WGA ranks top 101 best written TV shows

Cotton

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’101 Best Written TV Series Of All Time’ From WGA/TV Guide: Complete List

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Deadline.com – 18 hours ago

Los Angeles and New York – Recognizing the essential role that writers have played in creating and elevating the medium of television since its inception, the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) tonight announced the list of the 101 Best Written TV Series, honoring seven decades of outstanding television programming and the writers who brought it all to life. The list was determined through online voting by WGAW and WGAE members. A follow-up to the WGA’s 101 Greatest Screenplays (2006), the “TV 101” list honors classic, trailblazing series and miniseries, as well as current and critically acclaimed programs, from comedies and dramas to variety/talk and children’s programming. “At their core, all of these wonderful series began with the words of the writers who created them and were sustained by the writers who joined their staffs or worked on individual episodes,” said WGAW President Chris Keyser and WGAE President Michael Winship in a joint statement. “This list is not only a tribute to great TV, it is a dedication to all writers who devote their hearts and minds to advancing their craft.”

1. The Sopranos – HBO – Created by David Chase
2. Seinfeld – NBC – Created by Larry David & Jerry Seinfeld
3. The Twilight Zone (1959) – CBS – Season One writers: Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, Robert Presnell, Jr., Rod Serling
4. All in the Family – CBS – Developed for Television by Norman Lear, Based on Till Death Do Us Part, Created by Johnny Speight
5. M*A*S*H – CBS – Developed for Television by Larry Gelbart
6. The Mary Tyler Moore Show – CBS – Created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns
7. Mad Men – AMC – Created by Matthew Weiner
8. Cheers – NBC – Created by Glen Charles & Les Charles and James Burrows
9. The Wire – HBO – Created by David Simon
10. The West Wing – NBC – Created by Aaron Sorkin
11. The Simpsons – FOX – Created by Matt Groening, Developed by James L. Brooks and Matt Groening and Sam Simon
12. I Love Lucy – CBS – “Pilot,” Written by Jess Oppenheimer & Madelyn Pugh & Bob Carroll, Jr.
13. Breaking Bad – AMC – Created by Vince Gilligan
14. The Dick Van Dyke Show – CBS – Created by Carl Reiner
15. Hill Street Blues – NBC – Created by Michael Kozoll and Steven Bochco
16. Arrested Development – FOX – Created by Mitchell Hurwitz
17. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart – COMEDY CENTRAL – Created by Madeleine Smithberg, Lizz Winstead; Season One – Head Writer: Chris Kreski; Writers: Jim Earl, Daniel J. Goor, Charles Grandy, J.R. Havlan, Tom Johnson, Kent Jones, Paul Mercurio, Guy Nicolucci, Steve Rosenfield, Jon Stewart
18. Six Feet Under – HBO – Created by Alan Ball
19. Taxi – ABC – Created by James L. Brooks and Stan Daniels and David Davis and Ed Weinberger
20. The Larry Sanders Show – HBO – Created by Garry Shandling & Dennis Klein
21. 30 Rock – NBC – Created by Tina Fey
22. Friday Night Lights – NBC – Developed for Television by Peter Berg, Inspired by the Book by H.G. Bissinger
23. Frasier – NBC – Created by David Angell & Peter Casey & David Lee, Based on the Character “Frasier Crane” Created by Glen Charles & Les Charles
24. Friends – NBC – Created by Marta Kauffman & David Crane
25. Saturday Night Live – NBC – Season One: Writing Supervised by Walter Kempley, Harry Shearer; Written by: Ann Beatts, Chevy Chase, Tom Davis, Al Franken, Rosie Michaels, Garrett Morris, Michael O’Donoghue, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Alan Zweibel

26. The X-Files – FOX – Created by Chris Carter

27. Lost – ABC – Created by Jeffrey Lieber and J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof
28. ER – NBC – Created Michael Crichton
29. The Cosby Show – NBC – Created by Ed Weinberger & Michael Leeson and William Cosby, Jr., Ed. D.
30. Curb Your Enthusiasm – HBO – Created by Larry David
31. The Honeymooners – CBS – Season One writers: Herbert Finn, Marvin Marx, A.J. Russell, Leonard Stern, Walter Stone, Sydney Zelinka
32. Deadwood – HBO – Created by David Milch
33. Star Trek – NBC – Created by Gene Roddenberry
34. Modern Family – ABC – Created by Steven Levitan & Christopher Lloyd
35. Twin Peaks – ABC – “Pilot,” Written by Mark Frost & David Lynch
36. NYPD Blue – ABC – created by David Milch & Steven Bochco
37. The Carol Burnett Show – CBS – Season One: Written by Bill Angelos, Stan Burns, Don Hinkley, Buz Kohan, Mike Marmer, Gail Parent, Kenny Solms, Saul Turtletaub; Writing Supervised by Arnie Rosen
38. Battlestar Galactica (2005) – SYFY – Developed by Ronald D. Moore, Based on the Series Battlestar Galactica Created by Glen A. Larson
39. Sex & the City – HBO – Created by Darren Star, Based on the Book by Candace Bushnell
40. Game of Thrones – HBO – Created by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss, Based on A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin
41. The Bob Newhart Show *TIE – CBS – Created by David Davis and Lorenzo Music
41. Your Show of Shows *TIE – NBC – Season One: Written by Mel Tolkin, Lucille Kallen, Max Liebman
43. Downton Abbey *TIE – PBS – Created by Julian Fellowes
43. Law & Order *TIE – NBC – Created by Dick Wolf
43. thirtysomething *TIE – ABC – Created by Marshall Herskovitz & Edward Zwick
46. Homicide: Life on the Street *TIE – NBC – Created by Paul Attanasio, Based on the Book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon
46. St. Elsewhere *TIE – CBS – Created by Joshua Brand & John Falsey, Developed by Mark Tinker / John Masius
48. Homeland – SHOWTIME – Developed by Howard Gordon & Alex Gansa, Based on the Original Israeli Series Prisoners of War by Gideon Raff
49. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – WB – Created by Joss Whedon
50. The Colbert Report *TIE – COMEDY CENTRAL – Season One writers: Stephen Colbert, Rich Dahm, Eric Drysdale, Peter Gwinn, Jay Katsir, Laura Krafft, Allison Silverman
50. The Good Wife *TIE – CBS – Created by Robert King & Michelle King
50. The Office (UK) *TIE – BBC – Created by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant
53. Northern Exposure – CBS – Created by Joshua Brand & John Falsey
54. The Wonder Years – ABC – Created by Neal Marlens & Carol Black
55. L.A. Law – NBC – Created by Steven Bochco & Terry Louise Fisher
56. Sesame Street – PBS – Created by Joan Ganz Cooney
57. Columbo – NBC – Created by Richard Levinson & William Link
58. Fawlty Towers *TIE – BBC – Written by John Cleese & Connie Booth
58. The Rockford Files *TIE – NBC – Created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell
60. Freaks and Geeks *TIE – NBC – Created by Paul Feig
60. Moonlighting *TIE – ABC – Created by Glenn Gordon Caron
62. Roots – ABC – Written by William Blinn, M. Charles Cohen, Ernest Kinoy, James Lee; Based on the Book by Alex Haley
63. Everybody Loves Raymond *TIE – CBS – Created by Philip Rosenthal
63. South Park *TIE – COMEDY CENTRAL – Created by Matt Stone & Trey Parker
65. Playhouse 90 – CBS – Season One writers: Edna Anhalt, Edmund Beloin, Harold Jack Bloom, Marc Brandel, George Bruce, James P. Cavanagh, Whitfiled Cook, Helen Doss, Scott Fitzgerald, Devery Freeman, Frank D. Gilroy, Helen Howe, Speed Lamkin, Ernest Lehman, Herbert Little, Jr., Don Mankiewicz, Elick Moll, Paul Monash, Dean Reisner, Norman Retchin, Selma Robinson, William Sackheim, Rod Serling, Leonard Spigelgass, Leslie Stevens, Brandon Thomas, David Victor, Charles M. Warren, Hagar Wilde, Cornell Woolrich
66. Dexter *TIE – SHOWTIME – Developed for Television by James Manos, Jr., Based on the Novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
66. The Office (US) *TIE – NBC – Created by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant, Developed by Greg Daniels, Based on the BBC Series The Office
68. My So-Called Life – ABC – Created by Winnie Holzman
69. The Golden Girls – NBC – Created by Susan Harris
70. The Andy Griffith Show – CBS – Episode 1, “The New Housekeeper,” Written by Jack Elinson and Charles Stewart
71. 24 *TIE – FOX – Created by Joel Surnow & Robert Cochran
71. Roseanne *TIE – ABC – Created by Matt Williams, Based on a Character Created by Roseanne Barr
72. The Shield *TIE – FX – Created by Shawn Ryan
74. House *TIE – FOX – Created by David Shore
74. Murphy Brown *TIE – CBS – Created by Diane English
76. Barney Miller *TIE – ABC – Created by Danny Arnold & Theodore J. Flicker
77. I, Claudius *TIE – PBS – Written by Rupert Graves and Jack Pulman
78. The Odd Couple – ABC – Episode 1, “The Fight of the Felix,” Written by Peggy Elliott & Ed Scharlach
79. Alfred Hitchcock Presents *TIE – CBS – Season One writers – Gwen Bagni, Samuel Blas, Robert Blees, Ray Bradbury, Richard Carr, James Cavanagh, Eustace Cockrell, Francis Cockrell, Marian Cockrell, John Collier, Robert C. Dennis, Mel Dinelli, Stanley Ellin, Fred Freiberger, Irwin Gielgud, Gina Kaus, Terence Maples, Richard Pedicini, Louis Pollock, Joseph Ruscoll, A.J. Russell, Stirling Silliphant, Andrew Solt, Harold Swanton, Victor Wolfson, Cornell Woolrich
79. Monty Python’s Flying Circus *TIE – BBC – Conceived and Written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Neil Innes, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
79. Star Trek: The Next Generation *TIE – SYN – Created by Gene Roddenberry
79. Upstairs, Downstairs *TIE – PBS – Created by Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins
83. Get Smart – NBC – “Pilot,” Written by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry
84. The Defenders *TIE – CBS – Created by Reginald Rose
84. Gunsmoke *TIE – CBS – Episode 1, “Matt Gets It,” Written by Charles Marquis Warren & John Meston
86. Justified *TIE – FX - Developed for Television by Graham Yost, Based on the Short Story “Fire in the Hole” by Elmore Leonard
87. Sgt. Bilko (The Phil Silvers Show) *TIE

The rest of the list.
 
D

Deuce

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Hard to make a list with so many great shows, but IMO the Wire is the absolute best. Plus, since so many here are debating on checking it out, look at #16.
 

EZ22

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Any list that doesn't have Breaking Bad in the top ten is worthless.

I Love Lucy is better than Breaking Bad?

Really?
 
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EZ22

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Oz isn't on this list... and quite frankly, the 2004 version of Battlestar Galactica is the greatest sci-fi show of all time.
 

EZ22

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Deadwood is behind the Cosby Show.

LMAO

Awesome list, bro.
 

EZ22

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I'm sorry for posting so much NoDak, but seriously, the more I look at this list the more embarrassing it is.
 

boozeman

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A lot of these shows jumped the shark years ago...i.e. SNL and The Simpsons.

And Roseanne? Really?

BTW, Roots was a miniseries too.
 

boozeman

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I LOVE LUCY
I'd give ILL more props for being one of the better ones of it's simpler times.

Roseanne was a sitcom homage to white trashdom that doesn't belong in any way, shape or form.
 

EZ22

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Well first of all it's a flawed list because it should break it down by genre.

Because if you honestly try to tell me that Breaking Bad is a lesser show compared to I Love Fucking Lucy then I get insulted.

But if you put it into categories, then yes, ILL is a great show.
 
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Deuce

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Well it's a list of best written shows, not best shows. Not sure there is a difference for me, but maybe that altered the list some.
 

EZ22

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Well it's a list of best written shows, not best shows. Not sure there is a difference for me, but maybe that altered the list some.
Breaking Bad is one of the best written shows of all time. Battlestar as well.
 
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Deuce

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Breaking Bad is one of the best written shows of all time. Battlestar as well.
I agree and #13 is nothing to sneeze at. All the 12 ahead of it are all timers too. Only one I would definitely remove would be Mad Men. Too bad slow times and overall meh seasons to be that high.
 

Jiggyfly

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I agree and #13 is nothing to sneeze at. All the 12 ahead of it are all timers too. Only one I would definitely remove would be Mad Men. Too bad slow times and overall meh seasons to be that high.
Shut yo fool mouth.

:lol

Yes its a slow show but the writing is still excellent there is so much going on in the subtext that usually pays off down the line.

I love the Sopranos, but I can't give it top billing.
 
D

Deuce

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Shut yo fool mouth.

:lol

Yes its a slow show but the writing is still excellent there is so much going on in the subtext that usually pays off down the line.

I love the Sopranos, but I can't give it top billing.
Feh. The show hasn't been nearly the same since they broke up the family and he married his Canadian whore secretary. Plus they've completely abandoned the mysterious side story of his army life.
 

Kbrown

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I can get behind The Sopranos being number one. Excellent acting and direction, a deceptively simple morality tale that pays off perfectly in the end (unless you're dumb and can't interpret the ending, like the people who were angry when it first aired), relatable characters who are believably evil, some of the best TV dream sequences ever. It really is a masterpiece.

Personally, I would put Twin Peaks higher, but it understandably loses ground because of the second season.

And unless I missed it, Freaks and Geeks should definitely be on this list.
 

Kbrown

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Just realized it's supposed to be based on writing alone, but I stand by my points.
 

Smitty

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I can get behind The Sopranos being number one. Excellent acting and direction, a deceptively simple morality tale that pays off perfectly in the end (unless you're dumb and can't interpret the ending, like the people who were angry when it first aired), relatable characters who are believably evil, some of the best TV dream sequences ever. It really is a masterpiece.

Personally, I would put Twin Peaks higher, but it understandably loses ground because of the second season.

And unless I missed it, Freaks and Geeks should definitely be on this list.
Freaks and Geeks is on the list. What was posted only goes to 87, the list actually goes to 100. But I read the article on Yahoo this afternoon and I definitely remember seeing it on there.

FWIW, Oz is on there too as #100.
 
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