The Best TV Shows of All-Time

By Chris

on

|

2515

views

and

3

comments

best TV shows ever

Table of Contents

The best TV shows of all-time. According to me. Welcome! Shows within a tier are arranged alphabetically. If something isn’t on the list, it will be someday. Leave your comments and we’ll talk. I give a lot of weight to scope, scale, and depth. If a show is higher than you expect, it probably did one or all of those things very well. If it’s lower, well, it probably frustrated me.

Rankings: updated 10/23/24

Latest additions: Shrinking | Six Feet Under | Arcane | Penguin | Nobody Wants This

Note: Shows within a tier are in alphabetical order

My Favorites

  1. Arcane
  2. Better Call Saul
  3. Curb Your Enthusiasm
  4. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (1-16)
  5. Seinfeld
  6. The Leftovers
  7. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
  8. The Other Two
  9. The Shield
  10. The Wire
  11. Veep

Wow

  1. Atlanta
  2. Boardwalk Empire
  3. Breaking Bad
  4. Frasier [new] (1-2)
  5. Mare of Easttown
  6. Modern Family
  7. The Penguin (1)
  8. Sharp Objects
  9. The Office
  10. The Sopranos
  11. Succession 

Impressive

  1. Abbott Elementary (1-3)
  2. Arrested Development
  3. Hacks (1-3)
  4. House of the Dragon (1-2)
  5. Industry (1-3)
  6. Invincible (1-2)
  7. Letterkenny
  8. Perry Mason 
  9. Shogun
  10. Shrinking (1-2)
  11. The Last of Us (1)

Really Good

  1. Baby Reindeer
  2. Cobra Kai (1-6)
  3. Crashing
  4. Fallout (1)
  5. Fleabag
  6. Normal People
  7. Nobody Wants This (1)
  8. Oz
  9. Parks and Recreation
  10. Queen’s Gambit
  11. Severance (1)
  12. Silicon Valley

Positives 

  1. Beef
  2. Boston Legal
  3. Dave (1-3)
  4. Frasier [og]
  5. His Dark Materials
  6. Mad Men
  7. Mr. Robot 
  8. Mythic Quest (1-3)
  9. Night Of
  10. Presumed Innocent
  11. Reboot
  12. Six Feet Under
  13. Stranger Things (1-4)
  14. The Americans
  15. The Boys (1-4)
  16. Watchmen

Neutral 

  1. Fargo
  2. Game of Thrones

Negatives 

  1. Gen V
  2. Ted Lasso
  3. The Bear (1-3)

Almost 

  1. Ballers

Not For Me 

  1. The Haunting of Hill House  
  2. Yellowjackets (1-2)

Really Not For Me

Chris
Chris
Chris Lambert is co-founder of Colossus. He writes about complex movie endings, narrative construction, and how movies connect to the psychology of our day-to-day lives.
Share
Movie Explanations

Read on

All-Time Movie Rankings | Travis Bean

Hi, my name is Travis Bean. And I have…well. I have what some people say is “unique” taste in movies. Other people would use...

The Undercover Man | Finding Clarity In A Mad World

Thank god for Tony Rayns, whose commentary for The Undercover Man made me realize what makes Joseph H. Lewis's aesthetic so interesting. Lewis wasn't...

Presence Explained For Cinephiles | Tyler In The Mirror

If you want to understand Presence, then listen to the Michael Jackson song “Man in the Mirror”.  I’m starting with the man in the mirror I’m...

Eraserhead | A Call To Love Henry

Henry has the face and demeanor of a debilitated soul - hapless, dour, confused, drained, beleaguered. This world he inhabits - with its grey,...

Harakiri Explained For Cinephiles | The Suit Of Armor

Harakiri is, as of writing this, the highest rated movie on Letterboxd. For good reason, it’s a gorgeous, thought-provoking film that has a lot...

3 COMMENTS

Subscribe
Notify of

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

3 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

I’m disappointed to see Mad Men (which IMO is better than Breaking Bad) so low on your list; as well as Stranger Things.

I’m looking forward to where Community and Happy Endings land.

0
Reply

How is Battlestar Galactica (2000’s version) not on your list?!

0
Reply

What’s your issue with The Bear? I’ll admit it’s overrated, but what warrants a negative?

0
Reply
 
Skip to toolbar