best tv shows of all time ( greatest shows ever created)

by eric_soccerboy | created - 05 Mar 2012 | updated - 8 months ago | Public
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1. The Simpsons (1989– )

TV-14 | 22 min | Animation, Comedy

The satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.

Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer, Julie Kavner

Votes: 435,617

2. Mad Men (2007–2015)

TV-MA | 45 min | Drama

A drama about one of New York's most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.

Stars: Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones

Votes: 260,384

3. The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)

TV-PG | 51 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror

Ordinary people find themselves in extraordinarily astounding situations, which they each try to solve in a remarkable manner.

Stars: Rod Serling, Robert McCord, Jay Overholts, James Turley

Votes: 93,080

4. Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2013–2018)

TV-PG | 42 min | Documentary, Adventure

Anthony Bourdain visits countries, delving into their political issues as well as indigenous food and culture.

Stars: Anthony Bourdain, Tom Vitale, David Scott Holloway, Eric Ripert

Votes: 6,921

5. Futurama (1999– )

TV-14 | 22 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Philip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy, is accidentally frozen in 1999 and thawed out on New Year's Eve 2999.

Stars: Billy West, John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille

Votes: 260,821

6. South Park (1997– )

TV-MA | 22 min | Animation, Comedy

Follows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.

Stars: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Isaac Hayes, Mona Marshall

Votes: 405,751

7. Twin Peaks (1990–1991)

TV-MA | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

An idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks.

Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook

Votes: 215,272

8. Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000–2024)

TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy

Larry David stars as an over-the-top version of himself in this comedy series that shows how seemingly trivial details of day-to-day life can precipitate a catastrophic chain of events.

Stars: Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman

Votes: 146,963

9. The Office (2005–2013)

TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy

A mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, and tedium.

Stars: Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson

Votes: 710,564

10. Breaking Bad (2008–2013)

TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

A chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with a former student in order to secure his family's future.

Stars: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt

Votes: 2,134,189

11. The Sopranos (1999–2007)

TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama

New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.

Stars: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli

Votes: 470,570

12. Game of Thrones (2011–2019)

TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.

Stars: Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey

Votes: 2,282,570

13. Friends (1994–2004)

TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, Romance

Follows the personal and professional lives of six twenty to thirty year-old friends living in the Manhattan borough of New York City.

Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc

Votes: 1,087,457

14. Entourage (2004–2011)

TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Drama

Film star, Vince Chase, navigates the vapid terrain of Los Angeles with a close circle of friends and his trusty agent.

Stars: Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara

Votes: 176,783

15. Seinfeld (1989–1998)

TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy

The continuing misadventures of neurotic New York City stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his equally neurotic New York City friends.

Stars: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander

Votes: 351,210

16. Black Mirror (2011– )

TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Featuring stand-alone dramas -- sharp, suspenseful, satirical tales that explore techno-paranoia -- "Black Mirror" is a contemporary reworking of "The Twilight Zone" with stories that tap into the collective unease about the modern world.

Stars: Wunmi Mosaku, Monica Dolan, Daniel Lapaine, Hannah John-Kamen

Votes: 639,512

17. That '70s Show (1998–2006)

TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

A comedy revolving around a group of teenage friends, their mishaps, and their coming of age, set in 1970s Wisconsin.

Stars: Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, Danny Masterson

Votes: 189,258

18. Rick and Morty (2013– )

TV-MA | 23 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

The fractured domestic lives of a nihilistic mad scientist and his anxious grandson are further complicated by their inter-dimensional misadventures.

Stars: Chris Parnell, Spencer Grammer, Sarah Chalke, Justin Roiland

Votes: 600,928

19. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009–2010)

TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

Two brothers search for a Philosopher's Stone after an attempt to revive their deceased mother goes awry and leaves them in damaged physical forms.

Stars: Kent Williams, Iemasa Kayumi, Matthew Leonhart, Vic Mignogna

Votes: 197,263

20. Married... with Children (1987–1997)

TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy

Al is the quintessential working class dad. Peggy, his wife, always wants more from him. With their children, they go through the highs and lows of ordinary life.

Stars: Ed O'Neill, Christina Applegate, Katey Sagal, Amanda Bearse

Votes: 111,060

21. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996)

TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy

A streetwise, poor young man from Philadelphia is sent by his mother to live with his aunt, uncle and cousins in their Bel-Air mansion.

Stars: Will Smith, James Avery, Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana Ali

Votes: 144,593

22. Death Note (2006–2007)

TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Crime, Drama

An intelligent high school student goes on a secret crusade to eliminate criminals from the world after discovering a notebook capable of killing anyone whose name is written into it.

Stars: Mamoru Miyano, Brad Swaile, Vincent Tong, Ryô Naitô

Votes: 378,056

23. Dragon Ball Z (1996–2003)

TV-PG | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

With the help of the powerful Dragonballs, a team of fighters led by the saiyan warrior Goku defend the planet earth from extraterrestrial enemies.

Stars: Doc Harris, Christopher Sabat, Scott McNeil, Sean Schemmel

Votes: 147,587

24. Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014)

TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama

An Atlantic City politician plays both sides of the law by conspiring with gangsters during the Prohibition era.

Stars: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham

Votes: 203,065

25. Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000)

TV-14 | 45 min | Comedy, Drama

A high school mathlete starts hanging out with a group of burnouts while her younger brother navigates his freshman year.

Stars: Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Samm Levine

Votes: 153,190

26. How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014)

TV-14 | 4,576 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

A father recounts to his children - through a series of flashbacks - the journey he and his four best friends took leading up to him meeting their mother.

Stars: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris

Votes: 728,177

27. Atlanta (2016–2022)

TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Music

Earn and his cousin, Alfred, try to make their way in the world through Atlanta's rap scene. Along the way they come face-to-face with social and economic issues touching on race, relationships, poverty, status and parenthood.

Stars: Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz

Votes: 87,959

28. Stranger Things (2016–2025)

TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror

When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one strange little girl.

Stars: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, David Harbour

Votes: 1,334,874

29. Better Call Saul (2015–2022)

TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama

The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill in the years leading up to his fateful run-in with Walter White and Jesse Pinkman.

Stars: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Patrick Fabian

Votes: 646,630

30. Californication (2007–2014)

TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama

A writer tries to juggle his career, his relationship with his daughter and his ex-girlfriend, as well as his appetite for beautiful women.

Stars: David Duchovny, Natascha McElhone, Evan Handler, Pamela Adlon

Votes: 188,373

31. Louie (2010–2015)

TV-MA | 22 min | Comedy, Drama

The life of Louie C.K., a divorced comedian living in New York with two kids.

Stars: Louis C.K., Hadley Delany, Ursula Parker, Pamela Adlon

Votes: 82,189

32. Dexter (2006–2013)

TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

He's smart. He's lovable. He's Dexter Morgan, America's favorite serial killer, who spends his days solving crimes and nights committing them.

Stars: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, James Remar

Votes: 765,265

33. Fawlty Towers (1975–1979)

TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy

Hotel owner Basil Fawlty's incompetence, short fuse, and arrogance form a combination that ensures accidents and trouble are never far away.

Stars: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth

Votes: 100,098

34. King of the Hill (1997–2010)

TV-14 | 30 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama

A straight-laced propane salesman in Arlen, Texas tries to deal with the wacky antics of his family and friends, while also trying to keep his son in line.

Stars: Mike Judge, Kathy Najimy, Pamela Adlon, Johnny Hardwick

Votes: 58,415

35. Fullmetal Alchemist (2003–2004)

TV-PG | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

When a failed alchemical ritual leaves brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric with severely damaged bodies, they begin searching for the one thing that can save them: the fabled philosopher's stone.

Stars: Vic Mignogna, Aaron Dismuke, Romi Park, Rie Kugimiya

Votes: 77,559

36. Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008)

TV-Y7-FV | 23 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

In a war-torn world of elemental powers, a young boy reawakens to undertake a dangerous mystic quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar, and bring peace to the world.

Stars: Dee Bradley Baker, Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Jack De Sena

Votes: 372,345

37. Parks and Recreation (2009–2015)

TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy

The absurd antics of an Indiana town's public officials as they pursue sundry projects to make their city a better place.

Stars: Amy Poehler, Jim O'Heir, Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt

Votes: 287,811

38. Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995)

TV-PG | 23 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

The Dark Knight battles crime in Gotham City with occasional help from Robin and Batgirl.

Stars: Kevin Conroy, Loren Lester, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Bob Hastings

Votes: 116,906

39. Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994–1998)

TV-Y7 | 23 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

A young man with spider-like abilities fights crime as a superhero in New York City while trying to have a normal personal life.

Stars: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Sara Ballantine, Edward Asner, Roscoe Lee Browne

Votes: 35,375

40. The Mandalorian (2019– )

TV-14 | 40 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

The travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.

Stars: Pedro Pascal, Chris Bartlett, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers

Votes: 586,518

41. Community (2009–2015)

TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy

A suspended lawyer is forced to enroll in a community college with an eccentric staff and student body.

Stars: Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Donald Glover, Chevy Chase

Votes: 293,302

42. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013–2021)

TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, Crime

Comedy series following the exploits of Det. Jake Peralta and his diverse, lovable colleagues as they police the NYPD's 99th Precinct.

Stars: Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero

Votes: 362,712

43. Ted Lasso (2020–2023)

TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport

American college football coach Ted Lasso heads to London to manage AFC Richmond, a struggling English Premier League soccer team.

Stars: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Jeremy Swift, Phil Dunster

Votes: 347,668

44. Yellowstone (2018– )

TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Western

A ranching family in Montana faces off against others encroaching on their land.

Stars: Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley

Votes: 220,049

45. 1883 (2021–2022)

TV-MA | 56 min | Drama, Western

The post-Civil war generation of the Dutton family travels to Texas, and joins a wagon train undertaking the arduous journey west to Oregon, before settling in Montana to establish what would eventually become the Yellowstone Ranch.

Stars: Tim McGraw, Sam Elliott, Faith Hill, Isabel May

Votes: 115,918



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