Top 100 TV Shows 2017

[Rammy]

Erm yeah. Sorry, will get back to this now...

 

[Rammy]

23. Friends
Points: 49 | Lists: 4 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 12th
Seasons: 10 | Episodes: 236​

Friends is an American sitcom, which aired on NBC from September 1994, to May 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, the show revolves around six 20-30 something friends living in Manhattan.

Friends began development under the title Insomnia Cafe between November and December 1993. They presented the idea, and together they pitched a seven-page treatment of the show to NBC. After several script rewrites and changes, including a title change to Six of One and Friends Like Us, the series was finally named Friends.

Filming took place at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. All ten seasons of Friends ranked within the top ten of the final television season ratings; ultimately reaching the No. 1 spot with its eighth season. The series finale on May 6, 2004, was watched by around 52.5 million American viewers, making it the fifth most watched series finale in television history, and the most watched television episode of the 2000s decade.

Friends received acclaim throughout its run, becoming one of the most popular television shows of all time. The series was nominated for 62 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning the Outstanding Comedy Series award in 2002 for its eighth season.

 

[Rammy]

22. Peep Show
Points: 50 | Lists: 5 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 13th
Series: 9 | Episodes: 54​

Peep Show is a British sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. It was broadcast on Channel 4 from 2003 until 2015. In 2010 it became the longest-running comedy in Channel 4 history.

Peep Show follows the lives of Mark Corrigan (Mitchell) and Jeremy "Jez" Usborne (Webb), two dysfunctional friends who share a flat in Croydon, London. Mark is a socially awkward and despondent loan manager with a cynical outlook on life, while Jeremy is a juvenile slacker and talentless unemployed musician who lives in Mark's spare room. Stylistically, the show utilises point of view shots, with the thoughts of main characters Mark and Jeremy audible as voice-overs.

Though it never achieved great commercial success, the show received consistent critical acclaim and became a cult favourite. In September 2013, Channel 4 announced that the show's ninth series would be its last. The final episode aired on 16 December 2015.

"Brilliant UK comedy, the camera angle works well. All the characters are fucking dicks but you can relate to all of them."

 

[Rammy]

21. Line of Duty
Points: 53 | Lists: 4 | Number One's: 1 | 2015 Position: 373rd
Series: 4 | Episodes: 23​

Line of Duty is a British police procedural series that premiered in June 2012. It is the most popular drama series broadcast on BBC Two in the multichannel era and is a winner of the Royal Television Society Award for Best Drama Series.

The first series was BBC Two's best-performing drama series in ten years, with a consolidated audience of 4.1 million viewers. The drama was recommissioned for a second series and the first episode was broadcast on 12 February 2014. The second series achieved widespread public and critical acclaim, and on 8 April 2014, the BBC commissioned two more series.

In an interview on 28 April 2016, creator Jed Mercurio said that a fourth series would begin filming in the autumn of that year. It commenced broadcast on BBC One on 26 March 2017. A fifth series has been confirmed and will air in Spring 2019. A sixth series has also been ordered by the BBC.

"The one thing we both know: the easiest way to get away with killing somebody? Be a police officer."

 

[Rammy]

20. The IT Crowd
Points: 61 | Lists: 4 | Number One's: 1 | 2015 Position: 22nd
Series: 4 | Episodes: 25​

The IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson, and Matt Berry.

Set in the London offices of the fictional Reynholm Industries, the show revolves around the three staff members of its IT department: a geeky genius named Maurice Moss (Ayoade), the work-shy Roy Trenneman (O'Dowd), and Jen Barber (Parkinson), the department head/relationship manager, who knows nothing about IT. The show also focuses on the bosses of Reynholm Industries: Denholm Reynholm (Chris Morris) and later, his son Douglas (Matt Berry), as well as Gothic IT technician Richmond Avenal (Noel Fielding).

The comedy premiered on Channel 4 on 3 February 2006, and ran for four series of six episodes each. Although a fifth series was commissioned, it was never produced. The programme was concluded with a special, one-off episode, that aired on 27 September 2013. The show was critically acclaimed and has become a cult television series.

 

[Rammy]

19. Thirteen Reasons Why
Points: 62 | Lists: 5 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: NEW ENTRY
Seasons: 1 | Episodes: 13​

Two new Netflix series have made the top 20, and this is the first to fall. Is this a genuine position for it, or did it just help that it was so fresh in peoples minds?

13 Reasons Why (stylized onscreen as Th1rteen R3asons Why) is an American drama-mystery series based on the 2007 novel Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher and adapted by Brian Yorkey for Netflix. The series revolves around a high school student, Clay Jensen, and his friend Hannah Baker, a girl who committed suicide after suffering a series of demoralizing circumstances brought on by select individuals at her school. A box of cassette tapes recorded by Hannah before her suicide details thirteen reasons why she ended her life.

The first season consists of thirteen episodes. Originally conceived as a film set to be released by Universal Pictures with Selena Gomez in the lead role, the adaptation was picked up as a television series by Netflix in late 2015. Gomez serves as an executive producer. The first season, and the special 13 Reasons Why: Beyond the Reasons, were released worldwide on Netflix on March 31, 2017.

The series has received largely positive reviews from critics and audiences, who have praised its subject matter and casting, particularly the two leads, Dylan Minnette and Katherine Langford. It has attracted controversy from some over the series' graphic depiction of issues such as suicide and rape, along with other mature content. In May 2017, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season, scheduled to premiere in 2018.

 

[Hooray]

IT Crowd was my #1. I love it so much

 

[TomPNE94]

I expected to hate 13 reasons why but actually really enjoyed it. Deserves it's place in the top 20 imo.

 

[KevinMcallister]

by the time Rammy completes this list they'll be another new top 100 shows out

 

[Rammy]

18. Doctor Who
Points: 62 | Lists: 5 | Number One's: 1 | 2015 Position: 39th
Series: 36 | Episodes: 839​

Doctor Who is a British science-fiction programme produced by the BBC since 1963. The programme depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called "The Doctor", an extraterrestrial being from the planet Gallifrey. He explores the universe in a time-travelling space ship called the TARDIS. Its exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. Accompanied by a number of companions, the Doctor combats a variety of foes, while working to save civilisations and help people in need.

The show is a significant part of British popular culture, and elsewhere it has gained a cult following. It has influenced generations of British television professionals, many of whom grew up watching the series. The programme originally ran from 1963 to 1989. There was an unsuccessful attempt to revive regular production in 1996 with a backdoor pilot, in the form of a television film titled Doctor Who. The programme was relaunched in 2005, and since then has been produced in-house by BBC Wales in Cardiff. Doctor Who has also spawned numerous spin-offs, including comic books, films, novels, audio dramas, and the television series Torchwood (2006–2011), The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011), K-9 (2009–2010), and Class (2016-present), and has been the subject of many parodies and references in popular culture.

Twelve actors have headlined the series as the Doctor. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the show with the concept of regeneration into a new incarnation – an idea introduced in 1966 to allow the show to continue after the departure of original lead William Hartnell who was becoming very ill at the time. The concept is that this is a Time Lord trait through which the character of the Doctor takes on a new body and personality to recover from a severe injury or anything that would otherwise kill a normal person. Each actor's portrayal differs, but all represent stages in the life of the same character and form a single narrative. The time-travelling feature of the plot means that different incarnations of the Doctor occasionally meet. The current lead, Peter Capaldi, took on the role after Matt Smith's exit in the 2013 Christmas special "The Time of the Doctor". In 2017, Capaldi confirmed he would be leaving at the end of the tenth series, with his final appearance being the 2017 Christmas Special.

 

[Rammy]

17. I'm Alan Partridge
Points: 64 | Lists: 7 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 14th
Series: 2 | Episodes: 12​

I'm Alan Partridge is a 1997 BBC situation comedy starring Steve Coogan and written by Coogan, Peter Baynham and Armando Iannucci. It features Alan Partridge, a tactless and inept radio DJ, after he has been left by his wife and dropped from the BBC. The show follows Partridge as he lives in a roadside hotel, presents a graveyard slot on Norwich local radio, and desperately pitches ideas for new television shows.

A second series followed in 2002, with Partridge now living in a static caravan after recovering from a mental breakdown. Iannucci said the writers used the sitcom as "a kind of social X-ray of male middle-aged Middle England."

Supporting Coogan are Felicity Montagu as his faithful but timid personal assistant, Lynn Benfield; Simon Greenall as Geordie handyman Michael; and Phil Cornwell as Partridge's rival DJ Dave Clifton.

The series was nominated for three BAFTAs (winning two), two British Comedy Awards (winning both), and a Royal Television Society award.

"Sure others will write more here."

 

[PaulHaddock]

Partridge is one of the most quotable shows of all time imo.

 

[mowgli]

Partridge is one of the most quotable shows of all time imo.

That and Fawlty Towers.

 

[Rammy]

16. Twin Peaks
Points: 65 | Lists: 4 | Number One's: 1 | 2015 Position: 101st
Seasons: 3 | Episodes: 48​

This is the highest position Twin Peaks has ever reached, its previous best of 43rd coming in the original list back in 2011. Spirederman will be pleased it's done this well, I'm sure.

Twin Peaks is an American serial drama series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch that premiered in April 1990, on ABC. It was one of the top-rated series of 1990, but declining ratings led to its cancellation after its second season in 1991. It nonetheless gained a cult following and has been referenced in a wide variety of media. In subsequent years, Twin Peaks has often been listed among the greatest television dramas of all time.

The series follows an investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) into the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington. The narrative draws on elements of crime drama, but its uncanny tone, supernatural elements, and campy, melodramatic portrayal of eccentric characters also draw on American soap opera and horror tropes. Like much of Lynch's work, it is distinguished by surrealism and offbeat humor, as well as distinctive cinematography.

Twin Peaks was followed by a 1992 feature film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, that serves as a prequel to the television series. In October 2014, Showtime announced that the show would return as a limited series. Also known as Twin Peaks: The Return, the limited series premiered on May 21, 2017 and was written by Lynch and Frost and directed by Lynch. Many original cast members, including MacLachlan, have returned.

 

[Rammy]

15. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Points: 67 | Lists: 5 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: 49th
Seasons: 7 | Episodes: 144​

Another Top 100 best here, with Buffy's previous top position being 33rd in 2013. Twin Peaks performing so much better I can understand, as the revival was incoming and people would have been watching the old episodes. Buffy however...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American series created by Joss Whedon. The series premiered in March 1997, on The WB and concluded May 2003, on UPN. The series narrative follows Buffy Summers (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar), the latest in a line of young women known as "Vampire Slayers", or simply "Slayers". In the story, Slayers are "called" (chosen by fate) to battle against vampires, demons, and other forces of darkness. Being a young woman, Buffy wants to live a normal life, but as the series go on, she learns to embrace her destiny. Like previous Slayers, Buffy is aided by a Watcher, who guides, teaches, and trains her. Unlike her predecessors, Buffy surrounds herself with a circle of loyal friends who become known as the "Scooby Gang".

The series received critical and popular acclaim, frequently being listed as one of the greatest TV shows of all time, and usually reached between four and six million viewers on original airings. Although such ratings are lower than successful shows on the "big four" networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox), they were a success for the relatively new and smaller WB Television Network.

Buffy's success has led to hundreds of tie-in products, including novels, comics, and video games. The series has received attention in fandom (including fan films), parody, and academia, and has influenced the direction of other television series. The series, as well as its spinoff series Angel, and extensions thereof, have been collectively termed the "Buffyverse".

"Classic. Definitely deserves a higher placing than it will get in this feature."

 

[Spirederman]

Twin Peaks was obviously my number 1

Who are the other 3 legends who voted for it??

Season 3 Episode 8 the other week was fuckin' amazing TV.

Lynch at his absolute best.

 

[Techno Natch]

My girlfriend who did half the list voted for it.

 

[Spirederman]

My girlfriend who did half the list voted for it.

MLM can be relied upon as always

 

[Techno Natch]

She's a big MLM fan after I had to interrupt our holiday to explain the intricacies of the game to her.

 

[mowgli]

Twin Peaks was obviously my number 1

Who are the other 3 legends who voted for it??

Season 3 Episode 8 the other week was fuckin' amazing TV.

Lynch at his absolute best.

It's one of mine.

 

[KevinMcallister]

Buffy was one of mine

 

[mowgli]

Twin Peaks was obviously my number 1

Who are the other 3 legends who voted for it??

Season 3 Episode 8 the other week was fuckin' amazing TV.

Lynch at his absolute best.

I'm waiting for the new series to finish then have a few days of binge watching it.

 

[Spirederman]

I'm waiting for the new series to finish then have a few days of binge watching it.

I'm really enjoying it, but I love everything Lynch has done, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway etc.

It's typical Lynch, everything means nothing, but everything means something. We're on E10 and still haven't spent much time at all in Twin Peaks.

Not gonna do spoilers Mowgli as I'd hate that myself, but E8 will or should leave you open mouthed thinking 'Wtf have I just watched' but equally amazed at its genius.

It's such an important episode, it answers everything, but again, answers nothing.

If you're a Lynch fan you'll know exactly what I mean by that.

 

[mowgli]

I'm really enjoying it, but I love everything Lynch has done, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway etc.

It's typical Lynch, everything means nothing, but everything means something. We're on E10 and still haven't spent much time at all in Twin Peaks.

Not gonna do spoilers Mowgli as I'd hate that myself, but E8 will or should leave you open mouthed thinking 'Wtf have I just watched' but equally amazed at its genius.

It's such an important episode, it answers everything, but again, answers nothing.

If you're a Lynch fan you'll know exactly what I mean by that.

Cheers mate so how many episodes in the new series.

 

[Rammy]

Buffy was one of mine

Was on mine too. 2nd, behind the MIGHTY Lost.

Cheers mate so how many episodes in the new series.

18 episodes.

I've fell a bit behind. Watched the first 5 or 6 and then have just stopped. Need to get back to it, before I forget what complete nonsense has occured so far.

 

[Rammy]

14. Westworld
Points: 74 | Lists: 5 | Number One's: 1 | 2015 Position: NEW ENTRY
Seasons: 1 | Episodes: 10​

This show made quite the impression on one person out there, who rate it as their favourite show they've ever seen. The series arrived to critical acclaim and had many gripped to their screens. Unfortunately, season 2 isn't expected until 2018.

Westworld is an American science fiction western thriller series created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy for HBO. It is based on the 1973 film of the same name, which was written and directed by American novelist Michael Crichton, and to a lesser extent on the 1976 sequel Futureworld. It is the second TV series based on the two films, the first being the short-lived 1980 series Beyond Westworld. Nolan and Joy serve as executive producers along with J. J. Abrams, Jerry Weintraub, and Bryan Burk, with Nolan directing the pilot. The first season premiered on October 2, 2016, concluded on December 4, 2016, and consisted of ten episodes. In November 2016, HBO renewed the show for a ten-episode second season, planned for a 2018 debut.

The story takes place in the fictional Westworld, a technologically advanced Wild West–themed amusement park populated by android hosts. Westworld caters to high-paying guests, who may indulge in whatever they wish within the park, without fear of retaliation from the hosts.

The series' debut on HBO garnered the network's highest viewership ratings for a premiere since the first episode of True Detective in 2014 and Westworld ranks as the most-watched first season of an HBO original series ever. Westworld has received positive reviews by critics, with particular praise for the visuals, story, and acting.

 

[Rammy]

13. Stranger Things
Points: 76 | Lists: 7 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: NEW ENTRY
Seasons: 1 | Episodes: 8​

Our highest new entry, is the science fiction-horror Netflix sensation Stranger Things. The first season stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, and Matthew Modine, with Noah Schnapp and Joe Keery in recurring roles. The second season will see Schnapp and Keery promoted to series regulars, along with the addition of Sadie Sink and Dacre Montgomery.

Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana in the 1980s, the first season focuses on the investigation into the disappearance of a young boy amid supernatural events occurring around the town including the appearance of a psychokinetic girl who helps the missing boy's friends in their own search. The second season is set a year after the first, and deals with attempts of the characters to return to normal and consequences from that season.

The Duffer Brothers developed the series as a mix of investigative drama alongside supernatural elements with childlike sensibilities, establishing its time frame in the 1980s and creating a homage to pop culture of that decade. Several themes and directorial aspects were inspired and aesthetically informed by the works of Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, and Stephen King, among others.

The series was released on Netflix on July 15, 2016. It received critical acclaim for its characterization, pacing, atmosphere, acting, soundtrack, directing, writing, and homages to 1980s genre films. The series has received several industry nominations and awards, including winning the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2016, and receiving eighteen nominations for the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series. On August 31, 2016, Netflix renewed the series for a second season of nine episodes, which is set to be released on October 27, 2017.

 

[KevinMcallister]

13. Stranger Things
Points: 76 | Lists: 7 | Number One's: 0 | 2015 Position: NEW ENTRY
Seasons: 1 | Episodes: 8​

Our highest new entry, is the science fiction-horror Netflix sensation Stranger Things. The first season stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, and Matthew Modine, with Noah Schnapp and Joe Keery in recurring roles. The second season will see Schnapp and Keery promoted to series regulars, along with the addition of Sadie Sink and Dacre Montgomery.

Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana in the 1980s, the first season focuses on the investigation into the disappearance of a young boy amid supernatural events occurring around the town including the appearance of a psychokinetic girl who helps the missing boy's friends in their own search. The second season is set a year after the first, and deals with attempts of the characters to return to normal and consequences from that season.

The Duffer Brothers developed the series as a mix of investigative drama alongside supernatural elements with childlike sensibilities, establishing its time frame in the 1980s and creating a homage to pop culture of that decade. Several themes and directorial aspects were inspired and aesthetically informed by the works of Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, and Stephen King, among others.

The series was released on Netflix on July 15, 2016. It received critical acclaim for its characterization, pacing, atmosphere, acting, soundtrack, directing, writing, and homages to 1980s genre films. The series has received several industry nominations and awards, including winning the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2016, and receiving eighteen nominations for the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series. On August 31, 2016, Netflix renewed the series for a second season of nine episodes, which is set to be released on October 27, 2017.

think I voted for this, if I didn't I totally forgot

 

[Rammy]

think I voted for this, if I didn't I totally forgot

Was 12th on mine. Annoyingly, I forgot Westworld though.

 

[Rammy]

think I voted for this, if I didn't I totally forgot

It was 15th on your list.