Game of Thrones is the third best show of all time, per new survey

There are a lot of surveys and polls out there that try to determine the “best TV show ever.” A lot of time, that means just putting up a poll on Twitter or Reddit or wherever and letting people have at it. And there’s nothing wrong with that — in fact, it’s a lot of fun — but it’s not exactly rigorous, and the results are generally pretty skewed based on the tastes of that particular sample population.

Market research company OnePoll is a little more systematic. Teaming up with YouTube TV, they conducted a survey of 2,000 U.S. adults to ask them about their favorite TV shows. The results are a little different from what you’ll get on your average internet poll. There are plenty of shows on here you’d expect to see, but also some curveballs. Take a look:

1. Friends: 43% of respondents named this show
2. Seinfeld: 40%
3. Game of Thrones: 37%
4. Three’s Company: 36%
5. Frasier: 36%
6. The Office: 36%
7. MASH: 35%
8. Battlestar Galactica: 30%
9. The Simpsons: 29%
10. The Wire: 28%
11. Twin Peaks: 27%
12. Family Guy: 27%
13. The Sopranos: 26%
14. Sex and the City: 24%
15. American Dad: 23%
16. Law and Order: 23%
17. Grey’s Anatomy: 23%
18. Bob’s Burgers: 23%
19. Community: 21%
20. Big Brother: 21%

Naturally, I’m always happy to see Game of Thrones represented, and at such a high placement. And I’m not surprised to see juggernauts like Friends and Seinfeld represented. I feel like those kinds of shows might not end up on top of a normal internet poll, but if you actually poll Americans at random, big shows like that are what we remember.

That said, there are also some head-scratchers, one in particular: Three’s Company is the fourth most beloved show of all time? The 1970s sitcom about a guy and two girls living as roommates under their wacky landlord? I get Frasier and The Office and even MASH being here, but…Three’s Company is that popular? My head is spinning.

It’s also interesting that internet favorites like Breaking Bad and Mad Men are missing, but other internet favorites like The Wire and Community are here.

Almost half of respondents own their favorite shows on home video

I get the idea that the survey respondents may be a bit older than the average person weighing in on this sort of poll on Twitter. “It’s not surprising to see that so many people still love and watch TV shows from decades ago,” YouTube TV’s product communications manager Kimberly Taylor said in a statement, per the New York Daily News. “There’s a sense of nostalgia and comfort when you watch your favorite older show, but we’re just as excited about all the great TV airing live now.”

In other FYIs, 45% of respondents still have recordings of their favorite TV show episodes on VHS tapes or DVDs. Meanwhile, 37% said their favorite show is no longer on the air, and 21% yearn to go back in time to watch their favs live.

You can see Friends on HBO Max and Seinfeld on Netflix. I have no idea where Three’s Company is available. Seriously, Three’s Company? Am I alone here in being baffled?

As for Game of Thrones, HBO is readying the prequel series House of the Dragon. Maybe in time that will get on a list like this too. It can happen to spinoffs: notice how Frasier is on this list but Cheers is nowhere to be seen?

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h/t Wiki of Thrones