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Yay lists... Your favorite (7) TV shows of all time?

Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:18 pm
Posted by CocomoLSU
Inside your dome.
Member since Feb 2004
150566 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:18 pm
Like most, I've loved so many shows over the years, and I'm wondering with different personalities on this board how different some lists would be. And keep in mind that this is your favorite shows...not necessarily what you think the "best" shows are (in terms of quality), though they may be one in the same. Also, it can be dramas, sitcoms, comedies, whatever...as long as it's a TV show...and for the sake of the thread, let's not include miniseriesesezes(?).

As always, I feel like 7 is a solid number since 10 seems like too many and 5 is always tough to decide on. Also, post your age as I think that would be fairly relevant for something like this....and also why you chose the shows you did.

Here's mine, in no order (aside from #1). I'm 33:

1. Saved by the Bell - I'll never argue that it's spectacular television, and you can hate on it all you want, but it's my favorite show of all time. It's so awesomely bad that I think it's awesomely good.

- South Park - I've watched it since it started airing in 97, and it still consistently makes me laugh. A lot. It will go down as one of the best (in terms of quality) and most consistently relevant shows of all time IMO.

- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - This one is straight up nostalgia for me most likely, but this show hit me in my 11-17 age range, so I sort of grew up with it. And any time I catch it in reruns to this day, it still cracks me up (maybe even more than it used to). It also doesn't hurt that my friends and I quote it often.

- The Wire - I watched this about a year ago for the first time, and although I can't really explain what's so good about it, it's just fricking good. I'd easily recommend it to just about anyone, and after I saw it I was immediately mad at myself for waiting that long to see what all the hype was about; the hype was deserved, no doubt. No matter how you look at it, The Wire is just good television.

- The Office (USA) - This is another one I missed the initial boat on. I jumped into an episode during the fourth season (Dinner Party) and thought it was great, and I immediately bought the first three seasons and caught up. It had it's ups and downs, but I haven't enjoyed many shows like I've enjoyed The Office, and I continue to record reruns and watch them several times a week.

- Lost - Pretty polarizing show on this board, but I've never been engaged in a show as much as I was with Lost. And a lot of that is owed to this board...the weekly discussion threads were awesome IMO, from the infighting to the theories to the bitching to the painstakingly explicit details about every single aspect of the episodes. Good times. I think I invested more of my thought and time into Lost than pretty much any other TV show I've ever seen, and I loved the ride from start to finish (and the ending too :coco2:). Also, I consider several specific episodes to honestly be some of the best hours of television of all time.

- Psych - I'm not sure there is a show more perfectly suited to adult me. The chemistry between the characters (all of them, but obviously Shawn and Gus specifically), the 80s/90s references, the smartass humor, etc...all of it falls directly into my wheelhouse.

Came close:
- Arrested Development - Admittedly should be on my list...on any given day, it could maybe replace tFPoBA.
- Home Improvement - Just one of those corny shows that always made me laugh. Who knows, maybe I just like Tim Allen. Also, I love hating on that count Jill Taylor. I'm sure it won't make any peoples' lists, but this show has always made me laugh and has been one of my favorites for whatever reasons.
- Cheers - May have missed the list only because it's been so long since I've watched it, but I've seen some episodes here and there, and it holds up really well and is very well-written.
- Wonder Years - This one should prolly be on my list as well, as it gets credit for helping transition me from a little kid into a teenager. I think most people in my age range would classify this show as the TV equivalent to their puberty.
Posted by Jonas
Northshore
Member since Nov 2010
594 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:33 pm to
Great question. And I'm sure my list would change daily. I'm 33.

In no particular order:

1. LOST - Was a weekly discussion with friends after each episode. Was painful to wait a week for the next episode. This show consumed me.

2. Breaking Bad - Show is like a drug. I always want more. Love the characters.

3. Dexter - Although I enjoyed the Sopranos, this was the first cable show that really got me hooked.

4. Seinfeld/Curb - Grouping these 2 together, even though thats probably cheating. Love the style of humor and characters.

5. SBTB - I probably wouldn't have thought of this without seeing your list. I still stop and watch this today if I see it on. Great mindless, simple tv.

6. 90210 (the old one) - Another one I can still watch. The content has stood the test of time. Also has a great unintentional comedy factor

7. Simpsons - Even though I do not watch it anymore. It was appointment television when I growing up.

(Sidenote - I have not seen The Wire yet, but from what I hear, it would break the top 7)
This post was edited on 7/24/13 at 5:49 pm
Posted by ellunchboxo
Gtown
Member since Feb 2009
18784 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:34 pm to
33


Friends
Scrubs
West Wing
House
Lost
Fringe
Sopranos
Posted by hobotiger
Asbury Park, NJ
Member since Nov 2007
5194 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:36 pm to
In no particular order:

All In The Family
Cheers
Seinfeld
Sopranos
I Love Lucy
Boardwalk Empire
Mad Men

I'm 48 and don't feel like writing why on each
Posted by MrPackSix
Lakeview/God's Country
Member since Oct 2009
8220 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:38 pm to
1)South Park
2)Seinfeld
3)The Office
4)Game Of Thrones
5)Boardwalk Empire
6)Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia
7)ER
Posted by ProjectP2294
South St. Louis city
Member since May 2007
70097 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:39 pm to
I'm 30.

In no particular order:
Community - One that I started watching from the very beginning. I caught the pilot as it originally aired and never looked back.

The Shield - Gritty. Vic Mackey definitely meandered all over the line between likable and unlikable. Had some real emotional beats and really good finale.

Arrested Development - I'm one of the few that watched AD as it originally aired, at least starting with season 2. I saw season one during the summer reruns before the start of season 2. It just keeps getting better as I continue to rewatch.

South Park - Anyone that defaults the side of logic on any issue can appreciate South Park. For the last decade plus, no one has been better at lampooning the absurdities of whatever is going on at the time.

The Cosby Show - This is almost completely from watching reruns. I did watch some in the original run, but Nick at Nite gave me a real appreciation for the show.

Psych - By far the best of USA networks 'Popcorn TV'. Clever and just about right in my wheelhouse for pop culture references.

Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives - I don't like Guy Fieri and I can tell that half the places he goes to aren't worth a shite and I wouldn't eat there, BUT I cannot stop watching it when its on. And it's my go-to if nothing else is on. I know this is a weird choice and not exactly a ringing endorsement of what is supposed to be a favorite of mine, but if someone actually tracked my TV watching this would show up overwhelmingly, thus must be included.

Others that were close:
Futurama, Boy Meets World, P&R, Jeopardy
Posted by trillhog
Elite Membership
Member since Jul 2011
19407 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:41 pm to
1. Lost- best show/movie ever put on film
2. Saved by the Bell- watched every day all day growing up
3. Laguna Beach- loved this show
4. The Hill's- just a continum of Laguna Beach
5. The Parkers- hilerious
6. California Dreams LINK
Posted by GeauxxxTigers23
TeamBunt General Manager
Member since Apr 2013
62514 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:42 pm to
1. SBTB-good choice, wouldn't have thought of it but I grew up on that show

2. The Office-I didn't really lose interest till Micheal left. And he wasn't even my favorite character but I guess he held the show together.

3. Magnum PI-Before my time but my dad made me watch re-runs all the time. I guess I'm nostalgic about it. Still put on Netflix everynow and then while falling asleep.

4. Ally McBeal- Call me a fig but I got stuck watching this when my sister was in the hospital and I stayed a lot with her. We watched the whole series together.

5. Alias- Don't really know why but I watched the whole series on DVD in Iraq. We'd all get together after patrols and google at Sydney.

7 is a stupid number so I stopping at 5.
Posted by Jonas
Northshore
Member since Nov 2010
594 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:42 pm to
quote:

The Cosby Show - This is almost completely from watching reruns. I did watch some in the original run, but Nick at Nite gave me a real appreciation for the show.


This one was my 7.1 choice. Show is still hilarious. I could easily switch my Simpsons choice for The Cosby Show.
Posted by Sparky117
The Desert
Member since Jul 2013
115 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:43 pm to
Dragon Ball Z
Breaking Bad
Three's Company
Law and Order
South Park
That 70's Show
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Posted by LSU_2012
Lafayette,La
Member since Feb 2012
1770 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:55 pm to
Sponge Bob- grew up with it
Breaking Bad
The Office
Fresh Prince
Family guy
Posted by Maximus
Member since Feb 2004
81261 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:55 pm to
the wire
sopranos
the office
24
psych
chappelle's show
breaking bad



just missing the cut:

george lopez show
according to jim
whitney
roseanne
post-sheen 2.5 men

j/k

This post was edited on 7/24/13 at 4:57 pm
Posted by timbo
Red Stick, La.
Member since Dec 2011
7302 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:57 pm to
I'm 42. My criteria was which shows I would most like to watch reruns of.

The Wire -- The best TV show ever made. Really great acting and characters. Really summed up life in a big city at all levels.

Breaking Bad -- Great acting. Put together in such an intricate way.

The Simpsons -- I haven't watched this show in 5 or 6 years. But it was something else during its glory years, which went on for about a decade. I've probably quoted that show more than any other.

Doctor Who -- The two things I spend much of my waking life thinking about are Doctor Who and LSU football. I appreciate the original series, but the reboot is really, really good.

Seinfeld -- Another show that I quote endlessly.

The Sopranos -- The show that helped usher in the current golden age of TV. Without this, we would still be watching the 25th season of E.R.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- Tons of great characters and humor. Used high school as an allegory for evil. Oh, and pretty much every regular actress on the show was SMOKING FINE.

Honorable mentions: Arrested Development, Cheers, Mad Men, Friends, MASH
This post was edited on 7/24/13 at 4:58 pm
Posted by Freauxzen
Utah
Member since Feb 2006
37247 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:57 pm to
I'm going to go ahead and say my favorite from different types, seeing as if I just do "favorite shows" I'd have a bunch of hour longs seeing as I enjoy those the most. I like longer complex stories with a heavy dose of relevance and meaning. But my favorites, I'll break them up a bit.

I'm 31, and in no particular order:

1. Battlestar Galactica (2004) - The Epic Narrative - Easily the best show show I've ever seen (and my favorite by a long shot). It's the right mix of setting and tone while being incredibly relevant. Politics, Religion, Humanity, Morality. Survival. Post-Apocalyptic. Science Fiction. Wonderful writing and great performances all around.

The rest:

2. The Wire - The Drama - Best TV drama of all-time no doubt, and again, my favorite. It's essentially a novel in TV form. (Homicide would be right behind)

3. South Park - The Silly Show - The most consistently funny show I've ever seen. And it's animated. They broke new ground with quicker animation which allowed them to comment on modern culture as it happened. I feel that was the most important aspect that has supported their continued existence. The Simpsons takes like 16 months for a single episode, south park is like 6 weeks. Big difference (I'd also argue for Futurama here, probably a better overall show).

4. Arrested Development - The Smart Comedy - My comedy half-hour. Just a great fusion of comedy and while I love Seinfeld and others like it, they were extremely one note. That is both a boon and a bane for them. AD is able to follow the humor and let jokes just kind of go. And the episodic interplay is pretty much unmatched. (I'd say Sports Night would be 2)

5. The Wonder Years - The Family Show - Just a brilliant family show. No show captures either the American experience or the idea of family life and growing up better than the Wonder Years. It's that simple. (I'd say Cosby as the second here).

6. Batman: The Animated Series - The Cartoon - The best cartoon intended for kids, and it still holds up today. It's the best rendition of Batman put on a screen. Incredibly original, and it doesn't treat a kid audience like fools (I hate the inane stuff that has come out over the years. Looney Tunes would probably be a close second)

7. The X-Files - The Sci Fi - Double dose of science fiction. In terms of show mythology, mixing genres, creativity, and just pure fun, X-Files is tough to beat. Sure, it gets a little slow near the end, but it's a good show, and an always watch for me. (Fringe is another favorite I could put here).


Just missed the list (other than the 2's):
24
Cheers and/or Friends
Boy Meets World
Firefly
The Office (US)
The Twilight Zone
The Simpsons
Seinfeld
Psych



This post was edited on 7/24/13 at 5:04 pm
Posted by LSUnowhas2
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2004
21981 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 4:57 pm to
1. Venture Brothers - This show parodies other cartoons from primarily the seventies like Scooby Doo, Johnny Quest, etc. The show has some of the best writing and characters that it has been one of my favorite shows since it started in 2004.

2. Squidbillies - Another animated show that cracks me up as it parodies the South, rednecks, and small town life -- three things I am intimately familiar with being from NE LA.

3. Archer - yet another animated show (sensing a pattern here?)

4. American Pickers - What can I say? My dad got me interested in old stuff (some people call it junk) as a kid. Also, I love the history they give on various obscure items.

5. The Unit - This show was fantastic. I have never been more upset about a show going off the air.

6. South Park - It still has managed to stay relevant and has gone from a show where a piece of poop comes to life at Christmastime to weighing in on social issues is quite the leap.

7. Chappelle's Show - Was watching some reruns just the other day and was reminded how truly great that show was.
Posted by trillhog
Elite Membership
Member since Jul 2011
19407 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 5:06 pm to
quote:

7. Chappelle's Show - Was watching some reruns just the other day and was reminded how truly great that show was.


good one
Posted by Maximus
Member since Feb 2004
81261 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 5:08 pm to
quote:

good one



son, why wasnt it good when i said it?
Posted by SDtiger16
San Diego
Member since Oct 2012
601 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 5:08 pm to
The Wire
Breaking Bad
South Park
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
The Office
Mad Men
Arrested Development
Posted by ipodking
#StopTalkingAboutWomensSports
Member since Jun 2008
56276 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 5:09 pm to
I'm 27

That 70's Show - hilarious show with great characters that I loved as a teenager.

Boris Karloff's Thriller - legit scary show once they figured out what they wanted to do. Karloff is great with his intros. The music is great too

X-Men - my all time favorite show as a kid

Haven - great Syfy show that mixes the horror and the comedy perfectly

The Twilight Zone - Rod Serling is the man, nuff said

Happy Days - good light hearted family fun. I didn't start watching this show until a couple years ago and I love it.

Chappelle's Show - The only show that can crack me up every time I watch even though I know what's coming.
This post was edited on 7/24/13 at 5:13 pm
Posted by ProjectP2294
South St. Louis city
Member since May 2007
70097 posts
Posted on 7/24/13 at 5:10 pm to
I forgot to include Saturday Night Live in my list. I don't think there is a show that has been more influential on my sense of humor than SNL. Between the show itself and the stars it has created, I can't believe I left it off my list.
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