We are easily in the golden age of TV; from Game of Thrones to Orange is The New Black, we're literally spoilt for choice. So in that respect, it's pretty hard to determine what is the best TV show ever, however Rolling Stone's recent '100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time' list has determined that crime drama The Sopranos is the best TV show ever.
While there may be those who disagree with the choice, we can honestly say that David Chase's classic mob serial is a solid pick for the top spot. Since its inception in 1999, and throughout six outstanding seasons, it engrossed audiences in the life of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano, played by the late great James Gandolfini.
Considering you have shows like the aforementioned GoT, Mad Men, The Wire and The Simpsons, The Sopranos getting the top spot is a testament to how influential the show has been through its writing, acting and directing. Rolling Stone justified their reason, saying:
"The crime saga that cut the history of TV in two, kicking off a golden age when suddenly anything seemed possible. With The Sopranos, David Chase smashed all the rules about how much you could get away with on the small screen. And he created an immortal American antihero in James Gandolfini's New Jersey Mob boss, Tony Soprano, presiding over a crew of gangsters who also double as damaged husbands and dads, men trying to live with their murderous secrets and dark memories. As the late, great Gandolfini told Rolling Stone in 2001, "I heard David Chase say one time that it's about people who lie to themselves, as we all do. Lying to ourselves on a daily basis and the mess it creates.""
Here's the complete list of Rolling Stones '100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time'
100. Eastbound and Down
99. Oz
98. The Golden Girls
97. Portlandia
96. Gunsmoke
95. Key & Peele
94. Jeopardy
93. Mystery Science Theater 3000
92. American Idol
91. Broad City
90. The Dick Van Dyke Show
89. Homeland
88. Party Down
87. Doctor Who
86. Good Times
85. The Real World
84. Real Time with Bill Maher
83. House of Cards
82. The Jeffersons
81. Dallas
80. The Fugitive
79. In Living Color
78. Thirty Something
77. The Walking Dead
76. Late Night with Conan O’Brien
75. American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson
74. The Ren & Stimpy Show
73. Transparent
72. Girls
71. Mr. Show
70. Roseanne
69. The Ed Sullivan Show
68. The State
67. The Odd Couple
66. Downton Abbey
65. Happy Days
64. Chappelle’s Show
63. The Wonder Years
62. Sex and the City
61. Your Show of Shows
60. Beavis and Butt-Head
59. Hill Street Blues
58. Roots
57. Fawlty Towers
56. 24
55. Six Feet Under
54. The Muppet Show
53. The Bob Newhart Show
52. The Colbert Report
51. Fargo
50. ER
49. Taxi
48. The Office (U.S.)
47. The Rockford Files
46. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
45. Battlestar Galactica
44. Columbo
43. The Americans
42. NYPD Blue
41. The Honeymooners
40. The Shield
39. Lost
38. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
37. Orange is the New Black
36. Law & Order
35. My So-Called Life
34. 30 Rock
33. South Park
32. I Love Lucy
31. Sesame Street
30. The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
29. Monty Python’s Flying Circus
28. The X-Files
27. Arrested Development
26. Friends
25. Veep
24. Friday Night Lights
23. Deadwood
22. Louie
21. The Office (U.K.)
20. Cheers
19. Curb your Enthusiasm
18. Star Trek
17. Twin Peaks
16. M*A*S*H
15. The West Wing
14. The Larry Sanders Show
13. Late Night with David Letterman
12. Game of Thrones
11. Freaks and Geeks
10. The Daily Show
9. All in the Family
8. Saturday Night Live
7. The Twilight Zone
6. The Simpsons
5. Seinfeld
4. Mad Men
3. Breaking Bad
2. The Wire
1. The Sopranos
Salute to the Boss...
