While it is impossible to determine objectively the greatest television show of all time, it is possible to list television shows considered the greatest ever by a sizeable populace of the TV-watching community or, more commonly, by critics. The criterion for inclusion in this article is that the television show is considered the "greatest" in a quantitative survey – be it a critics' poll, popular poll or number of awards. For a list of longest running television series, please see the corresponding article.
In particular genres
editAnimation
edit- The Simpsons was voted the best television show of the 20th Century by TIME magazine and has won more Emmys than any other animated television show.[1]
- Neon Genesis Evangelion was voted the greatest anime of all time in a reader poll by Newtype USA[2] and in the Japan Media Arts Festival.[3]
- Gundam was found to be the best anime of all time in a survey conducted by the television network Animax.[4]
- Sazae-san is the longest running animated series of all time.
Comedy
edit- The Phil Silvers Show was voted the best sitcom by Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy in 2003.[5]
- Frasier was named by UK's Channel 4 as the best sitcom of all-time by other comedians.[6]
- Last of the Summer Wine is the longest running comedy series of all time.
Drama
edit- Guiding Light is the longest running drama series of all time.
Educational
edit- Blue Peter is the longest running educational show of all time.
Game show
edit- The Price is Right was voted best game show ever by TV Guide.[7]
Science fiction
edit- Star Trek was deemed the greatest cult television program of all time by TV Guide magazine on a list of the 50 Greatest Cult Television Shows.[8]
- Doctor Who is the longest running science fiction series of all time and was voted the greatest Science Fiction show of all time by Wizard magazine.
In particular countries
editAustralia
edit- The Graham Kennedy Show was voted the greatest Australian television show in Channel 9's 50 Years/50 Shows special.[9]
- Four Corners is the longest running television series in Australia.
United Kingdom
edit- Fawlty Towers was first in a 2000 list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute.[10]
- Only Fools and Horses was voted Britain's Best Sitcom[11]
United States
edit- Seinfeld was named the greatest television show of all time when it topped TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time in 2002.
- Cheers and ER both received 117 Emmy award nominations during their runs, more than any other show.[12]
- I Love Lucy is the only show to be inducted into the United States Television Hall of Fame.[13]
References
edit- ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,993039,00.html
- ^ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2004-10-25/newtype-usa-announces-the-top-25-anime-of-all-time
- ^ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-10-04/top-10-anime-and-manga-at-japan-media-arts-festival
- ^ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2000-09-11/gundam-tops-anime-poll
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3148934.stm
- ^ http://www.paramountcomedy.com/comedy/news/article.aspx?id=320
- ^ http://www.cbs.com/daytime/price/about/bios/cast_bios_bbarker.shtml
- ^ http://jmsnews.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-293.html
- ^ http://www.ebroadcast.com.au/tv/community/messages/14/1792.html
- ^ http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/tv/100/index.html
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sitcom/
- ^ http://www.emmys.org/downloads/images/2006emmys/05_06_facts_and_figs.php
- ^ http://www.emmys.org/awards/halloffame/hofarchive.php