The Greatest TV Series of All Time

Faltigoth

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I also haven't seen Rome since it released, and I'm curious how it has aged, but I'd definitely throw it an honorable mention.

I recently watched Rome for the first time - it has totally aged well and is fricking awesome.
 
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Springbok

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It's the wire. By a distance...

Deadwood, Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Seinfeld, Breaking Bad all up there for me as well.
 

Alex

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The last season of Boardwalk Empire is terrible though.
 
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Phazael

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Sci Fi- DS9 or BSG Reboot, take your pick, Honorable mention Westworld
Drama (non Sci-fi)- House, honorable mention Deadwood
Crime/procedural- Wire hands down, would give Heat of the Night a second place nod
Sitcom- Curb Your Enthusiasm, honorable mention to Carol Burnet Show
Cartoon Comedy- South Park, honorable mention to American Dad
Single Story Format- Twilight Zone (original run), honorable mention to Outer Limits (second run)
 

Haus

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One thing i still don't get. Maybe the immense group wisdom of this board can answer it. Why on God's Green Earth is Big Bang Theory so divisive? It's a 30 minute sitcom. Yet for some reason there's this seemingly unmitigated bile in certain aspects of the world for anybody who DARES think it's funny.

I "grew up geek" before it was cool/chic/whatever (i.e. the 70's and 80's). I see the show as mildly funny, definitely not "front of the DVR" stuff for me, but not something to hate. It occasionally hits on a note that definitely resonates with me from my past. But to be honest I find the Bernadette character probably the funniest thing on the show, with Penny's remember her childhood reminding me a lot of my redneck upbringing. The only thing i see as offensive at all about it is how it portrays having mild Aspergers as a comedic character trait, and even that I don't think is too horrible of a sin.

As for "best TV series"? Considering only shows currently airing.
Comedy : (here's where I get lambasted I bet...) American Housewife. It's the one sitcom I openly want to watch first if it's recorded.
Drama : Westworld
Procedural : I'm going to go with Lucifer on this one.

If we go all time :
Comedy : Better off Ted
Drama : Deadwood
Procedural : House, even with as formulaic as it was.
 

Phazael

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Big bang theory is basically nerd black face.
 
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Haus

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Big bang theory is basically nerd black face.

If so then was the George Lopez show then Hispanic black face, since he likewise made fun of Hispanic culture? That argument makes no sense as if they were negatively portraying geek/nerd culture to the degree blackface denigrates African American culture then the 3 of the 4 main male characters wouldn't have all "gotten the girl".
 

Homsar

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You obviously arent a nerd if you didnt notice the laugh track after every 2 sentences to shit that wasnt funny
 
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PatrickStar

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Not going to scroll through 4 pages but Married With Children for me.

Hope someone gave it some love.
 
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Phazael

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Why? I never heard another person day that, but it is my honest view.
 

Screamfeeder

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One thing i still don't get. Maybe the immense group wisdom of this board can answer it. Why on God's Green Earth is Big Bang Theory so divisive? It's a 30 minute sitcom. Yet for some reason there's this seemingly unmitigated bile in certain aspects of the world for anybody who DARES think it's funny.

TKz5QYX50so
 

Alex

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Laugh tracks really save the writers a lot of work.
 
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McCheese

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Big Bang Theory is the fast food of the TV world. Is it the best? No, but it's fine and there's nothing wrong with it.

Someone should do a comparison between people who are picky about their fast food and those who hate Big Bang Theory. I bet there is some kind of elitist correlation there.
 

chaos

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Definitively, the greatest television show that has ever been broadcast on any platform is without a doubt...

The Wire.

This is unimpeachable and I will bring the full nerd fury down on anyone that claims different. TNG is great. GoT is great. Breaking Bad is great. The Sopranos is great. Deadwood is great. I Love Lucy is fucking great.

But no show is so complete, so thorough and developed to even compare to what The Wire did. It's a fully encapsulated, entertaining and provoking tale between some of the most well grown and endearing characters, put into some of the most unique and well thought out stories that nothing else even comes close.

NYPD Blue, Seinfeld, Firefly, Band of Brothers...fuck even Friends all have their places among the Pantheon of Good TV.

But The Wire does what they do, and does it better.

Old Cases alone shines (in the first season even..) as a testament to the creative storytelling and narrative that can be created simply around the word "fuck"...and it doesn't even ham it up. It's sincere and honest.

The Wire is without a doubt the greatest television show of all time and I cannot wait until we see something like it come again.

You can break this down into categories and other shows are going to shine far, far above, but taken outside of any genre, The Wire stands alone.
I think The Wire is overrated as well. It's still among the best shows ever, but its not infallible like some people make it out to be. I think it told a story of cyclic poverty and corruption that people had never seen given a real voice like that, and it was done in a quality show with quality actors, so it really hits home with people. There's still some major issues with it. I love Season 2, but it does feel disjointed, and that is totally their fault. Season 5 is about half fan service and half goofy ass bullshit. Season 5 taken without the context of the WTFAMAZEBALLS Season 1-4 would be shit tier. I get what he wanted to do with the changing perspectives, but the newspaper perspective didn't work and the school perspective wasn't well formed, it felt like an excuse to show the kids (which was great) and a soapbox. It would have been nice to see him focus on the corrections aspect, maybe drive home the cycle some more. But it is what it is.

I love The Wire, but I feel like there are many shows on that same level of quality. The Sopranos, Mad Men, Deadwood, Breaking Bad, etc.
 
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Khane

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I just started watching the Sopranos about a month ago finally. Show is hysterical and great but it's not the same level as The Wire. Half the cast in Sopranos is fantastic and the other half are terrible actors/actresses. The psychiatrist character (Jennifer Melfi) is especially bad. The show resonates with me because I grew up on Long Island and saw people talk and behave that way for years even before the show came out but it's still very over the top with the mannerisms and quirks. Shit, my family always talked that way with the pronunciation of words which is so goddamn funny to me now that I've been in CT for 10 years. "Monagawt", "Moozadell". Hahah. My mother's family are Italians from Brooklyn and they really do talk like that (including my mom). It's a pretty good portrayal but there is still a lot of fan service in the Sopranos.

I don't think a show like The Wire will ever come along again. Showing what life is like in a ghetto the way they did. Showing kids selling drugs and killing people and getting recruited at such a young age especially wouldn't go over today if you ask me. Even though it happens. I think there would be too much righteous indignation about portraying black people in that light nowadays.
 

Lambourne

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Friends was a far better sitcom than Big Bang Theory ever was. It had actual situational comedy for example. BBT just has some disjointed dialog that isn't even funny, yet every single line gets a big roar from the laugh track.

I dare you to watch this and not crack up.

 

sukik

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I guess it's been a long time since I've watched any sitcoms. Those laugh tracks are very distracting.