TV Guide Names 'Seinfeld' Greatest Show of All


April 26, 2002 2:59 pm EST

By Steve Gorman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It was facetiously billed as the "show about nothing," but the editors of TV Guide rank the NBC smash comedy hit "Seinfeld" as the greatest television show of all time.

The 1990s show starring comedian Jerry Seinfeld as a New York comedian hanging out with three of his pals -- Elaine, George and Kramer -- topped TV Guide's list of the 50 most entertaining or influential television series in American pop culture.

The list, appearing in next week's issue, will get the countdown treatment in an ABC special on May 13, "TV Guide's 50 Best Shows of All Time," part of the magazine's celebration of its golden anniversary.

The 50 entries, chosen and ranked by TV Guide editors, consist of regularly scheduled series spanning more than a half century of television, going as far back as NBC's pioneering live comedy/variety program, "Your Show of Shows."

That show, which debuted in 1950 starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca, was ranked No. 30.

TV movies, miniseries and specials were not eligible.


Prime time accounts for most of the shows, though a few daytime programs made the list -- NBC's "Today" (No. 17) and the syndicated talk shows "Donahue" (No. 29) and "The Oprah Winfrey Show" (No. 49).

On the late-night front, the CBS "Late Show with David Letterman" got the highest ranking, at No. 7, beating out even NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (No. 12). Letterman's arch rival -- and Carson's successor -- Jay Leno, failed to make the cut. ABC's "Nightline" ranked 23rd.

NBC dominated the list with 17 shows, which, besides "Seinfeld," ranged from "Saturday Night Live" at No. 10 to the Judd Hirsch sitcom "Taxi," which also aired on ABC, at No. 48.

CBS made the list with 16 shows, led by "I Love Lucy" at No. 2, and boasted five other programs in the top 10, including "The Honeymooners" (No. 3), "All in the Family" (No. 4), "60 Minutes" (No. 6) and "The Andy Griffith Show" (No. 9).

A total of eight ABC shows made the list, led by the late-1980s, early '90s drama "thirtysomething, while Fox had two entries -- animated sitcom satire "The Simpsons" at No. 8 and sci-fi thriller "The X-Files" at No. 37.

The only other cartoon series to make the list was ABC's "Rocky and His Friends" at No. 47.

Cable television was represented by just two shows -- mob drama "The Sopranos" at No. 5 and Garry Shandling's "The Larry Sanders Show" at No. 38, both on HBO.

Public TV also had two series on the list -- the landmark children's program "Sesame Street" (No. 27) and the pioneering 1973 "reality" series "An American Family" (No. 32).

Modern-day reality hit "Survivor" was snubbed, as were all game shows. Not even "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" made the list.

The fledgling networks the WB and UPN had to settle for one shared entry, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," which has aired on both outlets.

The following is the complete list:

1. Seinfeld (NBC)

2. I Love Lucy (CBS)

3. The Honeymooners (CBS)

4. All in the Family (CBS)

5. The Sopranos (HBO)

6. 60 Minutes (CBS)

7. Late Show with David Letterman (CBS)

8. The Simpsons (Fox)

9. The Andy Griffith Show (CBS)

10. Saturday Night Live (NBC)

11. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS)

12. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (NBC)

13. The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS)

14. Hill Street Blues (NBC)

15. The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS)

16. The Carol Burnett Show (CBS)

17. Today (NBC)

18. Cheers (NBC)

19. thirtysomething (ABC)

20. St. Elsewhere (NBC)

21. Friends (NBC)

22. ER (NBC

23. Nightline (ABC)

24. Law & Order (NBC)

25. M+A+S+H (CBS)

26. The Twilight Zone (CBS)

27. Sesame Street (PBS)

28. The Cosby Show (NBC)

29. Donahue (syndicated)

30. You Show of Shows (NBC)

31. The Defenders (CBS)

32. An American Family (PBS)

33. Playhouse 90 (CBS)

34. Frasier (NBC)

35. Roseanne (ABC)

36. The Fugitive (ABC)

37. The X-Files (Fox)

38. The Larry Sanders Show (HBO)

39. The Rockford Files (NBC)

40. Gunsmoke (CBS)

41. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB/UPN)

42. Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (NBC)

43. Bonanza (NBC)

44. The Bob Newhart Show (CBS)

45. Twin Peaks (ABC)

46. Star Trek: The Next Generation (syndicated)

47. Rocky and His Friends (ABC)

48. Taxi (ABC/NBC)

49. The Oprah Winfrey Show (syndicated)

50. Bewitched (ABC)

What a crock! Now how could they name Seinfeld better than I Love Lucy or All in the Family? And David Letterman was more influential than Johnny Carson? And Rocky and his Friends beat out The Flintstones? These editors should be fired! Chris

Fired for having an opinion different than yours?

The problem is that they used 2 criteria: entertaining and influential. They should have stuck with one.

Maybe tarred and feathered would have been a better statement!

Again I ask, just for having an opinion different than yours?

Oooh, my first disagreement with a DVD Talk member, this is fun!

Just kidding.

You are right, my opinion is only my opinion, but I posted this list to get some dialog going as to what others thought of this list. So as they say "let the flaming begin!".

juiio, I hope we can still be "Friends" (which ended up as #21 on the list, ahead of M*A*S*H* ??????) What's up with that?

I have no problem with discussing the list. It does bother me, hwoever, when someone wants a person fired, hurt, calls them names, etc just for having a different opinion.

But anyway, back to the list. I love Seinfeld as much as the next guy, but I wouldn't put it at #1. I would definitely put Rocky and Friends above Flintstones and other non-Simpsons cartoons. A few that are too high in my opinion are Friends, Letterman, The Fugitive, Donahue. I'd move Sesame Street, Johnny Carson, and Law and Order up. I'd add Oz to the list.

Thirtysomething!??!?!?!

That's the problem with forum / chat area's. It is difficult to see the other persons expression when they are typing something. I was just kidding and would never want a person (editor) fired / tarred or feathered for voicing their opinion, even when they are wrong . Maybe just a small fine or something along those lines. Just my 2 cents!

I can't get over Oprah being on the list!

The X-Files should be higher than #37

I usually don't take these "Top 50/100 of All Time" lists that seriously. IMO, all they're good for is starting a discussion on how effed up they are. Also didn't TVGuide just do one of these a few years ago? That being said...

Letterman ahead of Carson? Thirtysomething? Friends? Bewitched? Put the bong down.

Where the **** is OZ on that list?!?!?!

This is the same outfit that put out 35 different trek covers?

Should about say what their opinion is really worth.

Because it is!

Oh, its true, its true!

What a strange list. They showed some balls putting Buffy and TNG on the list, yet they had some serious blunders. Having Playhouse 90 down in the 30s is disgraceful, and as much as I love Letterman, Carson will forever be the king of late night, and Dave would agree. On the whole, I agree with the content, but the order leaves a lot to be desired. My Top 5 of all time all made the Top 20 (including 2, 3, and 4), so I guess that's good. The only glaring omission I see in the list is The West Wing. And I'm a little surprised not to see My Three Sons or The Beverly Hillbillies.

das

I definitely agree with #1... and AMEN to the props for Letterman!!

No MST3K?

I agree with #1. Seinfeld is the greatest series ever. Who's to say if there will ever be a better one in the future.

I think there biggest mistake was merging the two list, entertaining/influental.

If I were them, I'd make one rule, no show that are currently on the air (unless more than 7 seasons. (Buh-bye Sopranos which I think was too highly rated, and BVS)

No matter the quality of the show, saying it ranks in the top 50 all time after so little time seems like a slap in the face to everything that came before. But that would probably sell less magazines.

I hate to weigh in on these type of discussions but sometimes you feel the need to. I find this list totally bogus but i dont let it get to me because ofcourse my list would be the only one that mattered to me. But anway, in respect Palebluedot, i highly disagree with you. I understand that Sienfeld has a strong following but could never understand why. I find the show extremely boring. Being that show was under Jerry's name i felt like he was always the weakest character and that to me made the show weak. Kramer was what made the show for me watchable at times. Oh well, but like i say, thats my opinion. I can't believe Three's Company wasnt on the list. Well for me the #1 spot would go to Cheers.

Where the hell is Family Guy?

clemente

--If I were them, I'd make one rule, no show that are currently on the air (unless more than 7 seasons--


So how long until Baby Bob is in contention?

In defense of Letterman being ahead of Carson on this list, Dave's sarcastic brand of comedy has been much more influential than anyone on television the past 15 years. Everywhere you look, not even just in television, there is a certain flavor or Letterman. I'm sure the portion of the poll weighing influence is what brought Dave up so high.

That said, Carson should be ahead of him

I respect your opinion, but the show goes much more deeper than that.

Seinfeld defined an era in time and created a format that is often copied but never equalled. I remember the next day after it aired everyone at work would be asking about it, talking about it, and quoting lines. I don't know of any other TV show (in my generation) where that happened.