Media Literacy encompasses so many different sections that it can be hard to manage and grasp at times. What’s important is that it’s the ability to understand and analyze the messages we see in media. People create media to tell a story with a particular message (or messages) in mind. It’s a way for people to express opinions, values, and ideas to a larger audience. It’s through this means that media has helped shape global culture for better or worse. We consume media like its chocolate which can be dangerous because in those instances we don’t notice the duds. It’s this immediate consumption of media that inspired me to write down a comprehensive list of the most influential and media literate shows round. Media Literacy is my passion, its my drive, and its my end goal to promote it’s importance in a progressing society and global culture. We have to know what we are watching and what shows have helped shape societal values, and the foundations within their own industries. Being a Media Literate Scholar I took it upon myself to have watched all of these shows. This means that I also wanted to take the time to compile a list of some of the most important television series for anyone with a keen interest in media literacy to watch and understand. The shows in this compendium are notable for their prestige, depth, complexity, writing, and strong themes/messages/motifs.

So please check out this list and seriously check these series out. In my opinion, they showcase the very best of what has been accomplished in the television industry. These are series that are renowned for their quality, influence, and lasting legacy on our current television landscape.

I also want to have this continually updated with new entries so if you have any suggestions please let me know!

1. 30 Rock
2. Adventure Time
3. Always Sunny in Philadelphia
4. Arrested Development
5. Avatar the Last Airbender
6. Band of Brothers
7. Batman Beyond
8. Batman the Animated Series
9. Black Adder
10. Black Mirror
11. Blackish
12. Bojack Horseman
13. Boy Meets World
14. Breaking Bad
15. Cheers
16. Cowboy Bebop
17. Deadwood
18. Deathnote
19. Dr. Who
20. Dragonball Z
21. Faulty Towers
22. Firefly
23. FLCL
24. Frasier
25. Fringe
26. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
27. Futurama
28. Game of Thrones
29. Glee
30. Gravity Falls
31. Gurren Lagan
32. House of Cards
33. Hunter x Hunter
34. John Adams
35. King of the Hill
36. Lost
37. Luther
38. M.A.S.H
39. Mad Men
40. Married with Children
41. Modern Family
42. My Hero Academia
43. Naruto
44. Neon Genesis Evangelion
45. One Piece
46. Parks and Recreation
47. Psycho Pass (Season 1)
48. Red vs Blue
49. Rome
50. Rosanne
51. Sailor Moon
52. Samurai Jack
53. Saved by the Bell
54. Seinfeld
55. Sherlock
56. Sons of Anarchy
57. Spaced
58. Spongebob Squarepants
59. Star Trek (All of the iterations)
60. Stein’s Gate
61. Stranger Things
62. The Crown
63. The Flintstones
64. The Jetsons
65. The Legend of Korra
66. The Newsroom
67. The Office
68. The Shield
69. The Simpsons
70. The Sopranos
71. The Wire
72. Twilight Zone
73. Twin Peaks
74. X-Files
75. One Punch Man
76. Hey Arnold
77. Recess
78. Kim Possible
79. Sens8
80. Grey’s Anatomy