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| Scene from Pose |
More than any other decade, the definition of TV took a gigantic shift in the 2010s, featuring the rise of Peak TV and the rise (and fall) of the Antihero. While there's dozens, even hundreds of shows that made it delightful to watch and discuss online later, there are the few that resonated with me personally, not only serving as great TV but work that sticks with you and demands to be thought about as something important. The following is a look at 10 of my favorite shows of the past 10 years, where the best shows weren't always on the boob tube and often could be binged in an afternoon. TV is more rampant than before, and it's important to remember the best of the best.
Listm1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
If one show benefited the most from the rise of binge-watching culture, it was this show about a science teacher-turned-meth dealer whose slow decay into evil became one of the most fascinating shows on a weekly basis. With a career-defining performance by Bryan Cranston, the journey into ABQ presented a story full of moral corruptness and shocking reveals that were perfectly written, reflecting that TV could be challenging and relentless with the right story. More than anything, it's the one show that finished in a satisfying manner, saving some of the most devastating moments for the final season when everything goes downhill. There have been many characters as devious as Walter White, but few have been as transcendent in the pop culture zeitgeist.
2. The Leftovers (HBO)
What Damon Lindelof did with his ambitious show about the rapture was slowly turn it from the most depressing hour on TV to one of the most entertaining. Somehow it all fits within the same frame and the gradual transition is a powerful image of humanity managing to not overcome their grief but come to terms with loss and what is left. Still, for all of the sadness that existed until the very last frame, there was an optimism and humor in the performances of Carrie Coon and Justin Theroux. Their journey rivaled The Sopranos for weirdest fantasy sequences, including one that involved a sex cruise with animals (and one of the best punchlines of the decade). There has never been a show as challenging and emotionally fulfilling as this, managing to give those willing to explore the depths of humanity the reward of knowing that things can get better, so long as you're willing to try.
3. Pose (FX)
In just two seasons, Pose has thrown a sledgehammer to the conventions that the decade began with. It is the first Emmy-winning drama to feature a largely transgender and LGBT cast being able to play themselves. Not only that, but it was a chance where they got to be more than victims, reveling in opulent beauty as Billy Porter throws out hilarious praise. The community has never felt this much like a family before, managing to appeal to those who have never been within a mile of ballroom culture. It's a show that also isn't afraid to address tough subjects like AIDS and discrimination, but it all comes back to family and love. It's a show that allows transgender bodies to be beautiful, embracing a message often heard but not seen. Even if it wasn't that good, it would still be an important show for what it's done culturally. Hopefully more take note of it the decade to come.
4. Bunheads (ABC Family)
True, Amy Sherman Palladino had better luck this decade with Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. However, her one season wonder about ballet dancers in Paradise, CA is one of those delightful injections that were too good to last. Where else would the audience get a fun cast of young actresses who could not only deliver some of the wittiest dialogue but had these incredible dance moves that dazzled viewers on a regular basis? This is a world that had nothing but love for its characters, and it remains one of the best feel good shows of the decade. With an excellent lead performance by Sutton Foster, the show at worst was misunderstood and poorly marketed. At best, it was a chance to prove that dance and drama did match, and it leads to some hilarious moments, such as a moment where Foster maces the entire cast of The Nutcracker. Yeah, the show has fun and more shows could learn from it.
5. American Crime Story (FX)
It was hard to imagine that by the end of the decade that producer Ryan Murphy would be one of the most influential faces on TV. Not only did American Horror Story help to popularize the anthology series, but American Crime Story followed in a similar suit of telling unique stories each season. The first season tackled race relations with O.J. Simpson. The second tackled the complicated nature of queer politics that lead to Gianni Versace's assassination. Both were challenging to the form, finding Murphy applying his penchant risk casting in entertaining ways that more often than not paid off. The show was as provocative as it was emotional and informative, creating a unique perspective that few anthology shows have matched both in quality and performances. It wasn't the only Murphy show to come out this decade, but it was the best example of what he had to offer.
6. You're the Worst (FX)
There have been few shows that immediately ask you to hate it as boldly as this one. In fact, that's kind of the point. The lead characters are terrible narcissists who make bad decisions, and what starts as a Los Angeles parody of a romantic comedy slowly evolved into something greater. It was a story about what leads to a live of self-absorption, the loneliness it breeds, and how these people are lovable in their damaged ways. No comedy got away with being this brutally sharp in humor or as tragically dark in its subtext. There were episodes dedicated to exploring depression in ways not often seen on TV. Aya Cash and Chris Geere evolved from unlikable jerks to two of TV's most essential screw-ups finally getting it together. It was a show for anyone who felt like they didn't belong, and it did so with a rare maturity in-between its crass humor.
7. Mad Men (AMC)
The show that helped launch AMC came into its own by the end of its run, managing to encapsulate most of the 1960s society through the guise of an ad agency. Don Draper became one of the most charismatic sleazes in pop culture, managing to be as alluring as he was awful. The average episode was layered with a dramatic nuance that required deeper thought not only to its place within the show but the events around it that were used as substance over tapestry. By the end, it was about more than how we perceive media. It was about how we perceive each other and what value it is to be open with our ideas. With one of the best supporting casts this decade, it's hard to find a show as dramatic, funny, or sad as this one.
8. Atlanta (FX)
What is Atlanta? After two seasons, it's not likely that Donald Glover could tell you either. The easy way to describe it is David Lynch if he got baked and listened to rap music in Georgia. The average episode comes across as hallucinatory nonsequiturs that don't make sense on the surface. For those willing to go deeper, the journey of Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, Lakeith Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz is one that is about identity and growing up. It's not afraid to go absurd, and it's likely that each episode will be dissected for years to come. Whether it lasts another year or 10, it seems like Glover has found his defining gift to the world. For those who can get on its wavelength, Atlanta is one of the best shows to ever scratch your head and not explain why it gave you that itch in the first place.
9. BoJack Horseman (Netflix)
Of every Netflix show, the most unlikely champion of the group was about an animated horseman with alcoholism. In some ways, the show is the perfect update of The Simpsons with more sight gags and name puns than just about any show. It's as densely layered with dumb and smart jokes as it is monologues about manic-depression, drug overdoses, and career mistakes. It was a show that proved how the medium could be challenged without restrictions to timeframes and commercial breaks. An average episode manages to catch the viewer off-guard, making them question some value in their life. Sometimes it's good, others it's heartbreaking. Whatever the case may be, nobody would've guessed that it was best elocuted by a horseman who ended his first episode barfing off the side of his pool. In some ways, that was the person most likely to have an emotional breakthrough anyway.
10. Fargo (FX)
It has long been a trope that every great movie deserves to be expanded to as a TV series. To put it briefly: those shows usually fail, missing the bigger point of why they resonated. Creator Noah Hawley found a loophole with this Coen Brothers project by expanding the mythology of Fargo, North Dakota from various other vantage points. Sure, it connected to Marge Gunderson's personal journey, but it managed to create dozens of new characters that could stand on their own, escaping the novelty of a goofy accent and finding dark crime drama that mattered. Much like HBO's Watchmen later, Hawley realized that the best approach to making Fargo work was not to remake the movie but fill in the blanks around it. The show is a great blend of weirdness, managing to be one of the few anthology shows that somehow connects more in them than literal set pieces. Each season remains a delightful surprise, and hopefully it will continue to stay that way.
Other Shows I Liked:
11. Last Week Tonight (HBO)
12. The Knick (Cinemax)
13. Fleabag (BBC/Amazon Prime)
14. Black Mirror (BBC/Netflix)
15. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
16. Community (NBC)
17. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)
18. Penny Dreadful (Showtime)
19. Better Things (FX)
20. Killing Eve (BBC)
21. Halt and Catch Fire (AMC)
22. Rick and Morty (Cartoon Network)
23. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW)
24. Orange is the New Black (Netflix)
25. Twin Peaks: The Return (Showtime)
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