The 101 Best-Written TV Shows: 'The Sopranos' Tops WGA List

The Best Show Ever Written?

The 101 best-written TV shows have been selected by the Writers Guild of America (WGA). Topping that list? HBO's "The Sopranos."

“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,” WGAW President Chris Keyser and WGAE President Michael Winship said 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."

Rounding out the Top 5 are "The Twilight Zone" (the 1959 series), "All in the Family," and "M*A*S*H."

The rest of the list is a smattering of current hits like "The Good Wife" and "Mad Men," cult favorites such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and classics like "I Love Lucy."

The Top 50 is as follows:

1. "The Sopranos"
2. "Seinfeld"
3. "The Twilight Zone" (1959)
4. "All in the Family"
5. "M*A*S*H"
6. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"
7. "Mad Men"
8. "Cheers"
9. "The Wire"
10. "The West Wing"
11. "The Simpsons"
12. "I Love Lucy"
13. "Breaking Bad"
14. "The Dick Van Dyke Show"
15. "Hill Street Blues"
16. "Arrested Development"
17. "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"
18. "Six Feet Under"
19. "Taxi"
20. "The Larry Sanders Show"
21. "30 Rock"
22. "Friday Night Lights"
23. "Frasier"
24. "Friends"
25. "Saturday Night Live"
26. "The X-Files"
27. "Lost"
28. "ER"
29. "The Cosby Show"
30. "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
31. "The Honeymooners"
32. "Deadwood"
33. "Star Trek"
34. "Modern Family"
35. "Twin Peaks"
36. "NYPD Blue"
37. "The Carol Burnett Show"
38. "Battlestar Galactica" (2005)
39. "Sex & The City"
40. "Game of Thrones"
41. (tie) "The Bob Newhart Show;" "Your Show of Shows"
43. (tie) "Downton Abbey;" "Law & Order;" "Thirtysomething"
46. (tie) "Homicide: Life on the Street;" "St. Elsewhere"
48. "Homeland"
49. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
50. (tie) "The Colbert Report;" "The Good Wife;" "The Office" (UK)

"666 Park Avenue"

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