Screenboy Jesse Wente takes on another fool's errand. Yes, it's Jesse's Top Ten TV Shows of All Time!! With some caveats -- Not including miniseries, because there are too many. Or reality shows, because they would never makes this list anyway. Also no late night talk shows because I can't choose between Johnny or Dave (or Merv).

TOP TEN TV SHOWS OF ALL TIME

1/ The Simpsons - this shouldn't be an argument; it will become longest running show in history next season, opened doors for prime time animation, cultural influence is immense. Yes the movie was a letdown, but the show is unmatched.

2/ The Sopranos - watching it again reminds you just how groundbreaking this show was; best writing on tv except for the show above it on this list.

3/ Hill Street Blues - changed tv police dramas forever, still stands up today.

4/ M*A*S*H - most watched series finale in history, show broke tv rules and rewrote them - political and funny, this one also comes in a glorious box set edition.

5/ The Wire - another of the recent cable shows that elevated the entire format, simply amazing.

6/ Saturday Night Live - hugely influential, made sketch comedy subversive and voice for counter culture, launched numerous careers, from Chevy Chase and Bill Murray to Will Ferrell and Tina Fey.

7/ The Twilight Zone - remarkable series that still holds up, challenged conceptions of what tv could be, and set groundwork for later shows from The X-Files to Heroes.

8/ The Muppets/Sesame Street - Jim Henson gets a double shot for his two greatest creations, shows that forever changed the way people see children's entertainment, he was one of tv's greatest geniuses.

9/ Law and Order - will become second longest running series next year, updated the police procedural for modern era, there would be no CSI without this show.

10/ The Munsters - because I can - this show kept me company during many sick days when I was a kid - I still love it - way better than The Addams Family.