The best shows of the 2000s

I'd say the same thing about any list without Arrested Development.

 

The Shield
Dexter
Sopranos
24
Californication
Weeds
How I Met Your Mother
Lie to Me

 

MY TOP TEN:
1. The Wire
2. Scrubs
3. Friday Night Lights
4. Arrested Development
5. Lost
6. The Office
7. Mad Men
8. 30 Rock
9. Always Sunny In Philadelphia
10. Firefly

Honorable Mentions: Breaking Bad, How I Met Your Mother, Battlestar Galactica, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dexter, Californication, Weeds

 

I understand folks that put F&G on the list, but personally, I don't believe it belongs.

There's something to be said for a show that can sustain its creativity and continue to be good over the course of 100-200 episodes.

That's why, for me, I look at the way a show ends as playing a big part in how I rank it and that's why though I love Prison Break, it falls off the list.

1. Lost (Simply brilliant show whose creativity from week-to-week and ability to weave and navigate through the lives of 20+ characters is unmatched).
2. The Shield (The Intensity started the moment Vic shot Terry and never let up, special props to the amazing guest stars).
3. The Wire (Honestly, this could easily have been No. 1 in my book. Just a damn solid show. The only reason I drop it to No. 3 is I was a bit let down by the fifth and final season. It was still great but I don't think it was near as good as the first four)
4. 24 (Given the way this show is handcuffed with its premise, I think it says a lot that 24 is still capable of enthralling you week to week. Is it as good as it once was? No way. Has it reached the point of no return? I hope not).
5. House (Easily the most intriguing main character of the decade. House is both flawed and a genius, both easy to sympathize with and despise).
6. How I Met Your Mother (Great ensemble cast makes this the most likeable show on the list, hands down. No matter how ridiculous the main four act, you still find yourself rooting for them).
7. Entourage (When I first heard about this show, I was only mildly interested. Who cares about a spoiled Hollywood star, right? As I watched it though, I got hooked. I love following Vince's career around and Johnny Drama is amazing.)
8. Arrested Development (Much like the Wire, I loved this show but felt let down by the final season. The more I think about this show, the more I smile and it definitely left me feeling glad I watched it but I wish it had gone down with a little more power. Damn you Fox!)
9. Coupling (UK Version) (My god, what a great show. I don't think I've laughed as hard as I have watching this program. Too bad they had to go and ruin the positivity with their final bow).
10. The Office (US) (Say what you want about how the UK version is better, I don't care. Let's see them try to keep this a fresh concept after five seasons. I feel this US version is far superior to the original and I'll take Jim, Pam and Dwight over any and all of the original characters, thank you very much).

 

I understand the argument against Freaks and Geeks, but can't agree. You can't fault a show because it lived fast and died young.

And agree on the love for The Gilmore Girls, which might be my 11th favorite show of the decade.

 

1. The Wire - This is a museum piece. A fucking masterpiece. Nothing is even close.
2. The Office (UK) - I like the US series, but this one was the groundbreaker. The final Christmas special is among the finest pieces of emotional drama you'll find anywhere.
3. Breaking Bad - Hovering on the level near The Wire, but still a very young show.
4. The Sopranos - The last few seasons were unsatisfying, yet I never missed it.
5. Battlestar Galactica - Finest Sci-Fi series of this generation.
6. Peep Show (UK) - If you haven't seen it, do so. Funniest show around by a long mile.
7. Life on Mars (UK) - Love this and its spin-off series. Too bad the US version sucked.
8. Entourage - Yes, it's the equivalent of a soap opera, but it's a great treat to cap a weekend.
9. Weeds - Genuinely funny, yet it never hides from the dark side of dealing.
10. Scrubs - Don't care for the newer episodes, but when this was in its prime it was fantastic.

Honorable mention: Extras, Deadwood, Gilmore Girls, Arrested Development...probably a bunch more I have yet to see.

This is truly the golden age of television.

 

Changed the way we look at quality television forever - The Sopranos, The Wire, The Shield, Mad Men, Friday Night Lights

Changed television storytelling forever - Lost

Changed the face of pop culture significantly - Freaks and Geeks

Proved that humor can be smart again - The Office, Arrested Development, 30 Rock


Those are my 10 picks.

 

Anyone else find it odd that it seems every single day people say how music sucks compares to 10/20/30 years ago, how Hollywood is doing nothing but repackaging shit movies and yet, somehow, we're all pretty much in agreement that the last 9-10 years of TV have been, pound-for-pound, some of the best we've ever seen?

 

Agreed. There are a number of shows I really enjoy, like Monk, Psych, Damages, Leverage, The Closer, Sons of Anarchy, and other shows that died a quick death just because of the steep competition these days. NBC has had a few really good shows that never took off, CBS had Jericho, even ESPN had Playmakers, and A and E's The Cleaner is some deep dark stuff week in, week out. I've got to think cable's shorter episode orders attract better actors and writers who enjoy the freedom and the tighter season arcs. I'm surprised broadcast hasn't used the model more.

 

If Freaks and Geeks is eligible, then Firefly also should be up there, IMHO.

Oh, and nice to see RickStain has an avatar and sigline now.

 

I'll admit, I have not seen a lot of the shows mentioned here, namely because I've never had HBO/Showtime/etc. My list would include Gilmore Girls (a single mother show without apology), NCIS (great writing and character development), and whatever version of Law & Order originated after the turn of the century.

But for groundbreaking television, I'd go with TNT's The Closer. I really believe that show, much like Murphy Brown had 20 years earlier with prime-time TV, showed the first strong-yet-human female lead character in a cop show. TNT (and other cable networks before it) had been banking hours upon hours of Law & Order reruns for years, and finally figured out who their audience was: middle-aged, professional women who tuned in because L&O was mindless, formulaic television for smart people ... but who were a little tired of Dick Wolf's casting couch serving up nothing but fuckable young ADAs for Jack McCoy. So they take a woman from their audience demographic and make her the lead character in a cop drama, and it was an instant success. They've followed up with Saving Grace and the new Jada Pinkett Smith show, which is trying to establish a black female character as the lead of a hospital drama.

 

Gilmore Girls - best writing of any show this decade until the seventh season. I encourage everyone to give this show a chance because even though it may seem like a girly show, it's hilarious and deals with actual life situations.
Will & Grace - I know it started in 1998 but still. Most of it was in this decade and it's hilarious.
Arrested Development
Weeds - which I just started watching on Netflix but I've already fallen in love with