The top 20 TV shows of all time IMO

This.

might be the best thing I've ever seen on TV. The roof cleaning scene. The puppy scene. the old lady and the cow. the guys going to the basement to clean the pumps. EPIC. Although does it having only 5 episodes count it out. If not its no. 1.

Surprised the West wing doesn't get any love here. especially the first four seasons when Sorkin was writing it.
Frasier too. Damn it was funny.

1. The Wire.
2. West Wing.
3. Sopranos
4. Breaking Bad.
5. House of Cards (BBC version)
6. The Bridge (Danish/Swedish Version)
7. Father Ted.
8. Fawlty Towers
9. Band of Brothers (again limited run)
10. Frasier

 

I personally more of movie guy. I was turned off with all the crappy stuff in the 80's. I do watch some and I know that TV shows are better made and written now but I still lose interest after a couple of episodes. Still like watching some of the 70's comedies and Cheers. For what it is worth my list.
1. Monty Python
2.The Sopranos
3.Fawlty Towers
4.Mystery Science Theater 3000
5.Braking Bad
6.Seinfeld
7.Red Dwarf
8.Mary Tyler Moore Show
9.Taxi
10.Barney Miller
11.Emergency
12.Cheers
13. The Office(the British one though I do like the first 4 seasons of the US one.)
14.Fargo
15.The Game of Thrones (the first 4 season are amazing but then started to go down hill)
For mini series the Band of Brothers is incredible.

 

I like how this was updated one year later. Here is my current up to date list with only a few changes. Also as before no miniseries or one season shows allowed.

#20 Moral Orel
#19 The Sopranos
#18 Justified
#17 Twin Peaks
#16 Cowboy Bebop
#15 Oz
#14 BSG
#13 Deadwood
#12 Rick and Morty - Another great start to a season raises this show higher.
#11 The Shield
#10 Boardwalk Empire - IMO this would have ended up higher if they made a different choice in season 2 to keep a certain character around longer.
#9 Six Feet Under
#8 Fargo
#7 Rectify - When I first made my list I just finished this show. In retrospect I like Rome more.
#6 Rome
#5 Game of Thrones - The last season was rushed but it didn't ruin it enough for me to drop it more. Season 1-6 are still gold pretty much.
#4 The Twilight Zone
#3 The Wire
#2 Breaking Bad
#1 The Americans

Stranger Things and Black Mirror may have a shot to break in on my next update in a year or two. Maybe i'll catch up on other ones i've missed that may be worthy too in the mean time.

 

Love your choices of Six feet under, Rectify, and Fargo. I think they all belong on your list, and none of them get the attention that they deserve. All three were phenomenal shows.

It seems way too light on comedies, though. Seinfeld? Cheers? M.A.S.H.? Curb your enthusiasm? Taxi? The Office? Any (or all) should make the list. I can’t get behind your choices of Moral Orel, or The Shield. Good lord, man. And in no world should Stranger Things (a freaking pre-teen show) be given any consideration for top 20 of all time. It’s mediocre at best, and I think it drops significantly if you’re judging it as an adult. Just my opinion.

 

Just 17 in no particular order which are my absolute top.

1. The Wire
2. Wire in the Blood
3. Breaking Bad
4. The Line of Duty
5. The sleeping cell
6. Rome
7. The Band od Brothers
8. Twin Peaks
9. Fargo
10. Dark
11. Gomorra
12. The Killing
13. The Dag
14. The Fall
15. Peaky Blinders
16. The Game od Thrones
17. The Sopranos

 

Should separate comedy from drama.

Can't compare Seinfeld or Two and 1/2 Men to The Wire or Sopranos

 

A lot of good points. I kind of explained it in my opening post a bit but I don't mind getting more into it. Yes my list is short on comedies but for a very good reason. Comedy is a subjective genre in a lot of ways. What is funny to one person may not be as funny to another. That is not to say we can't make a great case that one show is funnier than another show. But we need a way to separate one good comedy show from another. Here is my thought process behind that.

I ask myself these question; 'If this show didn't have a single joke, how engaged would I be? Would it make me think? Would I care about the characters? Do the jokes and subject matter make me think?'

If a show doesn't make me answer these questions in a certain way I don't care how funny it is. This is how i separate bad, good and great comedies. The Office may well the funniest show ever made. That is a subjective argument one could make. One could also argue All In The Family is the funniest show of all time. The difference between these shows comes in the answering the other questions.

In my mind this is the clear distinction between shows like MASH, All In The Family, Moral Orel, Rick and Morty, BoJack Horseman and shows like Cheers, Seinfeld, Taxi, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Cosby Show or The Office. The reason why I don't include many comedy shows is rarely do comedy shows offer enough besides the jokes to be engaging.

As for Stranger Things I'm waiting to see how season 4 goes. While the target demo is younger I don't hold that against it automatically. Right now I wouldn't include it.