Top 50: Best TV series of all time

Netflix-Top-TV-Show-for-2012IMDb has released its Top 50 of TV Series of all times. The list is quite complete and although several sins were made by missing some legendary TV series, I can say that I agree with most of them (nevertheless I still think that The Simpsons should had been on the top 10 and that House, Frasier and Whose Line is it Anyway should had been on the top 50) But anyway, I’ll try to forget those unforgivable mistakes and carry on. I have to recognise that the number one is completely non-debatable and has won its place with honours. Next, the list of the 50 best TV series of all time.

50.      mad-men-1 Mad Men
(2007 TV Series)
8.6/10
A drama about one of New York’s most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm’s most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.
With: Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser
Drama
49.  Spartacus: War of the Damned (2010 TV Series) Spartacus: War of the Damned
(2010 TV Series)
8.7/10
Watch the story of history’s greatest gladiator unfold with graphic violence and explicit sex. This is Spartacus.
With: Andy Whitfield, Lucy Lawless, Manu Bennett
Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | History
60 mins.
48.  Futurama (1999 TV Series) Futurama
(1999 TV Series)
8.7/10
Fry, a pizza guy is accidentally frozen in 1999 and thawed out New Year’s Eve 2999.
With: Billy West, John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal
Animation | Comedy | Sci-Fi
30 mins.
47.  Justified (2010 TV Series) Justified
(2010 TV Series)
8.7/10
Old-school U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens is reassigned from Miami to his childhood home in the poor, rural coal-mining towns in Eastern Kentucky.
With: Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter
Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller
60 mins.
46.  Doctor Who (2005 TV Series) Doctor Who
(2005 TV Series)
8.7/10
The further adventures of the time traveling alien adventurer and his companions.
With: Matt Smith, David Tennant, Jenna Coleman
Adventure | Drama | Family | Sci-Fi
71 mins.
45.  Black Adder the Third (1987 TV Series) Black Adder the Third
(1987 TV Series)
8.7/10
In the 19th century Regency era, Mr E. Blackadder serves as butler to the foppish numskull Prince George amidst the fads and crazes of the time.
With: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Hugh Laurie
Comedy | History
30 mins.
44.  Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV Series) Battlestar Galactica
(2004 TV Series)
8.7/10
When an old enemy, the Cylons, resurface and obliterate the 12 colonies, the crew of the aged Galactica protects a small civilian fleet – the last of humanity – as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony of Earth.
With: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber
Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi
50 mins.
43.  Orange Is the New Black (2013 TV Series) Orange Is the New Black
(2013 TV Series)
8.7/10
The story of Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a woman in her thirties who is sentenced to 15 months in prison after she is convicted of a decade old crime of transporting money for her drug dealing girlfriend (Laura Prepon).
With: Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Michael Harney
Comedy | Crime | Drama
60 mins.
42.  Boardwalk Empire (2010 TV Series) Boardwalk Empire
(2010 TV Series)
8.7/10
Chronicles the life and times of Nucky Thompson, the undisputed ruler of Atlantic City, who was equal parts politician and gangster.
With: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon
Crime | Drama
60 mins.
41.  The X Files (1993 TV Series) The X Files
(1993 TV Series)
8.7/10
Two FBI agents, Fox Mulder the believer and Dana Scully the skeptic, investigate the strange and unexplained while hidden forces work to impede their efforts.
With: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi
Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller
45 mins.
40.  Top Gear (2002 TV Series) Top Gear
(2002 TV Series)
8.7/10
Jeremy, Richard and James talk about everything car-related. From new cars to how they’re fueled, this show has it all.
With: Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, James May
Comedy | Talk-Show
60 mins.
39.  Archer (2009 TV Series) Archer
(2009 TV Series)
8.7/10
At ISIS, an international spy agency, global crises are merely opportunities for its highly trained employees to confuse, undermine, betray and royally screw each other.
With: H. Jon Benjamin, Judy Greer, Amber Nash
Animation | Action | Comedy
30 mins.
38.  The Simpsons (1989 TV Series) The Simpsons
(1989 TV Series)
8.7/10
The satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.
With: Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Julie Kavner
Animation | Comedy | Family
22 mins.
37.  Black-Adder II (1986 TV Series) Black-Adder II
(1986 TV Series)
8.7/10
In the Tudor court of Elizabeth I, Lord Edmund Blackadder strives to win Her Majesty’s favour while attempting to avoid a grisly fate should he offend her.
With: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Tim McInnerny
Comedy | History
30 mins.
36.  Dragon Ball Z (1989 TV Series) Dragon Ball Z
(1989 TV Series)
8.7/10
Earth’s defender Goku learns that he is from another planet. Now Goku and his allies must defend the planet from an onslaught of new extraterrestrial enemies.
With: Jôji Yanami, Masako Nozawa, Christopher Sabat
Animation | Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller
26 mins.
35.  The Walking Dead (2010 TV Series) The Walking Dead
(2010 TV Series)
8.7/10
Police officer Rick Grimes leads a group of survivors in a world overrun by zombies.
With: Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, Sarah Wayne Callies
Drama | Horror | Thriller
45 mins.
34.  The Office (2005 TV Series) The Office
(2005 TV Series)
8.7/10
A mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, and tedium. Based on the hit BBC series.
With: Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer
Comedy
22 mins.
33.  Downton Abbey (2010 TV Series) Downton Abbey
(2010 TV Series)
8.7/10
Beginning in the years leading up to World War I, the drama centers on the Crawley family and their servants.
With: Hugh Bonneville, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern
Drama
65 mins.
32.  Six Feet Under (2001 TV Series) Six Feet Under
(2001 TV Series)
8.8/10
A drama series that takes a darkly comical look at members of a dysfunctional California family that runs an independent funeral home.
With: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy
Drama
55 mins.
31.  It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005 TV Series) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
(2005 TV Series)
8.8/10
Four young friends with big egos and slightly arrogant attitudes are the proprietors of an Irish bar in Philadelphia.
With: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney
Comedy
30 mins.
30.  Blackadder Goes Forth (1989 TV Series) Blackadder Goes Forth
(1989 TV Series)
8.8/10
Stuck in the middle of World War I, Captain Edmund Blackadder does his best to escape the banality of the war.
With: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry
Comedy | History | War
30 mins.
29.  Suits (2011 TV Series) Suits
(2011 TV Series)
8.8/10
On the run from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross, a brilliant college-dropout, finds himself a job working with Harvey Specter, one of New York City’s best lawyers.
With: Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Meghan Markle
Comedy | Drama
45 mins.
28.  Cowboy Bebop (1998 TV Series) Cowboy Bebop
(1998 TV Series)
8.8/10
The futuristic misadventures and tragedies of an easy-going bounty hunter and his partners. Dir: Kunihiro Mori, Ikuro Sato
With: Kôichi Yamadera, Unshô Ishizuka, Megumi HayashibaraAnimation | Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller
25 mins.
27.  Leyla ile Mecnun (2011 TV Series) Leyla ile Mecnun
(2011 TV Series)
8.8/10
With: Ali Atay, Serkan Keskin, Cengiz Bozkurt
Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance
80 mins.
26.  Friends (1994 TV Series) Friends
(1994 TV Series)
8.8/10
The lives, loves, and laughs of six young friends living in Manhattan.
With: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow
Comedy | Romance
22 mins.
25.  Fawlty Towers (1975 TV Series) Fawlty Towers
(1975 TV Series)
8.8/10
Hotel owner Basil Fawlty’s incompetence, short fuse, and arrogance form a combination that ensures accidents and trouble are never far away.
With: John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Andrew Sachs
Comedy
30 mins.
24.  South Park (1997 TV Series) South Park
(1997 TV Series)
8.8/10
Follows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.
With: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Isaac Hayes
Animation | Comedy
30 mins.
23.  Batman (1992 TV Series) Batman
(1992 TV Series)
8.8/10
The Dark Knight battles crime in Gotham City with occasional help from Robin and Batgirl.
With: Kevin Conroy, Loren Lester, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
Animation | Action | Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller
22 mins.
22.  Deadwood (2004 TV Series) Deadwood
(2004 TV Series)
8.9/10
A show set in the late 1800s, revolving around the characters of Deadwood, South Dakota; a town of deep corruption and crime.
With: Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Molly Parker
Crime | Drama | History | Western
60 mins.
21.  House of Cards (2013 TV Series) House of Cards
(2013 TV Series)
8.9/10
Francis Underwood is Majority Whip. He has his hands on every secret in politics – and is willing to betray them all to become President.
With: Kevin Spacey, Michael Gill, Robin Wright
Drama
60 mins.
20.  Death Note (2006 TV Series) Death Note
(2006 TV Series)
8.9/10
An intelligent high school student goes on a secret crusade to eliminate criminals from the world after discovering a notebook capable of killing anyone whose name is written into it.
With: Chris Britton, Shannon Chan-Kent, Brian Drummond
Animation | Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller
22 mins.
19.  Seinfeld (1989 TV Series) Seinfeld
(1989 TV Series)
8.9/10
The continuing misadventures of neurotic New York stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his equally neurotic New York friends.
With: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards
Comedy
23 mins.
18.  Oz (1997 TV Series) Oz
(1997 TV Series)
8.9/10
A series chronicling the daily activities of an unusual prison facility and its criminal inhabitants. Dir: Gregory Dark
With: Ernie Hudson, J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen
Crime | Drama | Thriller
100 mins.
17.  Rome (2005 TV Series) Rome
(2005 TV Series)
8.9/10
A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.
With: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker
Action | Drama | History | Romance | War
90 mins.
16.  The Twilight Zone (1959 TV Series) The Twilight Zone
(1959 TV Series)
8.9/10
Rod Serling’s seminal anthology series focused on ordinary folks who suddenly found themselves in extraordinary, usually supernatural, situations. The stories would typically end with an ironic twist that would see the guilty punished.
With: Rod Serling, Robert McCord, Jay Overholts
Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller
51 mins.
15.  Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969 TV Series) Monty Python’s Flying Circus
(1969 TV Series)
8.9/10
The original surreal sketch comedy showcase for the Monty Python troupe.
With: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam
Comedy | Music
30 mins.
14.  Freaks and Geeks (1999 TV Series) Freaks and Geeks
(1999 TV Series)
8.9/10
A television show about two unique groups of teenagers dealing with life in high school during the 80’s.
With: Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco
Comedy | Drama
60 mins.
13.  Twin Peaks (1990 TV Series) Twin Peaks
(1990 TV Series)
8.9/10
An idiosyncratic FBI Agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks.
With: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen AmickCrime |
Drama | Mystery | Thriller
47 mins.
12.  Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005 TV Series) Avatar: The Last Airbender
(2005 TV Series)
8.9/10
In a war-torn world of elemental magic, a young boy reawakens to undertake a dangerous mystic quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar.
With: Zach Tyler, Dee Bradley Baker, Mae Whitman
Animation | Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy
30 mins.
11.  Dexter (2006 TV Series) Dexter
(2006 TV Series)
9.0/10
A Miami police forensics expert moonlights as a serial killer of criminals who he believes have escaped justice.
With: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David ZayasCrime |
Drama | Mystery | Thriller
60 mins.
10.  Firefly (2002 TV Series) Firefly
(2002 TV Series)
9.1/10
Five hundred years in the future, a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the unknown parts of the galaxy and evade warring factions as well as authority agents out to get them.
With: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk
Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi
42 mins.
9.  The Sopranos (1999 TV Series) The Sopranos
(1999 TV Series)
9.1/10
Modern day morality tale about New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano, as he deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life.
With: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco
Crime | Drama
58 mins.
8.  Arrested Development (2003 TV Series) Arrested Development
(2003 TV Series)
9.2/10
Level-headed son Michael Bluth takes over family affairs after his father is imprisoned. But the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family are making his job unbearable.
With: Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Portia de Rossi
Comedy
30 mins.
7.  Life (2009 TV Series) Life
(2009 TV Series)
9.2/10
David Attenborough’s legendary BBC crew explains and shows wildlife all over planet earth in 10 episodes…
With: David Attenborough, Oprah Winfrey, Doug Allen
Documentary
6.  Sherlock (2010 TV Series) Sherlock
(2010 TV Series)
9.2/10
A modern update finds the famous sleuth and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London.
With: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs
Crime | Drama | Mystery
90 mins.
5.  The Wire (2002 TV Series) The Wire
(2002 TV Series)
9.4/10
Baltimore drug scene, seen through the eyes of drug dealers, and law enforcement.
With: Dominic West, John Doman, Deirdre Lovejoy
Crime | Drama | Thriller
60 mins.
4.  Breaking Bad (2008 TV Series) Breaking Bad
(2008 TV Series)
9.4/10
A struggling chemistry teacher turns to a life of crime with the aim of providing for his family’s future.
With: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul
Crime Drama | Thriller
45 mins.
3. Game of Thrones (2011 TV Series) Game of Thrones
(2011 TV Series)
9.4/10
Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros.
With: Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Maisie WilliamsAdventure |
Drama | Fantasy
60 mins.
2.  Planet Earth (2006 TV Series) Planet Earth
(2006 TV Series)
9.5/10
Emmy Award winning, 11-episodes, 5-years in the making, the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and the first to be filmed in high definition.
With: David Attenborough, Sigourney Weaver, Huw Cordey
Documentary
44 mins.
1.  Cosmos (1980 TV Series) Cosmos
(1980 TV Series)
9.5/10
Astronomer Carl Sagan leads us on an engaging guided tour of the various elements and cosmological theories of the Universe.
With: Carl Sagan, Jaromír Hanzlík, Jonathan Fahn
Documentary
60 mins.

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