The Top 100 American TV Series of All Time (1946 to 1994)
by bhargavitamma | created - 6 months ago | updated - 6 months ago | PublicThe Top 100 American TV Series of All Time (1946 to 1994)
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1. Bonanza (1959–1973)
TV-PG | 49 min | Western
The Wild West adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their Nevada ranch while helping the surrounding community.
Stars: Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts
Votes: 10,998
#4
2. All in the Family (1971–1979)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
A working class man constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the day.
Stars: Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers
Votes: 18,668
#5
3. Archie Bunker's Place (1979–1983)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
The further misadventures of Archie Bunker, now the owner of a local pub, and his regulars.
Stars: Carroll O'Connor, Danielle Brisebois, Allan Melvin, Jason Wingreen
Votes: 1,503
#5
4. The Lucy Show (1962–1968)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
The wacky misadventures of a forever-scheming woman, her reluctant best friend, and her cantankerous boss.
Stars: Lucille Ball, Gale Gordon, Vivian Vance, Jimmy Garrett
Votes: 3,149
#8
5. Here's Lucy (1968–1974)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
Lucy Carter, a widow with two teen children, takes a job as a secretary for her stuffy brother-in-law.
Stars: Lucille Ball, Gale Gordon, Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr.
Votes: 1,785
#8
6. M*A*S*H (1972–1983)
TV-PG | 25 min | Comedy, Drama, War
The staff of an Army hospital in the Korean War find that laughter is the best way to deal with their situation.
Stars: Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, Loretta Swit, Jamie Farr
Votes: 63,817
#10
7. Cheers (1982–1993)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Drama
The 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.
Stars: Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger, George Wendt
Votes: 62,069
#11
8. Dallas (1978–1991)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, Romance
J.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.
Stars: Larry Hagman, Ken Kercheval, Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray
Votes: 16,589
#12
9. The Cosby Show (1984–1992)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Romance
The goings-on in the life of a successful African-American family.
Stars: Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe
Votes: 36,369
#13
10. The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1968)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family
Widower Sheriff Andy Taylor, and his son Opie, live with Andy's Aunt Bee in Mayberry, North Carolina. With virtually no crimes to solve, most of Andy's time is spent philosophizing and calming down his cousin Deputy Barney Fife.
Stars: Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, Don Knotts, Frances Bavier
Votes: 16,990
#14
11. Roseanne (1988–2018)
TV-PG | 21 min | Comedy, Drama
A revival of the popular 1990s sitcom "Roseanne," which centered on the everyday life of an American working-class family.
Stars: Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Michael Fishman
Votes: 46,373
#15
12. Three's Company (1976–1984)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
The misadventures of two women and one man living in one apartment and their neighbors.
Stars: John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt, Suzanne Somers, Richard Kline
Votes: 17,116
#17
13. I Love Lucy (1951–1957)
TV-Y | 30 min | Comedy, Family
The wife of a band leader constantly tries to become a star - in spite of her having no talent, and gets herself (along with her best friend) into the funniest predicaments.
Stars: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, William Frawley
Votes: 28,919
#18
14. The Danny Thomas Show (1953–1965)
TV-Y7 | 30 min | Comedy, Family
Danny is a New York entertainer. Between his co-stars at the nightclub where he performs and his wife and kids, he has dilemmas galore, which he somehow manages to resolve and still laugh.
Stars: Danny Thomas, Rusty Hamer, Marjorie Lord, Angela Cartwright
Votes: 1,244
#19
15. The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971)
TV-G | 25 min | Comedy, Family
A nouveau-riche hillbilly family moves to Beverly Hills and shakes up the privileged society with their hayseed ways.
Stars: Buddy Ebsen, Donna Douglas, Irene Ryan, Max Baer Jr.
Votes: 11,027
#20
16. Happy Days (1974–1984)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family, Music
The Cunningham family live through the 1950s with help and guidance from lovable and almost superhuman greaser Fonzie.
Stars: Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Marion Ross, Tom Bosley
Votes: 21,087
#22
17. Dragnet 1967 (1967–1970)
TV-14 | 30 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Police Detective Sgt. Joe Friday and his partners investigate crimes in Los Angeles.
Stars: Jack Webb, Harry Morgan, Don Ross, Marco Lopez
Votes: 3,407
#24
18. The Jeffersons (1975–1985)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
A nouveau riche, African-American family who move into a luxury apartment building develop close, if occasionally fractious, relationships with other tenants.
Stars: Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, Roxie Roker, Franklin Cover
Votes: 10,615
#26
19. Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The investigations of Hawaii Five-0, an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police answerable only to the governor and headed by stalwart Steve McGarrett.
Stars: Jack Lord, James MacArthur, Kam Fong, Herman Wedemeyer
Votes: 8,191
#27
20. One Day at a Time (1975–1984)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
The misadventures of a divorced mother, her family and their building superintendent in Indianapolis.
Stars: Bonnie Franklin, Pat Harrington Jr., Valerie Bertinelli, Mackenzie Phillips
Votes: 5,187
#29
21. The Golden Girls (1985–1992)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
Four previously married women live together in Miami, sharing their various experiences together and enjoying themselves despite hard times.
Stars: Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty
Votes: 47,232
#30
22. Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family
The misadventures of two single women in the 1950s and '60s.
Stars: Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams, David L. Lander, Eddie Mekka
Votes: 8,808
#31
23. Dynasty (1981–1989)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, Romance
The trials and tribulations of two feuding families, the Carringtons and the Colbys, both oil rich families in Denver, Colorado.
Stars: John Forsythe, Linda Evans, Joan Collins, Gordon Thomson
Votes: 8,468
#36
24. Bewitched (1964–1972)
TV-G | 25 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
A witch married to an ordinary man cannot resist using her magic powers to solve the problems her family faces.
Stars: Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, Dick Sargent, Agnes Moorehead
Votes: 24,390
#40
25. Who's the Boss? (1984–1992)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Romance
Tony Micelli, a retired baseball player, becomes the housekeeper of Angela Bower, an advertising executive in New York. Together they raise their kids, Samantha Micelli and Jonathan Bower, with help from Mona Robinson, Angela's man-crazy mother.
Stars: Tony Danza, Judith Light, Alyssa Milano, Danny Pintauro
Votes: 15,568
#41
26. The Love Boat (1977–1987)
TV-G | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The romantic and comic tales of the passengers and crew of the cruise ship, Pacific Princess.
Stars: Gavin MacLeod, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange, Fred Grandy
Votes: 13,634
#43
27. Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, Family, Romance
The life and adventures of the Ingalls family in the nineteenth century American Midwest.
Stars: Melissa Gilbert, Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Rachel Lindsay Greenbush
Votes: 26,899
#45
28. The Waltons (1972–1981)
TV-G | 60 min | Drama, Family, Romance
The life and trials of a 1930s and 1940s Virginia mountain family through financial depression and World War II.
Stars: Jon Walmsley, Mary Beth McDonough, Eric Scott, Kami Cotler
Votes: 9,059
#46
29. Home Improvement (1991–1999)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Family
The daily trials and tribulations of Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor, a television show host raising three mischievous boys with help from his loyal co-host, loving wife, and eccentric neighbor.
Stars: Tim Allen, Earl Hindman, Taran Noah Smith, Zachery Ty Bryan
Votes: 49,132
#49
30. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
The lives and trials of a young single woman and her friends, both at work and at home.
Stars: Mary Tyler Moore, Edward Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Valerie Harper
Votes: 10,173
#53
31. Maude (1972–1978)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
"All In The Family" spin-off centered around Edith's cousin, Maude Findlay, a liberal, independent woman living in Tuckahoe, New York.
Stars: Bea Arthur, Bill Macy, Conrad Bain, Adrienne Barbeau
Votes: 4,702
#54
32. Family Ties (1982–1989)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Chronicles liberal ex-hippies Steven and Elyse Keaton, their conservative son Alex, daughters Mallory and Jennifer, and later, youngest child Andrew.
Stars: Michael J. Fox, Michael Gross, Meredith Baxter, Justine Bateman
Votes: 20,326
#55
33. Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988)
TV-PG | 48 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The adventures of a Hawaii-based private investigator.
Stars: Tom Selleck, John Hillerman, Roger E. Mosley, Larry Manetti
Votes: 28,953
#57
34. Full House (1987–1995)
TV-G | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A widowed sportscaster raises his three daughters with assistance from his rock and roll brother-in-law and madcap best friend.
Stars: Bob Saget, John Stamos, Dave Coulier, Candace Cameron Bure
Votes: 63,111
#62
35. Knots Landing (1979–1993)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Romance
The residents of Knots Landing, a coastal suburb of Los Angeles, deal with various issues such as infidelity, health scares, rape, murder, kidnapping, assassinations, drug smuggling, corporate intrigue and criminal investigations.
Stars: Michele Lee, Ted Shackelford, Joan Van Ark, Kevin Dobson
Votes: 3,220
#63
36. Family Affair (1966–1971)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family
Bill's comfortable lifestyle must change when he receives a group of unexpected long-term guests.
Stars: Brian Keith, Kathy Garver, Anissa Jones, Johnny Whitaker
Votes: 3,266
#65
37. Night Court (1984–1992)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
An eccentric fun-loving judge presides over an urban night court and all the silliness going on there.
Stars: Harry Anderson, John Larroquette, Richard Moll, Charles Robinson
Votes: 17,867
#68
38. The Dukes of Hazzard (1979–1985)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Comedy
The adventures of the fast-drivin', rubber-burnin' Duke boys of Hazzard County.
Stars: Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle
Votes: 15,697
#70
39. The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family
The misadventures of a TV writer both at work and at home.
Stars: Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam
Votes: 11,884
#72
40. Newhart (1982–1990)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy
The misadventures of an author-turned-innkeeper and his friends in rural Vermont.
Stars: Bob Newhart, Mary Frann, Tom Poston, Julia Duffy
Votes: 8,109
#73
41. Simon & Simon (1981–1989)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Two brothers of disparate tastes and manners run a private detective agency.
Stars: Jameson Parker, Gerald McRaney, Mary Carver, Tim Reid
Votes: 6,110
#77
42. Matlock (1986–1995)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Ben Matlock is a very expensive criminal defense attorney, who charges one hundred thousand dollars to take a case. Fortunately, he's worth every penny, as he and his associates defend his clients by finding the real killer.
Stars: Andy Griffith, Linda Purl, Kene Holiday, Nancy Stafford
Votes: 9,353
#79
43. Empty Nest (1988–1995)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
"Empty Nest" tells of the day to day misadventures of a widowed pediatrician named Harry Weston and his two adult daughters, Barbara and Carol, who have come back to live with him after failed marriages.
Stars: Richard Mulligan, Dinah Manoff, David Leisure, Park Overall
Votes: 3,960
#80
44. Charlie's Angels (1976–1981)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A wealthy mystery man named Charlie runs a detective agency via a speakerphone and his personal assistant, John Bosley. His detectives are three beautiful women, who end up in a variety of difficult situations.
Stars: Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, David Doyle
Votes: 14,389
#81
45. Columbo (1971–2003)
TV-PG | 100 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Los Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to winkle out even the most well-concealed of crimes.
Stars: Peter Falk, Mike Lally, John Finnegan, Bruce Kirby
Votes: 42,015
#84
46. The A-Team (1983–1987)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
Four Vietnam vets, framed for a crime they didn't commit, help the innocent while on the run from the military.
Stars: George Peppard, Mr. T, Dwight Schultz, Dirk Benedict
Votes: 41,819
#87
47. Green Acres (1965–1971)
TV-G | 30 min | Comedy, Family
A New York City attorney and his wife attempt to live as genteel farmers in the bizarre community of Hooterville.
Stars: Eddie Albert, Eva Gabor, Tom Lester, Pat Buttram
Votes: 7,637
#89
48. Seinfeld (1989–1998)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy
The continuing misadventures of neurotic New York City stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his equally neurotic New York City friends.
Stars: Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander
Votes: 351,617
#90
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