SubscribeEW Top 20 vs. Emmys: 'The Simpsons,' 'South Park,' 'The X-Files,' 'American Idol,' 'Star Trek: TNG,' 'Oprah Winfrey Show,' 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'
To celebrate the 1,000th issue of the magazine, Entertainment Weekly is honoring the new classics -- the best TV shows of the past quarter century. The editors' choices are often at odds with the top shows as determined by ratings and awards. For example, all-time Emmy Awards champ "Frasier" is ranked No. 41 while "L.A. Law," a four-time best drama series winner is No. 42. Top-rated, Emmy-skunked "Home Improvement" and top-rated, Emmy fave "Everybody Loves Raymond" did not make the cut nor did "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" which revived a network. However, Saturday morning sitcom "Saved By the Bell" (0 Emmy Awards, 0 noms) made the list, albeit at no. 100. While we take a closer look at EW's top 20, for the full list of 100 shows CLICK HERE
1. "The Simpsons"
This long-running Sunday night staple has earned 23 Emmys, including nine for best animated program and 12 for voiceover (though never for poor Harry Shearer) as well as two top songs. However, even at the height of its popularity, "The Simpsons" was unable to win over enough Emmy voters to land a nod for best comedy series.
2. "The Sopranos"
This crime drama nabbed 21 Emmys including two wins for best drama series and three each for stars James Gandolfini and Edie Falco. Its chief Emmy rival "The West Wing" comes in at No. 23 despite 26 Emmys, including four in a row as best drama series.
3. "Seinfeld"
This highly rated sitcom won only 10 Emmys with just a single win for best comedy series in 1993. Supporting players Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus took home the gold that eluded Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander. And "Frasier" eclipsed "Seinfeld" at the Emmys time and again, winning 37 trophies, including a record five in a row as best comedy series.
4. "The X-Files"
This sci-fi series earned 16 Emmys but most of these were technical awards. It never took best drama series, though star Gillian Anderson won best actress once.
5. "Sex and the City"
This darling of the Golden Globes fared far less well with the Emmys, winning best comedy series only once as did star Sarah Jessica Parker and supporting player Cynthia Nixon.
6. "Survivor"
This reality show sparked an explosion in the reality-TV genre. Though it won a special class Emmy in 2001, this ratings champ has been eclipsed by No. 57-ranked "The Amazing Race" in the competitive Emmy race ever since.
7. "The Cosby Show"
Though this sitcom reinvigorated the genre in 1984 and made Thursday night Must See TV for five years in a row as the No. 1 show, it found little favor with the Emmys after winning best comedy series for its first season. However, had star Bill Cosby competed, he might well have won three in a row as he did for his '60s show "I Spy."
8. "Lost"
This desert-island drama won the best series Emmy for its first season, but failed to make the cut for the second and third seasons. Will the fourth time be the charm?
9. "Friends"
This ratings powerhouse had legions of fans but few Emmys, with only one win for best comedy series (2002) in its decade-long run as well as single wins for Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow.
10. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
This critics' choice failed to cut it with Emmy voters over seven seasons, winning only two technical awards for makeup and music.
11. "The Wire"
Another favorite with the critics, this gritty crime drama can't get arrested at the Emmys with only a single nod for writing so far in its first four seasons.
12. "South Park"
Never afraid to take on Hollywood icons like Tom Cruise and Barbra Streisand, this animated series has won two of its seven series nods but has never been recognized for the voiceover work of series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
13. "Freaks & Geeks"
Though this high school comedy only aired 18 episodes, it earned two consecutive Emmy nods for writing in 2000 and 2001.
14. "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart"
This satirical newscast has won best variety series for five straight years and earned an additional five Emmys for writing, though Stewart has failed to win the individual performance prize yet.
15. "The Oprah Winfrey Show"
Though this TV icon took herself out of the Emmy race a few years back, she still reigns supreme in the ratings after more than two decades on the air.
16. "Arrested Development"
This cult favorite ran for just three abbreviated seasons but won the best comedy series once (2004, a pair of writing trophies), and could well spawn a spin-off movie version.
17. "The Office" (UK version)
The American version of this single-camera comedy won the 2006 Emmy for best comedy series but comes in only at No. 61 on Entertainment Weekly's list. The dozen episodes of the original British series did not gain any Emmy glory, though the one-off special got movie and writing nods in 2005.
18. "American Idol" TV's No. 1 show has exactly one Emmy to show for its first six seasons. Will season 7 be the lucky one?
19. "ER"
This medical drama, which premiered in 1994, dominated the ratings for its first few seasons and has won 22 Emmys with 123 nominations to date. However, as the original cast, including breakout star George Clooney, left the show, ratings declined. Next season marks the 15th and final one.
20. "Beverly Hills, 90210"
This '90s teen staple is set to return this coming fall. The only Emmy recognition in its decade-long run was a guest nom' for "Mr. Television," Milton Berle, in 1995. Berle won his only Emmy in 1950 for outstanding kinescoped personality.
(Photos from Fox, HBO, NBC, CBS)
Seinfeld won 2 emmys for best comedy series. I believe the x files won the golden globe for best series in 1995 not the emmy
Posted by: jake | July 28, 2008 at 04:08 PM
X-Files won best dramatic series Emmy in '95
Posted by: RT | July 04, 2008 at 03:33 PM
Umm, Everybody Loves Raymond did make the cut, albeit in the 70s, which is odd. The whole EW 1000 lists were weird anyway - on the movie lists, they left off Beauty and the Beast, American Beauty, Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemption and Chicago but managed to include Clueless, The Breakfast Club, Men in Black, and Risky Business?
Posted by: Kevin | June 27, 2008 at 06:51 AM