The Writers Guild of America has unveiled their list of the 101 best-written television series ever, and HBO’s the Sopranos has edged out the competition to come in at number one.
“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,” the presidents of the WGA East and West, Michael Winship and Chris Keyser, said in a joint statement. The rankings were determined by guild members who voted online.
“Close to half of the 101 Best Written TV Series aired within the last decade,” an introduction to the list notes. “Not coincidentally, this was a period that coincided with a sharp growth in original programming on both basic and pay cable television when writers were given more latitude to explore the moral complexities of the worlds they created.” These moral complexities certainly played a role in the voters’ decision-making process, and the top ten results are as follows:
1. The Sopranos
2. Seinfeld
3. The Twilight Zone
4. All In The Family
5. M*A*S*H
6. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
7. Mad Men
8. Cheers
9. The Wire
10. The West Wing
The full list is available here.