Television has radically changed since its "Golden Age" between the 1940s and 1960s. Writers take big leaps that change the game forever, actors are more involved with their characters and the world-building is literally out of this world. To nail down the best television shows takes a lot of screen time and plenty of love for the creative experience.
The current era of television is certainly an exciting trip. Scripted shows are bending genres and captivating viewers on streaming, with social media playing a hand in upping viewership. Even when social media wasn't a marketing tool or a place where fans can share their love for complicated characters, TV shows didn't fail to impress. Some of the greatest works of television stem from the twisty, creepy aura of The Twilight Zone, all the way to Breaking Bad's meth-cooking cancer patient and Game of Thrones' fantastical landscape of winter, fire and blood.
Updated on September 22, 2023 by Katie Doll: Television is more than just a screen used as a source of entertainment. It brings people together through a shared love of dynamic characters and captivating stories. Not everyone's list of the best TV shows of all time is going to be the same, but these are the ones that touched millions of lives and left a legacy for future shows to follow.
20 Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
5 Seasons, 76 Episodes
Friday Night Lights was never intensely popular among television audiences during its lifespan, and it struggled to maintain relevancy during the 2007-08 writer's strike on NBC, leading to its move on DirectTV. Though, Friday Night Lights was a testament to filmmakers who aimed to create something raw and real on television, and in this case, the true story of football culture in a small Texan town.
The series, based on the book and film of the same name, garnered critical success for its realistic depiction of Middle America and sensitive issues that arise in these areas. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton lead the cast as Eric Taylor and his wife Tami Taylor, the high school football coach and guidance counselor, respectively. The result was a cinematically grounded show that miraculously managed to capture the hearts of football and teen shows haters.
19 Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969)
3 Seasons, 79 Episodes
The series that started it all, Star Trek: The Original Series sparked a multi-media franchise that has kept with fans across generations. Without it, there would be no Star Trek films, video games or the newer television shows. It's hard to ignore the legacy that Star Trek built for the future of its own franchise, and the sci-fi genre in general.
Taking place between 2266 and 2269 in the Milky Way galaxy, Star Trek follows the crew of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) and their adventures to fulfill the starship's purpose of exploring new worlds and new life. Even if the newer shows have measured up to Star Trek's quality, nothing can beat the original.
18 Friends (1994-2004)
10 Seasons, 236 Episodes
To get the bad pun out of the way: "No one told the Friends cast life was going to be this way." The careers and lives of the core six cast members of Friends was never the same after the sitcom. They all rightfully became household names in the entertainment industry, and it's all because of millions of viewers' love for the NBC sitcom.
Friends is as straight-forward as it sounds: six friends in their 20s and 30s go through life's ups and downs in Manhattan. The series never let up during its 10-season run, managing to one up the previous season until the next. The finale is the fifth-most-watched series finale of all time, racking in 52.5 million American viewers.
17 Twin Peaks (1990-1991, 2017)
3 Seasons, 48 Episodes
If there was one thing Twin Peaks was, it was campy. Each season became harder and harder to describe, but it left people with some burning questions in the hopes that the gothic mystery show would finally have some answers. It's why 26 years after the massive cliffhanger in the Season 2 finale, the series had a brief reboot with a third season.
Twin Peaks is one of the few shows out there that can justify such a bold move of reviving the show over a quarter of a century later. The first season deals with the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer, partnered with David Lynch's exceptional cinematography and strange characters.
16 Fleabag (2016-2019)
2 Seasons, 12 Episodes
To be on several "Best of..." lists with only two seasons and 12 seasons with no signs of returning is a radical accomplishment. Phoebe Waller-Bridge managed to do it with Fleabag, which is based on her one-woman show that she performed in 2013. Fleabag, as both the show and the titular character, is quirky and devastating, employing the act of breaking the fourth wall to let viewers feel included in Fleabag's gut-wrenching life.
Fleabag is a mess of a woman, making the habit of ruining other people's lives while also making no efforts in fixing her own. But hey, she's pretty funny, and that's enough reason to love her. She's a raunchy gal who only needs a short amount of time to tell a great story about relationships, two of the best being with her sister and the Hot Priest.
15 The Walking Dead (2010-2022)
11 Seasons, 177 Episodes
For 11 seasons, the quality of AMC's The Walking Dead fluctuated like a rollercoaster meant to make riders vomit from excitement. For a few stiff seasons, viewers didn't know if they were getting a great 16 episodes that perfectly balance a tale of hardships to survive and well-choreographed fight scenes, or a wishy-washy arc that took its sweet time to pay off. Nevertheless, The Walking Dead had a cultural impact on modern television that continued with various spinoffs.
Based on the comic book series of the same name, The Walking Dead begins as a sheriff's deputy's mission to find his wife and son after waking up from a coma in a zombie apocalypse. Quickly, it turns into a group's struggle to maintain a sliver of humanity in a world without law and order.
14 M*A*S*H* (1972-1983)
11 Seasons, 256 Episodes
A feat that M*A*S*H* was forced to accomplish in its early seasons was depicting the Korean War during the ongoing Vietnam War. The show, while pictured as a comedy blended with drama, had to be careful of the commentary it was saying about America's involvement in the war. Yet, this wasn't what drew millions of viewers to the show and its most-watched finale of all time -- it was the chemistry between the ensemble cast and their lives during wartime.
Set during the Korean War, M*A*S*H* features a team of doctors and staff stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Uijeongbu, South Korea. The dramatic subject of the show is often layered in comedic undertones to lighten scenes, but the show never shied away from depicting tragedy and difficult conversations.
13 Saturday Night Live (1975-present)
48 Seasons, 948 Episodes
Every season, people love to debate on the state of quality Saturday Night Live is in. Some seasons are great; others suffer from the revolving door of cast changes and mishandling of important cultural moments. But there's a reason it's still around to this day. Having aired since 1975, SNL has appealed to many generations, bringing people together on Saturday nights for good laughs to unwind from the week.
At its heart, SNL's format hasn't changed that much from its first season. Every episode is hosted by a celebrity guest with performances by a musical guest, and cast members perform several comedic sketches. The sketches range from political satire to music video parodies -- something everyone can enjoy.
12 The Leftovers (2014-2017)
3 Seasons, 28 Episodes
In just three seasons, Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta turned Perrotta's novel into a star-studded, mesmerizing HBO show that commentates on different coping mechanisms and the tragedy of grief. Though still impressive in its first season, it wasn't until the second and third seasons when The Leftovers' themes left a resounding mark on television history due to its complex questions about faith and the nature of the Departure.
The Leftovers takes place three years after a phenomenon known as the "Sudden Departure," which saw two percent of the world's population disappear unexpectedly. The series initially follows four main characters as they adjust to life after the event: police chief Kevin Garvey, cult member Laurie Garvey, Reverend Matt Jamison and Nora Durst, who lost her entire family in the Departure.
11 Better Call Saul (2015-2022)
6 Seasons, 63 Episodes
Spinoffs rarely ever live up to its predecessor. For the case of Better Call Saul, this couldn't be more untrue. Bob Odenkirk's Saul Goodman was an unexpected breakout character of the AMC series Breaking Bad. His shady -- but strangely the most honest -- presence made him a fan-favorite that convinced writers Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould to make him the star of his own show.
Framed as both a prequel and a sequel, Better Call Saul shows how a lawyer like Jimmy McGill would become the morally corrupt criminal-defense attorney Saul Goodman. In supporting roles are Jimmy's romantic interest Kim Wexler, the drug lord Gus Fring, Jimmy's brother Chuck, his law partner Howard and drug dealer Nacho.
10 Mad Men (2007-2015)
7 Seasons, 92 Episodes
Mad Men is owed for beginning AMC's peak era, and without fans likely would've never gotten Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead or Better Call Saul. The period drama proved that AMC was a worthy competitor in the television sphere and not just a network that reruns classic movies.
Set in the 1950s-1970s, Mad Men follows the careers of advertisers working at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Mainly, the show revolves around the personal and professional life of the erratic creative director Don Draper. The costume design, meticulous sets and gorgeous writing create a suspenseful drama that can't be ignored.
9 Succession (2018-2023)
4 Seasons, 39 Episodes
Succession is one of those shows that was sort of a sleeper hit at first, but season after season, it became a phenomenon of sorts. An HBO series about a rich, greedy family fighting for the role of CEO took the world by storm, especially in its jaw-dropping final season.
In all its glory, Succession managed to sympathize rotten characters that would be hated if the little glimpses of children vying for Dad's love didn't peak through. What really sells this series though isn't the complicated business jargon, but the quick-witted dialogue that the cast masterfully soar through like it's an everyday conversation.
8 Lost (2004-2010)
6 Seasons, 121 Episodes
There was a time when it was hard to find someone not watching ABC's Lost. Every single episode had some sort of twist or cliffhanger that urged viewers to return the next week to crack the newest mystery. Whatever people think this show is, it's far from what it appears to be.
After a plane crash on an island, a group of survivors discovers that the island is anything but ordinary. They begin to experience supernatural events that uncover the truth about the island's origins, and flashbacks reveal connections between the survivors and the crash that prove coincidences don't exist in this world.
7 Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
8 Seasons, 73 Episodes
Four years after the series finale, most people picture the infamously misguided final season when they first think of Game of Thrones. In the grand scope of the show, Game of Thrones is a prime example of immersive world-building and careful handling of an ensemble cast. A lot happens in Game of Thrones, but it rarely gets lost in its own glory.
Game of Thrones is based on the unfinished book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. Following (mostly) three main storylines, Game of Thrones explores the fictional world of Westeros and Essos as different characters scheme for a spot on the Iron Throne, while others are more concerned with the growing Army of the Dead up North.
6 Seinfeld (1989-1998)
9 Seasons, 180 Episodes
There are so many sitcoms that stick with people after they end because people latch onto these characters and their quirky antics and relationships with each other. Arguably, the sitcom that did it the best while also setting the terms for other sitcoms to follow was Seinfeld.
Consisting of 180 episodes, Seinfeld starred Jerry Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself with his three best friends George, Elaine and Cosmo. Although it's been described as a "series about nothing," Seinfeld is anything but mundane; it mirrors average, everyday life in a comedic lens that is relatable to viewers, even outside its '90s timeframe.
5 The Simpsons (1989-present)
34 Seasons, 750 Episodes
The Simpsons holds the record for longest-running scripted series, sitcom and animated series in America, reaching nearly 800 episodes since its original airing in 1989. The sitcom has since grown into a multimedia franchise with a feature-length film, comics, video games and books. And it's all because of the dysfunctional family that provides plenty of humor when people need it the most.
The Simpsons revolves around the family of the same name, consisting of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. They live in the fictional city of Springfield which is constantly changing geography and houses many neighbors and residents that the Simpson family are constantly interacting with.
4 The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
5 Seasons, 156 Episodes
The Twilight Zone is what most supernatural anthology series want to be. It's hard to find a show today as eerie and entertaining as The Twilight Show was because nothing can quite compare to it. Even with a 2019 reboot, the original show reigns superior.
The Twilight Zone is narrated by Rod Serling, who also created the series and provides a monologue at the beginning and end of each episode. Each episode describes an event where characters find themselves in "the Twilight Zone," a place where unusual things happen. These paranormal or supernatural events would oftentimes be disturbing and touch on real issues grounded in a moral.
3 The Wire (2002-2008)
5 Seasons, 60 Episodes
In the early to mid-2000s, HBO was putting out hit after hit. Not as if the service doesn't do that now, but there was something about this era of television that made people pay a little extra for this loaded channel. The Wire was just one of these reasons, with a different story each season that intellectually characterizes law enforcement's relationship with various institutions.
Set in Baltimore, Maryland, The Wire takes a look at complex issues in education, the government and the illegal drug trade. The show is arguably the best at accurately depicting these issues and how they weave into society and politics.
2 Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
5 Seasons, 62 Episodes
Breaking Bad, for all it's worth now, was a risk back in its youth. AMC was only riding the beginning of the Mad Men train, and The Walking Dead hadn't even aired its first season. The cable channel needed a prestige show to rock everyone's world and give them something never seen on the small screen. How about a cancer patient turning to a life of dealing meth while partnering with his former student?
Breaking Bad turned heads in all sorts of directions throughout its five-season run. It built this mediocre chemistry teacher as the Heisenberg no one should cross. It's one of the few shows that makes it hard to sympathize with the lead by the end, but the build-up was a tense and gripping ride.
1 The Sopranos (1999-2007)
6 Seasons, 86 Episodes
It's hard to find a lover of television who doesn't consider The Sopranos at least in the top five shows of all time. Even if they've never seen this organized crime family in action, it's pretty universally known that The Sopranos set the stage for a second Golden Age of Television. The Sopranos has everything that makes a TV show stimulating enough to be a pop culture icon: smart, humorous, evolving characters and ugly drama.
Although titled The Sopranos, the series is mainly focused on one Soprano: Tony, a man who juggles two different lifestyles as a mobster boss and a family man. His tangled business and struggles to uphold his family bring him to therapy, which offers a grounded perspective on the mind inside one of the most dangerous men in the North Jersey area.