Though the 2010s ended simply seven months in the past, we’re already revisiting the last decade and the most effective it needed to supply as a part of TV Guide’s TV Throwback, a weeklong celebration that includes a few of the finest tv of the previous 50 years. The last decade began off ridiculously robust, with arguably the most effective seasons of each Mad Menand Breaking Bad, in addition to the debuts of Person of Interest andScandal, however it closed it out with spectacular showings from applications like Atlanta and Jane the Virgin, two collection with robust factors of view that inform tales in regards to the Black and Latinx experiences in America.
There was extra TV within the 2010s than anybody individual might watch, and a lot of it was value watching that we’ll be revisiting the prolific decade for years to return. However for now, we’re beginning with the next checklist of standouts, all of which can be found to stream.
To learn extra in regards to the TV of the 2010s, discover out what makes The Expanse the best sci-fi show you are not watching, why Underground remains essential viewing, and what makes Season 2 of The Vampire Diaries some of the best TV of the decade.
Mad Men (2007-2015)
Watch it on: IMDb TV, Amazon Prime (internationally)
AMC was king of the early 2010s when the community boasted not one, not two, however three premier collection, the fanciest of which was Mad Men. The celebrated drama, set within the 1960s, was brimming with snazzy classic fashions, crisp dialogue, artistic incorporations of historic moments, and pointed commentary that uncovered the poisonous masculinity, sexism, and racism of the period (the present not too long ago decided to include a title card for an episode that includes a personality in blackface relatively than pull it as a result of it’s meant to reveal the injustices of the day). On the middle of all of it was one really fascinating hero— er, antihero. After we first met Don Draper (Jon Hamm), he was enmeshed in his personal artifice, however slowly, methodically, that veil unraveled over the course of the present’s seven seasons. Don was the centerpiece of Mad Males, after all, however there have been different characters with divine arcs, too, together with Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss), who advanced from a mousey secretary right into a self-possessed advert govt who’d conquered many detractors; Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks), who fought for bodily company and demanded affect in a patriarchal trade; and Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), who realized the laborious means that his smarmy entitlement would not win him something value having. To prime all of it off, Mad Males ended with a ultimate scene that was each bewildering and absolutely satisfying to its trustworthy viewers. –Amanda Bell
Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
Watch it on: Netflix
No different present in TV historical past constructed upon itself in addition to Breaking Bad. Each episode, from the sensible pilot to the unforgettable finale, laid one other brick on Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) highway to hell, as he cooked the purest crystal meth of anybody within the Southwest and reworked himself from a mild-mannered highschool science trainer right into a murderous drug kingpin, alongside his delicate surrogate son Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul, who received three Emmys for his soulful efficiency). The crime thriller hurtled ahead with unstoppable momentum and created scenes of heart-stopping pressure and gorgeous, devastating violence. You will at all times keep in mind the place you had been when Todd (Jesse Plemons) shot that child. The precision of Breaking Unhealthy‘s plotting is matched solely by its prequel, Better Call Saul. –Liam Mathews
Community (2009-2015)
Community typically sat within the shadow of extra talked-about comedies The Office and Parks and Recreation — the three reveals regularly appeared in the identical comedy block on NBC, which is insane to consider — however there is a case to be made that Neighborhood was the most effective of the bunch, if not the most effective sitcom of all the decade (I will say it!). Dan Harmon‘s collection a few Breakfast Membership-style examine group at a neighborhood school redefined what we thought a broadcast sitcom could possibly be with its wild themed episodes that had been by no means simply stunts; they grew to become integral to the present’s DNA. From pillow forts, puppets, and a My Dinner With Andre spoof (how that acquired OK’d for broadcast tv nonetheless baffles me), Neighborhood shot for the celebrities and at all times hit its goal, whereas additionally serving its eccentric characters with real arcs (Troy and Abed’s friendship stays as true as something TV has achieved). However the present was too far forward of its time in some respects and scores had been by no means good, bringing in regards to the darkish years (Season 4, a transfer to Yahoo!). Messiness with Chevy Chase and Harmon, in addition to some off-point humor that led to an episode being pulled from streaming services, made extra headlines than the present itself. Nevertheless, these first three seasons had been near-perfection, and with the present’s current addition to Netflix, individuals are beginning to understand that now. –Tim Surette
Parks and Recreation (2009-2015)
Watch it on: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime
Probably the most comforting present of the previous decade, able to making even the grumpiest Ron Swanson-type (Nick Offerman) giggle, NBC’s Parks and Recreation follows the goings-on on the parks division of Pawnee, Indiana. Led by the ebullient Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), the present marketed a kinder, happier existence achievable via competence, optimism, and laborious work. And along with being candy and good-natured, it has a few of the funniest jokes you will see anyplace (“Leslie, I typed your signs into the factor up right here, and it says you may have community connectivity issues”). –Liam Mathews
The Good Wife (2009-2016)
Watch it on: CBS All Access, Amazon Prime
The Good Wife was the uncommon broadcast drama within the 2010s that was not solely prestigious, however cool. A authorized procedural with character-driven serialized storylines, the CBS present had cross-generational enchantment. Julianna Margulies starred as Alicia Florrick, the spouse of Prepare dinner County State’s Legal professional Peter Florrick (Chris Noth) who decides to return to her legislation profession after her husband goes to jail amid a corruption and prostitution scandal. At Alicia’s new legislation agency, she works carefully with an outdated school flame (Josh Charles), develops a sophisticated mentorship with the agency’s sole feminine companion (Christine Baranski), has a juicy rivalry with one other formidable affiliate (Matt Czuchry), and builds a singular friendship with the agency’s inscrutable investigator (Archie Panjabi). And that is simply the essential premise of the primary season; the place The Good Spouse goes from there may be typically thrilling, often heartbreaking, constantly trendy, and typically very, very unusual — which sounds completely in step with all of creators Robert and Michelle King’s finest works. –Sadie Gennis
Justified (2010-2015)
Watch it on: Hulu
Justified took place at a time when status tv was overcrowded with hits. Mad Males was in its fourth season, Breaking Unhealthy was in its superb third season, Misplaced was winding down. There simply wasn’t sufficient house on DVRs for Justified within the pre-streaming period of Peak TV. However Graham Yost‘s modern-day Western ought to have been hoisted up with all of these (notably its even-numbered seasons). Timothy Olyphant did not simply play U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, he was Raylan, a quick-witted, unbiased legislation enforcer who took no guff and gave numerous it. Tailored from a brief story by the eloquent Elmore Leonard, it was as if Leonard wrote each single syllable of dialogue, making it considered one of TV’s most quotable collection ever and filling all six seasons with memorable characters — together with the silver-tongued Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) — even when they had been solely on display screen for a couple of minutes. That was the final word draw of Justified; it happened in a totally realized universe the place the dangerous guys had been simply as charming as the great guys, and the candy scent of Kentucky mash and putrid fumes of unlawful moonshine wafted from the TV display screen. –Tim Surette
Person of Interest (2011-2016)
Watch it on: Netflix
Person of Interest joined CBS’s schedule in the course of the community’s period of staid complacency — it was the peak of acronyms and multi-camera comedies — so that you’re forgiven in case you thought the collection was simply one other uninventive procedural. However Jonathan Nolan‘s prescient drama about a sophisticated synthetic intelligence that might predict crimes earlier than they occurred tackled the subject a lot better than his splashy HBO collection Westworld tried to years later, and featured two of the most effective pairings on TV of the last decade: the nerdy and nervous recluse Harold Finch (Michael Emerson) and the silent however suave brute John Reese (Jim Caviezel), who dispatched crooks with the assistance of technological precognition, and Sameen Shaw (Sarah Shahi) and Root (Amy Acker), who ushered in a surprisingly candy LGBTQ storyline within the macho present. Particular person of Curiosity was extremely humorous and cared about its characters, all whereas intelligently exploring the ethical quandaries of developments in expertise and the way they’re finest — and worst — used. –Tim Surette
The Mindy Project(2012-2017)
Watch it on: Hulu
Created by, written by, and starring Mindy Kaling as a hopeless romantic OBGYN searching for her fortunately ever after, The Mindy Project was like little else on TV when it debuted. A swoon-worthy rom-com that indulged itself on acquainted tropes and, sure, typically featured too many white boyfriends, the collection supplied insightful commentary on race, womanhood, office dynamics, and single motherhood. The sitcom balanced all of it, tackling necessary matters with a pointy humorousness and wild antics that typically made the collection really feel like a sketch present. However the particular means The Mindy Undertaking blended humor and coronary heart is most evident within the spectacular means they had been capable of flip Danny Castellano’s (Chris Messina) choreographed Aaliyah dance routine into one of many biggest romantic gestures in TV historical past. –Kaitlin Thomas
Scandal (2012-2018)
Watch it on: Hulu
When Scandal was at its peak, nothing might contact it. Shonda Rhimes‘ drama about D.C. fixer Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) began out as a crisis-of-the-week drama, however in its second season, the collection popped off into an addictive, outlandish cleaning soap about energy and the lengths folks would go to safe it. Because the present went on, the twists acquired greater whereas the relationships acquired extra sophisticated, and because of this, Olivia and her group of Gladiators needed to make powerful selections (and sometimes a variety of errors) whereas on their quest to put on the white hats. Whereas the fandom spent a variety of time debating whether or not Olivia ought to find yourself with the president, Fitz (Tony Goldwyn), or the B613 agent, Jake (Scott Foley), the romances had been by no means actually what made Scandal nice. Scandal stood out as a darkish, cynical examination of the U.S. authorities that took massive dangers that did not at all times land, however at all times stored you speaking. –Sadie Gennis
The Americans (2012-2018)
Watch it on: Amazon Prime
Proper off the web page, The Americans had one of many biggest drama premises ever: A pair of Russian spies (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) masqueraded as common People in Virginia in the course of the top of the Chilly Battle, elevating kids who had been none the wiser and befriending a neighbor who simply so occurred to work for the CIA. That is a hell of a pitch, however the present escalated to greatness with its writing and understanding that whereas the spy video games had been intense and enjoyable — the ’80s setting took boring expertise out of the equation — it was the dynamic inside the household unit that was the showcase of the collection. Husband vs. spouse, dad and mom vs. kids, and each permutation therein layered the drama proper up till its good, sensible collection finale. Different reveals had been extra common, however few had been higher within the crowded period of Peak TV. –Tim Surette
Hannibal (2013-2015)
Watch it on: Netflix
It is nonetheless troublesome to consider Hannibal aired on broadcast tv. For 3 seasons, Bryan Fuller‘s boundary-pushing tackle Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), the cannibalistic psychiatrist of Thomas Harris’ novels, gutted viewers emotionally even because the character gutted others bodily. The macabre collection tore open viewers’ hearts because it dissected the sophisticated relationship between Hannibal and empathic FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), two males who understood one another in methods nobody else might. And because the hanging piece of artwork embraced its queerness in a means we hoped it might however cynically by no means believed it might, we had been reminded of what is potential when artwork is given house to develop and thrive. –Kaitlin Thomas
Rectify (2013-2016)
Watch it on: Netflix
The least-known collection on this checklist may additionally be its finest. No exaggeration! With status dramas peaking and the streaming wars upending the trade in a gold rush of leisure, the truth that you might not have heard of Rectify completely exemplifies the abundance of high quality tv obtainable within the decade. Tucked away within the nook of your cable information on the little-known Sundance TV, the non secular drama adopted Daniel Holden (Aden Young), who was launched from jail after DNA proof exonerated him within the homicide of a lady 20 years earlier, and returned to his small hometown in Georgia. The story of a person readjusting to life after many years in jail, in addition to the prying neighbors who nonetheless believed he dedicated the crime, made for riveting, consuming, and beautiful tv. However it was Daniel’s quiet instances together with his household — typically Daniel would simply stare silently, and it was superb — that made it a masterclass in temper and character relationships. It did not matter if Daniel did it or did not do it, what was extra necessary was how the entire universe appeared to revolve round him and his restoration. –Tim Surette
Jane the Virgin (2014-2019)
Watch it on: Netflix
Jane the Virgin was many issues over the course of its acclaimed five-season run — melodramatic, heartwarming, extremely humorous — however the telenovela a few Catholic virgin who was unintentionally artificially inseminated was by no means, ever boring. Anchored by a strong, star-making efficiency by Gina Rodriguez and with considerate, typically heart-wrenching tales centered on the three Latina girls of the Villanueva household, the CW collection was a continuing rollercoaster of emotion that modified our expectations of what status TV could possibly be. As Jane grew as a younger lady, she overcame surprising obstacles on her technique to attaining her desires, and alongside the way in which, the present instructed necessary tales in regards to the Latinx neighborhood whereas skillfully tackling every thing from immigration to motherhood to faith. A mix of a number of genres that by no means overlooked its heroine’s desires and wishes, Jane the Virgin took threat after threat and in some way managed to make it look simple. –Kaitlin Thomas
Atlanta (2016-Current)
Watch it on: Hulu
Donald Glover‘s darkish comedy takes the creator-star comedy paradigm and makes it into one thing that might have come from solely him, however with out the autobiographical features often present in one of these auteur-driven present. Glover performs Earn, a desperately broke, dangerous decision-prone younger man making an attempt to handle his rapper cousin, Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry), to stardom. However that does not actually describe the unpredictable tone of the present, which may veer from pure goofiness to acidic satire to devastating drama to hair-raising horror to full-on Lynchian weirdness. It’s a must to watch Atlanta to know what it is actually about. Glover once said he desires white individuals who watch the present to “actually expertise racism, to actually really feel what it is wish to be Black in America.” Glover makes it really feel surreal and terrifying, like you possibly can’t consider it is actually taking place, and taking place to you. It is some of the efficient items of artwork in any self-discipline of the century to date. –Liam Mathews
Watchmen (2019)
Watch it on: HBO, HBO Max, Hulu (with HBO add-on), Amazon Prime (with HBO add-on)
Good lord, the strain that was on Damon Lindelof when he introduced he was engaged on a brand new iteration of Watchmen. Followers of the unique cherished comedian — including the comic’s writer Alan Moore — bristled on the considered it being remade. Irrespective of how good The Leftovers was, Lindelof’s TV monitor report was nonetheless tainted by how Lost ended. But Watchmen made believers out of nearly everybody, as a result of Lindelof pulled off the most effective one-season wonders of the last decade when he introduced Watchmen into the current and infused it with the all-too-timely historical past of cops and systemic racism. Watchmen was the place many People realized in regards to the Tulsa race massacre and Black Wall Street. Watchmen made Dr. Manhattan Black. Watchmen reiterated that white supremacy is not simply an unpleasant scar that will fade away, however that it was constructed into the system itself. There most likely will not be a second season of Watchmen, by Lindelof’s alternative, however one might argue that the story is continuous in actual life. –Tim Surette
In search of extra reveals to stream? Try TV Guide’s TV Throwback, recommending the most effective reveals to rewatch — or to find for the primary time — from 1970 via the current day.