Fifteen Best TV Shows of All Time

The 15 Best TV Series All Time

(in countdown form)

• 15. MTV Real World Season 2 - The only reality show I ever enjoyed, back before the genre had become quite as contrived as it is now. I only pick Season 2 of the series because I liked the people a bit better than Season 1.
• 14. Saturday Night Live - A tough one to place because it's had its ups and downs, and it's different than your typical TV series, but still worthy of mention. I have to admit I haven't watched it in about 7 years, though.
• 13. Martin - This probably wouldn't make too many "best of" lists, but Martin Lawrence kills me. I even liked that movie where he was the big fat lady.
• 12. St. Elsewhere - Never particularly popular but always had a cult audience. Hospital drama with a lot of black humor. Denzel Washington had his first big role here.
• 11. Freaks and Geeks - Canceled after less than a season, this show about the nerds and the burnouts in an '80s era Michigan high school is priceless. It's a shame more people never saw it, although it definitely has a rabid group of fans.
• 10. That 70s Show - Hilarious. This will probably not wear well, but for now it makes my list.
• 9. Moonlighting - Bruce Willis & Cybill Shepherd as detectives. Haven't seen this in a long time so it's hard to really say how good it was, but I always looked forward to it. Supposedly the stars hated each other by the time the series ended, but it springboarded Bruce Willis.
• 8. Cheers - When I see reruns I don't enjoy it quite as much, but this show always made me want to become a regular at a bar. They seemed like a fun group.
• 7. M*A*S*H - Again, not quite as enjoyable in retrospect, but a great cast that made you want to keep coming back. Even as the cast changed over the years, they always came up with good replacements. (Except for Winchester.)
• 6. Seinfeld - I was never quite on the bandwagon with this one as much as some people, but when I catch the reruns it still makes me laugh.
• 5. Northern Exposure - I was tempted to put this even higher, as I loved this series about Dr. Joel Fleischman as the fish out of water in Cicely, Alaska. Awesome cast, many of whom have never been heard from again. Rob Morrow left the series and they tried to replace him with a new doctor, but the chemistry died once he was gone.
• 4. Wonder Years - If Fred Savage never does another thing the rest of his life, he'll have a fan club dating back to his childhood on this great series. I can't count how many times I've flicked past this with the TV remote and then against my will got caught up in an episode that I'd seen multiple times before.
• 3. The Simpsone - Still hilarious. It's been on so long, it's becoming like Peanuts' evil stepbrother, with kids who never grow up but go on and on and on.
• 2. ER - I'm not really a fan of this show, because it tends to leave me with a bad feeling. But I can't deny it's always very well done. Another show that has had a revolving door of cast members and still managed to churn out great shows year after year. A testament to the writing. Each episode is like its own little movie. A depressing movie, but still, a little work of art each time out.
• 1.The Mary Tyler Moore Show - The absolute best TV series of all time, hands down. You would think it would be dated, but it never is. Watch a 30-year-old episode of this show and it'll still crack you up. Making this list I couldn't come up with one series that I thought even came close.
• Honorable Mentions: All in the Family, Friends, The Bob Newhart Show, Hill Street Blues, Dancing with the Stars (just kidding)