Top ten favorite television shows (broken down by genres first)

[The Nth Doctor]

Often when top ten favorite television series list threads are done, I find it difficult to come up with a proper list that I feel is complete. This time I like to do something a little different and see if it helps other people as well. I've broken the process down to different show genre lists: science-fiction, drama, comedy, and children shows (what can I say, I'm a sucker for nostalgia). I'm sure some people will want to include other categories like anime but this covers my show interests.


Science-Fiction
1. Doctor Who
2. Farscape
3. Lost
4. Futurama
5. Babylon 5

Drama
1. The West Wing
2. The Wire
3. Oz
4. House
5. Northern Exposure

Comedy
1. Monty Python's Flying Circus
2. Coupling
3. M*A*S*H
4. Saturday Night Live ('75-'80, '86-'94)
5. Fawlty Towers

Children
1. Looney Tunes
2. The Muppet Show
3. You Can't Do That on Television
4. The Mysterious Cities of Gold
5. Fraggle Rock


And without further ado...

Overall
1. Doctor Who
2. Farscape
3. The West Wing
4. Looney Tunes
5. The Wire
6. Lost
7. Monty Python's Flying Circus
8. Futurama
9. Coupling
10. Oz


I'm not 100% satisfied with the final result but I think it's a lot closer than it has been in the past.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Sci-Fi
Firefly
DS9
Avatar the last Airbender
TNG
Space: Above and Beyond

Drama
The Wire
Oz
Gilmore Girls (yeah, I'm serious)
Mad Men
Six Feet Under

Comedy
My Name is Earl
Peep Show
Malcolm in the Middle
Arrested Development
South Park
Robot Chicken (yes, I know this is #6, but fuck that )

Reality TV/Unscripted
Survivor
Top Chef
Deadliest Catch
Top Gear (don't know where else to put this, but whatever)
Daily Show

Can't really rank the individual shows, but Daily Show is #1 by far.

Top 10 would be
1. Daily Show
then
Top Gear, Robot Chicken, Arrested Development, Gilmore Girls (I loved the show, sue me ), Wire, Six Feet Under, Firefly, Avatar, DS9.

 

[Canadave]

Letsee...

Science-Fiction
1. Deep Space 9
2. Lost
3. Battlestar Galactica
4. The Next Generation
5. Doctor Who

Drama
1. Dexter
2. Six Feet Under
(... and that's all I can think of, offhand. I don't watch much non-SF drama, honestly)

Comedy
1. Futurama
2. Arrested Development
3. Spaced
4. Monty Python's Flying Circus
5. Corner Gas

 

[Spot's Meow]

Here's my lists. I've included several shows in the drama category that would normally be thought of as scifi, but I didn't have enough for a separate scifi category, and I really enjoyed those shows for their dramatic elements more than anything else. And I really couldn't think of many other dramas I've watched! I'm much more into comedy.

Comedy
1. Arrested Development
2. Big Bang Theory
3. Modern Family
4. Friends
5. Freaks and Geeks

80s/Early 90s Shows
1. Full House
2. Facts of Life
3. Star Trek: TNG
3. Wonder Years
5. Perfect Strangers

Drama
1. Lost
2. Dead Like Me
3. Everwood
4. Rome
5. 24

Reality
1. Survivor
2. Big Brother (US version only)
3. Amazing Race
4. Project Runway
5. The Joe Schmo Show (please someone bring this back!)

 

[Yojimbo28]

Drama
Magnum, P.I.
White Collar
Robin of Sherwood
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Carnivale
Deadwood
Comedy
Community
Flight of the Conchords
Married...with Children
Three's Company
Mr. Bean
Police Squad!
Animated
Batman: The Animated Series
The Simpsons
Futurama
Spongebob Squarepants
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Thundercats
Miscellaneous
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Saturday Night Live

 

[Cicero]

Comedy:
Dharma and Greg
Frasier
Keen Eddie
Teen Titans
?

Drama:
Band of Brothers
ER
Horatio Hornblower
Law & Order
The West Wing

Non-Fiction:
Frontline
Connections 2
Nature
Nova
Scientific American Frontiers

Science Fiction:
Farscape
Star Trek
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Voyager
Stargate SG-1

Overall:
Band of Brothers
ER
From the Earth To the Moon
Frontline
Horatio Hornblower
Law & Order
Scientific American Frontiers
Smallville
Teen Titans
The West Wing

 

[mimic]

Scifi/Fantasy
1. Buffy
2. Doctor Who
3. Supernatural
4. Battlestar Galactica
5. Farscape

Drama
1. The Wire
2. Friday Night Lights
3. Lost (cheating, it probably should be under scifi)
4. Gilmore Girls
5. Joan of Arcadia

Reality
1. Survivor
2. Top Gear
3. The Amazing Race

Comedy
1. The Colbert Report
2. The Daily Show
3. The Office (US)
4. Fawlty Towers
5. Futurama

Miniseries
1. Band of Brothers
2. Generation Kill
3. I, Claudius
4. The Pacific

Overall:
1. Buffy
2. The Wire
3. Doctor Who
4. Friday Night Lights
5. Band of Brothers
6. Generation Kill
7. Supernatural
8. Battlestar Galactica
9. Lost
10. Farscape

 

[Kirkman1987]

Sci-fi
1. TOS
2. DS9
3. Life on Mars (UK)
4. Firefly
5. TNG

Comedy
1. M*A*S*H
2. Futurama
3. The Office (US)
4. The Simpsons
5. Monty Python's Flying Circus

Drama
1. Twin Peaks
2. 24
3. Dexter
4. The Wire
5. Deadwood

Top 10
1.TOS
2. M*A*S*H
3. Twin Peaks
4. DS9
5. Life on Mars (UK)
6. 24
7. Firefly
8. TNG
9. Futurama
10. Dexter

That's a solid list for me.

 

[Canadave]

Drama
1. Dexter
2. Six Feet Under
(... and that's all I can think of, offhand. I don't watch much non-SF drama, honestly)

I completely forgot Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, which I'll put in the 3\4 slots here. Yes they're kind of SF&F, but their more of a drama than anything else. And if miniseries count, I'd throw out State of Play at number 5.

Also, I forgot to mention DS9 holds the number 1 spot for me.

 

[mr.peany]

Sci-Fi:
- Star Trek: The Next Generation
- The X Files
- Star Trek: Voyager
- Battlestar Galactica (2003)
- Fringe

Drama:
- ER
- 24
- Six Feet Under
- NCIS
- Veronica Mars

Comedy
- The Golden Girls
- Friends
- The Office (US)
- Will & Grace
- Roseanne
- Everybody Loves Raymond

Cartoon:
- The Simpsons
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
- Tiny Toon Adventures
- Animaniacs
- Duck Tales


Top 10:
Star Trek: The Next Generation
The X Files
ER
24
The Golden Girls
Friends
The Office (US)
The Simpsons
Six Feet Under
NCIS



That was surprisingly difficult to narrow down, im sure there are shows I have forgotten.

 

[Warp Coil]

Comedy:
The Daily Show
Family Guy
Futurama
The Office
South Park

Drama:
Dexter
Everwood
Friday Night Lights
Gilmore Girls
Veronica Mars

Sci-Fi/Fantasy:
Angel
Battlestar Galactica
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Lost
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

My Top 10 (for now):
Angel
Battlestar Galactica
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Dexter
Family Guy
Friday Night Lights
Gilmore Girls
Lost
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

 

[Starbreaker]

Science-Fiction
1. Lost
2. Babylon 5
3. Farscape
4. Star Trek: DS9
5. Star Trek: TNG

Drama
1. Dexter
2. Nip/Tuck
3. NCIS
4. CSI
5. Criminal Minds

Comedy
1. Curb Your Enthusiasm
2. The Office
3. Cheers
4. How I Met Your Mother
5. The Big Bang Theory

Children
1. Are You Afraid of the Dark?
2. Rugrats
3. Doug
4. All That
5. Keenan & Kel


And without further ado...

Overall
1. Lost
2. Dexter
3. Babylon 5
4. Farscape
5. Star Trek: TNG
6. Star Trek: DS9
7. Curb Your Enthusiasm
8. Nip/Tuck
8. NCIS
9. CSI
10. The Office

 

[Mr Light]

Comedy:
Seinfeld, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, The Office USA, How I Met Your Mother, Friends, Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama

Drama:
Babylon 5, Farscape, LOST, Doctor Who, Angel, Buffy, Deep Space Nine, X-Files, Twenty Four

Animated Adventure:
Avatar Airbender, Justice League, Superman, Gargoyles

Variety:
Colbert Report, Daily Show, Conan

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Ah, geez, I can't believe I forgot about M*A*S*H and Fawlty Towers for favorite comedies!

I have to say I'm surprised there hasn't been any anime lists so far, but instead there have been plenty of reality/variety show lists.

 

[Jax]

I have two lists personally (current shows and all time) but for this thread I'll try it your way...

Comedy
Scrubs
Have I Got News For You (Uk Show)
The Big Bang Theory
Friends
Who's Line Is It Anyway (U.S version)

Drama
Boston Legal
The West Wing
Dexter
House
The Sopranos

Now the HARDEST section...

Science-Fiction
Stargate SG-1
Buffy
Angel
ST:TNG
ST DS9

Now FRINGE could make that list depending on if it gets an ending. (Fringe is my number 1 show on TV at the moment). The majorty of my top 20 shows of all time are Sci Fi based though making picking 5 so hard.

TOP 10
1. Boston Legal
2. Scrubs
3. The West Wing
4. Stargate SG-1
5. Buffy
6. Angel
7. Dexter
8. ST TNG
9. ST DS9
10. Have I Got News For You (Uk Show)

 

[Admiral2]

I'll do five genres and list two each.

Science Fiction
Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Battlestar Galactica (1978)

Drama
24
Law & Order

Comedy
All In The Family
Married...With Children

Children's
Phineas & Ferb
Good Luck, Charlie

Anime
Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (first season)
Daphne In The Brilliant Blue (The PERFECT Anime!)

My favorites, top-tenified!

 

[byron lomax]

Science Fiction:
Star Trek TNG
The X-Files
Outer Limits (60s)
Firefly
Battlestar Galactica

Drama:
Homicide
Oz
My So-Called Life
Millennium
The Wire

Comedy:
Only Fools and Horses
Fawlty Towers

Animated:
Daria
Batman TAS
Downtown
Kim Possible
Avatar: the Last Airbender

Overall Top 10:
Homicide
Oz
Daria
TNG
The X-Files
Batman TAS
My So-Called Life
Millennium
60s OL
Downtown

Making these lists has made me realise how little live-action comedy I've watched. I just never really made a habit of following comedy shows.

 

[Vasquez Rocks]

Sci-Fi/Fantasy
1.Star Trek:The Next Generation
2.The X-Files
3.Supernatural
4.Buffy the Vampire Slayer
5.Firefly

Comedy
1.Three's Company
2.Freaks and Geeks
3.Entourage
4.Undeclared
5.Parker Lewis Can't Lose

Children's
1.Fraggle Rock
2.Thundercats
3.Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
4.The Muppet Show
5.You Can't Do That On Television

Overall
1.Star Trek: The Next Generation
2.Three's Company
3.Freaks and Geeks
4.The X-Files
5.Supernatural
6.Entourage
7.Buffy the Vampire Slayer
8.Undeclared
9.Firefly
10.Parker Lewis Can't Lose

 

[Starkers]

Cool thread to which I'll add my tuppence too...

Science Fiction
1. Blakes 7
2. Dr Who
3. TOS
4. DS9
5. TNG (just begun the process of rewatching B5 which may end up supplanting TNG)

Drama

1 Spooks
2. Lost
4. The Mentalist
5. Castle
6. Waking the Dead
7. CSI
8. Silent Witness

Comedy

1. Coupling
2. Spaced
3. The IT Crowd
4. Friends
5. Peep Show

A top 10?

1. Blakes 7
2. Dr Who
3. Spooks
4. Coupling
5. TOS
6. DS9
7. Lost
8. Spaced
9. The Mentalist
10. Castle

Almost in were: Ultraviolet, Angel, Merlin, The One Game, Stargate (every flavour) Battlestar Galactica (70s version) Buffy...man I need a bigger list!!

 

[Decker]

I don't really watch comedy and obviously I like Star Trek, so I'll leave that out.

The Sopranos,*Lost,*Mad Men,*The X-Files,*Twin Peaks,*Dexter

... and Boardwalk Empire, I guess.