BEST American TV show of all time?

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Which version? The original with Richard Dean Anderson or the current one with Lucas Till? (Actually, given the form of your post, I’m guessing the current version.)
 
You probably also remember Armstrong Circle Theater and U.S. Steel Hour.

My personal favorite–Columbo.
 
I loved the Americans. I was disappointed with the final episode. Like a lot of final shows, they tried to bring everything together in a climax that simply doesn’t have enough time. We binged watched it. Couldn’t wait for the next episode.

Other favorite shows included Seinfeld, The Office, both Bob Newhart shows. The final ending of the 2nd Bob Newhart show was the best ever.

On the serious side it is hard to fault 20+ yrs of Gunsmoke. Matt Dillion must hold a record for the number of times to be shot it the same shoulder. Twilight Zone was a classic.
 
Another vote for Seinfeld. You have everything there - the days of the week 😜, life advises and everything. Plus laugh every time. 🤣
 
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Mr. Rogers Neighborhood? (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
Gotta agree about MASH. Just don’t like Alan Alda. It annoyed me, too.
 
I miss The X Files.

I also miss Pushing Daisies. It was truly unique.
 
MASH
The Americans
All In The Family
Gunsmoke
West Wing
Bewitched
Downton Abby
The Twilight Zone
Carol Burnett
The Tonight Show (Johnny Carson)
 
I must agree, Seinfeld is the best for me. No one every matured and romance never got in the way. It was pure comedy from start to finish, unlike Friends or Big Bang Theory, all of which eventually I lost interest in because of the element of drama that was introduced. And MASH, after a couple of key characters left early on, became nothing but social commentary.

Now, the question asked for “American” shows specifically. My absolute favorite, though Seinfeld would remain a close second, is the Canadian comedy, Corner Gas. It was filmed for all of its six seasons not far from where I live.
 
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In addition to all the great ones already mentioned, I also enjoyed, in no particular order:

The Beverly Hillbillies
Combat
Touched by An Angel
Three Stooges (Woo woo woo woo)
Monk
Sixty Days In
Bonanza
Walker Texas Ranger
 
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I have four favorites including Seinfeld. The other three are The Honeymooners, The Twilight Zone, and Northern Exposure. If I had to pick one, it would be The Honeymooners. It’s the only show of which, no matter how many times I see the episodes, I laugh out loud. It was also way ahead of its time, and both Gleason and Carney are masters of comedy. Neither it nor Seinfeld would be permitted today due to political correctness, which forbids humor.
 
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South Park and Parks and Recreation are my two favorites. I would add The Office, but for all its many strengths, it ultimately had too many long stretches of just not being enjoyable.

Anyways, in South Park’s case, it’s just the shows ability to constantly deliver excellent, vulgar satire. The show has definitely had its stretches of mediocrity (early seasons, that terrible serialization experiment), but it’s remained pretty consistently good throughout its incredibly long running time. Episodes like Scott Tenorman Must Die, The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers, and even recent ones like Put It Down are among my favorite episodes in any TV show ever.

I like Parks and Recreation for rather different reasons. Yes, it still has the over-the-top characters getting involved in silly antics, but along with just having some fantastic writing and characters, it still managed to be surprisingly wholesome. It’s a show entirely about government, with highly opinionated characters, and yet it managed to never really stoop to mean-spirited attacks on anyone. Leslie and Ron’s relationship (minus that forced conflict at the start of the final season) sort of exemplifies that friendlier nature of the show. It’s just something I came to marvel as the show went on and made the comedy and characters much more likeable.
 
I just had a quick scroll through and don’t see it listed, so…

Married With Children
 
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