Top 100 TV Shows 2017

[Rammy]

39. Fawlty Towers
Points: 36 | Lists: 3 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 15th
Series: 2 | Episodes: 12​

A disappointing position for Fawlty Tower's having been the most consistent finisher in previous years with one 16th place, and two 15th place finishes.

Fawlty Towers is a BBC sitcom broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 and 1979. Twelve episodes were made (two series of six episodes each). The show was created and written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, who both also starred in the show. They were married at the time of series 1, but divorced before recording series 2. One of the best loved shows in British popular culture, it was ranked No. 1 on a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000.

The series is set in Fawlty Towers, a fictional hotel in the seaside town of Torquay on the "English Riviera." The plots centre on tense, rude and put-upon owner Basil Fawlty (Cleese), his bossy wife Sybil (Prunella Scales), comparatively normal chambermaid Polly (Booth) who often is the peacemaker and voice of reason, and hapless and English-challenged Spanish waiter Manuel (Andrew Sachs), showing their attempts to run the hotel amidst farcical situations and an array of demanding and eccentric guests and tradespeople.

 

[Rammy]

38. The Leftovers
Points: 36 | Lists: 2 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: NEW ENTRY
Seasons: 3 | Episodes: 28​

The Leftovers is an American drama series created by Damon Lindelof (the god who co-created Lost) and Tom Perrotta, that aired on HBO from June 2014, to June 2017. It is based on Perrotta's novel of the same name. The series stars an ensemble cast featuring Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler, Chris Zylka, Margaret Qualley, Carrie Coon, Ann Dowd, and Regina King.

The Leftovers starts three years after a global event called the "Sudden Departure", the inexplicable, simultaneous disappearance of 140 million people, 2% of the world's population, on October 14, 2011. Following that event, mainstream religions declined, and a number of cults emerged, most notably the Guilty Remnant.

 

[Techno Natch]

That last one sounds good.

 

[Rammy]

That last one sounds good.

Its fantastic. Shame I forgot to put it on my own list.

 

[Rammy]

37. House of Cards (USA)
Points: 37 | Lists: 4 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 16th
Seasons: 5 | Episodes: 65​

House of Cards is an American political drama series and is released on Netflix. It is an adaptation of the BBC's mini-series of the same name and is based on the novel by Michael Dobbs.

Set in 2010s Washington, D.C., House of Cards is the story of Congressman Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), a Democrat from South Carolina's 5th congressional district and House Majority Whip. After being passed over for appointment as Secretary of State, he initiates an elaborate plan to get himself into a position of greater power, aided by his wife, Claire Underwood (Robin Wright). The series deals primarily with themes of ruthless pragmatism, manipulation, and power.

House of Cards has received positive reviews and several award nominations. To date, it has received 33 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor for Spacey, and Outstanding Lead Actress for Wright, for each of its first four seasons. It was the first original online-only television series to receive major Emmy nominations. The show also earned eight Golden Globe Award nominations, with Wright winning for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 2014 and Spacey winning for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 2015.

 

[Rammy]

36. Sherlock
Points: 37 | Lists: 3 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 20th
Series: 4 | Episodes: 13​

Sherlock is a crime drama series based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, it stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson. Thirteen episodes have been produced, with three-part series airing from 2010–2017, and a special episode airing on 1 January 2016. The series is set in the present day, while the one-off special features a Victorian period fantasy resembling the original Holmes stories. The series is primarily filmed in Cardiff, Wales, with North Gower Street in London used for exterior shots of Holmes and Watson's 221B Baker Street residence.

Critical reception has been highly positive, with many reviews praising the quality of the writing, performances, and direction. Sherlock has been nominated for numerous awards including BAFTAs, Emmys, and a Golden Globe, winning several awards across a variety of categories. The show won in three categories at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special for Moffat, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Cumberbatch, and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Freeman. Two years later, it won Outstanding Television Movie. In addition, the show was also honoured with a Peabody Award in 2011.

"Got a tad self-indulgent the last 2 series, but still great."

 

[Rammy]

35. The Flash
Points: 38 | Lists: 4 | Number One's: 1 | 2015 Position: 118th
Seasons: 3 | Episodes: 69​

The Flash is an American series based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, a costumed superhero crime-fighter with the power to move at superhuman speeds. It is a spin-off from Arrow, existing in the same fictional universe. The series follows Allen, portrayed by Grant Gustin, a crime scene investigator who gains super-human speed, which he uses to fight criminals, including others who have also gained superhuman abilities.

Initially envisioned as a backdoor pilot, the positive reception Gustin received during two appearances as Barry on Arrow led to executives choosing to develop a full pilot to make use of a larger budget and help flesh out Barry's world in more detail. Colleen Atwood, costume designer for Arrow, was brought in to design the Flash's suit. The creative team wanted to make sure that the Flash would resemble his comic book counterpart, and not simply be a poor imitation.

The Flash premiered in North America on October 2014, where the pilot became the second-most watched premiere in the history of The CW, after The Vampire Diaries in 2009. It has been well received by critics and audiences, and won the People's Choice Award for "Favorite New TV Drama" in 2014.

"Alright TV, doesn't require much brainpower to watch."

 

[Rammy]

34. The West Wing
Points: 38 | Lists: 2 | Number One's: 1 | 2015 Position: 67th
Seasons: 7 | Episodes: 156​

The West Wing is an American serial political drama series that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 1999, to May 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House, where the Oval Office and offices of presidential senior staff are located, during the fictitious Democratic administration of Josiah Bartlet (played by Martin Sheen).

The West Wing received acclaim from critics, as well as praise from political science professors and former White House staffers. In total, The West Wing won three Golden Globe Awards and 26 Emmy Awards, including the award for Outstanding Drama Series, which it won four consecutive times from 2000 through 2003.

"absolutely the best TV show ever made, "Two Cathedrals" is also the best episode of TV ever made"

 

[Rammy]

33. The X Files
Points: 40 | Lists: 3 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 72nd
Seasons: 10 | Episodes: 208​

The X-Files is an American science fiction drama series created by Chris Carter, which originally aired from September 1993 to May 2002 on Fox. The program spanned nine seasons, included 202 episodes, and a feature film of the same name. Later in 2008, a second film was made and preceded a tenth season revival, which consisted of six episodes, in 2016. The revival premiered on January 24, 2016. In April 2017, Fox officially announced that The X-Files would be returning for an eleventh season of ten episodes, which would air in the 2017–18 television season.

The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who investigate X-Files: marginalized, unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena. Mulder believes in the existence of aliens and the paranormal while Scully, a medical doctor and a skeptic, is assigned to make scientific analyses of Mulder's discoveries to debunk his work and thus return him to mainstream cases. Early in the series, both agents become pawns in a larger conflict and come to trust only each other and a very few select people. The agents also discover an agenda of the government to keep the existence of extraterrestrial life a secret. They develop a close relationship which begins as a platonic friendship, but becomes a romance by the end of the series. In addition to the series-spanning story arc, "monster of the week" episodes form roughly two-thirds of all episodes.

The X-Files was inspired by earlier television series which featured elements of suspense and speculative fiction, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, Tales from the Darkside, and especially Kolchak: The Night Stalker. When creating the main characters, Carter sought to reverse gender stereotypes by making Mulder a believer and Scully a skeptic.

The X-Files was a hit for the Fox network and received largely positive reviews, although its long-term story arc was criticized near the conclusion. Initially considered a cult series, it turned into a pop culture touchstone that tapped into public mistrust of governments and large institutions and embraced conspiracy theories and spirituality. Both the series itself and lead actors Duchovny and Anderson received multiple awards and nominations, and by the end it was the longest-running science fiction series in U.S. television history.

 

[MagpieBee]

West Wing was top of my list, and that's my quote. Definitely got worse as it went along, but doubt it'll be bettered for me anytime soon

 

[Cas]

I fucking love The Flash.

 

[KevinMcallister]

I fucking love The Flash.

well try not to do it in public places Cas

 

[shane]

West Wing was top of my list, and that's my quote. Definitely got worse as it went along, but doubt it'll be bettered for me anytime soon

I'd disagree with that. It massively flagged during the 4th and 5th seasons but I thought the Santos vs Viddick campaigns breathed new life into the show. They just seemed to lose sight of what to do with Toby, which was a shame as he was probably my favourite character.

The show itself was brilliant but I re-watched it recently and forgot just how cheesey it was. Would still make my top 5 comfortably and probably top 3 though.

 

[MagpieBee]

I'd disagree with that. It massively flagged during the 4th and 5th seasons but I thought the Santos vs Viddick campaigns breathed new life into the show. They just seemed to lose sight of what to do with Toby, which was a shame as he was probably my favourite character.

The show itself was brilliant but I re-watched it recently and forgot just how cheesey it was. Would still make my top 5 comfortably and probably top 3 though.

Oh definitely agree, the last season and a half were great, and while maybe not a return to the old form, were brilliant with their different angle. The Season 4/5/first half of 6 slump was still good TV, and would rank much higher than most shows on this list on its own, but just nowhere near as good as the first 3 years.

Even the actor who played Toby hated what they did to him towards the end, almost quit the show a few times apparently.

 

[Rammy]

32. 24
Points: 41 | Lists: 4 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 17th
Seasons: 10 | Episodes: 228​

For the first time, 24 slips out of the Top 20. 24 is an American crime thriller series, starring Kiefer Sutherland as counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer. Each season, comprising 24 episodes, covers 24 hours in Bauer's life using the real time method of narration. Premiering November 2001, the show spanned 192 episodes over eight seasons. In addition, a television film, 24: Redemption, was broadcast between seasons six and seven, in November 2008. 24 returned as a 12-episode series titled 24: Live Another Day, which aired from May to July 2014. 24: Legacy, a spin-off series featuring new characters, premiered on February 2017. After the cancellation of Legacy in June 2017, Fox announced its plan to develop a new incarnation of the franchise.

The series begins with Bauer working for the Los Angeles–based Counter Terrorist Unit, in which he is a highly proficient agent with an "ends justify the means" approach, regardless of the perceived morality of some of his actions. Throughout the series most of the main plot elements unfold like a political thriller. A typical plot has Bauer racing against the clock as he attempts to thwart multiple terrorist plots, including presidential assassination attempts, weapons of mass destruction detonations, bioterrorism, cyber attacks, as well as conspiracies that deal with government and corporate corruption.

24 garnered critical acclaim, winning numerous awards over its eight seasons, including Best Drama Series at the 2003 Golden Globe Awards and Outstanding Drama Series at the 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards.

"I've enjoyed every season of this and although it's slipped down my list it's probably only because I've not watched it for a while."

 

[Rammy]

31. Band of Brothers
Points: 41 | Lists: 3 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 44th
Seasons: 1 | Episodes: 10​

Band of Brothers is a 2001 American war drama miniseries based on historian Stephen E. Ambrose's 1992 non-fiction book of the same name. The executive producers were Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who had collaborated on the 1998 World War II film Saving Private Ryan. The episodes first aired in 2001 on HBO. The series won Emmy and Golden Globe awards in 2001 for best miniseries.

The series dramatizes the history of "Easy" Company (part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division) from jump training in the United States through its participation in major actions in Europe, and up until Japan's capitulation and war's end. The events portrayed are based on Ambrose's research and recorded interviews with Easy Company veterans. The series took literary license, adapting the recorded history for the purposes of dramatic effect and series structure. All of the characters portrayed are based on members of Easy Company. Some of the men were recorded in contemporary interviews, which viewers see as preludes to each episode. The men's identities are not revealed until the finale.

 

[Techno Natch]

Can't remember if I had 24 in there or not. I used to love it though so might have to do a rewatch soon.

 

[Rammy]

Can't remember if I had 24 in there or not. I used to love it though so might have to do a rewatch soon.

9th.

 

[Rammy]

30. How I Met Your Mother
Points: 43 | Lists: 4 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 19th
Seasons: 9 | Episodes: 208​

How I Met Your Mother (often abbreviated to HIMYM) is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 2005 to March 2014. The series follows the main character, Ted Mosby, and his group of friends in Manhattan. As a framing device, Ted, in the year 2030, recounts to his son and daughter the events that led him to meeting their mother.

The series was created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays, who also served as the show's executive producers and were frequent writers. The series was loosely inspired by their friendship when they both lived in New York City.

Known for its unique structure, eccentric humor, and incorporation of dramatic elements, How I Met Your Mother has gained a cult following over the years. The show initially received positive reviews, while the later seasons received more mixed reviews. The show was nominated for 28 Emmy Awards, winning nine. In 2010, Alyson Hannigan won the People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Comedy Actress. In 2012, seven years after its premiere, the series won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Network TV Comedy, and Neil Patrick Harris won the award for Favorite TV Comedy Actor.

The ninth and final season concluded on March 31 2014, with a double-length finale episode, which received polarized reviews from critics and fans alike for its controversial twist ending, as many critics and fans believed it contradicted many of the previous episodes.

How I Met Your Mother is often compared to Friends, for its setting and characters. Both shows take place in New York and both casts have similar character archetypes.

 

[Rammy]

29. Match of the Day
Points: 44 | Lists: 4 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 38th
Series: 52 | Episodes: LOTS! (No official number)​

Match of the Day, often abbreviated as MOTD or MotD, is BBC TV's principal football programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League.

It is one of the BBC's longest-running shows, having been on air since 22 August 1964, though it has not always been aired regularly. Match of the Day has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the longest-running football TV programme in the world.

Since 1996, MOTD has been presented by former England captain Gary Lineker. Lineker is usually joined by two pundits to analyse and review the day's action.

"Can't not have this on there"


"Got to have a football show right? I miss the days of when you could go into it not knowing what the scores were."

 

[Rammy]

28. Arrow
Points: 44 | Lists: 4 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 31st
Seasons: 5 | Episodes: 115​

Arrow is an American action crime series, based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow. It premiered in North America on The CW in October 2012. Primarily filmed in Vancouver, Canada, the series follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), who, five years after being stranded on a hostile island, returns home to fight crime and corruption as a secret vigilante whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrow.

The series takes a new look at the Green Arrow character, as well as other characters from the DC Comics universe. Although Oliver Queen/Green Arrow had been featured in the television series Smallville from 2006 to 2011, on the CW, the producers decided to start clean and find a new actor to portray the character. Arrow focuses on the humanity of Oliver Queen, and how he was changed by time spent shipwrecked on an island. Most episodes in the first five seasons have flashback scenes to the five years in which Oliver was missing.

Arrow has received generally positive reviews from critics. The series averaged about 3.68 million viewers over the course of the first season and received several awards and multiple nominations. In October 2014, a spin-off series set in the same universe, titled The Flash, premiered. In August 2015, an animated spin-off, Vixen, was released, while a second live-action spin-off, Legends of Tomorrow, premiered in January 2016, featuring a number of characters from Arrow and The Flash. On January 8, 2017, The CW renewed the show for a sixth season, which is scheduled to debut on October 12, 2017.

"I would recommend anyone to watch the first two series'...... And then stop."

 

[Rammy]

27. Red Dwarf
Points: 45 | Lists: 4 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 71st
Series: 11 | Episodes: 67​

Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eleven series (the ninth being a mini-series) of a science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1993 and from 1997 to 1999, and on Dave in 2009 and 2012, gaining a cult following. In May 2015, it was announced that Series XI and XII would film back-to-back later in 2015 and would air exclusively on the Dave channel in 2016 and 2017.

Despite the pastiche of science fiction used as a backdrop, Red Dwarf is primarily a character-driven comedy, with off-the-wall science fiction elements used as complementary plot devices. In the early episodes, a recurring source of comedy was the Odd Couple-style relationship between the two central characters of the show, who have an intense dislike for each other yet are trapped together deep in space. The main characters are Dave Lister, the last known human alive, and Arnold Rimmer, a hologram of Lister's dead bunkmate. The other regular characters are Cat, a lifeform which evolved from the descendants of Lister's pregnant pet cat Frankenstein; Holly, Red Dwarf's computer; Kryten, a service mechanoid; and, from Series VII through VIII, Kristine Kochanski, an alternative-reality version of Lister's long-lost love.

One of the series' highest accolades came in 1994, when an episode from the sixth series, "Gunmen of the Apocalypse", won an International Emmy Award in the Popular Arts category, and in the same year the series was also awarded "Best BBC Comedy Series" at the British Comedy Awards. The series attracted its highest ratings, of more than eight million viewers, during the eighth series in 1999. The series was revived after a ten-year break, when digital channel Dave screened a three-episode production, titled Red Dwarf: Back to Earth, in April 2009 during the Easter weekend. This was followed by Series X, consisting of six episodes, which was first broadcast on Dave in October/November 2012.

 

[Rammy]

26. Supernatural
Points: 46 | Lists: 4 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 93rd
Seasons: 12 | Episodes: 264​

Supernatural is an American fantasy horror series. It was first broadcast in September 2005, on The WB, and subsequently became part of successor The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the two brothers as they hunt demons, ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural beings.

The series is filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia and surrounding areas and was in development for nearly ten years, as creator Eric Kripke spent several years unsuccessfully pitching it. The pilot was viewed by an estimated 5.69 million viewers, and the ratings of the first four episodes prompted The WB to pick up the series for a full season. Originally, Kripke planned the series for three seasons but later expanded it to five. The fifth season concluded the series' main storyline, and Kripke departed the series as showrunner. The series has continued on for several more seasons with new showrunners. With its eleventh season, Supernatural became the longest-running American fantasy series. The series has been renewed for a thirteenth season, which will premiere on October 12, 2017.

"Still going strong 12 series' and 12 years later. However, I would argue that this show would have been perfect had it ended after five series' like was planned."

 

[KevinMcallister]

great show, 12 seasons and possibly only 2 seasons out of 12 I consider to be poor/weak seasons

seasons 7 and seasons 9 were pretty damn poor imo

 

[HarvSFC]

great show, 12 seasons and possibly only 2 seasons out of 12 I consider to be poor/weak seasons

seasons 7 and seasons 9 were pretty damn poor imo

Someone I can talk about the show with! Shame Crowley's gone.

 

[KevinMcallister]

Someone I can talk about the show with! Shame Crowley's gone.

very tense ending, CASTIEL

I think the Nephilim will be a huge season

 

[Cas]

Biggest Supernatural fan here tbh.

 

[Rammy]

25. Gavin and Stacey
Points: 48 | Lists: 5 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 37th
Series: 3 | Episodes: 20​

Gavin & Stacey is a British romantic situation comedy that follows the long-distance relationship of Gavin Shipman (Mathew Horne) from Billericay in Essex, England, and Stacey West (Joanna Page) from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The writers of the show, actors James Corden and Ruth Jones, also co-star as Gavin and Stacey's friends, Smithy and Nessa. Other prominent cast members include Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb, who play Gavin's parents, Pam and Mick, and Melanie Walters and Rob Brydon, who portray Stacey's mother, Gwen, and her uncle, Bryn.

It ran for a total of 20 episodes; these were broadcast from May 2007 to January 2010, comprising three series and two Christmas specials. Initially, the series was shown on BBC Three, but a growing following meant that it was subsequently moved to BBC Two, and finally BBC One. The last episodes of the final series formed a significant part of the prime time BBC seasonal programming, and were broadcast on Christmas Day 2009 and New Year's Day 2010.

Gavin & Stacey was acclaimed as a hit breakthrough show for BBC Three, becoming the most nominated show in the 2007 British Comedy Awards. To date it has won several awards, including the British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs) Audience Award, and the British Comedy Awards Best TV Comedy Award, both in 2008.

 

[Rammy]

24. Fargo
Points: 48 | Lists: 4 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 112th
Seasons: 3 | Episodes: 30​

Fargo is an American black comedy–crime drama anthology series created and primarily written by Noah Hawley. The show is inspired by the 1996 film of the same name written and directed by the Coen brothers, who serve as executive producers on the series alongside Hawley. It premiered on April 15, 2014, on FX. The series follows an anthology format, with each season set in a different era with a different story and mostly new characters and cast, although there is minor overlap. Each season shares a common chronology with the original film.

The first season, set in 2006 and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, and Martin Freeman, was met with critical acclaim. It won the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Miniseries, Outstanding Directing and Outstanding Casting, and received fifteen additional nominations including Outstanding Writing, another Outstanding Directing nomination, and acting nominations for all four leads. It also won the Golden Globe Awards for Best Miniseries or Television Film and Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film for Thornton.

The second season, set in 1979 and starring Kirsten Dunst, Patrick Wilson, Jesse Plemons, Jean Smart, and Ted Danson, was met with even greater acclaim. It received three Golden Globe nominations, along with several Emmy nominations including Outstanding Miniseries and acting nominations for Dunst, Plemons, Smart, and Bokeem Woodbine.

The third season, set in 2010 and starring Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Goran Bogdan and David Thewlis premiered on April 19, 2017.

The series is currently on an extended hiatus, as Hawley is busy with other projects and a lack of creative ideas for a fourth season. Hawley stated in June 2017, "I always agreed with FX that the only reason to do another Fargo is if the creative is there" and in regards to a timeline for a fourth season, "We're looking at three years from now".

"Oh geez. Mike Milligan is the coolest man on TV"

 

[KevinMcallister]

come on you fool!