iPlayer? What's an iPlayer? ILX's top 50 TV shows of the 90s!

Eh. Some of it does and some of it is cringeworthy. But when it's great it's great.

The problem with Buffy is that the premise is so inherently ridiculous that it keeps the nonbelievers away and makes the fans doubt its quality when they've been away from it for a while. But it's all about the execution of that premise, and it's executed beautifully. I've seen the vast majority of it twice through, and it holds up. Also noteworthy for being a show that I've turned a number of people with a "What, that garbage?" attitude onto. Including myself, quite frankly.

4 - Twin Peaks (ABC, 1990-91
- 3850 points, 24 votes, 1 first place

http://criticalmas.smugmug.com/photos/455887214_bKhTX-M.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN7k-KjE8wI

Actually it got 2 first place

wow i was the only 1st place vote? that sorta surprises me.

xpost: aha!

if it had ended after the first 8, i think it would be basically perfect. (i like a lot of the craziness in season 2, but it got pretty scattershot.)

really must sit down and watch twin peaks, was too young for it first time round.

Wow. So low. That one I was expecting to be number one or two. So The Simpsons wins it, with Seinfeld and Father Ted below?

That would seem to be the top three, yes.

4 is so low? I would say too high, but I loathe Lynch.

For the record, Seinfeld does not deserve to beat Twin Peaks. Neither is perfect, but TP is less not perfect.

I started watching Twin Peaks for the first time a few months ago. Wasn't really impressed, found it really dull. Gave up an episode or two into series 2.

I can understand The Simpsons winning it, as it's such an overwhelming presence, but neither Seinfeld nor Father Ted deserves to beat Twin Peaks (and I dislike the former and like the latter a lot out of those two).

you don't get what you 'deserve' in life ILX polls.

I think Twin Peaks is too divisive to place higher. Too many people (myself included) don't rate it at all, but those who do truly love it. I think more people may be lukewarm to Seinfeld or Father Ted but would still vote for them.

Twin Peaks was robbed, fuck the 90s, the best of Twin Peaks is right up there with the best television ever.

3 - Seinfeld (NBC, 1989-1998)
- 4450 points, 23 votes, 2 first place

http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/seinfeld.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxhs-O_9BLc

seinfeld is about the most divisive tv show i could think of?

xp, tbh

I don't particularly care for Seinfeld, but I don't hate it like I do Twin Peaks. Didn't vote for either.

problem with these polls is there's no SB option for entries.

I'm glad Seinfeld didn't place first. That's some small consolation.

I'd love to see a poll with one "least favorite/most hated nominee" option. Would be interesting.

Seinfeld was my number 1 - am I alone in the Britishe contingent in this?

And the Merv Griffin Set show is priceless - good choice.

Haha, it was just the first proper clip from the show to come up in results - never got into Seinfeld myself. Thanks anyway!

2 - Father Ted (Channel 4, 1995-98)
- 5280 points, 25 votes, 3 first place

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~warden/craggy/cast1.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AB7IDw3PNI

What is this?

people fail to realise, IMO, just how much fr ted is observational drama rather than invented comedy.

yanks gonna love this.

Quite a few yanks voted for it.

yes, they are gonna love it

As I said above, I do like Father Ted a lot, but I'm not sure where this torrent of love and admiration has come from on ILx. There's no way it's better than Chris Morris at his best, guys, come on.

no surprise- it was tipped for top 3 pretty much since the poll started up.

just how much fr ted is observational drama rather than invented comedy.

where's the fecking child abuse

This Yank of Irish extraction loves Father Ted.

I watch Brass Eye for the umpteenth time and I find more things to admire, but I don't do much actual laughing. I watch Father Ted for the umpteenth time and I laugh almost as hard as the first time I saw it. It's one of the most unique and immersive comic universes ever created.

Having said that, I did give more points to Brass Eye.

I love the ridiculous rating system at work here - 5280 points!

Father Ted knocks everything Chris Morris has ever done into a cocked hat, and I really like Chris Morris (in the 90s at any rate). What works in its favour is absolute bucketloads of charm, pretty hard to come by in 90s Brit comedy.

Yeah, Morris is smarter, Ted is a heck of a lot more lovable.

1 - The Simpsons (Fox, 1989-present)
- 7870 points, 39 votes, 6 first place

http://crabfisher.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/early-simpsons-1987.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEZjzsnPhnw

Look at that points gap.

el dorado was robbed

..the best of Twin Peaks is right up there with the best television ever.

seinfeld is about the most divisive tv show i could think of?

― stop grieving, it's only a chicken (darraghmac), Friday, December 11, 2009 11:00 AM (24 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

it's not really any more divisive than any show of its stature, you just think that because you're in the inevitable minority that doesn't like it. Buffy, to name just one example, is way way more divisive.

Here's your complete top 50 rundown. 100-51 to follow shortly.

50 - The House of Cards Trilogy
49 - Frasier
48 - Vic Reeves Big Night Out
47 - This Life
46 - Quantum Leap
45 - G.B.H.
44 - The Wonder Years
43 - Batman: The Animated Series
42 - 120 Minutes
41 - The Maxx
40 - Late Night with Conan O'Brien
39 - Animaniacs
38 - Freaks & Geeks
37 - Red Dwarf
36 - Oz
35 - Daria
34 - The Smell of Reeves & Mortimer
33 - Shooting Stars
32 - The Adam and Joe Show
31 - The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air
30 - Space Ghost Coast to Coast
29 - Knowing Me Knowing You... with Alan Partridge
28 - Friends
27 - Roseanne
26 - Mystery Science Theater 3000
25 – Cracker
24 – Newsradio
23 – My So-Called Life
22 – Spaced
21 – Futurama
20 – The X-Files
19 – King of the Hill
18 – Mr. Show
17 – Northern Exposure
16 – Beavis and Butt-head
15 – Ren and Stimpy
14 – The Fast Show
13 – Star Trek: The Next Generation
12 – The Larry Sanders Show
11 – Homocide: Life on the Streets
10 – The Kids in the Hall
9 – South Park
8 – The Day Today
7 – I’m Alan Partridge
6 – Brass Eye
5 – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4 – Twin Peaks
3 – Seinfeld
2 – Father Ted
1 – The Simpsons

It's such a thuddingly obvious canonical choice but also probably exactly the right one given that the 90s Simpsons has given me more hours of enjoyment than anything else on this thread several times over.

Oh, and thanks to everyone who voted, commented or lurked. Hope you've enjoyed yourselves, I have.

Wot no Fist of Fun - That was my #1, I imagine it could be a bit dated looking back now but it influenced my young sense of humour so much and S Lee has turned out to be a great stand-up.

Still, some of these US shows that I've never seen look half-decent, going to look into a few of these.

Thanks for doing this chap. Well done.