The last decade was a remarkable one for television, from who was making it, how we watched it, and the types of stories being told on it. Over the course of the last 10 years, Netflix revealed itself to be a major producer of content, HBO continued to dominate pop culture (and was even louder about it), and The CW burst onto the scene with not one, but two prestige comedies. The times, they say, are a-changing, and they will continue to change throughout the next decade, as new platforms and storytellers emerge. But as we prepare to say a heartfelt goodbye to the 2010s, TV Guide is looking back at the decade that was and celebrating the best it had to offer.
Be sure to check back soon as we’ll be rolling out new stories every single day this week.
The 25 Best Shows of the Last Decade
Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell, The Americans
TV evolved more this decade than it had any time since it changed from black and white to color. From who we watched — people from communities that had never gotten the chance to tell their stories on TV before — to how we watched it — on our phones via streaming platforms — every part of the TV experience changed. There was just more TV this decade than any time before, as the most recent Golden Age of Television evolved into Peak TV, and networks and streaming services competed in a content arms race to see who could make the most good shows the fastest.
The sheer number of great shows released this decade made compiling a “best of” list nearly impossible, but every show on this list is unimpeachable, and we’re proud to share it with you. It’s a diverse list that hopefully touches on everything that made this decade of TV great. Keep reading about the 25 best shows of the decade…
FX and FXX Had the Best Decade of Any Networks
Lakeith Stanfield, Donald Glover and Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta
Over the last decade of television, Netflix went from introducing the ability to stream its overwhelming library of licensed properties to churning out more original content than anyone knows what to do with; HBO’s Game of Thrones dominated pop culture discourse; and AMC’s The Walking Dead became so big the franchise now requires a chief content officer. And yet, despite these momentous milestones, no networks had greater success in the 2010s than FX and its sister network FXX. They have revealed a proficiency in churning out consistently engaging programs, but their work over the last 10 years also shows how FX’s priorities have been shifting over time and how those shifts have placed it at the center of TV’s biggest trends. Keep reading about the success of FX and FXX…
This Decade of Television Owes a Lot to These Late-2000s Shows
Mad Men
If you look at our list of the best shows of the last decade, you’ll notice it includes only shows that premiered on or after January 1, 2010. So while it’s jam-packed with 25 incredible programs that will be remembered for the ways in which they broke our hearts and busted our guts — sometimes at the same time — the list doesn’t necessarily reflect the true scope of the last decade. Specifically, it leaves out series that premiered during the final years of the 2000s that carried over into the next decade, changing the landscape of television forever.
There’s an argument to be had about our decision to limit our list to certain parameters — thus excluding a high number of influential programs that aired, but didn’t premiere, in the past 10 years — but we’d be remiss not to pay tribute to these shows that made so much of what we’re seeing on TV now possible. Keep reading about the great shows of the late 2000s…
Check back all week for more of TV Guide’s Best of the Decade celebration.