Seinfeld type TV Show network NBC

Syndicated

The Sopranos was named the best-written show in television history by the Writers Guild of America, edging out an eclectic collection of some of the most beloved and admired series. Members of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) voted online for the 101 Best Written TV Series, with David Chase’s iconic “family” drama topping Seinfeld, The Twilight Zone, All in the Family, and M*A*S*H*.

“At their core, all of these wonderful series began with the words of the writers who created them and were sustained by the writers who joined their staffs or worked on individual episodes,” said WGAW President Chris Keyser and WGAE President Michael Winship in a joint statement. “This list is not only a tribute to great TV, it is a dedication to all writers who devote their hearts and minds to advancing their craft.”

Click below for complete list:

1. The Sopranos, HBO

Created by David Chase

2. Seinfeld, NBC

Created by Larry David & Jerry Seinfeld

3. The Twilight Zone (1959), CBS

Season 1 writers: Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, Robert Presnell, Jr., Rod Serling

4. All in the Family, CBS

Developed for Television by Norman Lear, Based on Till Death Do Us Part, Created by Johnny Speight

5. M*A*S*H, CBS

Developed for Television by Larry Gelbart

6. The Mary Tyler Moore Show, CBS

Created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns

7. Mad Men, AMC

Created by Matthew Weiner

8. Cheers, NBC

Created by Glen Charles & Les Charles and James Burrows

9. The Wire, HBO

Created by David Simon

10. The West Wing, NBC

Created by Aaron Sorkin

11. The Simpsons, FOX

Created by Matt Groening, Developed by James L. Brooks and Matt Groening and Sam Simon

12. I Love Lucy, CBS

“Pilot,” Written by Jess Oppenheimer & Madelyn Pugh & Bob Carroll, Jr.

13. Breaking Bad, AMC

Created by Vince Gilligan

14. The Dick Van Dyke Show, CBS

Created by Carl Reiner

15. Hill Street Blues, NBC

Created by Michael Kozoll and Steven Bochco

16. Arrested Development, FOX

Created by Mitchell Hurwitz

17. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, COMEDY CENTRAL

Created by Madeleine Smithberg, Lizz Winstead; Season 1 – Head Writer: Chris Kreski; Writers: Jim Earl, Daniel J. Goor, Charles Grandy, J.R. Havlan, Tom Johnson, Kent Jones, Paul Mercurio, Guy Nicolucci, Steve Rosenfield, Jon Stewart

18. Six Feet Under, HBO

Created by Alan Ball

19. Taxi, ABC

Created by James L. Brooks and Stan Daniels and David Davis and Ed Weinberger

20. The Larry Sanders Show, HBO

Created by Garry Shandling & Dennis Klein

21. 30 Rock, NBC

Created by Tina Fey

22. Friday Night Lights, NBC

Developed for Television by Peter Berg, Inspired by the Book by H.G. Bissinger

23. Frasier, NBC

Created by David Angell & Peter Casey & David Lee, Based on the Character “Frasier Crane” Created by Glen Charles & Les Charles

24. Friends, NBC

Created by Marta Kauffman & David Crane

25. Saturday Night Live, NBC

Season 1: Writing Supervised by Walter Kempley, Harry Shearer; Written by: Ann Beatts, Chevy Chase, Tom Davis, Al Franken, Rosie Michaels, Garrett Morris, Michael O’Donoghue, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller, Alan Zweibel

26. The X-Files, FOX

Created by Chris Carter

27. Lost, ABC

Created by Jeffrey Lieber and J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof

28. ER, NBC

Created Michael Crichton

29. The Cosby Show, NBC

Created by Ed Weinberger & Michael Leeson and William Cosby, Jr., Ed. D.

30. Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO

Created by Larry David

31. The Honeymooners, CBS

Season 1 writers: Herbert Finn, Marvin Marx, A.J. Russell, Leonard Stern, Walter Stone, Sydney Zelinka

32. Deadwood, HBO

Created by David Milch

33. Star Trek, NBC

Created by Gene Roddenberry

34. Modern Family, ABC

Created by Steven Levitan & Christopher Lloyd

35. Twin Peaks, ABC

“Pilot,” Written by Mark Frost & David Lynch

36. NYPD Blue, ABC

Created by David Milch & Steven Bochco

37. The Carol Burnett Show, CBS

Season 1: Written by Bill Angelos, Stan Burns, Don Hinkley, Buz Kohan, Mike Marmer, Gail Parent, Kenny Solms, Saul Turtletaub; Writing Supervised by Arnie Rosen

38. Battlestar Galactica (2005), SYFY

Developed by Ronald D. Moore, Based on the Series Battlestar Galactica Created by Glen A. Larson

39. Sex & the City, HBO

Created by Darren Star, Based on the Book by Candace Bushnell

40. Game of Thrones, HBO

Created by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss, Based on A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

41. (Tie) The Bob Newhart Show, CBS

Created by David Davis and Lorenzo Music

Your Show of Shows, NBC

Season 1: Written by Mel Tolkin, Lucille Kallen, Max Liebman

43. (Tie) Downton Abbey, PBS

Created by Julian Fellowes

Law & Order, NBC

Created by Dick Wolf

thirtysomething, ABC

Created by Marshall Herskovitz & Edward Zwick

46. (Tie) Homicide: Life on the Street, NBC

Created by Paul Attanasio, Based on the Book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon

St. Elsewhere, CBS

Created by Joshua Brand & John Falsey, Developed by Mark Tinker / John Masius

48. Homeland, SHOWTIME

Developed by Howard Gordon & Alex Gansa, Based on the Original Israeli Series Prisoners of War by Gideon Raff

49. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, WB

Created by Joss Whedon

50. (Tie) The Colbert Report, COMEDY CENTRAL

Season 1 writers: Stephen Colbert, Rich Dahm, Eric Drysdale, Peter Gwinn, Jay Katsir, Laura Krafft, Allison Silverman

The Good Wife, CBS

Created by Robert King & Michelle King

The Office (UK), BBC

Created by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant

For the rest of the WGA TV 101 list, click here.

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