List of television series considered the best

While there is no general agreement upon the greatest television series, many publications and organizations have tried to determine the series considered the best. The series mentioned in this article have all been mentioned in notable critics' or public surveys.

There are different categories within television such as drama, comedy and documentary and so it may not be appropriate to compare series from different categories.

United Kingdom

BFI TV 100

The BFI TV 100 is a list compiled in 2000 by the British Film Institute (BFI), chosen by a poll of industry professionals, to determine what were the greatest British television programmes of any genre ever to have been screened.^[1] The top ten were:

1. Fawlty Towers (BBC2: 1975, 1979)
2. Cathy Come Home (The Wednesday Play) (BBC1: 1966)
3. Doctor Who (BBC1: 1963–1989, 1996)
4. The Naked Civil Servant (ITV: 1975)
5. Monty Python's Flying Circus (BBC: 1969–1974)
6. Blue Peter (BBC1: 1958–)
7. Boys from the Blackstuff (BBC2: 1982)
8. Parkinson (BBC1:1971–1982, 1987–1988, 1998–2004; ITV: 2004–2007)
9. Yes Minister / Yes, Prime Minister (BBC2: 1980–1988)
10. Brideshead Revisited (ITV: 1981)

United States of America

Best in TV: The Greatest TV Shows of Our Time

The Best in TV: The Greatest TV Shows of Our Time readers' poll was conducted in 2012 as part of the 20/20 series. As such, its list consists entirely of programs based in the United States.

Best TV Drama

1. ER
2. The Twilight Zone
3. The Sopranos
4. The West Wing
5. Mad Men

Best TV Comedy

1. Seinfeld
2. I Love Lucy
3. The Andy Griffith Show
4. M*A*S*H
5. Soap

Major publications

Entertainment Weekly

1. The Wire
2. The Simpsons
3. Seinfeld
4. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
5. The Sopranos
6. All in the Family
7. The Andy Griffith Show
8. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
9. Mad Men
10. Your Show of Shows

TV Guide

2002 List

1. Seinfeld
2. I Love Lucy
3. The Honeymooners
4. All in the Family
5. The Sopranos
6. 60 Minutes
7. M*A*S*H
8. The Simpsons
9. The Andy Griffith Show
10. Saturday Night Live

2013 List

1. The Sopranos
2. Seinfeld
3. I Love Lucy
4. All in the Family
5. The Twilight Zone
6. The Wire
7. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
8. M*A*S*H
9. Breaking Bad
10. The Simpsons

Rolling Stone

1. The Sopranos
2. The Wire
3. Breaking Bad
4. Mad Men
5. Seinfeld
6. The Simpsons
7. The Twilight Zone
8. Saturday Night Live
9. All in the Family
10. The Daily Show

See also

• List of television shows considered the worst
• List of films considered the best
• List of films considered the worst
• First Golden Age of Television (1950s)
• Second Golden Age of Television (2000s–present)

References

1. "The BFI TV 100 at the BFI website". Archived from the original on 11 September 2011.