100 Greatest Modern TV Series
This list is a list of the greatest TV series in modern television starting from 1970-onward and are based on by cultural influence, accolades and diversity. No specific ranking involved. Excluding those with mixed, negative or panned reception and those with less than two seasons. Also excluding those with offensive content by today standards despite accolades. Added critical praised spinoffs on parental series.
!!=Some context features offensive parts by today standards
-TV Guide's Greatest=50 #=Ongoing %=Facebook
TheSopranos Seinfeld AllintheFamily TheWire TheMaryTylerMooreShow M*A*S*H BreakingBad TheSimpsons Cheers Law&Order SaturdayNightLive TheOprahWinfreyShow
MadMen HillStreetBlues TheXFiles
ER Columbo TheWaltons Taxi
Lost BuffytheVampireSlayer Sex&theCity *TheWonderYears
TheWestWing NYPDBlue ModernFamily BarneyMiller
Dallas TheBobNewhartShow TheShield St.Elsewhere
GoldenGirls HomicideLifeonStreet TheLarrySandersShow
TheGoodWife ILoveLucy TheTwilightZone StarTrek TheHoneymooners TheAndyGriffithShow TheTonightShow CarolBurnettShow TheDickVanDykeShow Gunsmoke SesameStreet
TheEdSullivanShow YourShowofShows TheDailyShow
---Honorable Mentions TV Guide's Greatest=50
GetSmart ThePractice TheOffice TheRockfordFiles TheModSquad MissionImpossible PerryMason Bewitched TheFugitive TheRifleman TheTraceyUllmanShow Mr.Roger'sNeighborhood Bonanza MurderSheWrote Sanford&Son 30Rock Parks&Recreation NurseJackie 'MalcolmintheMiddle Lassie TheBradyBunch 'Scrubs Will&Grace LeaveIttoBeaver Gilligan'sIsland Combat WagonTrain Rawhide HaveGunWillTravel 'AllyMcBeal Route66 FamilyTies TheDefenders SeaHunt BenCasey Fury Burke'sLaw Dragnet PeterGunn MSquad
OurMissBrooks ThatGirl Hazel Soap
!!=Some context features offensive parts by today standards
-TV Guide's Greatest=50 #=Ongoing %=Facebook
TheSopranos Seinfeld AllintheFamily TheWire TheMaryTylerMooreShow M*A*S*H BreakingBad TheSimpsons Cheers Law&Order SaturdayNightLive TheOprahWinfreyShow
MadMen HillStreetBlues TheXFiles
ER Columbo TheWaltons Taxi
Lost BuffytheVampireSlayer Sex&theCity *TheWonderYears
TheWestWing NYPDBlue ModernFamily BarneyMiller
Dallas TheBobNewhartShow TheShield St.Elsewhere
GoldenGirls HomicideLifeonStreet TheLarrySandersShow
TheGoodWife ILoveLucy TheTwilightZone StarTrek TheHoneymooners TheAndyGriffithShow TheTonightShow CarolBurnettShow TheDickVanDykeShow Gunsmoke SesameStreet
TheEdSullivanShow YourShowofShows TheDailyShow
---Honorable Mentions TV Guide's Greatest=50
GetSmart ThePractice TheOffice TheRockfordFiles TheModSquad MissionImpossible PerryMason Bewitched TheFugitive TheRifleman TheTraceyUllmanShow Mr.Roger'sNeighborhood Bonanza MurderSheWrote Sanford&Son 30Rock Parks&Recreation NurseJackie 'MalcolmintheMiddle Lassie TheBradyBunch 'Scrubs Will&Grace LeaveIttoBeaver Gilligan'sIsland Combat WagonTrain Rawhide HaveGunWillTravel 'AllyMcBeal Route66 FamilyTies TheDefenders SeaHunt BenCasey Fury Burke'sLaw Dragnet PeterGunn MSquad
OurMissBrooks ThatGirl Hazel Soap
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- CreatorArmando IannucciStarsJulia Louis-DreyfusTony HaleAnna ChlumskyFormer Senator Selina Meyer finds that being Vice President of the United States is nothing like she hoped and everything that everyone ever warned her about.%
- CreatorAlex GansaHoward GordonStarsClaire DanesMandy PatinkinDamian LewisA bipolar CIA operative becomes convinced a prisoner of war has been turned by al-Qaeda and is planning to carry out a terrorist attack on American soil.%
- CreatorDavid BenioffD.B. WeissStarsEmilia ClarkePeter DinklageKit HaringtonNine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.%
- CreatorSteven LevitanChristopher LloydStarsEd O'NeillSofía VergaraJulie BowenThree different, but related, families face trials and tribulations in their own uniquely comedic ways.%
- CreatorJoseph WeisbergStarsKeri RussellMatthew RhysKeidrich SellatiAt the height of the Cold War, two Russian agents pose as the average American couple, complete with family.%
- CreatorJohn AltschulerMike JudgeDave KrinskyStarsThomas MiddleditchT.J. MillerJosh BrenerFollows the struggle of Richard Hendricks, a Silicon Valley engineer trying to build his own company called Pied Piper.%
- CreatorPeter NowalkStarsViola DavisBilly BrownJack FalaheeA group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor become involved in a twisted murder plot that promises to change the course of their lives.%
- CreatorSam EsmailStarsRami MalekChristian SlaterCarly ChaikinElliot, a brilliant but unstable cyber-security engineer and vigilante hacker, becomes a key figure in a complex game of global chaos when he and his shadowy allies try to take down the corrupt corporation his company is paid to protect.%
- CreatorLorne MichaelsStarsThe Saturday Night Live BandDon PardoDarrell HammondA famous guest host stars in parodies and sketches created by the cast of this witty show.#
% - CreatorDick WolfRick EidStarsJerry OrbachJesse L. MartinDennis FarinaNew York's finest police detectives and prosecutors fight to make the city a safer place. With integrity as the guiding force from investigation to verdict, the teams weigh every perspective in their commitment to finding justice.#*
% - CreatorDavid ChaseStarsJames GandolfiniLorraine BraccoEdie FalcoNew Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.*
% - CreatorDavid SimonStarsDominic WestLance ReddickSonja SohnThe Baltimore drug scene, as seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement.%
- CreatorVince GilliganStarsBryan CranstonAaron PaulAnna GunnA chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with a former student in order to secure his family's future.% including Better Call Saul
- CreatorSteven BochcoMichael KozollStarsDaniel J. TravantiMichael WarrenBruce WeitzThe lives and work of the staff of an inner city police precinct.&
- CreatorChris CarterStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonMitch PileggiTwo F.B.I. Agents, Fox Mulder the believer and Dana Scully the skeptic, investigate the strange and unexplained, while hidden forces work to impede their efforts.% &
- CreatorRichard LevinsonWilliam LinkStarsPeter FalkMike LallyJohn FinneganLos Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to winkle out even the most well-concealed of crimes.-- &
- CreatorAnthony YerkovichStarsDon JohnsonPhilip Michael ThomasSaundra Santiago-Resplendent with authentic 1980s music, fashion, and vibe, "Miami Vice" follows two undercover detectives and their extended team through the mean streets of Miami, Florida.&
- CreatorSteven BochcoDavid MilchStarsDennis FranzJimmy SmitsGordon ClappDetectives from NYPD's 15th Precinct investigate homicides within their precinct.&
- CreatorDanny ArnoldTheodore J. FlickerStarsHal LindenAbe VigodaMax GailThe Captain of the NYPD 12th Precinct and his staff handle the various local troubles and characters that come into the squad room.&
- CreatorShawn RyanStarsMichael ChiklisCatherine DentWalton GogginsDrama series following the lives and cases of dirty cop Vic Mackey and the corrupt LAPD unit under his command.
- CreatorPaul AttanasioStarsRichard BelzerClark JohnsonYaphet KottoAn American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit.&
- CreatorJ.J. AbramsStarsJennifer GarnerRon RifkinCarl LumblySydney Bristow is an international spy recruited out of college, trained for espionage and self-defense.--
- CreatorRob ThomasStarsKristen BellJason DohringEnrico ColantoniAfter her best friend is murdered, and her father is removed as county Sheriff, Veronica Mars dedicates her life to cracking the toughest mysteries in the affluent town of Neptune.%
- CreatorJames Manos Jr.StarsMichael C. HallJennifer CarpenterDavid ZayasHe's smart. He's lovable. He's Dexter Morgan, America's favorite serial killer, who spends his days solving crimes and nights committing them.%
- CreatorDavid E. KelleyStarsDylan McDermottKelli WilliamsLara Flynn BoyleWe follow the exploits and cases of defense attorneys of a Boston law firm. Bobby Donnell is the senior defense attorney and founder of the firm.including Boston Legal &
- CreatorStephen J. CannellRoy HugginsStarsJames GarnerNoah Beery Jr.Joe SantosThe cases of an easy-going ex-convict turned private investigator.-- &
- CreatorSteven BochcoTerry Louise FisherStarsCorbin BernsenJill EikenberryAlan RachinsThe lives and work of the staff of a major Los Angeles law firm.&
- CreatorDonald P. BellisarioGlen A. LarsonStarsTom SelleckJohn HillermanRoger E. MosleyThe adventures of a Hawaii-based private investigator.-- &
- CreatorPeter S. FischerRichard LevinsonWilliam LinkStarsAngela LansburyWilliam WindomRon MasakProfessional writer and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher uses her intellect, charm, and persistence to get to the bottom of every crime she encounters.-- &
- CreatorAbby MannStarsTelly SavalasDan FrazerKevin DobsonA bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in his city.-- &
- CreatorTerence WinterStarsSteve BuscemiKelly MacdonaldMichael ShannonAn Atlantic City politician plays both sides of the law by conspiring with gangsters during the Prohibition era.
- CreatorMichelle KingRobert KingStarsJulianna MarguliesChris NothJosh CharlesAlicia Florrick has been a good wife to her husband, a former state's attorney. After a very humiliating sex and corruption scandal, he is behind bars. She must now provide for her family and returns to work as a litigator in a law firm.%
- CreatorLarry DavidJerry SeinfeldStarsJerry SeinfeldJulia Louis-DreyfusMichael RichardsThe continuing misadventures of neurotic New York City stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his equally neurotic New York City friends.% & *
- CreatorLarry DavidStarsLarry DavidCheryl HinesJeff GarlinLarry David stars as an over-the-top version of himself in this comedy series that shows how seemingly trivial details of day-to-day life can precipitate a catastrophic chain of events.#* %
- CreatorDavid DavisLorenzo MusicStarsBob NewhartSuzanne PleshetteBill DailyThe professional and personal misadventures of a psychologist and his family, patients, friends and colleagues.*** &
- CreatorDennis KleinGarry ShandlingStarsGarry ShandlingJeffrey TamborWallace LanghamA comedic behind the scenes look at a late night talk show.&
- CreatorJames L. BrooksAllan BurnsStarsMary Tyler MooreEdward AsnerGavin MacLeodThe lives and trials of a young single woman and her friends, both at work and at home.***& including Rhoda & Lou Grant &
- CreatorJerry BelsonJames L. BrooksKen EstinStarsTracey UllmanDan CastellanetaSam McMurrayTracey Ullman hosts a variety show containing sketches, song-and-dance routines, and The Simpsons.&
- CreatorTina FeyStarsTina FeyAlec BaldwinTracy MorganLiz Lemon, head writer of the sketch-comedy show "TGS with Tracy Jordan", must deal with an arrogant new boss and a crazy new star while trying to run a successful television show without losing her mind.%
- CreatorJoss WhedonStarsSarah Michelle GellarNicholas BrendonAlyson HanniganA young woman, destined to slay vampires, demons and other infernal creatures, deals with her life fighting evil, with the help of her friends.&
- CreatorSusan HarrisStarsBea ArthurBetty WhiteRue McClanahanFour previously married women live together in Miami, sharing their various experiences together and enjoying themselves despite hard times.% including Empty Nest &
- CreatorAlan BallStarsPeter KrauseMichael C. HallFrances ConroyA chronicle of the lives of a dysfunctional family who run an independent funeral home in Los Angeles.
- CreatorJenji KohanStarsMary-Louise ParkerHunter ParrishAlexander GouldWhen a suburban mother turns to dealing marijuana in order to maintain her privileged lifestyle after her husband dies, she finds out just how addicted her entire neighborhood already is.
- CreatorMarc CherryStarsTeri HatcherFelicity HuffmanMarcia CrossSecrets and truths unfold through the lives of female friends in one suburban neighborhood after the mysterious suicide of a neighbor.% ~~ !!
- CreatorShonda RhimesStarsEllen PompeoChandra WilsonJames Pickens Jr.A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors.%
- CreatorGreg DanielsMichael SchurStarsAmy PoehlerJim O'HeirNick OffermanThe absurd antics of an Indiana town's public officials as they pursue sundry projects to make their city a better place.%
- CreatorDiane EnglishStarsCandice BergenGrant ShaudRobert PastorelliThe personal and professional misadventures of an opinionated but beloved woman working as a television journalist.%
- CreatorBarbara AvedonBarbara CordayStarsTyne DalySharon GlessAl WaxmanTwo female police detectives cooperate with each other both in their professions and in their personal lives.-- &
- CreatorDavid E. KelleyStarsCalista FlockhartGreg GermannJane KrakowskiFollows the personal and professional life of lawyer Ally.& !!
- CreatorSherry CobenStarsSusan Saint JamesJane CurtinFrederick KoehlerTwo divorced mothers and their children share an apartment.&
- CreatorGlenn Gordon CaronStarsCybill ShepherdBruce WillisAllyce BeasleyThe quirky cases of a former model and a smart aleck detective who manage a private detective agency.&
- CreatorDanny JacobsonPaul ReiserPeter TolanStarsPaul ReiserHelen HuntJohn PankowMad About You centers on the trials and tribulations of a married couple living in New York.&
- CreatorJon Robin BaitzStarsDave AnnableCalista FlockhartRachel GriffithsThe story of the drama surrounding a family's adult siblings.%
- CreatorGlenn KesslerTodd A. KesslerDaniel ZelmanStarsGlenn CloseRose ByrneTate DonovanA law school graduate becomes the protégée of a successful high-stakes litigator.
- CreatorKari LizerStarsJulia Louis-DreyfusClark GreggHamish LinklaterA divorced mom tries to keep pace with everyone around her.%
- CreatorJames DuffStarsKyra SedgwickJ.K. SimmonsCorey ReynoldsDeputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson runs the Priority Homicide Division of the LAPD with an unorthodox style. Her innate ability to read people and obtain confessions helps her and her team solve the city's toughest, most sensitive cases.
- CreatorLiz BrixiusEvan DunskyLinda WallemStarsEdie FalcoMerritt WeverPaul SchulzeA drug-addicted nurse struggles to find a balance between the demands of her frenetic job at a New York City hospital and an array of personal dramas.
- CreatorNorman LearStarsCarroll O'ConnorJean StapletonRob ReinerA working class man constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the day.*** % &
- CreatorJames L. BrooksStan DanielsDavid DavisStarsJudd HirschJeff ConawayDanny DeVitoThe staff of a New York City taxicab company go about their job while they dream of greater things.&
- CreatorDavid JacobsStarsLarry HagmanKen KerchevalPatrick DuffyJ.R. Ewing, a Texas oil baron, uses manipulation and blackmail to achieve his ambitions, both business and personal. He often comes into conflict with his brother Bobby, his arch-enemy Cliff Barnes and his long-suffering wife Sue Ellen.&
- CreatorSusan HarrisStarsKatherine HelmondRod RoddyRichard MulliganThe soap-operish antics of two families: the Campbells and the Tates.&
- CreatorNorman LearDon NichollMichael RossStarsIsabel SanfordSherman HemsleyRoxie RokerA nouveau riche, African-American family who move into a luxury apartment building develop close, if occasionally fractious, relationships with other tenants.&
- CreatorNorman LearStarsRedd FoxxDemond WilsonLaWanda PageThe misadventures of a cantankerous junk dealer and his frustrated son.&
- CreatorLarry GelbartStarsAlan AldaWayne RogersLoretta SwitThe staff of an Army hospital in the Korean War find that laughter is the best way to deal with their situation.&
- CreatorLinwood BoomerMichael GloubermanGary MurphyStarsFrankie MunizBryan CranstonJustin BerfieldA gifted young teen tries to survive life with his dimwitted, dysfunctional family.& --
- CreatorEarl Hamner Jr.StarsJon WalmsleyMary Beth McDonoughEric ScottThe life and trials of a 1930s and 1940s Virginia mountain family through financial depression and World War II.% &
- CreatorMichael JacobsApril KellyStarsBen SavageRider StrongWilliam DanielsAn adolescent with two siblings tests his various theories about life as he endures the trials of growing up alongside a good friend.-- Including Girl Meets World !!
- CreatorAli LeRoiChris RockStarsTerry CrewsTichina ArnoldTequan RichmondA young African-American teen attempts to survive with his dysfunctional family and his all-white school in the 1980s.--
- CreatorMarshall HerskovitzEdward ZwickStarsTimothy BusfieldPolly DraperMel HarrisSeven tricenarians living in Philadelphia struggle with everyday adult angst.&
- CreatorCarol BlackNeal MarlensStarsFred SavageDan LauriaAlley MillsKevin Arnold recalls growing up during the late 60s and early 70s; the turbulent social times make the transition from child to adult unusually interesting.% --
& - CreatorGary David GoldbergStarsMichael J. FoxMichael GrossMeredith BaxterChronicles liberal ex-hippies Steven and Elyse Keaton, their conservative son Alex, daughters Mallory and Jennifer, and later, youngest child Andrew.&
- CreatorMichael CrichtonStarsAnthony EdwardsGeorge ClooneyJulianna MarguliesThe doctors who work in the ER at the County General Hospital in Chicago grapple with ups and downs in their personal and professional lives while trying to give apt medical care to their patients.&
- CreatorJoshua BrandJohn FalseyJohn MasiusStarsEd Begley Jr.Howie MandelDavid MorseThe lives and work of the staff of St. Eligius Hospital, an old and disrespected Boston teaching hospital.*** &
- CreatorDavid E. KelleyStarsMandy PatinkinAdam ArkinHector ElizondoThe lives and trials of the staff of a major hospital in Chicago.&
- CreatorGreg DanielsRicky GervaisStephen MerchantStarsSteve CarellJenna FischerJohn KrasinskiA mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, tedium and romance.%
- CreatorMitchell HurwitzStarsJason BatemanMichael CeraPortia de RossiLevel-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.%
- CreatorMatthew WeinerStarsJon HammElisabeth MossVincent KartheiserA 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.%
- CreatorJ.J. AbramsJeffrey LieberDamon LindelofStarsJorge GarciaJosh HollowayYunjin KimThe survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together in order to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island.
- CreatorAaron SorkinStarsMartin SheenRob LoweAllison JanneyInside the lives of staffers in the West Wing of the White House.% &
- CreatorDavid MilchStarsTimothy OlyphantIan McShaneMolly ParkerA show set in the late 1800s, revolving around the characters of Deadwood, South Dakota; a town of deep corruption and crime.
- CreatorDenis LearyPeter TolanStarsDenis LearyMichael LombardiSteven PasqualeTommy Gavin deals with the fears of his job as a firefighter and seeing his ex-wife dating other men.
- CreatorDavid KohanMax MutchnickStarsEric McCormackDebra MessingMegan MullallyGay lawyer Will and straight interior designer Grace share a New York City apartment. Their best friends are gleeful and proud gay Jack and charismatic, filthy-rich, amoral socialite Karen.
- CreatorJoshua BrandJohn FalseyStarsRob MorrowJanine TurnerBarry CorbinA city doctor is forced to work in the remote Alaskan town of Cicely, where he encounters peculiar locals, including a former astronaut, as he adjusts to small-town life.&
- CreatorDavid E. KelleyStarsKathy BakerTom SkerrittLauren HollyAn aging Sheriff tries to keep the peace in Rome, Wisconsin, a small town plagued by bizarre and violent crimes.&
- CreatorJohn Sacret YoungWilliam Broyles Jr.StarsDana DelanyMarg HelgenbergerBrian WimmerThe trials of a weary nurse, her friends and colleagues in a Vietnam War field hospital.% &
- StarsCraig T. NelsonJerry Van DykeBill FagerbakkeHayden Fox is the head coach of a university football team, and eats, sleeps and lives football.&
- CreatorBonnie TurnerTerry TurnerStarsJohn LithgowJane CurtinKristen JohnstonA group of aliens is sent to Earth, disguised as a human family, to experience and report life on the third planet from the sun.&
- CreatorGary David GoldbergBill LawrenceStarsMichael J. FoxCharlie SheenHeather LocklearMike Flaherty, the Deputy Mayor of New York City, and his team of half-wits must constantly save the Mayor from embarrassment and the media. Mike is later succeeded by Charlie Crawford.&
- CreatorAndy BreckmanStarsTony ShalhoubJason Gray-StanfordTed LevineThe series follows Adrian Monk, a brilliant former San Francisco detective, who now consults the police as a private consultant whilst battling with an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- CreatorDan HarmonStarsJoel McHaleDanny PudiDonald GloverA suspended lawyer is forced to enroll in a community college with an eccentric staff and student body.%
- CreatorDan FogelmanStarsMilo VentimigliaMandy MooreSterling K. BrownA heartwarming and emotional story about a unique set of triplets, their struggles, and their wonderful parents.#
- CreatorJames BurrowsGlen CharlesLes CharlesStarsTed DansonRhea PerlmanJohn RatzenbergerThe regulars of the Boston bar "Cheers" share their experiences and lives with each other while drinking or working at the bar where everybody knows your name.% including Frasier &&
- CreatorBill LawrenceStarsZach BraffDonald FaisonSarah ChalkeIn the unreal world of Sacred Heart Hospital, intern John "J.D." Dorian learns the ways of medicine, friendship and life.~~ !!
- CreatorJames L. BrooksMatt GroeningSam SimonStarsDan CastellanetaNancy CartwrightHarry ShearerThe satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.#
% - CreatorTrey ParkerMatt StoneBrian GradenStarsTrey ParkerMatt StoneIsaac HayesFollows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.#
% - CreatorDavid X. CohenMatt GroeningStarsBilly WestJohn DiMaggioKatey SagalPhilip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy, is accidentally frozen in 1999 and thawed out on New Year's Eve 2999.
- CreatorGreg DanielsMike JudgeStarsMike JudgeKathy NajimyPamela AdlonA straight-laced propane salesman in Arlen, Texas tries to deal with the wacky antics of his family and friends, while also trying to keep his son in line.
- CreatorLoren BouchardJim DauteriveStarsH. Jon BenjaminDan MintzEugene MirmanBob Belcher runs a struggling burger shop with his wife and three children.%
- CreatorTim HillStephen HillenburgNick JenningsStarsTom KennyRodger BumpassBill FagerbakkeThe misadventures of a talking sea sponge who works at a fast food restaurant, attends a boating school, and lives in an underwater pineapple.# %
-- - CreatorAngela C. SantomeroTodd KesslerTraci Paige JohnsonStarsSteve BurnsTraci Paige JohnsonMichael RubinBlue is a puppy who puts her paw prints on three clues. Steve or Joe has to deduce the clues (with the help of off-screen children) to figure out what Blue wants to do.