98 Best TV Shows Of All Time Ranked

Once upon a time, television was considered the poor man's cinema. Conventional wisdom held that if an actor's career was doing well, they went from TV to film, and if it was doing poorly, they went from film to TV. The small screen wasn't denigrated, exactly, but it wasn't really seen as a place where real art could happen. Truly thoughtful, complex, boundary-pushing storytelling was film's domain, while TV was home to mere entertainment.

Then the 2000s dawned, and everything changed. There's more traffic between film and TV than ever before, as some of the most creative work around is being done on the small screen. Superb actors are putting in career-best performances on incredible shows, while trailblazing writers are churning out jaw-droppingly brilliant stories. TV has finally come out from under the shadow of film, and is respected in its own right. This wealth of excellence has also highlighted some of the form's earlier successes: It's clear that modern prestige shows stand on the shoulders of giants like "The Twilight Zone" and "I Love Lucy." With so much quality TV available, we have the luxury of getting choosy — and that's precisely what we're going to do. 

Updated on April 3, 2023: From gripping dramas to gut-busting comedies, these are the 98 best TV shows of all time, ranked.

A sumptuous period drama that captures the glamour and tragedy of Weimar Germany, "Babylon Berlin" begins about 10 years after the end of World War I. Trauma lingers, especially for police inspector Gereon Rath, who grapples with his survivor's guilt even as he attempts to move forward with his life. Newly transferred to Berlin, Rath becomes embroiled in a secret investigation of a crime ring. He is aided by Charlotte Ritter, who works as a clerk in the police department but dreams of becoming a fully-fledged detective. As they work together on cases, the unlikely duo grows closer, their chemistry serving to enhance the already addictive narrative.

• Starring: Volker Bruch, Liv Lisa Fries, Leonie Benesch

• Creator: Henk Handloegten, Tom Tykwer, Achim von Borries

• Year: 2017-present

• Runtime: 28 episodes

• Rating: TV-MA

• IMDb Score: 8.4

We know what you're thinking: A cooking show? Really? But while the typical Food Network fare is far from the best that television has to offer, we have to reserve a special place for the incomparable Julia Child and "The French Chef." Begun in the 1960s, "The French Chef" was made on a shoestring budget, and it shows. But that's part of the charm — that, and Child's way of soothingly walking us through whatever she's cooking. Sometimes mistakes happen, and that's okay. She recovers smoothly, reinforcing the fact that we shouldn't let a fear of things going wrong in the kitchen keep us from cooking. Through this approach, Child introduced Americans to a new world of cuisine at a time when frozen dinners and gelatin-inspired monstrosities dominated the landscape. For that, and so much more, we owe her a debt of gratitude.

• Starring: Julia Child

• Creator: Julia Child

• Year: 1963-1973

• Runtime: 201 episodes

• Rating: TV-G

• IMDb Score: 8.8

Raised in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community located in New York City, Esther knows her role: Get married, have babies. But upon learning that she is pregnant with her first child, Esther flees to Germany in an effort to track down her estranged mother and begin a new life. As she learns how to exist outside the boundaries that have defined her world, she blossoms. What results is a moving depiction of what it truly means to abandon everything you know and live on your own terms.

• Starring: Shira Haas, Amit Rahav, Jeff Wilbusch

• Creator: Anna Winger, Alexa Karolinski

• Year: 2020

• Runtime: 4 episodes

• Rating: TV-MA

• IMDb Score: 8.0

If you were a kid growing up in the 1990s who didn't quite fit in, Daria was your role model. A cynical teenager with enough Gen X angst to sink a battleship, Daria (alongside her best friend Jane) uses her unique brand of weaponized apathy to make her way through high school. Emerging after a generation of teen girl characters desperate to fit in and be part of the popular crowd, Daria's outright refusal to buy into the social mores of her community made her revolutionary. That nonconformist ethos still shines brightly today.

• Starring: Tracy Grandstaff, Wendy Hoopes, Julian Rebolledo

• Creator: Glenn Eichler, Susie Lewis

• Year: 1997-2002

• Runtime: 65 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.1

There may be better TV shows from the 1980s in terms of story or character, but you can't deny that "MacGyver" was a phenomenon. How many shows turn their lead character's name into a verb? The titular MacGyver is a secret agent whose main skill is building exactly what the situation calls for out of whatever he happens to have in his pocket at the time. You need a bomb? MacGyver's got you covered — after all, he's armed with four paper clips, a stick of gum, and a cigarette. It might not be the most nuanced idea for a show, but it's definitely satisfying to watch.

• Starring: Richard Dean Anderson, Dana Elcar, Bruce McGill

• Creator: Lee David Zlotoff

• Year: 1985-1992

• Runtime: 139 episodes

• Rating: TV-PG

• IMDb Score: 7.7

Korean television has a monopoly on the modern-day fairy tale, and "Boys Over Flowers" serves as proof. Geum Jan-di is a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, but when she saves the life of a bullied boy from the elite Shinhwa High School, the institution offers her a scholarship. Suddenly, she's surrounded by the ultra-wealthy and entitled upper class, and both her working-class background and her utter contempt for them makes her an easy target. But opposites attract, and she soon finds one or two Prince Charmings. Sweet and compulsively watchable, "Boys Over Flowers" is a stand-out K-drama.

• Starring: Ku Hye-sun, Lee Min-ho, Kim Hyun-joong

• Creator: Jeon Ki-sang

• Year: 2009

• Runtime: 25 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.0

Nowadays, you can barely swing a cat in premium cable without hitting a steamy historical drama about one royal or another. But "The Tudors" launched that lascivious trend with Jonathan Rhys Meyers as famous debaucher and wife murderer extraordinaire King Henry VIII. His version of the ruler is a far cry from traditional depictions: This Henry is young, energetic, and virile, bedding his way through the English court in a desperate bid to father a dynasty of male heirs. Through this torrid and intrigue-heavy interpretation of royal history, "The Tudors" created an entirely new subgenre of historical drama.

• Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Natalie Dormer

• Creator: Michael Hirst

• Year: 2007-2010

• Runtime: 38 episodes

• Rating: TV-MA

• IMDb Score: 8.1

Watching "Bob's Burgers" is like sinking into a warm bath at the end of a rough day. Revolving around the day-to-day lives of the endearingly eccentric Belcher clan, "Bob's Burgers" is unique among adult cartoons in that it portrays a family whose members actually like each other. The characters pause to laugh at each other's jokes, rather than just steamrolling ahead to the next punchline, and help each other out with the daily stresses of life (when they're not causing them, that is). This creates a warm and pleasant atmosphere that keeps audiences watching as much as the comedic storylines.

• Starring: H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Kristen Schaal

• Creator: Loren Bouchard, Jim Dauterive

• Year: 2011-present

• Runtime: 238 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.2

"The Prisoner" is thoroughly steeped in 1960s counterculture, especially its profound distrust of authoritarian elements. A British spy wakes up one day in a quaint but bizarre coastal village. The man, who is known only as Number Six, quickly learns that he is being watched everywhere he goes, and that attempts to escape are punishable by death. Still, he perseveres in trying to solve the mystery of where he is, why he's been brought here, and how he can get away. It's as surreal as it is fascinating.

• Starring: Patrick McGoohan, Angelo Muscat, Peter Swanwick

• Creator: Patrick McGoohan

• Year: 1967-1968

• Runtime: 17 episodes

• Rating: TV-PG

• IMDb Score: 8.5

Take a widower, a divorcee (we think — the show is never clear on what happened to Carol Brady's first husband), and their combined six children, and voila, you've got one big, happy, blended family. "The Brady Bunch" is a sunshiny story, thanks to its troupe of young characters: Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby, and Cindy are, in a word, irrepressible. Their antics proved so popular, a series of spin-off shows and television movies was launched. Eventually, two 1990s film parodies, "The Brady Bunch Movie" and "A Very Brady Sequel," were made. This might make "The Brady Bunch" seem like nothing but a big joke, but if you can let your cynicism rest, there's still immense fun to be had alongside this bright and smiling clan.

• Starring: Florence Henderson, Robert Reed, Ann B. Davis

• Creator: Sherwood Schwartz

• Year: 1969-1974

• Runtime: 117 episodes

• Rating: TV-PG

• IMDb Score: 6.8

"The IT Crowd" begins with a job interviewee lying through her teeth about her skill set. Jen does manage to get hired to supervise the IT department, but there's just one problem: She can't be relied upon to know how to turn a computer on in the first place. To keep her secret, she must learn to work with the socially awkward members of her team. Their complete and utter contempt for the office drones they're paid to support rings true to anyone who's ever worked in IT or customer service: It will only take one exasperated, "Have you tried turning it on and off again?" to know that these are your people.

• Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson

• Creator: Graham Linehan

• Year: 2006-2013

• Runtime: 25 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.5

Eun-chan is a fairly androgynous young woman who spends her days supporting her family with a variety of odd jobs. Han-kyul is the handsome scion of a wealthy family, exhausted by his parents' efforts to find him a wife. When he meets Eun-chan, he mistakes her for a boy, and promptly hires her to be his pretend boyfriend, so that he can get out of a series of prospective dates relatively quickly. Inevitably, the two catch feelings for each other. A sweet and charming romantic comedy, "Coffee Prince" wins audiences over with the chemistry of its lead couple.

• Starring: Gong Yoo, Yoon Eun-hye, Lee Sun-kyun

• Creator: Lee Yoon-jung

• Year: 2007

• Runtime: 17 episodes

• Rating: NR

• IMDb Score: 8.2

Based on the British show of the same name by Russell T Davies (the same showrunner responsible for bringing back "Doctor Who" in 2005), "Queer As Folk" was one of the first shows in the United States to feature a cast of predominantly LGBTQ characters. It principally follows a group of gay men in Philadelphia and their two lesbian friends as they deal with dating, career struggles, and the reality of living in a society that is only just beginning to accept the LGBTQ community. As the show went on and social attitudes started to change, it became more confident in its ability to have a political voice, advocating for gay marriage and speaking out against discrimination. 

• Starring: Gale Harold, Hal Sparks, Randy Harrison

• Creator: Ron Cowen, Daniel Lipman

• Year: 2000-2005

• Runtime: 83 episodes

• Rating: TV-MA

• IMDb Score: 8.4

An astronaut crash-lands on a deserted island, where he discovers a mysterious bottle containing the gorgeous Jeannie, a genie who is only too eager to grant his every wish. Since he's freed her from her bottle, she decides to come home with him to Cape Kennedy, Florida, where she poses as his wife and causes no end of comic misadventures. "I Dream of Jeannie" is a frothy and intensely likable sitcom from the 1960s that thrives almost entirely on the charm of Barbara Eden and her chemistry with co-star Larry Hagman. It ran for five seasons, wooing audiences with its endless deconstruction of the old adage, "Be careful what you wish for."

• Starring: Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman, Bill Daily

• Creator: Sidney Sheldon

• Year: 1965-1970

• Runtime: 139 episodes

• Rating: TV-G

• IMDb Score: 7.4

"The Muppet Show" is wonderfully and purposefully shabby. There's just something incredibly endearing about watching a ragtag group of Muppets put on a variety show with contemporary actors stepping in every week to add a bit of flavor. Each of the various Muppets is given their moment to shine over the course of any given episode, their personalities distinct and well-serviced by the skits they appear in. And when it has a guest host who's game to go with the absurdity of it all, "The Muppet Show" really hits a sweet spot — no matter what Statler and Waldorf say!

• Starring: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz

• Creator: Jim Henson

• Year: 1976-1981

• Runtime: 120 episodes

• Rating: TV-G

• IMDb Score: 8.4

Death, death, death. We're just getting it out of the way: This show is all about death. "Six Feet Under" begins as the patriarch of the Fisher family passes away, leaving control of the family funeral home to his two sons, Nate and David. We follow them, and the other Fishers, as they grieve their loss and begin to make their way through the rest of their lives. But death always hovers over the proceedings, thanks to their work as funeral directors. Despite this, "Six Feet Under" is often surprisingly funny, although it's also never afraid to wax philosophical — and is all the better for it.

• Starring: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Lauren Ambrose

• Creator: Alan Ball

• Year: 2001-2005

• Runtime: 63 episodes

• Rating: TV-MA

• IMDb Score: 8.7

Pure, weapons-grade nostalgia powers "The Wonder Years," which wields its ever-so-slightly melancholic voiceover narration with force. Kevin is a boy coming of age in the American suburbia of the rapidly changing 1960s. Over the years ("The Wonder Years" spans six seasons), we watch him grow up. His relationships with his family, friends, and childhood sweetheart Winnie gradually evolve into something more complex. For audiences in the 1980s, "The Wonder Years" served two functions: It was both a compelling show about the trials and tribulations of adolescence, and a hearkening back to an often-romanticized era of Americana. For modern viewers, it's pure charm.

• Starring: Fred Savage, Dan Lauria, Danica McKellar

• Creator: Carol Black, Neal Marlens

• Year: 1988-1993

• Runtime: 115 episodes

• Rating: TV-PG

• IMDb Score: 8.4

"Blackadder" has a unique premise. Each season follows a different blundering member of the Blackadder family (invariably played by the spectacular Rowan Atkinson) as he makes his way through his historical period. The original iteration is set in the late 1400s, during the reign of the fictional Richard IV: Edmund, aka the Black Adder, schemes to take the throne for himself. Things culminate in World War I, where Captain Edmund Blackadder is stuck in the trenches. Every season is hilarious and bursting with now-legendary actors of the British screen and stage, including Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Robbie Coltrane, and Stephen Fry.

• Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Brian Blessed, Elspet Gray

• Creator: Richard Curtis, Rowan Atkinson

• Year: 1983-1999

• Runtime: 24 episodes

• Rating: TV-PG

• IMDb Score: 8.0

If you grew up in the 1990s, you probably remember "Boy Meets World" as an institution. Cory Matthews is a kid in suburban Philadelphia just trying to make his way through life. While the first seasons capture the fairly simplistic and innocent issues facing middle-schoolers, later seasons follow the central gang of Cory, Topanga, and Shawn all the way through high school and into college. Watching these earnest kids grow up is a true joy: Their trials are relatable, but also specific to their personalities, and their growth is extremely well-earned.

• Starring: Ben Savage, Rider Strong, Danielle Fishel

• Creator: Michael Jacobs, April Kelly

• Year: 1993-2000

• Runtime: 158 episodes

• Rating: TV-G

• IMDb Score: 8.2

Why was "Cheers" on the air for over a decade? Well, as the theme song goes, sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. More than anything else, "Cheers" was an incredibly comforting presence on network television, with a stalwart cast of characters audiences became deeply attached to. At the forefront is Sam Malone, a baseball player-turned-barkeep whose Boston-based bar Cheers is home to a troupe of employees and loyal customers who turn into an ersatz family. The show is so charming, it made the careers of half the cast, and created one of the most successful spin-offs in television history in "Frasier."

• Starring: Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman

• Creator: James Burrows, Glen Charles, Les Charles

• Year: 1982-1993

• Runtime: 275 episodes

• Rating: TV-PG

• IMDb Score: 7.9

Larry David co-created "Seinfeld," one of the most famous sitcoms of all time. But in "Curb Your Enthusiasm," he turns the camera on himself, playing a slightly exaggerated version of the curmudgeonly Larry David we've come to know and ... well, not love, but enjoy watching, at any rate. He lives in Los Angeles, surrounded by his friends and acquaintances who are all middle-aged comedians playing a version of themselves. Larry spends his days floating from petty grievance to petty grievance, furious when people break the social code only he is keeping track of. Cringe-y but undeniably funny, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is an unforgettably vivid self-portrait.

• Starring: Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines

• Creator: Larry David

• Year: 2000-present

• Runtime: 110 episodes

• Rating: TV-MA

• IMDb Score: 8.8

A classic boy- and girl-next-door story, "Dawson's Creek" centers around the perpetual love triangle between Dawson and Joey, who have been best friends since childhood, and Joey and Pacey, who is Dawson's best male friend. The back-and-forth between these characters is the beating heart of "Dawson's Creek," even as others enter and exit the picture. Dawson is your classic teen film buff, convinced of the superiority of his own taste and counting the days until he can head off to film school in California. He circles a relationship with Joey constantly, unsure if he wants to be with her, but definitely sure that he doesn't want anyone else to end up in her arms. The warmth and charm of the three lead actors made "Dawson's Creek" an immediate hit, catapulting them all into superstardom.

• Starring: James Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson, Katie Holmes

• Creator: Kevin Williamson

• Year: 1998-2003

• Runtime: 128 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 6.8

You know those small, independent bookstores run by curmudgeonly loners that have borderline hostile hours? They're what "Black Books" is about. Bernard Black is a bookstore owner who hates nothing more than the people who want to buy books from him. His perpetual exasperation with every single aspect of his chosen livelihood is a great source of amusement. We watch him reluctantly interact with customers, and, horror of horrors, file his taxes, an activity he avoids to such an extent that he willingly invites a pair of door-to-door proselytizers in for a chat about God. Delightfully mundane, "Black Books" holds up an antisocial mirror to our everyday lives. 

• Starring: Dylan Moran, Tamsin Greig, Bill Bailey

• Creator: Dylan Moran, Graham Linehan

• Year: 2000-2004

• Runtime: 18 episodes

• Rating: TV-PG

• IMDb Score: 8.5

"The Kids in the Hall" began as sort of a punk rock version of "Saturday Night Live." It features a significantly pared down cast, with mostly just the five members of the Kids in the Hall improv troupe, who began performing together in Toronto before making the leap to television. They have relatively unprecedented creative control over the show, which is made obvious by the kinds of surreal sketches they perform, especially during the first few seasons. "The Kids in the Hall" has had a lasting impact on modern comedy, yet it somehow remains a bizarre breath of fresh air. No wonder it's been the subject of modern-day revivals.

• Starring: Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch

• Creator: Lorne Michaels

• Year: 1988-2021

• Runtime: 109 episodes

• Rating: TV-PG

• IMDb Score: 8.4

Arabella is a writer living in the shadow of her next deadline. Looking to blow off steam, she heads out for a night on the town. But the next day, she wakes up with fractured memories of a sexual assault. "I May Destroy You" follows her as she deals with the aftermath and attempts to figure out what to do next. Creator and star Michaela Coel won an Emmy for outstanding writing for this limited series, becoming the first Black woman in history to do so. It's not hard to see why: "I May Destroy You" is a thorny work of genius, thrumming with rage, beauty, and unvarnished human struggle. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

• Starring: Michaela Coel, Weruche Opia, Paapa Essiedu

• Creator: Michaela Coel

• Year: 2020

• Runtime: 12 episodes

• Rating: TV-MA

• IMDb Score: 8.1

An institution in the world of sketch comedy, "Saturday Night Live" has been on the air for decades. The show has launched the careers of dozens of comedians, from Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd back in the 1970s to Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson in more recent years. Although people love to talk about how much "Saturday Night Live" has gone downhill during any given era, the truth is that "Saturday Night Live" possesses the rare ability to perpetually reinvent itself. With a revolving door of comedians and staff writers, the show isn't beholden to any particular style of humor. Home to a number of now-classic recurring sketches, "Saturday Night Live" has more than cemented its status as one of the most significant shows in television history.

• Starring: Ego Nwodim, Kenan Thompson, Seth Meyers

• Creator: Lorne Michaels

• Year: 1975-present

• Runtime: 930 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.0

"The Office" might be one of the only American remakes of a British show that fully exists as its own entity, and arguably surpasses the original. Michael Scott is the manager of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company's Scranton branch. He's truly confident in his abilities as a leader, and remains cheerfully oblivious to the fact that his employees find him ridiculous at best and obnoxious at worst. Jim and Dwight are the breakout stars here as two office drones who are vivid foils to each other, but the entire ensemble cast gets the chance to shine over the course of the long-running series.

• Starring: Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson

• Creator: Greg Daniels

• Year: 2005-2013

• Runtime: 201 episodes

• Rating: TV-14 

• IMDb Score: 9.0

"Happy Days" played no small part in stoking the 1970s and 1980s' explosion of nostalgia for the 1950s. Richie Cunningham is a typical '50s teen making his way through middle American suburbia. He has a colorful group of friends that includes the less-than-hip Potsie and Ralph, but the breakout star of the show is undoubtedly the iconic Fonzie. He's a greaser so cool, even mechanical items like the jukebox at the local diner are under his sway. It's hard not to love him, and the sweet-natured show he's part of — even if he is responsible for the concept of "jumping the shark."

• Starring: Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Marion Ross

• Creator: Garry Marshall

• Year: 1974-1984

• Runtime: 255 episodes

• Rating: TV-G

• IMDb Score: 7.4

"M*A*S*H" centers around a group of army doctors and nurses making their way through the Korean War. The series stands out against other shows from its era for two main reasons. Firstly, the length of time this show was on the air is incredibly impressive: It ran for 11 years. Secondly, "M*A*S*H" was huge. The finale was watched by an astonishing 106 million people. How did it become such a phenomenon? Through the dark humor it brings to bear on the absurdity of war, which is as effective today as it was then.

• Starring: Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, Loretta Swit

• Creator: Larry Gelbart

• Year: 1972-1983

• Runtime: 256 episodes

• Rating: TV-PG 

• IMDb Score: 8.4

How do you make a show about death funny? You embrace the inherent absurdity of life. "Dead Like Me" follows George, a sullen teenager whose life is cut brutally and embarrassingly short when she's crushed to death by a flaming toilet seat that crashes to Earth from an orbiting space station. She's surprised to learn that the afterlife is real, but she won't be going there quite yet — first, she will join the ranks of the Reapers, who are tasked with removing the souls of the departed just before they actually die. In this strange non-life, she finds herself with a group of new friends and colleagues (led by Mandy Patinkin and Jasmine Guy in stand-out performances) and learns to live for the first time.

• Starring: Ellen Muth, Mandy Patinkin, Jasmine Guy

• Creator: Bryan Fuller

• Year: 2003-2004

• Runtime: 29 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.1

You'd think, after creating "The Simpsons," that Matt Groening would be satisfied with creating one paradigm-shifting animation hit. But instead of taking a break, he followed it up with "Futurama," a show that reaches the heights of his earlier animated classic. The story revolves around Fry, a present-day pizza delivery boy who is accidentally cryogenically frozen and thawed out 1000 years later. Adrift in 2999, he must adapt to an entirely new world. Luckily, he quickly finds a job as a space delivery boy. His on-again-off-again relationship with the one-eyed Leela is charming, as is the merry band of misfits who surround the pair, especially Fry's new best friend, a belligerent and show-stealing robot named Bender.

• Starring: Billy West, John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal

• Creator: Matt Groening

• Year: 1999-2023

• Runtime: 140 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.5

Irrepressibly weird, "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson" is a sketch comedy show for those who find "Saturday Night Live" too conventional. Here, the laughs come from things like "Corncob TV" — home of the TV show "Coffin Flop," which is just nonstop footage of bodies falling out of coffins — a special adult ghost tour where the guests can say whatever the heck they want, and a rigged Baby of the Year competition. There's simply no end to the hilarity and depravity of "I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson."

• Starring: Tim Robinson, Sam Richardson, Patti Harrison

• Creator: Tim Robinson, Zach Kanin

• Year: 2019-present

• Runtime: 12 episodes

• Rating: TV-MA

• IMDb Score: 7.9

Years after "The Golden Girls" went off the air, the show remains revolutionary for centering vibrant, middle-aged women as its protagonists. Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia are four free-wheeling women with their own passions, hobbies, and romantic relationships at a time in their lives when they're expected to make themselves invisible. Their bond with one another and their irrepressible spirits made them stand out in the 1980s and early 1990s, and is just as enjoyable to watch now.

• Starring: Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan

• Creator: Susan Harris

• Year: 1985-1992

• Runtime: 180 episodes

• Rating: TV-PG

• IMDb Score: 8.1

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is like "Seinfeld," if you cranked all the petty nitpicks and grievances up to 11. It follows a ragtag crew of irredeemable monsters who run a bar in South Philly, get into depraved hijinks week after week, and learn absolutely zero lessons along the way. The central cast is a delight unto itself, but the show's real coup is adding Danny DeVito in Season 2: His unique brand of grotesque humor immediately gels with and elevates the dark comedy of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

• Starring: Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day

• Creator: Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney

• Year: 2005-present

• Runtime: 162 episodes

• Rating: TV-MA

• IMDb Score: 8.8

Simply put, "Star Trek" revolutionized science fiction. Each episode sees Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and other members of their band of interplanetary peacekeepers land on a different planet, where they inevitably get caught up in deeply allegorical trouble. Although some of the special effects haven't quite held up, the central conceit is still rock solid, and the show's messages have only grown more impressive with time. "Star Trek" imagines a brighter future, but it knows we'll have to work for it. In examining humanity with this sharp-yet-compassionate gaze, it became a phenomenon that has spawned multiple television shows, films, games, and more fan conventions than you could visit in a lifetime.

• Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols

• Creator: Gene Roddenberry

• Year: 1966-1969

• Runtime: 79 episodes

• Rating: TV-PG

• IMDb Score: 8.4

Effervescent and crowd-pleasing, it's really tough not to like "Downton Abbey." Stretching from 1912 through World War I and the beginning of the 1920s, this sprawling period drama follows the moneyed Crawley family, as well as the servants who attend to them and the titular estate. The series balances the historical events of the day with the will-they-won't-they romance between icy Lady Mary and dashing Matthew Crawley with aplomb, and isn't afraid to throw a curveball or two along the way. It's incredibly easy to become emotionally invested in each of the characters, and genuinely rewarding to watch them evolve over the course of a decade that saw such dramatic change in England, especially with regards to the role of landed estates.

• Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Maggie Smith

• Creator: Julian Fellowes

• Year: 2010-2015

• Runtime: 52 episodes

• Rating: TV-PG

• IMDb Score: 8.7

If you're a fan of "Grey's Anatomy," you owe a debt of gratitude to "ER." There were medical shows before "ER," but it was the first to fully tap into the genre's potential. Here, there isn't just melodrama related to the cases that the doctors face from week to week — there's interpersonal drama that involves the doctors' private lives. The series' crowning achievement is launching the career of George Clooney who, during his time on the show, quickly became a superstar.

• Starring: George Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Julianna Margulies

• Creator: Michael Crichton

• Year: 1994-2009

• Runtime: 331 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 7.8

"Parks and Recreation" follows Leslie Knope, a wildly ambitious civil servant living in the supremely apathetic Indiana town of Pawnee. Her exuberance borders on aggression, but there's no denying that her sheer force of will gets things done. Together with her colleagues at the titular department, she works to make Pawnee a better place, even when it doesn't want her to. "Parks and Recreation" is the kind of show that takes a little bit of time to warm up to — by most accounts, about a season and a half — but the charm of its idiosyncratic misfits and the bizarre place they call home rewards the viewer willing to give it a chance.

• Starring: Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza

• Creator: Greg Daniels, Michael Schur

• Year: 2009-2015

• Runtime: 126 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.6

When it comes to anarchic comedy, "The Young Ones" is a true trailblazer. This British show centers around four university students living in a squalid little flat in Thatcherite England, as chaos perpetually unfolds around them. Over the course of its two seasons, it shows a defiant refusal to adhere to the bounds of reality, let alone the conventions of television. In one episode, there's a dramatic zoom towards a matchbox, which opens its mouth and says, "Don't look at me — I'm irrelevant!" In another, a human version of Bambi regretfully acknowledges his post-Disney foray into adult entertainment. Always bizarre and featuring musical performances from some of the biggest bands of the day, "The Young Ones" had a huge impact on early 1980s alternative television, and was discovered by an international audience when it was broadcast by MTV.

• Starring: Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Nigel Planer

• Creator: Ben Elton, Rik Mayall, Lise Mayer

• Year: 1982-1984

• Runtime: 12 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.2

Fox Mulder is convinced that extraterrestrials and all things paranormal exist, while Dana Scully only believes in what she can see with her own two eyes. Over the course of several seasons, these FBI agents attempt to explain the unexplainable, as strange cases crop up that attract their attention and draw them into webs of conspiracy. Much of the show's appeal comes from the chemistry between the two lead actors, which creates a will-they-won't-they tension too powerful to resist. But "The X-Files" is also just an incredible work of genre storytelling still capable of freaking out modern viewers.

• Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi

• Creator: Chris Carter

• Year: 1993-2018

• Runtime: 218 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.6

"Ted Lasso" is a relentlessly positive charm offensive that will make you smile — by force, if necessary. Ted is a well-intentioned football (as in American football) coach who stuns the world by taking on a coaching position for one of the Premier League's most underwhelming football (as in soccer) teams. Does it matter that he doesn't really know the sport? Absolutely not. Ted Lasso knows people, and he knows how to get the best out of them. Although the premise is simple, there's much more going on underneath the surface than audiences might initially realize. Moreover, "Ted Lasso" puts together a cast of preternaturally likable characters, any one of whom audiences would likely throw themselves in front of a bus to protect.

• Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, Brett Goldstein

• Creator: Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Bill Lawrence

• Year: 2020-2023

• Runtime: 34 episodes

• Rating: TV-MA

• IMDb Score: 8.8

"Arrested Development" tells the story of the wealthy, maladjusted Bluth family, who are profoundly out of touch with, well, the world in general. But then, the Bluth patriarch is sent to jail for white collar crime, and stick-in-the-mud son Michael steps in to try to get them all on the right track. More than most sitcoms, "Arrested Development" is packed with callbacks to earlier jokes, which makes it extremely rewarding to the repeat viewer. Every actor playing a Bluth family member is firing on all cylinders, from Jessica Walter, who plays icy love-withholder Lucille, to Will Arnett, who plays insecure magician Gob.

• Starring: Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Jessica Walter

• Creator: Mitchell Hurwitz

• Year: 2003-2019

• Runtime: 84 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.7

In the first scene of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," A boy and girl break into a high school. You wait for the girl to die, until it's revealed she's a vampire, not a damsel in distress. So begins this ever-subversive landmark series, which follows its titular heroine as she does battle with all things that go bump in the night. Though its fashions are dated and the slang is occasionally clunky, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" holds up on the merits of its strong writing and delightful young cast. Sarah Michelle Gellar is the glue that keeps the production together, giving Buffy charm, humor, and a sense of vulnerability that underlies her inherent strength. 

• Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head

• Creator: Joss Whedon

• Year: 1997-2003

• Runtime: 144 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.3

"Star Trek" has no shortage of spinoffs — after all, there's an entire universe of possibility at its fingertips. But "Star Trek: The Next Generation" is arguably the best. It exchanges Captain James T. Kirk for  Captain Jean-Luc Picard, a smoother, tea-drinking sort of man facing very similar issues. This series never misses an opportunity to show off then-new advances in technology that made ambitious storylines a whole lot easier to tell, nor does it slack on its razor-sharp writing. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" made such waves, it reinvigorated the franchise, winning a new generation of fans in the process.

• Starring: Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes

• Creator: Gene Roddenberry

• Year: 1987-1994

• Runtime: 178 episodes

• Rating: TV-PG

• IMDb Score: 8.7

Set in a medieval fantasy world dreamed up by author George R. R. Martin, "Game of Thrones" revolves around the brutally violent political machinations of several prominent families who simultaneously face each other and the terrifying ice warriors from beyond the northern border. The honorable Stark family exists at the center of the show: Its children are flung far across the land of Westeros (and beyond) by circumstance, and must try to find their way back to one another. Death lurks around every corner in "Game of Thrones," and the anxiety of not knowing which of your favorites will die next is electric. No wonder it became a phenomenon.

• Starring: Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage

• Creator: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss

• Year: 2011-2019

• Runtime: 73 episodes

• Rating: TV-MA

• IMDb Score: 9.2

Who would have thought Bryan Cranston, the goofy dad from "Malcolm in the Middle," had the potential for Walter White living inside him? In "Breaking Bad," Cranston stars as that mild-mannered chemistry teacher, who turns to meth production after learning he has terminal cancer. Although he starts out as a fish out of water, learning the tricks of the trade from his former student Jesse, Walter quickly takes to his new career as a drug kingpin. Clever, surprising, and filled with great performances, "Breaking Bad" is perhaps most impressive for how often it forces the audience to question their allegiances.

• Starring: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn

• Creator: Vince Gilligan

• Year: 2008-2013

• Runtime: 62 episodes

• Rating: TV-MA

• IMDb Score: 9.5

Sure, "The Simpsons" has probably been on for way too long. But here's a fact: "The Simpsons" also gave us, at the barest minimum, around 10 years of perfect television. How many shows can say that? The titular family is a patchwork of flaws and virtues: There's boorish Homer, whose selfish instincts are only tempered by occasional moments of love for his family; long-suffering Marge, the emotionally repressed yet relentlessly optimistic housewife; precocious, perpetually misunderstood child prodigy Lisa; trouble-making, wildly insecure Bart; and baby Maggie, still silent and sucking on her pacifier. They've been a mainstay on television for over 30 years, influencing the cultural zeitgeist in ways few shows will ever be able to equal.

• Starring: Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer

• Creator: Matt Groening

• Year: 1989-present

• Runtime: 728 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.7

Stories about East Coast mobsters are a dime a dozen. What's unique and innovative about "The Sopranos" is that it features a tough, hyper-masculine Mafia man who is emotionally crumbling. After experiencing a panic attack, big time crime boss Tony Soprano reluctantly begins to go to therapy. In exploring Tony's struggles with his work, his family, and his inner well-being, "The Sopranos" never neglects an opportunity to really delve into what it means to be a man. Although opinions are still divided over the show's ambiguous finale, "The Sopranos" has established an incredible legacy we're still watching unfold.

• Starring: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco

• Creator: David Chase

• Year: 1999-2007

• Runtime: 86 episodes

• Rating: TV-MA

• IMDb Score: 9.2

At its heart, "Mad Men" is a story about change. We can accept it, resist it, or run from it entirely, as the show's leading man seems to relish doing at every turn — but it will always be there. Set in a chic advertising firm in 1960s New York City, "Mad Men" follows Don Draper, the creative visionary behind some of the era's most compelling advertising campaigns. But his entire life is built on a foundation of lies, which he must grapple with throughout the series. Featuring an incredible cast, all of whom put in career-best work in every single episode, "Mad Men" is the pinnacle of what television is capable of. It's funny, clever, and heartbreakingly sad — often at the same time.

• Starring: Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser

• Creator: Matthew Weiner

• Year: 2007-2015

• Runtime: 92 episodes

• Rating: TV-14

• IMDb Score: 8.7