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The 30 Greatest Fox Shows Ever
30. BONES (2005-present)
Fox proved it could play the procedural game with this forensic crime drama, starring Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz as a mismatched crime-fighting duo solving FBI cases. They’re opposites — she’s a socially awkward lab rat; he’s an impatient cop who goes with his gut — but they developed one of TV’s best will-they-or-won’t-they relationships. And their easy chemistry has carried Bones for eleven seasons now, with a 12th and final season on tap for next year.
29. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (2005-present)
It was never a cultural event on the level of American Idol. But Fox’s summer dance competition has been a thrilling showcase for the art form, with the best young dancers in the country performing stunning choreography each week. Even non-dance fans can appreciate the skill and athleticism on display here, and host Cat Deeley brings the whole thing together with effortless charm. (But let’s all just agree to forget this summer’s all-kids season, OK?)
28. THE BERNIE MAC SHOW (2001-06)
This smart-mouthed family comedy was propelled to greatness by star Bernie Mac’s persona: a gruff, wisecracking grump with little to no interest in being a father. Like several other Fox sitcoms on this list, Bernie Mac offered a unromantic perspective on parenthood, with Bernie using heavy doses of tough love to raise his sister’s three kids while she’s in drug rehab. But Bernie’s natural charisma and no-BS attitude put his show a cut above the typical family sitcom.
27. PRISON BREAK (2005-09)
True, it lost a lot of momentum once inmate brothers Lincoln and Michael actually, you know, broke out of prison. But its breakneck pacing and elaborate mythology (based on Michael’s prison-map tattoo) made Season 1 a tantalizing ride. Today, it sits right alongside Heroes in the category of exciting, yet ultimately disappointing, ’00s dramas. But it’s coming back to Fox next year, so maybe Michael has some new tattoos up his sleeve.
26. GET A LIFE (1990-92)
Man, this show was strange. Springing from the disturbed mind of comedian Chris Elliott, Get a Life starred Elliott as a 30-year-old paperboy who lived with his parents and stumbled into wildly surreal adventures on a weekly basis. Savagely mocking sitcom stereotypes and pushing the limits of the half-hour form, the show was groundbreakingly odd — Charlie Kaufman was a writer, if that helps explain things — and presaged the off-the-wall stoner comedy of Adult Swim.
25. FIREFLY (2002)
Look up “cult hit” in your TV dictionary, and you’ll see this cast shot from Joss Whedon’s fiendishly clever space Western. The crew of the Serenity included future TV stars Nathan Fillion, Morena Baccarin and Christina Hendricks — and again, JOSS WHEDON created it — but Firefly still never found enough of an audience, and was decommissioned by Fox after only 14 episodes. The mission continued, though, in the 2005 film Serenity, and there are always rumors of a new voyage in the works.
24. UNDECLARED (2001-02)
Judd Apatow’s Freaks and Geeks always makes the list of cancelled-too-soon gems, but his college comedy deserves a spot there, too. With a look at a awkward teen’s freshman year at school, Undeclared delivered just as much humor and heart as Geeks, while showcasing a young Seth Rogen as jokester Ron and a pre-SAMCRO Charlie Hunnam as British ladies’ man Lloyd. It should’ve gotten a full four-year scholarship, but we’ll have to make do with one very educational year.
23. PARTY OF FIVE (1994-2000)
Not nearly as glamorous as contemporaries 90210 and Melrose Place, this weepy teen soap preferred to focus on wringing out the tears. (It did kick off with the parents of the lead characters dying, after all.) The orphaned Salinger kids dealt with alcoholism, cancer, domestic violence… but got through it all by sticking together. Party of Five was never a breakout hit, but it did win a Golden Globe for best drama and launch the careers of Neve Campbell, Matthew Fox and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
22. THE BEN STILLER SHOW (1992-93)
This fun little oddity only aired a grand total of 13 episodes, but it’s still a highly influential touchstone in the annals of TV sketch comedy. Credit that to a 26-year-old Ben Stiller and a killer cast of rising comedians — Andy Dick, Janeane Garofalo, Bob Odenkirk — who poked fun at pop-culture clichés with Gen-X exuberance. It even won an Emmy for best writing… eight months after it was cancelled.
21. EMPIRE (2015-present)
Lee Daniels’ hip-hop Dynasty hasn’t even reached its third birthday yet, but it’s already earned a spot in Fox’s history books. It got viewers hooked with a relentless barrage of soapy plot twists, and its record-breaking ratings proved that diversity isn’t just the politically correct thing to do — it’s good for business. Add in an unforgettably ferocious performance from Taraji P. Henson, and Empire will probably rank a lot higher on this list when it takes its final bow.
20. THAT ’70S SHOW (1998-2006)
One of the more conventional shows on this list, this three-camera sitcom about a tight-knit group of buddies in 1970s Wisconsin almost could’ve aired on CBS. (Well, except for the pot-smoking scenes, maybe.) But it was an unexpected hit for Fox, lasting almost as long as the ’70s themselves, thanks to a charming cast of young actors highlighted by Topher Grace, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. Fox tried to duplicate the success with That ’80s Show… but some things are only once-in-a-lifetime, man.
19. IN LIVING COLOR (1990-94)
We considered late night’s Mad TV for this list, but Keenan Ivory Wayans’ primetime sketch show feels more essential. It’s a little surprising that it only ran for four years, considering how many unforgettable characters (Homey the Clown, Fire Marshal Bill) and huge movie stars (Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx) it unleashed. And it gave black comedians an equal footing in the TV sketch game at a time when SNL was still lily-white.
18. MELROSE PLACE (1992-99)
Originally an offshoot of Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose was an unapologetic primetime soap for grown-ups, willing to go more over-the-top crazy than its predecessor. (Two words: Kimberly’s. Wig.) The sordid tales of the hot young singles living in a L.A. apartment complex were required viewing in the mid-’90s. (Even the Seinfeld gang tuned in!) And Heather Locklear set a new standard for both “Special Guest Stars” and bitchy TV bosses.
17. FRINGE (2008-13)
A half-decade after The X-Files left the air, Fox found another creepy, mind-bending sci-fi show to fill the void. With stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson and John Noble exploring parallel universes and unexplained phenomena, Fringe became a cult favorite and survived an exile to the Friday-night TV wasteland to reach the 100-episode milestone. While you’re reviving old sci-fi hits, Fox, you might want to take a second look at this one.
16. COPS (1989-2013)
“Reality TV” before there even was such a thing, this no-nonsense chronicle of everyday cops chasing petty crooks was mesmerizing TV. It was an unvarnished, unpredictable look at the lower rungs of the criminal justice system, punctuated by heart-pounding chases. Cops owned Saturday nights for two and a half decades, piling up nearly 900 episodes. It’s even still running on Spike TV to this day, which proves that the Cops formula never gets stale.
15. GLEE (2009-15)
It lost its voice in later seasons, but Ryan Murphy’s high-school musical was a bona fide sensation, spawning a string of iTunes hits and making TV a safe place to sing again. It brought important social issues into the spotlight while maintaining a candy-colored optimism, and it served as an incubator for fresh young talent like Lea Michele and future Supergirl Melissa Benoist. It may have been over-hyped, but Glee is undeniably one of the most significant TV shows of the past decade.
14. FAMILY GUY (1999-2002, 2005-present)
Its anarchic, kitchen-sink sense of humor might not be your cup of tea. But you can’t argue with results: After Seth MacFarlane’s animated comedy was axed in 2002, massive fan demand led to the show being revived, and it’s now enjoying its 15th season. (The Fox executive who cancelled it definitely got fired, didn’t they?) Maybe it’s never approached Simpsons levels of genius, but it’s provided enough inspired cutaway gags to keep fans giggling for decades.
13. THE O.C. (2003-07)
Like all sexy rebels, it burned bright and fizzled out fast. But this stylish teen soap — basically a 90210 remake, right? — hit the zeitgeist hard, making the melodramatic adventures of troubled teen Ryan Atwood and his richy-rich foster family into must-see TV. (For a while, anyway.) Plus, the geektastic Seth Cohen balanced out the more serious soap elements with some much-needed comic relief… and gave us a new entry in the TV-nerd hall of fame.
12. FUTURAMA (1999-2003)
Good news, everyone! This animated sci-fi romp from Matt Groening actually lived up to its Simpsons roots, with wildly imaginative stories about far-off planets and wickedly satirical jabs at our earth-bound problems. The Planet Express crew was packed with memorable aliens and weirdos, from alcoholic robot Bender to lobster-man Dr. Zoidberg. It later got revived by Comedy Central, but the four Fox seasons are really what cemented it as one of TV’s most inventive and hilarious cartoons ever.
11. MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE (2000-06)
It’s appropriate that Malcolm debuted right at the start of the new millennium: The cheerfully twisted sitcom, starring Frankie Muniz as a genius kid stuck in a chaotic family, was positively revolutionary. It ditched the traditional three-camera setup and laugh track, clearing a path for more experimental sitcoms to follow. And it was anchored by great performances from Jane Kaczmarek as the ultimate indomitable mom… and oh yeah, some guy named Bryan Cranston.
10. HOUSE (2004-12)
We’d seen plenty of TV doctors before House, but rarely one as prickly — and fascinating — as Hugh Laurie’s Dr. Gregory House. Hooked on pain meds and walking with a cane, House was a virtual Sherlock, untangling medical mysteries with his formidable intellect. Laurie somehow never won an Emmy for the role, but House was a consistent ratings winner for eight seasons and gave the TV medical genre a shot of adrenaline.
9. KING OF THE HILL (1997-2010)
Yup… Mike Judge’s animated portrait of Texas propane salesman Hank Hill was so naturalistic and deadpan, it almost didn’t feel like a cartoon. It was an instant hit, though, briefly out-rating The Simpsons before settling in for a healthy 13-season run. And its sympathetic portrayal of good-hearted red-staters — Hank's ever-plucky wife Peggy Hill; his hapless pal Bill; the unintelligible Boomhauer — is something we don’t see enough of on TV these days. Yup.
8. ALLY MCBEAL (1997-2002)
It’s been rudely tossed onto the trash heap of late-’90s fads, along with Beanie Babies and AOL start-up discs. But don’t forget that David E. Kelley’s legal dramedy, while admittedly wacky, had a seismic cultural impact. (She was on the cover of Time magazine! Back when that meant something!) It was authentically funny and heartfelt, and its wistful rom-com tone helped bridge the gap between sitcoms and straightforward dramas. Plus, what other show gives you Peter MacNicol lip-syncing to Barry White?
7. 24 (2001-10, 2014)
Debuting two months after the September 11th attacks, 24 tapped into a strong vein of newfound patriotism, with Jack Bauer living out our fantasies of kicking terrorist ass and taking names. The real-time concept, with every episode representing an hour in one very long day, was effectively tense, and Kiefer Sutherland’s steel-jawed resolve made Jack Bauer an all-time great TV hero — dammit.
6. BEVERLY HILLS, 90210 (1990-2000)
The prototypical “teen soap,” 90210 captured young viewers with a glossy look at the high-class problems of Beverly Hills teenagers. The show’s cast became teen idols overnight and helped give Fox an MTV-like cool factor. Sure, it was never a Great Show, by any means. But for fans who grew up watching it, it’s an indelible slice of ’90s nostalgia. And that theme song? Like Dylan McKay’s sideburns, timeless.
5. MARRIED… WITH CHILDREN (1987-97)
With their shocking vulgarity and palpable hate for one another, the Bundys were the acidic antidote to the gentle sweetness of ’80s family sitcoms like The Cosby Show. And they struck a nerve, handing Fox its first primetime hit and eventually running for eleven seasons. Crass as it may have been, it paved the way for blue-collar sitcoms like Roseanne and The Simpsons — and made us all feel a little better about our own families.
4. AMERICAN IDOL (2002-16)
You might make fun of it now… but you definitely watched it, right? The reality juggernaut dominated the ratings, with an unprecedented eight straight years as TV’s most-watched show. Yes, it spawned a host of trends we probably regret now: singing competitions, snarky judges, Ryan Seacrest. But when the whole country tuned in to witness the arrival of an incandescent talent like Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood, it was the closest thing we have these days to a truly communal cultural event.
3. THE X-FILES (1993-2002, 2016)
It brought geeky sci-fi into the mainstream (topping 20 million viewers at times), it originated the concept of “shipping” with Mulder and Scully (really, look it up), and its dense alien mythology blazed a trail for serialized dramas like Lost to follow. Plus, it was damn good TV. This year’s revival might have disappointed some fans, but enduring love for The X-Files, like the truth, is always out there.
2. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (2003-06)
The absurd saga of the riches-to-rags Bluth family was too weird to ever be a hit; it only ran for three low-rated seasons on Fox before being revived on Netflix. But for those on its unique wavelength, it stands as one of the funniest TV shows ever aired, with a flawless cast delivering layer after layer of carefully crafted jokes and intricate visual gags. Fifty years from now, we’ll still be quoting it.
1. THE SIMPSONS (1989-present)
C’mon, was there ever any doubt? The Simpsons has been around almost as long as Fox has, and it tops all three of our criteria: It’s at 598 (!) episodes and counting; it broke barriers for animation in primetime TV; and it’s an acknowledged comedy masterpiece, with a mid-’90s peak (Seasons 3 to 8 are the sweet spot) that’s unmatched in TV history. It’s not only Fox’s greatest show; it’s probably the greatest TV show of all time. Way to go, Fox… or, rather, “woo-hoo!”
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Image: Courtesy of Fox
