The Sopranos Ranks #1 on WGA's top 101 TV shows of all time

Buffy finished at #49 but Angel was nowhere to be found

The Soprano's is a great show, but is the best written show of all time?

That's what the WGA recently said as they made the New Jersey mob family their number one show of all-time. 

While The Soprano's is a great show,   I am still amazed  every New Year's Day  when the Syfy airs  their "Twilight Zone" marathon  on  how captivating Rod Serling's show still is after five decades.

 I am not saying "The Twilight Zone" is better than "The Soprano's," but it shows the dificult it is say that   one show is the best of all-time.

When you look at some of the other rankings, no doubt "Arrested Development" (#17)  and "The Daily Show" (#17)  are  really good programs, but are they better than "24" (#73), "Buffy The Vampire Slayer  (#49), "Friends" (#24) , "NYPD" (#36), "The X Files" (#26), "Friday Night Lights" (#22) , "The Carol Burnett Show" (#37),  as well as "The Cosby Show" (#29)  and "Roots" (#62)  (for which both  made a critical and cultural impact on television).

Speaking of  urban (i.e. African American) shows  like  "Martin", "A Different World" , "Girlfriends"  "Soul Food" "Sanford & Son are not favorites Writers Guild of America, but these shows there are still fan favorites on DVD's and reruns. This not only speaks to the fact that most WGA members probably did not watch these shows , but also the greater issue  of the lack of diversity in TV writing  (there has to be more writers of color other than Shonda Rhimes and Tyler Perry right?)

When a list like this appears,  it is tough because not  every show  will make it, but you wonder  if  shows like   "In Living Color", "True Blood", "Married with Children", "The Walking Dead"  "Real Time with Bill Mahr, "Arsenio",  "Dallas", "Dynasty", "General Hospital",  "Allie McBeal", "Entourage", "The Young and The Restless" "Angel" and "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" were even considered? (even David Letterman at #100 would have problem with his mentor Johnny missing the list.)  

The most ironic thing about the WGA list that "The Wire" is number nine.

Ironic because "The Wire"  didn't win a single Emmy when it was on the air, yet today  it is cool and hip for media types to say to how much they love Omar, Stringer Bell  and the Barksdale crew.  

Where were these "hip" people when was time to give the Baltimore driven HBO drama awards last decade!

Oh well, at least  had enough sense to place "OZ" on the list, but  barely  at #101.

I guess that meant  "Law and Order: SVU"  lost the coin flip at #102. 

Here's the complete WGA list

1. "The Sopranos"

2. "Seinfeld"

3. "The Twilight Zone"

4. "All in the Family"

5. "MASH"

6. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"

7. "Mad Men"

8. "Cheers"

9. "The Wire"

10. "The West Wing"

11. "The Simpsons"

12. "I Love Lucy"

13. "Breaking Bad"

14. "The Dick Van Dyke Show"

15. "Hill Street Blues"

16. "Arrested Development"

17. "The Daily Show"

18. "Six Feet Under"

19. "Taxi"

20. "The Larry Sanders Show"

21. "30 Rock"

22. "Friday Night Lights"

23. "Frasier"

24. "Friends"

25. "Saturday Night Live"

26. "The X-Files"

27. "Lost"

28. "ER"

29. "The Cosby Show"

30. "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

31. "The Honeymooners"

32. "Deadwood"

33. "Star Trek"

34. "Modern Family"

35. "Twin Peaks"

36. "NYPD Blue"

37. "The Carol Burnett Show"

38. "Battlestar Galactica"

39. "Sex and the City"

40. "Game of Thrones"

41. "The Bob Newhart Show"

42. "Your Show of Shows"

43. "Downton Abbey"

44. "Law & Order"

45. "Thirtysomething"

46. "St. Elsewhere"

47. "Homicide: Life on the Street"

48. "Homeland"

49. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

50. "The Good Wife"

51. "The Colbert Report"

52. "The Office" (British version)

53. "Northern Exposure"

54. "The Wonder Years"

55. "L.A. Law"

56. "Sesame Street"

57. "Columbo"

58. "The Rockford Files"

59. "Fawlty Towers"

60. "Moonlighting"

61. "Freaks and Geeks"

62. "Roots"

63. "Everybody Loves Raymond"

64. "South Park"

65. "Playhouse 90"

66. "The Office" (U.S. version)

67. "Dexter"

68. "My So-Called Life"

69. "Golden Girls"

70. "The Andy Griffith Show"

71. "The Shield"

72. "Roseanne"

73. "24"

74. "Murphy Brown"

75. "House"

76. "Barney Miller"

77. "I, Claudius"

78. "The Odd Couple"

79. "Star Trek: The Next Generation"

80. "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"

81. "Upstairs Downstairs"

82. "Monty Python's Flying Circus"

83. "Get Smart"

84. "Gunsmoke"

85. "The Defenders"

86. "Sergeant Bilko"

87. "Justified"

88. "Band of Brothers"

89. "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In"

90. "The Prisoner"

91. "The Muppet Show"

92. "Absolutely Fabulous"

93. "Boardwalk Empire"

94. "Will and Grace"

95. "Family Ties"

96. "Lonesome Dove"

97. "Soap"

98. "The Fugitive"

99. "Louie"

100. "Late Night With David Letterman"

101. "Oz"

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