50 TV shows of the 2000s
by Okonh0wp | created - 06 Dec 2013 | updated - 07 Dec 2013 | PublicMy personal choices of my favorite TV shows of the 2000s that began in 2000 (Futurama started in 1999 but restarted in 2010). Talk shows and reality shows are ineligible but I don't watch that many of the latter. The Colbert Report is included because he plays a character. Also, of note: My name isn't really Scott.
This is pulled from much of my TV writing, especially year-end Top 10 lists:
http://sophomorecritic.blogspot.com/2012/04/super-belated-top-10-tv-shows-of-2011.html
http://sophomorecritic.blogspot.com/2010/12/top-ten-shows-of-year.html
http://www.sophomorecritic.blogspot.com/2012/12/top-10-of-year-in-tv.html
http://sophomorecritic.blogspot.com/2009/12/top-ten-tv-shows-of-year.html
and I've attached a few links below where I've written extensively about the show if anyone's curious
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1. Boston Public (2000–2006)
60 min | Comedy, Drama
The lives of 10 faculty members at a high school in Boston weave in and out of dealing with trouble-makers, having a personal life, and keeping sanity.
Stars: Loretta Devine, Anthony Heald, Fyvush Finkel, Chi McBride
Votes: 6,303
One of my first TV obsessions, it was set at a high school drama where literally everything that has gone wrong in the history of public schools occurs every week or two. The show is quintessential David Kelly and is one of the few (perhaps only?) TV shows to give the procedural approach to school administration. Also of note: The protagonist shares a name with the Canadian prime minister
2. Pushing Daisies (2007–2009)
TV-PG | 44 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A pastry chef with the power to bring dead people back to life solves murder mysteries with his resurrected childhood sweetheart, a cynical private investigator, and a lovesick waitress.
Stars: Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Jim Dale
Votes: 59,575
Wonderfully whimsy with a great visual tone and a solid enough backstory for this world to make for great episode-to-episode mysteries. It also is great how the show has so many odd couples. Kristin Chenoweth deserved an Emmy as the stand-out of the ensemble.
3. The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Romance
A woman who moves into an apartment across the hall from two brilliant but socially awkward physicists shows them how little they know about life outside of the laboratory.
Stars: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg
Votes: 868,459
An unlikely comedy (how many TV studios would greenlight the fun hijinx of nuclear scientists?) with the modern-day charm of a cross-class romance (nerds and beauties being the two classes) and a couple initially unworkable characters (Howard and Raj) who've gotten better.
4. Aliens in America (2007–2008)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy
A young Muslim student from Pakistan is sent to live with a Christian family in Wisconsin as part of a foreign exchange program.
Stars: Dan Byrd, Adhir Kalyan, Amy Pietz, Lindsey Shaw
Votes: 3,629
Ranking high on the brilliant but cancelled list, Aliens in America was great cross-cultural hillarity, deadpan snark, and Midwestern sweetness
5. The Office (2005–2013)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
A mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, and tedium.
Stars: Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson
Votes: 712,326
Through high times and low, The Office was pretty much the core of my viewing experiences and shaped how I viewed the medium entirely.
I wrote more about it here in a more personal essay:
http://www.sophomorecritic.blogspot.com/2013/05/good-bye-to-office-but-not-yet.html
6. Extras (2005–2007)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
Andy Millman is an actor with ambition and a script. Reduced to working as an extra with a useless agent, Andy's attempts to boost his career invariably end in failure and embarrassment.
Stars: Ricky Gervais, Ashley Jensen, Stephen Merchant, Shaun Williamson
Votes: 60,397
The British Office kickstarted nine seasons the American Office and was unique in changing the way we perceived TV but Extras is the one I remember more fondly today. Throughout two seasons, Andy Millman struggled with life on both sides of the fame equation. He was desperately lacking in it as an extra the first season and once he had it, found an even new set of troubles. A great satire on our need to be famous (as a substitute for achievement) and the ins-and-outs of that struggle.
7. Party Down (2009– )
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
A group of actors move to Los Angeles to make it big, but end up working as caterers.
Stars: Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Ryan Hansen, Martin Starr
Votes: 37,149
Party Down centers around a ragtag band of dreamers in Los Angeles working on a catering team together to pay the bills but hoping for bigger things. The characters' varying degrees of disconnect from reality is contrasted with the very close proximity these people are to the people who nonchalantly live their lives. The show also manages to be edgy in bringing characters to the screen who aren't in love with their lives without being unnecessarily crude or depressing (a sin I find Weeds and Entourage guilty of).
8. Clone High (2002– )
TV-14 | 30 min | Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi
The greatest minds of the world have been cloned, and are now attending high school together.
Stars: Will Forte, Phil Lord, Michael McDonald, Christa Miller
Votes: 9,018
Short-lived but ridiculously clever cartoon for history buffs who felt that Gandhi, Cleopatra, Abe Lincoln, JFK, Joan of Arc and Ponce de Leon (in a very special episode) weren't hilarious enough. Great running gags and multi-layered jokes
9. The Guild (2007–2013)
TV-14 | 4 min | Short, Comedy
The lives inside and outside video games of the members of online guild the Knights of Good.
Stars: Felicia Day, Sandeep Parikh, Jeff Lewis, Robin Thorsen
Votes: 10,462
An unabashed celebration of nerd culture and the banding together of six highly diverse misfits who initially never meant anything to each other beyond anonymous screen names to go on gaming quests with. Each season has succeeded in raising the stakes for the characters and developing them further. Felicia Day can play the violin, work a crowd at comic con, act, and is a talented writer as well. America's next great hyphenate in the making.
10. Hotel Babylon (2006–2009)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
At a posh urban hotel, the love lives and whims of its wealthy guests are attended to by hard-working staff who have their own troubles with love.
Stars: Dexter Fletcher, Martin Marquez, Michael Obiora, Raymond Coulthard
Votes: 4,682
Set at a four-star hotel in London, the show combines an enticing glimpse of the luxuries of the high life in the UK with an engaging look into the struggles of people in the service industry.
11. Prison Break (2005–2017)
TV-14 | 44 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A structural engineer installs himself in a prison he helped design, in order to save his falsely accused brother from a death sentence by breaking themselves out from the inside.
Stars: Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller, Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper
Votes: 579,646
From around the age of Lost where serialized TV was just finding its footing, Prison Break was super-hooky, featured a cast with great chemistry, and was one of the first shows that dared you to think a couple steps ahead
12. My Name Is Earl (2005–2009)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
A ne'er do well wins $100,000 in the lottery and decides to right all the wrongs from his past with his newfound realization!
Stars: Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Jaime Pressly, Nadine Velazquez
Votes: 109,657
A sweet and inspiring show with memorable backwoods characters who are often smarter than they seem (although it can be hard to defend Randy at times). Greg Garcia, the creator, and show-runner, went to my high school, which might imply that I came from a place with backwoods characters rather than the Washington D.C. suburbs.
13. American Dad! (2005– )
TV-MA | 22 min | Animation, Comedy
The escapades of Stan Smith, a conservative C.I.A. Agent dealing with family life, and keeping America safe.
Stars: Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, Rachael MacFarlane
Votes: 136,335
An under discussed animated entity, American Dad deserves mention for being consistently funny and inventive. Roger, that lovable extraterrestrial duex-es-machina, continues to lead the show in interesting directions signifying just how well the writer’s room has resisted the temptations to overextend his limitless personality. Unlike sister show, Family Guy, American Dad has distinctive characters which exist as more than just an excuse to get from point A to point B in the plot.
14. Go On (2012–2013)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy
Pressured by his boss to join a support group because he can't move forward after his wife's death, an irreverent sportscaster finds connection with the extremely varied members.
Stars: Matthew Perry, Laura Benanti, Julie White, Suzy Nakamura
Votes: 20,625
Go On was also based on a disparate group of characters toughing out a big life challenge together (whether being relegated to community college or coping with loss) but it had a stronger emotional baseline. The ensemble was filled with a few characters that started out a bit over-the-top but the show made great strides at developing everyone to the point where the quirky ensemble interplay really drove the humor while the bittersweet plots were effectively emotional.
15. Arrested Development (2003–2019)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
Level-headed son Michael Bluth takes over family affairs after his father is imprisoned. But the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family are making his job unbearable.
Stars: Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett
Votes: 324,302
What can I say that hasn't already been said. Nearly every great thing written about this show is 100% true.
16. Heroes (II) (2006–2010)
TV-14 | 45 min | Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Common people discover that they have super powers. Their lives intertwine as a devastating event must be prevented.
Stars: Jack Coleman, Hayden Panettiere, Milo Ventimiglia, Masi Oka
Votes: 251,671
Disclaimer: I've only watched it to the beginning of season 3
I've rarely seen something so nerdy enter the mainstream as when Heroes was the show everyone was watching in 2007. Borrowing heavily from comic book conventions, Heroes was a grounded take on the superhero genre with a mix of playfully excitable, angtsy, and intense super hero characters bringing a nice level of diversity to a show that also doubles as an ensemble drama.
17. Better Off Ted (2009–2010)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi
In an amoral science-based company, a manager tries to keep control of his scientists while being pressured by his shrewd boss.
Stars: Jay Harrington, Portia de Rossi, Andrea Anders, Jonathan Slavin
Votes: 27,349
Issues with Jay Harrington as a lead, but not even a piece of cardboard in the lead could take away from the sharp writing and strong supporting cast. It's satire taken to levels of absurdity.
18. Royal Pains (2009–2016)
TV-PG | 42 min | Comedy, Drama
An unfairly discredited but brilliant ER doctor winds up working with his younger brother in the Hamptons as a concierge doctor to the uber-rich and ultra-elite.
Stars: Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Reshma Shetty, Brooke D'Orsay
Votes: 23,314
Episodic/procedural TV that really sticks out with a strong protagonist who could probably solve America's health care crisis if given the chance.
19. Monk (2002–2009)
TV-PG | 44 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
The series follows Adrian Monk, a brilliant former San Francisco detective, who now consults the police as a private consultant whilst battling with an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Stars: Tony Shalhoub, Jason Gray-Stanford, Ted Levine, Traylor Howard
Votes: 88,842
The first of many lighthearted idiot savant (or some form of brilliant guy hampered by circumstances) procedurals over on USA, the show had great chemistry between Monk and the Sherrif (Ted Levine) and Natalie (Taylor Howard).
20. Sit Down, Shut Up (2009)
TV-14 | 30 min | Animation, Comedy
About the teachers at a slightly poor, non-distinguished school and their random day-to-day problems.
Stars: Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Kristin Chenoweth, Will Forte
Votes: 1,912
The show from Mitch Hurwitz started out terribly, but really found its strides in its "second season" (technically, this was just the network burning off the remaining nine episodes of the first season). Whatever problems the show had, it had a great cast that never let the show down and created interesting characters out of the lines that were given to them. The basis of any good comedy is good characters and Sit Down Shut Up had that base so when the plots were clicking (as what happened more often in the season's second half) the show really came on fire. I also loved how unapologetic the show was about never involving the students into the picture.
21. In Treatment (2008–2021)
TV-MA | 25 min | Drama
A psychotherapist questions his abilities and gets help by reuniting with his old therapist, whom he has not seen for ten years.
Stars: Gabriel Byrne, Uzo Aduba, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Forbes
Votes: 18,285
The cinematically minimalist series stars Gabriel Bryne as a therapist operating out of his apartment with multi-episode arcs as he skillfully peels back the layers of dysfunction of his patients' dysfunction. It's a show that proves that the sheer gravity of good performances (John Mahoney, child actor Aaron Shaw, Dianne Wiest, and Hope Davis) and captivating dialogue is all you need to make a show work.
22. Hell on Wheels (2011–2016)
TV-14 | 42 min | Drama, Western
The Civil War is past, but former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon can't put it behind him. Fresh are the memories of the death of his wife, killed at the hands of Union soldiers, an act that sets him on a course of revenge.
Stars: Anson Mount, Colm Meaney, Robin McLeavy, Phil Burke
Votes: 55,772
The show is beautifully shot but doesn’t do the glamor of the West any favors. The railroad camps and the life of backbreaking labor is so hellish that only marked men would go there. The show interestingly contrasts that with two Irish brothers who think they can get a slice of the American dream with their picture show, a preacher who wants to open up a church, a whore with scars from her time as an Indian princess and a newly widowed fair-haired maiden who was told by another character that, not being a whore or Indian, she doesn’t belong out there.
23. Enlightened (2011–2013)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Drama
A self-destructive woman who has a spiritual awakening becomes determined to live an enlightened life, creating havoc at home and work.
Stars: Laura Dern, Diane Ladd, Sarah Burns, Luke Wilson
Votes: 10,210
A highly engaging show in that it forced you to constantly reevaluate your sense of right and wrong with respect to its characters. Laura Dern is a highly capable lead and Mike White is perfect as the unwilling sidekick. Bonus points for giving Michaela Watkins a TV role.
24. Homeland (2011–2020)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A bipolar CIA operative becomes convinced a prisoner of war has been turned by al-Qaeda and is planning to carry out a terrorist attack on American soil.
Stars: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Damian Lewis, Rupert Friend
Votes: 361,033
Generally, dramas made about events that are pervasive in the news aren't things I'd like to watch as escape but Homeland is a rare exception where I'm entirely hooked by a show about something I'm already sick to death of hearing on the news about. The acting by Lewis, Danes, and Patankin is phenomenal, the characters are engaging, and the show keeps suspense going without seeming as though the cliffhangers are cheaply inserted. The show's "hook" is the insider look at CIA interrogations and terrorist watches but it branches into medicine, politics, and even throws in a Douglas Sirkian melodrama for good measure.
25. The Bridge (I) (2013–2014)
TV-MA | 43 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two detectives work together to take down a serial killer operating on both sides of the Texas-Chihuahua border.
Stars: Demián Bichir, Diane Kruger, Thomas M. Wright, Ted Levine
Votes: 20,326
A topical serial drama that unfolded perfectly in the first season as we became more intimate with the principle characters. A near-perfect example of serial drama done right.
26. Lilyhammer (2012–2014)
TV-MA | 45 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A New York mobster goes into hiding in rural Lillehammer in Norway after testifying against his former associates.
Stars: Steven Van Zandt, Trond Fausa, Steinar Sagen, Marian Saastad Ottesen
Votes: 32,333
The show's one big flaw is allowing it's protagonist to have become inexplicably powerful too quickly and too easily. Other than that, Lilyhammer has an excitingly well-defined sense of place. Because it's filmed by a Norweigan production company (in collaboration with Steve van Zandt), it goes without saying that watching this show transports you to another world. The cast of characters is wonderfully sharp and I get the strong sense that there's potential of better things to come in Season 2.
27. Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019)
TV-MA | 59 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Convicted of a decade-old crime of transporting drug money, ordinarily law-abiding Piper Chapman is sentenced to 18 months behind bars and quickly discovers the realities of life-changing prison time.
Stars: Taylor Schilling, Danielle Brooks, Taryn Manning, Emma Myles
Votes: 320,258
Take a memoir from an observant white collar ex-con and imbue it with maximum levels of suspense, and you have the roller coaster that was watching OitNB on Netflix. It's moving, unpredictable, occasionally amusing, insightful, and filled with more fascinating female characters than every network TV show combined. It's also a show that arouses the viewer to reevaluate social injustice in the world
Further Reading: http://sophomorecritic.blogspot.com/2013/08/orange-is-new-black-episode-9-fcksgiving.html
28. 30 Rock (2006–2013)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
Liz Lemon, head writer of the sketch-comedy show "TGS with Tracy Jordan", must deal with an arrogant new boss and a crazy new star while trying to run a successful television show without losing her mind.
Stars: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jack McBrayer
Votes: 132,017
Consistently hilarious and containing some of the best, most malleable comic characters TV's ever invented, 30 Rock uses so many forms of comedy to maximum effect that it should be considered a comedy writer's master course.
Further reading:
http://www.sophomorecritic.blogspot.com/search/label/30%20Rock
29. Suburgatory (2011–2014)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy
Tessa Altman is used to the big city, but when her dad moves her away, she has to adapt to her new suburban life in Chatswin.
Stars: Jeremy Sisto, Jane Levy, Carly Chaikin, Allie Grant
Votes: 32,992
Suburgatory, created by Emily Kapnek, isn't revolutionary by any means, but it's the show watching and rewatching more than practically anything else. It has a unique voice and a sharp script. More importantly, the show has a vastly underrated cast with supporting actors (Cheryl Hines, Rex Lee, Chris Parnell, Alan Tudyk, Ana Gasteyer) who add a lot of color to the show. The show also gets a surprising amount of milage for its visual gags and is one of the few instances of voiceover that's not annoying.
30. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005– )
TV-MA | 22 min | Comedy
Five friends with big egos and small brains are the proprietors of an Irish pub in Philadelphia.
Stars: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson
Votes: 251,987
I continue to find it astounding just how many layers these shows can reveal around its five characters. In a way, it seems as clues are simultaneously being dropped as to what's wrong with these guys. Over time, we learn that Dennis wasn't as popular in high school as he thought or that Charlie's mom was a whore and questions are answered. At the same time, Sunny has such fun with dysfunction. Mac had daddy issues, Mac was fat, now Mac's a repressed gay, does it really matter? I don't know the answer to that but I'm having fun figuring it out. The show is so comedically strong that many a scene can be lifted verbatim and, as a stand alone sketch, it would be funnier than what you'd see on Saturday Night Live. The Gang Dines Out, which had the makings of a stageplay, was one of the best episodes of TV I've seen all year. Ditto for "Charlie and Dee Find Love" and the "Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre." As of late, it's getting more apparent that the characters truly love each other which has led to a few more happy endings and that puts a smile on my face more than it compromises the show. Further reading: http://www.sophomorecritic.blogspot.com/2013/01/irs-always-sunny-is-mac-gay.html
31. Bates Motel (2013–2017)
TV-MA | 45 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A contemporary prequel to Psycho, giving a portrayal of how Norman Bates' psyche unravels through his teenage years, and how deeply intricate his relationship with his mother, Norma, truly is.
Stars: Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot, Nicola Peltz Beckham
Votes: 117,016
A prequel to Psycho, the series is rife with depth in its efforts to slowly disentangle the "why" and the "who" of Norman Bates, the series is rife with nuggets for a budding psych major to have a field day with. More often that not, however, its just a breezy small-town drama with fascinating characters, most of whom are concealing a dark side. Further reading: http://www.sophomorecritic.blogspot.com/2013/04/new-spring-tv-shows.html
32. Modern Family (2009–2020)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Three different, but related, families face trials and tribulations in their own uniquely comedic ways.
Stars: Ed O'Neill, Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell
Votes: 483,903
A 21st century reimagining of the family sitcom-- with a May-December and a cross-cultural marraige, a gay couple, stepsiblings, adopted kids-- that gets great mileage out of simple conventional sitcom plots. Riding on great ensemble chemistry, the show is endlessly rewatchable in syndication even if it's not the most exciting thing in primetime. Further reading: http://www.sophomorecritic.blogspot.com/2010/10/difference-between-modern-family-and.html
33. Glee (2009–2015)
TV-PG | 44 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A group of ambitious misfits try to escape the harsh realities of high school by joining a glee club headed by a passionate Spanish teacher.
Stars: Lea Michele, Jane Lynch, Matthew Morrison, Cory Monteith
Votes: 155,494
It has its points of silliness and ups and downs, but every errant turn in the storyline is done with conviction. The show has a strong sense of style but there's a lot of bittersweet resonance underneath as it takes on the high school experience from the POV of outcasts, jocks (who end up feelings like outcasts themselves), and a well-meaning teacher. Plus, the musical numbers can be quite catchy.
Further reading:
http://www.sophomorecritic.blogspot.com/search/label/Glee
34. Bunheads (2012–2013)
TV-PG | 44 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Michelle, a Las Vegas showgirl marries a man on a whim and moves to his sleepy coastal town where she winds up working alongside her new mother-in-law at her dance school.
Stars: Sutton Foster, Kaitlyn Jenkins, Julia Goldani Telles, Bailey De Young
Votes: 8,940
A sugary small-town dramedy (that's slightly female oriented) from the creator of Gillmore Girls had a lot of depth underneath of a seemingly superficial tale of a newly-widowed (after having been married for 24 hours) Las Vegas dancer resettling into a small town where no one knows her name. Further reading: http://sophomorecritic.blogspot.com/2012/12/bunheads-and-tv-historys-biggest-2nd.html
35. Breaking Bad (2008–2013)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with a former student in order to secure his family's future.
Stars: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt
Votes: 2,138,072
I haven't always been on board the "Best show ever of all time" bandwagon, and have tuned out for big chunks of some seasons, but it's definitely a great show and one that deserves a place on this list. I personally liked it best when it was just a black comedy in the first season, but it ended well in a great arc towards the back season.
36. Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
An Atlantic City politician plays both sides of the law by conspiring with gangsters during the Prohibition era.
Stars: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham
Votes: 203,204
Unlike other mob dramas, Boardwalk Empire has the added challenge of being a historic artifact. We know where Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and Nucky Thompson are going to end up, but that doesn't detract from the journey. Boardwalk Empire weaves together a number of interesting storylines and more often than not, the characters- Kelly McDonald as practical Irish immigrant who's moral purity slowly wilts in a marriage to a criminal, Gretchen Mol as a randy young grandmother who knows how to play the angles, Michael Shannon as the Fed determined to stay within tracking distance of the bootlegging operation, Jack Huston as a gentle soul of a gangster with a disfigured face, and Michael Kenneth Williams as the criminal leader of the black community who can intimidate but knows his limits- do not disappoint. Season two succeeded in creating a more tightly coiled narrative arc with tension rising as Nucky and Jimmy headed towards an inevitable showdown.
37. Alphas (2011–2012)
TV-14 | 44 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Alphas is a science fiction drama focusing on a team that investigates people with supernatural abilities.
Stars: David Strathairn, Ryan Cartwright, Warren Christie, Azita Ghanizada
Votes: 29,747
Procedurals rarely hook me but in this show, each mystery of the week helps develop the show and the characters. The special effects are top-notch and the action scenes are both physical and intellectual: The intersection of the characters' powers often play out like a game of chess. The show also works well because of the chemistry. David Strathain's Dr. Lee Rosen works well as a father figure to the group, Rachel and Nina have an intriguing budding relationship as surrogate sisters, and with Ryan Cartwright's Gary Bell, the show deserves credit for not treating autism as though it has kid gloves.
38. Archer (2009–2023)
TV-MA | 22 min | Animation, Action, Comedy
Covert black ops and espionage take a back seat to zany personalities and relationships between secret agents and drones.
Stars: H. Jon Benjamin, Judy Greer, Amber Nash, Chris Parnell
Votes: 165,981
A first-rate spy parody and a wacky office comedy to boot, what a crazy combination that works. The key to the show is that the characters are uniquely idiosyncratic comic creations rather than the means to and end for traditional parody. Within a couple seasons, Archer's characters have become so great together that we usually are content just to watch them thrown into a room together and see the sparks take off.
39. Key and Peele (2012–2015)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
Project sees Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele in front of a live studio audience bantering about a topic weaved between filmed shorts and sketches.
Stars: Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Metta World Peace, Brendan Hunt
Votes: 25,832
This or Portlandia were both fighting for the last spot. Key and Peele is an innovative sketch comedy show with a unique tone and a solid format. It's also great to see two workhorses (Fun fact: Key has a master's degree from Penn State's School of Drama) from the comedy circuit finally break out after being relegated to the gutters of Mad TV.
40. The Onion News Network (2011)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, News
Satirical coverage from the most trusted news network in the world.
Stars: Suzanne Sena, Brian Huskey, Todd Alan Crain, Jill Dobson
Votes: 840
One of the most funny and twistedly honest programs on TV in its two-season run. Especially notable is how experimental the show got with its format in the second season: We had an Armageddon episode, a revelation that Brooke Alvarez was an ex-cosmonaut, a rivalry with do-gooder reporter Brady Shaw, and an episode where the computer became sentient and fell in love with Brooke. And if things got slow, they just replaced Tucker Hope.
41. The Colbert Report (2005–2014)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy, News, Talk-Show
Satirical newscaster Stephen Colbert provides humorous commentary on the big issues going on in the United States and the rest of the world, with his larger-than-life ego and overly-patriotic spirit along with him every step of the way.
Stars: Stephen Colbert, Jay Katsir, Jon Stewart, Paul Dinello
Votes: 39,173
Steve Colbert was more of a novelty when he launched his spin-off but he's become a cultural icon at this point and seems far from running out of tricks. He's even eclipsed the Daily Show at this point in sheer inventiveness.
42. Dollhouse (2009–2010)
TV-14 | 44 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A top secret organization erases the identities of attractive young people, turning them into blank "dolls" ready for imprints of temporary identities they need to fulfill assignments for clients.
Stars: Eliza Dushku, Harry Lennix, Fran Kranz, Tahmoh Penikett
Votes: 51,810
Disclaimer: Only saw season 1.
The kind of cerebral yet action-packed sci-fi series that TV needs more of. The episodes mostly work episodically but the overarching mythology was something one could easily get lost in and that was what made the show kinetic.
43. Wilfred (2011–2014)
TV-MA | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
The story of a depressed man who inexplicably is the only one who can see his neighbor's dog as a full-grown man in a dog suit.
Stars: Elijah Wood, Jason Gann, Fiona Gubelmann, Dorian Brown Pham
Votes: 44,391
You can treat it as either a comedy or a secret drama. It has one of the most depressed characters on television, it doesn't treat his illness with kid gloves and it's a feel good story with no false moments which is a lot to say for a show with a talking dog in it. It's also hilarious in a situational way and consistently watchable as well.
44. American Horror Story (2011– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
An anthology series centering on different characters and locations, showcasing different aspects of horror.
Stars: Lady Gaga, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson
Votes: 343,992
Only applies to the first season (Monster House) as the second two seasons got caught up in convoluted plot machinations. The first season had a great jigsaw-puzzle-like quality and allowed its characters to play in an interesting space without going overboard.
45. Parks and Recreation (2009–2015)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
The absurd antics of an Indiana town's public officials as they pursue sundry projects to make their city a better place.
Stars: Amy Poehler, Jim O'Heir, Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt
Votes: 288,117
A worthy follow-up to The Office that started out on incredibly shaky ground with a very unclear view of its protagonist. Five seasons later, few characters are as rootable (in-universe and out) or endearing as Leslie. Nearly every character on this show is capable of being an audience favorite and the character of Pawneee grows on the viewer as well.
46. Once Upon a Time (2011–2018)
TV-PG | 60 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
A young woman with a troubled past is drawn to a small town in Maine where fairy tales are to be believed.
Stars: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Robert Carlyle
Votes: 237,107
Disclaimer: Most of my watching was Season 1
A cleverly designed show that alternates realities between fairyland and a small town in Maine with an unreliable narrator (the 8-year-old son of the town mayor who may or may not be secretly evil) as our guide. The show is pretty far out in left field in terms of concept and still manages feel accessible. It's light-hearted and engaging enough to keep us wanting to piece the jigsaw puzzle together.
47. Little Mosque on the Prairie (2007–2012)
22 min | Comedy
A satirical view at a Muslim community living in Mercy, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Stars: Zaib Shaikh, Sitara Hewitt, Debra McGrath, Manoj Sood
Votes: 2,641
Just as how the Cosby Show eased racial tension by showing how a black family wasn't that different than white middle-class Americans, Little Mosque could do the same in America if people watch it on hulu
48. Web Therapy (2011–2015)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
After quitting her job in finance under dubious circumstances, the affluent and self-interested Fiona Wallice tries her hand at therapy - offering clients 3-minute sessions over the Internet in hopes of weeding out any unnecessary emotion.
Stars: Lisa Kudrow, Dan Bucatinsky, Jennifer Elise Cox, Victor Garber
Votes: 4,913
Web Therapy is about an insecure and morally horrible therapist and the beauty of the series is how subtly it's revealed through these three-minute skype sessions that the protagonist is in fact a terrible person.
49. Futurama (1999– )
TV-14 | 22 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Philip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy, is accidentally frozen in 1999 and thawed out on New Year's Eve 2999.
Stars: Billy West, John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille
Votes: 261,062
One of the most consistently entertaining and visually inventive films with a solid cast of characters (both the core group and the expanding world) that features consistently sharp satire.
50. Flight of the Conchords (2007–2009)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Music, Musical
Bret and Jemaine are Flight of the Conchords, a folk-rock band from New Zealand living in New York City in search of stardom.
Stars: Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, Rhys Darby, Kristen Schaal
Votes: 66,042
Flight of the Conchords is about two guys who are successfully being deluded by the people around them into thinking that their sad, aimless existence is actually some micro-form of stardom. Like Ricky Gervais, it's all about the celebration of the mundane. Compliments for pulling of this premise hillariously go to the deluders: Rhys Darby as their clueless pushpin manager and Wendy Schaal as the borderline psychotic fanbase of one.
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