I don’t watch much TV, so I can’t go a full 10. Peter, if you love quirky detectives, where’s Monk?

1. MythBusters – Great premise, great cast, fascinating results, and real life (not CGI) explosions. Hard to beat that.

2. The Office – The most recent season was really hurt by the writer’s strike, but still funny.

3. Flight of the Conchords – I was sure by looking at it that this show was full of trendy, hipster BS. Turns out it has some, but the reason is to mock it. Goes off the deep end occasionally, but the main guys are hilarious.

4. NewsRadio – Agreed on this one.

5. Night Court – What can I say? I like humor with an absurd flavor to it.

This from someone who watches almost no TV except sports games.
In no particular order:

1. Family Matters – Who didn’t love Urkel?
2. Duck Tales
3. Reading Rainbow
4. The Fresh Price – I can hear you start to sing, “In West Philadelphia, born and raised..”
5. MythBusters – Keeps me interested
6. The Office – agree with JSF that season 2 was the best
7. Lost – I’ve decided on 3 or 4 occasion to quit watching this. Never works
8. 24 – Edge of my seat every season despite similarities season to season
9. ?
10. ?

I’m going to start this off by saying, I love a good drama every now and again. Please don’t mock me too much.

In particular order:
1. Weeds – my favorite new tv series. Can’t wait for season 4.
2. NewsRadio – I’m not sure I could explain it better than you PB
3. Seinfeld
4. Mythbusters
5. Jeopardy – I watch it everyday and it’s one of the few things I look forward to at the end of the day.
6. The OC – Great drama, great characters, great story lines and Rachel Bilson
7. Las Vegas – lots of hot bods and usually great story lines
8. Firefly – One show that fox should have never canceled. Probably the best show Whedon’s created.
9. House – who doesn’t love watching a know-it-all gimp being a complete asshole to everyone
10. Modern Marvels – I love the history channel.

1. Lost – This show, while admittedly zooming off the rails from time to time and requiring an extreme suspension of disbelief, is simply one of the most awesome shows ever on TV. You can argue it is over hyped and that it’s “lost its direction” or whatever, but you’d be wrong. The creativity and complexity of characters is just fantastic.
2. The Simpsons – How this didn’t make PB’s list when South Park did is beyond me. The Simpson’s mastered satire long before South Park was on anybody’s lips.
3. Ed- Although it only lasted 4 seasons on NBC (damn you NBC), it was an awesome show. The 10 dollar bets with Ed and Mike were awesome, as was Mike’s boss, Dr. Jerome.
4. Scrubs – This is honestly one of the funniest shows to make it on TV, it is also the little engine that could. NBC tried for years to stymie it with slot changes and crappy advertising, and finally they drop it, only for ABC to pick it up for a swan song season. It has lessened in awesomeness over the last 2 seasons, but it still makes me laugh. And Elliot is smokin’ as always.
5. The Wonder Years – People still trash this show, but I’ll never understand it. I can’t think of any show that so perfectly captured adolescence as this one. I only wish it was on DVD.
6. Weeds – This show is great for so many reasons, including the always hot Mary Louise Parker. Kevin Nealon is also the most perfect person they could have cast in his role on the show. Catch it on DVD if you don’t have Showtime.
7. The Sopranos – Yeah, I’m on the bandwagon. This really is a compelling show. It started off as an interesting take on the gangster genre and turned into so much more.
8. CSI Vegas – This is the original, and in my opinion, only good version of CSI. It has had its share of nonsense, like how every freakin’ person on the night shift ends up in some situation where their lives are endangered, and Sara is really annoying, but she’s off the show now, so it is clear sailing.
9. 24- I have to admit I’ve soured on 24 over the last few seasons…how many damn moles or fake moles can one counterterrorist unit have? But I’d be lying if I said I’d quit watching. I wish they’d bring back Elisha Cuthbert in some more torn t-shirts.
10. Gilmore Girls – Rounding out the top 10, and make fun if you will, but I started watching just because of Lauren Grahams’ hotness while sitting at home bored one night and ended up actually liking the show. Great dialogue and funny characters made this a fun show to watch. Plus it always helped when you knew what was happening when talking to the ladies…

5 Unmentioned All-Time Greats:

1. The Cosby Show. Cheers was great, but TCS was the best sitcom I’ve ever seen.
2. The X-Files (minus the last two seasons). My nomination for best sci-fi show ever.
3. Sports Night / The West Wing. Has anyone mixed comedy and drama better than Aaron Sorkin?
4. The Kids in the Hall. Monty Python is the nostalgic choice, SNL the popular one, but The Kids beat them both with sketch comedy that’s as relevant today as it was 15 years ago.
5. Cowboy Bebop. No other anime I’ve seen comes close to matching the excellence of this show. Perhaps the greatest TV soundtrack of all time, and one of the coolest lead characters.

Some of my SciFi favorites that have not been mentioned:

1. Farscape – If you love character driven story, this space opera was freaking amazing. SciFi canned it early, but it finished off with a miniseries a few years later due to the fans outcry. Totally ridiculous at times, and totally freaking awesome. Great villians, great comedy, and smoking hot Claudia Black and Gigi. And Muppets!

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2. Star Trek – The original series Ill put up there first, as it was as ground breaking a show as there ever was on TV. Campy? You bet. Politically driven? Much more than you first think it was. The Next Generation was a good show, and Deep Space Nine probably had the best story arc.

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3. Babylon 5 – The special effects are laughable, but the universe and story of Commander Sheridan are nothing short of epic. Some of the best aliens ever are on this show.

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4. Futurama – Quirkier than the Simpsons. Every episode in its short run was comic gold. Episode for episode one of the strongest cartoons ever done. Who doesn’t love Bender Bending Rodriguez?

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5. Space Ghost Coast to Coast – Not nearly as strong as Futurama, many episodes were hit and miss, but when it hit, it was the funniest damn thing ever on TV. Episodes like Curses, Snatch, Chambraigne, Piledriver, with guests like Conan O’Brian, Moby, Bob Costas, and Shirley Manson. Man the good episodes are forever classics.

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6. Sealab 2021 – Dont talk to me, just go watch the first two seasons. But dont watch past that, Harry Goz died, and was the best character on the show, it went downhill afterwards.

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my girlfriend - who absolutely hates anything remotely sci-fi - loves this show, too. seriously, some of the best writing on TV. see barking carnival’s excellent analysis: http://www.barkingcarnival.com/crazyjoedavola/frakkin-a

and, i also used to be a big Six fan, until i saw the maxim pics of grace park. OMG: http://www.beyondhollywood.com/asiancelebs/grace-park-in-maxim-magazine/

Hot. Smart. Spunky. Loves mysteries… Marry me?

You were talking about the one with the hair, right?

I would just like to pimp Mythbusters for a second. I guess this falls into the same category of obsession as PB’s mystery fetish, as nothing on TV these days can ruin a productive day for me like a day-long marathon of Mythbusters. The show usually has three types of myths:

1.) Myths that are stupid. These are more on the show to let Jamie and Adam be themselves. They really highlight the reason that the show is great: Characters. Every time you laugh at Adam impersonating Jamie, you’re applauding the show’s chemistry.

2.) Legitimate myths. These are the biggest draw to the show, or are at least tied with the next category. My personal favorites are the ones where they try to build things using only period technology. Confederate Rocket, anyone? Steam cannon? Tell me you didn’t wish beyond wishing that the magnifying mirror death ray worked. Another interesting category is the series of survival myths. Getting out of a sinking car, buried alive (they put him in a casket and covered it with tons and tons of dirt!), and the like.

3.) Explosions. They blew up a cement truck. Seriously, if you haven’t see that episode, your life is not complete. The cement truck is there in one frame, and in the next it is not there. Unreal.

So there’s a little more to the show than at first you’d imagine. While they don’t seem to be completely scientific at times, part of the fun is griping about how they didn’t disprove such and such ridiculous myth that you don’t believe properly. This is one of the only shows I seriously watch.

By the way, BiC mentioned Space Ghost Coast to Coast. You’re right. If they had a good show, there was nothing better on TV. And imagine, they did all that with maybe 20 animations. I can think of shoot, zorak/brak explode, moltar pull lever, moltar nod, Space Ghost point, and not much else. Hilarious.

1. 24- jack bauer is the most bad ass character in television history. this link is just a small example. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An_EzHV8q2E
2. Lost- it just keeps getting better
3. Entourage- i idolize turtle (not really i just love this show)
4. Arrested Development
5. Family Guy
6. Scrubs
7. South Park
8. Futurama
9. Man Vs Wild
10.24- its so good it deserves to be on the list twice

These are ones I planned my life around
- MA*SH
- Star Trek
- Twilight Zone
- X Files
- Firefly
- Mystery Science Theater 3000
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Babylon 5
- Lost
- Monty Python

Now for the 10 best on now:
- Lost (again)
- Shield
- Battlestar Gallactica
- Bones
- Burn Notice
- Smallville
- Colbert Report
- Torchwood
- Bill Moyer
- Countdown (Olberman)

24-IMO, easily the best show on television.

Psych-I love this show, it is just one of those shows that is very fun to watch. Roday and Hill have excellent chemistry.

The Office-It was worse last season than before, but it was still watchable. It just has those “oh-no-he-didn’t” histirical moments.

South Park-Satire at its greatest, and I mean GREATEST. What beats the episode “Two Days Before the Day After Tommorow”?

CSI:Miami- I used to love the origional CSI, but somewhere down the road it just got way to boring and stupid, somewhere around the time Tarintino directed an episode. However, I am hooked on this spinoff. It has the crime scene moments but it is more or less an action show. Yes, its cheesy, but its awesome. Horatio is one of the best characters on television simply because of those moments at the beggining when he says something and puts his shades on.

Two and a half men-Has been on a downward spiral of late but before the last couple seasons this was a great show.

NCIS-Great action show, Mark Harmon is the GREATEST actor on the face of the planet. (Just Joking, but no, really he is)

Reaper-Really good show that is more comedy than anything else. The main character is good but his fat best friend sock is what makes the show, him and the devil anyways.

Dexter-I bought season one on DVD a couple months back and I am hooked. The show is a very well thought out drama and Michael Hall is excellent playing a serial killer.

Family Guy-Peter Griffin is the awesomest retard on in the world.

Star Trek
Battlestar Galactica
MASH
Veronica Mars
Seinfeld
The Simpsons
X-Files
Top Chef
King of the Hill
Aliens in America

1. The Wire – it’s not even close. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the greatest show in the history of television. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the most important show in the history of television. The only question still slightly lingering in my brain is whether this is the greatest work of art in the last 100 years of pop culture. I’m leaning towards yes. I cannot say enough about this show. It blows my mind every time I see it and I’m currently on my 4th time through the entire series. It’s one of those shows where you see an actor play another role and it freaks you out because you don’t think of them as actors; you think of them as real people. At this point, having seen every episode about 4 times, I know exactly when someone’s going to die or go through something terrible and I still cry every single time because they’re real people to me. I’m not being hyperbolic here either. Nothing has ever moved me like this show.

2. Arrested Development – still the funniest show I’ve ever seen and the closest any show’s ever come to fully pandering to my sense of humor. It rewards its devoted following unlike any other show, with in-joke after in-joke and refuses to make the humor easy for viewers. A favorite of mine, after Gob buys a boat called the Seaward (hint: rhymes with “C-word”) with corporate money: Michael: “Get rid of the Seaward, Gob.” Lucille, appearing out of nowhere: “I’ll leave when I’m good and ready.” [awkward silence] And then, a season and a half later, in the finale, Michael pulls out of the harbor in a boat called the “C-word.” I appreciate that.

3. The Simpsons – no matter how bland and repetitive it’s become, that’ll never change what it once was.

4. The Sopranos – it couldn’t sustain itself as long as it tried and parts of every season except the first meandered and were flat-out boring at times, but when it was at its best, it was the most artistic TV show ever.

5. Seinfeld – it had to be here somewhere.

6. Lost – there were some serious problems with this show in the second season and the first half of the third, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t my current favorite show on television again. The show has literally changed the way I think about what television can be.

7. 30 Rock – the heir apparent to Arrested Development. Not quite as absurd and not quite as funny, but the same type of show done extremely well. And all the New York City in-jokes The first half of the first season was mediocre but the show then really hit its stride and nothing on TV right now is funnier. Except…..

8. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – I hate to put this here because it’s such a one-note show without a lot of depth, but it’s just so damn funny, I don’t know what to say. I can’t help myself, I love everything about it.

9. NewsRadio – One of the most unconventional “3 cameras and a laugh track” sitcoms of all time, I just loved it. Every single character was hilarious. Jimmy James is one of my favorite TV characters ever. Hell, this show made both Joe Rogan and Andy Dick funny. You have to give points for that. And you’re right PB, it was never the same after Phil Hartman died, despite a valiant effort from Jon Lovitz.

10. Friday Night Lights – It veers into melodrama sometimes and the plot can be a little too O.C. from time to time for my tastes – i.e. the Landry storyline in season 2 was flat-out stupid. But the acting here is phenomenal, the drama so intense, the emotion so visceral, the family interactions so true to life, that I can’t help but love it. And it doens’t hurt that every single female character is ridiculously hot, including one of the hottest TV moms ever.

Honorable mentions: Weeds, The Riches, Colbert Report, Scrubs, The Office (British and American versions), South Park, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Flight of the Conchords, Kids in the Hall.

Arrested Development needed a couple more years. It sounds like there will most likely be a movie. I hope it can be close to as good as the series.

Cheers.

1. The Office – This is really more of a co-favorite, as I absolutely revered the British show, prejudged the American show to be absolute garbage, then found myself proven more wrong about anything I’ve probably ever been wrong about in my entire life. While unquestionably Season 4’s writer’s strike and NBC’s fool hearty decision to force the hand of the writing staff into 4 consecutive hour long episodes to start the season (which while ripe with subtle quips I notice for the first time every re-watch left the episodes feeling unnecessarily drawn out) was a mistake, the show’s first 3 seasons are amongst the finest in television history. I can’t even begin to calculate how many times I’ve called it a week night with an episode on in the background for the half dozen or so times. And while I’m justifiably weary of how the spin-off will effect the make up of the writing core (rumor has it Michael Schur aka Ken Tremendous is headed to co-head the venture), I’m optimistic Season 5 will serve as a return to form for easily the best adaptation ever and arguably one of TV’s best overall to date.

2. Arrested Development – I won’t waste too many words echoing what’s already been said more times than necessary, but easily the finest ensemble cast in television history. “But check your lease man, because you’re living in Fuck City!”

3. Senfield – A show about nothing, and despite a painfully mediocre finale, probably the best sitcom ever made. The re-runs and DVDs ability to age with time speak to the show’s incredible strength. As a bonus, anyone in the least bit into hip-hop/rap (really whether they cared for the show or not) owes it to something to cop one of music’s brightest, rising stars’ Wale’s latest, the Seinfeld themed “The Mixtape About Nothing”.

3. The Simpsons – I say this with a huge caveat: Basically first 10 seasons only. To me The Simpsons are Ken Griffey Jr: early promise followed by a mind blowingly amazing stretch that has us questioning if what we were witnessing was amongst the best ever, followed by a lame duck stretch riddled with injury, mishaps, and something, that while occasionally still capable of hitting it out of the park, is but a shell of its former self.

4. South Park – It’s amazing how a show who’s first couple seasons made it seem like a flash in the pan, potty mouth humor show aimed at early teens would evolve into one of the strongest, most relevant, and consistently amazing pieces of social commentary and satire. South Park ostensibly killed The Simpsons and Family Guy with their brilliant two part episode proving exactly why Family Guy is absolutely unwatchable.

5. Extras – Ricky Gervais understands the art of the small screen, as well as the half life of British comedy perhaps better than anyone. In many ways Extras takes what “The Office” did and evolves it to the next logical conclusion. If anyone can watch the Patrick Stewart episode without laughing their asses off, they probably greatly pine for more episodes of “Yes, Dear” and “Everybody Loves Raymond”. But alas, the proof is in the pudding.

6. House, M.D. – I was never able to get into any crime investigation or legal dramas, but my child hood ambitions of practicing medicine lead me to love the medical mystery drama that is House. The cast and writing is tremendous, and while much of Season 3 left much to be desired, Season 4 bounced back with a vengeance satirizing reality TV while introducing new characters amidst the familiar tried and true formula.

7. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia – I was really apprehensive about this one, and frankly didn’t get even after a few regular viewings. After committing myself to watching an entire season on DVD, I finally saw what I was missing and became absolutely obsessed with the show. 3 seasons later I can’t wait for the 4th this summer and think this is easily one of the funniest shows on TV today.

8.Friday Night Lights – I have to admit; I’m a bit of a sucker for decently written, teen melodrama. You can’t be honest with yourself if you can’t admit that the first season or two of Dawson’s Creek were solidly executed from a writing stand point and that there was a more than palatable level of snark and wit in the first season of The O.C., but if there’s ever been a show that doesn’t take the finest elements of the genre, as well as incorporate engaging back story, and a must see what happens next universe of characters, FNL would be this. There’s probably never been a show that you could spent an evening with a lady friend watching you both would be so enamored with and not be embarrassed to say as much. The absolute absurdity of how they won every single game of their fateful championship season aside, the football seasons are also praise worth as some of the best filmed. I also get more than my fair share of kicks seeing where I spent many a friday nights myself, Nelson Field, in back shots constantly.

9. King of the Hill – From the creative team that eventually would bring us The Office, I initially resisted this puppy as well (see a trend?) before finally giving it a chance and realizing what I’d been missing. Even the new episodes, while not quite as strong as the early ones, are true to form.

10. My one absolutely guilty pleasure: The Real World – I tolerate very little reality television, but this one started it all and still provides the highest array of unintentional comedy on television today. It’s a sociological character study on the American Dream, and what happens when you put 7 or 8 of the most myopic, shallow individuals you couldn’t stand in high school and college on 8 freighters all headed for one another at full speed. If anyone could watch Los Angeles’ Joey put down an entire 2 liter of White Z, black out, still not pass out til 8 the next morning, and threaten all of his roommates’ lives without eating up the unintended hilarity, you’re missing the point. “The Real World” remains amongst the trashiest pleasures on TV to date.

CURRENTLY RUNNING:

A. House (cynicism rules; I’m not suppose to use sarcasm near my kids, so I live it vicariously here)

B. Whose Line is it Anyway? (2000’s ROTF funny)

C. Man vs. Wild (the only intelligent Brit on the “telly”)

D. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (good guys win)

E. My Boys (my honey, PJ, doesn’t exist in real life)

NOW, MY “10” LIST:

1. SNL (top of the class all by itself, especially the early years; anyone who didn’t write down Saturday Night Live simply forgot that the TV is still on, and that the action isn’t really being played out in his/her living room)

2. Miami Vice (south beach before South Beach; the thongs during the opening credit were enuf to justify this show)

3. Max Headroom (pre-1984 comedy in George Orwell’s dark world)

4. The Equalizer (good guys win, circa 1980’s)

5. Star Trek: TNG (gotta love the Borg, anything that would spawn Seven)

6. Cheers (1980’s lighthearted funny)

7. Seinfeld (1990’s seriously funny)

8. ER (the medical world is alien to me; but this is what I’d imagine it’d be like)

9. West Wing (politics are alien to me; but this is but what I’d imagine it’d be like)

10. McHale’s Navy (b&w series always on after-school, lighter side of classic movie JFK and PT109 that would replay near Thanksgiving)

In no particular order:

1.Arrested Development
2. The Office
3.Seinfeld
4.The West Wing
5.Battlestar Galactica (by the way PB, the current season has been amazing so far)
6.The Simpsons
7.South Park
8.Lost
9.Six Feet Under
10.The Venture Brothers (everyone needs to tune to Cartoon Network Sunday nights to watch this brilliant show…though I’ll admit it’s pretty nerdy and fits a niche audience, probably not for everyone)

To add: I’ve never seen the Wire, though it’s on my netflix queue, never seen Friday Night Lights, and I’ve never seen Firefly, which I’m guessing I would love, and is also on my netflix queue.

Any list without Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot is incomplete.

I mostly watch TV for sports or escapist laughter, so Top 10 (non-sports)...

Arrested Development – This list is alphabetical, but this is the runaway favorite.

Big Bang Theory – Only one season (will there be more?), but the funniest and smartest current show. Added bonus eye candy.

Friends – Yeah, I know… couldn’t stand the characters and their stupid lifestyles, but it always made me laugh.

Cheers – Never gets old. (Plus, every time they show Woody, I see NBK – it’s a good kind of creepy.)

I Love Lucy – First rate, the grandmother of them all. Simple, yet refreshing.

Malcom in the Middle – Top notch cast and very funny, especially Hal.

NewsRadio – Most missed this gem the first go ‘round. Have been catching up on Hulu and love it.

Scrubs – Refused to watch at first (my better half’s ex was an M.D. and that’s all I heard about when this was on), but relented and it’s probably in my Top 3.

Seinfeld – Something about this show annoyed me at first (like Friends), but undeniably one of the best. Laugh even at the (syndicated rerun) commercials.

The Office – Hilarious, but almost too real. Did my time in offices. Never. Again.

Honorable mentions to:

All My Children (since it began) and One Life to Live (since early 80’s college) – The best soaps, with great writing and the best looking casts bar none.

Hell’s Kitchen – Kind of a one-trick-pony, but I can’t miss an episode.

Twilight Zone (original) – Amazing writing, acting, direction, photography. Just amazing.

1.) Mrs Show
2.)The Office (BBC)

3.) Arrested Development
4.)Twin Peaks
5.)Mr.Show
6.) The State
7.) The Office (NBC)
8.) SNL
9.)30 rock
10.) Always Sunny in Philly

I’ll actually try to do mine Mt. Rushmore style

Best drama – Lost
Best comedy – Seinfeld
Best animated – South Park
Best other – Jeopardy

And since so many of my other favorites have already been listed, here’s 10 yet discussed:

Boy Meets World: Best TGIF show. Woefully underrated next to Family Matters and Full House, but definitely better. Used to watch the Disney 1 am showings in college; I don’t think they have those anymore.
Animaniacs: Cartoon of choice growing up. Always wanted to memorize the country song, but never got passed Panama.
Undeclared: My Judd Apatow pick. Hilarious.
Band of Brothers: Not a TV show, but the best thing HBO has ever shown. Period. The Wire? Sopranos? Uhh, no. Band of Brothers.
America’s Best Dance Crew: Uhh, better than American Idol, anyway. Besides, AC Slater? The other guy from NSync that could actually sing, only he never became famous like Justin Timberlake? Yes and yes.
Saved by the Bell: Which reminds me, this show was pretty good, too. Not Boy Meets World good, but still good.
Even Stevens: Shia LeBouf’s only redeeming quality.
Everyday Italian: Giada. Yes, please.
Cash Cab: surprisingly watchable.
Stump the Schwab: I used to know one guy that would get 95% of the answers right. Borderline ridiculous.
Real World: Austin: Just to see where they went. The blonde was pretty good-looking as well.