30 best NBC shows ever, ranked [PHOTOS]

Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
·5 min read
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For many decades, the “Big Three” networks dominated American television, bringing laughter, drama, breaking news and real-life events into our homes. NBC, CBS and ABC have broadcast thousands of fictional programs, sporting events, talk shows and news programs for nearly a century, with roots in radio. Television programming began in the 1940s, with the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) leading the way, establishing several firsts for the medium, and becoming home to some of the longest-running programs in the history of the small screen.

But which 30 primetime and late night scripted series are the absolute best? We rank our favorites in the photo gallery above based on quality, quantity (number of seasons/episodes), impact on society and other shows, plus Emmy Awards nominations/wins. Each show on our list has some combo of at least a few of those traits (some have all four!).

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In 1948, Milton Berle began hosting “Texaco Star Theatre,” and ruled Tuesday night television for several years, eventually earning the title “Mr. Television.” The series and Berle were among the earliest Emmy winners, earning trophies at the second ceremony in 1950. Although CBS was the first to dabble in color television, NBC was home to the short-lived sitcom “The Marriage,” considered the first color program, in 1954. The following year, the network aired a live color production of “Peter Pan,” the first such undertaking for a network, which was a huge success. Its pioneering efforts in color television led to the creation of its brightly-plumed mascot, eventually earning NBC the nickname “The Peacock Network.”

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The Big Three networks have fought for ratings control since the beginning, but NBC programming dominated throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with groundbreaking series reinventing genres and defining the eras for Generation X and Millennials. Shows like “Hill Street Blues” and “St. Elsewhere” brought a downfall to police and medical dramas in which each episode was its own story; instead, the personal lives of the characters were woven into plot lines that carried arcs over several episodes. “Must See TV” on Thursday nights was an intricate part of childhoods, keeping us glued to our sets with sitcoms like “The Cosby Show,” “Family Ties” and “Cheers” – and scrambling to buy VCRs so that we didn’t miss an episode.

With the advent of cable television and streaming services over the past 40 or so years, viewership tastes have changed, but NBC is still cranking out hits, with sitcoms like “The Office” and dramas like “This Is Us.” It also is still a favorite in the late hours, with “The Tonight Show,” the longest-running American talk show, still popular after its debut 68 years ago, and “Saturday Night Live” as a ratings hit since 1975.

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NBC is also home to the longest-running live-action scripted series, as “Law & Order:Special Victims Unit” is in its 24th season; with its recent reboot, the original “Law & Order” is second with 22 seasons.  With 15 seasons, “ER” was the longest-running medical drama for many years, until it was surpassed by ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Bonanza” is the second-longest-running western with 14 seasons (behind “Gunsmoke”).

With such successes, it’s not surprising that NBC has accumulated numerous Emmy statues over the years, with several series setting records. “Hill Street Blues” was the first to win Best Drama four times, with fellow NBC dramas “L.A. Law” and “The West Wing” tying that record within 20 years (two others have since tied). “The West Wing” was also the first drama to win nine Emmys in a single season; although that has been surpassed, it still holds the record for most wins for a debut season. “Law & Order” holds the record for most nominations for Best Drama, at 11, which ties the overall record with Best Comedy nominees “Cheers,” another NBC staple, and CBS’s “M*A*S*H.” The successful “Cheers” spinoff “Frasier” was the first to achieve five Best Comedy wins (since tied). And NBC is home to the longest-running variety show, “SNL,” which claims most Emmy nominations (306) and wins (92) for any primetime program.

With such a long and rich history, it’s hard to narrow the network’s greatest shows to just a few, but we’ve attempted to pick the best 30 primetime and late night NBC series. This list doesn’t include limited series, miniseries, daytime, reality, news or sports programs. Based on longevity, popularity, impact and/or awards, tour our photo gallery featuring the best of the best. We considered the following series, but ultimately they did not make the cut of 30 total:

The A-Team
Community
Dragnet
Father Knows Best
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Good Place
Homicide
I Dream of Jeannie
Mad About You
Miami Vice
Night Court
Quantum Leap
Scrubs
3rd Rock from the Sun

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Launch Gallery: 30 best NBC shows ever, ranked

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