I thought this was a great book. Thoughtful in how the authors came up with the list and interesting comments on the shows. A must read for anyone interested in television!

Would really give this more of a 4.5. I love reading Alan Sepinwall's reviews -- I often feel like I haven't finished watching an episode until I read his critique of it -- and I really enjoyed the format of this book. With more than a hundred individual essays, it's a marvel of both writing and editing. I appreciate having the paperback version as I expect I'll be referring back to it many times in the future, and the pulp version makes it easier to read the scoring sheet at the back. Only deleting a half a star because I skipped over a number of the entries for shows I wasn't familiar with.

Overall this was clearly written by TV lovers, but I disagree with their conclusions about the best tv show. Simply put it was 2 dedicated reviewers with zero diversity between them. The list was very male show dominated (as is TV in general, so not completely their fault). They had a 5 way tie for the best show on tv and the only one I would put in a top 10 was Cheers. Quite simply the list needed more diversity. I would value this book more if the premise involved more than 2 people making it/weighing in on the final numbers. Clearly Alan and Matt are TV lovers, and many of these essays (particularly the ones on Mash and MTM) were really good, but to be definitive, you need a broader sample size.

A comprehensive guide to TV shows of all time. Had to skip half of the book because it talked (sometimes with spoilers) about shows I haven't seen or even heard of. Of the shows I have seen, the authors do an essay about the good (and bad) things about them, with mention to especific episodes, or curiosities about the history of the show.

I enjoy Alan Sepinwall's writing about my favorite TV shows and I enjoy Matt Zoller Seitz's commentary on the Vulture TV podcast, so this book was right up my alley. Enjoyable, a quick read, and - as a fan of both authors' work - predictable.

Some of the short reflections in the second half of the book aren't terribly inspired, and the further I got into the book, the more I started suffering from a kind of fatigue - especially when I discovered that there were several more sections full of even more lists beyond the already-exhausting 'canonical' 100 shows. But most of this is a joy to read: two seasoned TV critics' deliver an inspiring celebration of the medium's many delights, often making one want to rethink, re-evaluate, and certainly revisit a long list of series.

THESE ARE MY PEOPLE!!!!!

I was hooked on this one from pretty much the very beginning, where in a section called "The Explanation," the authors talk about how they created the list of the 100 best TV shows, and then segue into "The Great Debate" in which they battle it out over the order of the decided top 5: Breaking Bad, The Simpsons, Cheers, The Sopranos, and the Wire.

Although I loved the list as a whole, this section where they discuss in-depth the top 5, and which is really #1 and why is absolutely amazing. It feels like sitting with some of your best friends, debating the merits of your favorite TV shows and episodes. Assuming you're a TV person, of course. And if you know me, you know...I am a TV person. I wanted in on the debate! It was just so interesting to see Sepinwall and Seitz go back and forth arguing with one another (and sometimes with themselves) while determining the "best" show of all shows. Seriously, it was great.

It was also great reading about each show on the list individually, and seeing how they ranked. There's something so vindicating about seeing a show that you adored on the list, and having someone put into words what was so great about it better than you probably could have. Admittedly, there was plenty of skimming and skipping throughout the book, for a couple of reasons -- 1) there were shows I haven't seen (like The Wire, Oz, and the Americans just to name few) that I have every intention of finally getting to one day and didn't want spoiled for me. And 2) There were some shows that I either just didn't know, or had no interest in, so I skipped over them.

However, there were also shows that I was never all that interested in, and then after reading about them here, I felt like I needed to reconsider their merits. There were even a few I had forgotten about entirely, that I really wanted to go back and watch now. One of those was China Beach, which I remember watching with my mom as a kid. And yet, I know with 100% certainty that I did not "get it" then. Reading about it here made me so badly want to track it down and watch it with my now 30-something eyes and mind. Another one I know I'll be revisiting sooner rather than later thanks to this book is My So-Called Life. I definitely remember watching that, but again was maybe just a tad too young (and naive) to be the intended age group. I'm sure it would mean so much more now, as much as I loved it then.

The other thing I loved about the book was that there were lists throughout -- things like "Best TV Mom/Dad," "Best TV Car," "Best TV Theme Song," etc. I also liked that they had further show lists outside of the official 100 -- I particularly appreciated their list of "Works in Progress," of shows that are still currently on the air that have potential to break into the 100 someday.

My biggest gripe(s)? There was absolutely no love (or even mention, outside of it being included in a long list of shows inspired by The Twilight Zone) for Supernatural, and very little appreciation for Sons of Anarchy. Both are two of my favorite shows, and while I know the list has to be limited, the fact a show like Supernatural is going into its 12th season should count for something. And so should the audacity and heart of Sons of Anarchy (more than just season 2 of the show, which does get an honorable mention in a section called "A Certain Regard").

Anyway, my gripes are minor, and obviously personal preference plays into a topic like this as well. But, my ability to not only recognize, but have watched the vast majority of these shows confirms I probably need to find another hobby --- and yet, I won't, because this book also reminded me how many shows I still need to watch! TV addict for life!

I don’t really know when I started reading this. It’s the kind of book you pick up a read a chapter here or there for a long time. I read the material about TV shows I’ve seen and nothing about those I haven’t. My favorite of Sepinwall and Seitz’s observations is the Parks and Rec is as if The West Wing and The Simpsons had a baby.

You can argue with the ultimate rankings therein - and believe me, we did - but the methodology is sound. If I like ER better than Seinfeld, I have to remind myself that even I stopped watching ER eventually, etc. This is fun conversation fodder.

I've had this as "currently reading" for over a year, because I wanted to try read the whole book, but this is impossible because I can't watch every show. However, I have no qualms giving this book 5 stars since the authors are responsible for my TV viewing choices for the last 20 years. I grew up reading the Star Ledger and I wouldn't have known about my all- time favorite shows WHILE THEY WERE ON THE AIR like Freaks and Geeks, Chuck, Scrubs and The Office if it wasn't for them and am forever grateful.