Greatest scripted television shows of all time

[batson]

Title is self-explanatory! Which are your picks? I decided to specify "scripted" so that we don't have to do the nearly impossible of trying to compare for instance news shows and documentaries to fiction.

Here is my true and honest top 5, starting backwards:

5. Dragon Ball Z

I know this might seem like a strange pick, considering that even just compared to a lot of other anime series, DBZ doesn't have nearly as much depth as many others. But here is how I would put it; DBZ is a show that doesn't do a lot of things, but what it does do, it does absolutely excellently. The apocalyptic fight scenes are brilliant, as is the build up to them that gives them such weight. Watching DBZ for the first time (which I did as an adult by the way, so I'm not being blinded by any nostalgia) was one of the most cathartic experiences in my recent life, and no other anime has made me feel the same way (even if One Piece has come close!).

4. South Park

South Park, when at it's best, is a show that manages to do so much with so little. Many episodes are carried by essentially two or three jokes, which sounds like something that should be rather boring, but South Park is one of the few shows that regularly manages to pull that of, to take a joke and spin it and spin it untill it's spun as far as it could possibly be. On that note, I also want to take the opportunity to give a shout out to another animated comedy that manages something similar, namely The Boondocks. Given the choice between the two of them I'll take South Park, but it's a very close race.

3. Star Trek: The Next Generation.

One of the most intelligent scripted television shows of all time. Nearly every episode feels like an award-winning sci-fi short story put to screen. Nothing quite like it has come along in the years since it ended.

2. Seinfeld

You know, it's often been said that Seinfeld has been imitated to the point where the show has lost it's status as outstanding. But I disagree. Because while so many other sitcoms have tried to do what it did, none of them have in my opinion succeeded (or if one has, then it's one I haven't seen). Seinfeld's mix of escalating and complexly intertvined storylines with expertly delivered punchlines just can't be seem to ever quite be replicated.

1. The Simpsons... meaning the first 9 seasons

I realize that this number one pick is litteraly the least original pick one could make. "The greatest television show of all time" is virtually the shows inofficial tagline. But as far as I'm concerned, this show is one of those classic's that honestly lives up to it's gargantuan reputation. Let us first get one thing straight; when the show came out, there was nothing else like it. And I don't just mean nothing else in terms of animation, oh no. I mean in terms of comedy in general, in any medium. The reason why those of us who watched it in the 90's was so impressed by it was that it had a self-reflexivity that was unheard of, and it used it to it's maximum comedic potential. This wasn't just as show that made jokes; it was a show that regularly made jokes about jokes. You know, apparently steering into a run-of-the-mill joke that you've essentially heard before but then doing a 180 into something entirely new and fresh and absolutely hilarious. The writers of the show refered to this as "screw the audience" jokes. Take for instance this clip from an episode where Bart searches for a stolen lemon tree:

This influenced an entire generation of watchers, who would then go on to make similar comedy themselves, in all media. These days, even children's cartoons like, say, Phineas and Ferb or the new Ducktales show can trace their comedic origins to The Simpsons. And here is the kicker; despite this unimaginable influence, the first 8 or 9 seasons of The Simpsons has in my humble opinion never truly been bested. The style of comedy it originated is now commonplace, but when I say that the show has never been bested I mean in the sense that no other television comedy has provided an equally complete entertainment package. The classic era of The Simpsons has lovable characters, interesting storylines, a tone that manages to somhow be both cynical and warm, and is filled to the brim with jokes that, while nowadays anything but unique, are still first rate among their kind. And that is why the classic seasons of The Simpsons remains not just my favorite television show of all time, but my most beloved enterteinment product in general.

But pretty much anything after season 10 sucks ass. But that's another story...

[Mr. Ion]

Spoilers for Avatar: The Last Airbender (you should watch)

Spoiler

 

Avatar: the Last Airbender. In my opinion, it is the greatest show of all time, animated or otherwise. All of the elements put together go toward something greater than the mere sum of their parts. As a piece of animation, it is amazing. The character designs are detailed enough to be interesting but also have enough simplicity to be malleable with the animation. The background design is solid and the environments are well-made. The show draws inspiration from numerous cultures not only from East Asia but from other parts of the world, like the Sun Warriors being based on the Aztec civilization, for instance, and this all influences the layout and design of the series. On that note, the world building is extremely strong, with clear but broad rules on the bending of the four elements and the social and governmental conditions of each of the four nations being well-thought out, and also being inspired by real-world civilizations. The spirit world combines with the physical world, and it uses the Avatar as a vessel for going between both. So many elements of the show are interesting and imaginative that it really goes toward making a strong foundation for the show.

The characters of the show are well-fleshed out and realistic, and usually have a lot of depth behind them. Aang carries the baggage of his responsibility as the Avatar and the guilt he feels over running away from the Air temple. He is also a spiritual, loyal, and fun-loving character, and many of his traits trace back to his origins as an air nomad. One of the strongest elements of the show is its character development, wherein the characters grow and change based on the events of the show and their relationships to other characters. Perhaps the poster boy for this story device is Zuko, the exiled prince of the Fire Nation, and my favorite character. The reason his arc is so compelling is because it really looked at the ideas of the choices you make, regardless of your flawed upbringing, morality, even loneliness, which are many themes that people can relate to. Other characters like Sokka, Toph, or Katara advance their skills as benders or gradually grow into stronger leaders, and in turn stronger people. Conversely, you have antagonistic characters like Azula who devolve further into rage and cunning ambition or characters like Mai and Ty Lee who are originally fighting out of fear but eventually reject that in favor of love and justice. All the villains in the series, even the fire lord to a lesser extent, are pretty well written to have depth and reasons for their actions, and it really drives the show.

The pacing of the show is good. It starts of slow but progresses at a solid pace, usually having enough exposition without feeling stale. There are some episodes which really drive home the emotional through line of the show. Episodes like Zuko Alone, which showcase Zuko's solitude, The Southern Raiders, which talks about revenge, and Iroh's Story from Tales of Ba Sing Se, a story of loss and regret, all go to show how well the show can convey its themes. The season and series finales also usually hit it out the park, with amazing action scenes and a lot going on. A scene that stands out among these is the battle between siblings Azula and Zuko, which has beautiful animation and has the blue and orange hues of their fire clashing against each other. And of course, the series has some amazing music, a lot of it catchy and memorable through the use of leitmotifs in the songs.

I've kind of made the show out to be perfect, but it does have some flaws. The animation was a bit rough during the first half of the first season, but that improved. A lot of the characters, like Suki or Jet, had less screen time, or had weaker writing behind them. Also, the show's a bit weak on the romantic relationships of the characters. Furthermore, a few episodes can be a bit hit-or-miss. One that comes to mind is The Great Divide. The series in general tends to slow down in season 1 and can be a bit boring for people not too invested in the series. At this point I've made out the show to be near perfect, and in my opinion, it kind of is haha. I mean if you've been around online discourse, especially in the last year, you've probably already heard people say this kind of thing a million times, and all that I've written is therefore repetitive, but I think therein lies the point. The series has impacted a lot of people in different ways because of how it uses its themes and characters, and how relatable many of them are. Everyone has their own interpretation, but there are few shows that have impacted, and also captivated, with its interesting universe and characters, filled with benders and flying bisons and all that. I feel like this is one of those shows that is kind of timeless, and also has near-limitless potential for sequels given how the Avatar cycle works. But, in general, I think there are innumerable reasons as to why I think Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of, if not the greatest show of all time.
 

 

But enough about that show, what other shows do I think warrant high praise? Well, for one, I think Adventure Time and Regular Show are both masterpieces, shows like the Twilight Zone are pretty subversive yet interesting (I'm talking about the classic Twilight Zone). Transformers Prime is also a good watch, and this isn't even delving into anime. I think Hunter x Hunter is a pretty great show as well. These are the one that just come to mind, but I'll suggest more if more come to mind.

[MetalSkulkBane]

2010-2020 was filled with great cartoons. Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Infinity Train, Over the Garden Wall, She-Ra '19, just to name the few candidates from "best ever" show.

But my vote goes to BoJack Horseman. At first glance it looks like yet another Simpsons wanna-be, but is much more. The mix of comedy and soul crushing depressing story is something I never experienced anywhere else.

[batson]

I've been meaning to watch Bojack Horseman ever since it came out, but haven'y gotten around to it. It seems quite different from other recent cartoons, or just cartoons in general.

I've seen Gravity Falls and some of the new She-Ra though. Gravity Falls was quite good in my opinion. I don't think it did anything really new, but it did manage to take bits and pieces of earlier cartoons and make it into a very satisfying and likable whole.

As for the new She-Ra, I tried getting into it since I really loved the original show as a kid, but it just couldn't hold my attention. It was a little too much of the touchy-feely type for me. I have high hopes for the upcoming new He-Man cartoon though, which seems to focus more heavily on testosterone-pumping action, which is kinda what I personally want from the Masters of the Universe franchise.

[JezMM]

The Simpsons would definitely be a number 1 pick for me, I'm more forgiving of the modern stuff too.  I've recently taken it upon myself to experience the full series in order now that I am finally able to easily with Disney+, and the episodes that I hate are few and far between - much rarer than episodes that I feel live up to Simpsons' reputation.  The majority past season 10 are "just fine".  Entertaining but don't live up to Simpsons reputation.  I'd mark halfway through season 11 as being the point the series falls too (Saddlesore Galactica, the Jockey Elves one, being the first true "Simpsons is bad now" episode).

Granted I'm currently midway into Season 30, which is widely considered the worst, and there have certainly been more outright bad episodes in this one than the other modern seasons, so bare with, it might break me, who knows.

 

Beyond that, while it does lose it's way in Seasons 6-7 (and 9 lets not even count because 8 was the intended end, 9 is just an unnecessary bonus season), Scrubs would be up there as one of my favourites, as well as Parks and Rec and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (though I'm a season or two behind on that now).  I'd categorise those three as fantastic "extremely silly sitcoms with a huge amount of heart" that I'd easily recommend to anyone.

 

To go more modern as well since I mentioned P&R and it's by the same folks - The Good Place.  If anyone has slept on that one and somehow not had it spoiled, just, go dive in.  I found it a little cringey at first with a mixture of good and lame jokes, but like... it goes places.  Watch a bunch of episodes and have faith, see if it pulls you in.  Sure as hell did for me.  Not sure if I can think of another TV show that had me a bit "not sure I'm into this" at the start and crying at the end.

[Baldymcnosehair1999]

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