The Best TV Shows Of All-Time (According to Me)

Well, that didn’t last long. I just updated this list two months ago, but I forgot about a show that I declared to be my new favourite show back in 2015. I can’t believe I didn’t include it in this list. I have now rectified that.

This list is a few years old now – here’s the updated one!

My Top 10 All Time Favourite TV Shows!

Everwood

1) Everwood (2002)

This show is just perfect. I have watched it from beginning to end several times and never get bored of it. The series finale wrapped up every character’s story arc beautifully. I love when a series is able to give us that sense of closure.

my-so-called-life

2) My So-Called Life (1994) 

This show was in the Number 1 spot for years and years. It was the first television show I got obsessive about. I was working a part-time job at the time and had to make sure the VCR was set for those days I did work. I even wrote Claire Danes a fan letter. 

Star Trek TOS

3) Star Trek (1966) 

The Original Series was brilliant and something that my dad and I really loved. It has a lot to say about our lives and culture. It was powerfully written with great characters that have managed to stand the test of time. It has inspired movies, television series, comics, novels, and more, but nothing beats the original.

4) Rita (2012)

This is the only foreign language television show on my list but it is absolutely brilliant. It is worth your time reading the subtitles. I discovered it on Netflix five years ago. It just wrapped up it’s fifth and final season and it was perfect.

The show is about an unconventional teacher who truly cares about the well-being of students. As a teacher, it is very refreshing to see someone like her in school. It’s a rare thing to see teachers as good as this in the classroom. Her life isn’t perfect outside of it, and the last season gets quite dark, but the ending is great. It makes me think this show should be higher on the list. It is that good!

Breaking_Bad

5) Breaking Bad (2008)

This series took me by surprise. I didn’t think I could get into a show about a drug dealer, but I heard so much about it, that I gave it a shot. It was train-wreck television, that’s the best description I can offer for it. The main character got into so much trouble that I would cringe as I watched it. But it was extremely compelling and I found I could relate to the main character in a way I never would have thought possible. The final episode brought things to the only ending that it could have. It was perfect!

Jericho

6) Jericho (2006) 

This is sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat television. And just when you think they can’t ramp it up any more, they hit you with something at the end of the episode that makes you sad it’s over and waiting nervously for the resolution. It really is a crime that it was taken off the air. It was brilliant. It did continue for two additional seasons in graphic novel form, however.

7) Stargirl (2020) 

I haven’t enjoyed a television series this much in a long time. The strange thing is that I was ready to write this one off. I love watching super-hero television, but there are just so many these days. I was starting to get a little burnt out. I’m glad I gave this one a chance though because the first season was absolutely perfect. It is by far, my favourite super-hero show.

Doctor Who

8) Doctor Who (1963)

This probably should be higher on my list. I first discovered it via the television movie that introduced us to the 8th Doctor. I then watched all of the 1st Doctor’s adventures courtesy of the public library, and I have been watching the series since it came back to television with 9. Doctor Who is a hero that we can all stand behind. He is a kind individual who helps people all the time, and he doesn’t carry a weapon. That is inspiring.

Life on Mars

9) Life on Mars (2006) 

I rarely watch procedural drama. There are just too many cop shows out there and they lack originality. They don’t compel me to watch them and they don’t draw me into the fictional world. This one, however did. It’s about a modern day cop who gets into an accident and wakes up thirty years in the past. He struggles trying to adjust to 1973 and also to find a way back to the present day. I love how the series wrapped up too. It was perfect.

MASH

10) M*A*S*H (1972) 

This show is a classic on so many levels. It is the only sit-com on my list but it managed to transcend that form. It was hilarious but it managed to hit some really emotional arcs with some very heavy topics.

Just Missed the Cut

fridaynightlights

Friday Night Lights (2006) 

This show is about a high-school football team in a town where football is life. It’s intense for everyone involved and it’s a great drama. I didn’t want to see it come to an end. I loved every episode.

Stay Tuned

I think I might rework this list again in the near future. It could easily become a Top 20 list. Or maybe I could break it down by genre. I’m not sure. Stay tuned!