The Writers Guild of America unveiled its list of what its members consider the best written shows in television history. The group picked several modern hits, mixed with some of the all-time classics. HBO’s The Sopranos came out on top as the best written show of all time.
“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,” said WGAW President Chris Keyser and WGAE President Michael Winship in a statement. Members from both the WGA East and WGA West made their picks on an online ballot.
Both branches will host their own celebrations. WGAE will celebrate on Wednesday at its Manhattan headquarters, while WGAW already had its event on Sunday night. It co-hosted a panel with TV Guide Magazine that included Mad Men’s Matthew Weiner, The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s James L. Brooks and Breaking Bad’s Vince Gilligan.
The Top 10 included a mix of the best sitcoms and dramas ever written. Behind The Sopranos was NBC’s Seinfeld. The No. 3 slot was taken by the original Twilight Zone, while All In The Family was fourth, notes The Hollywood Reporter. That show’s continued appeal was shown this weekend, as people remembered the work of Jean Stapleton, who died at age 90.
AMC’s Mad Men was the only show currently on air that made the Top 10.
Here’s the Top 10:
1. The Sopranos
2. Seinfeld
3. The Twilight Zone
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
You can see the full list here.
image: Amazon