17 Best TV Shows of All Time for Every Kind of Viewer

Best TV Shows of All Time: 17 Essential Series to Watch

Key takeaways

There’s no single, objective answer to which TV shows are the best of all time.
The selection spans dramas, sitcoms, science fiction, animation, sketch comedy, and more—not just modern prestige television.
The order isn’t a definitive ranking.
Think of them as a varied starter canon: a way to find the kind of series you want to watch next.

There’s no single, objective answer to which TV shows are the best of all time. But if you’re looking for a strong starting list, these 17 series stand out for their writing, influence, distinctive styles, or lasting appeal. The selection spans dramas, sitcoms, science fiction, animation, sketch comedy, and more—not just modern prestige television.

The order isn’t a definitive ranking. Lists reflect their voters’ priorities: the Writers Guild of America’s list focuses on writing, while Rolling Stone’s broader poll takes in a wider range of television. Their rankings differ, even among the most celebrated shows. The WGA’s 101 Best Written TV Series, for example, places Seinfeld second and The Wire ninth; a 2016 Rolling Stone poll put The Wire second and Seinfeld fifth.

The best TV dramas of all time

The Sopranos

A landmark crime drama about mob boss Tony Soprano, his family, and the pressures of leading a criminal organization. Its therapy sessions give the series a way to explore Tony’s anxieties and contradictions alongside the violence and power struggles of mob life. It’s a rich choice if you want a character-driven drama rather than a straightforward crime procedural.

The Wire

Set in Baltimore, The Wire looks at crime, policing, politics, schools, and the press, following how people and institutions shape one another. Its scope broadens over time, so the series rewards patient viewing more than casual sampling. If you’re interested in social systems as much as individual characters, start here.

Breaking Bad

Chemistry teacher Walter White’s transformation into a criminal is the engine of this tightly serialized drama. The show builds tension by making consequences accumulate: decisions that seem manageable at first become increasingly difficult to undo. Choose it for a propulsive story with a clear central arc.

Mad Men

Set in the advertising world of 1960s New York, Mad Men uses workplace ambition and shifting social norms to examine identity, status, and reinvention. It’s more interested in character and atmosphere than cliffhangers, making it a good fit for viewers who enjoy carefully observed period drama.

Game of Thrones

This fantasy series combines dynastic conflict, political maneuvering, and large-scale battles in a story told across several competing factions. Its appeal lies partly in the way power shifts between characters and families, keeping the focus broader than a single hero’s journey. It suits viewers looking for an expansive, plot-heavy fantasy drama.

Twin Peaks

David Lynch and Mark Frost’s mystery begins with the investigation of a young woman’s death in a small town, then grows stranger and more dreamlike. It blends melodrama, humor, horror, and surrealism rather than settling into one genre. If you prefer mysteries with conventional answers, it may be an unusual starting point; if you enjoy deliberate ambiguity, it’s a standout.

The best comedy and sitcoms of all time

Seinfeld

Built around the everyday irritations and social missteps of its central characters, Seinfeld helped make small grievances the material of a sitcom. Its comedy comes less from heartfelt lessons than from watching situations spiral through awkward choices and crossed expectations. It’s an easy recommendation for viewers who like observational humor.

The Simpsons

The long-running animated sitcom uses the Simpson family and the town of Springfield to send up family life, politics, celebrity, and pop culture. Its animated format lets it move freely between domestic comedy and broad satire. It’s also a useful pick for anyone who wants a series they can watch in individual episodes rather than follow as one continuous story.

All in the Family

This sitcom puts political and social conflict inside a family home, using the clashes between Archie Bunker and the people around him as its central source of tension. Its humor is often pointed, and the series is especially worth considering for viewers interested in how television comedy can tackle controversial subjects. It appears near the top of the WGA’s list of best-written series.

MA*SH

Set at a mobile army surgical hospital during the Korean War, M*A*S*H mixes comedy with the pressures and costs of working in wartime. That balance gives it a different feel from a conventional workplace sitcom: jokes share space with grief and moral unease. It’s a good choice if you want comedy with a more reflective edge.

Cheers

Centered on the regulars and staff of a Boston bar, Cheers makes a familiar setting feel lively through its ensemble of distinct personalities. Its conversational rhythm and recurring relationships make it a natural fit for viewers who want a classic character-based sitcom without an intricate ongoing plot.

The Office (U.K. and U.S.)

Both versions use mock-documentary style to mine humor from office routines, uncomfortable silences, and workplace relationships. The U.K. original is a compact series; the U.S. adaptation develops its own cast and comic identity over a longer run. If you’re deciding between them, try the U.K. version for a shorter commitment or the U.S. version for a longer ensemble sitcom.

Arrested Development

This comedy follows a wealthy family in decline, with jokes built around selfish behavior, elaborate misunderstandings, and details that recur across episodes. Its layered style makes it especially rewarding for viewers who enjoy catching callbacks. It’s less suited to distracted viewing than a sitcom with mostly self-contained stories.

Freaks and Geeks

Set around high school, Freaks and Geeks focuses on the awkwardness of adolescence without treating its characters as simple stereotypes. Its appeal is in its grounded perspective on friendship, family, and trying to fit in. Consider it if you’re looking for a shorter, more intimate alternative to a long-running sitcom.

Essential science fiction and genre TV

The Twilight Zone

Rod Serling’s anthology series tells a different story in each episode, often using science fiction, fantasy, or horror to explore human behavior. Because episodes are largely self-contained, it’s one of the easiest classics to sample without committing to a long character arc. The WGA ranks it among the best-written television series.

Star Trek

The original Star Trek established a science-fiction world built around exploration and a crew encountering unfamiliar societies and dilemmas. Its episodic structure makes it approachable, while its speculative premise gives it room to consider questions about people and society. It’s a sensible starting point if you want classic, idea-driven science fiction.

The X-Files

FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully investigate unexplained cases, balancing episodes about individual mysteries with a broader story involving government secrecy and the paranormal. That mix gives the series two different pleasures: a case-of-the-week format and a longer-running mystery. It’s a strong pick for viewers who like supernatural stories with procedural elements.

Sketch, variety, and satire

Saturday Night Live

As a live sketch-comedy show, Saturday Night Live is a different kind of recommendation from a scripted drama or sitcom. Its long history makes it an influential platform for sketch performers and topical comedy, but episodes can vary with their hosts and material. It’s best approached as a format to dip into rather than a single story to binge.

The Daily Show

This news-satire series uses comedy to respond to politics and current events, so its tone and subject matter are tied to the period in which an episode aired. That makes it distinct from evergreen sitcoms: part of the appeal is seeing how the show frames the news of its time. It’s a good fit if you want comedy that engages directly with public affairs.

How to choose your first show

For a self-contained episode, try The Twilight Zone or The Simpsons. For a long-running character comedy, start with Seinfeld or Cheers. If you want a focused, serialized drama, Breaking Bad offers a clear central arc, while The Wire takes a wider view of a city and its institutions. And for an unconventional mystery, Twin Peaks is the pick—provided you’re comfortable with unanswered questions.

These selections lean heavily toward U.S. and English-language television, reflecting the scope of the major lists behind them. They aren’t a complete global history of television, and they aren’t a universal verdict on what’s most enjoyable. Think of them as a varied starter canon: a way to find the kind of series you want to watch next.