Credit: Far Out / pinguino k

Swapnil Dhruv Bose

Thu 29 May 2025 8:37, UK

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Some filmmakers can attest to being a part of something big. Just getting a single movie made is enough to hold your head high and know that you have contributed to the legacy of moviemaking. When Quentin Tarantino eventually retires, his legacy will extend beyond the impact of his filmography on the cinematic traditions of America. He has given a whole generation of cinephiles a new sense of creative endeavour and devotion to their craft.

Tarantino’s love for the history of cinema and world cinema has introduced many Western viewers to foreign gems that they would have never discovered if it weren’t for him. It’s a part of his legend that is not often talked about, but Tarantino’s insatiable desire to share his favourite movies and shows, which usually includes some hidden gems, has doubtless inspired millions of people.

Tarantino’s love for Asian pioneers such as Wong Kar-wai and Bong Joon-ho resulted in the creation of cult followings which eventually hit the mainstream after they received more popularity. In fact, it was Tarantino’s promotion for Chungking Express that made Berry Jenkins pick a copy up and it ended up inspiring him to be a director. These moments are not infrequent and they derive from Tarantino’s sincere love for cinema.

Ever since he was a child, Tarantino was mesmerised by the films of Sergio Leone and Mario Bava among others. He was also influenced by his obsessive love for television shows, having been named after a character played by Burt Reynolds in the show Gunsmoke. Reynolds has routinely been cited by Tarantino as one of the more inspiring figures of cinema, and it is nice to see he happily enjoyed his TV endeavours too.

That love for the television medium hasn’t gone away, as Tarantino has been thinking of making a major TV project for some time now. While it remains to be seen whether he could fully enact his vision into a series, one thing is certainly going in his favour now: budget. The show budgets in today’s media landscape are far grander than ever before, with shows like House of Dragons reportedly costing around $20million per episode, there c ould be room for a Tarantino television bonanza.

In his early years, Tarantino worked at a video store where he developed a strong reputation for his vast knowledge of TV and cinema. Since he grew up in that environment, Tarantino shares a scepticism when it comes to the latest evolution of the medium – streaming platforms such as Netflix – which he feels is devoid of the commitment of TV. However, he still named a Netflix project among his favourite television shows of all time.

Over the years, many of these gems influenced Tarantino’s work in various ways. One of the most significant examples of this is the Japanese show Shadow Warriors, which Tarantino cited as the source of inspiration for the iconic Ezekiel monologue in Pulp Fiction.

However, Tarantino’s favourite show of all time is the popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother. In an interview, he claimed that he will never stop watching it. “I’ve been watching that since the very first episode, so that’s the one show that I always keep watching,” Tarantino declared.

For now, see the full list of Quentin Tarantino’s top picks below.

Quentin Tarantino’s favourite TV shows of all time:

• Gunsmoke (1955)
• Bonanza (1959)
• Frontier Circus (1961)
• The Virginian (1962)
• Honey West (1965)
• Star Trek (1966)
• The Green Hornet (1966)
• Callan (1967)
• Cimarron Strip (1967)
• Speed Racer (1967)
• The High Chaparral (1967)
• The New Adventures of Superman (1966-1970)
• The Adventures of Batman (1968–1969)
• Randall and Hopkirk – Deceased (1969)
• Then Came Bronson (1969)
• The Brotherhood of the Bell (1970)
• Matt Lincoln (1970)
• The House That Would Not Die (1970)
• Bearcats! (1971)
• Alias Smith and Jones (1971)
• The Death of Me Yet (1971
• Cade’s Country (1971)
• Jason King (1971)
• Harpy (1971)
• Banyon (1972-73)
• The Longest Night (1972
• Kung Fu (1972)
• The Night Stalker (1972)
• Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
• Firehouse (1973)
• Bad Ronald (1974)
• Get Christie Love! (1974)
• The Manhunter (1974)
• The Execution of Private Slovik (1974)
• Where Have All The People Gone (1974)
• Heatwave! (1974)
• A Cry for Help (1975)
• Death Stalk (1975)
• Foster & Laurie (1975)
• Nightmare in Badham County (1976)
• Rich Man, Poor Man (1976)
• One on One (1977)
• Hot Rod (1979)
• The Jericho Mile (1979)
• Shadow Warriors (1980)
• Hotline (1982)
• The Gladiator (1986)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000)
• The Shield (2002)
• Battlestar Galactica (2004)
• How I Met Your Mother (2005)
• Justified (2010)
• The Newsroom (2012)
• The Americans (2013)
• 9-1-1 (2018)
• The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
• The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

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