Name Time's 100 Greatest TV Shows (3)

[A] Sanford and Son | Foxx's junkyard dealer Fred Sanford faked heart attacks yelling "Elizabeth!" becoming catchphrase phenomenon.

[C] MTV (1981-1992) | Music videos killed radio stars while creating new celebrity class from Duran Duran through Nirvana.

[D] See It Now | Murrow's McCarthy takedown proved television journalism could challenge demagogues, establishing medium's Fourth Estate power.

[C] The Office (British) | Gervais's David Brent originated mockumentary style that spawned worldwide adaptations across fourteen countries.

[C] Roots | Burton's Kunta Kinte slavery saga drew 130 million viewers, forcing America confronting uncomfortable historical truths.

[A] My So-Called Life | Danes's Angela Chase captured teen angst so perfectly that actual teenagers watched religiously despite cancellation.

[D] Roseanne | Barr's blue-collar Conner family showed financial struggles honestly when sitcoms typically portrayed comfortable middle-class.

[D] The Real World | Seven strangers living together invented reality television's formula, documenting authentic drama before scripting.

[A] The Odd Couple | Klugman's Oscar Madison defined slovenly bachelorhood, contrasting Felix's neurotic cleanliness through perfect casting.

[B] Playhouse 90 | Frankenheimer's live ninety-minute broadcasts showcased television as legitimate art before videotape existed commercially.

[C] The Price Is Right | Barker's "Come on down!" invitation created television's most exciting audience participation moment for decades.

[B] The Office (American) | Carell's Michael Scott cringe humor redefined comedy, making awkward silences funnier than punchlines.

[B] Rocky and His Friends | Scott's Bullwinkle squirrel-and-moose duo satirized Cold War politics through children's cartoon adventures.

[A] Pee-wee's Playhouse | Reubens's psychedelic children's show featured Cyndi Lauper and Laurence Fishburne before mainstream breakthrough.

[A] The Prisoner | McGoohan's surreal Number Six captivity baffled audiences, creating cult following through deliberate narrative obscurity.

[C] Second City Television | Candy's Canadian sketch show rivaled SNL creatively while operating on significantly smaller budget.

[C] Sex and the City | Parker's Carrie Bradshaw column narrated frank sex talk, normalizing female desire discussions on HBO.

[D] Mystery Science Theater 3000 | Hodgson's silhouettes mocking B-movies pioneered interactive viewing before YouTube comments sections existed anywhere.

[D] The Shield | Chiklis's corrupt cop Vic Mackey pioneered antihero protagonists years before Breaking Bad emerged.

[A] Seinfeld | "No hugging, no learning" philosophy rejected sitcom conventions, making neurotic narcissists America's favorite characters.

[D] Prime Suspect | Mirren's Jane Tennison battled sexism while solving murders, showing female detectives could anchor gritty dramas.

[B] Sesame Street | Henson's Muppets taught alphabet and numbers while sneaking social justice lessons into preschool programming.

[B] Moonlighting | Willis and Shepherd's sexual tension evaporated once consummated, teaching writers never resolve romantic subplots.

[D] The Oprah Winfrey Show | Winfrey's car giveaway "You get a car!" became meme decades before internet memes dominated culture.

[B] Saturday Night Live | Michaels's Not Ready for Prime Time Players launched careers from Belushi through Wiig.