TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time

TV show rankings

TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time is TV Guide's list of the 50 most well known and biggest television shows in American television history. The list was in the May 4–10, 2002 issue of the magazine. The television shows were chosen by the people who edit TV Guide. The list was also told in an ABC television special, TV Guide's 50 Best Shows of All Time, on May 13, 2002.[1]

The list

NoSeriesNetworkStartEndType
1SeinfeldNBCJuly 5, 1989May 14, 1998Sitcom
2I Love LucyCBSOctober 15, 1951May 6, 1957sitcom, B/W
3The HoneymoonersCBSOctober 1, 1955September 22, 1956sitcom, B/W
4All in the FamilyCBSJanuary 12, 1971April 8, 1979sitcom, B/W
5The SopranosHBOJanuary 10, 1999June 10, 2007drama (crime)
660 MinutesCBSSeptember 24, 1968presentnews
7The Late Show with David LettermanCBSAugust 30, 1993May 20, 2015talk (late-night)
8The SimpsonsFOXDecember 17, 1989presentanimation
9The Andy Griffith ShowCBSOctober 3, 1960April 1, 1968sitcom, B/W
10Saturday Night LiveNBCOctober 11, 1975presentsketches
11The Mary Tyler Moore ShowCBS19701977sitcom, B/W
12The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonNBC19621992talk
13The Dick Van Dyke ShowCBS19611966sitcom, B/W
14Hill Street BluesNBC19811987
15The Ed Sullivan ShowCBS19481971
16The Carol Burnett ShowCBS19671978
17The Today ShowNBCJanuary 14, 1952present
18CheersNBC19821993
19ThirtysomethingABC19871991
20St. ElsewhereNBC19821988
21FriendsNBC19942004
22ERNBCSeptember 19, 1994April 2, 2009
23NightlineABCMarch 24, 1980presentlate news
24Law & OrderNBCSeptember 13, 1990presentlegal drama
25M*A*S*HCBS19721983
26The Twilight ZoneCBS19591964
27Sesame StreetPBS (NET), HBONovember 10, 1969presentchildren
28The Cosby ShowNBC19841992
29The Phil Donahue ShowSyndication19701996
30Your Show of ShowsNBC19501954
31The DefendersCBS19611964
32An American FamilyPBSJanuary 11, 1973March 29, 1973documentary
33Playhouse 90CBS19561961
34FrasierNBC19932004
35RoseanneABC19881997
36The FugitiveABC19631967
37The X-FilesFox19932002science fiction
38The Larry Sanders ShowHBO19921998
39The Rockford FilesNBC19741980
40GunsmokeCBS19551975
41Buffy the Vampire SlayerWB/UPN19972003
42Rowan & Martin's Laugh-InNBC19681973
43BonanzaNBC19591973
44The Bob Newhart ShowCBS19721978
45Twin PeaksABC19901991
46Star Trek: The Next GenerationSyndication19871994Science fiction
47The Rocky and Bullwinkle ShowABC19591964
48TaxiABC/NBC19781983sitcom
49The Oprah Winfrey ShowSyndicationSeptember 8, 1986May 25, 2011talk
50BewitchedABCSeptember 17, 1964March 25, 1972sitcom (fantasy)

References