BoD: Best TV Series [Top 10]

It’s been one hell of a decade for television. The past 10 years saw the explosion of reality programming, the rise of cable and the deterioration of NBC.

With an embarrassment of riches to choose from, we decided to rank the top 10 programs and then separate the next 40 in four distinct tiers of descending quality.

We also picked programs based on their representational value for the decade. So you won’t see the likes of “Buffy,” “Friends,” “The X-Files” or “Dawson’s Creek” on this list because they’re clearly “’90s shows.” 

Here are the best of the best, the top 10. In order.

10. “The West Wing”: Throughout the conservative first half of the decade, “Wing” was a witty, idealistic, liberal oasis in prime-time TV viewing. Heavily researched and smartly written, the show gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the most visible American political institution. And let us not forget the series’ prescient final season involving a presidential election matchup between a fresh-faced minority Democrat and a politically mature maverick Republican senator (and the similarities don’t stop there).

9.  “Chappelle’s Show”: Chappelle’s comedy blended sly humor with racial hot topics in a way that was politically incorrect and incredibly spot-on. Although he pulled the plug after only two and a half seasons, the show remains not only one of the best sketch comedy shows of the decade but one of the most important.

8.  “Friday Night Lights”: The football-crazy small town setting of Dillon, Texas, is so fully and perfectly realized that it renders story developments that would seem schmaltzy on other, lesser shows genuinely powerful. Anchored by the brilliant performances of Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, “FNL” proves quality can triumph over poor ratings and an inexplicable lack of awards.


7.  “Six Feet Under”: Surreal atmosphere, flawless writing and insightful performances became the trademarks of this dysfunctional family drama. Each of its protagonists was treated with equal attention and compassion, and their characters were always consistent but rarely predictable. Never glossing over the agonizing or disgraceful aspects of life, it explored the human condition in all its flawed, bittersweet beauty.

6.  “Mad Men”: Former “Sopranos” writer Matthew Weiner took the spec script that got him that job to every major network, and they all declined. Thankfully middle-of-the-road AMC took a chance and what’s come out of that has been a meticulous examination of life in the late ’50s and early ’60s. While Don Draper’s made smoking and adultery cool again, HBO’s probably been slapping itself for passing.

5.  “The Sopranos”: Perhaps the most influential series ever, no show changed the television medium the way “The Soprano”s did. Before Don Draper, there was Tony Soprano, the deeply flawed protagonist who made the show go. By combining writing that was second to none and great acting with dark themes and ambiguous morals, creator David Chase attained a level of success with “The Sopranos” that is the envy of any show on television today.

4.  “The Daily Show”: In a period when the real news became more fake and entertainment-based, we all turned to the fake entertainment news show for the truth. Jon Stewart and his band of expert correspondents (many of whom went on to their own stardom during the decade) made a living aping the mainstream media’s mostly terrible handling of the world’s major events – all while making us laugh nightly.

3.  “The Wire”: Smarter, bleaker and more real than its HBO cohorts that get more pub, this show’s depiction of Baltimore unfolded majestically during five seasons. Most programs with a message come off heavy-handed, but when the message is that all of our important institutions – from the police force to the school system – fail us, the only effect is this: We’re screwed. 

2.  “Arrested Development”: The Bluth family’s comedic run was cut short, but in its brevity, “Arrested Development” attained perfection. It exists without a single remotely average episode and with an ending that resolved all loose ends. It is a show so rich in wit and attentiveness to every detail that the plot appears to have been expertly predetermined.

1.  “Lost”: From its very first moments in 2004, this thematically rich, genre-mixing program has captivated – and frustrated – audiences like no show before or since. Featuring stirring performances, beautiful cinematography and more pause-the-DVR-to-take-a-breath moments than any other program, “Lost” is the ultimate television experience. Influential in countless ways, “Lost” will go down as one of the best ever.