No. 58 – “Saturday Night Live”
Premiere Date: October 11, 1975 (50 seasons)
NBC
Celebrating its 50th season this year, you may wonder why Lorne Michaels‘ historic sketch show made the top 100 for this century. Well, that’s the point. Year after year, through one cast change after another, “SNL” continues to impact not only American comedy as a whole, but the prevailing political discourse. Skits from “SNL” during an election cycle still make headlines, and this century saw Tina Fey‘s turn as relatively unknown Sarah Palin become one of the final nails in her candidacy for Vice President. Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump impersonation became an Emmy-winning fixture on the program, which reportedly irked the president to no end. And Sean Spicer never recovered as press secretary after Melissa McCartney skewered him in a now classic sketch. Over the past 25 years alone, the show has also been the launching pad for countless talents such as Kristen Wig, Cecily Strong, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Seth Meyers, Maya Rudolph (whose Beyonce and Kamala Harris impressions are legendary), Bowen Yang, Jason Suedikis, Amy Poehler, and Bill Hader, among others. Along with the aforementioned Fey, they have all been part of stellar television programs on their own (some even on this list). For all its criticism, and yes, there are always a few sketches that should never have it to set, it’s still the most important comedy program on the air. And let’s not forget, it’s so influential that many still blame Michaels for legitimizing Trump when he was running for the Republican nomination by letting him host in 2015.
No. 57 – “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story”
Premiere Date: February 2, 2016 (limited series)
FX
When it was announced in 2015 that Ryan Murphy was developing a new anthology franchise for FX that would begin covering the trial of O.J. Simpson, you could feel the cringe in the air. Luckily, most of the creative control was in the hands of Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who shepherded, along with Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Nina Jacobson, and Brad Simpson, one of the most accomplished limited series of the decade. Based on Jeffry Tobin‘s book, “The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson,” the series gave a perspective on the trial and, most importantly, the lawyers involved, that the general pubic was mostly unaware of. Front and center was Sarah Paulson’s absolute firecracker of a performance as lead prosecutor Marcia Clark. On the other side of the aisle was Courtney B. Vance, channeling the unwavering charisma of Simpson’s defender, Jonnie Cochran. The stellar all-star cast included John Travolta as Robert Shapiro (still one of the best performances of his career), an ascending Sterling K. Brown as prosecutor Christopher Darden, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. as the notorious Simpson. Directed by Murphy, Anthony Hemingway, and John Singleton, the show was a marvel by keeping you on the edge of your seat, even though the verdict made headlines around the world two decades before. Murphy’s directorial efforts here are still the best of his career, and my word, Paulson. A performance for the ages.
No. 56 – “60 Minutes”
Premiere Date: September 24, 1968 (57 seasons)
CBS
The era of television newsmagazines peaked in the 1990s, but the originator, the grand lady, has outlasted them all. And its reporting is so consequential that at this writing, a lawsuit over a seemingly everyday interview with then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris is at the center of a lawsuit that has stopped a billion-dollar media merger in its tracks. That is an example of why “60 Minutes” is still relevant in 2025, but not why it’s this high on the list. From Ed Bradley’s revisiting of the murder of Emmett Till, to Scott Pelley confronting former CIA Director George Tenet over the agency’s torture techniques, to the rise of online misinformation (before it was a common subject), to corruption between government officials and military contractors, or the consequences of the Iraq War, and a slew of noteworthy individuals who only sat down for “60 Minutes,” the program has endured like no other.
No. 55 – “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Premiere Date: July 10, 2016 (limited series)
Amazon Studios
Somehow, we suspect that when the history of Peak TV is written, Amy Sherman-Palladino’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” will be at the top of the lists that could have only happened during this era. And thank heavens for that. Beginning in 1958, “Midge” Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) embarks on a stand-up comedy career after her husband Joel (Michael Zegen) leaves her after feeling humiliated by her superior amateur stand-up set. Over five seasons, Midge teams up with scrappy manager Susie (Alex Bornstein), hones her craft, becomes buddies with real historical figure Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby), and deals with the constant disappointment and concern from her Upper West Side parents, Abe (Tony Shalhoub) and Rose (Marin Hinkle). All while Joel watches from the sidelines, regretting leaving her when he did. A love letter to New York City, a distinctly East Coast Jewish upbringing, and old school comedy clubs, the series ended up being one of the most gorgeous period recreations in modern memory, with elaborate set pieces that sparkled alongside Sherman-Palladino’s trademark witty banter. And while Midge’s sets were never as funny as the female comics that inspired her, Brosnahan was so good that she made you believe everyone thought she was. That’s a role that’s hard to top.
No. 54 – “Will & Grace”
Premiere Date: September 21, 1998 (8 seasons, 3 seasons for the reboot)
HBO
The thing about “Will & Grace” was that it was never really for gay viewers. Created by longtime buddies David Kohan and Max Mutchnick (the former straight, the latter not), the sitcom centered on Will (Erick McCormack), a “straight acting” corporate lawyer looking for love in NYC. His best girlfriend is Grace (Debra Messing), an interior decorator whose “assistant” Karen (Megan Mullally, arguably one of the greatest comedic performances on television of all time) basically does nothing all day but recommend her services to her wealthy friends. Karen eventually becomes BFFs with Will’s longtime college friend Jack (Sean Hayes), a struggling actor and backup dancer. The series would make this list off the incredible comic chemistry between Mullally and Hayes, alone (McCormack and Messing were effectively the “straight” men for their jokes), but the show served a larger purpose. After Ellen DeGeneres came out in 1997, her sitcom “Ellen” tanked in the ratings. NBC took a chance on “Will & Grace,” a show that slowly opened the door to middle America with a safe, if not self-deprecating, look at the lives of everyday gay men. The show was a ratings and critical smash because it was genuinely funny, but for millions of Americans, it said “Gay is O.K.” Outside of the coastal cities, its cultural impact cannot be discounted. The show is also one of the few Peak TV era revivals that was just as funny as the original, and lasted longer than expected.
No. 53 – “Survivor”
Premiere Date: May 31, 2000 (48 seasons)
CBS
It was the first true network reality competition, and its fans will tell you, it’s still the best. Pitting contestants on tropical islands to fend for themselves, “Survivor” has been a petri dish of sociological exploration since its inception, 48 seasons ago (seasons 49 and 50 are in production). Adapted from Charlie Parsons‘ Swedish program “Expedition Robinson,” the American version has been shaped over 25 years by host Jeff Probst, executive producer Mark Burnett, and Parsons. The CBS staple has inspired countless competitors who have tried to duplicate its formula, but have never quite found the same magic. Beginning with 26 or more contestants, players have to live off the land with minimal comforts for a minimum of 3+ weeks. Each episode, teams (or tribes) compete in challenges to acquire more food, comforts, and, most importantly, the chance to avoid the Tribal Council, where they are forced to vote off a member of their tribe. A program that is inherently a powder keg of human emotion has had its share of controversies, but has also been a refreshing reminder of human endurance. The concept is so enticing, the show continues to recruit new fans who were born years after it debuted.
No. 52 – “Station Eleven”
Premiere Date: Dec 16, 2021 (limited series)
HBO
Adapted from Emily St. John’s 2014 novel, “Station Eleven” begins with a flu pandemic decimating the global population (perhaps it was a tad too close to home). Jeevan (Himesh Patel) finds himself in the care of Kristen (Matilda Lawler) as they barricade themselves in his brother’s Chicago high-rise apartment to avoid the plague. Twenty years later, civilization has descended into almost medieval times. In this brave new world, an adult Kristen (Mackenzie Davis) is the star actress of the Traveling Symphony, a group of actors putting on plays throughout the Great Lakes region, and Jeevan is nowhere to be found. Kristen and her unconventional new family deal with the ongoing threat of a horrifying cult and are intrigued by the promise of tranquility at the mysterious Museum of Civilization. Patrick Sommerville’s adaptation is directed with impeccable flair by Hiro Murai and Jeremy Podeswa, with epic production design and a magnificent score by Dan Romer that could have only occurred in the free-spending era of Peak TV (we’re not complaining). It was one of many shows that dropped in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic that depicted a post-apocalyptic future, but it was full of hope, joy, and humanity. Kristen didn’t fear her future; she embraced it.
No. 51 – “Homeland”
Premiere Date: Oct 2, 2011 (8 seasons)
Showtime
Based on the Israeli series “Prisoners of War,” Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa’s “Homeland” is the rare television program that almost completely transformed itself while still delivering stellar drama over an extended eight-season run. Season one was a genuine nailbiter as Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), a CIA operative suffering from an extreme bipolar disorder, is convinced a former Congressman turned Marine Sergeant, Nicholas Brody (Damien Lewis), has been turned after being held by a terrorist group for eight years. That singular season was so exceptional that it was hard to see Gordon and Gansa surpassing it, and there were a number of seasons that didn’t come close to those thrilling heights, and then, remarkably, it did. And somehow, the show began predicting historical events. There were storylines over Russia interfering in elections, a European terrorist attack, a U.S. president at war with their own intelligence community, and, most notably, the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan, after the departure of U.S. troops (this aired a full year before it happened in real life). Beyond Danes’ masterclass performance (she won two Emmys for it), the program featured fantastic turns from Morena Baccarin, Rupert Friend, F. Murray Abraham, and the one and only Mandy Patinkin, who utterly killed it every season as Carrie’s mentor, Saul.
Monday: #50-26
