Best 100 Tv Shows Of All Time Actually Worth Your Evening
The Best 100 TV Shows of All Time Actually Worth Your Evening
The best 100 TV shows of all time are definitively ranked by Rolling Stone's 2022 poll of 250+ industry experts, with The Sopranos claiming #1, followed by The Simpsons at #2 and Breaking Bad at #3. This comprehensive list aggregates critic polls from BBC Culture (206 experts from 43 nations), TV Guide's historic 50-show ranking, and IMDB's Top 250 TV, covering television's entire history from 1948 to present-day streaming.
Top 10 Must-Watch Series That Define Television Excellence
- The Sopranos (HBO, 1999-2007) - Crime drama with 95.3/100 rating
- The Simpsons (Fox, 1989-present) - Animated sitcom with 94.8/100 rating
- Breaking Bad (AMC, 2008-2013) - Crime drama with 93.8/100 rating
- The Wire (HBO, 2002-2008) - Crime drama with 95.8/100 rating
- Fleabag (BBC Three/Amazon, 2016-2019) - Tragicomedy with 92.5/100 rating
- Seinfeld (NBC, 1989-1998) - Sitcom with 91.2/100 rating
- Mad Men (AMC, 2007-2015) - Period drama with 91.8/100 rating
- Cheers (NBC, 1982-1993) - Sitcom with 90.5/100 rating
- Atlanta (FX, 2016-2022) - Comedy-drama with 90.2/100 rating
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS, 1970-1977) - Sitcom with 89.7/100 rating
Complete Rankings 11-50: Critical Darlings and Cultural Phenomena
Rolling Stone's expert voters included Succession at #11, The Twilight Zone (1959 original) at #12, Veep at #13, and The Americans Cold War spy drama at #14. The Larry Sanders Show pioneered celebrity talk show satire at #15, while Twin Peaks revolutionized mystery storytelling at #16. David Chase's The Leftovers explores supernatural grief at #17, and Saturday Night Live shaped comedy for nearly 50 years at #18.
- #19: I May Destroy You (BBC, 2020) - Michaela Coel's groundbreaking sexual assault drama
- #20: 30 Rock (NBC, 2006-2013) - Tina Fey's meta workplace comedy
- #21: All in the Family (CBS, 1971-1979) - Groundbreaking social commentary sitcom
- #22: Star Trek (NBC, 1966-1969) - Sci-fi that defined genre television
- #23: Watchmen (HBO, 2019) - Racial trauma superhero anthology
- #24: Freaks and Geeks (NBC, 1999-2000) - Teen comedy-drama with 93.7/100 rating
- #25: M*A*S*H (CBS, 1972-1983) - War comedy with series finale watched by 106M
- #26: Sesame Street (PBS, 1969-present) - Children's education institution
- #27: Deadwood (HBO, 2004-2006) - Shakespearean Western
- #28: Friday Night Lights (NBC, 2006-2011) - High school football drama
- #29: Roots (ABC, 1977) - Historical miniseries watched by 100M+ viewers
- #30: Parks and Recreation (NBC, 2009-2015) - Optimistic mockumentary
- #31: Game of Thrones (HBO, 2011-2019) - Fantasy epic with 88.7/100 rating
- #32: Better Call Saul (AMC, 2015-2022) - Prequel with 91.0/100 rating
- #33: Monty Python's Flying Circus (BBC, 1969-1974) - Surreal sketch comedy
- #34: The Office US (NBC, 2005-2013) - Workplace mockumentary
- #35: Lost (ABC, 2004-2010) - Mystery island drama
- #36: I Love Lucy (CBS, 1951-1957) - Sitcom with 88.5/100 rating
- #37: Arrested Development (Fox/Netflix, 2003-2019) - Meta sitcom
- #38: Hill Street Blues (NBC, 1981-1987) - Police procedural innovator
- #39: The X-Files (Fox, 1993-2018) - Sci-fi mystery with 87.5/100 rating
- #40: The Good Place (NBC, 2016-2020) - Philosophical comedy
TV Shows 41-75: Genre-Busting Innovators
The BoJack Horseman animated series tackles depression at #41, while Battlestar Galactica redefined sci-fi at #42. Insecure brought authentic Black experiences to HBO at #43, and Late Night with David Letterman dominated late-night at #44. The West Wing set political drama standards at #46 with 88.2/100 rating.
| Rank | Show Title | Network | Years | Genre | Critic Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | The Crown | Netflix | 2016-present | Historical drama | 85.8 |
| 48 | Squid Game | Netflix | 2021-present | Thriller | 87.2 |
| 49 | The Shield | FX | 2002-2008 | Crime drama | 86.2 |
| 50 | True Detective | HBO | 2014-present | Crime anthology | 86.5 |
| 51 | Peaky Blinders | BBC | 2013-2022 | Crime drama | 86.8 |
| 52 | Friends | NBC | 1994-2004 | Sitcom | 86.0 |
| 53 | The Office UK | BBC | 2001-2003 | Mockumentary | 90.5 |
| 54 | The Wire: Season 1 | HBO | 2002 | Crime drama | 96.0 |
| 55 | Chernobyl | HBO | 2019 | Miniseries | 91.5 |
| 56 | Band of Brothers | HBO | 2001 | Miniseries | 91.2 |
| 57 | Planet Earth II | BBC | 2016 | Documentary | 92.0 |
| 58 | Avatar: The Last Airbender | Nickelodeon | 2005-2008 | Animated | 90.8 |
| 59 | Twin Peaks | ABC | 1990-1991 | Mystery | 87.8 |
| 60 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | WB/UPN | 1997-2003 | Fantasy | 87.0 |
| 61 | Six Feet Under | HBO | 2001-2005 | Drama | 86.8 |
| 62 | The Americans | FX | 2013-2018 | Spy drama | 89.2 |
| 63 | Stranger Things | Netflix | 2016-present | Sci-fi horror | 85.8 |
| 64 | The Queen's Gambit | Netflix | 2020 | Miniseries | 85.5 |
| 65 | Hannibal | NBC | 2013-2015 | Crime thriller | 85.0 |
| 66 | Dexter | Showtime | 2006-2013 | Crime drama | 84.8 |
| 67 | Luther | BBC | 2010-2019 | Crime drama | 84.5 |
| 68 | Fargo | FX | 2014-present | Crime anthology | 86.2 |
| 69 | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | FX | 2005-present | Sitcom | 85.5 |
| 70 | Sex and the City | HBO | 1998-2004 | Comedy-drama | 84.8 |
| 71 | The Jeffersons | CBS | 1975-1985 | Sitcom | 84.5 |
| 72 | Justified | FX | 2010-2015 | Crime drama | 85.0 |
| 73 | Frasier | NBC | 1993-2004 | Sitcom | 85.2 |
| 74 | The Honeymooners | CBS | 1955-1956 | Sitcom | 88.0 |
| 75 | Orange Is the New Black | Netflix | 2013-2019 | Comedy-drama | 85.2 |
Shows 76-100: Hidden Gems and Cult Classics
The Carol Burnett Show dominated variety television at #76 with legendary sketch comedy. The Wonder Years captured 1960s nostalgia at #77, while Johnny Carson's Tonight Show defined late-night for 30 years at #78. The Muppet Show revolutionized family entertainment at #79, and Band of Brothers remains the most expensive miniseries ever made at #80.
Mr. Show with Bob and David influenced comedy at #81, and Fawlty Towers perfected cringe comedy with only 12 episodes at #82. NYPD Blue broke content barriers at #83, while Chappelle's Show reshaped sketch comedy at #84. SCTV showcased Canadian talent at #85, and The Bob Newhart Show mastered the straight-man role at #86.
- #87: The Kids in the Hall (CBS, 1988-1995) - Gen X sketch comedy touchstone
- #88: The Crown (Netflix, 2016-present) - Royal family drama
- #89: The Odd Couple (ABC, 1970-1975) - Tony Randall/Jack Klugman sitcom
- #90: Rick and Morty (Adult Swim, 2013-present) - Animated sci-fi comedy
- #91: The Rockford Files (NBC, 1974-1980) - James Garner detective drama
- #92: NewsRadio (NBC, 1995-1999) - Workplace sitcom
- #93: The Good Fight (CBS All Access, 2017-2022) - Legal drama
- #94: Oz (HBO, 1997-2003) - Prison drama precursor to Sopranos
- #95: What We Do in the Shadows (FX, 2019-present) - Vampire mockumentary
- #96: I'm Alan Partridge (BBC, 1997-2002) - Steve Coogan comedy
- #97: Party Down (Starz, 2009-2010) - Hollywood caterer comedy
- #98: Girls (HBO, 2012-2017) - Lena Dunham comedy-drama
- #99: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 1999-2015) - Political satire
- #100: Better Things (FX, 2016-2022) - Pamela Adlon AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL comedy
Everything you need to know about Best 100 Tv Shows Of All Time Actually Worth Your Evening
What makes The Sopranos the #1 TV show of all time?
The Sopranos earned the #1 ranking because it pioneered the modern antihero drama, with James Gandolfini's Tony Soprano becoming television's most complex character. The HBO series ran from 1999-2007 across 86 episodes, winning 21 Emmy Awards and creating the template forshows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men. Creator David Chase's psychological depth and cinematic storytelling elevated TV to art form status.
Which TV shows have the highest critic scores?
According to aggregated critic ratings, The Wire holds the highest score at 95.8/100, followed by The Sopranos at 95.3/100 and Breaking Bad at 93.8/100. Freaks and Geeks surprisingly ranks at 93.7/100 despite only 18 episodes, while Planet Earth II leads documentaries at 92.0/100
What are the best TV shows from each decade?
1950s: I Love Lucy (#36) redefined sitcoms; 1960s: The Twilight Zone (#12) perfected anthology storytelling; 1970s: All in the Family (#21) tackled social issues; 1980s: Cheers (#8) dominated ratings; 1990s: The Sopranos (#1) launched Peak TV; 2000s: The Wire (#4) set new drama standards; 2010s: Breaking Bad (#3) perfected serialized storytelling; 2020s: Squid Game (#48) broke global streaming records with 27.1M viewers
Which streaming services have the most top-ranked shows?
HBO/HBO Max dominates with 15+ shows in the top 100 including The Sopranos, The Wire, and Chernobyl. Netflix has 12+ entries including Stranger Things and The Queen's Gambit. FX/FXX claims 8 shows including Atlanta and Fargo. NBC leads broadcast with 10 sitcoms including Seinfeld and Cheers.
Are classic TV shows still worth watching today?
Absolutely-I Love Lucy (#36) still influences sitcom structure, The Honeymooners (#74) created the blueprint for modern comedy with only 39 episodes, and All in the Family (#21) pioneered social commentary that persists today. These shows earned lasting cultural impact through innovative storytelling that remains relevant 50+ years later.
What criteria determine the best TV shows?
Rolling Stone's 2022 list used 250+ industry voters including actors, producers, showrunners, and critics voting without era or genre restrictions. BBC Culture's 2021 survey included 206 television specialists from 43 nations ranking their top 10 series. Criteria include cultural impact, innovation, critical acclaim, awards recognition, and enduring influence on subsequent television.
