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This list of 20 phenomenal TV shows from 2000-2009 reinforces our belief that the young millennium has launched a new Golden Age of Television. Granted, there are countless terrible shows polluting the airwaves. But there are also more smartly written, well-acted epic storylines playing out on the small-screen than ever before. There were certainly plenty of great shows that didn’t make the list, so let us know your picks for the best in the comments section below.
20. Deadwood
Creator: David Milch
Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, John Hawkes, Jim Beaver, Brad Dourif, Paula Malcomson, William Sanderson, Kim Dickens, Keith Carradine
Network: HBO
Sure, Deadwood does a fine job within the revisionist Western sub-genre’s traditional trappings, but ultimately it’s less concerned with its setting and historical accuracy (though it has plenty to spare) than it is about accurately portraying humans. Why do societies and allegiances form, why are close friends betrayed, and why does humanity’s best seem to always just barely edge out its worst? These are the real concerns that make Deadwood a masterpiece. David Milch created a sprawling, fastidiously detailed world in which to stage his gritty morality plays and with it has come as close as anyone to creating a novel on-screen. With assistance from some truly memorable acting by Ian McShane, Brad Dourif and Paula Malcomson, Deadwood ‘s sometimes over-the-top representations never veer far enough from reality for its inhabitants to become “just characters.” Sean Gandert
19. Dexter (2006-present)
Creator: James Manos Jr.
Stars: Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Desmond Harrington, Erik King, C.S. Lee, Lauren Vélez, David Zayas, James Remar
Network: Showtime
Dexter Morgan is a family man and a blood-splatter analyst for the Miami Police Department. Oh, and a serial killer. The fact that Dexter is governed by a strict moral code, only preying on murderers, makes the series uniquely fascinating and challenging—as a viewer, you find yourself rooting for a killer, caring for his family, hoping he’ll do the right thing, and wondering: Can slicing someone to pieces and dumping the body in the ocean ever be right? Kate Kiefer
18. Breaking Bad (2008-present)
Creator: Vince Gilligan
Stars: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte
Network: AMC
The premise alone could carry a show: A high-school chemistry teacher with a baby on the way finds out he’s dying of lung cancer, so he goes into business with a drug-dealing former student and starts cooking near-perfect meth in order to pay the bills. Bryan Cranston is pitiful and disgusting as main character Walter White, and a convincing supporting cast provides just enough comic relief for a show that’s violent, heartbreaking and incredibly dark. Kate Kiefer
17. Family Guy (1999-present)
Creator: Seth MacFarlane
Stars: Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Mike Henry
Network: HBO
It’s the show that made Seth MacFarlane a household name, and unfortunately, the one it seems he’ll never top. This is with good reason. MacFarlane created a family that’s easy to relate to despite the fact that it includes a talking dog and an inexplicably British, bloodthirsty infant. Combine the characters’ eccentricities with jokes that (sometimes literally) won’t quit, and you’ve got one of the most important cartoons to grace the small screen. Austin L. Ray
16. Weeds (2005-present)
Creator: Jenji Kohan
Stars: Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould, Allie Grant, with Justin Kirk, Kevin Nealon
Network: HBO
When widowed soccer mom Nancy Botwin started selling pot in order to maintain her family’s suburban California lifestyle, her life took a turn for the dangerous. Weeds is a dark comedy at its finest—Nancy’s behavior grows progressively darker, but supporting characters like alcoholic neighbor Celia, stoner CPA Doug and irresponsible brother-in-law Andy provide just enough comic relief. Kate Kiefer
15. Friday Night Lights (2006-present)
Creator: Peter Berg
Stars: Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Taylor Kitsch, Jesse Plemons, Aimee Teegarden, Michael B. Jordan, Jurnee Smollett
Networks: NBC/The 101
Who ever thought football, a sport infamous for its meat-heads and brute force, could be the cornerstone of one of television’s most delicate, affecting dramas? Heart-rending, infuriating, and rife with shattering setbacks and grand triumphs—Friday Night Lights is all of these, and in those ways it resembles the game around which the tiny town of Dillon, Texas, revolves. “Tender” and “nuanced” aren’t words usually applicable to the gridiron, but they fit the bill here, too. Full of heart but hardly saccharine, shot beautifully but hyper-realistically, and featuring a talented cast among which the teenagers and parents are—blessedly—clearly defined, the show manages to convince week after week that, yes, football somehow really is life. Rachael Maddux
14. The Colbert Report (2005-Current)
Creators: Stephen Colbert, Ben Karlin, Jon Stewart
Stars: Stephen Colbert
Network: Comedy Central
Opting for a different approach to news satire than his mentor, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert takes his potshots at the shouting-match mess of modern cable-news partisan commentary by hilariously inhabiting a blowhard persona himself, and playing it for all it’s worth with only the slightest wink. He does this so well that a recent Ohio State University study found that there’s actually a sub-group of viewers who believe that Colbert “only pretends to be joking and genuinely meant what he said.” Wow. Steve LaBate
13. Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)
Creator: Paul Feig
Stars: Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Samm Levine, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Martin Starr, Busy Philipps, Becky Ann Baker, Joe Flaherty
Network: NBC
We’ve had eight years to come to terms with Freaks & Geeks’ untimely cancellation, and while the axe’s blow still smarts, in some ways the series’ scant 18 episodes have proved an ideal offering. Like a musty old yearbook, the short run preserved one gloriously specific time in the lives of McKinley High’s do-gooders and reprobates, and now we remember the trials and tribulations of Lindsay and Sam Weir, Daniel Desario, Bill Haverchuck and the whole gang like those of so many long-lost high-school friends of our own. Despite the intervening years (and starring roles in raunchier Judd Apatow fare), we remember the characters precisely as they were then, in 1980—sweetly fraught, awkward, hilarious and unsullied by the harsh realities of post-graduate life (or trite plot-lines, forced love triangles or sweeps-week shenanigans). Rachael Maddux
12. 30 Rock (2006-present)
Creator: Nick
Stars: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, Judah Friedlander
Network: NBC
The spiritual successor to Arrested Development, 30 Rock succeeded where its competition failed by largely ignoring the actual process of creating a TV show and instead focusing on the life of one individual in charge of the process, played by show creator Tina Fey. 30 Rock never loses track of its focus and creates a surprisingly deep character for the its circus to spin around. But Fey’s not the only one that makes the series. Consistently spot-on performances by Tracy Morgan—whether frequenting strip clubs or a werewolf bar mitzvah—and Alec Baldwin’s evil plans for microwave-television programming create a perfect level of chaos for the show’s writers to unravel every week. 30 Rock doesn’t have complex themes or a deep message, but that stuff would get in the way of its goal: having the most consistently funny show on TV. Suffice to say, it’s succeeding. Sean Gandert
11. Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-present)
Creator: Larry David
Stars: Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman
Network: HBO
Curb Your Enthusiasm spreads its cringe-worthy neuroticism like a contagious disease, infecting us with horror and laughter alike. Currently in his seventh season, perpetually farklempt writer, producer and star Larry David still hasn’t run out of that vintage arrogance that skewers every race, color and creed with undiluted misanthropy. Riding strong off constantly clever writing and a recent Seinfeld cast reunion, there isn’t much to complain about—we’ll leave that to the professionals on this show. Sean Edgar
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Without Six Feet Under, this list has no legitimacy whatsoever . . .
I usually enjoy Kate Kiefer's writing in Paste, but this time she provided just enough comic relief. Twice.
And I agree: Where's Six Feet Under?
I do wish Six Feet Under was on this list, easily my number one. But I must applaud Paste for probably being the only list of greatest shows of this decade that will come out that won't have The Sopranos at #1.
Sadly, Six Feet Under was the last thing knocked off the list to make room for Dexter. I agree that it was a great show. Maybe we should have rounded up to 21?
Great list, but the absence of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is conspicuous.
Gee, except for Buffy, Lost and the occasional Comedy Central show, I've never watched any of these. The biggest reason is I just can't afford to pay for premium TV on top of the standard outragious cable bill. I think there should be separate catagories, emmys included, for network vs cable programs.
Agreed. I think I'm going to shoot myself in the face. I love "The Office" and "The West Wing" but you lack a college education or something if you honestly think it's better than "The Sopranos." Norman Mailer once proclaimed it was the only television show that approached the depth of a novel, and he was right. (This came before, I assume, he saw saw "The Wire.")
I haven't seen "Six Feet Under," but, judging by its reputation, it deserves a spot on this list.
I also ask: Where the heck is "My So-Called Life?" That show was unbelievably good.
Back to "Sopranos": Look, I'm not demanding it be placed at No. 1. There's some novelty to keeping "Arrested Development" there (another show I have not seen). But, Christ. C'mon. Dunder f---ing Mifflin is better than Tony?
Kill your television.
Except for 30 Rock. And Fringe.
i realize its been said but six feet under was the most beautifully shot, amazingly written and heartbreaking show that i have personally ever seen.
it seems by your list that you are looking for shows that were revolutionary, trend setting etc. which is great. i don't like buffy but i understand why its here. although again, the way six feet under made its audience rethink about the meaning of death is revolutionary in itself.
i realize that it has been said but i must say again how much i believe that six feet under should be on this list, and close to the top.
it has got to be the most beautiful written, amazingly shot and most heartbreaking show that has ever grazed television.
and i understand that many shows on here are here because they are revolutionary or trend setting. i appreciate why buffy is included here even though i highly dislike the actual show.
although plain and simply, six feet under made its audience rethink what death meant. a concept that is revolutionary in itself.
i realize that it has been said but i must say again how much i believe that six feet under should be on this list, and close to the top.
it has got to be the most beautiful written, amazingly shot and most heartbreaking show that has ever grazed television.
and i understand that many shows on here are here because they are revolutionary or trend setting. i appreciate why buffy is included here even though i highly dislike the actual show.
although plain and simply, six feet under made its audience rethink the meaning of death. a concept that is revolutionary in itself.
Thanks for the explanation Josh, but SFU had no business being as low as #21. Awesome show.
...and what about "The Shield"?
Dexter over Six Feet Under? Please, without Six Feet Under, Dexter wouldn't even be on the map! Deadwood? (Great acting! HORRIBLE writing.)
Firefly was a great TV show that was cancelled pre-maturely.
Boston Legal? Survivor (you let in news commentary shows & not reality TV?)
I sure hope these "Best of" lists aren't taking time away from you finding new material. Please don't send me a year end issue of your top 50 Best of Lists!
Also, I am reminded of your #1 album of 2008 She & Him. LOL! you still standing by that?!? LOL.
Rock Out Friday Night Lights - such an underrated show.
As with any "best of" list, of course there will always be shows people think deserve to be there in place of other ones that shouldn't. It's all highly subjective, but I always find it fun to read why people think their fave shows are the best.
You included lots of my faves, so I'm a happy camper.
And Cribbster, while I agree My So-Called Life was an amazing show, it was made in the 90s, and therefore does not qualify for this list.
It's important to leave an obvious choice off the list in order to generate more comments.
Thus, the exclusion of Six Feet Under, the defining show of the decade. (Could Dexter have happened without it??)
Sports Night
Sports Night. Comedy/Drama at its best.
A very good list. Provocative and fair-minded with the understanding that making people genuinely laugh is infinitely more difficult than immersing them into drama. Keep up the good work.
Sports Night was indeed a great show... from the Nineties.
WHY IS VERONICA MARS NOT ON HERE? I DEMAND AN ANSWER.
Okay, now you need to do a 20 Best You Tube videos list, starting with the laughing baby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HttF5HVYtlQ
I agree Six Feet Under should at least be in the top 5.
Where is House? Definitely deserves it more than Buffy . . . seriously.
I agree with most of these. I just would have put Milch's Deadwood higher.
Here's a write-up I did a few weeks ago on Milch's under-rated, under-seen pre-Deadwood series BIG APPLE: http://mediumprimitivecool.blogspot.com/2009/10/big-apple-underrated-underseen-gem-of.html
Top three are pretty decent. But then it starts to tail off. Buffy? Good god. After that, I halfway expected to see Smallville, Fringe or better yet Raven. ;)
I actually agree with most of the selections here, if not the order...but I seriously can't believe Family Guy is on here and not Six Feet Under.
And those that are shocked at Buffy's inclusion (especially when they try to compare it to Smallville. SERIOUSLY?!?) clearly aren't very familiar with the show. Buffy is a classic example of a show being MUCH more than it appears on the surface. It definitely deserves to be on this list. Much more so than Family Guy and Friday Night Lights.
What about House? Come on...HOUSE!
Good list but Six Feet Under and Rescue Me are the big omissions. Family Guy and Friday Night Lights should come off in favor of those two. Both good shows but Six Feet Under and Rescue Me are simply better in my opinion.
When I saw Family Guy on the list, I should have been leery. The first two seasons were pretty good, but its been essentially primates flinging poo ever since.... Hell, American Dad on its worst day is better than Family Guy on its best day.
Im not going to ever get into the whole South Park vs. Family Guy debacle, or where South Park and The Simpsons are on your list....
I will give you points for putting Battlestar Galactica on the list, but if youre going to look out into space for great Television.... where the FRELL is Farscape???? It is quite possibly one of the greatest television shows to ever dance across the cathode ray tube.
Damages
Rescue Me
The Shield
Come on, Freaks and Geeks? Arrested Development?
It's Always Sunny should be right up there with arrested development.
I can understand some of the choices for this list but its the ones not on the list that got me.
Where is.....
CSI
CSI: Miami
Prison Break
The Unit
NCIS
The Simpsons
ER
Law & Order SVU
I have watched the viewer ratings, and at least one of the three CSI series would be on this list, so this list is wrong...
I have watched the viewer ratings, and at least one of three CSI series would be on this list, so this is wrong...
Arrested is to Comedy as Six Feet Under is to Drama? Where the fokkin hell is it?
Decent list, but again without Six Feet Under, lacking judgement.
But... This list should really be renamed the best "American" tv shows of the decade. American cable television isn't the only place creating good tv.
Good list with typical quibbles. But, as good as Arrested Development is, it is a sin to put the Wire #2. This is probably the greatest show in the history of television, and I am not exaggerating.This is held by many critics and viewers. AD is one of the better comedies of all time, but The Wire would get many more votes than anything on this list as the best show ever made.
But, I know where the bias is. Josh is the editor. Josh loves AD and as one that follows Josh on twitter, I know he had not finished the entire The Wire as of a couple of months ago.
Josh, have you finished The Wire?
Also it is easier to make sure everyone has watched AD than survived The Wire. I demand a recount.
Would have included Veronica Mars, but overall, a good list.
Great list! But Grey's Anatomy should have been on the list in my opinion.
this was a pretty good List but Veronica Mars is a major ommission that is better then alot of the shows on here.
Ive never seen Six feet under but i will definitly check it out based on the comments here
Good list overall, but frankly, Weeds is total shit. I'd be surprised if the writers have ever smoked pot, or met black people before casting the series. I tried to like this show, but the ho-hum drive-by shooting in the first season was just too much. These characters are not real, not even close. Weeds sucks. Replace it with Six Feet Under, and replace Buffy with--anything else, and you've got a near-perfect list.
Wow. No mention of 24. 24 and Six Feet Under along with The Shield deserve to be on this list ahead of shows like Battlestar Galactica, Freaks and Geeks,