The Boneyard Greatest TV Show of All-Time Tournament

[AdamaNation]

Game of thrones
Simpsons
24
Lost
Walking dead
Soprano
Battlestar galactica
Family guy
Law and order
Snl
Dexter

 

[Fairfield_1st]

If you have not seen Fawlty towers you are missing out big time. Just twenty episodes but some of the best comedy this world has ever known, go seek it out

Completely agree. John Cleese at his psychotic best. The episode with the Germans will forever crack me up. It's available on Netflix

 

[Deepster]

Battle of the Network Stars (70/80s edition)

A bra-less Suzanne Somers in the obstacle course got me through puberty.

 

[HuskyHawk]

A bra-less Suzanne Somers in the obstacle course got me through puberty.

Catherine Bach in the drunk tank was memorable. Linda Carter swimming (well about to swim) was the greatest 10 seconds in tv history at that point in time. Fortunately, these are preserved on YouTube.

 

[Dogdeacon]

It’s close we’ll see how this season plays out. The whole white supremacist turn in BB felt weird to me because the characters weren’t interesting and didn’t like how they played such a role in the ending of the show when all the other characters were so established

I kind of agree though as it turns out the prominence of white supremacist was prescient. But given the show it should have been a Mexican cartel new or old re-emerging. Theme would be the same though, as you go deeper and deeper into criminality you get to the scum of the scum. I wish Mike had been more proactive in taking the horns to lead himself, Jessie and Walt away from this.

That's also kind of where my investment in the characters in Better Call Saul deteriorates. Mike never takes full agency over his fate and always ends up working for the guy even though he is better than anyone else at anticipating outcomes and seeing truth.


Kudos to those that named Northern Exposure - good catch/forgotten gem.

 

[RichZ]

SOAP is a show that I missed and has lost its place in the pantheon. It was so funny and way ahead of its time and speaking of spinoffs I bet people remember 'Benson' more (or if not Robert Guillaume on 'Sportsnight' or more horribly Katherine Helmond 1/50th as funny on the dreadful 'Who's the Boss').

Loved SOAP. How did I leave it off my list? Found no redeeming qualities in Benson (show, not character) though. Was a great character as the voice of sanity in an ensemble, but as the main character in a show, it just came off as weak.
Coincidentally, my current GP (PCP?) bears a more than passing resemblance to Chester. I regularly ask him how Jessica is doing, but it goes over about as well as when my gastroenterologist informed me that he'd be moving to Montana soon, and I asked if he was going to be a dental floss tycoon.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Any poster that does not put Mad Men in at least his Top 5 should stop posting on this topic until we watches all 7 seasons of Mad Men.

 

[Deepster]

Any poster that does not put Mad Men in at least his Top 5 should stop posting on this topic until we watches all 7 seasons of Mad Men.

I've tried 3 times to get through the first season and have fallen asleep and lost interest every time.

 

[alphasigko]

you can end the contest now.

1 Star Trek
2 Seinfeld
3 Mash
4 The Sopranos
5 The Twilight Zone
6 The Avengers (John Steed and Mrs. Peel)
7 The Three Stooges
8 The Honeymooners
9 Family Guy
10 The Man From Uncle

11 Mission Impossible

 

[RichZ]

Any poster that does not put Mad Men in at least his Top 5 should stop posting on this topic until we watches all 7 seasons of Mad Men.

I feel like anyone who DOES put Mad Men on their list should have their TV confiscated and burned.
I found it a depressing waste of time.

 

[FartMan69]

I kind of agree though as it turns out the prominence of white supremacist was prescient. But given the show it should have been a Mexican cartel new or old re-emerging. Theme would be the same though, as you go deeper and deeper into criminality you get to the scum of the scum. I wish Mike had been more proactive in taking the horns to lead himself, Jessie and Walt away from this.

That's also kind of where my investment in the characters in Better Call Saul deteriorates. Mike never takes full agency over his fate and always ends up working for the guy even though he is better than anyone else at anticipating outcomes and seeing truth.


Kudos to those that named Northern Exposure - good catch/forgotten gem.

Agree i didn't like them using Mike getting old and tired to highlight Walt becoming more assertive while getting himself deeper into the crime game. Should have had him make more of an effort to protect himself and Jessie from Walt.

 

[Slasher]

I already voted but wanted to add some honorable mentions:

House of Cards (totally spaced on this - I know the last couple of seasons were so-so but the original four were fantastic)
House
The Americans - just missed the cut on my original list

 

[Dogdeacon]

Loved SOAP. How did I leave it off my list? Found no redeeming qualities in Benson (show, not character) though. Was a great character as the voice of sanity in an ensemble, but as the main character in a show, it just came off as weak.
Coincidentally, my current GP (PCP?) bears a more than passing resemblance to Chester. I regularly ask him how Jessica is doing, but it goes over about as well as when my gastroenterologist informed me that he'd be moving to Montana soon, and I asked if he was going to be a dental floss tycoon.

SOAP was so great, I think I'm going to rewatch to see how it holds up. Katherine Helmond, Guillaume, Robert Mulligan and Billy Crystal were all throwing their best fastballs as were the vast supporting cast of bit actors and later notables including 2 concurrent beloved WKRP actors Gordon Jump (Mr Carlson) & Howard Hesseman (Dr Johnny Fever) and Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Sorrell Booke (Boss Hogg!) and Joe Mantegna!

 

[crazyUCfan23]

Game of thrones
Sons of Anarchy
Entourage
Sopranos
Friday Night Lights
Power

 

[Griffman]

Seinfeld
M*A*S*H
Cheers
All In The Family
Breaking Bad
The Beverly Hillbillies
Hogan's Heroes
The Odd Couple
The Sopranos
The Brady Bunch

 

[NH Husky]

Breaking Bad
Sopranos
Seinfeld
The Wire
Monty Pythons Flying Circus
All in the Family
Modern Family
The Honeymooners
The Munsters
The Twilight Zone

 

[mussels]

In my opinion, the greatest TV moment was Nell Armstrong walking on the moon. Other than some sports moments I was never more glued to my TV than those Apollo missions. So I guess my answer for the best TV show would be the coverage of the Apollo missions.

For sure, but were talking shows. If we're talking one-of single events there were the Ali-Fraser fights which were shown on regular TV at the time and for a sleeper - Bobby Riggs - Billie Jean King tennis match. Was at Uconn for the match and the campus dorms were largely segregated mens-women's. The whole place when nuts with the women setting up speakers and blasting Helen Reddy out the window and the men screaming back. Very funny and the whole nation was entertained for a night.

 

[District-Husky]

The Simpsons Seasons 1-8
Battlestar Galactica 2004-2009
X Files
The Daily Show
The Larry Sanders Show
Monty Pythons Flying Circus
Sesame Street
The Rockford Files
The Sopranos
Married with Children

 

[uconnfan68]

The Simpsons Seasons 1-8
Battlestar Galactica 2004-2009
X Files
The Daily Show
The Larry Sanders Show
Monty Pythons Flying Circus
Sesame Street
The Rockford Files
The Sopranos
Married with Children

A like for Sesame Street. Rocky and Bullwinkle needs inclusion.

 

[weyuo]

1. Star Trek: for so many reasons should be the number 1 most important TV series ever.
2. The Americans: Well thought out, acted and addictive. Watch the 1st three episodes and your hooked for life. When they killed Nina I was so surprised that I actually swore at the TV which is a first for me.

3. Mash
4. Twilight Zone: I watch at least part of the marathon every New Years Eve
5. Austin City Limits
6. The Avengers. Just love that theme song and Mrs. Peel. Always wondered why they referred to her as Mrs but never a word of who her husband was.
7. Alfred Hichcock Hour
8. This Old House: learned a lot from that show.
9.Better Call Saul. Actually like it better than Breaking Bad
10. Outer Limits

 

[Guapo]

I've tried 3 times to get through the first season and have fallen asleep and lost interest every time.

I feel like anyone who DOES put Mad Men on their list should have their TV confiscated and burned.
I found it a depressing waste of time.

There are really only 4 legitimate answers to "best tv show ever":

Mad Men, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad and the Wire.

You're free to your own opinion, but just know that you're making the TV argument equivalent of "actually the Monkiees were better than the Beatles or Stones"

 

[crewbear742]

Inspector Morse
Night Gallery
Miami Vice (until it got weird)
NYPD Blue (with Simone and Sipowicz)

And ... Yes I will say it

Cop Rock, for the most memorable scene in TV history. "Sandman"

 

[Devland]

For sure, but were talking shows. If we're talking one-of single events there were the Ali-Fraser fights which were shown on regular TV at the time and for a sleeper - Bobby Riggs - Billie Jean King tennis match. Was at Uconn for the match and the campus dorms were largely segregated mens-women's. The whole place when nuts with the women setting up speakers and blasting Helen Reddy out the window and the men screaming back. Very funny and the whole nation was entertained for a night.

I'm pretty sure to see the Ali-Frazier fights live, you had to pay and go to a venue that showed it on closed circuit TV. ABC's Wide World of Sports showed a taped replay the next Saturday. Was a huge Frazier fan. Not really a fan of Cassius Clay.

 

[jayteeman]

End to end not including sports events

Game of Thrones
Breaking Bad
Sopranos
South Park
Seinfeld
Cheers
SNL
Star Trek
Twilight Zone
Three Stooges
Johnny Quest

 

[bazzledazzle]

24 (not getting enough love on these lists so far)
Black Mirror (also not getting enough love so far)
Coupling (original British version. Little known, it won't make the Boneyard list, but an underrated television comedy.)