Z.

Oh my goodness, I love Gunsmoke. In fact we have a room decorated in western and I have read or viewed almost every interview/ video on James Arness. One interview in particular if I can find it later I will link it. It was great. We have many of the episodes on DVD even when they were not in color. Bored, we pull out and episode of "Gunsmoke" it does symbolize western for me!

Have to work, but I will return to this great post. Can't wait to check out the other shows.

Some suggestions:

As you say, Sopranos No. 1 of course

The Daily Show with John Stewart (Comedy Central/became the counterblance during the Bush years)

MTV's "Real World" (oldest, strongest reality show of all time)

The Shield (FX/proved the HBO formula could work on non-pay channels)

OZ (HBO's first attempt at testing their boundaries, which paved the way for the Sopranos)

Chappelle Show (Comedy Central/burned bright, but the most memorable comedy of the 00s).

The State (MTV/birthed a generation of sketch comedy).

Gary Shandling/Larry Sanders (Showtime-HBO/guy was ahead of his time)

The Wire (HBO/critically acclaimed, reenvisioned television storytelling)

Great list, GMan. And I have to admit, you reminded me of a couple of shows I had not been thinking of in my preliminary list-making. You give strong reasons as well. There is not one show, except "The State," that I haven't been in love with and raved about at one time or another. Thanks so much. Z

I love the list of 15 greatest network shows.
Our daughter Jamie around age 9 or 10 would be seen watching episodes of "I love Lucy" at 2 or 3am just laughing away. She was born in the 90's. That is just cool I think.

I would have included Dallas because it brought the daytime soap operas right into primetime.

For cable shows our nominees would include:
Battle Star Gallactica- storyline, actors made it look like how real people would react in similar situations.

American Justice with Bill Curtis for putting those past & present crime situations in our face. I wonder sometimes about a crime story well past when it made nightly headlines.

Deadliest Catch- for the adventure, its educational and in your face about the struggles, financial gain and risk that goes into doing that job.

Larry King Live- asking the questions, getting the answer (sometimes) sometimes it is what Larry asks and people do not answer that tells me more about the interview.

The "I Love Lucy" stuff with your daughter is great. Thanks for thre nominess and the good reasons for them. Z

Z, Thanks for the thoughtful list. Have to disagree with you on "Homicide." I never cared for it and thought that it was too hyped locally because it was based in/filmed here. I enjoyed "NYPD Blue" much more. This is a fun post. How about a few others:

"In Living Color" (a groundbreaking African-American-centric variety/comedy show that introduced stars like Jamie Foxx, the Wayans brothers and Jim Carray)
"Julia" (which featured an African-American female professional at a time of great racial turmoil in our country)
"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (besides a great cast and writing, it spawned three spinoffs)
"The Real World" (as noted by the prior poster, the first "reality" show)
"24" (strictly for the concept and for the fact that during the first three seasons, it really touched on the pulse of this country's fears)

Great picks, Greg. Yes, my bad on "Mary Tyler Moore." I should have included that. And all the others are strong candidates as well. Thanks. Z

Z..

I notice you have Homicide Life on the Streets as your police/crime drama for the network stations.

My favorite in that genre was NYPD BLUE. I still miss those characters, that was quite the cast.

As for Cable .... I was a huge fan of THE SHIELD. Yes, many of the scenarios, I would sit and wonder "how can they expect us to believe that?". BUT.. again, there wasn't a wallflower in that cast.

Good cops.. bad cops.. we loved them all!

And... what about SEINFELD?

Both were strong candidates, I agree. I really liked both. Z

I agree with marie on the Seinfeld, one of the greatest ever! I love to catch the repeats of that show. The one with Jerry stealing the loaf of marble rye bread from the old lady I will never forget. It was a show about nothing....There will never be one quite like it.

Z, also, I Love Lucy was a great pick.

Cable shows - MAD MEN, although it has been lacking something lately. Hopefully it will make a come back even with the writing changes.

IN TREATMENT, I really love watching Gabriel Byrne treat his patient's it is riveting.

Sex and the City….Really looked at the issues of sexuality of a more mature professional women. It took women’s lib to the next level. And OHHHHH those fashions.

Yes, a couple of votes for "Sex and the City." I think it has to make my cable list or I am in big trouble. Z

An American Family….The Louds. …..I was in my mid 20s and newly married. I started watching this show on PBS (just realized not cable) anyway that was PBS and the pretty close to a cable program.

I watched this program every week and couldn’t say I really liked or enjoyed the episodes; however, it drew me back ever week. I couldn't wait to see more. I felt like a lurker. I didn't feel satified at the end of each show but more disturbed or baffled by what I saw. Being the first reality show, I didn’t know what was going on but somehow knew it was an important show.

I did see the 10 year reunion show but felt very sad how their lives turned out. If I remembered correctly, the girls wanted fame and so did Lance but it didn’t come. I posted on Z’s Gosselin blog what Lance said a couple of years before he died…..
"Television ate my family," is how Lance Loud described what it was like for his family to open themselves up to national scrutiny.

I didn’t see the last Loud family documentary called…Lance Loud: A Death in an American Family. Jon and Kate Gosselin should take heed in that title because it could be written by one of their children or about one of their children if not careful.

You are so right about "AN American Fam,ily." Some say this was the birth of reality TV. Ooooh, I wish I could have thios pick back. Maybe I will do another list of all thee worthy ones I didn't include. Z

Off subject but thought you might get a kick out of this. Our local Fox AM show in Phoenix interviewed Nicolas Cage. The interviewer put on his Face Book page...

"Nicholas Cage was my worst interview ever! He was terrible. So bad they didn't even put the segment up on our web site. He was mean, and boring and rude"

I saw it and is very true!! I was uncomfortable even in my own home. It was really painful to watch...LOL

Wait, how could we have not mentioned "Saturday Night Live?" That show has defined several generations.

I also have to do a shout out to "Cheers" and "Taxi." They may not have been influential or special in any way, but I loved those sitcoms.

Hi Greg, I thought of SNL, but included "Your Show of Shows," the original on which SNL was based. I like Cheers and Taxi, too. I'm woking on a second list of shows that didn't make the first list but maybe should have. Z

I think Sex & The City was such a hit because it showed that 4 smart, attractive women could be genuine friends. Arguments & disappointments (and men!) among them came and went, but their friendship was solid. Its easy to have one best friend, but the 4 of them were best friends with each other.

This impressed me because many people feel that women can't be best friends through their adult years.

I think its been the belief that men can be buddies with each other, but women even though they like each other, are jealous of their women friends.

So, thank you HBO for showing us a true women's friendship.

Side note to NYPD Blue our local ABC affiliate WLOX refused to air it because of the Andy Sipowitz buttocks exposure. Caused all kinds of hoopla down here.

Z.,

Great thought and nostalgia provoker w/ your list, but the top 15 seems so limiting when you look at the wide scope, variety, and depth of Network T.V. thru the decades. At some point it might be interesting to have us bloggers contribute candidates for a kind of back-up list of the NEXT "15 series that shaped network television". Even though your top i5 list is 1st-rate and pretty solid, I feel there are some equally important influential prime-time network series that have "shaped our T.V. landscape" that you may have overlooked, or just couldn't fit into the constraints of your list. I think a mere 15 ground-breaking shows is too limiting, and perhaps the top 25 would be a fairer gauge. What say you, Z.?

One seminal series that should be on any credible list of the major 'T.V. landscape-shapers' would have to be "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" w/ the worldly, intrepid, debonaire, Marlin Perkins and his trusty sidekick, the ever-game, jovial gentle-giant Jim Fowler. As a young kid, this exciting show really instilled in me a appreciation and awareness of the scope, grandeur, beauty and harsh realities of the vast natural world--World being the operative, and most important word. Perkins and Fowler literally transported us to the wilds of the Amazon rainforest to see amazing Howler Monkeys and the legendary Pirahna fish, or to the vast Serengeti Plain to witness the annual Wildebeest mass migration. In my opinion "Wild Kingdom" was the precusor and basic template for all the future PBS and Cable Network animal/ nature-themed series to come, from Discovery, to National Geographic Explorer, Animal Planet, Nature, Jacques Cousteau and Globe Trekker on PBS.

I'll never forget that wonderful episode of "Wild Kingdom" where poor, long-suffering Jim (Fowler) is being squeezed like a human pretzel by a writhing, massive, 20+-foot python, or anaconda, mired up to mid-thigh in swamp water, and there's Merlin, as cool as a cucumber, calmly narrating the thrashing action from afar, as at one point Jim appears to be loosing the battle w/ this mighty constrictor. Marlin was getting up there in years toward the end of his hosting tenure, so invariably the much younger Jim had to play the macho role when engaging the more problematic, larger 'beasties'; while Marlin just chilled on the sidelines, away from any potential danger to life or limb. Hilarious stuff, but also very educational.

This show, for me, was a ground-breaker in that it got everyday Americans out of their parochialism, narrowness, and self-indulgence of the '50s and '60s, to see that other worlds of wonder and beauty existed beyond our native shores.

Z., I realize you left "Seinfeld" off your list, because maybe you felt not enough time, or critical distance had obtained since it wrapped a decade ago; and its impact on the greater T.V. comedy landscape might be revealed further on. Of course HBO's hit series, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" , has a lot of the flavor of the signature "Seinfeld" schtick going for it, but as we are well aware that's largely because writer/ comedian Larry David was a key player in developing the "Seinfeld"-style sarcastic/ neurotic/ ironic/ put-down/ self-obsessive-based humor, and has brought much of that sensibility, and quirkiness into the writing for "Curb".

Z., your #7 pick ,"Mod Squad", was about the only one of your choices that I kind of seriously questioned. What about "The Fugitive"? Nine out of ten ain't bad. HA!

I would think a popular series like the original "Star Trek" w/ Shatner, Nemoy & Co. had more of an impact on future network T.V. fare, than say "Mod Squad", w/ sci-fi- related series like "Babylon 5", "Battle Star Galactica" and "Star Trek/ The Next Generation" owing varying degrees of debt to the original "Star Trek" series.

No T.V. ground-breaker list would be complete, in my humble opinion, without giving a nod to "The Twilight Zone" and its spin-off series, "Night Gallery" (not as good); the brainchildren of the brilliant writer/ producer Rod Serling. Shows of more recent vintage like "Six Feet Under", "The Dead Zone" , even "Lost" ,and the like, have echos of this captivating, suspenseful, cerebral, and edgy show. "The Twilight Zone" was even revived by Stephen Speilberg in the mid-'80s, but kind of fizzled critically, as well as in the ratings.

I'm curious Z., I don't recognize that smiling gent to the left of Neil Simon in the pic accompanying your #1 pick, "Your Show of Shows". Is it Doc Simon, and is he the brother of Neil Simon ........ or the father of balladeer Paul Simon? HA!

Also I wish you could have spared us the semi-clothed photo of convicted felon Richard Hatch as your pictorial for the "Survivor" reality series. Ugh! (Maybe it wasn't your choice?)

(Ironically, yesterday, the great early T.V. slap-stick comic, Soupy Sales, passed away at 83. Just loved this guy's wacky humor as a youngster. (Not just his pie-throwing antics.) He wasn't as broad w/ his physical comedy as say the young Jerry Lewis, or Red Skelton, but to me his early North Carolina upbringing (rare for a little Jewish boy) gave him that kind of easy-on-the-ear, syrupy, slight Southern drawl, which just exuded such charm and gentleness, particularly when he was acting out his little skits, bantering, and yucking it up w/ his regular menagerie of animal puppets,. He will be missed by us early baby-boomers. He was a special entertainer.)

Well Z. that's about it for my picks. Thanks again for encouraging us to make a few more trips down T.V.'s memory lane. It's been a blast!

ALEX

What about the original Star Trek series? It wasn't very successful during the time it aired in the 60's, however, it inspired several television series and several motion pictures.

Where would we be if the Enterprise and her crew didn't boldy go where no man (or woman) has gone before.

We probably wouldn't have the Star Wars movies, the Alien movies, no Stargate Sg-1, etc. without the original Star Trek series. Thank you Gene Rodenberry.

We still enjoy M*A*S*H. The last episode was high ratings for that show I'll bet.

I watched Trapper John also, one of the first medical dramas. We have several new medical dramas this fall - I like Mercy.

And this is a crazy one but, we liked Faulty Towers. It was a crazy British comdey that we enjoyed.

Oh my gosh, yes the Twilight Zone.

Oops, Fawlty Towers. It was a funny British comedy. What would my day be without a spelling error. Can't spell it unless it is a medical term.

Yes indeed, Fawlty Towers was an absolute perfect gem of an ensemble-cast, T.V. comedy series, although if we want to get knit-picky about it, it ran on PBS and was not technically a Network, prime-time series. Oh, ballocks! It sadly was also relatively short-lived in that it ran for a mere 12 episodes.

My old Fawlty Towers VHS boxed set is a cornerstone of my modest recorded comedy video/ DVD collection, 'cheeky'-to-jowl w/ my "Young Frankenstein" tape. The ever-hilarious bi-play between the inept, wacko Basil Fawlty (John Cleese), his domineering wife, and his clueless Spanish waiter/ busboy, Manuel, is priceless. Oh, and the actress who played Polly, the perky, feisty, maid, who was at the time Cleese's actual wife, was just super in that role, and brought so much to the overall appeal of the show.

Z., I woke up this fine morning and several other 'T.V. landscape-shapers' came to mind. Rather than go on at length, (as is my usual modus operandi, HA!), as to why these particular prime-time Network series should make 'the list', I'm just going to put them out there , and let our astute blogmates muse over my choices, and make their own judgements; yea, or nay, or just maybe.

Here it goes: (These are in loose chronological order)

1) "The (original) Tonight Show" w/ host Steve Allen

(for me it was the working template for all the other Tonight Shows that followed)

2) "The Ted Mack Amateur Hour"

3) "The Ed Sullivan Show" (That "really big 'shoe' " as dear Ed would pronounce it. HA!)

4) "Bonanza"

5) "The Nate King Cole Show"

(may not be the exact title.... I think there was a sponsor's name like Colgate, or something, in the show's title)

6) "Laugh-In"

7) "Hee- Haw"

8) "The Carol Burnett Show"

9) "Ironsides"

10) "Good Times"

11) "The Gong Show"

12) "Cheers"

That's all folks!

That should be enough food for thought and debate, for now.

Beam me up, Scotty!....... Oh, and say goodnight, Gracie. (Fade to black)

ALEX

I realise this is a tough list for anyone and I applaud your choices, however - no science fiction? (Either Star Trek or Lost in Space or My Favorite Martian? I forgot which came first.)

No comedy? SNL used to affect us the way Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert do now.

No music? Or was that supposed to be the show listed as #1 (which I've never seen and must find)? I'm thinking of the
Smothers Brothers though they may not have been the first.

You have a lot of cop shows but no lawyer shows (e.g. Perry Mason or Paper Chase) or hospital shows (St Elsewhere?).

Z,
Your list has done exactly what a good list should do, spur a great discussion. Your list could be 20, 25, 50, even 100 (well, maybe not 100) and it would still spur discussion.
I agree that Star Trek, St Elsewhere, and In Living Color should be included. I would pick Homicide over NYPD Blue because of the former's focus on the work of the police over the drama of the personal lives that "Blue" showed. Saying that, I was a huge fan of both shows. I would have chosen The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson because of his influence on the public discourse, especially in his monologues. One other prime time series that no one's mentioned. What about Monday Night Football? It gave us Football and sports in general as mainstream spectacle. Look at how it has influenced how the Olympics are covered and how the baseball playoffs and the important college football bowls are all shown during primetime now. MNF was especially must view TV during the Howard Cosell years.

Thanks for the kind words. Your picks are all great. St. Elsewhere was to med drama what Hill Street was to cop drama, I agree. I was thinking mainly prime time (though I did not make that clear), which is why Tonight Show wasn't included. But I am definitely lobbying for another 15 right after we do cable. Thnaks. Z

Cheers & The Carol Burnett show were great too!

Did anyone remember Welcome Back Kotter?

Irene,

I remember Welcome Back Kotter with John Travolta. I watched it some. Kind of a crazy class room. I don't remember school being that silly for some reason. It seemed more like a lot of memorization.

I liked Dick VanDyke and the spin-off Mary Tyler Moore.

My dad always liked Barney Miller.

Sherry we watched Dick Van Dyke & Mary Tyler Moore. Gosh all these shows.

All three were terrific. Z

Using the 'influential' and 'network' criteria, this is a good list. Needs a sci-fi entry, I'd go with the original Twilight Zone. If the list is expanded to cable, then The Daily Show, The Sopranos, the new BSG, and perhaps the Garry Shandling Show.

Homicide reminds me of the band Big Star. It's often said almost no one listened to them, but everyone who did started a band. Not many folks watched Homicide, but those who did were greatly influenced.

Irene,

Oh yeah, you reminded me of Barney Miller that was a great cop-type comedy. It brought to light some good issues and was funny at the same time.

And, Bill Cosby was one of my favorites. I watched it all the time. A great portrayal of a progressive African-American family with good family values.

Everyone's suggestions are bringing to light all of these forgotten shows. Thanks Z for starting this.

Gonzai,

I can give you a sci-fi one. I absoutely loved the X-Files, but it does not fit the time frame 50's to 70's category. Maybe Z will do an 80s to 2009 list sometime.

No, X-Files would have been excellent pick. And I did all of network TV from 1948 to present. Thanks. Z

I never watched it but what about SOAP.

Sherry T...My Monday has been a wash so far. Long story catch ya later on it.s

Wow that makes my day! X-Files is my favorite even above Star Trek I think. I could really get the humor of that show. I loved the one about the "Tree Men", Deep Throat and Lazarus, some of it was scary. And there were so many good episodes. It will always be one of my favorite sci-fi.

I want to believe!

I was surprised not to see All in the Family on the lists. It was a very important show dealing with issues of the day-also hilarious!

Hi Sarah, "All in the Family" is on my list of 15 most influential. Honest. Go back and look again, please. It's there. Thanks. Z

Hey Sarah L. I saw it made the list but there are not alot of tv characters like Archie Bunker what a grump! I needed a laugh & what a wife to top it all off!! hahahahahaha

Good list Z. I agree with Greg on Julia. I think that helped pave the way for African-Americans to take on the leading roles on TV (e.g. Good Times, What's Happening, The Jeffersons). On a side note, how can All in the Famiy make the list without mentioning its great spin-offs; Maude and the aforementioned The Jeffersons?

Z,
Great list but I would have added Magnum P.I. , it was an extension of the Rockford Files, flawed characters who were still decent people. I think most private eye crime dramas tried capturing the elements of these 2 shows.

To the moon, Alice! Can't forget The Honeymooners! What kind of tv people are you!!

Do not laugh ya'll but I have a 2 year old at home. I was home with him yesterday afternoon.

What about the show Sesame Street? I watched it as a little tyke, my older kids, now my new little one. It contributed so much to early childhood, and so many have participated.

Irene.. I just logged on to suggest Sesame Street and you beat me to it. But it was never network, so I guess it doesn't really belong in the category. I still wouldn't know how to count to 10 in Spanish without it!

Freegosselin8 I know why I like you now. I was a born & raised a Hoosier. I just am transplanted to the south.

This sparked alot of shows in my head. I used to watch Knot's Landing, Family Ties (Alex Keaton what a guy) Superman, Fat Albert, gosh

Cable shows what about Army Wives on Lifetime?

I’ve heard of the mod squad but have never seen it. It looks/sounds really interesting from your caption. I think it’s an interesting issue to be on TV, especially during the late 60s/early 70s. also, american idol and bedrock beliefs!! midterm material woo hoo! and someone commented that Dave Chapelle was influential cable TV. IT WAS. i have both seasons, and it is just an awesome show, and he goes places that no one ever went before. remember in media criticism last year, i was debating between south park and the chapelle show for my final paper!

sarah,

I remember Mod Sqaud, it was one of my favorite shows. I was a teenager then. Kind of one of those cop shows with a twist. The group was kind of that flower power generation kind of. Kind of young hip cops with an attitude. Now the cop shows seem to have gone back to a more life like realistic versions like NCSI.

Knots Landing
The list is all wrong.

My top 9 (I'm not including the Daily show b/c its a different kind of show):

1. Mystery Science Theater 3000 - No one can make horribleness so much fun to watch as these guys (speaking of which a few years back Kathy Griffin had kind of a MST3k for reality shows on MTV. The show was halarious. Wish it was still on. Much better than he reality show).

2. Homicide - would probably make No.2 if it was cancelled after the "Three Men and Adena" episode. Best episode of drama ever.

3. Freaks and Geeks - I always thought Busy Phillips should have something for her performance on that show. The best, most realistic portayal (cant spell) of a teenager ever.

4. Roseanne - thanks to the god-awful last 2 season people forgot how good this show was. As a kid who grew up in a town like Lansford? there wasn't a person on that show I couldn't relate too growing up. Very well written and acted.

5. Robot Chicken - funniest show on TV right now

6. X-Files - best sci-fi show in the history of TV

7. ER - suffered for going on about 6 years too long but the 1st couple season were epic. Love's Labor lost is my No.2 all time favorite episode.

8. South Park - Criminally underrated show. It should have reached its jumped the shark episode about 7 years but they just keep turning out funny episode after funny episode. Not sure how they manage to keep it so good after all these years.

9. The Simpsons - sure I havent watched a good new episode since like 1999 but if it wasn't for them there would no Adult Swim or South Park. Was an all time great for a few year sketch.

Granted my top 9 didn't really shape TV except for Roseanne, ER the X-Files and maybe the Simpsons (face it no one watched Homicide, MST3k et.al). Here are some other shows that have to be taken into consideration that no one mentioned (that doesn't mean they were all good).

Survivor - for all the wrong reasons but yes it has to be in the discussion.

Married with Children - pushed the envelope in the 80s-90s into more raunchy humor on network TV. Seems strange to say but the Fox network might now exist today if this show didn't exist.

The Real World - showed that real fake TV is cheap to make and very very profitable.

The Muppet Show? - one of my personal favorites

I love you Rook. (Hope I am allowed to say that).

Yes, X-Files was the greatest SCI-FI ever. And I love the muppets, Kermit my all time favorite FROG.

You no what the acronym FROG stands for: Fully rely on GOD.

Rook,

What is Robot Chicken? Never heard of it. Are you kidding or is it a real show?

Okay in post to Rook, I meant know and typed no? I keep doing this consistently with some words. Yikes. Can we have spell check on the blog? To late to fix it already posted.

All these shows and so little time.

Reading this and remembering some of these shows has made me realize, if I hadn't already, that the shows on today's television has pathetically pathetic.

Rich in Baltimore, I remember Knot's landing and I loved it. Who could resist Bad lady Abbey Ewing? But, really I would put Dallas ahead of it.

Roseanne- she is my hero. I feel like her character and I are on the same wavelength. I just didnt think it would make the top 15 cut because shows like Cosby, Family Ties were Roseanne's predessors.

Seasame Street turns 40 years old on my daughter's birthday. My kids liked that show. My kids got their first introduction to Spanish on that show. Good luck to Michelle Obama that is great that she will be on the show. She seems to have a passion for teaching. Cute little sesame street characters are on the google page this week. Want to find out about a current aniversary look at the top of the google page. They had the bar code when the bar code patent celebrated its anniversary. Keep up the good work Sesame Street and Google we love it.