I collected over 17 lists of the Best TV Shows of All Time by critics and experts and combined them into one list. Here are the results – every show on three or more of the original source lists, arranged by rank (that is, with the most-listed shows at the top). Unlike the lists of Best Films, which tend to avoid recent movies, those making lists of the Top TV Shows seem to have short memories and have rated many recent shows highly. The list is exclusively US and UK productions.
For the same list organized chronologically, go here.
On 17 “Best TV Shows” Lists
The Simpsons (1989- ) Creator: Matt Groening
The Sopranos (1999-2007) Creator: David Chase
The Wire (2002-2008) Creator: David Simon
On 16 Lists
Seinfeld (1989-1998) Creators: Larry David & Jerry Seinfeld
On 15 Lists
Twin Peaks (1990-1991) Creators: Mark Frost & David Lynch
Breaking Bad (2008-2013) Creator: Vince Gilligan
On 14 lists
Monty Python’s Flying Circus (UK) (1969-1974) Creators: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones & Michael Palin
Friends (1994-2004) Creators: David Crane & Marta Kauffman
Six Feet Under (2001-2005) Creator: Alan Ball
Arrested Development (2003-2006, 2013) Creator: Mitchell Hurwitz
On 13 Lists
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) Creator: Rod Serling
William Shatner in the 1963 episode, ‘Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.’
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) Creator: Joss Whedon
The Office (UK) (2001-2003) Creators: Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant
Lost (2004-2010) Creators: Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof
On 12 lists
Deadwood (2004-2006) Creator: David Milch 
Mad Men (2007-2015) Creator: Matthew Weiner
Game of Thrones (2011-2019) Creators: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
On 11 lists
The X-Files (1993-2002) Creator: Chris Carter
Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000) Creator: Paul Feig
The West Wing (1999-2006) Creator: Aaron Sorkin
Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-2011, 2017- ) Creator: Larry David
On 10 Lists
I Love Lucy (1951-1957) Creators: Desi Arnaz & Jess Oppenheimer
Doctor Who (UK) (1963-1989; 2005- ) Creators: Sydney Newman, C.E. Webber, Donald Wilson
Star Trek (1966-1969) Creator: Gene Roddenberry 
M*A*S*H (1972-1983) Creator: Larry Gelbart
Saturday Night Live (1975- ) Creator: Lorne Michaels
South Park (1997- ) Creators: Trey Parker & Matt Stone
Sex and the City (1998-2004) Creator: Darren Star
24 (2001-2010, 2014) Creators: Joel Surnow & Robert Cochran
The Shield (2002-2008) Creator: Shawn Ryan
Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) Creator: Ronald D. Moore
On 9 Lists
ER (1994-2009) Creator: Michael Crichton
30 Rock (2006-2013) Creator: Tina Fey
On 8 lists
The Honeymooners (1955-1956) Creator: Jackie Gleason
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977) Creator: James L. Brooks & Allan Burns
All in the Family (1971-1979) Creator: Norman Lear
Fawlty Towers (UK) (1975-1979) Creators: John Cleese & Connie Booth
Hill Street Blues (1981-1987) Creators: Steven Bochco & Michael Kozoll
Cheers (1982-1993) Creators: James Burrows, Glen Charles & Les Charles
Roseanne (1988-1997) Creator: Matt Williams
The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998) Creators: Garry Shandling & Dennis Klein
The Daily Show with John Stewart (1999-2015) Creators: Madeleine Smithberg & Liz Winstead
The Office (US) (2005-2013) Creators: Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant
Friday Night Lights (2006-2011) Creator: Peter Berg
On 7 Lists
The Golden Girls (1985-1992) Creator: Susan Harris
Frasier (1993-2004) Creators: David Angell, Peter Casey & David Lee
Oz (1997-2003) Creator: Tom Fontana
On 6 Lists
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-1962) Creator: Alfred Hitchcock
The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966) Creator: Carl Reiner
The Prisoner (UK) (1967-1968) Creators: Patrick McGoohan & George Markstein
The Carol Burnett Show (1967-1978) Creator: Carol Burnett
Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman in “Went with the Wind.”
Sesame Street (1968- ) Creators: Joan Ganz Cooney & Lloyd Morrisett
The Bob Newhart Show (1972-1978) Creators: David Davis & Lorenzo Music
The Muppet Show (1976-1981) Creator: Jim Henson
Taxi (1978-1983) Creators: James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, David Davis & Ed Weinberger
The Cosby Show (1984-1992) Creators: Ed Weinberger, Michael Leeson & Bill Cosby
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Law & Order (1990-2010) Creator: Dick Wolf
My So-Called Life (1994-1995) Creator: Winnie Holzman
Gilmore Girls (2000-2007) Creator: Amy Sherman-Palladino
Firefly (2002) Creator: Joss Whedon
Dexter (2006-2013) Developer: James Manos, Jr.
Downton Abbey (UK) (2010-2015) Creator: Julian Fellowes
On 5 lists
Your Show of Shows/Caesar’s Hour (1950-1954; 1954-1957) Creator: Sylvester L. Weaver, Jr.
The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968) Creator: Arthur Stander
Columbo (1971-1978, 1989-2003) Creators: Richard Levinson & William Link
I, Claudius (UK) (1976) Creator: Robert Graves
Roots (1977) Creator: Alex Haley
Late Night (1982-1993)/Late Show with David Letterman (1993-2015) Creator: David Letterman
Blackadder (UK) (1983-1989) Creators: Rowan Atkinson, Richard Curtis & Ben Elton
The Wonder Years (1988-1993) Creators: Neal Marlens & Carol Black
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999) Creator: Joel Hodgson
Homicide: Life on the Street (1993-1999) Creator: Paul Attanasio
NYPD Blue (1993-2005) Creators: Steven Bochco & David Milch
Will & Grace (1998-2005, 2017) Creators: David Kohan & Max Mutchnick
Futurama (1999-2013) Creator: Matt Groening
Spaced (UK) (1999-2001) Creators: Simon Pegg, Jessica Stevenson & Edgar Wright
Band of Brothers (2001) Creators: Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks & Stephen E. Ambrose
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005- ) Creator: Rob McElhenney
Parks and Recreation (2009-2015) Creators: Greg Daniels & Michael Schur
Modern Family (2009- ) Creators: Christopher Lloyd & Steven Levitan
Louie (2010-2015 ) Creator: Louis C.K.
Sherlock (UK) (2010-2017) Creators: Mark Gatiss & Steven Moffat
Homeland (2011- ) Creators: Howard Gordon & Alex Gansa
House of Cards (2013-2018) Creator: Beau Willimon
The Americans (2013-2018) Creators: Joe Weisberg
Fargo (2014-2015, 2017- ) Creator: Noah Hawley
On 4 Lists
Gunsmoke (1955-1975) Creators: Norman Macdonnell & John Meston
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962-1992) Creators: Steve Allen, William O. Harbach, Dwight Hemion & Sylvester Weaver, Jr.
The Odd Couple (1970-1975) Developers: Garry Marshall & Jerry Belson
The Rockford Files (1974-1980) Creators: Roy Huggins & Stephen J. Cannell
Happy Days (1974-1984) Creator: Garry Marshall
Soap (1977-1981) Creator: Susan Harris
Dallas (1978-1991) Creator: David Jacobs
Only Fools and Horses (UK) (1981-2003) Creator: John Sullivan
St. Elsewhere (1982-1988) Creators: Joshua Brand & John Falsey
The Singing Detective (UK) (1986) Creator: Dennis Potter
The Real World/Real World (1992-2017) Creators: Mary-Elis Bunim & Jonathan Murray
Beavis and Butt-head (1993-1997) Creator: Mike Judge
Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005) Creator: Philip Rosenthal
Survivor (2000- ) Creator: Charlie Parsons
Alias (2001-2006) Creator: J.J. Abrams
American Idol (2002- ) Creator: Simon Fuller
Chappelle’s Show (2003-2006) Creators: Dave Chappelle & Neal Brennan
House, M.D. (2004-2012) Creator: David Shore
Planet Earth (UK) (2006) Creator: Alastair Fothergill
Party Down (2009-2010) Creators: John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge & Paul Rudd
The Good Wife (2009-2016) Creators: Robert King & Michelle King
Veep (2012- ) Creator: Armando Iannucci
On 3 Lists
The Ed Sullivan Show (1948-1971) Creators: Marlo Lewis & Ed Sullivan
The Fugitive (1963-1967) Creator: Roy Huggins
Sanford and Son (1972-1977) Creator: Bud Yorkin
Good Times (1974-1979) Creators: Eric Monte, Mike Evans & Norman Lear
Family Ties (1982-1989) Creator: Gary David Goldberg
Moonlighting (1985-1989) Creator: Glenn Gordon Caron
thirtysomething (1987-1991) Creators: Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz
In Living Color (1990-1994) Creator: Keenen Ivory Wayans
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996) Creators: Andy & Susan Borowitz
Prime Suspect (UK) (1991-2006) Creator: Lynda La Plante
Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) Creators: Bruce Timm & Eric Radomski
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999) Creator: Rick Berman & Michael Pillar
Scrubs (2001-2010) Creator: Bill Lawrence
The Colbert Report (2005-2014) Creators: Stephen Colbert, Ben Karlin & Jon Stewart
Eastbound and Down (2009-2013) Creators: Ben Best, Jody Hill & Danny McBride
Justified (2010-2015) Creators: Graham Yost & Elmore Leonard
Community (2009-2015) Creator: Dan Harmon
The Walking Dead (2010- ) Creators: Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore & Charlie Adlard
Orange Is the New Black (2013- ) Creator: Jenji Kohan
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The Office (US) can’t be that low. “Boy have you lost your mind cause I’ll help you find it!”
Stanley:
I was a little surprised too. But it’s not up to me where a TV show ends up on the meta-list. It’s up to the people who made the original source lists.
Cool stuff – would you please post the links to the original sources?
Michael- I am going to look and see if I can find those sources- not sure if I kept very good records.