Here is a direct link to "How I Chose The List".

Man is that site slow. You would think Time.com has the power to speed things up.

No Laugh In or The Smothers Brothers?

The main problem is the title of the list which implies some kind of objectivity. It really should have been called "What JAMES PONIEWOZIK thinks is ... "

(And subtitled "Yet Another Reason not to read TIME.)

No Friday Night Lights?!?!

Which reminds me, it's insane to have Wild World of Sports on there and NOT Monday Night Football. MNF changed the way the biggest sport in America was broadcast, not to mention probably helped MAKE it America's biggest sport.

That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

So Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, Homicide: Life on the Street & NewsRadio are all sh*t shows? Those were the shows I mentioned that were never a ratings hit.

Seinfeld, M*A*S*H & Cheers are all extremely successful shows in terms of ratings & they are three of the greatest shows in the history of television. It was only the first season that the three respective shows did poorly in the ratings.

Cult does not equal “good”?

Sure, some shows that are cult classics aren’t exactly the best shows ever made or anything but saying, Cult doesn’t equal good is just absurd. A lot of shows that were never successful in the ratings are fantastic & are better than a lot of the shows that get great ratings.

I don’t think I’m sorely mistaken that reality TV is ruining primetime. Reality Television is the lowest form of Television. It doesn’t require you to even pay-a-fu*king-attention & I don’t understand how anybody would watch a show like American Idol or Deal or No Deal & not feel their IQ going down.

No wonder Scrubs & 30 Rock only average 5 million viewers a week. Too many people think reality TV is innovative.

By your own admission, you don't understand. I absolutely hate reality TV, but I don't place myself so far above it that I look down on the rest of the world. All someone has to do is mention words like "the masses" or "Average viewer" or "anybody" and I become suspicious.

I don’t “look down” at the rest of the world it’s just that I don’t really understand why anyone would find reality TV shows like 'AI' or 'DOND' entertaining.

Hell, I know people that watch 'AI' that are much smarter than I am. Maybe the reason reality TV is so popular is because people don’t want to think while they watch television & just want mindless entertainment.

I just like a show with some creativity. That’s all I’m saying.

I’m still in awe that someone would think just because the show isn’t a ratings hit, it obviously means it’s a bad show.

I dont think the list was horrible... of course there were shows I likes omitted like the Jeffersons and Good Times... but the inclusion of show like Arrested Development, Larry Sanders, King of the Hill, Freaks and Geeks, and Deadwood make up for it

You read my mind.

Cleopatra 2525 must've been #101.

D

I would have included:

CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU?
FAWLTY TOWERS
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
THE WESTERNER
THE DEFENDERS
THE PHIL SILVERS SHOW (SGT. BILKO\YOU'LL NEVER GET RICH)
THE PAPER CHASE
THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR

Now what's wrong with the list finally makes sense - his criteria was stupid! If you're going to pick the "100 Best Shows List" then pick the 100 best shows! Which would be a list that doesn't exclude Fawlty Towers solely because John Cleese was also in Monty Python's Flying Circus (i.e. his stupid rules don't allow actors to star in multiple shows on the list).

Well I was never a Good Times fan, I agree it would have been nice too have The Jefferson’s on the list. It’s nice that Sanford & Son made it on though; it’s my favorite Norman Lear sitcom with Maude as my second favorite.

I’m not an Arrested Development fan (I’m a Scrubs guy), but it was nice that at least something that is original & highly praised by its very vocal fan base made it on the list.

The Larry Sanders Show was absolutely hilarious & I’m fu*king pissed that Sony has only released a ‘Best Of’ (which was an awesome DVD set) & season one of The Larry Sanders Show on DVD.

King of the Hill is criminally underrated & it’s currently better than The Simpsons & it’s a hell of a lot better than Family Guy, which I’m not a fan of. It’s too bad that FOX isn’t going to be releasing anymore seasons of KOTH on DVD due to poor sales.

I think Mission: Impossible & The Fugitive should’ve definitely have been on the list. Both play just as good today & they were ‘cutting edge’ & ‘groundbreaking’.

Other shows I liked that were left off include
Veronica Mars... why would this be left off
Firefly... not too many one season shows on the list except F&G
CYE... for obvious reasons, cant believe I forgot it was on sunday, and the fact Id upgraded my DVR's meant I hadnt had it on my season pass yet, good thing for reruns though
Undeclared... F&G is on the list so this can slide
Incredible Hulk... probably more a personal choice, but Ive always been a Hulk fan, loved the humanity Bill Bixby brought to the role

other shows I enjoyed that probably are not on the list because they dont hold up as well for me now as when I was younger: Dukes of Hazzard, Knight Rider, A Team, Miami Vice

Nateman, you nailed it about FOTH being criminally underated, its just chugged along for whats going to be a 12th season now while Simpsons, Family guy (which has fallen off alot from its first 3 seasons, I think having that and American Dad has caused the writing on Family Guy to descend into entirely long jokes made to fill time), and other animated shows have stolen the spotlight. The show can be so funny at times, it is a shame the dvds have ceased as Id love to complete the series... I dont understand it, the show has been on forever, FX runs a couple hours of the show every day...

... I do think Sony will eventually release all the Larry Sanders seasons (I downloaded them all off of torrent, but would rather have true releases, although I have both sets so far on dvd, including the old S1 release)

The programs listed in time this week were the most influentual for each decade so maybe that's where they were going. Shows that broke new ground.

Not a horrible list... as long as they included Arrested Development I am happy.

I don't know anyone smarter than me who watches American Idol.

The frustrating thing about Deal or No Deal is that there is no skill element involved.

Well for some people, picking a number is hard.

I understood (& liked) why Who Wants to be a Millionaire? was popular. You could try & answer the question & it was at least involving.

I have nothing against Howie Mandel, he’s Canadian & us Canadians must stick together. He was one of my favorite characters on St. Elsewhere as well.

Deal or No Deal is just un-engaging & I don’t understand the appeal in it at all. Of course, it’s the only show (besides Heroes) that gives NBC any decent income.

while I was "learnin' the Facts of Life," they were watching Felicity cut her hair.

If only the guy had done the best 150 shows of all time, then we'd all be happy.

Dunno...he still mighta left off My Mother the Car.

Don't forget about...

Actually, the show wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be & if it ever made it’s way on DVD, I’d buy it.

No Angel, Veronica Mars, Alias, Family Guy or Futurama? No Xena? No Highlander? No Firefly? No Freaks & Geeks? No Carnviale Granted the last three had a short run, but so what? Weak list.

No Angel KILLED the list.