The Top 100 Shows of All Time - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TV DVD Fan · 09-22-2007, 07:52 PM

This is all subjective, keep in mind before I start. But even with my biases, I've tried to maintain as judicial a mind as possible while compiling this list. I truly believe the following are the 100 best television shows of all time. Here goes:

1- I LOVE LUCY- Introduced the 3-camera technique and set the ground rules for all sitcoms to follow, whether you personally like the show or not, it's the best television show of all time.

2- THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW- Not only inspired a major part of the femenist movement, but also was a hilarious show for BOTH men and women to enjoy even though it dealt with a woman trying to show to her peers she can make it without the help of a man.

3- THE HONEYMOONERS- Inspired THE FLINTSTONES, which was an equally successful show. Great cast, great acting, great writing, great directing, and when someone flubbed a line the cast didn't break out in laughter: they did their job and continued as if nothing had happened. Jackie was the master of ad-libbing. Now that's talent.

4- CHEERS- 2 different casts with an equal amount of chemistry, even though the humor may've been dumbed down a bit after Shelley left. (And hey, we still had Frasier.)

5- THE PRICE IS RIGHT- 2 words just about sums this one up: Bob Barker.

This is where things get tough.

6- ALL IN THE FAMILY- Debated putting this in the top five, but decided to keep my initial picks. Best sitcom ever created which was not really a sitcom at all: it was a family's day-to-day lives chronicled in a half-hour format in a time when men were men, goils were goils, and when they needed a man like Herbert Hoover again.

7- THE BOB NEWHART SHOW- Bob Newhart is the funniest comedian who ever walked the face of this earth: hands down. His being able to form an uproarious routine without the need of swearing or compromising any of his morals is something which today's messed up world needs more than ever. His brilliant comedic timing was showcased the best way it possibly could be in this equally brilliant vehicle that catapulted him to greater heights.

8- HAPPY DAYS- There's something in this classic for everyone, whether you prefer the more nostalgic first seasons or the more 60's feel of the later seasons.

9- SEINFELD- The show about nothing that was the show about everything. People still mention the show in conversation as if it was still going on. It's almost as if they actually did think it was still on-the-air.

10- WKRP IN CINCINATTI- By buying the first season on DVD I rediscovered my love for this show and gained a new respect for the ensemble that put it's 97 episodes together.

11- THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW- Brilliant ensemble, great timing, made light of things that were never dealt with before on television. Comedic geniuses Dick Van Dyke and Carl Reiner put it all together. No wonder it was so good.

12- THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW- Looking for homemade humor? Look no farther than THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. Though it was a sitcom, the show never relied on big laughs to make the grade--- instead innocence and a town we all still wish we could live in made the show worthwhile TV viewing.

13- FRASIER- From the same team that brought you WINGS and CHEERS, two other comedy power-houses, came FRASIER, a character that also appeared on those two sitcoms. All-of-a-sudden Frasier had to go from supporting character to lead character, so instead of him being as stuffy as he was in CHEERS, now Niles was the lead gasbag, making Frasier's uptight brother the second banana. A hilarious chemistry with other great supporting characters that made FRASIER one of the most regarded and longest running TV shows of all time.

Be back with more soon.

jayman75 · 09-22-2007, 08:15 PM

Time Magazine has done a recent Top 100... Linkity

Classicshowsgurl15 · 09-23-2007, 04:50 AM

So far I like I Love Lucy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Cheers, Happy Days, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show.
Great list so far.

Tubehead · 09-23-2007, 09:06 AM

I would add the twlight zone, the incdabile hulk, the wonder years, get smart, batman tv show and family ties. I'm glade the hooney mooners and I love lucy are on the list.their both great shows.

JulieSomoski · 09-23-2007, 04:23 PM

There is no possible way you could do a top 100 list. There are way too many shows out there to pick just the best 100, and in order. That's why I almost never look at top 100 lists done by magazines.

Chocoholic · 09-23-2007, 06:47 PM

While I respect your opinion, I still feel that you should have included MASH and The Simpsons somewhere in the Top 10 at least. I think MASH is a brilliant mix of both comedy and drama and I think the death of Henry Blake as one of the most shocking moments ever on a sitcom. I consider MASH to be the father of the modern sitcom.

As for The Simpsons, it's been on the air since 1987, first as Tracey Ullman shorts, then as its own TV show. It has sold millions in merchandize and now has a movie. If that doesn't make it one of the five best TV shows ever, I don't know what does.

To each his or her own, I guess

Mr. Television · 09-23-2007, 07:16 PM

All but one on your list are sitcoms....you should change it to the top 100 sitcoms of all time.

TV DVD Fan · 09-23-2007, 11:05 PM

I don't think many of you saw my disclaimer before I began my list. THIS IS ALL SUBJECTIVE. I HAVE MY OWN OPINIONS, YOU HAVE YOURS. I think I am going to do away with the rankings though. It's getting very difficult. Thanks though to those of you that partially agree with me.

14- THE ADVENTURES OF OZZIE AND HARRIET- If only life were this innocent... a pleasure to watch and an escape from some of the cold realities of life (especially the times in which the show was made). Maybe that's why it remained so popular for the fourteen seasons it was on the air, making it one of the longest running series of all time.

15- LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY- A successful spinoff of the wildly successful HAPPY DAYS that found its own niche very quickly and became an entirely different show than its predecessor.

16- THE JOHNNY CARSON SHOW/ THE TONIGHT SHOW- I recently discovered for the first time the kinescopes of the original 50's JOHNNY CARSON show and saw a piece of television history. Johnny based some of his most memorable characters on THE TONIGHT SHOW on characters previously introduced on this 1950's variety show.

09-22-2007, 07:52 PM	#1
TV DVD Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 07, 2005 Posts: 2,602	The Top 100 Shows of All Time This is all subjective, keep in mind before I start. But even with my biases, I've tried to maintain as judicial a mind as possible while compiling this list. I truly believe the following are the 100 best television shows of all time. Here goes: 1- I LOVE LUCY- Introduced the 3-camera technique and set the ground rules for all sitcoms to follow, whether you personally like the show or not, it's the best television show of all time. 2- THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW- Not only inspired a major part of the femenist movement, but also was a hilarious show for BOTH men and women to enjoy even though it dealt with a woman trying to show to her peers she can make it without the help of a man. 3- THE HONEYMOONERS- Inspired THE FLINTSTONES, which was an equally successful show. Great cast, great acting, great writing, great directing, and when someone flubbed a line the cast didn't break out in laughter: they did their job and continued as if nothing had happened. Jackie was the master of ad-libbing. Now that's talent. 4- CHEERS- 2 different casts with an equal amount of chemistry, even though the humor may've been dumbed down a bit after Shelley left. (And hey, we still had Frasier.) 5- THE PRICE IS RIGHT- 2 words just about sums this one up: Bob Barker. This is where things get tough. 6- ALL IN THE FAMILY- Debated putting this in the top five, but decided to keep my initial picks. Best sitcom ever created which was not really a sitcom at all: it was a family's day-to-day lives chronicled in a half-hour format in a time when men were men, goils were goils, and when they needed a man like Herbert Hoover again. 7- THE BOB NEWHART SHOW- Bob Newhart is the funniest comedian who ever walked the face of this earth: hands down. His being able to form an uproarious routine without the need of swearing or compromising any of his morals is something which today's messed up world needs more than ever. His brilliant comedic timing was showcased the best way it possibly could be in this equally brilliant vehicle that catapulted him to greater heights. 8- HAPPY DAYS- There's something in this classic for everyone, whether you prefer the more nostalgic first seasons or the more 60's feel of the later seasons. 9- SEINFELD- The show about nothing that was the show about everything. People still mention the show in conversation as if it was still going on. It's almost as if they actually did think it was still on-the-air. 10- WKRP IN CINCINATTI- By buying the first season on DVD I rediscovered my love for this show and gained a new respect for the ensemble that put it's 97 episodes together. 11- THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW- Brilliant ensemble, great timing, made light of things that were never dealt with before on television. Comedic geniuses Dick Van Dyke and Carl Reiner put it all together. No wonder it was so good. 12- THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW- Looking for homemade humor? Look no farther than THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. Though it was a sitcom, the show never relied on big laughs to make the grade--- instead innocence and a town we all still wish we could live in made the show worthwhile TV viewing. 13- FRASIER- From the same team that brought you WINGS and CHEERS, two other comedy power-houses, came FRASIER, a character that also appeared on those two sitcoms. All-of-a-sudden Frasier had to go from supporting character to lead character, so instead of him being as stuffy as he was in CHEERS, now Niles was the lead gasbag, making Frasier's uptight brother the second banana. A hilarious chemistry with other great supporting characters that made FRASIER one of the most regarded and longest running TV shows of all time. Be back with more soon.
	__________________ Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Sarah Connor: Maybe if you spend your life hiding who you are, you might finally end up fooling yourself. - From the episode "Gnothi Seauton."

09-22-2007, 08:15 PM	#2
jayman75 I Love the 80s! Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 27, 2000 Location: THE GREAT UNITED STATES Posts: 3,809	Time Magazine has done a recent Top 100... Linkity
	__________________ A fan of quality, classic television comedies and holiday specials... The Wonder Years,The Golden Girls,Burns and Allen, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Are You Being Served?, Family Guy, South Park, Designing Women, Dallas, The Facts of Life, Roseanne, Will and Grace, The Twilight Zone, Original Scooby-Doo, Murphy Brown, The Big Bang Theory... Talk to me about one of these shows, and I'm all yours...

09-23-2007, 04:50 AM	#3
Classicshowsgurl15 Happy Days Senior Member Join Date: Jun 28, 2004 Location: California Posts: 2,088	So far I like I Love Lucy, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Cheers, Happy Days, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show. Great list so far.
	__________________ “All our young lives we search for someone to love, someone who makes us complete. We choose partners and change partners. We dance to a song of heartbreak and hope, all the while wondering if somewhere, somehow, there's someone perfect who might be searching for us.” - The Wonder Years

09-23-2007, 09:06 AM	#4
Tubehead Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 12, 2007 Location: chattanooga.tn Posts: 5,139	100 sticomes all time I would add the twlight zone, the incdabile hulk, the wonder years, get smart, batman tv show and family ties. I'm glade the hooney mooners and I love lucy are on the list.their both great shows.

09-23-2007, 04:23 PM	#5
JulieSomoski Roseanne Reboot - March 27! Forum Veteran Join Date: Nov 06, 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 7,558	There is no possible way you could do a top 100 list. There are way too many shows out there to pick just the best 100, and in order. That's why I almost never look at top 100 lists done by magazines.
	__________________ Click here to view some great articles written by my husband and I! All views are appreciated! Watch: Medium, Fridays at 9pm, on CBS! Big Bang Theory, Mondays at 9:30pm, on CBS! The Mentalist, Thursdays at 10pm, on CBS! Old Christine, Wednesdays at 8pm, on CBS! ABC's Comedy Lineup, Starting Wednesdays at 8:30pm, on ABC!

09-23-2007, 06:47 PM	#6
Chocoholic Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 01, 2000 Location: Between a rock and a hard place. Posts: 11,235	While I respect your opinion, I still feel that you should have included MASH and The Simpsons somewhere in the Top 10 at least. I think MASH is a brilliant mix of both comedy and drama and I think the death of Henry Blake as one of the most shocking moments ever on a sitcom. I consider MASH to be the father of the modern sitcom. As for The Simpsons, it's been on the air since 1987, first as Tracey Ullman shorts, then as its own TV show. It has sold millions in merchandize and now has a movie. If that doesn't make it one of the five best TV shows ever, I don't know what does. To each his or her own, I guess
	Last edited by Chocoholic; 09-23-2007 at 07:12 PM.

09-23-2007, 07:16 PM	#7
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	All but one on your list are sitcoms....you should change it to the top 100 sitcoms of all time.
	__________________ Sonny

09-23-2007, 11:05 PM	#8
TV DVD Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 07, 2005 Posts: 2,602	I don't think many of you saw my disclaimer before I began my list. THIS IS ALL SUBJECTIVE. I HAVE MY OWN OPINIONS, YOU HAVE YOURS. I think I am going to do away with the rankings though. It's getting very difficult. Thanks though to those of you that partially agree with me. 14- THE ADVENTURES OF OZZIE AND HARRIET- If only life were this innocent... a pleasure to watch and an escape from some of the cold realities of life (especially the times in which the show was made). Maybe that's why it remained so popular for the fourteen seasons it was on the air, making it one of the longest running series of all time. 15- LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY- A successful spinoff of the wildly successful HAPPY DAYS that found its own niche very quickly and became an entirely different show than its predecessor. 16- THE JOHNNY CARSON SHOW/ THE TONIGHT SHOW- I recently discovered for the first time the kinescopes of the original 50's JOHNNY CARSON show and saw a piece of television history. Johnny based some of his most memorable characters on THE TONIGHT SHOW on characters previously introduced on this 1950's variety show.