Empire just released its list of the best 50 television shows of all time.  At the risk of getting all meta, I think it’s one of the top lists of the top that I’ve ever seen.  TV Guide made a similar top-50 list a few years back, and theirs included shows like 60 Minutes and Sesame Street.  While there can be no doubt that these are significant televisions touchstones in American culture, they are apples-to-oranges with the rest of such a list.

Empire’s list just compared entertainment.  What’s impressive is the lack of snobbery, yet the complete willingness to sift through the best of the premium cable shows.  Their list includes Six Feet Under, Sex and the City, Dexter, the Sopranos, Deadwood, The Wire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, etc.  And what list of the best television wouldn’t?  They don’t miss small-audience gems like The Shield and Arrested Development.

Of course, their list skews British, being a British publication.  But if you haven’t seen shows like period police drama Life on Mars, maybe it’s time that you do.

And naturally there are a few unforgivable placements, such as Family Guy at #12 while the British The Office is #23?  I don’t think so.

It also has too much sci-fi, even for my taste.  Calling the Dr. Who remake #16 is giving far too much deference to the British icon, given that show’s scattershot character development and story logic.  Babylon 5 belongs nowhere on a list of 50, let alone ABOVE the three flavors of Star Trek included.  At least, in the sci-fi realm, they gave Firefly and the remade Battlestar Galactica highest marks, so I’ll forgive them a transgression or two.  However, to truly qualify as a best of “all time” many of those sci-fi slots should better have been given over to older television hits.  As written, a few 80s classics are the most aged representatives.

Still, I’m on board with any list that ranks Buffy the Vampire Slayer #2.  And they only place it second to The Simpsons, which, body of work-wise, has it coming.  Check the list out for yourself.