101 Best Written TV Series of All Time

The Writers Guild Associations of America, in conjunction with TV Guide, revealed the 101 best written television series of all time.  In something that's all in good fun, if a tad meaningless, the most interesting find in the list is that the WGA seems to have a particularly modern sensibility.  Sure, there's some classics scuttled about in the list, and the top ten give or take seems nearly right for universal appeasing, but there's something telling in that the list is so eagerly made up of shows in the past twenty years (including a great many that are still on the air today.)  Have a look, and argue:

1. The Sopranos (HBO)- created by David Chase- nominated for 11 WGA awards and won four.
2. Seinfeld (NBC)- created by Larry David & Jerry Seinfeld- nominated for 13 WGA awards and won four.
3. The Twilight Zone (CBS)- Season One writers: Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, Robert Presnell, Jr. and Rod Sterling- nominated for 2 WGA awards.
4. All in the Family (CBS)- developed by Norman Lear; Based on Till Death Does Us Part by Johnny Speight- nominated for 11 WGA awards and won once.
5. M*A*S*H (CBS)- developed by Larry Gelbart- nominated for 28 WGA awards and won seven.
6. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS)- created by James L. Brooks & Allan Burns- nominated for 10 WGA awards and won once.
7. Mad Men (AMC)- created by Matthew Weiner- nominated for 11 WGA awards and won five.
8. Cheers (NBC)- created by Glen Charles, Les Charles & James Burrows- nominated for 13 WGA awards, winning four.
9. The Wire (HBO)- created by David Simon- nominated for 3 WGA awards, winning one.
10. The West Wing (NBC)- created by Aaron Sorkin- nominated for 12 WGA awards, winning two.

11. The Simpsons (FOX)- created by Matt Groening, developed by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening & Sam Simon- nominated for 45 WGA awards, winning eight.
12. I Love Lucy (CBS)- "Pilot," written by Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh & Bob Carroll, Jr.
13. Breaking Bad (AMC)- created by Vince Gilligan- nominated for 17 WGA awards, winning two.
14. The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS)- created by Carl Reiner- nominated for 10 WGA awards, winning three.
15. Hill Street Blues (NBC)- created by Michael Kozoll & Steven Bochco- nominated for 10 WGA awards, winning four.
16. Arrested Development (FOX)- created by Michell Hurwitz- nominated for 3 WGA awards, winning one.
17. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)- created by Madeline Smithberg & Lizz Weinstein.  Season One writers: Chris Kreski, Jim Earl, Daniel J. Goor, Charles Grandy, J.R. Havlan, Tom Johnson, Kent Jones, Paul Mercurio, Guy Nicolucci, Steve Rosenfield & Jon Stewart- nominated for 7 WGA awards, winning one.
18. Six Feet Under (HBO)- created by Alan Ball- nominated for 4 WGA awards.
19. Taxi (ABC)- created by James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, David Davis & Ed Weinberger- nominated for 12 WGA awards, winning once.
20. The Larry Sanders Show (HBO)- created by Garry Shandling & Dennis Klein- nominated for 5 WGA awards.

21. 30 Rock (NBC)- created by Tina Fey- nominated for 18 WGA awards, winning five.
22. Friday Night Lights (NBC)- developed by Peter Berg, inspired by the book by H.G. Bissinger- nominated for 5 WGA awards.
23. Frasier (NBC)- created by David Angell, Peter Casey & David Lee; based on the character "Frasier Crane" by Glen Charles & Les Charles- nominated for 6 WGA awards, winning six.
24. Friends (NBC)- created by Marta Kauffman & David Crane- nominated for 2 WGA awards.
25. Saturday Night Live (NBC)- Season One writers: Walter Kempley, Harry Shearer, Ann Beatts, Chevy Chase, Tom Davis, Al Franken, Rosie Michaels, Garrett Morris, Michael O'Donoghue, Herb Sargent, Tom Schiller & Alan Zweibel- nominated for 8 WGA awards, winning three.
26. The X Files (FOX)- created by Chris Carter- nominated for 2 WGA awards.
27. Lost (ABC)- created by Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof- nominated for 7 WGA awards, winning one.
28. ER (NBC)- created by Michael Crichton- nominated for 6 WGA awards, winning two.
29. The Cosby Show (NBC)- created by Ed Weinberger, Michael Leeson & William Cosby, Jr., Ed.D.- nominated for 3 WGA awards.
30. Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)- created by Larry David- nominated for 5 WGA awards, winning one.

31. The Honeymooners (CBS)- Season One writers: Herbert Finn, Marvin Marx, A.J. Russell, Leonard Stern, Walter Stone & Sydney Zylinka
32. Deadwood (HBO)- created by David Milch- nominated for 2 WGA awards
33. Star Trek (NBC)- created by Gene Roddenberry- nominated for 3 WGA awards, winning one.
34. Modern Family (ABC)- created by Steven Levitan & Christopher Lloyd- nominated for 13 WGA awards, winning six.
35. Twin Peaks (ABC)- "Pilot," written by Mark Frost & David Lynch
36. NYPD Blue (ABC)- created by David Milch & Steven Bochco- nominated and winner of 1 WGA award.
37. The Carol Burnett Show (CBS)- Season One writers: Bill Angelos, Stan Burns, Don Hinkley, Buz Kohan, Mike Marmer, Gail Parent, Kenny Solms, Saul Turtletaub, Arnie Rosen- nominated for 2 WGA awards.
38. Battlestar Galactica (SYFY)- developed by Ronald D. Moore; based on the series by Glen A. Larson- nominated for 1 WGA award.
39. Sex & the City (HBO)- created by Darren Star; based on the book by Candace Bushnell- nominated for 12 WGA awards

40. Game of Thrones (HBO)- created by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss; based on A Song of Ice & Fire by George R.R. Martin- nominated for 3 WGA awards
41. (TIE) The Bob Newhart Show (CBS)- created by David Davis & Lorenzo Music- nominated for 2 WGA awards
41. (TIE) Your Show of Shows (NBC)- Season One writers: Mel Tolkin, Lucille Kallen & Max Liebman
43. (TIE) Downton Abbey (PBS)- created by Julian Fellowes
43. (TIE) thirtysomething (ABC)- created by Marshall Herskovitz & Edward Zwick- nominated for 4 WGA awards, winning two.
43. (TIE) Law & Order (NBC)- created by Dick Wolf- nominated for 8 WGA awards, winning one.
46. (TIE) Homicide: Life of the Street (NBC)- created by Paul Attansio; based on the book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon- nominated for 6 WGA awards, winning two.
46. (TIE) St. Elsewhere (CBS)- created by Joshua Brand & John Falsey; developed by Mark Tinker & John Masius- nominated for 3 WGA awards
48. Homeland (Showtime)- developed by Howard Gordon & Alex Gansa; based on the series Prisoners of War by Gideon Raff- nominated for 5 WGA awards, winning two.
49. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB)- created by Joss Whedon

50. (TIE) The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)- Season One writers: Stephen Colbert, Rich Dahm, Eric Drysdale, Peter Gwinn, Jay Katsir, Laura Krafft & Allison Silverman- nominated for 6 WGA awards, winning three.
50. (TIE) The Good Wife (CBS)- created by Robert King & Michelle King- nominated for 4 WGA awards.
50. (TIE) The Office (BBC)- created by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant
53. Northern Exposure (CBS)- created by Joshua Brand & John Falsey
54. The Wonder Years (ABC)- created by Neal Marlens & Carol Black- nominated for 7 WGA awards, winning two.
55. L.A. Law (NBC)- created by Steven Bochco & Terry Louise Fisher- nominated for 2 WGA awards.
56. Sesame Street (PBS)- created by Joan Ganz Cooney- nominated for 10 WGA awards, winning two.
57. Columbo (NBC)- created by Richard Levinson & William Link- nominated for 2 WGA awards.
58. (TIE) Fawlty Towers (BBC)- written by John Cleese & Connie Booth
58. (TIE) The Rockford Files (NBC)- created by Roy Huggins & Stephen J. Cannell- nominated for 5 WGA awards.
60. (TIE) Freaks & Geeks (NBC)- created by Paul Feig
60. (TIE) Moonlighting (ABC)- created by Glenn Gordon Caron- nominated and won 1 WGA award.

62. Roots (ABC)- written by William Blinn, M. Charles Cohen, Ernest Kinoy and James Lee; based on the book by Alex Haley
63. (TIE) Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS)- created by Philip Rosenthal- nominated and won 1 WGA award.
63. (TIE) South Park (Comedy Central)- created by Trey Parker & Matt Stone
65. Playhouse 90 (CBS)- Season One writers: Edna Anhalt, Edmund Beloin, Harold Jack Bloom, Marc Brandel, George Bruce, James P. Cavanagh, Whitfiled Cook, Helen Doss, Scott Fitzgerald, Devery Freeman, Frank D. Gilroy, Helen Howe, Speed Lamkin, Ernest Lehman, Herbert Little, Jr., Don Mankiewicz, Elick Moll, Paul Monash, Dean Reisner, Norman Retchin, Selma Robinson, William Sackheim, Rod Serling, Leonard Spigelgass, Leslie Stevens, Brandon Thomas, David Victor, Charles M. Warren, Hagar Wilde, Cornell Woolrich
66. (TIE) Dexter (Showtime)- developed by James Monos, Jr.; based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay- nominated for 7 WGA awards.
66. (TIE) The Office (NBC)- created by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant; developed by Greg Daniels- nominated for 19 WGA awards, winning two.
68. My So-Called Life (ABC)- created by Winnie Holzman
69. The Golden Girls (NBC)- created by Susan Harris- nominated for 5 WGA awards, winning one.
70. The Andy Griffith Show (CBS)- Episode 1, "The New Housekeeper,"written by Jack Elinson & Charles Stewart- nominated for 4 WGA awards, winning three.

71. (TIE) 24 (FOX)- created by Joel Surnow & Robert Cochron- nominated for 2 WGA awards, winning one.
71. (TIE) Roseanne (ABC)- created by Matt Williams; based on the character created by Roseanne- nominated for 4 WGA awards.
71. (TIE) The Shield (FX)- created by Shawn Ryan
74. House (FOX)- created by David Shore- nominated for 4 WGA awards, winning two.
75. Murphy Brown (CBS)- created by Diane English- nominated for 4 WGA awards, winning two.
76. (TIE) Barney Miller (ABC)- created by Danny Murphy & Theodore J. Flicker- nominated for 9 WGA awards, winning two.
76. (TIE) I, Claudius (PBS)- written by Rupert Graves & Jack Pullman
78. The Odd Couple (ABC)- Episode 1, "The Flight of the Felix," written by Peggy Elliott & Ed Scharlach- nominated for 1 WGA award.
79. (TIE) Alfred Hitchcock Presents (CBS)- Season One Writers: Gwen Bagni, Samuel Blas, Robert Blees, Ray Bradbury, Richard Carr, James Cavanagh, Eustace Cockrell, Francis Cockrell, Marian Cockrell, John Collier, Robert C. Dennis, Mel Dinelli, Stanley Ellin, Fred Freiberger, Irwin Gielgud, Gina Kaus, Terence Maples, Richard Pedicini, Louis Pollock, Joseph Ruscoll, A.J. Russell, Stirling Silliphant, Andrew Solt, Harold Swanton, Victor Wolfson, Cornell Woolrich.
79. (TIE) Monty Python's Flying Circus (BBC)- conceived and written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Neil Innes, Terry Jones, Michael Palin.
79. (TIE) Star Trek: The Next Generation (SYN)- created by Gene Roddenberry- nominated for 1 WGA award.
79. (TIE) Upstairs, Downstairs (PBS)- created by Jean Marsh & Eileen Atkins

83. Get Smart (NBC)- "Pilot," written by Mel Brooks & Buck Henry- nominated for 5 WGA awards, winning one.
84. (TIE) The Defenders (CBS)- created by Reginald Rose- nominated for 3 WGA awards.
84. (TIE) Gunsmoke (CBS)- Episode 1, "Matt Gets It," written by Charles Marquis Warren & John Meston- nominated for 6 WGA awards, winning one.
86. (TIE) Justified (FX)- developed by Graham Yost; based on the short story "Fire in the Hole" by Elmore Leonard- nominated for 1 WGA award.
86. (TIE) Sgt. Bilko (CBS)- created by Nat Hiken
88. Band of Brothers (HBO)- written by Erik Bork, E. Max Fyre, Tom Hanks, Erik Jendresen, Bruce C. McKenna, John Orloff, Graham Yost; based on the novel by Stephen E. Ambrose- nominated and won 1 WGA award.
89. Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (NBC)- Season One writers: Chris Beard, Phil Hahn, John Hanrahan, Coslough Johnson, Paul Keyes, Marc London, Allan Manings, David Panich, Hugh Wedlock, Digby Wolfe.
90. The Prisoner (CBS)- created by George Markstein & David Tomblin.

91. (TIE) Absolutely Fabulous (BBC)- created by Jennifer Saunders & Dawn French.
91. (TIE) The Muppets Show (SYN)- Season One writers: Jack Burns, Jim Henson, Jerry Juhl & Marc London.
93. Boardwalk Empire (HBO)- created by Terence Winter; based on the novel by Nelson Johnson- nominated for 6 WGA awards, winning one.
94. Will & Grace (NBC)- created by David Kohan & Max Mutchnick- nominated for 1 WGA award.
95. Family Ties (NBC)- created by Gary David Goldberg- nominated for 4 WGA awards, winning one.
96. (TIE) Lonesome Dove (CBS)- teleplay by Bill Wittliff; based on the novel by Larry McMurtry- nominated and won 1 WGA award.
96. (TIE) Soap (ABC)- created by Susan Harris
98. (TIE) The Fugitive (ABC)- Episode 1, "Where the Action Is," written by Harry Kronman- nominated for 2 WGA awards.
98. (TIE) Late Night with David Letterman (NBC)- Season One writers: Merrill Markoe,
Andy Breckman, Tom Gammill, David Letterman, Richard Morris, Gerard Mulligan, Max Pross, Karl Tiedemann, Steve Winer
98. (TIE) Louie (FX)- created by Louis C.K.- nominated for 2 WGA awards, winning one.
101. Oz (HBO)- created by Tom Fontana- nominated for 1 WGA award.

And for the snubs.  For a list as varied and idiosyncratic to include dramas, comedies, animation, the occasional mini-series, BBC treasure and even a few specifically for the fan-boys, there were several.  Including Ally McBeal, Angels in America, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, The Big Bang Theory, Big Love, Cagney & Lacey, Car 54, Where Are You?, China Beach, Damages, The Days & Nights of Molly Dodd, Desperate Housewives, Dr. Kildare, Ellen, Entourage, Family Guy, Father Knows Best, Felicity, The Flintstones, Futurama, Girls, Glee, Happy Days, Hawaii Five-O, Have Gun--Will Travel, He & She, How I Met Your Mother, The Jackie Gleeson Show, The Jeffersons, Laverne & Shirley, Lou Grant, Mad About You, Make Room for Daddy, Malcolm in the Middle, Marcus Welby, M.D., Maude, Maverick, Mission: Impossible, The Mod Squad, Murder One, My Three Sons, Naked City, Night Court, Nip/Tuck, Once & Again, Parks & Recreation, Party of Five, Picket Fences, The Practice, Pushing Daisies, Rawhide, Rhoda, Room 222, The Red Skelton Hour, That Girl, Treme, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Veronica Mars, The Waltons, Weeds, The Westerner, Wonderfalls.  What say you?