It’s hard to say which TV shows are the best of all time because there have been so many memorable ones. Once upon a time, films were thought to be better than TV, but thanks to the best TV shows of all time, that’s no longer the case. They show the most well-known, loved, and culturally important TV shows that changed the way people watched TV.
It helps that TV shows can be so different from each other. The best shows in history include prestige dramas, groundbreaking horror shows, famous comedies, and so much more. Even though the final list will always be subjective, it is still possible to pick the best shows out of the thousands that have been on the air by looking at prizes, cultural effects, and legacy.
Downton Abbey
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Downton Abbey takes place in the early 1900s at the house of the same name in Yorkshire. It is about the wealthy Crawley family and how they deal with some of the most important events in history, like the sinking of the Titanic and the First World War. The show got the most Emmy votes of any foreign show in its first two years, according to Movieweb, and it kept getting good reviews until it ended in 2015. Rose Leslie, Dan Stevens, and Lily James, who went on to become bigger stars, are also in the group. Even though Downton Abbey has been over for a long time, it is still very famous.
The Jeffersons
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It’s not often that a spin-off becomes a TV classic, which makes The Jeffersons even more special. In this spinoff of All in the Family, neighbors George and Louise Jefferson move to New York City to live a better life. Even though the show often used standard sitcom tropes, it also talked about important issues like racism and gun control that weren’t talked about on TV at the time. Isabel Sanford was the first Black woman to win Best Actress in a Comedy Series, and her co-lead Sherman Helmsley also got a big nod.
Rick And Morty
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Rick and Morty went from a small cartoon show on Adult Swim to a pop culture juggernaut in a way that almost no one could have expected. In this original show, a crazy scientist and his grandson get into trouble as they move through different worlds and deal with everyday problems. Rick and Morty has won two Emmys for Outstanding Animated Programme and two Annie Awards. It will be remembered as one of the best cartoons of all time, and it has led to a huge line of merchandise.
Ozark
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Before Ozark, Jason Bateman was mostly known for making people laugh. He also helped make the show. The show is a big hit for Netflix. It’s about the Byrde family, who move to the Ozarks and start laundering money, which puts their lives on a dangerous and sometimes deadly road. Ozark was a critical favorite that was nominated for three Outstanding Drama Series Emmys. Each episode was known for being fierce. Bateman won the award for directing, Laura Linney was nominated more than once, and Julia Garner, a new star, got three Outstanding Supporting Actress awards.
How To Get Away With Murder
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Viola Davis won this Emmy for her work on How to Get Away with Murder. She is one of the few people to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. There, she plays the controversial law professor Annalise Keating, who is involved in a plan to kill her family and some of her students. Even though Davis’s performance is famous and made her the first black actor to win Outstanding Lead Actor, the show’s success went beyond her. How to Get Away with Murder has something for everyone, from surprising plot turns and important LGBTQ+ representation to shocking cliffhangers and great performances from the whole cast.
Sherlock
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Before he became a big movie star like Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch was great in this BBC show as the title character, Sherlock Holmes. Even though there have been many films and TV shows based on Sherlock Holmes over the years, Sherlock is often thought to be the best. Cumberbatch got an Emmy for his work, and his chemistry with Martin Freeman’s Watson and Andrew Scott’s Moriarty helped make this a must-see show. Since each show is about as long as a movie, it might seem hard to watch them all at once, but the secrets keep people coming back.
Squid Game
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Shows often become big hits on Netflix, but nothing has ever been as popular as Squid Game. The South Korean story is about more than 400 people who try to win a fortune by playing dangerous copies of children’s games. It quickly became Netflix’s most-watched show. In its first month, more than 1 billion hours of it were watched. Squid Game was very famous, and it was also nominated for 14 Emmys. It was also the first non-English language show to be nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. It led to a much-anticipated second season and a new reality TV show.
Bojack Horseman
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It doesn’t sound like a cartoon show about a horse that acts like a person and used to be on a sitcom would be about important things. But Bojack Horseman’s crazy plot covers things like alcoholism, suicide, sadness, pain, and more. Because of these things, the show was one of the best cartoon shows ever, and it was nominated for a number of big awards during its run. Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Aaron Paul, Alison Brie, and the many guest stars who did voice work also made for a strong group.
Peaky Blinders
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Peaky Blinders was a bit of luxury TV for BBC. It was based on a real gang that was active in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The show takes place right after the First World War and is about the gang and what they do in the crime and government worlds. The stakes get higher with each season. Peaky Blinders has been praised by many people from the beginning to the end. It has a great production design and a main cast that includes Cillian Murphy and Helen McCrory, as well as great guest stars like Tom Hardy and Anya Taylor-Joy. A movie is also being made to bring everything together.
The South Park
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Even though South Park is not a show for kids, it is still about the kids who live in the town with the same name. The long-running show is known for many things, like its bad jokes, swearing, and special episodes. South Park has been on for more than 25 seasons, and each show is drawn within a week of airing. This means that it can talk about the most current events in the world. The show has won a Peabody Award and five Emmys over the years, and the movie version was even nominated for an Oscar. South Park is one of the most successful TV shows ever, even though it started out very small.
Wrap Up
Choosing the best TV shows of all time is hard because everyone has different tastes and preferences. But there are a few TV shows that have gotten a lot of praise from critics and have had a lasting effect on culture. Most of the time, these shows have interesting stories, well-developed characters, and new ways of using the medium. They can hold people’s attention and start important conversations. From classics like “The Sopranos” and “Breaking Bad” to groundbreaking shows like “The Wire” and “Game of Thrones,” these shows have changed television and raised the bar for storytelling. In the end, the best TV shows of all time stick with people and are still loved and remembered long after they first aired.
