The 5. 0 Best TV Shows Ever. The Wire. Breaking Bad. Sex And The City. Um, Airwolf. We asked and you voted in your droves for the greatest TV showsseries ever committed to the small screen. The numbers have been crunched and the results are in. Here, in descending order of greatest, are Empires 5. TV shows. Its bad news for Stringfellow Hawke. Columbo. 19. 68 7. The beauty of Columbo, and a huge reason why it continues to be a staple on the afternoon TV schedules, 4. Here was a cop show that wasnt a whodunit we know who the killer is from the off. Its not even a whydunit. Its a howhegonnagetem, as Columbo slowly, painstakingly pieces together his clues, ready for the big reveal at the end. It was a glorious subversion of everything wed been conditioned to expect from cop shows. There are few greater joys in television than watching the seemingly absent minded lieutenant run rings around a snooty killer who underestimated him from the very second they met. Sex And The City. Thanks to the passage of time and two cack handed movie spin offs, Sex And The City has come to be seen by many as a silly show about shoes and cocktails. But beneath the layers of Prada hid a series that was smartly written and incredibly brave, even if it did totter across the screen on a pair of immaculately fitted Jimmy Choos. Its easy to forget now how groundbreaking the adventures of four sexually liberated okay three, plus Charlotte Manhattan thirtysomethings were not just for women on TV, but for the treatment of sex on the box. The entire vibrator industry owes Carrie and Co an enormous debt. Rock. 20. 06 2. 01. Can it really be over Rocks brains trust have since moved on to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, an equally madcap slice of New York icana, but we still really miss Tina Feys NBC set showcase of sharp writing, pitch perfect performances and Frank Rossitanos trucker hats. NBC head honcho Jack Donaghy was the role Alec Baldwin was born to play well, that and El Generalissimo, while Fey herself is the frazzled heart of the show around whom all the madness happens. And, boy, is there a lot of madness. MAH1. 97. 2 8. This series based on Robert Altmans 1. The Sopranos Season 5 Episode 11 Polly' title='The Sopranos Season 5 Episode 11 Polly' />Korean War it used as backdrop. MASH was a searing exploration of how the doctors and nurses of the 4. A sterling cast, including Alan Alda, Loretta Swit, Mike Farrell, David Ogden Stiers and Harry Morgan kept this riveting and hilarious throughout its 1. Vietnam. The Americans. The Cold War feels that much chillier in this inventive series, which follows the lives of two Russian sleeper agents who are very much awake in 1. Washington. Complicated, passionate and thrown together by the Mother Russia, Philip Matthew Rhys and Elizabeth Jennings Keri Russell are fascinating creations driven by patriotism but torn by the pull of their adopted home and the American family they raised as a cover. Ep64longtermparking.jpg' alt='The Sopranos Season 5 Episode 11 Polly' title='The Sopranos Season 5 Episode 11 Polly' />It can be vicious, it can be touching, but The Americans always delivers, and unlike some of the Jennings targets, is set to go out on its own terms with two final seasons to come. ER1. 99. 4 2. 00. It ran until there wasnt a single member of the original cast left at least, until the spectacular reunion finale but ER amazingly showed little sign of decline throughout its 1. Based on a film script by Michael Crichton, the series evolved into a weekly slice of emergency medicine at Chicagos county hospital, one that was separated from inferior imitators by smart scripts, great characters and a willingness to shock Dr. Greenes bathroom attack, Lucy and Carter vs schizophrenic knife wielder. The list of cameos, both in front and behind the camera, is as long as your arm and boasted such names as Quentin Tarantino, Kirsten Dunst and Ewan Mc. Gregor. Star Trek Deep Space Nine. The perfect show for binge watching before the concept existed. In its earliest days, this spin off to Star Trek The Next Generation felt like the storytelling was going to by the numbers Trek, only on a space station. Flash forward a couple of seasons, and this is the show that broke the Star Trek mould, filled with flesh and blood human beings even if they were aliens, character arcs that frequently stretched over the course of seasons, groundbreaking storytelling and complex characters. Arrested Development. Episode information for Veep on HBO, featuring videos, images, schedule information and episode guides. Create a free acount to gain access to tons of cool features like subscribing to your favorite tv shows and receiving Facebook notifications when a new episode is. The story of The Sopranos was initially conceived as a feature film about a mobster in therapy having problems with his mother. Watch Some Girl(S) Online Facebook on this page. After some input from his manager. Now the story of a groundbreaking sitcom that very nearly died a quiet, ignominious death at the hands of an indifferent network, before it was saved by an internet streaming site. When it first arrived in 2. Arrested Development was so fiendishly clever, so densely plotted, so shrewdly ironic, that Fox barely knew what to do with it. Despite Foxs best efforts to bury the show in strange timeslots, the Bluth family earned an feverishly loyal cult audience, one that eventually conferred upon it a Netflix rebirth. The brain melting ambition of Season 4 may have been a noble failure for some, but it remains one of the most innovative comedies ever produced. Best Episode Pier Pressure Season 1, episode 1. Stream Arrested Development now with Amazon Video. BADDAD. COM 14 of the Worst TV Dads of All Time. This Fathers Day, be glad you werent stuck with their duds. By Kaitlin Thomas, Jun 19, 2016. The beauty of Columbo, and a huge reason why it continues to be a staple on the afternoon TV schedules, 45 years after its debut, is that it took a different approach. Development of the first episode of the season, The Blessing Way, began with the second season finale Anasazi. Both of those episodes, along with Paper Clip. LATEST HEADLINES. Al Pacino to Star as Penn State Coach Joe Paterno in New HBO Movie From Barry Levinson 5 hours agoThe Bridge Broen2. The title refers to the. Like The Killing, its success came from the characters as much as the crimes committed. Front and centre are the leather trewed, autistic spectrum Swedish detective Saga Nor. Bodnias absence from the third season was keenly felt. Fargo. 20. 14 A standing embodiment of the advice that you shouldnt judge ideas before you see them realised, alarm klaxons rang when it was announced that someone was going to make a TV series based on the Coen brothers crime classic. But Noah Hawley was incredibly smart in how he used the movies faux true crime trappings and small town settings but wove his own story into them. Bumbling chancers, dangerous crooks and smart lawfolk all made the first season work well, and then everything pivoted for the second, turning the clock back to one of the characters earlier days to chronicle mobsters and strange goings on. A quality cast that has included Martin Freeman, Colin Hanks, Patrick Wilson, Kirsten Dunst, Billy Bob Thornton and Bob Odenkirk hasnt hurt matters, and we can look forward to Ewan Mc. Gregor as twins, no less in season three. Parks And Recreation 2. First conceived as a spin off of the US Office, Parks Rec initially struggled to shuffle out of the shadow of its bigger brother. But while the first season wobbled, the second soared and sustained that quality right the way to its emotional finale. Retaining The Offices. The Walking Dead. There have been zombies before Lord knows, there have been zombies but it wasnt until The Walking Dead that people started really taking them seriously. Set in an increasingly savage post apocalyptic society, Rick Grimes and his not particularly merry band of survivors find themselves grappling not only with the undead sorry, walkers but also the un undead. Its as much a show about survivalism and ethics as it is about gore and cool make up and its done with characters we truly care about. Witness the recent furore over Glenn, or Negan, and youll realise this zombie business really is no laughing matter. Monty Pythons Flying Circus. Forty five episodes of bite sized genius showcases the Pythons at their riffiest, daftest, most out there best. A bold blueprint for British sketch comedies for years to come, its deliberately outsized Britishness is embroidered by Terry Gilliams surrealist animations a little like Dali once did for Luis Bu. The gang take turns to poke fun at the nations bureaucrats, toffs, gameshow hosts and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra among others. Its upside worldview reaches its logical conclusion when the village idiot turns out to be the smartest character in the show. Doctor Who. 19. 63 1. Sydney Newman, Verity Lambert and the others who brought the worlds most famous time traveller into existence knew what they were doing when they turned the need to replace the lead into one of the canniest ways to reboot and refresh the show. Every episode of The Sopranos, ranked. The Sopranos. Earlier this month HBO finally released the complete series on Blu ray. It told a story on the small screen that was greater than most films, and that achievement will be studied 1. Keep in mind that this is a TV show made by humans. Its not perfect. But The Sopranos, The Wire, and Mad Men are the greatest shows ever made and even their worst episodes are better than 9. So lets take a look at the show that changed tv and the episodes that made it so transformational. Luxury Lounge S6part 1, Episode 7Chrissy tries to cast Ben Kingsley in Cleaver. Its a fun but ultimately empty episode. Artie again has a bad interaction with his OC friends. He also shoots an interloping rabbit in his backyard garden. Its amazing. Lauren Bacall curses a lot in the episode so thats a plus. David Chase cameos. D Girl S2, Episode 7Christopher hangs out with development girl Alicia Witt and director Jon Favreau. He has to choose between the film business and the mob. AJ gets into philosophy. Like Luxury Lounge, Christophers obsession with Hollywood just isnt the strongest plot device. Big Pussy crying into his FBI wire is an especially moving scene, but the glory goes to Livia in this episode. Employee Of The Month S3, Episode 4Dr. Melfi gets raped in a parking garage stairwell and her attacker gets away. Knowing Tony would kill the man, she chooses to stay silent rather than seek justice outside of the law. Its a gruesome episode that I have refused to rewatch since its air date. I understand the intended social impact of this episode, but from an entertainment perspective its an unforgivable error to show the brutal, realistic rape of a beloved character with no larger impact on the seasons story. I dont care what the critics say about the episode overall it was needless and disgusting. Johnny Cakes S6part 1, Episode 8Vito was a third string character whose life never needed to be fleshed out, let alone be given a mid season adventure to the supposed gay utopia of New Hampshire where he hangs out in B Bs and goes on motorcycle riding picnics in the fall foliage. The corporate squeeze being put on wiseguys used to shaking down Mom and Pop shops in the b story would have been much more interesting. Theres also a scene thrown in with Tony and AJ that was obviously filmed earlier in the season and meant to come sooner in the chronology. It was just shoddy editing. Moe Joe S6part 1, Episode 1. Johnny Sack accepts a plea deal, further isolating himself from the rest of the mob and solidifying Phils role as the new defacto head of the Brooklyn family. Vito wrestles with his fake New Hampshire identity and gets a needless voice over. Vito Spatafore gets a voice over And do we really need to know what book is on Johnny Cakes nightstandThe Telltale Moozadell S3, Episode 9Another unremarkable episode in the unremarkable season three. But a very young Lady Gaga was in it, so theres that. Also, Paulie thinks that snakes have the ability to fuck themselves. The pizza parlor is a subject of controversy. For all Pussys failures as a friend and mobster, he did play a good neighborhood Santa when it was needed. Its also cool to see more of Jackie Aprile Sr. Tony chases Phil Leotardo and forces him into a car accident while blasting Rock The Casbah. Tim Daly starts a great recurring role and Polly Bergen guest stars. Live Free Or Die S6part 1, Episode 6Vito goes on the lam after the guys discover hes secretly gay. The story of a gay gangster in modern times isnt a bad idea. In fact, for the time it was pretty novel and needed culturally. Vitos character just wasnt that interesting to begin with and Joseph Gannascoli wasnt a strong enough actor for it. It also didnt need a multi episode arch. Who wants to watch Vito go antiquingCold Stones S6part 1, Episode 1. Vito returns to Jersey and is promptly killed in a hate crime by Phil. Its a sad, fucked up end to a way too long b story but, it at least moves the show into the final act of the season, in that it sparks a series of killings that almost ignite the Tony vs Phil war. Carmela goes to Paris with Rosalie and, for the first time, understands history and her meaningless place in it. A Hit Is A Hit S1, Episode 1. The Soprano family argues with rappers over reparations in the music business. The show is at its worst when it tries to bridge racial divides. It always leaned on stereotypes and rarely treated its black characters well, and this episode is a perfect example of that. But then again, The Sopranos never treated anyone well. Chrissy squabbles with Adriana. Its the only real misstep of the first season. Big Girls Dont Cry S2, Episode 5Chrissy joins a writers workshop and gives up his dream of writing for the movies. Furio comes to America and becomes one of the baddest motherfuckers on the show. He Is Risen S3, Episode 8Thanksgiving arrives as Jackie Jr. Ralph and Tonys disagreement simmers. Its a cheaper version of Richie in Season 2, but who doesnt love hearing Joey Pants say some dead hoo ah Georgie has a fatal heart attack on the toilet and Ralphie gets bumped up to captain, squashing the beef. Annabella Sciorra begins her recurring role of Gloria Trillo. Another Toothpick S3, Episode 5The Sopranos deal with cancer and speeding tickets. This was another season three snoozer. But drunk Artie is the best and Bobby Bacalas dad aint nothing to fuck with. Mr Ruggerios Neighborhood S3, Episode 1A very weak and low key premiere for a weak season. Its all about the Feds surveillance of the Soprano family. Its all very voyeuristic and experimental for no reason. Fortunate Son S3, Episode 3Chrissy gets made and is immediately overwhelmed by the responsibility. Tony has a flashback based on ham. Its not the strongest episode, but the 6. Livia and Johnny Boy are gold. Christopher also utters this immortal line Dont disrespect the pizza parlor. Army of One S3, Episode 1. AJ is almost sent to a military school with Jigsaw from the Saw movies working in the admissions office. After his botched card game holdup, Jackie Jr. Uncle Junior beats cancer, sings love songs, and lulls a quiet season to sleep. Toodle Fucking Oo S2, Episode 3Richie Aprile gets out of prison and starts rocking ass. Paulie also tells a joke at dinner and immediately turns to the guy next to him and repeats the joke verbatim. Paulie is gods gift to comedy. Peter Bogdanovich begins a long running role as a recurring character. Denial, Anger, Acceptance S1, Episode 3Tony mourns the coming passing of his cancer ridden friend Jackie Aprile and tries to interpret the art in Dr. Melfis office. She asks what a painting in her outer office represents to him. Tony replies, It says. Zellman tells Tony that hes begun to date Tonys old girlfriend, Irina. Tony hears Oh Girl by The Chi Lites on the radio and bitchslaps Zellman with a belt in front of her. Carmela and Furio flirt. Paulie gives valuable information to Johnny Sack. Adriana tries to marry Chrissy so she wont have to testify against him. Tony gets a different gang to move another gang out of some valuable property. Everyone is on the verge of betraying everyone else. Long S1, Episode 2This is the only episode to have a before the credits teaser. Its a remnant of 9. TV but its still effective here. Christopher and Brendan keep robbing Comely Trucking even after theyve been told not to. If you look close, Bodie from The Wire makes a cameo in one of the robbery scenes. And Mike Epps plays a car theif. Tony tries to placate his black hole of a mother. The Fleshy Part Of The Thigh S6, Episode 4The Soprano family again interacts with rappers with similarly underwhelming and cliched results. Paulie finds out that his mother isnt really his mother and that he never knew his father. Like From Where To Eternity this is another episode about Paulie, and how he defines himself and how he relates to the world.