The 100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME

A - F

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

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The celebrated thriller director lent his name, wit and rotund silhouette to this anthology of suspense, mystery and horror tales. The stories, some original, some adaptations of writers like H. G. Wells, always had knotty twists and often came to macabre endings, as in "The Case of Mr. Pelham," in which a businessman is stalked by a perfect double who usurps his life and drives him insane. Hitchcock directed only 20 episodes; however, he not only inspired the series' perverse sensibility but gave each episode a personal introduction and epilogue that showed that—long before HBO made it respectable—not all movie types felt that they were above television. Hitch's arch sensibility and feel for popcorn entertainment made, in the words of his droll introductions, for a go-o-o-o-d e-e-e-e-vening indeed.

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How I Chose The List

Adding to this list would be easy; taking shows off is the tricky part. How did I settle on this list? I set a few guidelines...

Talk Back

What is your all-time favorite TV show?

Which films should have been included and weren't? Did we leave off any of your favorites? Were any shows on the list more influential than others? Tell us what you think

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Tuned In

TIME's TV critic James Poniewozik blogs daily on all visual media. Join the discussion here

A - F

From Abbott and Costello to Friends

G - M

From General Hospital to Mystery Science Theater 3000

N - S

From The Odd Couple to Survivor

T - Z

From Taxi to Your Show of Shows

100 Best Movies

Presenting the 100 best films as chosen by TIME's movie critics Richard Corliss and Richard Schickel

All-TIME 100 Albums

A list of the greatest and most influential records ever by Josh Tyrangiel and Alan Light

100 Best Novels

TIME critics Lev Grossman and Richard Lacayo pick the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present