The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time: Did Rolling Stone’s list get it right?
“The Twilight Zone - Miniature” by stevegarfield is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Television has undoubtedly changed over the last several decades. There is better TV now than ever before, especially with streaming services becoming so popular compared to cable TV, more people are focusing their attention on those platforms where they can come up with better ideas and spend more time crafting and developing shows. With this abundance of television, discussions about what are the greatest TV shows ever are bound to come up.
Recently, this discussion was brought up by Rolling Stone Magazine. The magazine ratings have always been divisive and recently, their list of the 100 Greatest TV Shows of all Time (an updated version of their list of the same name from 2016), caused a stir with everyone who's seen it.
Alan Sepinwall, Chief TV Critic at Rolling Stone, with help from his team, took the undertaking of updating this list. They reached out to various actors, directors, producers and creators in TV to compile the extensive list. A multitude of different opinions were garnered from these people, which made the list even harder to arrange.
It’s hard to judge TV as a whole because there is so much to choose from and everyone has different views. With all of this talk, let’s take a look at a couple of things Rolling Stone got right, and what they missed the mark on:
What they got right
The Top Five
1. The Sopranos
2. The Simpsons
3. Breaking Bad
4. The Wire
5. Fleabag
All things considered, that is a pretty great top five. Some may argue against Fleabag’s placement due to recency bias and its low-season count, but the Phoebe Waller-Bridge comedy-drama didn’t overstay its welcome. Its clever writing and handling of topics like grief and depression was remarkable. The Wire, Breaking Bad and The Sopranos are pretty much consensus top five picks at this point. Each one changed the landscape of television and is considered a staple in TV history. And The Simpsons may be the best animated sitcom to air on television.
A little bit of everything
There is a pretty good mix of everything here, ranging from Colombo to Bojack Horseman to The Wire, and Rolling Stone didn’t disappoint in that aspect. Although there has been some talk about the variety of recent television on this list, certain shows picked, such as The Leftovers, Insecure and Watchmen, which all aired recently, are respectable choices nonetheless.
Being open to outside opinion
You would think with Rolling Stone being such a big publication, their ability to swallow their pride and ask for help with this list would be nonexistent. However, Sepinwall wanted something that felt original and accurate. Allowing people who are in the business to give their take helps the list feel more genuine, despite how daunting public opinion can be. Opening up a broader range of opinions to those who wouldn’t normally get a say is a step in the right direction.
What they got wrong…
With the positives, there must come negatives. Rolling Stone is an American publication, so you would expect there to be a lot of shows that are homegrown. However, there is a stunning lack of representation of television outside of the US. There are a couple of British shows here and there, and maybe one or two South Korean shows, but all together, reading this list wouldn't give the impression television exists outside the US.
Odd placements
Orange is the New Black at 85? I May Destroy You at 19? I love Donald Glover, but Atlanta at nine? Obviously these shows are great, but some of the best 100 shows to ever grace a screen? That is a little generous. There is a place for some of these shows on this list, but Atlanta being above The Twilight Zone, Twin Peaks and The Mary Tyler Moore Show? Probably not.
Recency bias
Rolling Stone’s list is slightly marred by recency bias. Shows like Succession, Squid Game and Atlanta, while all being great, don’t warrant such a high placement. There needs to be more time to reflect on these shows before we rank them as some of the greatest ever. We need to let these shows pass more than a season or two before we give them such high status.
I would argue Rolling Stone’s list to be a success, with more right than there is wrong. Obviously comparing and contrasting lists, arguing about placements and online discussion is inevitable. However, for such an immense challenge, Alan and his team flourished, and their approval of outside opinion for this list may foreshadow a change with the times at Rolling Stone.