Name Time's 100 Greatest TV Shows (4)

[D] 24 | Sutherland's Jack Bauer real-time format pioneered split-screen storytelling, making every second count dramatically.

[D] The Singing Detective | Gambon's singing psoriasis patient hallucinated musical numbers, blending noir detective genre with hospital drama.

[D] WKRP in Cincinnati | Sandy's radio station sitcom featured Thanksgiving turkey drop disaster becoming television's most infamous episode.

[D] SportsCenter | Berman's "He could go all the way!" catchphrase defined ESPN highlights during cable sports dominance.

[A] Your Show of Shows | Caesar's writers room included Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Woody Allen creating comedy gold live.

[B] The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Carson's golf swing and "Heeeeere's Johnny!" opening defined late-night television for thirty years.

[A] Star Trek | Shatner's Captain Kirk inspired NASA astronauts and scientists, directly influencing real space exploration careers.

[A] Taxi | Hirsch's Alex Rieger anchored ensemble cast portraying New York cabbies' dreams beyond taxi medallions.

[D] The West Wing | Sheen's President Bartlet walked-and-talked through White House corridors, romanticizing government service during cynicism.

[B] The Wire | West's McNulty investigated Baltimore's systemic failures, creating television's most ambitious sociological examination ever.

[A] South Park | Parker's cutout animation tackled controversial topics within six-day production cycles, maintaining cultural relevance.

[B] 60 Minutes | Wallace's confrontational interviews and ticking stopwatch sound became investigative journalism's signature for generations.

[A] The Twilight Zone | Serling's cigarette-smoking introductions preceded twist endings that redefined anthology television storytelling permanently.

[B] St. Elsewhere | Flanders's St. Eligius Hospital pioneered serialized medical drama before ER dominated primetime schedules.

[A] What's My Line? | Daly's panel show featured blindfolded celebrities guessing occupations, defining genteel 1950s game shows.

[C] The Super Bowl (plus ads) | Commercials became equally important as game itself, commanding millions per thirty-second spot.

[C] Soap | Helmond's Jessica Tate navigated ridiculous soap opera parody featuring alien abductions and demonic possession.

[C] Wiseguy | Wahl's undercover agent storylines pioneered season-long arcs when episodic television dominated network programming completely.

[D] The Sopranos | Gandolfini's panic-attack-prone mobster Tony sparked prestige television revolution, proving antiheroes could anchor dramas.

[C] The Simpsons | Castellaneta's Homer "D'oh!" exclamation entered Oxford English Dictionary, validating animated sitcom linguistic contributions.

[A] Six Feet Under | Krause's funeral home setting examined mortality weekly, opening every episode with someone's unexpected death.

[D] Survivor | Probst's tribal councils and torch-snuffing ceremony established reality competition format imitated worldwide endlessly.

[D] The X-Files | Duchovny's Mulder investigating aliens and conspiracies defined 1990s paranoia, spawning "I Want to Believe" posters.

[C] SpongeBob SquarePants | Kenny's optimistic sponge became Nickelodeon's cash cow, grossing billions through merchandise alone.

[B] Twin Peaks | MacLachlan's FBI agent Cooper investigating Laura Palmer's murder confused ABC audiences with surrealist nightmare logic.