Some of the greatest TV shows of all time have been set in and around New York City. For your viewing pleasure, we've picked the top 20 New York TV shows that belong in every New Yorker's DVD collection.
Our top selections include classics from the '50s (I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners) through the groundbreaking '70s (Taxi, The Jeffersons), must-see TV from the '80s and '90s (The Cosby Show, Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, The Sopranos), and today's biggest TV critical and popular favorites (Law & Order, Ugly Betty, 30 Rock and Mad Men).
Our top selections include classics from the '50s (I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners) through the groundbreaking '70s (Taxi, The Jeffersons), must-see TV from the '80s and '90s (The Cosby Show, Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, The Sopranos), and today's biggest TV critical and popular favorites (Law & Order, Ugly Betty, 30 Rock and Mad Men).
1. I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is indisputably one of the greatest TV shows ever made. Wacky housewife Lucy and her Cuban bandleader husband Ricky Ricardo were played by brilliant comedienne Lucille Ball and her real-life crooner husband Desi Arnaz. Interesting piece of trivia: The Ricardos' address was 623 E. 68th Street. However, E. 68th Street in Manhattan only goes up to 600 - which means that the Ricardos' building would have been in the middle of the East River.
2. The Honeymooners
Jackie Gleason starred as bus driver Ralph Cramden and Art Carney as his sanitation worker sidekick. These two New York buddies are always working on a get-rich scheme that backfires. Ralph and Ed (and their wives Alice and Trixie) called Bensonhurst home and all 39 episodes were filmed at the Adelphi Theater in New York City in front of a live audience.
3. The Sopranos
For six seasons, fans watched Tony Soprano strive for work-life balance. He spent his days watching strippers at the Bada Bing and dealing with personnel issues involving employees named Big Pussy and Paulie Walnuts. Then, he went home for dinner with the lovely Carmela and his whiny offspring Meadow and AJ. Vanity Fair called The Sopranos "the greatest show in TV history."
4. Seinfeld
Seinfeld was a celebration of self-centered, dysfunctional New Yorkers that somehow won the heart of the rest of the country. We learned to love Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer. So much so that we've had a hard time accepting any of the actors in other roles. Seinfeld also gave us classic lines and catch phrases that can still inspire laughter more than a decade later. Not that there's anything wrong with that...
5. The Jeffersons
George and Weezy moved on up to a dee-luxe apartment on the Upper East Side and kept us laughing for more than 200 episodes. A spin-off of All In The Family, The Jeffersons soon found its own audience and became one of the best-loved series on TV.
6. The Cosby Show
Many of us grew up with The Cosby Show as a Thursday-night favorite. Although the Cosbys lived in Brooklyn, they helped me form my first, unrealistic visions of life in New York City. It was a major letdown when I discovered that I'd probably never be able to afford a brownstone like Cliff & Claire's.
7. Taxi
Have you ever had a taxi driver as cute as Tony (Tony Danza) or Elaine (Marilu Henner) or as smart as Alex (Judd Hirsch)? Taxi is one of the greatest sitcoms ever, but don't be too surprised if your own NYC cab rides aren't quite as hilarious.
8. Mad Men
Oh, how I love the men and women of Sterling Cooper, the 1960s ad agency at the center of the Mad Men universe. The handsome and brooding Don Draper. The ambitious and intelligent Peggy Olson and her smarmy crush Pete Olson. The stacked and cynical bombshell Joan Holloway. Yes, this new show on AMC really does live up to all of the hype.
9. 30 Rock
30 Rock is set behind the scenes at an NBC sketch comedy show not unlike Saturday Night Live. And 30 Rock is even funnier than the show that inspired it. Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, and Tracy Morgan lead a hilarious ensemble cast.
10. The Odd Couple
When uptight neat freak Felix Unger moved into a New York apartment with grumpy slob Oscar Madison, six years of hilarity ensued.
