The Best TV Shows Of All Time, Ranked - Screen Rant
Summary
- The best TV shows of all time span various genres, showcasing their substantial impact on culture and the television medium since the 1950s.
- Critical acclaim, cultural impact, popularity, and influence on the television medium are important factors in determining the best TV shows of all time.
- The likes of Life on Mars, Only Fools and Horses, Stranger Things, Oz, The Golden Girls, The X-Files, and Six Feet Under are all considered among the greatest TV shows of all time due to their cultural significance, critical acclaim, and success.
The best TV shows of all time cover a wide range of genres, topics, and generational conflicts that continue to have substantial impacts on the wider culture and the television medium itself. Television might have once been viewed as a lesser medium than movies, but some of the greatest prestige TV shows, classic sitcoms, and sketch shows have massively shaped the cultural conscience and changed how audiences interact with media since the 1950s.
With a vast number of series to pull from throughout the history of the medium, the best TV shows of all time achieve some variation of critical acclaim, beloved legacies, and cultural significance. Prestige dramas may tend to have an advantage with reputations as the greatest shows of all time, but the cultural impact and popularity must also be accounted for with groundbreaking horror shows, legendary sitcoms, and sci-fi hits. While the ultimate ranking will always be subjective, Screen Rant's list of the best TV shows of all time takes a holistic approach based on a combination of factors like awards, critical and audience acclaim, cultural effect, influence on the television medium, and larger legacy.
