1001 TV Series You Must Watch Before You Die (2015)
Created by Apu.
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This is the 1st edition (October 2015) and the latest addition to the bestselling and highly acclaimed 1001-series.
"From "Leave it to Beaver" to "Breaking Bad", "The Honeymooners" to "Homeland", this compilation of important and groundbreaking television shows is packed full of trivia and will be sure to make you want to pick up the remote or start streaming. Selected by an international team of experts and covering a worldwide spectrum of programs from the classics of the 1950s to the cutting-edge shows of today, 1001 TV Series is one of the most comprehensive books ever published on the topic of television."
This volume is virtually impossible to finish (as you have to watch every single episode of every single entry). Not to mention many of the shows are still running this very day.
If the authors instead chose to focus only on TV-series/TV-Mini-series/TV-movies you might have had a chance, but unfortunately, TV shows - including Game shows, Reality and Talk shows - are also included.
NOTE: the book contains some TV-movies or stand-alone episodes from TV-series, but the vast majority of the entries are either TV-series, TV-Mini-series or TV shows.
The genres are:
Action/Adventure: 43
Animation: 13
Awards show: 3
Biography: 1
Comedy: 246
Comedy/Drama: 31
Crime: 1
Crime/Mystery: 101
Documentary: 18
Drama: 226
Fantasy/Horror/Sci-Fi: 107
Game show: 26
Historical drama: 60
Music/Musical: 13
Reality: 31
Soap opera: 28
Sports: 2
Talk Show: 16
Variety: 22
Western: 13
= 1001
TV-series/shows/movies that, according to the introduction by Robb Pearlman, "could not be included" (it is never argued why):
The Winds of War (1983)
Lonesome Dove (1989)
Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962) [???????]
Sybil (1976)
Gia (1998)
Trilogy of Terror (1975)
Duel (1971)
V (1983)
Recount (2008)
Game Change (2012)
An Early Frost (1984)
And the Band Played On (1993)
Brian's Song (1971)
Mildred Pierce (2011)
Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001).
Some entries that most likely will cause some problems in terms of checking them are the Awards shows: Academy Awards (#17), Golden Globe Awards (#50), MTV Video Music Awards (#365) as well as "Eurovision Song Contest" (#32). Instead of adding every single annual event for these shows, I decided to add only the earliest entry I could locate on IMDb (as if you care about those shows and/or will finish this list anyway).
NOTE: "1001 TV Series You Must Watch Before You Die" and "1001 TV Shows You Must Watch Before You DIe" have identical entires (1948-2015) - as well as the same page total (960) - although they're two different books. Generally speaking, the only differences between the two books are:
- the introduciton is longer in "Shows" (an introduction by Robb Pearlman) whereas "Series" have a much shorter introduction and instead have an additional index (Index by Genre). The "Index by Genre" is not featured in "Shows".
- "Shows" is in hardcover whereas "Series" is in paperback.
- The front and back cover are different.
If you spot any errors (or if any of the abovementioned series/shows I've listed earlier has been added to IMDb), or if you have any questions about the entries or the list as a whole, please don't hesitate to PM me.
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16 new
Adventures of Superman
1952, in 0 top lists Check -
27 new
The Adventures of Robin Hood
1955, in 0 top lists Check -
48 new
77 Sunset Strip
1958, in 0 top lists Check -
51 new
Sea Hunt
1958, in 0 top lists Check -
52 new
Naked City
1958, in 0 top lists Check -
53 new
Peter Gunn
1958, in 0 top lists Check -
56 new
The Untouchables
1959, in 0 top lists Check -
63 new
Danger Man
1960, in 0 top lists Check -
64 new
Danger Man
1964, in 0 top lists Check -
71 new
The Avengers
1961, in 0 top lists Check -
80 new
The Saint
1962, in 0 top lists Check -
122 new
I Spy
1965, in 0 top lists Check -
125 new
Thunderbirds
1965, in 0 top lists Check -
127 new
Batman
1966, in 0 top lists Check -
131 new
Mission: Impossible
1966, in 0 top lists Check -
132 new
Star Trek
1966, in 0 top lists Check -
134 new
The Time Tunnel
1966, in 0 top lists Check -
145 new
The Prisoner
1967, in 1 top list Check -
164 new
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
1969 — a.k.a. My Partner the Ghost, in 0 top lists Check -
166 new
UFO
1969, in 0 top lists Check -
169 new
McCloud
1970, in 0 top lists Check -
179 new
Jason King
1971, in 0 top lists Check -
183 new
Cannon
1971, in 0 top lists Check -
190 new
The Persuaders!
1971, in 0 top lists Check -
205 new
Kojak
1973, in 0 top lists Check -
224 new
The Six Million Dollar Man
1974, in 0 top lists Check -
229 new
Police Woman
1974, in 0 top lists Check -
233 new
Zatôichi monogatari
1974, in 0 top lists Check -
234 new
Starsky and Hutch
1975, in 0 top lists Check -
237 new
The Sweeney
1975, in 0 top lists Check -
240 new
Wonder Woman
1975, in 0 top lists Check -
250 new
Charlie's Angels
1976, in 0 top lists Check -
254 new
The Bionic Woman
1976, in 0 top lists Check -
280 new
The Professionals
1977, in 0 top lists Check -
282 new
Saiyûki
1978 — a.k.a. Monkey, in 0 top lists Check -
297 new
The Incredible Hulk
1978, in 0 top lists Check -
300 new
The Dukes of Hazzard
1979, in 0 top lists Check -
310 new
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979, in 0 top lists Check -
311 new
Hart to Hart
1979, in 0 top lists Check -
318 new
Magnum, P.I.
1980, in 0 top lists Check -
329 new
The Fall Guy
1981, in 0 top lists Check -
339 new
Knight Rider
1982, in 0 top lists Check -
349 new
The A-Team
1983, in 0 top lists Check -
358 new
V
1984, in 0 top lists Check -
379 new
Mike Hammer
1984, in 0 top lists Check -
392 new
Robin of Sherwood
1984 — a.k.a. Robin Hood, in 0 top lists Check -
396 new
Miami Vice
1984, in 0 top lists Check -
407 new
Dempsey and Makepeace
1985, in 0 top lists Check -
441 new
Star Trek: The Next Generation
1987, in 0 top lists Check -
462 new
Baywatch
1989, in 0 top lists Check
Last updated on Nov 3, 2023; source