In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer. Buffy Summers is The Chosen One, the one girl in all the world with the strength and skill to fight the vampires. With the help of her close friends, Willow, Xander, and her Watcher Giles she balances slaying, family, friendships, and relationships.
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Seasons | |||
| Specials | 1 | ||
| Season 1 | March 1997 | June 1997 | 12 |
| Season 2 | September 1997 | May 1998 | 22 |
| Season 3 | September 1998 | July 1999 | 22 |
| Season 4 | October 1999 | May 2000 | 22 |
| Season 5 | September 2000 | May 2001 | 22 |
| Season 6 | October 2001 | May 2002 | 22 |
| Season 7 | September 2002 | May 2003 | 22 |
| Unassigned Episodes | 1 |
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Seasons | |||
| Season 1 | March 1997 | June 1997 | 12 |
| Season 2 | September 1997 | May 1998 | 22 |
| Season 3 | September 1998 | July 1999 | 22 |
| Season 4 | October 1999 | May 2000 | 22 |
| Season 5 | September 2000 | May 2001 | 22 |
| Season 6 | October 2001 | May 2002 | 21 |
| Season 7 | September 2002 | May 2003 | 22 |
| Unassigned Episodes | 3 |
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | March 1997 | May 2003 | 144 |
| Unassigned Episodes | 2 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joss Whedon | 51 | 03/10/1997 - 05/20/2003 | |
| Marti Noxon | 27 | 11/17/1997 - 12/17/2002 | |
| David Fury | 21 | 05/05/1998 - 03/25/2003 | |
| David Solomon | 20 | 06/02/1997 - 05/06/2003 | |
| James A. Contner | 20 | 02/10/1998 - 04/29/2003 | |
| Douglas Petrie | 20 | 11/17/1998 - 05/13/2003 | |
| David Greenwalt | 14 | 03/24/1997 - 12/08/1998 | |
| David Grossman | 13 | 03/16/1999 - 02/11/2003 | |
| Michael Gershman | 10 | 02/24/1998 - 04/15/2003 | |
| Bruce Seth Green | 8 | 03/24/1997 - 01/27/1998 | |
| Nick Marck | 7 | 11/30/1999 - 11/12/2002 | |
| James Whitmore Jr. | 5 | 04/28/1998 - 01/26/1999 | |
| David Semel | 4 | 03/31/1997 - 11/24/1998 | |
| Michael Lange | 4 | 01/19/1998 - 11/23/1999 | |
| Marita Grabiak | 2 | 02/25/2003 - 05/13/2003 | |
| Rick Rosenthal | 2 | 03/12/2002 - 10/15/2002 | |
| Ellen S. Pressman | 2 | 05/05/1997 - 10/06/1997 | |
| Daniel Attias | 2 | 11/21/2000 - 02/13/2001 | |
| John T. Kretchmer | 2 | 03/10/1997 - 09/29/1997 | |
| Reza Badiyi | 1 | 05/19/1997 | |
| Tucker Gates | 1 | 10/26/1999 | |
| Bill L. Norton | 1 | 05/21/2002 | |
| Scott Brazil | 1 | 04/14/1997 | |
| Christopher Hibler | 1 | 01/09/2001 | |
| Michael Grossman | 1 | 01/07/2003 | |
| Stephen Cragg | 1 | 03/17/1997 | |
| Regis Kimble | 1 | 04/21/1999 | |
| Alan J. Levi | 1 | 11/19/2002 | |
| Stephen Posey | 1 | 04/28/1997 | |
| Turi Meyer | 1 | 11/20/2001 | |
| Charles Martin Smith | 1 | 03/10/1997 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jane Espenson | 23 | 11/10/1998 - 05/13/2003 | |
| Rebecca Rand Kirshner | 8 | 10/17/2000 - 05/06/2003 | |
| Drew Z. Greenberg | 6 | 11/20/2001 - 04/29/2003 | |
| Steven S. DeKnight | 5 | 02/06/2001 - 05/07/2002 | |
| Drew Goddard | 5 | 10/22/2002 - 04/15/2003 | |
| Dean Batali | 4 | 03/31/1997 - 01/27/1998 | |
| Rob Des Hotel | 4 | 03/31/1997 - 01/27/1998 | |
| Tracey Forbes | 3 | 11/02/1999 - 04/25/2000 | |
| Matt Kiene | 2 | 04/07/1997 - 10/06/1997 | |
| Thomas A. Swyden | 2 | 04/28/1997 - 05/19/1997 | |
| Ashley Gable | 2 | 04/28/1997 - 05/19/1997 | |
| Dan Vebber | 2 | 11/24/1998 - 01/26/1999 | |
| Elin Hampton | 2 | 05/05/1998 | |
| Ty King | 2 | 09/22/1997 - 02/24/1998 | |
| Joe Reinkemeyer | 2 | 04/07/1997 - 10/06/1997 | |
| Dana Reston | 1 | 03/17/1997 | |
| Howard Gordon | 1 | 11/17/1997 | |
| Diego Gutierrez | 1 | 03/12/2002 | |
| Carl Ellsworth | 1 | 10/27/1997 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph M. Ellis | 1 | 06/02/1997 | |
| Gareth Davies | 1 | 06/02/1997 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fran Rubel Kuzui | 1 | 06/02/1997 | |
| Kaz Kuzui | 1 | 06/02/1997 | |
| Sandy Gallin | 1 | 06/02/1997 | |
| Gail Berman | 1 | 06/02/1997 |
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Arguably one of the most influential teen dramas of its time, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was a career-making role for its star Sarah Michelle Gellar and has a dedicated fanbase to this day.
Mike Wallace and a vampire slayer? Letterman and Oprah? Andy Griffith and the Sopranos? On one list? What were we thinking? Simply put, the best of the best, from Day 1 to last night: quality, innovation and the ability to stay in our lives year after year after year. A touch of sentiment? Sure, but nostalgia alone couldn’t make the cut (sorry, Beav). And TV-movies, miniseries and specials will have to wait. These are the series we watched regularly — and will watch again. And again.
From a pioneering variety show from the black-and-white days to two faves on now -- see our No. 1. To see EW's picks of the top 100 all-time greatest TV shows
What makes a great television show? There may be as many types of excellence as there are excellent shows. Series can wow us with how broadly they changed society, from “Seinfeld” redefining American slang to “Mad Men” bearing all the hallmarks of an early-21st-century TV Golden Age to “The Oprah Winfrey Show” making daytime viewers feel part of a special club of millions. Or they can feel like closely held secrets, always ready to welcome curious viewers for the first time, like “The Leftovers” or “Enlightened.” They can bring together insights about a rapidly shifting society with humor that stands the test of time, like the shows created by Norman Lear, who died this month at age 101. And they can dazzle us with spectacle or entrance us with intimate character moments — or, if they’re “The Sopranos,” they can do both.
From iconic British sitcoms to epic American sagas, inventive animations and daring anthologies, these are the shows worth getting lost in, that have proved instrumental in evolving a storytelling form that continues to offer deeper and more complex narratives
The best shows are the ones that take advantage of the length that movies don't have and use the imagery that novels can't conjure. They can captivate big audiences and change their lives forever.
The “TV 101” list honors classic, trailblazing series and miniseries, as well as current and critically acclaimed programs, from comedies and dramas to variety/talk and children’s programming. At their core, all of these wonderful series began with the words of the writers who created them and were sustained by the writers who joined their staffs or worked on individual episodes. “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.
A ranking of the most game-changing, side-splitting, tear-jerking, mind-blowing, world-building, genre-busting programs in television history, from the medium’s inception in the early 20th century through the ever-metastasizing era of Peak TV BY ALAN SEPINWALL
TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time is a collection of essays written by television critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz. It was published in 2016. The main purpose of the book was to provide a canonical list of the top 100 greatest television programs in American history.
What's the best TV show of all time? Who knows? This poll is strictly about favorite shows, the programs people in Hollywood hold nearest to their hearts — that remind them of better times or speak to their inner child or inspire their creativity or just help them unwind after a crappy day at the studio — even if one or two of the programs listed here aren't exactly masterpieces of the medium.
From time-capsule sitcoms to cutting-edge Peak-TV dramas — the definitive ranking of the game-changing small-screen classics
IGN and some of our friends have decided the best in the world of TV.
So many golden ages, so much brilliance from which to choose. In culling from the "60 Greatest" lists we've compiled during our 60th-anniversary year, we shook things up, blending drama, comedy and other genres to salute the shows with the biggest cultural impact and most enduring influence. What will the next 60 years bring? We can't wait to find out.
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