The 26 Best TV Shows of the 2000s

Submitted by AAA v. 2.0 on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 16:54
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  1. The Wire (HBO, 2002-2008)
  2. Whether I'm judging these shows by personal preference, artistic merit, or cultural importance, nothing really comes close to touching David Simon's The Wire. I'm just gonna say this, we are talking about a television show whose scope and achievements have been positively compared to the works of Shakespeare, Dickens, Upton Sinclair, and the Greek masters. Not only that, but there is a very solid argument to be made that this was not hyperbolic. Damn. If I made a list of my top artistic achievements of the decade in any medium, this show would be battling it out for #1. Please, please, please watch it now that it's all on DVD and can be digested at one's own pace.
  3. Arrested Development (Fox, 2003-2006)
  4. This show changed television comedy forever. That's just a fact. We can't go back to the pre-AD era of TV. It's impossible. Everything about this show was inspired by the comedy Gods: a pitch-perfect cast, certifiably genius scripts (every single one of them), humor that worked on seven different levels at a time, and more laughs within every half-hour than most shows have in entire seasons. I'm not sure the show would be #2 if it weren't so damned rewatchable. The thing holds up like a Haliburton briefcase (reference to show #3, if you caught it!).
  5. LOST (ABC, 2004-present)
  6. 30 Rock (NBC, 2006-present)
  7. Chappelle's Show (Comedy Central, 2003-2006)
  8. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB/UPN, 1997-2003)
  9. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 1996-present)
  10. Battlestar Galactica (Sci-Fi, 2004-2009)
  11. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX, 2005-present)
  12. Mad Men (AMC, 2007-present)
  13. Futurama (Fox, 1999-2003/Comedy Central, 2008-present)
  14. Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (Adult Swim, 2007-present)
  15. South Park (Comedy Central, 1997-present)
  16. Dr. Who (BBC One, 2005-present)
  17. The Osbournes (MTV, 2002-2005)
  18. This American Life (Showtime, 2007-2008)
  19. Flight of the Conchords (HBO, 2007-present)
  20. Eastbound & Down (HBO, 2009-present)
  21. The West Wing (NBC, 1999-2006)
  22. Planet Earth (BBC One, 2006)
  23. Fringe (Fox, 2008-present)
  24. Firefly (Fox, 2002-2003)
  25. Tom Goes to the Mayor (Adult Swim, 2004-2006)
  26. Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List (Bravo, 2005-present)
  27. Stella (Comedy Central, 2005)
  28. Top Chef (Bravo, 2006-present)
AJDaGreat11/06/2009

Awesome list with many of my favorites, although have you watched much House? I love that show. It might be my favorite show on TV right now.

AAA v. 2.011/06/2009

House is on my shows to watch list. Too many people I respect have recommended it to me.

The only thing that's kept me away is my television-procedural-fatigue. In case you didn't notice, there are almost no shows about hospitals, law firms, or cops (minus The Wire, but that don't count) on my list. But I have heard that House is different, so I'll give it a shot.