greatest tv episodes of all time
by jwhite-574-920203 | created - 29 May 2016 | updated - 29 May 2016 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1.
Seinfeld (1989–1998)
Episode:
The Contest
(1992)
PG | 23 min | Comedy
George's mother throws her back out when she falls down after catching George performing a personal act; the gang partakes in a contest of self-denial.
Director: Tom Cherones | Stars: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander
Votes: 9,193
2.
Breaking Bad (2008–2013)
Episode:
Ozymandias
(2013)
TV-14 | 47 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Walt goes on the run. Jesse is taken hostage. Marie forces Skyler to tell Walter, Jr. the truth.
Director: Rian Johnson | Stars: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris
Votes: 215,101
3.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
Final Grades
(2006)
TV-MA | 79 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
In the Season Four finale, the bodies from the vacants pile up while Burrell offers his support to Daniels and admonishes Rawls for crossing him. A distraught Bubbles finds himself at his wit's end after his revenge plan backfires.
Director: Ernest R. Dickerson | Stars: Dominic West, John Doman, Frankie Faison, Aidan Gillen
Votes: 6,025
4.
Lost (2004–2010)
Episode:
Pilot: Part 1
(2004)
TV-14 | 42 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Forty-eight survivors of an airline flight originating from Australia, bound for the U.S., which crash-lands onto an unknown island 1000 miles off course, struggle to figure out a way to survive while trying to find a way to be rescued.
Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Terry O'Quinn, Naveen Andrews
Votes: 12,743
5.
Lost (2004–2010)
Episode:
Pilot: Part 2
(2004)
TV-14 | 40 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Having retrieved the plane tranceiver, a group of survivors try to transmit a signal, only to receive a strange transmission from another inhabitant.
Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Matthew Fox, Terry O'Quinn, Evangeline Lilly, Naveen Andrews
Votes: 9,798
6.
Breaking Bad (2008–2013)
Episode:
Felina
(2013)
TV-14 | 55 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Walter White returns to Albuquerque one last time to secure his family's future and settle old scores.
Director: Vince Gilligan | Stars: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris
Votes: 139,223
7.
Six Feet Under (2001–2005)
Episode:
Everyone's Waiting
(2005)
TV-MA | 73 min | Comedy, Drama
Nate and Brenda's daughter Willa is born, but 2 months early and at only 2 lb. 4 oz., requiring a prolonged hospital stay. Nate is convinced she won't make it and insists that he can't ... See full summary »
Director: Alan Ball | Stars: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose
Votes: 12,270
8.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977)
Episode:
Chuckles Bites the Dust
(1975)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
Mary thinks that the death of Chuckles the Clown is nothing to laugh about--until she attends the funeral.
Director: Joan Darling | Stars: Mary Tyler Moore, Edward Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight
Votes: 526
9.
I Love Lucy (1951–1957)
Episode:
Lucy Does a TV Commercial
(1952)
TV-Y | 30 min | Comedy, Family
Lucy has angled her way onto Ricky's special as the show's pitch girl. She advertises a medicine called "Vitameatavegamin." Believing it contains vitamins, minerals, meat, and vegetables, ... See full summary »
Director: Marc Daniels | Stars: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, William Frawley
Votes: 1,042
10.
I Love Lucy (1951–1957)
Episode:
Job Switching
(1952)
TV-Y | 30 min | Comedy, Family
After Ricky and Fred get upset about the girls' spending, Lucy and Ethel go to work in a candy factory while the boys do the housework.
Director: William Asher | Stars: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, William Frawley
Votes: 791
11.
M*A*S*H (1972–1983)
Episode:
Abyssinia, Henry
(1975)
TV-PG | 25 min | Comedy, Drama, War
Henry finds out he's been discharged from the army and everyone at the 4077th prepares to say goodbye to him as he heads home.
Director: Larry Gelbart | Stars: Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, McLean Stevenson, Loretta Swit
Votes: 1,488
12.
Twin Peaks (1990–1991)
Episode:
Lonely Souls
(1990)
TV-14 | 47 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Cooper and the One-Armed Man inspect guests at the Great Northern. Hawk finds Harold Smith dead - with a mysterious suicide note and the diary torn to shreds. Leo speaks to Bobby about "new shoes."
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook
Votes: 6,434
13.
The Simpsons (1989– )
Episode:
Homer Badman
(1994)
TV-14 | 30 min | Animation, Comedy
Homer is branded as a pervert after his kids' babysitter misconstrues his retrieval of a candy from the seat of her pants as a sexual advance.
Director: Jeffrey Lynch | Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 4,750
14.
Mad Men (2007–2015)
Episode:
The Suitcase
(2010)
TV-14 | 48 min | Drama
Don deliberately delays returning an important call from California, because he knows it's bad news about Anna. Instead, he keeps himself occupied by forcing Peggy to miss her birthday dinner to pull an all-nighter with him for a client.
Director: Jennifer Getzinger | Stars: Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones
Votes: 6,433
15.
The Sopranos (1999–2007)
Episode:
Pine Barrens
(2001)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
While Silvio has the flu, Chris and Paulie run his collections for him, which results in the pair getting lost in the woods and nearly freezing to death while Tony's affair with Gloria goes sour as does Meadow's relationship with Jackie Jr.
Director: Steve Buscemi | Stars: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli
Votes: 15,658
16.
Breaking Bad (2008–2013)
Episode:
Face Off
(2011)
TV-14 | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Jesse is brought to the FBI for questioning on his knowledge of ricin. In a last effort to kill Gus, Walt must ask for help from an old enemy.
Director: Vince Gilligan | Stars: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris
Votes: 74,558
17.
True Detective (2014– )
Episode:
Who Goes There
(2014)
TV-MA | 56 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Martin is faced with marital problems. The search for Reggie Ledoux leads the detectives to a motorcycle gang called the Iron Crusaders, which Rust worked undercover in the past.
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Potts
Votes: 35,041
18.
Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
Episode:
Hardhome
(2015)
TV-MA | 61 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Tyrion advises Daenerys. Sansa forces Theon to tell her a secret. Cersei remains stubborn. Arya meets her first target. Jon and Tormund meet with the wildling elders.
Director: Miguel Sapochnik | Stars: Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington
Votes: 108,168
19.
Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
Episode:
The Rains of Castamere
(2013)
TV-MA | 51 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Robb and Catelyn arrive at the Twins for the wedding. Jon is put to the test to see where his loyalties truly lie. Bran's group decides to split up. Daenerys plans an invasion of Yunkai.
Director: David Nutter | Stars: Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Richard Madden, Iain Glen
Votes: 117,651
20.
Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
Episode:
The Mountain and the Viper
(2014)
TV-MA | 52 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Theon helps Ramsay seize Moat Cailin. The wildlings attack Mole's Town. Sansa comes up with a story to protect Lord Baelish. Daenerys finds out a secret about Jorah Mormont. Oberyn Martell faces Gregor Clegane, the Mountain.
Director: Alex Graves | Stars: Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke
Votes: 60,371
21.
Mad Men (2007–2015)
Episode:
Person to Person
(2015)
TV-14 | 56 min | Drama
Don's journey ends in California with Anna's niece, Stephanie, where he contemplates his future. Roger decides to marry Megan's mother, Marie. Joan has a business proposition for Peggy, who is coming to terms with her feelings for Stan.
Director: Matthew Weiner | Stars: Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones
Votes: 4,726
22.
The Simpsons (1989– )
Episode:
Two Bad Neighbors
(1996)
TV-14 | 21 min | Animation, Comedy
Former President George Bush and his wife, Barbara, move into the Simpsons' neighborhood and soon clash with Bart and Homer.
Director: Wesley Archer | Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 3,740
23.
The Simpsons (1989– )
Episode:
The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson
(1997)
TV-PG | 30 min | Animation, Comedy
Homer must travel to New York to get his car back, which is illegally parked at World Trade Center Plaza.
Director: Jim Reardon | Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 5,068
24.
The Simpsons (1989– )
Episode:
Marge vs. the Monorail
(1993)
TV-14 | 30 min | Animation, Comedy
After receiving a considerable donation of money, Springfield builds a monorail system with Homer as the conductor, unaware they've just boarded a one-way train to Hell.
Director: Rich Moore | Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 5,789
25.
All in the Family (1971–1979)
Episode:
Archie Is Branded
(1973)
TV-PG | 25 min | Comedy, Drama
Archie thinks a swastika painted on his door may be juvenile pranksters, but Mike is concerned that the Bunkers' home may have been mistaken for the residence of a Jewish radical.
Directors: Bob LaHendro, John Rich | Stars: Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers
Votes: 350
26.
WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982)
Episode:
Turkeys Away
(1978)
TV-PG | 24 min | Comedy
Feeling left out by all the recent changes, Mr. Carlson decides to launch his own Thanksgiving promotion. With the aid of Herb and Les, the Big Guy turns a routine turkey give-away into a comic catastrophe.
Director: Michael Zinberg | Stars: Gary Sandy, Gordon Jump, Loni Anderson, Richard Sanders
Votes: 1,083
27.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977)
Episode:
Put on a Happy Face
(1973)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
A stained dress, a sprained foot, a bad cold, and a hair bump -- what else is going to wrong for Mary before the annual Teddy Awards banquet?
Director: Jay Sandrich | Stars: Mary Tyler Moore, Edward Asner, Valerie Harper, Gavin MacLeod
Votes: 286
28.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977)
Episode:
The Last Show
(1977)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
In the upside world of WJM, there's a shake up in the newsroom and everybody but Ted gets fired including Mary who is left to turn out the lights.
Director: Jay Sandrich | Stars: Mary Tyler Moore, Edward Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight
Votes: 363
29.
The Simpsons (1989– )
Episode:
Homer's Enemy
(1997)
TV-14 | 30 min | Animation, Comedy
Homer's laziness begets the ire of his industrious but arrogant new co-worker Frank Grimes; Bart buys a run-down factory for a dollar.
Director: Jim Reardon | Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 6,840
30.
Seinfeld (1989–1998)
Episode:
The Soup Nazi
(1995)
TV-PG | 23 min | Comedy
A soup stand owner obsesses about his customers' ordering procedure, but his soup is so good that people line up down the block for it anyway.
Director: Andy Ackerman | Stars: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander
Votes: 7,318
31.
The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)
Episode:
Eye of the Beholder
(1960)
TV-PG | 25 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A young woman lying in a hospital bed, her head wrapped in bandages, awaits the outcome of a surgical procedure performed by the State in a last-ditch attempt to make her look "normal."
Director: Douglas Heyes | Stars: Maxine Stuart, William D. Gordon, Jennifer Howard, George Keymas
Votes: 6,253
32.
The Wire (2002–2008)
Episode:
-30-
(2008)
TV-MA | 93 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Carcetti maps out a damage-control scenario with the police brass in the wake of a startling revelation from Pearlman and Daniels. Their choice: clean up the mess...or hide the dirt.
Director: Clark Johnson | Stars: Dominic West, Reg E. Cathey, John Doman, Aidan Gillen
Votes: 6,757
33.
Twin Peaks (1990–1991)
Episode:
Northwest Passage
(1989)
Unrated | 94 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The small northwest town of Twin Peaks, Washington is shaken up when the body of the Homecoming Queen, Laura Palmer, is discovered washed up on a riverbank, wrapped in plastic.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook
Votes: 16,847
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