First, I apologize. I know I left some of your favorite shows off this list. How do I know that? Because I left some of my favorite shows off this list. The happy and unfortunate fact is that there are far more than 100 great shows, and more created every year. Lists are incredibly important: they are how we define what matters to us, what we want entertainment and art to do, what we expect of our culture.

The X-Files
The Wire
Lost
The Simpsons
The West Wing
Friends
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
The Sopranos
Scrubs
Arrested Development
South Park
Doctor Who
DeadWood
Babylon 5
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Frasier
Alias
Father Ted
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Life on Mars
Band Of Brothers
Only Fools and Horses
Star Trek
Cracker
Farscape
Sex And The City
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Veronica Mars
Prison Break
Quantum Leap
Heroes
Firefly
Battlestar Galactica
Family Guy
Seinfeld
Spaced
Dexter
ER
Fawlty Towers
Six Feet Under
Red Dwarf
Futurama
Twin Peaks
The Office
The Shield
Angel
Blackadder
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