The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
QUESTION: In your opinion, what’s the best television show of all time?
Talk about it.
The original Mission Impossible!!
I’ll go for that one also. It at least lasted long enough to really enjoy it. Too many of the ones I liked seldom last their 1st season anymore.
“Cheers”
The Fugitive
I’ve just gotten hooked on the show watching reruns from MeTV! Wow what great episodes and true Life interactions done well. A real escape for me!
“The Mary Tyler Show.” Excellent ensemble cast, great writing, consistently funny situations. “The Carol Burnett Show” a close second, for the same reasons. Then, “I Love Lucy.” I realize I’m dating myself, but that was truly clever comedy. All the episodes age very well.
CHiPS Classic shows from 70s and 80s series about the California Highway Patrol great shows great actors. I always like Erick Estrada and Larry
Mary Tyler Moore–“Chuckles the Clown”
That was a hilarious episode 😉
Dragnet
I don’t watch much TV. Most shows on these days, I’ve never heard of and have no desire to watch them. I enjoy good comedy that actually makes me laugh, so I would have to go with The Tonight Show, with Johnny Carson. Another long-lasting show I liked was the Rockford Files. When I was a kid, I liked. Leave It To Beaver, the writers actually wrote about the misadventures of their own children, that’s one of the reasons the show was such a success.
Another show that was funny, extremely stereotyped, and politically incorrect, was Sanford and Son. I can’t imagine a show like Sanford and Son, being made today.
MASH
I’m wanting to play “favorite in each category”, etc.. Greedy me!
One performer I truly miss is Steve Allen hosting the Tonight show.
Tom & Jerry
I enjoyed watching Dallas when I was young…especially the episode ending a season with who shot JR?
The Wire. Hands down
One of J.R.’s wives is from Claycord. Cathy Podewell, 1982 Northgate High.
Survivor, it is great to have family and friends watch also. And nice to talk to them the next day many have different ideas of who should win its a fun activity,
Survivor is so ten years ago lol.
Survivor has been good to great over the years, but CBS is forcing wokeness upon the show. Racial quotas on all of their “unscripted” shows just to start with.
The Wire.
+1 and more!
All in the Family
Agree….All In The Family was a great show and has my vote. Got to see Archie Bunker’s chair in a museum in Washington, DC years ago.
I like that show too. Have seen the entire series a few times. The show addressed heads on social issues of the time. That kind of sitcom couldn’t be made today, Things are so pc now pronouns have been banned. 🙄
Is the chair still at the smithsonian? Saw it a couple of decades ago. Surprised it hasn’t been canceled.
@Deb – I don’t know…it has been many years since I saw Archie’s chair at the Smithsonian. I am sure they still have it, but don’t know whether it is still on display or not.
Rome
Remington Steel, The Six Million Dollar Man, MacGyver, to name a few…
For broadcast TV, I would say #1 is Seinfeld and #2 is Frasier.
For paid subscription cable, probably The Sopranos.
The Sopranos!!!
Fernwood Tonight
There are many shows I still enjoy immensely, but the topic was best show, not best shows, so I will have to state Fawlty Towers to be the best television show of all time.
Great show! Too bad only 12 (?) episodes produced
Very funny, especially the episode “The Germans” and the one where a guest dies.
Deadwood
I loved Deadwood and all of the great characters. I also loved David Milch’s “Artistic License” with American History. I would be curious to find out if George Hearst was such a Prick in real life that he was on the show.
Some may disagree with me about being a tv show but, to me, “Jeopardy” was THE BEST for many decades. “Jeopardy” isn’t and will never be as good as when Alex Trebek was the host.
There have been other tv shows I have liked and I currently like but none seem to take #1 spot from “Jeopardy”.
King of Queens
Always funny!
Mash for one but can’t discount the Ed Sullivan show. It was a much better variety show at the time than variety shows now in spite of the dead pan Sullivan. We have seen it all now but back in the fifties it was new.
Charles in charge
BJ and the Bear
Good times
Barney Miller
Dukes of hazard
Mamas family
Sanford and son
Night court
Mst3k
Quantum leap
Alf
Television is enemy propaganda
Leave it to Beaver
Agree! It was a show that was entertaining taught good values and gave you a warm and fuzzy feeling usually. All was good with the world after watching it.
Come on guys everybody knows I love Lucy was the best show
This has my vote! My 13 year old and I watch the dvds of this show all the time. We know it almost by heart and quote it all the time. We say there is a Lucy quote for everything!
We were lucky enough to visit the museum in Jamestown, NY the summer before covid made the world go crazy, it was awesome!
Mom, is that you?
It’s got to be Seinfeld! Still watch it today.
My favorite show for all time is probably “Dr. Who”, been watching it since the 60s. The original writers for the show retired a couple of years ago and everything changed, “The Doctor” changed to a woman and now the show has all “politically correct woke” actors.
I think most folks will be in agreement. “The Love Boat ” Best television show ever.!
I agree, watched The Love Boat and immediately after, on a Saturday night, Fantasy Island…enjoying the 2021 version as well.
Breaking Bad
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND
The Prisoner
@Shoulda Coulda…”The Prisoner” is my second favorite TV show. This was recently recorded at “The Village” as it is today, I believe it’s a park or resort, lots of cool history of the place….https://youtu.be/ZnIEyF-Cny0
Thanks nytemuvr-
Oh the things I learn on Claycord!
Seinfeld
Honorable Mentions…1-hour shows basically suck so only one makes my list.
Married With Children
South Park
The Office
Parks & Rec
30 Rock
The Middle
Three’s Company
Sanford & Son
Magnum PI (the original, not this woke soy-boy reboot)
Toss up between Sons of Anarchy, Justified and Hell on Wheels. All excellent with fantastic writing and acting.
Monty Python’s Flying Circus
Comedy: Modern Family
Drama: Dallas
Variety: The Carol Burnett Show
My Mother The Car…… this is a joke list right?
Most of these replies can’t be serious!
Shoot its all subjective but my favs were:
Star Trek original series
Mash
The Jeffersons
The Muppet Show
The Wonder Years
Battlestar Galactica
And the Waltons
Best HBO type series
Deadwood hands down
Boardwalk Empire
I guess I’m dating myself. I use to like Medical Center. Variety shows definitely Johnny Carson, very funny at times and also interesting, also Laugh In. Sitcoms definitely Mash, watched it all the time, certain episodes, of Taxi, especially when Andy Kaufman was on, also Mary Tyler More, Chuckles the Clown, and before that the episode from Dick Van Dyke, where she reveals Allan Brady is bald.
Dramatic shows LA Law, watched it religiously for years, and then Grey’s Anatomy, the first few years, lost interest when so many of my favorite characters was killed off. McDreamy, George, McSteamy and Lexie, just too many deaths.
The Sopranos
The Wire
Breaking Bad
Miami Vice
Sex and the City
CORNER GAS !
From Canada. It was shown here for a couple of years.
Old Otis—
Thanks for the tip on Corner Gas. I’m watching
it now on YouTube. My kind of humor. Have you
watched The Red Green Show. Another great
Canadian comedy series.
Corner Gas was in the running for my selection as best show (another was Father Ted) before landing on Fawlty. The first episode we saw that got us hooked was when Oscar said the coffee creamer was fruity…the resulting line to him was “How are things at NASA?” We were hooked.
Jeff (the other one)—
I’m hooked already too.
So many great lines! I laughed out loud when
the new young gal came into town to run the cafe.
One of the guys asked excitedly “Have you seen her”.
They replied “She hasn’t got cataracts so you don’t
have a chance”. “Scorch, burn!”
Father Ted is one of my all time favs. Everyone that
loves a good belly laugh should look for it. Not PC,
just funny. You’ll love the alcoholic priest who only says-
“Drinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnk!!!”
If it’s comedy…..Seinfeld, followed by the office.
If you think otherwise check your rear for a rod.
Really?
That show was not that great….lots of inaccuracies.
Friday Night Lights
The Gong Show!!!!
NCIS, the original version. Still good, even with the cast changes, although I loved the ones with Tony and Ziva the most and I hated to see them go.
Laugh In, the original Star Trek, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, Black Sheep Squadron, the Rush Limbaugh TV Show.
Charlie and Humphrey and then Capt Mitch
WKRP In Cincinnati
original NCIS and 2 & 1/2 Men with Charlie Sheen
Game of Thrones
Malcolm in the Middle
Homeland
The Apprentice
See
Hey “Bean burner”: I second y0ur choice —- “Muppets”!!!
The original “Star Trek”!
Married With Children
Nova
The Simpsons
Cheers
Some of the best sit-coms: Seinfeld, Everybody loves Raymond, All in the family, Married with children, I love Lucy, The Honeymooners, The Middle
Best series ever made, hands down: Lonesome Dove!
‘The Wire’ is up there for sure, but I really liked a UK show called ‘Cracker’ about a deeply flawed criminal interrogator played by Robbie Coltrane. I was too young to really get ‘Mary Tyler Moore’, but it had excellent writers. I still laugh thinking back to ‘Arrested Development’.
Kind of liked ‘Taxi’ too, but it doesn’t quite make the cut.
The Prisoner. One season start to finish. Saw an interesting analysis of series on a PBS station along with it being shown in the original/intended order.
I agree. The episodes are still fascinating after all these years.
come on people I am surprise that know one has said BONANZA …..
Come on people. I am surprise that know one has said BONANZA …..