowering, and it's still tragically relevant all these years later. And while the show ostensibly focused on young Richie Cunningham and his family, it wasn’t long before Henry Winkler’s Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli became the driving force of the show and a veritable pop culture icon. The Office is a British television mockumentary sitcom, created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. The best action comedies ever shown on television keep you laughing through the fights and chases. Scenes were usually shot according to script before doing a couple reshoots with comedic improv. The show premiered on NBC on April 9, 2009, and ran for 125 episodes, across seven seasons, finishing up in February 2015. And finally, the adventures of the Enterprise-D stood as a testament to the enduring appeal and adaptability of the Star Trek concept. Bill Murray and Billy Joel were the first guests featured on Late Show. The series ran for a total of 79 episodes across three seasons. The show started with the drug trade, then abruptly switched to union longshoremen, and moved to mayoral politics, the school system and finally print journalism. As a follow-up series to Matt Groening’s The Simpsons, Futurama had a lot to live up to. The character of River Song was inspired partially by Tomb Raider protagonist Lara Croft. Yes, Curb will be back for a ninth season. 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