Geektown’s Top Twenty Favourite TV Shows Of All Time (2023 Edition)

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Although we have wrapped the Geektown Awards for this year, much like Columbo, we have “just one more thing…” Every year we have an open question on the voting where people can enter their favourite TV show of all time. This often throws up some really interesting and unexpected results, alongside a number of classic tv series.

Before we get to the list, I did want to give a shout-out to some of the more obscure responses. To the person who voted for the 80s BBC game show ‘The Adventure Game’, I salute you for your deep cut! And to the person who voted for ‘Warehouse 13’, I miss that series too! We also had individual votes for shows as varied as ‘Time Team’, ‘The Tick’, ‘UFO’, and the gloriously fun ‘Smash’. However, we have a list to reveal, so here are the top twenty shows that you voted for.

20. The X-Files

https://youtu.be/Vpqffgak7To

I want to believe… this should be higher. Nevertheless, ‘The X-Files’ just slips into the top twenty. The adventures of Mulder and Scully became an iconic part of tv sci-fi history. Whilst the show rather lost its way towards the end and tied itself in plotting knots, it still produced some top-quality, Emmy-winning drama over the seasons, and deserves its place in the list.

19. Star Trek: The Original Series

Well, there had to be at least one ‘Star Trek’ series on the list, and it seems appropriate it is the OG that wins out. For those that are wondering, ‘Next Generation’ came second among all the ‘Trek’ series, with, interestingly, ‘Voyager’ picking up third place. If you do love the original series, I would urge you to check out ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ on Paramount+, which is the closest they have come to a direct “spiritual successor” to the original series.

18. Fawlty Towers

There are classic sitcoms, and then there is ‘Fawlty Towers’, John Cleese and Connie Booth’s masterpiece. Although there are only twelve episodes in total over two seasons, every one of them is a work of genius. It is quoted on the BBC website as “the British sitcom by which all other British sitcoms must be judged”, and it’s really hard to argue with that.

17. The Wire

Another masterpiece, this time from across the Atlantic. David Simon’s highly realistic and totally unvarnished drama series chronicles the vagaries of crime, law enforcement, politics, education and media in Baltimore as it follows a team of cops and the criminals they are after. If you enjoyed ‘The Wire’, I would urge you to check out Simon’s most recent miniseries ‘We Own This City‘ on Sky in the UK (HBO in the USA).

16. Line Of Duty

We jump back over this side of the pond for more crime drama with the brilliant ‘Line Of Duty’. Written and created by Jed Mercurio, the series follows the officers of AC-12, the police anti-corruption unit, as they attempt to root out bad cops in the fictional Central Police force. The series appeared to end in 2021 with the capture of the mysterious “H”… but did they really though? Rumours have been circulating about a potential return for AC-12 crew at some point, In recent interviews, both Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston have made it clear they’d be up for coming back, but there has been no official announcement yet.

15. Peaky Blinders

It might have been the Best Returning Drama in the Geektown Awards this year, but when you put ‘Peaky Blinders’ up against every show ever made, it lands in fifteenth place. Still pretty good going, but I’m sure Tommy wouldn’t be happy with that result. Whilst the main series has ended, there is a film coming, set during the Second World War, which is due to begin production in May 2023.

14. The Simpsons

https://youtu.be/eR1871UVJic

Thirty-three seasons and ‘The Simpsons’ is still going strong. The adventures of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, along with the other residents of Springfield, is a beloved global institution at this point. It’s amazing to think that a little series of animated shorts created by Matt Groening for ‘The Tracey Ullman Show’ in 1987 has become such a massive worldwide hit.

13. Lost

‘Lost’ had its ups and downs over the course of six seasons, and the ending rather divided audiences, but its phenomenal success has been hard to replicate. Even now, people talk about shows being “the new Lost”, although none have really made that a reality. It did spawn a whole series of shows vying for its crown though, making the sci-fi genre way weirder and more interesting in the process, which is no bad thing. That’s the true legacy of ‘Lost’.

12. The Big Bang Theory

With 12 seasons, 279 episodes, millions of viewers, and a kick-ass theme tune by the brilliant Barenaked Ladies, it’s no great surprise to see ‘The Big Bang Theory’ in the list. On paper, a sitcom about a bunch of nerdy scientists and their hot neighbour doesn’t seem like it should have become the massive hit that it did. But the CBS ratings juggernaut took the world by storm, and picked up multiple awards across its run. And, of course, spawned the spin-off ‘Young Sheldon‘.

11. The Sopranos

Just outside of the top ten, we come to another of HBO’s big guns… ‘The Sopranos’. The series, from David Chase, follows Tony Soprano, an Italian-American mafia head based in New Jersey, who struggles to manage his family and criminal life and confides his affairs to his psychiatrist. The late James Gandolfini’s portrayal of Tony was just pitch-perfect throughout, and he is surrounded by an equally amazing cast. If you love drama, ‘The Sopranos’ really is an essential “must watch” show.

10. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

And so we come to the top ten, and where better to begin than with the wonderful ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. The series follows the teen Buffy as she navigates the troubles of high school whilst also trying to embrace her responsibilities and destiny as a vampire slayer. Brilliantly written with some amazing dialogue exchanges, the show always found an interesting way of dealing with issues. From the death of a parent, to first love and heartbreak, to considering your own mortality, the show dealt with much more than you’d expect from a teen vampire series. Then there are those weird and outstanding episodes, such as the nearly completely silent ‘Hush’, and the unforgettable musical episode ‘Once More With Feeling’. Behind the cameras, the show also served as a training ground for some of the best talent in tv right now.

9. Red Dwarf

Ahh… my beloved ‘Red Dwarf’… First airing in 1988 on the BBC, I was completely hooked from the premiere. A British comedy sci-fi is a rare thing, and this show nailed it out of the gate. Those initial adventures of Lister, Rimmer Cat, Holly, and Kryton, were shot on a shoestring but were hilarious. Whilst it had its ups and downs over the seasons, the last run on its current home, UKTV’s Dave channel, was a massive return to form. As to when we’ll see more, it’s hard to say. During a Comic-Con panel last year, Chris Barrie mentioned that the cast and showrunner (Doug Naylor) were all up for it, but there were some “business things above his pay grade” which had to be sorted out first, so we’ll have to wait and see.

8. Supernatural

We move back over to the Atlantic for our next entry, and another beloved show, ‘Supernatural’. Eric Kripke’s tale of two monster-hunting brothers became a cultural phenomenon. After 15 seasons, CW’s long-running fantasy drama came to an end in 2020, but has spawned a spin-off series in ‘The Winchesters‘ (although, frustratingly, there is no UK broadcaster for it right now.) Whilst the stars have moved onto other things, with Jared Padalecki leading ‘Walker’, and Jensen Ackles popping up in both ‘Big Sky’, and Kripke’s other show, ‘The Boys’, you can still catch them at various conventions, along with many of the other ‘Supernatural’ cast.

7. Stranger Things

Speaking of cultural phenomenons, Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ is also up there with series that have captured the global psyche. A love letter to the supernatural classics of the ’80s, the adventures of the residents of Hawkins and “The Upside Down” have produced a whole bunch of memorable moments. My personal favourite is the glorious exchange above between Dustin and Suzie…

6. Friends

Possibly the ultimate US sitcom, of course, ‘Friends’ was going to be on the list. Ending nearly 19 years ago (yes… you are that old!) Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross still hold a special place in many people’s hearts. The series made household names of the stars (not to mention, large amounts of cash), and produced some of the most memorable and quotable US sitcom moments ever. The turkey on the head. The Holiday Armadillo. “Could I BE wearing any more clothes?”, and the classic “We were on a break!”

5. Doctor Who

Sixty years old and still going strong! ‘Doctor Who’ is a British institution, and they have some big plans for the upcoming 60th anniversary later this year. As I’m sure you all know by now, Russell T Davies now has the keys to the TARDIS, alongside David Tennant who, mysteriously, returns to the role of The Doctor… for three episodes… before Ncuti Gatwa then takes over in Christmas 2023 as the Fifteenth Doctor, alongside new companion Millie Gibson. Behind the scenes, the global rights outside of the UK have been sold to Disney+, meaning they now have a lot more money to play with too. It’s going to be a very interesting year for Whovians!

4. The Walking Dead

For years, people have been proclaiming ‘The Walking Dead’ is dead… But that simply is not true. Whilst the main show did end this year (in a very explode-y finale!), there is still a whole lot of love for the franchise out there, and there is a lot more to come. We have ‘Dead City‘ landing first, which will be followed by a ‘Daryl Dixon‘ series and the long-awaited return of ‘Rick & Michonne‘. On top of the new series, ‘Fear The Walking Dead‘ is still ongoing, as is the anthology series ‘Tales Of The Walking Dead‘. This franchise is not going anywhere anytime soon!

3. Breaking Bad

I don’t know if there is such a thing as a perfect tv drama, but if there was ever one that came close, it was ‘Breaking Bad’. The premise sounds insane – a High School chemistry teacher with cancer cooks meth to make sure his family has money when he dies. Yet, it works so well. The writing, the casting, the acting, the cinematography, the music… all of it, beautifully crafted to create one of the most astounding pieces of drama ever put on screen.

2. Game of Thrones

Despite the… shall we say “mixed” reaction… to the final season, it hasn’t stopped ‘Game Of Thrones’ from taking second place in the list. The prequel series. ‘House Of The Dragon‘, has managed to win back some goodwill from fans of George RR Martin’s Westeros fantasy world. The original series may (in some people’s opinion) have botched the landing, but we did have some great moments along the way. It also introduced us to Peter Dinklage’s Tyrion Lannister, one of the best characters on tv, and for that, I will always be grateful!

1. Only Fools & Horses

Given this is a list voted for by the British public, it possibly shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that so many people picked the classic and beloved ‘Only Fools & Horses’ as their favourite TV show of all time. From failing to catch a chandelier to the Batman and Robin bit, to that fall through the bar, it had so many memorable moments. It’s been just over 19 years since we last saw “Del Boy” (David Jason), Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst), and the rest of the Peckham gang on our screens, but the appeal has never died.