As we rejoice rediscovering the perfect that TV has provided over the previous 50 years as a part of TV Guide’s TV Throwback, the 2000s stand out as a tv goldmine. Many credit score the last decade as marking the start of the second Golden Age of Tv, with a lot of the main target being positioned on the previous few years of the aughts, coinciding with the rise of AMC dramas Mad Menand Breaking Bad. However overlooking the remainder of the last decade ignores among the best possible reveals, not simply of the 2000s, however in all of tv historical past.
Starting with the early years, the 2000s featured a number of influential applications that left a long-lasting impression on the tv panorama and viewers alike, and whereas a few of these reveals modified the best way we watched TV and interacted with fellow followers (Misplaced), others got here to outline complete generations by means of their storytelling (The West Wing). The next record consists of among the finest and most influential reveals of the last decade, together with reveals that debuted within the late ’90s however aired most of their episodes at first of the 21st century.
To learn extra concerning the TV of the 2000s, try our rating of the 50 best Office episodes, the best DCOMs to stream, and whyAvatar: The Last Airbender remains must-see TV.
The West Wing (1999-2006)
Watch it on: Netflix
Aaron Sorkin‘s snappy dialogue, Thomas Schlamme‘s walk-and-talk course, and an idealistic view of politics mixed to make the world of public service really feel cool and romantic throughout The West Wing‘s seven-season run on NBC. By placing a human face on, and attaching empathy to, an establishment that is historically been seen with cynicism, the present acted as a type of catharsis. It depicted a greater authorities, one with an enormous coronary heart that we might aspire to re-create in the actual world. And plenty of millennials, who got here of age simply earlier than or in the course of the present’s run, determined to attempt to do exactly that and entered politics throughout and after faculty. If you happen to weren’t left with the need to do one thing for the larger good after watching The West Wing, you watched it incorrect.
The Sopranos (1999-2007)
Watch it on: HBO, HBO Max, Hulu (with HBO add-on), Amazon Prime (with HBO add-on)
HBO’s mafia household drama starring James Gandolfini is sort of as well-liked now because it was when it was airing for a quite simple cause, which is that it is timeless. So long as America exists, The Sopranos can be related, as a result of The Sopranos is a quintessential American story. It is a story about criminals who suppose they’re victims, folks holding onto previous methods of doing issues lengthy after they’ve stopped working, an empire in decline, and the way capitalism corrodes the souls of everybody who participates in it. There is a cause the finale is named “Made in America.” Everybody is aware of The Sopranos is extensively thought of the best collection of all time, however you possibly can’t actually know all of the other ways it is the best collection of all time, or consider how shut any potential runners-up come, till you have watched the crime saga right through. –Liam Mathews
Girlfriends (2000-2008)
Watch it on: CW Seed (not all episodes obtainable)
Arriving on the daybreak of the brand new decade, Girlfriends offered 4 vibrant younger Black ladies, navigating profession, relationships, household, and friendship. Chronicling the exploits of uptight lawyer Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross), the working mother Maya (Golden Brooks), the free-spirited Lynn (Persia White), and the self-centered Toni (Jill Marie), Girlfriends launched Ross as a number one actress however depicted all its ladies with vary, depth, and nice enjoyable. The brainchild of Mara Brock Akil, with Kelsey Grammer signed on as an government producer, Girlfriends stood out for its sophistication and polish; no one was a trope or an anticipated thought of a Black girl. As a substitute, every character was an actual individual with actual issues (Maya’s marriage), actual flaws (Toni’s narcissism), and actual neuroses (Joan’s overthinking) that made almost each episode really feel recent and energetic. Working for a whopping eight seasons (and launching the profitable spin-off The Game), Girlfriends made its mark as each a mirror and an aspirational template for younger Black viewers coming of age within the 2000s. –Malcolm Venable
Gilmore Girls (2000-2007; 2016)
Watch it on: Netflix
With its signature rapid-fire dialogue, popular culture references, and an infusion of small-town appeal, the heartwarming collection Gilmore Ladies left a long-lasting mark on The WB and afterward The CW (and ultimately on Netflix, which revived it in 2016). The connection between Lauren Graham‘s Lorelai and Alexis Bledel‘s Rory made ladies in all places yearn for a mother-daughter friendship that was as endearing, as enjoyable, and as stuffed with humor. And if you add Kelly Bishop‘s Emily to the combo, the collection’ cross-generational relationships made for a robust and poignant story concerning the complexity of household. Many reveals have tried and failed to duplicate Gilmore Ladies‘ appeal and wit, however no collection has ever come shut, not even creator Amy Sherman-Palladino‘s follow-up, Bunheads, so it is best simply to rewatch the Gilmores.
Alias (2001-2006)
Watch it on: Amazon Prime
Between the tip of Felicity, the start of Alias, and creating or co-creating enthralling sci-fi collection Lost and Fringe, J.J. Abrams just about dominated TV within the 2000s. However the spy drama Alias, which was a star-making flip for Jennifer Garner, arguably featured essentially the most compelling story of all Abrams’ collection. Garner’s Sydney Bristow was a grad scholar and double agent for the CIA, and whereas she jetted off to new areas, saved the world, and kicked main ass each week, she yearned for a traditional life as she did a job that, whereas mandatory for the larger good, additionally required a solitary existence. Her strained relationship together with her father (Victor Garber) was the present’s robust central thread, which grew to become more and more essential because the present’s plot ultimately bought away from itself and nobody truly understood the Rambaldi storyline. However on the finish of the day, we had been fortunate to have a present like Alias then, and we’re even more lucky to have a show like it now.
The Wire (2002-2008)
Watch it on: HBO, HBO Max, Hulu (with HBO add-on), Amazon Prime (with HBO add-on)
Sooner or later in your life, in all probability when you’re at a celebration, somebody will ask you should you’ve seen The Wire but, and whereas it is a irritating and unavoidable a part of human existence, it is not solely with out cause. Though the HBO drama, created by David Simon, is now thought of by many to be one of many best reveals ever made, it wasn’t till the collection was almost over that many TV viewers began to take discover of it and its brilliance. With every season tackling a unique facet or establishment of Baltimore — the drug commerce, the docks, the media, and so forth. — and its relationship with the members of legislation enforcement, the collection was a compelling portrait of an American metropolis in decline. At its worst, the present was nonetheless higher than most every part else, which suggests the present at its finest was transcendent. There is a cause The Wire is now studied in academia and former President Barack Obama cited it as his favourite present. So, have you ever watched (or rewatched) The Wire but?
The Shield (2002-2008)
Watch it on: Hulu
As FX’s first unique scripted program, Shawn Ryan‘s crime drama The Defend put the essential cable community on the map and left a legacy of status programming. Following the corrupt cops of the LAPD’s strike staff, which had been led by Michael Chiklis‘ Vic Mackey and his quantity two, Walton Goggins‘ Shane Vendrell, the collection was an distinctive drama that frequently drove dwelling the concept all actions have penalties, and a few of them are devastating. After seven seasons that requested what we had been prepared to just accept from the women and men in blue, the present went out with among the finest collection finales of all time. Lots of the folks concerned with The Defend would go on to create, star in, and work on different FX tasks, maintaining the status drama alive and properly past the 2000s.
Chappelle’s Show (2003-2006)
Watch it on: Amazon Prime (for buy)
Chappelle’s Present solely ran for 28 episodes — and three of these had been “Misplaced Episodes” launched with out co-creator and star Dave Chappelle‘s involvement after he walked away from the Comedy Central sketch present throughout manufacturing on Season 3 — however that was greater than sufficient to cement the collection’ popularity as one of many funniest reveals ever made. If you have a look at what number of zeitgeisty hit sketches Chappelle’s Present produced in such a brief time frame, it is nearly laborious to keep in mind that they had been principally all in a couple of weeks in 2003 and 2004. The present began with Clayton Bigsby, the Black white supremacist — nonetheless one of the provocative and efficient items of commentary on race of the century thus far, comedic or in any other case — and ended with an MTV Cribs parody through which Dave, a $50 million man by that time, mentioned he sprinkles diamonds on his meals as a result of “it makes my dookie twinkle.” In between, there was Prince, Rick James, Tyrone Biggums, Wayne Brady, The Participant Hater’s Ball, and far more extraordinarily foolish bathroom jokes than you in all probability keep in mind. –Liam Mathews
Lost (2004-2010)
Watch it on: Hulu
Together with Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy, Misplaced modified the panorama of ABC for the higher when it debuted in the midst of the last decade, but it surely additionally modified the best way we watched tv as an entire. Argue all you need concerning the collection finale, about Damon Lindelof as a storyteller, or no matter else nonetheless bothers you to today about how the puzzle field present performed out, however the fact is the collection was the primary drama that prompted viewers to have interaction with each other on-line to an unprecedented extent as they theorized and tried to determine the present’s central mysteries. With flash-forwards, flashbacks, and flash-sideways, the present about survivors of a airplane crash on a mysterious island was considered one of a form and spawned one million copycats that had been by no means capable of replicate Misplaced‘s success. Plus, rewatching the collection means that you can uncover new items of the puzzle you may need missed the primary time round.
Desperate Housewives (2004-2012)
It could be laborious to imagine now, however there was a time through which the ABC comedy-drama Determined Housewives completely dominated popular culture. The soapy collection a few group of ladies on Wisteria Lane (portrayed by Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria, and Felicity Huffman) as seen by means of the eyes of a useless neighbor (Brenda Strong) detailed the home struggles, comedic adventures, and stunning crimes that went on behind the doorways of their seemingly excellent suburban neighborhood. Together with Misplaced and Gray’s Anatomy, the long-running collection helped flip ABC round and have become one of many community’s most-watched reveals and a gentle anchor for the second half of the last decade. There aren’t many comparable primetime soaps on TV proper now, and that is a disgrace.
Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2009)
The place to look at: Hulu, CBS All Access, Peacock, CW Seed
As a substitute of watching The Workplace once more (although it’s also on this record), possibly it is time you make room in your viewing schedule for one more standout sitcom from the mid-2000s. All people Hates Chris was a hilarious, pointed, and poignant tackle co-creator and narrator Chris Rock‘s adolescence within the early ’80s, with Tyler James Williams giving a riotous efficiency as a teenaged Chris. The texture-good comedy explored problems with race and sophistication, whereas offering recent insights into the early lifetime of considered one of as we speak’s most celebrated comedians. There is a cause it was nominated for 3 Emmys and a Golden Globe, and gained an NAACP Picture Award: All people Hates Chris is likely one of the finest sitcoms of the period, and it is about time it will get acknowledged as such. –Sadie Gennis
The Office (2005-2013)
Watch it on: Netflix
An American remake (and a much less abrasive model) of the British collection of the identical identify, NBC’s The Workplace will be credited with launching Steve Carell‘s profession in mainstream comedy and popularizing the mockumentary format, however the true legacy of the office comedy concerning the women and men of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Firm is considered one of celebration for the small issues in life. Relatively than detailing the despair of American company life or working a dead-end job, the collection adopted characters who discovered pleasure within the little issues and the relationships they constructed at work, and in doing so, the Greg Daniels-created comedy managed to separate itself from its supply materials and create an id utterly its personal. With a robust supporting forged and a very good writing workers, the collection ran a stunning 9 seasons, and though there was an apparent dip in high quality after Carell’s departure, the comedy itself is timeless, and it stays one of the well-liked sitcoms to stream for that cause.
The Boondocks (2005-2014)
The place to look at: HBO Max
Aaron McGruder’s groundbreaking collection The Boondocks could also be a cartoon, however on the subject of each exemplifying and confronting Black tradition straight, it is one of the courageous and controversial collection wherever. The present, which ran in chunks from 2005 to 2014 and will return for two more seasons on HBO Max, follows a pair of children, ages 10 and eight (each voiced by Regina King), and their civil rights activist grandfather, but it surely’s develop into well-known for its satire concerning the present state of Black America, the way it’s perceived, and the way it pertains to each historical past and leisure. –Tim Surette
Bones (2005-2017)
Watch it on: Hulu
Let’s reduce to the chase: What makes Bones value watching is the chemistry between its leads. Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, as forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan and FBI agent Seeley Sales space, respectively, have an Outdated Hollywood rapport with a contemporary contact: Brennan is brainy and super-confident, whereas Sales space is each old-school masculine and unapologetically delicate. Each procedural wants will-they-won’t-they couple, however Bones labored time beyond regulation to make Sales space and Brennan’s relationship make sense. Bones has a way of empathy — not only for its fundamental characters, however for everybody — that units it other than comparable reveals within the style. It is comforting to return to a world the place victims get justice and folks’s futures look brighter than their pasts. And who would not need to spend time in a science lab run by so many cool ladies? –Kelly Connolly
Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
Watch it on: Hulu
Friday Evening Lights is the uncommon sports activities drama that’s important viewing for extra than simply sports activities followers. Following the lives of highschool soccer gamers, their coaches, and their members of the family within the small city of Dillon, Texas, the collection explores concepts of sophistication, race, household, and, most of all, neighborhood. Each character within the present’s expansive forged — which incorporates Kyle Chandler’s Coach Taylor, Taylor Kitsch‘s Tim Riggins, and Michael B. Jordan’s Vince Howard — is handled with deep empathy and dignity, and even smaller gamers, like Matt’s (Zach Gilford) grandmother Lorraine (Louanne Stephens), are given room to have their tales shine. An inspirational story that blends authenticity with among the most superbly shot cleaning soap TV has ever seen, no 2000s drama was fairly as cathartic, or as immersive, as Friday Evening Lights. Watching all 5 seasons, it is laborious to not get invested within the desires and successes of the Dillon Panthers, and later the East Dillon Lions, as if you are as a lot part of the staff because the gamers on the sphere. –Sadie Gennis
Searching for extra reveals to stream? Take a look at TV Guide’s TV Throwback, recommending the perfect reveals to rewatch — or to find for the primary time — from 1970 by means of the current day.