![]() To say that their children, Kelly and Bud, do not have a lot going for them would be an understatement. ![]() ![]() With Children focused on the Bundys, a suburban Chicago family who would rather eat nails than say a kind word to one another.Īl Bundy, the patriarch, is a misogynistic shoe salesman whose wife, Peggy, is a housewife who does no work around the house. The flipside of the loving Cosby Show family, Married. Arriving before the long-running series The Simpsons, Married with Children built Fox into the fourth network, which in the '80s only consisted of ABC, NBC, and CBS. There has never been another brood quite like them, before or after their hugely successful 11-season run. The Bundys could certainly stand on the Mount Rushmore of sitcom families. The show was a hit, dominating television as the most-watched show for numerous years throughout its legendary 20-year run, and remains endlessly influential to this day. The show certainly was "adult" for its time, as Wayne alluded to - brothels and prostitution, murder and alcoholism, sexual assault and the first television antihero protagonists stood in stark contrast to the televisual world of The Honeymooners and Leave it to Beaver. The episodic western drama followed Marshal Matt Dillon of Dodge City and his good-natured sidekick Chester, who protect their town from a variety of threats. It's honest, it's adult, and it's realistic," Wayne said). I wish I were, though, because I think it's the best thing of its kind that's come along, and I think you'll agree with me. The first episode was introduced by none other than John Wayne ("No, I'm not in it. Related: Best TV Westerns of All Time, Ranked Yes, there were variety programs like The Texaco Star Theatre, Your Show of Shows, and You Bet Your Life, sitcoms like Mama, and even dramas like The Lone Ranger and Martin Kane, Private Eye, but it really wasn't until Gunsmoke transitioned from its gritty, surprisingly dark radio roots to television that the medium found its stride. Television technically goes back to 1928, when General Electric was testing their extremely early, 48-line TV system with a one-act play called The Queen's Messenger, but it arguably wasn't until Gunsmoke that the television drama had its first masterpiece. Excluding news, news-related programs, and shows specifically designed for young children, these are some of the best American television series of all time. Instead of lamenting what isn't presented here or where a certain title is located on the list, though, let's celebrate what is actually included. I Love Lucy, Game of Thrones, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Columbo, Veep, Deadwood, Friday Night Lights, Homicide: Life on the Street, The West Wing, Cheers, The Outer Limits, Star Trek: Next Generation, Batman: The Animated Series, Happy Days, All in the Family - every one of these shows deserve immense acclaim and have been important in staggering ways. There are quite literally more hours of television to watch than someone would have in numerous lifetimes (with the number of actually well-spent hours increasing yearly), so a viewer might as well watch the best of the best.Ī list like this is an invitation to get upset there are obviously countless TV shows which could be included here, because all of this is subjective. Are these series culturally significant, and do they give people a wider experience of the human condition, as well as being entertaining? Yes. Regardless, certain shows that have stood out from the ever-expanding televisual territories have done so through pure artistry, innovation, or cultural influence (or have simply perfected a traditional form), earning their prized positions in culture just as murals on the Santa Maria delle Grazie or athletic games in the Colosseum have in the past - they're what we as a society revolve around at their point in time, and what reflects us.ĭoes a person need to watch these shows? No. ![]() Updated July 1st, 2023: If you love both classic and modern television, you'll be happy to know that Matt Mahler has updated this list with additional content and entries. Now, with different new series like Squid Game and Mare of Easttown dominating the cultural landscape seemingly every week, keeping up with television can almost become a chore. ![]()
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