Best TV Shows of all time

This is a long-awaited follow-up to the 2014 post about Best new TV shows, which in itself was a follow-up to a 2013 post about Best TV Shows.

Naturally, TV shows have changed substantially since that 2014 post more than a decade ago. Far more TV shows have been released since then, many on the multiple streaming platforms fighting each other for our attention. Therefore, it feels like a good time to take stock of things and rank my Top 10 TV shows. The ranking of these TV shows is based on the previous criteria:

Excellence Per Minute (EPM) and Soap Opera Moment (SOM).

1) EPM measures the dramatic high points of the show. Every minute of the show is not excellent, no matter what some TV critics say, but one can often pick out those great jaw dropping moments which involve a great piece of acting, repeatable dialogue or a memorable event. A rough tally of all these EPMs was used to determine which show had the best content per minute.

2) SOM is a negative indicator which will to be used to subtract from a  show’s EPM.

These two criteria certainly provide an advantage to limited TV series or shows with less than 8 episodes per season. This is because a limited amount of TV episodes wouldn’t have that much bloated filler content as shows obligated to have 12-13 episodes per season. Also, shows with a shorter running time per episode (45 min or less) would have a better chance to outperform shows with running time of 50-60 min per episode.

My Top 10 TV Shows

1. Schitt’s Creek (Seasons 1-6)

Pure comedic gold! Perfection in each episode. This was a much-needed TV series to watch and rewatch during the early years of the pandemic from 2020-2021.

2. Twin Peaks Season 3 (The Return, 2017)

Some have argued this to be considered as a movie but I consider this as a TV show. This series became must watch TV for me as I tuned in weekly to see the newest glimpse into David Lynch’s enigmatic world.

3. Delhi Crime (Seasons 1-2)

Brilliantly acted and directed by Ritchie Mehta, both seasons use real life crimes (horrific in the case of Season  1) to create a tension filled nerve-wracking show.

4. The Wire (Seasons 1-3)

This is one of those rare TV shows that uses the long form to properly create stories and characters which examine society both from a micro and macro level. The starting focus of Season 1 is on drugs sold at the street level, but the show smartly pulls back and shows how imbalances in society as a whole impact lives of the people across all economic scales.

Note: There are 5 seasons of The Wire but only the first 3 were seen as part of this list.

5. Sacred Games (Seasons 1-2)

A hearty mix of politics, crime, religion, Film industry, terrorism. Based on Vikram Chandra’s novel of the same name, this series brings together a stellar cast and directors (Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap). And it ends on a cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers. Please let there be a Season 3!

6. Ted Lasso (Seasons 1-3)

Like Schitt’s Creek, Ted Lasso was much needed during the Pandemic. A charming, delightful series that is perfectly acted.

7. Chernobyl

The series is based on the 1986 Nuclear reactor disaster but its 2019 release date foreshadowed the response of many nations towards the pandemic. This is because at its core, the series highlights the damage to society when poor planning and leadership are combined.

8. Breaking Bad (Seasons 1-5)

9. Justified (Seasons 1-6)

10. Mad Men (Seasons 1-7)

Honourable mentions (in no particular order):

Severance (Season 1)

Farzi (Season 1)

The Family Man (Seasons 1-2)

Note: this is the Indian TV series that stars Manoj Bajpai.

The White Lotus (Seasons 1-2)