TV trends are quite common, as are shows that compete with each other, and, in some cases, they have very similar premises and aired at the same time. The list of the best TV shows of all time has titles from every genre, and some of them had some strong competition with another show with the same premise and/or style.
Some of these identical shows were released around the same time, while others have a minor gap between their release dates, but they competed with each other for the audience’s attention. Streaming releases don’t count as they can be watched any time, so shows like Candy and Love & Death, and Upload and The Good Place don’t qualify.
Curb Your Enthusiasm & Arrested Development
Michael Cera and Jason Bateman as George Michael Bluth and Michael Bluth smiling in Arrested Development
Curb Your Enthusiasm is a comedy TV show created by Larry David, who also stars as a fictionalized version of himself. Curb Your Enthusiasm follows David as a semi-retired TV writer and producer, and the different situations he gets himself involved in as he often disregards social rules. Curb Your Enthusiasm ran for 12 seasons from 1999 to 2024.
Arrested Development is a sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz, and it follows the dysfunctional and formerly wealthy Bluth family as they navigate life after their patriarch, George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor), is arrested for fraud. Arrested Development aired from 2003 to 2006 and from 2013 to 2019 for five seasons.
Both shows are single-camera comedies with morally questionable characters who find themselves in absurd but funny situations as a result of social misunderstandings and miscommunications. Despite their similarities, Arrested Development and Curb Your Enthusiasm succeeded for different reasons, appealing to viewers with different types of humor.
Bewitched & I Dream of Jeannie
Bewitched opening credits
Bewitched is a fantasy sitcom created by Sol Saks, and it follows Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery), a witch who marries a mortal man named Darrin Stephens (Dick York and Dick Sargent). Although Samantha does her best to be a typical, mortal suburban housewife, her magic often gets in the way. Bewitched aired from 1964 to 1972 for eight seasons.
In 1965, the fantasy sitcom I Dream of Jeannie premiered, and it aired for five seasons, ending in 1970. I Dream of Jeannie follows Jeannie (Barbara Eden), a beautiful genie who falls in love and marries astronaut Tony Nelson (Larry Hagman), who discovers her. While both shows are now classics, Bewitched stands as the winner.
Bewitched was more successful than I Dream of Jeannie, most likely due to being released first and for its likable and relatable characters, and it’s now regarded among the best TV shows of all time. Bewitched is also one of the most influential fantasy shows ever, and Samantha is one of the most iconic TV characters of all time.
Chicago Hope & ER
The doctors in the operating room working on a patient on ERCredit: MovieStillsDB
Chicago Hope is a medical drama created by David E. Kelley, which aired from 1994 to 2000 for six seasons. Chicago Hope’s premise is the one often seen in medical dramas, as it follows the staff of a hospital, in this case located in Chicago, and the problems they go through at the hospital and in their personal lives.
Just one day after Chicago Hope’s premiere, ER was released. Created by Michael Crichton, ER is a medical drama that takes the audience into the emergency room of Cook County Hospital, also in Chicago, and follows the stories of the staff and their patients. ER ran for 15 seasons and aired from 1994 to 2009.
In the end, ER took the throne in this very close competition, despite critics admitting that Chicago Hope told better stories. What made ER succeed was its pace, narrative style, and tone, which made it more engaging and helped it become not only one of the best TV shows of all time but the one that changed medical dramas forever.
True Blood & The Vampire Diaries
Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård), and Nora (Lucy Griffiths) look up and show their fangs in True Blood.
The 2000s saw the rise of the vampire trend, and on TV, it began with True Blood. Based on Charlaine Harris’ series of novels, The Southern Vampire Mysteries, True Blood follows Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who falls in love with vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), in a world where vampires have “come out of the coffin” thanks to the invention of synthetic blood for them.
True Blood aired from 2008 to 2014 for seven seasons, and in 2009, its biggest competition premiered: The Vampire Diaries. Based on L. J. Smith’s book series of the same name, The Vampire Diaries follows teenager Elena (Nina Dobrev), who falls for vampire Damon Salvatore (Paul Wesley), but their relationship is challenged by his brother, Stefan (Ian Somerhalder), who wants to bring his past love back, and she’s Elena’s doppelgänger.
True Blood aimed at a mature audience, while The Vampire Diaries was more for teenagers, but when looking at legacy, impact, and overall quality, True Blood is the superior vampire TV show, despite its controversial finale.
Sherlock & Elementary
Elementary – Joan Watson and Sherlock Holmes
The BBC’s Sherlock aired from 2010 to 2017 for four seasons, and it brings the Great Detective to the modern world. Sherlock adapted Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories and characters to the modern world, and despite its quality declining in its final two seasons, it now ranks among the best detective TV shows of all time.
Two years after Sherlock’s premiere, its biggest competitor was released: Elementary, created by Robert Doherty. Like Sherlock, Elementary brought Holmes and company into the modern world, but with some key differences, such as a gender-bent Watson and a different backstory for Holmes. Elementary aired from 2012 to 2019 for seven seasons.
Despite both being great TV shows, the winner here is defined by the show’s quality. Sherlock’s decline in seasons 3 and 4 was terrible, while Elementary was consistently good from beginning to end, with better character development and more engaging plots.
Seinfeld & Friends
Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, and Joey watching TV in Rachel and Monica’s apartment in a scene from Friends
Seinfeld aired from 1989 to 1998 for nine seasons, and it’s a sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. The show follows a fictionalized version of Seinfeld, following him and his friends – George (Jason Alexander), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Kramer (Michael Richards) – in their daily lives. Seinfeld is famously known as a TV show “about nothing.”
In 1994, the sitcom Friends premiered, and it stayed for 10 seasons, ending in 2004. Friends follows a tight-knit group of friends – Chandler (Matthew Perry), Monica (Courteney Cox), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Joey (Joey Tribbiani), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), and Ross (David Schwimmer) – as they go through many ups and downs in their lives.
Both Seinfeld and Friends rank among the best sitcoms of all time, and they were both highly influential, though it must be said that Friends’ popularity hasn’t really declined in all these years. In this case, the best show depends on every viewer.
The Addams Family & The Munsters
Morticia, Gomez, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Grandmama, Wednesday, and Pugsley pose for a photo in The Addams FamilyImage via MovieStillDB
In 1964, the world met the Addams Family in the TV show of the same name, a one-of-a-kind family drawn to the macabre and dark, but who are kind-hearted, although eccentric. The Addams Family aired for only two seasons, ending in 1966, but it’s now a beloved classic and a franchise that has expanded to other media.
A couple of days after the premiere of The Addams Family, another unique family was introduced in The Munsters. This Transylvanian-American family of monsters – a Frankenstein’s monster, vampires, and a werewolf – lives among humans, and they are kind, caring, funny, and quite wholesome. Just like its competitor, The Munsters also ran for two seasons, ending in 1966.
Both The Addams Family and The Munsters are some of the best TV shows of all time and most influential shows, too, and despite their similar styles and premises, they appeal to different types of humor. However, The Addams Family achieved more long-term success, though The Munsters still have a place in the hearts of viewers.