50 of The Best TV Shows of All Time

There was just plain old primetime-television-watching bliss long before there were streaming services. Fan favorites such as The West Wing and The Sopranos kept fans glued to their sofas every week, year after year. Some shows were so good that fans would buy the TV box sets. Today, we live in a golden age of television, with some of the best television series of all time. With cable-channel blockbusters, the rise of distinctive shows from diverse creators, and the arrival of streaming services, the art of television is at an all-time high. Television has always been a great way to tell thoughtful, slow-burn character stories or unfold mysteries.

Breaking Bad is a popular television series that aired from 2008 until 2013 on AMC. The series turned Walter White into an icon and catapulted Bryan Cranston into cult status. Breaking Bad is considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time and is the most-watched cable TV show on American television. 

The television series Game of Thrones aired from 2011 until 2019 and was based on George R.R. Martin's series of novels, A Song of Ice and Fire. It is an award-winning series that inspired licensed merchandise, replica armor, games, and boosted sales of the original novels. 

The television series The Sopranos aired on HBO from 1999 until 2007. The series is about an Italian-American mobster who had to balance his family life with organized crime. It stars James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and Lorraine Bracco and was nominated for one hundred and twelve Emmy nominations. 

The Office aired from 2005 until 2013 and was based on Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's hit BBC show of the same name. It stars Steve Carell as the awkward boss of the Dunder-Mifflin paper company. 

The Disney television show Gravity Falls aired from 2012 until 2016 and is set in the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. It is a popular TV show by Alex Hirsch that is about twins that are dropped off at their great uncle's house, which eventually leads to hijinks in the strange and supernatural town.

The television series Friends aired from 1994 until 2004 and was called 'television magic.' The show followed Rachel, Joey, Ross, Chandler, Monica, and Phoebe in all of their adventures in New York. Friends is one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, earning sixty-two Primetime Emmy nominations. 

The television series Seinfeld aired from 1989 until 1998 and is often referred to as one of the best TV shows of all time by Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and TV Guide. The show's iconic characters, catchphrases, and storylines have become an indelible part of popular culture. 

The television series The West Wing aired on NBC from 1999 until 2006 and peered into the workings of a fictional White House under the leadership of a Democratic president played by Martin Sheen. Critics praised the show for its smart writing and brisk walk-and-talk pacing. 

The television series Stranger Things began airing in 2016 and is still airing today. It was created by the Duffer brothers and is a 1980s original thriller series for Netflix. The show sparked a cultural revolution that boosted the sales of Eggo waffles and left audiences begging for more after binge-watching sessions. 

The television series House of Cards aired from 2013 until 2018 and is often referenced as the case study for Netflix. It was an adaptation of the 1990 BBC miniseries of the same name, and it earned fifty-six nominations, winning seven awards. 

The television series House aired from 2004 until 2012 and stars Hugh Laurie as a physician. He is a physician who has a poor bedside manner but makes up for it with his diagnostic skills that border on genius. There was a new medical mystery to be solved in each episode, which made for exciting TV. 

The animated cartoon South Park first aired in 1997 and is still airing today. It is a foul-mouthed animated series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone that pushes the boundaries of good taste to a breaking point. 

The television series Curb Your Enthusiasm first aired in 2000 and is still on the air today. The show was created by Larry David, who also plays a fictionalized version of himself. It is an HBO comedy in which David's onscreen persona generates awkward, uncomfortable, and hilarious situations. 

The television series Dexter aired from 2006 until 2013 and is about a psychopathic forensic expert who takes his violent urges out on evildoers. Almost three million viewers tuned in for Dexter's finale, which is a record for Showtime. 

The animated television series The Simpsons first aired in 1989 and still airs today. It is the longest-running animated show and was adapted from a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show in the late 1980s. 

The television series Parks and Recreation aired from 2009 until 2015 and is a workplace comedy about the quirky parks and recreation department in Pawnee, Indiana. It had a shaky start but ultimately found its groove and became a hit for NBC. 

The television series Mad Men aired from 2007 until 2015 and was originally rejected by HBO. However, it was picked up by AMC and redefined the network as a viable destination for prestige television. 

The television series The X-Files aired from 1993 until 2002, and then again in 2016 and 2018. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson play Mulder and Scully, a pair of FBI agents that investigate cases involved in the paranormal. 

The television series Star Trek: The Next Generation aired from 1987 until 1994 and received nineteen Emmy Awards and five Saturn Awards. The series is actually the third series in the Star Trek franchise and the second sequel to Star Trek: The Original Series. 

The television series Friday Night Lights aired from 2006 until 2011 and was adapted from the non-fiction book Friday Night Lights. It focuses on a high school football team in a small town in Texas and tackles several contemporary American societal issues. 

The television series Sons of Anarchy aired from 2008 until 2014 and revolved around a motorcycle gang based out of Central California. It stars Charlie Hunnam and Katey Sagal and deals with crime, ambition, and violence all bleeding together. 

The television series Shameless aired from 2011 until 2021 and is a remake of a British series. It is about the struggles of a Chicago family headed by a deadbeat patriarch whose only concerns are what his next scheme will be and where his next beer will come from. 

The television series Outlander first aired in 2014 and is still airing today on Starz. It is about a World War II nurse that gets transported back to 18th-century Scotland, where she becomes a key player in the Jacobite rebellions. 

The television series How I Met Your Mother aired from 2005 until 2014 and is a very popular sitcom. The series ran for nine seasons and introduced with it a unique narrative style and blend of humor and romance to millions. 

The television series Prison Break revolved around two brothers, where both are in prison, and one has been sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit. Michael Scofield comes up with a plan to break his brother out of jail. 

The television series ER aired from 1994 until 2009 and was based on a film script by Michael Crichton. It is the most renowned medical drama series to ever hit television and is set in the fictional County General Hospital. 

The television series Frasier aired from 1993 until 2004 and was a spin-off of the series Cheers. In fact, it is the most successful spin-off of all time, and its appeal continues to endure. It stars Kelsey Grammer, John Mahoney, and David Hyde Pierce. 

The television series The Walking Dead first aired in 2010 and still aires new episodes today. The series is about flesh-eating zombies and is as much a show about survivalists and ethics as it is about gore and cool makeup. 

The television series Saturday Night Live began airing in 1975 and still airs new episodes today. It is a late-night variety show that features a new guest celebrity with the cast each week. In addition, each episode features two performances by a celebrity musical guest and comedy sketches. 

The television series Oz aired from 1997 until 2003 and was HBO's first one-hour drama. The show was set in a maximum-security prison, and it rewrote all the rules of television and set the stage for the network's future as the go-to destination for prestige television. 

The television series The Twilight Zone aired from 1959-1964, 1985-1989, 2002-2003, and 2019-2020. The series tackled subjects like prejudice, government, war, and morality and several of the themes and lessons from the memorable storylines resonate today. 

The television series I Love Lucy aired for six seasons, from 1951 until 1957. It was an extremely popular sitcom that showcased the life of a working-class American housewife played by Lucille Ball. The series became the most-watched American show, and its timeless gags continue to entertain audiences today. 

The television series All In The Family aired from 1971 until 1979 and followed the life of a middle-class family. The series revolutionized American television by introducing topics such as abortion, racism, menopause, homosexuality, and rape for the first time on American TV. 

The television series The Mary Tyler Moore Show aired from 1970 until 1977, and it stars Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards. The sitcom was created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and follows an unmarried, independent woman focused on her career. 

The television series The Ed Sullivan Show aired from 1948 until 1971 and was hosted by Ed Sullivan. It is one of the few entertainment shows to have run in the same weekly time slot on the same network for more than two decades. 

The television series Cheers aired from 1982 until 1993 and was a massive smash success. Cheers is one of the most famous sitcoms of all time and made household names of Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Kirstie Alley, John Ratzenberger, Rhea Perlman, Shelley Long, and Woody Harrelson. 

The television series M*A*S*H aired from 1972 until 1983 and was based on Robert Altman's 1970 film M*A*S*H. It was an exploration of how the doctors and nurses of the 4077th used humor to get through the atrocities they were faced with on a daily basis. 

The television series The Cosby Show aired from 1984 until 1992 and was co-created by and stars Bill Cosby. It follows an upper-middle-class African American family living in Brooklyn, New York. 

The television series Roseanne aired from 1988 until 1997 and was later revived for a couple of months. The series was created by Matt Williams and Roseanne Barr and is centered on the Conners, which are an American working-class family struggling to get by on a limited income. 

The television series Bewitched aired from 1964 until 1972 and stars Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York. The story is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to be a typical suburban housewife. 

The popular television series Sex and the City aired from 1998 until 2004 on HBO. The series features Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw, Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones, Kristin Davis as Charlotte York, and Cynthia Dixon as Miranda Hobbes. 

The television series Angel aired from 1999 until 2004 and is a spinoff of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series constantly shifts identity, and its ensemble cast varies from season to season. 

The television series Fargo began airing in 2014 and is still airing new episodes today. It is based on the Coen brothers' film of the same name, which is a darkly comedic show about quirky characters in small towns. Noah Hawley used the movie's faux true-crime trappings and small-town setting while weaving his own story into them. 

The television series 30 Rock aired from 2006 until 2013 and allowed Tina Fey to have free reign to indulge in all the craziness she and her team could conjure up. The show stars Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski, Tracy Morgan, Tracy Jordan, and Jack McBrayer. 

The television series Deadwood aired from 2004 until 2006 and was created by David Milch. The series features poetic dialogue and standout performances from Timothy Olyphant as the sheriff and Ian McShane as a brothel owner. 

The television series Happy Days aired from 1974 until 1984 and was created by Garry Marshall. It was one of the most successful series of the 1970s and presented an idealized vision of life in the 1950s and 1960s. 

The television series The Golden Girls aired from 1985 until 1992 and stars Betty White, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty. It follows four older women that live together in Miami, Florida, and touched on several controversial issues. 

The television series The Wonder Years aired from 1988 until 1993 and is a coming-of-age sitcom. It follows a teenager growing up in a suburban middle-class family in the 1960s and 1970s. 

The television series The Andy Griffith Show aired from 1960 until 1968, and it originated partly from The Danny Thomas Show. It stars Any Griffith as a widowed sheriff, who said that despite a contemporary setting, the show evoked nostalgia.