Draft:TV Guide 100 Greatest Episodes 1997
TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time (1997)
[edit]TV Guide published its original "100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time" list on June 28, 1997, in collaboration with Nick at Nite's TV Land. This list aimed to highlight the best television show episodes on U.S. television, excluding game shows and variety shows but including situation comedies and drama series12.
Top 10 Episodes
[edit]The top 10 episodes from the 1997 list were:
- "Chuckles Bites the Dust" - The Mary Tyler Moore Show
- "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" - I Love Lucy
- "Love's Labor Lost" - ER
- "The Boyfriend" - Seinfeld
- "Password" - The Odd Couple
- "The $99,000 Answer" - The Honeymooners
- "Thanksgiving Orphans" - Cheers
- "Coast-to-Coast Big Mouth" - The Dick Van Dyke Show
- "Over the River and Through the Woods" - The Bob Newhart Show
- "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" - The X-Files
Network Representation
[edit]CBS was particularly well-represented in the 1997 list, having originally broadcast 35 of the 100 episodes, including the top two.
Critical Reception
[edit]The list received mixed reviews from critics: The Orlando Sentinel viewed the list as a triumphant result, despite potential conflicts of interest. Some critics derided the list for omitting popular shows like Bonanza and The Golden Girls entirely. David Bianculli of the Daily News criticized the list, stating that many selections wouldn't be on a more legitimate top-100 list. Steve Johnson from the Chicago Tribune complained that it was premature to claim any episode of ER had established sufficient cultural significance to rank third on the list.
Notable Omissions and Inclusions
[edit]Critics pointed out that the list included episodes from shows like Murder One, The Partridge Family, The Love Boat, and Speed Racer, which some viewed as lacking maturity or perspective. However, others praised certain selections for showing taste and bravery in their choices.
Revision
[edit]TV Guide later revised this list in 2009, with some changes to the rankings and episodes selected for certain shows.