The Writers Guild of America named the 101 Best Written TV Series of all time. The Sopranos landed at No. 1 while 17 shows still on the air are also honored.
On Sunday, The Writers Guild of America released its list of the 101 Best Written TV Series of all time. Topping off that list was HBO‘s The Sopranos, which ran on the cable network from 1999–2007.
Other shows that made the top 5 were Seinfeld at No. 2, with Twilight Zone, All in the Family and M*A*S*H following right behind. The announcement of All in the Family‘s inclusion came in the same weekend that star Jean Stapleton, who played Edith Bunker, passed away.
One surprising fact about the list is that 17 shows named on the list are currently on the air. True TV fans will also be happy to learn that not a single reality show made the list.
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In a joint statement about the TV greats, WGA, West president Chris Keyser and WGA, East president Michael Winship said, “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. 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.”
The list was compiled by members of the WGA who voted online. The guild held a tribute event on Sunday night in Beverly Hills, California, that included panel discussions and a reception honoring the best in television.
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Some of the panelists included top series creators like Matthew Weiner from Mad Men, Steven Bochco of Hill Street Blues, James L. Brooks of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Steven Levitan from Modern Family.
The East Coast membership will also hold a reception on Wednesday in Manhattan with notable members like Seth Meyers participating.
Did your favorite show make the list?
Here is the 101 Best Written TV Series list from the WGA.
1. The Sopranos
2. Seinfeld
3. The Twilight Zone
4. All in the Family
5. M*A*S*H
6. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
7. Mad Men
8. Cheers
9. The Wire
10. The West Wing
11. The Simpsons
12. I Love Lucy
13. Breaking Bad
14. The Dick Van Dyke Show
15. Hill Street Blues
16. Arrested Development
17. The Daily Show
18. Six Feet Under
19. Taxi
20. The Larry Sanders Show
21. 30 Rock
22. Friday Night Lights
23. Frasier
24. Friends
25. Saturday Night Live
26. The X-Files
27. Lost
28. ER
29. The Cosby Show
30. Curb Your Enthusiasm
31. The Honeymooners
32. Deadwood
33. Star Trek
34. Modern Family
35. Twin Peaks
36. NYPD Blue
37. The Carol Burnett Show
38. Battlestar Galactica
39. Sex and the City
40. Game of Thrones
41. The Bob Newhart Show
42. Your Show of Shows
43. Downton Abbey
44. Law & Order
45. Thirtysomething
46. St. Elsewhere
47. Homicide: Life on the Street
48. Homeland
49. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
50. The Good Wife
51. The Colbert Report
52. The Office (British version)
53. Northern Exposure
54. The Wonder Years
55. L.A. Law
56. Sesame Street
57. Columbo
58. The Rockford Files
59. Fawlty Towers
60. Moonlighting
61. Freaks and Geeks
62. Roots
63. Everybody Loves Raymond
64. South Park
65. Playhouse 90
66. The Office (U.S. version)
67. Dexter
68. My So-Called Life
69. Golden Girls
70. The Andy Griffith Show
71. The Shield
72. Roseanne
73. 24
74. Murphy Brown
75. House
76. Barney Miller
77. I, Claudius
78. The Odd Couple
79. Star Trek: The Next Generation
80. Alfred Hitchcock Presents
81. Upstairs, Downstairs
82. Monty Python’s Flying Circus
83. Get Smart
84. Gunsmoke
85. The Defenders
86. Sgt. Bilko
87. Justified
88. Band of Brothers
89. Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In
90. The Prisoner
91. The Muppet Show
92. Absolutely Fabulous
93. Boardwalk Empire
94. Will & Grace
95. Family Ties
96. Lonesome Dove
97. Soap
98. The Fugitive
99. Louie
100. Late Night With David Letterman
101. Oz
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