Based on what I've read over the years, I think the The Mary Tyler Moore Show may look like the perfect TV series (comedy or drama, broadcast or cable).

The MTM Show had a unique premise for its time; It focused on a female lead character who wasn't married or otherwise dependent on a man, and it had realistic and complex characters and storylines, unlike the simplistic characters and storylines that were the norm on U.S. broadcast television at the time of its debut.

The MTM Show was the subject of consistent critical praise and high ratings during its original run: It received 67 Emmy nominations, of which 29 were wins, among them are the Outstanding Comedy Series award for each of its fifth, sixth and seventh seasons, and Mary Tyler Moore winning the Outstanding Lead Actress award thrice; In either case, it was nominated for both of those awards for each of its seven years on the air. The MTM Show also has several Writers Guild, Directors Guild, and Golden Globe Award nominations under its belt. The MTM Show was in the Nielsen Top-30 rankings for all but its final season, rating above a 23.0 in seasons 2, 3, 4 and 5.

A good-sized syndication package: The MTM Show had seven seasons of 24 episodes each, for a total of 168. I'm not sure if any of them would be considered bad at this point; The worst episodes of The MTM Show would be considered "fair" at best, nothing really terrible or anything.

The MTM Show was also cited as revolutionizing the series finale; Such episodes have become commonplace in the years following March 1977's aptly-titled "The Last Show". It ended on its own accord because its producers feared that the show's legacy might be damaged if its original run continued any longer.

If The Mary Tyler Moore Show isn't considered the perfect sitcom (or the perfect scripted TV show in general), then who else can? It'd have to be something with likable characters, a sizable syndication package, multiple award wins, few bad episodes, and at the top of its game (creatively and in the ratings) from start to finish. If you were running your own television network, then you would want something like The Mary Tyler Moore Show to be your top show.

The Dick Van Dyke Show is usually thought of as close to perfect.

The MTM Show was also cited as revolutionizing the series finale; Such episodes have become commonplace in the years following March 1977's aptly-titled "The Last Show". It ended on its own accord because its producers feared that the show's legacy might be damaged if its original run continued any longer.


Barney Miller on ABC did the same thing in 1982-- it ended w/that three-part finale "Landmark," and did so because Danny Arnold felt the same way about that ABC police comedy.

Some might say Perfect Strangers fits this description, it already has perfect in the name. :D

I Love Lucy and The Golden Girls! I can't think of one bad episode.

As far as dramas go, Breaking Bad would also be considered the "perfect" TV series (even though it may be a little bit R-rated for your tastes).


With 62 episodes over five seasons, Breaking Bad told an excellent story from start to finish, with no really-big syndication package needed.

Critical reception for Breaking Bad's first year was generally positive, and improved throughout its run; this made television critics laud BB as one of the greatest TV series-es of all time.

Among the awards Breaking Bad received are 16 Primetime Emmys (out of 58 nominations; this includes Outstanding Drama Series wins for both halves of its fifth and final season), 8 Satellite Awards, 2 Golden Globe Awards, 2 Critics Choice Awards, and 4 Television Critics Association Awards.

Breaking Bad initially had moderate viewership for its first three seasons, but once it was made available on Netflix before its fourth season, BB's viewership started to rise significantly, and eventually, its series finale attracted over 10 million viewers.

Anything else?

Based on what I've read over the years, I think the The Mary Tyler Moore Show may look like the perfect TV series (comedy or drama, broadcast or cable).

Something else The Mary Tyler Moore Show has in its favor is that it has a first episode plot (Mary moves into her apartment and gets a job at WJM) and a last episode plot (Mary and the rest of the staff, except for Ted, get fired from WJM). I imagine not a lot of shows have both a first and last episode (plot-wise). Some have one or the other.

I think there is no such thing as a "perfect" TV series because even the best shows have some episodes that aren't that great.

I don't know if there is such a thing as a perfect TV series, however I do agree about The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It is about as perfect as you can get. Not to mention it has one of the best combinations of opening theme songs and opening credits ever on a TV show. Beautifully filmed. One of the best TV theme songs ever in my opinion. It is just an outstanding show all around.

Even if Mary Tyler Moore is a perfect show, it'll soon be forgotten or just niche. People born after 1980 don't have much exposure to it. Millennials take for granted the single independent woman on her own. It's storylines require some interest in the viewer to want to feel good for Mary. But, shows like Three's Company that have slapstick style of comedy are just easier to be entertained from.

Pretty much Hallmark just wants to encourage Golden Girls and three other sitcoms. Limited variety.

And shows like Friends are given the broadest exposure on the other more mainstream networks and streaming services, to the detriment of other classic shows. I went to my local Barnes & Noble and see all this paraphernalia for Friends, like a Friends Lego set for kids.

AT&T acquired Warner for $102 Billion and sells it for $43 Billion three years later. A lot of bloat in there, and some of it is overvaluing of rights for the Friends. HBO Max has this reunion and we are all supposed to feel nostalgic for cast. The cast is cherishing their experience but also printing money from it.

Even if Mary Tyler Moore is a perfect show, it'll soon be forgotten or just niche. People born after 1980 don't have much exposure to it. Millennials take for granted the single independent woman on her own. It's storylines require some interest in the viewer to want to feel good for Mary. But, shows like Three's Company that have slapstick style of comedy are just easier to be entertained from.
Three's Company is also from the 70s. But Mary Tyler Moore's quality runs circles around it, no contest there. And just because something like Friends is everywhere and way overexposed, that is a mediocre, sub-par show at best. There are so many shows just from the 90s alone that are easily better than lousy Friends.

The primary weakness of the Mary Tyler Moore show is...uh...Mary Tyler Moore. She's a fine comic actress, but she just isn't in the same class of comedian as Lucille Ball or Jackie Gleason or Dick van Dyke.
MTM can sure hold her own but see what you are saying. I felt her physical comedy was more evident in The Dick Van Dyke Show

"Perfect" is a pretty big bill to fill.

I enjoyed MTM back in first runs, watched it nearly every week so far as memory serves. HOWEVER, I believe there also is a limiting aspect to shows that depended upon pushing "boundaries" as part of their appeal. True, people having an agenda aligned with the boundaries being pushed tend to highly favor such shows (the Lear sitcoms being an example)....that appeal frequently comes at the expense of a segment of the viewing audience. Not that doing so is intrinsically "wrong",..but I think it puts a pretty big dent in the idea of "perfect".

The shows tendency to vilify males having a traditional male ego, while promoting the almost castrated Murray as some form of ideal, (IMO) leaves a taint to the show.

But, even more significant, I don't think that the show really captured the imagination of mainstream America the way some other shows have done.Over on the Leave it to Beaver board, 56 years after the fact, they are debating if Eddie went on to go to college....and on the Andy Griffith board is the never ending debate over who might have been a better replacement for Barney.

MTM never really achieved a full nelson on the imagination of the mainstream like either of those shows seems to have done.

So, I'll gladly give MTM 4 gold stars....but not 5.

Mary Tyler Moore - and there are no "bad seasons"