This list comes from Rob Sheffield's list of 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, from Rolling Stone, Sept. 16, 2016. Dates for programs that have ended since the publication of this list are updated.
These links to streaming sources online or DVDs in the Penn Libraries collection are for the benefit of Television Studies and History researchers.
The Van Pelt Video Collection and the video collection at the Annenberg School for Communication Library include many classic and newer television series from the U.S. and other parts of the world, but may not include recently aired seasons or make the full history of a particular series available. If a season of a TV program is missing a link below, or you would like to know about the availability of a program not in this list, please feel free to Suggest a Purchase or Ask a Question.
Years on air | DVD | ||
1. | The Sopranos | 1999-2007 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6pt1 S6pt2 |
2. | The Wire | 2002-2008 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 |
3. | Breaking Bad | 2008-2013 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5pt1 S5pt2 |
4. | Mad Men | 2007-2015 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7pt1 S7pt2 |
5. | Seinfeld | 1989-1998 | S1&2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 |
6. | The Simpsons | 1989-present | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 |
S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 | |||
S18 S19 S20 S21 S22 S23 S24 | |||
S25 S26 S27 S28 S29 S30 S31 | |||
S32 S33 | |||
7. | The Twilight Zone | 1959-1964 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 |
8. | Saturday Night Live | 1975-present | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 |
9. | All in the Family | 1971-1979 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 |
10. | The Daily Show | 1996-present | n/a |
11. | Freaks and Geeks | 1999-2000 | Complete series |
12. | Game of Thrones | 2011-2019 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 |
13. | Late Night with David Letterman | 1982-2015 | n/a |
14. | The Larry Sanders Show | 1992-1998 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 |
15. | The West Wing | 1999-2006 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 |
16. | M*A*S*H | 1972-1983 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 |
17. | Twin Peaks | 1990-1991 | S1&2 |
18. | Star Trek | 1966-1969 | S1 S2 S3 |
19. | Curb Your Enthusiasm | 2000-2024 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 |
20. | Cheers | 1982-1993 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 |
21. | The Office (U.K.) | 2001-2003 | S1 S2 |
22. | Louie | 2010-2015 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 |
23. | Deadwood | 2004-2006 | S1 S2 S3 |
24. | Friday Night Lights | 2006-2011 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 |
25. | Veep | 2012-2019 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 |
26. | Friends | 1994-2004 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 |
27. | Arrested Development | 2003-2019 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 |
28. | The X-Files | 1993-2002 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 |
29. | Monty Python's Flying Circus | 1969-1974 | Set 1 - Set 2 - Set 3 |
30. | The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson | 1962-1992 | n/a |
31. | Sesame Street | 1969-present | Select episodes S1-S5 |
32. | I Love Lucy | 1951-1957 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 |
33. | South Park | 1997-present | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 |
S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 | |||
S19 S20 S21 S22 S23 S24 S25 | |||
34. | 30 Rock | 2006-2013 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 |
35. | My So-Called Life | 1994-1995 | Complete series |
36. | Law & Order | 1990-2010 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 |
37. | Orange is the New Black | 2013-2019 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 |
38. | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | 1997-2003 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 |
39. | Lost | 2004-2010 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 |
40. | The Shield | 2002-2008 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 |
41. | The Honeymooners | 1955-1956 | Complete series |
42. | NYPD Blue | 1993-2005 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 |
S11 S12 | |||
43. | The Americans | 2013-2018 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 |
44. | Columbo | 1971-1978 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 |
45. | Battlestar Galactica | 2003-2009 | S1 S2 S2.5 S3 S4 S4.5 |
46. | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | 1970-1977 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 |
47. | The Rockford Files | 1974-1980 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 |
48. | The Office (U.S.) | 2005-2013 | Complete series |
49. | Taxi | 1978-1983 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 |
50. | ER | 1994-2009 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 |
S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 | |||
51. | Fargo | 2014-present | S1 S2 S3 |
52. | The Colbert Report | 2005-2014 | n/a - Best of |
53. | The Bob Newhart Show | 1972-1978 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 |
54. | The Muppet Show | 1976-1981 | S1 S2 S3 (S4 S5 n/a) |
55. | Six Feet Under | 2001-2005 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 |
56. | 24 | 2001-2010 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 |
57. | Fawlty Towers | 1975-1979 | Complete series |
58. | Roots | 1977 | Complete set |
59. | Hill Street Blues | 1981-1987 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 |
60. | Beavis and Butt-Head | 1993-1997, 2011 | S1-8 - Mike Judge collection v1 v2 v3 v4 |
61. | Your Show of Shows | 1950-1957 | Excerpts (S1 S2 S3 S4 n/a) |
62. | Sex and the City | 1998-2004 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6pt1 S6pt2 |
63. | The Wonder Years | 1988-1993 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 |
64. | Chappelle's Show | 2003-2006 | S1 S2 S3 |
65. | Happy Days | 1974-1984 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 |
66. | Downton Abbey | 2011-2016 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 |
67. | The Odd Couple | 1970-1975 | Complete series |
68. | The State | 1993-1995 | S1&2 |
69. | The Ed Sullivan Show | 1948-1971 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 |
S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 | |||
S21 S22 S23 S24 | |||
70. | Roseanne | 1988-1997 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 |
71. | Mr. Show | 1995-1998 | S1 S2 S3 S4 |
72. | Girls | 2012-2017 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 |
73. | Transparent | 2014-2019 | S1 S2 S3 S4 |
74. | The Ren & Stimpy Show | 1991-1995 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 |
75. | American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson | 2016 | Complete series |
76. | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | 1993-2009 | n/a |
77. | The Walking Dead | 2010-2022 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 |
78. | Thirtysomething | 1987-1991 | S1 S2 S3 S4 |
79. | In Living Color | 1990-1994 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 |
80. | The Fugitive | 1963-1967 | S1v1 S1v2 S2v1 S2v2 S3v1 S3v2 S4v1 S4v2 |
81. | Dallas | 1978-1991 | S1&2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 |
S11 S12 S13 S14 | |||
82. | The Jeffersons | 1975-1985 | Complete series |
83. | House of Cards | 2013-2018 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 |
84. | Real Time with Bill Maher | 2003-present | n/a |
85. | The Real World | 1992-present | S1 S12 (other seasons n/a) |
86. | Good Times | 1974-1979 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 |
87. | Doctor Who | 1963-present | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 |
88. | Party Down | 2009-2010 | S1 S2 |
89. | Homeland | 2011-2020 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 |
90. | The Dick Van Dyke Show | 1961-1966 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 |
91. | Broad City | 2014-2019 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 |
92. | American Idol | 2001-2016 | n/a |
93. | Mystery Science Theater 3000 | 1988-1999 | Select episodes |
94. | Jeopardy | 1964-1975, 1984-present | n/a |
95. | Key & Peele | 2012-2015 | Complete series |
96. | Gunsmoke | 1955-1975 | Select episodes |
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 | |||
S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18 S19 S20 | |||
97. | Portlandia | 2011-2018 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 |
98. | The Golden Girls | 1985-1992 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 |
99. | Oz | 1997-2003 | S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 |
100. | Eastbound and Down | 2009-2013 | S1 S2 S3 S4 |
Homer Simpson at the Button
(The Simpsons S19, E11)
The Abbott and Costello Show |
The Addams Family |
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet |
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin |
Aldrich Family |
Alfred Hitchcock Presents |
Alice |
Ally McBeal |
Amos 'N' Andy |
Andy Griffith Show |
A-Team |
The Avengers |
Babylon 5 |
Bachelor Father |
Baretta |
Barney Miller |
Batman |
Baywatch |
The Beauty and the Beast |
Benson |
The Beverly Hillbillies |
Beverly Hills 90210 |
Bewitched |
The Bionic Woman |
Blossom |
Bonanza |
Bosom Buddies |
The Brady Bunch |
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century |
Cagney & Lacey |
The Carol Burnett Show |
Charlie's Angels |
Chico and the Man |
CHiPS |
The Cisco Kid |
Coach |
Columbo |
Dallas |
Dennis the Menace |
Designing Women |
The Dick van Dyke Show |
Diff'rent Strokes |
The Donna Reed Show |
Doogie Howser, M.D. |
The Doris Day Show |
Dragnet |
The Dukes of Hazzard |
Dynasty |
The Edge of Night |
Eight is Enough |
Ellen |
The Facts of Life |
Family Matters |
Family Ties |
Father Knows Best |
The Flintstones |
The Frank Sinatra Show |
Frasier |
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air |
Gilligan's Island |
Gimme a Break! |
The Goldbergs |
Growing Pains |
Hawaii Five-O |
Hazel |
Head of the Class |
Hee Haw |
Hill Street Blues |
Hogan's Heroes |
Howdy Doody |
I Dream of Jeannie |
It's Garry Shandling's Show |
The Jack Benny Program |
The Jackie Gleason Show |
The Jetsons |
Julia |
Kate and Allie |
Knight Rider |
Kojak |
L.A. Law |
Lassie |
Laugh-In |
Laverne & Shirley |
Leave it to Beaver |
Life Goes On |
The Life of Riley |
Little House on the Prairie |
The Lone Ranger |
Lost in Space |
Love Boat |
The Lucy Show |
MacGyver |
Mad About You |
Magnum P.I. |
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. |
Mannix |
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis |
Married… with Children |
Maverick |
Max Headroom |
McHale's Navy |
Medical Center |
Miami Vice |
The Milton Berle Show |
Mister Ed |
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood |
Mod Squad |
The Monkees |
Moonlighting |
Mork & Mindy |
Munsters |
Murder, She Wrote |
Murphy Brown |
My Three Sons |
The Nanny |
Night Court |
Northern Exposure |
Odd Couple |
One Day at a Time |
The Partridge Family |
Perry Mason |
Peter Gunn |
Peyton Place |
Picket Fences |
The Practice |
The Real McCoys |
Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour |
Room 222 |
St. Elsewhere |
Sanford and Son |
Six Million Dollar Man |
Soap |
Survivor |
That Girl |
Three's Company |
The Tracey Ullman Show |
Twin Peaks |
The Untouchables |
Wagon Train |
The Waltons |
Welcome Back, Kotter |