Ron Chait's
Top 100 TV Shows

Here you will find lots of science fiction, along with suspense / horror and offbeat humor (preferably minus laugh tracks).  Program titles are linked to pages at The Internet Movie Database.

Listings include television networks or channels.  
British:  BBC, Channel 4, and ITV.
Canadian:  CBC, CityTV, and Space.
All others U.S. unless noted otherwise.

The Addams Family 
(ABC, 1964-1966)

The Adventures of 
Brisco County Jr. 
(Fox, 1993-1994)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents 
(CBS, 1955-1960; NBC, 1960-1962) 
/ The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
(CBS, 1962-1964; NBC, 1964-1965)

Alias
(ABC, 2001-present)

Alien Nation 
(Fox, 1989-1990)

Ally McBeal 
(Fox, 1997-2002)

Angel
(WB, 1999-2004)

The Avengers 
(ITV, 1961-1969; ABC, 1966-1969)

Ballykissangel
(BBC, 1996-2001)

Batman
(ABC, 1966-1968)

The Black Adder / Blackadder II /
Blackadder the Third / Blackadder
Goes Forth (BBC, 1983-1989)

Blake’s 7 
(BBC, 1978-1981)

Boomtown
(NBC, 2002-2003)

Breaking News
(Bravo, 2002)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
(WB, 1997-2001; UPN, 2001-2003)

Candid Camera 
(CBS, 1960-1967)

Charmed
(WB, 1998-present)

China Beach 
(ABC, 1988-1991)

Cold Feet
(ITV, 1997-2003)

Combat!
(ABC, 1962-1967)

Coupling
(BBC, 2000-present)

Crime Story
(NBC, 1986-1988)

Dark Skies
(NBC, 1996-1997)

The Dick van Dyke Show 
(CBS, 1961-1966)

Doctor Who
(BBC, 1963-1989)

Earth: Final Conflict
(syndicated, 1997-2002)

Ed
(NBC, 2000-2004)

The Ed Sullivan Show
(CBS, 1955-1971)

Everybody Loves Raymond
(CBS, 1996-present)

Exposure
(SciFi, 2000-2002)

Farscape 
(SciFi, 1999-2003)

La Femme Nikita
(USA, 1997-2001)

Fernwood 2Night 
(syndicated, 1977) / 
America 2Night 
(syndicated, 1978)

Forever Knight 
(CBS, 1992-1993; 
syndicated, 1994-1996)

Frasier 
(NBC, 1993-2004)

The Fugitive
(ABC, 1963-1967)

Futurama 
(Fox, 1999-2003)

Get Smart
(NBC, 1965-1969; CBS, 1969-1970)

Gilmore Girls
(WB, 2000-present)

Harsh Realm
(Fox, 1999; FX, 2000)

The Honeymooners 
(CBS, 1955-1956)

I Love Lucy 
(CBS, 1951-1957)

Inside the Actors Studio
(Bravo, 1994-present)

The Larry Sanders Show
(HBO, 1992-1998)

Leave It to Beaver 
(CBS, 1957-1958; ABC, 1958-1963)

Lois and Clark: The New
Adventures of Superman
(ABC, 1993-1997)

The Lone Ranger
(ABC, 1949-1957)

Malcolm in the Middle
(Fox, 2000-present)

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
(NBC, 1964-1968)

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman
(syndicated, 1976-1977)

Max Headroom
(ABC, 1987-1988)

Millennium 
(Fox, 1996-1999)

Mission: Impossible
(CBS, 1966-1973)

Monk
(USA, 2002-present)

Monty Python’s Flying Circus
(BBC 1969-1974)

Moonlighting 
(ABC, 1985-1989)

Mr. Bean 
(ITV, 1990-1995)

Murder One
(ABC, 1995-1997)

Mystery Science Theater 3000
(KTMA-TV 23, Minneapolis,
1988-1989; Comedy Channel / Comedy Central 1989-1996; SciFi, 1997-1999)

Night Stand with Dick Dietrick
(syndicated, 1995-1997)

Now and Again
(CBS, 1999-2000)

Once and Again
(ABC, 1999-2002)

The Outer Limits 
(ABC, 1963-1965)

Perry Mason 
(CBS, 1957-1966)

The Phil Silvers Show /
You'll Never Get Rich
(CBS 1955-1959)

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
(Bravo, 2003-present)

Red Dwarf 
(BBC, 1988-1999)

Rocky and His Friends
(ABC 1959-1961) / 
The Bullwinkle Show 
(NBC 1961-1964)

Roughnecks: 
Starship Troopers Chronicles
(syndicated, 1999-2000)

route 66 
(CBS, 1960-1964)

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
(NBC, 1968-1973)

Saturday Night Live 
(NBC, best years only, from 
1975 premiere to approx. 1985)

Scrubs
(NBC, 2001-present)

Seinfeld
(NBC, 1990-1998)

The Shield
(FX, 2002-present)

The Simpsons 
(Fox, 1989-present)

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
(CBS 1967-1969)

The Sopranos
(HBO, 1999-present)

South Park
(Comedy Central, 1997-present)

Space: Above and Beyond
(Fox, 1995-1996)

Sports Night 
(ABC, 1998-2000)

Stargate SG-1
(Showtime, 1997-2002, 
SciFi 2002-present)

Star Trek
(NBC, 1966-1969)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
(syndicated, 1993-1999)

Star Trek: The Next Generation
(syndicated, 1987-1994)

Star Trek: Voyager
(UPN, 1995-2001)

State of Grace
(Fox Family, 2001; ABC Family, 2002)

That's Life
(CBS, 2000-2002)

Thriller 
(NBC, 1960-1962)

24
(Fox, 2001-present)

The Twilight Zone 
(CBS, 1959-1965)

Twin Peaks
(ABC, 1990-1991)

The Untouchables 
(ABC, 1959-1963)

Upstairs, Downstairs
(ITV, 1971-1975)

The West Wing
(NBC, 1999-present)

Whose Line Is It Anyway?
(Channel 4, 1988-1997) /
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
(ABC, 1998-2004; ABC Family, 2005)

The Wonder Years 
(ABC, 1988-1993)

The X-Files
(Fox, 1993-2002)

You Bet Your Life 
(NBC, 1950-1960) / 
The Groucho Show 
(NBC, 1960-1961)

• Classic TV Database: Top 100 Shows of All Time
• TV Guide: 50 Greatest Shows of All Time
• TV Guide: 50 Worst Shows of All Time

Television fans have an opportunity to electronically sign a petition
that could resolve some on-air annoyances at Nick at Nite and TV Land.
Success with this campaign could convince other channels to follow suit.
Petition to remove voiceovers and split screens from closing credits 

There are differences of opinion on whether online petitions are useful.
Some sites, such as the Online Petitions Service, are understandably enthusiastic.
Others, such as TruthOrFiction.com, provide reasons to be skeptical.