A Book Ranking American TV Shows -- Just Not Too Well

TaranofPrydain

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A few days ago, I mentioned over in the Knots Landing forum about a dubious book about American TV shows published in 2016 called TV the Book, in which the two authors ranked their picks for the best TV series America had to offer. Unfortunately, it was too modern heavy and I want to see your critiques about it went down. I jotted down all the series in the main part of the book and in the extensive honorary mention section, as well as providing a database of network shows (either praised, once popular, still talked about, or mentioned here) that were not included. You be the judge....
 

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OK. Here it is. Dig in everyone. Its arranged in order to the ranking in the back of the book.
  • The Simpsons (FOX/1989 - present)
  • The Sopranos (HBO/1999-2007)
  • The Wire (HBO/2002-2008)
  • Cheers (NBC/1982-1993)
  • Breaking Bad (AMC/2008-2013)
  • Mad Men (AMC/2007-2015)
  • Seinfeld (NBC/1989-1998)
  • I Love Lucy (CBS/1951-1957)
  • Deadwood (HBO/2004-2006)
  • All in the Family (CBS/1971-1979)
  • M*A*S*H (CBS/1972-1983)
  • Hill Street Blues (NBC/1981-1987)
  • The Shield (FX/2002-2008)
  • The Twilight Zone (CBS/1959-1964)
  • Arrested Development (FOX/2003-2006)
  • The Larry Sanders Show (HBO/1992-1998)
  • The Honeymooners (CBS/1955-1956)
  • Louie (FX/2010-2015)
  • The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS/1970-1977)
  • The X-Files (FOX/1993-2002)
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO/2000-present)
  • SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon/1999-present)
  • Twin Peaks (ABC/1990-1991)
  • Lost (ABC/2004-2010)
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB & UPN/1997-2003)
  • Freaks and Geeks (NBC/1999-2000)
  • My So-Called Life (ABC/1994-1995)
  • Oz (HBO/1997-2003)
  • The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS/1961-1966)
  • Friday Night Lights (NBC/2006-2011)
  • NYPD Blue (ABC/1993-2005)
  • Frasier (NBC/1993-2004)
  • Homicide: Life on the Streets (NBC/1993-1999)
  • Battlestar Galactica (new version) (SyFy/2003-2009)
  • In Treatment (HBO/2008-2010)
  • South Park (Comedy Central/1997-present)
  • The West Wing (NBC/1999-2006)
  • Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (syndication/1976-1977)
  • The Andy Griffith Show (CBS/1960-1968)
  • The Cosby Show (NBC/1984-1992)
  • Moonlighting (ABC/1985-1989)
  • Taxi (ABC & NBC/1978-1983)
  • East Side/West Side (CBS/1963-1964)
  • Hannibal (NBC/2013-2015)
  • ER (NBC/1994-2009)
  • Parks and Recreation (NBC/2009-2015)
  • Roseanne (ABC/1988-1997)
  • 30 Rock (NBC/2006-2013)
  • The Bob Newhart Show (CBS/1972-1978)
  • Malcolm in the Middle (FOX/2000-2006)
  • Miami Vice (NBC/1984-1989)
  • The Office (NBC/2005-2013)
  • St. Elsewhere (NBC/1982-1988)
  • Community (NBC/2009-2015)
  • The Golden Girls (NBC/1985-1992)
  • Police Squad! (ABC/1982)
  • 24 (FOX/2001-2010)
  • The Defenders (CBS/1961-1965)
  • Gunsmoke (1955-1975)
  • Sex and the City (HBO/1998-2004)
  • Star Trek (NBC/1966-1969)
  • Firefly (FOX/2002)
  • Law and Order (NBC/1990-2010)
  • Maude (CBS/1972-1978)
  • The Rockford Files (NBC/1974-1980)
  • China Beach (ABC/1988-1991)
  • Enlightened (HBO/2011-2013)
  • Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS/1996-2005)
  • The Wonder Years (ABC/1988-1993)
  • Barney Miller (ABC/1975-1982)
  • Frank's Place (CBS/1987-1988)
  • It's Garry Shandling's Show (Showtime & FOX/1986-1990)
  • The Jack Benny Program (CBS & NBC/1950-1965)
  • Justified (FX;2010-2015)
  • Rocky and Bullwinkle (ABC & NBC;1959-1964)
  • thirtysomething (ABC/1987-1991)
  • Columbo (NBC & ABC;1971-1978;1989-2003)
  • Friends (NBC/1994-2004)
  • Futurama (FOX & Comedy Central/1999-2003;2008-2013)
  • The Outer Limits (ABC;1963-1965)
  • Northern Exposure (CBS;1990-1995)
  • Batman (ABC;1966-1968)
  • King of the Hill (FOX/1997-2010)
  • Veronica Mars (UPN/2004-2007)
  • Cagney and Lacey (CBS/1982-1988)
  • EZ Streets (CBS/1996-1997)
  • Gilmore Girls (WB/2000-2007)
  • Six Feet Under (HBO/2001-2005)
  • Sports Night (ABC/1998-2000)
  • Wiseguy (CBS/1987-1990)
  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (syndication;1992-1999)
  • Batman:The Animated Series (FOX/1992-1995)
  • Boardwalk Empire (HBO/2010-2014)
  • NewsRadio (NBC/1995-1999)
  • Picket Fences (CBS/1992-1996)
  • Scrubs (NBC & ABC/2001-2010)
  • WKRP in Cincinnati (CBS/1978-1982)
  • How I Met Your Mother (CBS/2005-2014)
  • Soap (ABC/1977-1981)
  • Terriers (FX;2010)

Honorable Mentions (Alphabetically)
Adventure Time (Cartoon Network),American Crime (ABC),American Crime Story (FX),American Family (PBS),American Horror Story (FX),The Americans (FX),Archer (FX),Beavis and Butt-Head (MTV),The Bernie Mac Show (FOX),Better Call Saul (AMC),Black-ish (ABC), Bob's Burgers (FOX),BoJack Horseman (Netflix),The Bold Ones: The Senator (NBC),Broad City (Comedy Central),Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX),The Carmichael Show (NBC),Casual (Hulu),Chuck (NBC),The Comeback (HBO),Cop Rock (ABC),Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW),Crime Story (NBC), Dallas (CBS),Daria (MTV),Dexter (Showtime),Dragnet (NBC),Empire (FOX),Fargo (FX),Flight of the Conchords (HBO),Fresh Off the Boat (ABC),The Fugitive (ABC),Game of Thrones (HBO),Gilligan's Island (CBS),Girls (HBO),Good Times (CBS),The Good Wife (CBS),Grey's Anatomy (ABC),Halt and Catch Fire (AMC),Homeland (Showtime),I'll Fly Away (NBC),It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX),iZombie (CW),Jane the Virgin (CW),Jessica Jones (Netflix),Julia (NBC),Kolchak: The Night Stalker (ABC),The Knick (Cinemax),K Street (HBO),The Leftovers (HBO),Little House on the Prairie (NBC),Luck (HBO),Master of None (Netflix),Maverick (ABC),The Mindy Project (FOX & Hulu),Mission: Impossible (CBS),Mr. Robot (USA),Murphy Brown (CBS),New Girl (FOX),The Odd Couple (ABC),Orange is the New Black (Netflix),Phineas and Ferb (Disney Channel),Quantum Leap (NBC),Recess (ABC),Rectify (Sundance),Review (Comedy Central),Rick and Morty (Adult Swim), The Rifleman (CBS), Robbery Homicide Division (CBS), Rubicon (AMC), Samurai Jack (Cartoon Network), Scandal (ABC) Silicon Valley (HBO), Sons of Anarchy (FX), Star Trek: The Next Generation (syndication), Star Wars: Clone Wars (Cartoon Network), Tanner '88 (HBO), Transparent (Amazon), Treme (HBO), True Detective (HBO), The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix), Unreal (Lifetime), Unscripted (HBO), Veep (HBO), The Westerner (NBC), You're the Worst (FX)

Shows completely absent in the book:
From ABC: The Lone Ranger, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Cheyenne, Leave It to Beaver, The Donna Reed Show, The Real McCoys, 77 Sunset Strip, The Untouchables, Hawaiian Eye, The Roaring Twenties, Naked City, The Flintstones, Ben Casey, McHale's Navy, The Jetsons, The Patty Duke Show, Peyton Place, Bewitched, The Addams Family, The Big Valley, Combat, The FBI, Gidget, Honey West, That Girl, The Flying Nun, The Mod Squad, Room 222, Marcus Welby MD, The Brady Bunch, Love American Style, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Nanny and the Professor, The Partridge Family, Owen Marshall, The Streets of San Francisco, The Julie Andrews Hour, Kung Fu, The Rookies, Happy Days, The Six Million Dollar Man, Baretta, SWAT, Welcome Back Kotter, Starsky and Hutch, Laverne and Shirley, Family, Charlie's Angels, Three's Company, The Love Boat, Eight is Enough, Vega$, Fantasy Island, Mork and Mindy, Hart to Hart, Benson, Bosom Buddies, Too Close for Comfort, Dynasty, The Fall Guy, Matt Houston, TJ Hooker, Hotel, Webster, Paper Dolls, Who's the Boss, Spencer for Hire, Growing Pains, The Colbys, MacGyver, Perfect Strangers, Head of the Class, Sledge Hammer, Hooperman, Max Headroom, Full House, Life Goes On, Coach, Doogie Houser MD, Family Matters, Anything but Love, The Young Riders, Father Dowling Mysteries, Gabriel's Fire, Homefront, Home Improvement, Civil Wars, The Commish, Step by Step, Grace Under Fire, Lois and Clark, Boy Meets World, Murder One, The Drew Carey Show, Spin City, Relativity, The Practice, Dharma and Greg, Once and Again, Alias, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal, Ugly Betty, Brothers and Sisters, Men in Trees, Pushing Daisies, Private Practice, Eli Stone, Castle, The Middle, Revenge, Body of Proof, Once Upon a Time, Nashville, How to Get Away with Murder

From CBS: The Ed Sullivan Show, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Our Miss Brooks, Lassie, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Perry Mason, The Jackie Gleason Show, Have Gun Will Travel, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Dennis the Menace, My Three Sons, Route 66, Rawhide, The Lucy Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, Mr. Ed, Petticoat Junction, My Favorite Martian, Gomer Pyle USMC, The Munsters, Green Acres, Lost in Space, Hogan's Heroes, Wild Wild West, Family Affair, The Carol Burnett Show, Gentle Ben, Daktari, He and She, Hawaii Five-O, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Doris Day Show, Mannix, Here's Lucy, Medical Center, Cannon, The Waltons, Barnaby Jones, Kojak, Rhoda, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time, Alice , Switch, Lou Grant, The Paper Chase, The Incredible Hulk, The White Shadow, Knots Landing, Trapper John MD, The Dukes of Hazzard, Magnum PI, Falcon Crest, Simon and Simon, Newhart, Square Pegs, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Kate and Allie, Murder She Wrote, Airwolf, Mike Hammer, The Equalizer, Designing Women, Tour of Duty, Beauty and the Beast, Paradise, Major Dad, Evening Shade, The Trials of Rosie O'Neill, Brooklyn Bridge, Hearts Afire, Love and War, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, The Nanny, Diagnosis Murder, Walker Texas Ranger, Chicago Hope, Touched by an Angel, Dave's World, Cybill, JAG, Nash Bridges, Promised Land, Early Edition, Becker, The King of Queens, Martial Law, Judging Amy, Family Law, CSI, The District, The Guardian, Without a Trace, NCIS, Cold Case, Two and a Half Men, Joan of Arcadia, Numb3rs, Criminal Minds, The New Adventures of Old Christine

From FOX: 21 Jump Street, The Tracy Ullman Show, Married with Children, In Living Color, Beverly Hills 90210, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Melrose Place, Martin, Living Single, Party of Five, New York Undercover, Models Inc, Ally McBeal, That 70s Show, Family Guy, Action, Boston Public, The OC, House, American Dad, Bones, Prison Break

From NBC: Texaco Star Theater, Your Show of Shows, The Red Skelton Show, Father Knows Best, Wagon Train, Bachelor Father, Peter Gunn, Bonanza,The Virginian, Hazel, Mr. Novak, The Man from UNCLE, Dr. Kildare, Get Smart, I Dream of Jeannie, I Spy, Run for Your Life, The Dean Martin Show, The Monkees, The Mothers-in-Law, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, Adam-12, Night Gallery, Ironside, The Name of the Game, The Flip Wilson Show, McMillan and Wife, Emergency!, Sanford and Son, Police Story, Police Woman, Petrocelli, Ellery Queen Mysteries, Quincy ME, CHiPs, Diffrent Strokes, The Facts of Life, Flamingo Road, Remington Steele, Fame, Family Ties, Knight Rider, The A-Team, Mama's Family, Night Court, Highway to Heaven, Riptide, Hunter, 227, LA Law, Matlock, Amen, Alf, Rags to Riches, A Year in the Life, A Different World, Midnight Caller, Empty Nest, In the Heat of the Night, Dear John, Wings, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Blossom, Sisters, Reasonable Doubts, Mad About You, The John Larroquette Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Profiler, The Pretender, Just Shoot Me, Will and Grace, Providence, Law and Order SVU, Third Watch, Ed, Law and Order Criminal Intent, Crossing Jordan, American Dreams, Las Vegas, Medium, Heroes

From WB/UPN: Star Trek Voyager, The Wayans Brothers, Sister Sister, 7th Heaven, Moesha, Savannah, Charmed, Felicity, Dawson's Creek, Angel,Girlfriends, Smallville, Reba, Everwood, One Tree Hill, Supernatural, Everybody Hates Chris

From others: Any Day Now, Monk, The Closer
 

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A few days ago, I mentioned over in the Knots Landing forum about a dubious book about American TV shows published in 2016 called TV the Book, in which the two authors ranked their picks for the best TV series America had to offer. Unfortunately, it was too modern heavy and I want to see your critiques about it went down. I jotted down all the series in the main part of the book and in the extensive honorary mention section, as well as providing a database of network shows (either praised, once popular, still talked about, or mentioned here) that were not included. You be the judge....

The authors of course are welcome to their opinions (and I'm glad they liked/ranked at least two of my favorites), but why did they have to make it so that it was mostly modern, with a small spattering of classics?
 

TaranofPrydain

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The authors of course are welcome to their opinions (and I'm glad they liked/ranked at least two of my favorites), but why did they have to make it so that it was mostly modern, with a small spattering of classics?

Probably too young to know better. ;)
Yes, the writers both seemed to be on the younger side to do such a thing (both were born in the early 70s), but in their intro, they said it was because shows really were not allowed to be deep or groundbreaking prior to the 80s (or to put in more exactly, NBC's rollout of Hill Street Blues in January 1981). But, frankly, earlier shows did break boundry points, and it wasn't just the Norman Lear sitcoms featured in the book. Shows like Peyton Place might seem demure today, but were downright shocking when they were first on. A show like Lou Grant in the late 70s often had plenty of probing issues. Plus, many shows of the earlier periods were extremely proficient and well-cast. I ait that my favorite era of TV was the 80s (so many good ones), but I'd much rather this book had stocked up on titles from the 50s through the 70s rather than to have relied so heavily on titles from 1994 onward . And frankly it seems ridiculous to include Police Squad and EZ Streets when they were cancelled after fewer than 10 episodes. And don't get me started on Friends or The Office.....
 

Emelee

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I think it seems about right. I've seen many critics making such lists, and most series mentioned here are mentioned by most critics.

They (critics) watch so much that they are harder to impress. It's the same with literature and movie critics. What they like are seldom the guilty pleasure titles or titles a random non-critic person would choose.

But.... As a non-critic, I have to agree with many of the titles they chose. Seinfeld, Frasier, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mad Men, Twin Peaks, Sopranos, The Wire, Sex and the City, X-Files, My So-called Life, Cheers, Breaking Bad, West Wing, Golden Girls, Columbo, 24, Law & Order, Futurama, Soap, Six Feet Under...

And had this list been made later, also Succession.

What is a surprise is that there's no Game of Thrones, Treme and Veep on the list. Only honorable mentions.

When it comes to older series, while some are terrific, others have aged poorly. The stories of some series would never work today or would feel odd. I personally don't feel that a series like Friends has aged well.
 

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earlier shows did break boundry points,
As I mentioned in another thread, I've recently read Barbara Feldon's memoir. I was surprised to realise that Get Smart's Agent 99 was the first working woman on American TV to keep her job after giving birth.
 
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