Television

All-TIME 100 TV Shows

"I apologize. I know I left some of your favorite shows off this list. How do I know that? Because I left some of my favorite shows off this list. The happy and unfortunate fact is that there are far more than 100 great shows, and more created every year. Lists are incredibly important: they are how we define what matters to us, what we want entertainment and art to do, what we expect of our culture." —TIME TV critic James Poniewozik

G - M

The Honeymooners

By James PoniewozikAug. 13, 20070

Everett

The story of bus driver Ralph Kramden and wife Alice was an unfancy celebration of unfancy people. The episodes—most of them sketches within The Jackie Gleason Show—were limited to sparse sets, usually the Kramdens’ bare bones Brooklyn walkup. But the dynamics between rubber-faced Gleason, Audrey Meadows and swivel-hipped jack-in-the-box Art Carney as sewer guy Ed Norton made the setting seem expansive. OK, so it was TV’s most famous example of spouse-abuse-threats-as-comedy. But knowing that there was no way Alice was ever actually going to go to the moon only added to Ralph’s blobby comic ineffectuality.

Next I, Claudius

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8 comments

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fiskindickens

No Firefly. This list is false. It's a false list.

DarklordGhurch

Phil Silvers Show/Twilight Zone/Steptoe & Son/Doctor Who/Not Only..But Also/Civilisation/The Mary Tyler Moore Show/Elizabeth R/The Ascent of Man/Porridge/Fawlty Towers/Rich Man Poor Man/Pennies From Heaven/Life On Earth/Tinker,Tailor,Soldier,Spy are just some of the shows not included in this list.

evoxpisces

No Wonder Years???

JohnWilson2

Sanford and Son is the greatest show of all time! If you don't believe me then you're a big dummy! Then it was probably "All In The Family". I think "Good Times" should have been on the list too. This is a great list but it's missing great recent shows like "The Unit" and "Falling Skies". Maybe this was done before those two shows were on.

JustinVincent

I still cannot believe that the ending to Six Feet under was revealed in the summary of the show. The last episode was given away as well! This totally ruined it for me. This article should have a spoiler warning!!!!