Taxi's success was due to its excellent writing, Burrows's award-winning directing using his innovative four-camera technique, and its largely unknown but talented cast. Danny DeVito's Louie DePalma soon became one of the most despised men on television--possibly the most unredeemable and worthless louse of a character ever to reside on the small screen. Andy Kaufman's foreign mechanic Latka Gravas provided over-the-top comedy within an ensemble emphasizing subtle character humor.
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Seasons | |||
| Specials | 0 | ||
| Season 1 | September 1978 | May 1979 | 22 |
| Season 2 | September 1979 | May 1980 | 24 |
| Season 3 | November 1980 | May 1981 | 20 |
| Season 4 | October 1981 | May 1982 | 24 |
| Season 5 | September 1982 | June 1983 | 24 |
| Unassigned Episodes | 0 |
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Seasons | |||
| Specials | 0 | ||
| Season 1 | September 1978 | May 1979 | 22 |
| Unassigned Episodes | 92 |
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 0 | ||
| Unassigned Episodes | 114 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Burrows | 69 | 09/12/1978 - 05/06/1982 | |
| Les Charles | 17 | 10/10/1978 - 01/14/1982 | |
| Noam Pitlik | 10 | 10/29/1981 - 05/25/1983 | |
| Ed Weinberger | 8 | 09/12/1978 - 12/04/1979 | |
| Michael Zinberg | 6 | 01/28/1982 - 01/22/1983 | |
| Stan Daniels | 5 | 09/12/1978 - 11/18/1982 | |
| Richard Sakai | 4 | 12/09/1982 - 04/20/1983 | |
| Danny DeVito | 4 | 12/02/1982 - 05/18/1983 | |
| Michael Lessac | 3 | 12/17/1981 - 11/11/1982 | |
| Holly Holmberg Brooks | 3 | 10/08/1981 - 06/15/1983 | |
| Harvey Miller | 2 | 03/30/1983 - 06/15/1983 | |
| Howard Storm | 2 | 10/18/1981 - 10/22/1981 | |
| Will Mackenzie | 1 | 03/19/1981 | |
| Larry Scott Anderson | 1 | 04/06/1983 | |
| Jeff Chambers | 1 | 02/26/1981 | |
| Joan Darling | 1 | 01/21/1982 | |
| Barbara Duncan | 1 | 02/25/1982 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Estin | 19 | 10/30/1979 - 05/25/1983 | |
| Glen Charles | 17 | 10/10/1978 - 01/14/1982 | |
| Barry Kemp | 13 | 11/28/1978 - 04/30/1981 | |
| Ian Praiser | 12 | 11/20/1979 - 10/28/1982 | |
| David Lloyd | 12 | 12/18/1979 - 01/22/1983 | |
| Sam Simon | 11 | 03/12/1981 - 05/25/1983 | |
| Howard Gewirtz | 11 | 11/20/1979 - 10/28/1982 | |
| Earl Pomerantz | 9 | 09/19/1978 - 11/19/1981 | |
| Katherine Green | 4 | 01/21/1981 - 02/05/1983 | |
| Barton Dean | 3 | 10/31/1978 - 03/30/1983 | |
| Michael Leeson | 3 | 09/26/1978 - 11/26/1980 | |
| Danny Kallis | 2 | 12/17/1981 - 10/14/1982 | |
| Ellen Sandler | 2 | 05/07/1981 - 05/14/1981 | |
| Dennis Danziger | 2 | 05/07/1981 - 05/14/1981 | |
| Dari Daniels | 1 | 04/20/1983 | |
| Susan Jane Lindner | 1 | 02/26/1981 | |
| Ruth Bennett | 1 | 02/06/1979 | |
| John Markus | 1 | 04/13/1983 | |
| Nancy Lane | 1 | 02/26/1981 | |
| James L. Brooks | 1 | 09/12/1978 | |
| Sy Rosen | 1 | 10/24/1978 | |
| Pat Allee | 1 | 01/07/1981 | |
| Barry Rubinowitz | 1 | 11/13/1979 | |
| David Davis | 1 | 09/12/1978 | |
| Glenn Gordon Caron | 1 | 11/06/1979 |
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TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time is a collection of essays written by television critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz. It was published in 2016. The main purpose of the book was to provide a canonical list of the top 100 greatest television programs in American history.
What makes a great television show? There may be as many types of excellence as there are excellent shows. Series can wow us with how broadly they changed society, from “Seinfeld” redefining American slang to “Mad Men” bearing all the hallmarks of an early-21st-century TV Golden Age to “The Oprah Winfrey Show” making daytime viewers feel part of a special club of millions. Or they can feel like closely held secrets, always ready to welcome curious viewers for the first time, like “The Leftovers” or “Enlightened.” They can bring together insights about a rapidly shifting society with humor that stands the test of time, like the shows created by Norman Lear, who died this month at age 101. And they can dazzle us with spectacle or entrance us with intimate character moments — or, if they’re “The Sopranos,” they can do both.
Mike Wallace and a vampire slayer? Letterman and Oprah? Andy Griffith and the Sopranos? On one list? What were we thinking? Simply put, the best of the best, from Day 1 to last night: quality, innovation and the ability to stay in our lives year after year after year. A touch of sentiment? Sure, but nostalgia alone couldn’t make the cut (sorry, Beav). And TV-movies, miniseries and specials will have to wait. These are the series we watched regularly — and will watch again. And again.
From a pioneering variety show from the black-and-white days to two faves on now -- see our No. 1. To see EW's picks of the top 100 all-time greatest TV shows
So many golden ages, so much brilliance from which to choose. In culling from the "60 Greatest" lists we've compiled during our 60th-anniversary year, we shook things up, blending drama, comedy and other genres to salute the shows with the biggest cultural impact and most enduring influence. What will the next 60 years bring? We can't wait to find out.
A ranking of the most game-changing, side-splitting, tear-jerking, mind-blowing, world-building, genre-busting programs in television history, from the medium’s inception in the early 20th century through the ever-metastasizing era of Peak TV BY ALAN SEPINWALL
The “TV 101” list honors classic, trailblazing series and miniseries, as well as current and critically acclaimed programs, from comedies and dramas to variety/talk and children’s programming. At their core, all of these wonderful series began with the words of the writers who created them and were sustained by the writers who joined their staffs or worked on individual episodes. “This list is not only a tribute to great TV, it is a dedication to all writers who devote their hearts and minds to advancing their craft.
We are what we watch-and over the last half century, we've watched some pretty fabulous TV. From Mary to Jerry, from Tonight to Today, from the sublime (Prime Suspect) to the ridiculous (Gilligan's Island), EW recalls everything you need to know about 100 shows that tell us who we are.
What's the best TV show of all time? Who knows? This poll is strictly about favorite shows, the programs people in Hollywood hold nearest to their hearts — that remind them of better times or speak to their inner child or inspire their creativity or just help them unwind after a crappy day at the studio — even if one or two of the programs listed here aren't exactly masterpieces of the medium.
From time-capsule sitcoms to cutting-edge Peak-TV dramas — the definitive ranking of the game-changing small-screen classics
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