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Best in TV: The Greatest TV Shows of Our Time

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Best in TV: The Greatest TV Shows of Our Time is a television countdown special that aired on September 18, 2012 as a special edition of 20/20 hosted by Barbara Walters. The special presented the results of nine categories from a poll conducted by ABC News and People magazine to determine what America thought were the best television shows of all time.

Contents

Best TV Dad

Walters revealed the results of this category on Good Morning America.

  1. Cliff Huxtable – The Cosby Show
  2. Andy Taylor – The Andy Griffith Show
  3. Howard Cunningham – Happy Days
  4. Al Bundy – Married... with Children
  5. Dan Conner – Roseanne

Best TV Comedy

  1. I Love Lucy
  2. Seinfeld
  3. M*A*S*H
  4. The Cosby Show
  5. All in the Family

Best TV Mom

  1. Clair Huxtable – The Cosby Show
  2. Carol Brady – The Brady Bunch
  3. Marie Barone – Everybody Loves Raymond
  4. Marion Cunningham – Happy Days
  5. June Cleaver – Leave It to Beaver

Best TV Drama

  1. ER
  2. The Twilight Zone
  3. The Sopranos
  4. The West Wing
  5. Mad Men

Best Non-Human Character

  1. Kermit the Frog – The Muppet Show
  2. Lassie – Lassie
  3. Mr. Spock – Star Trek
  4. ALF – ALF
  5. Miss Piggy – The Muppet Show

Best TV Host

  1. Johnny Carson – The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
  2. Ellen DeGeneres – The Ellen DeGeneres Show
  3. Oprah Winfrey – The Oprah Winfrey Show
  4. Carol Burnett – The Carol Burnett Show
  5. David Letterman – Late Show with David Letterman

Best Reality Show

  1. Dancing with the Stars
  2. American Idol
  3. Survivor
  4. The Amazing Race
  5. The Deadliest Catch

Best Variety Show

  1. Saturday Night Live
  2. The Carol Burnett Show
  3. In Living Color
  4. American Bandstand
  5. The Ed Sullivan Show
  1. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  2. Law & Order
  3. Columbo
  4. 24
  5. Hill Street Blues

Best TV Theme Song

  1. "I'll Be There For You" from Friends
  2. "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" from Cheers
  3. "The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle" from Gilligan's Island
  4. Theme from The Addams Family
  5. Theme from Mission: Impossible

Best Game Show

  1. Jeopardy!
  2. The Price is Right
  3. Wheel of Fortune
  4. Hollywood Squares
  5. Family Feud

Most Memorable Televised Moment

  1. The 9/11 attacks
  2. The John F. Kennedy assassination
  3. The Apollo 11 moon landing
  4. The First inauguration of Barack Obama
  5. The Challenger explosion

Best Animated Series

  1. The Flintstones
  2. The Simpsons
  3. SpongeBob SquarePants
  4. South Park
  5. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

Best Soap Opera

  1. General Hospital
  2. All My Children
  3. Days of Our Lives
  4. The Young and the Restless
  5. Dark Shadows

References

Best in TV: The Greatest TV Shows of Our Time Wikipedia