Like many of the off topics I post on Kotaku, I recently had this argument in real life: what are the best TV shows of all time and how do you rank them? Where do you even begin? What are your top three TV shows of all time?
For the longest time I had a very steady top three. It went…
1. The Wire
2. Deadwood
3. Mad Men
Now, after watching and loving True Detective, I wonder if it might crack the top three? Hard to say.
But the argument I had was based on this question: how do we assess quality? The Wire has the broad scope of a show focused on larger issues. Deadwood and The Wire are similar in that regard. A show like True Detective is smaller in scope — it’s essentially a brilliantly polished character study within the framework of a traditional ‘whodunnit’. Does that mean it’s less culturally significant? I dunno. I don’t think it’s something you can criticise the show for.
But that’s just me.
Anyway — let’s get to the lists. What are your top three favourite shows? Let us know in the comments below.
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