The 411 Movies Top 5 1.15.10: Week 201 - Top 5 TV Shows of the Decade (2000-2009)

Posted by Trevor Snyder on 01.22.2010

The 411 crew chooses the best shows that lit up the airwaves during the past decade.



I never expected this to be tougher than last week's column, but man, was it ever. Having taken a look at the best movies of the decade last week, I just figured it would be fun to follow up with a similar look at television. It was only when I started to compile my list that I realized what a golden age of TV we are currently in. So whenever somebody tells you that there's just nothing worth watching on TV, you can safely assume that person is a complete moron. And I'm willing to bet my fellow 411 writers will back me up on that argument, as I would assume they had just as tough a time as I did narrowing down their choices for:

THE TOP 5 TV SHOWS OF THE DECADE (2000-2009)

TREVOR SNYDER

Honorable Mentions: Battlestar Galactica, The Office (UK), Curb Your Enthusiasm

5. South Park

When South Park first debuted, it got by on little more than pure nonsense and the thrill of seeing young kids being so crude. Sure, it was funny – for a time. But there was no way a show like that could go for too long before starting to get old. Then came the South Park movie, which could have easily been the series' swan song. Instead, by fashioning a pointed (and critically acclaimed) attack on both censorship and misguided American pride, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone revealed (even to themselves, it seems) that there was so much more they could do with the show. Since that time, South Park has grown into one of the sharpest cultural satires on television, completely unafraid to take on anything, anyone, or any side of a particular issue. Sure, it's still nonsensical and crude, but it's also one the smartest shows around. Who would have guessed it back when Cartman was just a fat kid yelling "beefcake?"

4. Lost

ABC wanted a show about people stranded on an island. That's all. But when they contacted J.J. Abrams to write the script for the pilot, they ended up with a modern TV classic. Abrams, together with Damon Lindelof, decided the only way to make a tired premise like this interesting was to add a somewhat supernatural angle to it, and to keep piling on mystery after mystery in order to keep the viewers hooked. It is a testament to the show's creative power that both fans and ABC alike have patiently stuck with the show as it continuously piles on questions in favor of answers. But then, that has become the charm of Lost, as fans are encouraged to endlessly debate the show's infinite possibilities with one another after each new episode. Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have continued to make Lost one of the most endlessly discussed shows around, and I'm sure that's something that will continue on even after its upcoming final season.

3. The Wire

How do you follow up serving as both writer and producer on Homicide: Life on the Street, arguably the greatest network police drama ever (and, coincidentally, also based on a book you wrote)? If you're David Simon, you turn around and create the greatest cable drama ever. Simon's The Wire, much like Homicide, focuses on the city on Baltimore. But unlike Homicide, which stuck to the work of the titular Homicide squad, The Wire expanded to cover different facets of the city over its amazing five seasons. Whether it be the drug trade, the port system, the schools or the newspapers, The Wire cast an unflinching eye upon every aspect of the city's corruption. As a result, it was unlike any other show ever seen since – a fascinating look at just how exactly a city works. It might not have ever been the most successful show as far as the mainstream goes, but The Wire's place in TV history is secure.

2. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

For anyone who cares about news in America, this was a pretty disappointing decade. Oh, sure, there was a proliferation of 24/7 news channels, but this unfortunately turned out to be a bad thing, as the news cycle turned into little more than partisan squawking from both sides of the aisle. From the wreckage of news respectability, however, emerged The Daily Show, which under the guidance of Jon Stewart changed from the slight satire of local news that it was under Craig Kilborn to a sharp and pointed look at the hypocrisy of national news media and politics. Stewart's decision to bring on former Onion writers helped facilitate this change, which soon saw The Daily Show become, in an odd way, one of the most reliable news shows around – despite Stewart and company's recurring insistence that they are nothing more than a "fake news show." That didn't stop Americans from actually voting Stewart the most trusted news anchor currently on TV, though. In fact, there are times when I think the writers of The Daily Show are the only people I would actually trust to be in charge of the country. But, then again, that would probably give them a lot less time to work on The Daily Show, and that would be a damn shame.

1. Arrested Development

Looking back, it's easy to be angry about Arrested Development's eventual cancellation, but I think instead we should just be thankful we even got three seasons. That the notoriously trigger-happy FOX stuck with it that long is something of a miracle, but I suspect that it had something to do with the fact that even the most heartless TV executive just couldn't stand to part with something so…brilliant. Perhaps the most excellently constructed comedy show ever, Arrested Development might not have had the biggest audience, but it rewarded those viewers it did have with a continuously evolving storyline and a series of call-backs and tie-ins that make repeat viewings somehow even more fun than the first time you watched it. I'd start to list some of my favorite moments, but geez, that's almost its own Top 5 column. Suffice to say, TV comedy just doesn't get any smarter, or better, than this.

BRYAN KRISTOPOWITZ

Honorable Mentions: Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Rescue Me, The Unit

5. NCIS

NCIS is a spin off of JAG, a military themed show that critics hated (well, maybe they didn't hate it but they sure as heck didn't get all ooh ah about it) but a sizeable audience loved because the show was on for like ten years. NCIS started in 2003, most likely with the JAG audience watching it as well. It is now 2010, JAG is off the air, and NCIS is now the # 1 drama on television (the show's overall rating has increased with every season, something unheard of in network TV). How did it get there? It somehow expanded its audience. NCIS is still a military themed show, but it's become more and more a police procedural than anything else (NCIS stands for Naval Criminal Investigation Service). And people like watching police procedurals. And you really can't beat Mark Harmon as a solid show lead star. He's a great actor, he's been there from the beginning, and when he isn't there the show suffers. NCIS now has its own spin off and continues to be a top rated show. And the critics kind of like it now. The sky may not be the limit for this show.

4. Jericho

Jericho only lasted two seasons, twenty-nine episodes, but the fact that some people (people like me) are still talking about it means that it must have struck a chord with audiences. In fact, it was the show's incredibly dedicated audience that launched a campaign to get the show back for a second season and was successful (the second season was only seven episodes, but that's seven episodes more than anyone thought they'd get after CBS cancelled it). And when that second season ended people still wanted more. Now, there's talk of a potential movie version of the show, there's a "third season" in comic book form, and people are still buying the show's DVD's and watching it in reruns on the Sci-Fi Channel. Twenty-nine episodes, it's an American show, and it still matters. Who the heck thought that would have happened after the end of the first season?

3. 24/Lost

I've never watched an episode of either of these shows, but I've decided to include them on my list because of their reputations. Both shows helped start the modern "serial" show idea and showed TV executives that audiences would watch a show that required you to watch from the beginning and keep watching so you could understand the story. Both shows required the audience to pay attention, which goes against everything that TV executives have said about TV audiences for decades. And, to a certain extent, both shows helped popularize the "DVR" thing, not to mention the "TV show on DVD" thing where people record shows not only to watch at a later time but rewatch to study the plot (same thing for DVD's). Changing the way people watch TV has to count for something, doesn't it?

2. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

CSI is a police procedural with a twist. It's not so much about cops with guns chasing down the bad guys and engaging in shoot outs with those bad guys. Instead, it's more about the cops/investigators that examine crime scenes, collect the evidence, and then, through science, figure out who did it. Essentially, it's a new puzzle every week. The show also helped make gore acceptable on TV (for instance, Bones couldn't exist without the gore precedent set by CSI). And above all else, CSI helped change the culture at large by making regular people believe that "the evidence/science doesn't lie." If there's no scientific evidence that says the guy did it, then the guy didn't do it. Gil Grissom knows what he's doing. And think about this, pretty much every new cop/crime show must include a forensic investigator character among its cast because otherwise people just aren't going to accept it. The science doesn't lie, after all. If you don't have the science, you don't have a case.

1. Family Guy

Family Guy got its start at the tail end of the 1990's, and while it initially got three seasons it pretty much fizzled out by 2003. The audience couldn't find it, Fox lost confidence in it, and it passed on into prime time animated TV show history. But then the show came out on DVD and started airing in reruns on the Cartoon Network, the DVD sales were huge, the CN ratings were huge, and suddenly Fox wanted more episodes. The show eventually came back in 2005 with new episodes, and the show became an even larger pop culture machine. The show, whether you liked it or not, became important. It's hard to top that in my mind. I know I certainly never thought the show would come back from the dead.

SHAWN S. LEALOS

5. Dexter

The show is on a pay network (Showtime) and presents us with a serial killer as a main protagonist, and remains one of the most successful critically acclaimed shows on TV. That is almost unheard of and reminds me of another show, with the same qualifications, that might be on anyone else's list. The reason I have Dexter on my list and not The Sopranos is because, somewhere along the way, the mob drama lost me. Dexter has done nothing in its first four seasons except get better. The fact that the Golden Globes finally rewarded Michael C. Hall is proof that the rest of America is finally catching on to the fact that Dexter is one of the best things going today.

4. The Shield

FX is a network that likes to take chances on risky, daring shows. The FX series that sits at the top of the mountain is the Shawn Ryan created series The Shield. The fact that Ryan wrote for two different shows in my Top 5 proves that he is one of the best people working in television today. In the seven seasons that The Shield was on the air, we joined Vic Mackey and his Strike Team as they broke every law in the book, but remained with them because we knew they were seeking the higher good (and to escape the force rich). By the end of the seventh season only two of our heroes live and we finally stop following Vic wherever he leads us when he takes the coward's way out. The show is a tragedy and the road to the end was the most compelling on television.

3. The Wire

The Wire was more than just a television series. It was high art, as close to a film like experience I have ever seen in a television show. Each season focuses on a different part of the city of Baltimore. It looks at the illegal drug trade, the port system, the city government, the school system and the news media. The show, created by former police reporter David Simon, looks at how everyone in the city lives together and how everything affects each other in the infrastructure. It was nominated for two Primetime Emmys and was never touched by the Golden Globes but remains one of the greatest shows of all time.

2. Angel

This is my all time favorite show, not only of the last decade, but of all time. It is a spinoff of the excellent Buffy the Vampire Slayer but is miles better than even that show. David Boreanaz is perfect as the vampire with a soul and his supporting cast is great in their roles, from Alexis Denisof, J. August Richards and Charisma Carpenter to Amy Acker, Christian Kane and the late Andy Hallett. The show had its legs chopped out from under it in its final season and had to wrap up the series early but the finale that Joss Whedon gave us, with everyone in the middle of a great battle in the Apocalypse, was a fitting end to a brilliant and entertaining series. Its debut was in 1999 but its main lifespan was in the 2000s, so I include it here.

1. Lost

While Angel is my favorite series on this list, I cannot ignore the significance of Lost, another show that I love. What makes Lost great is a complex storyline that is hard to get away with on network television. From the first scene, when the survivors of the plane crash are all scrambling on the beach, trying to save themselves to the upcoming final season where - hopefully - all the mysteries are revealed, the show remains the most innovative and brilliant on television today. The cast is just about perfect, the structure is groundbreaking and the direction is almost cinema-like. The show is amazing and its final season is my most anticipated series this year.

STEVE GUSTAFSON

Honorable Mentions: Dexter, 30 Rock, and Deadwood.

IMPORTANT NOTE, SO READ IT: I only included shows that started in the 2000s! If it premiered 1999 or earlier, it didn't make the list. So Google a show first to avoid looking like a moron.

5. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Frank. Mac. Dennis. Charlie. Sweet Dee. The Gang. A group after my own heart. While some have gone as far to say this show is like Seinfeld on crack, I disagree. The series follows our five alcoholic friends who are run Paddy's Pub, somehow keeping the run-down bar in Philadelphia in business. Each controversial episode is an example of their character traits: Dishonest, selfish, egotistical, and always looking for the easy way. Their exploits included faking cancer in an effort to get laid, turning up on opposite sides of an abortion rally for the same purpose (to get chicks), and setting one of their own on fire to get famous. And don't get me started on the supporting cast; from The Waitress and Rickety Cricket to The McPoyle clan and Carmen (the transsexual). No topic is too touchy, no joke too broad. But don't wave this show away because of its crassness. It's the type of show most of you would write if you could. If you haven't see this show yet, check it out on Hulu!

4. The Shield

Before this show came on Michael Chiklis was just the Commish. But after seven seasons of well-crafted, brilliant storylines and brutal cop work, Chiklis is one bad ass dude that makes me pray I never encounter an officer like him. The premise is about an experimental division of the Los Angeles Police Department set up in the fictional Farmington district (The Farm) of Los Angeles, using a converted church (The Barn) as their police station. Sorta based on the true life Rampart Division police scandal, this show never stopped throwing action and drama your way. Not only in the daily activities that police work entail, but in the lives of each of the characters. The series finale is one of my favorites of all time and shows that crime (By itself or fighting it) doesn't pay.

3> Curb Your Enthusiasm

Larry David. This show lives, breathes, and dies on this man. No race, color, or creed is safe on this show and the clever writing keeps this on my must-see list. How would you describe this show to someone who has never seen it? It's like describing what salt tastes like. While you might find Larry unlikeable, you'll find yourself not being able to look away as this mockumentary shadows his adventures in life. And they are pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good.

Awesome Fact: In 2003, Juan Catalan, a resident of Los Angeles, was cleared of premeditated murder charges against a material witness (a crime eligible for capital punishment) after outtake footage shot for the Carpool Lane episode showed him and his daughter attending the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves baseball game some 20 miles from the crime-scene at the time of the murder.

2. The Wire

Baltimore represent! Even if I didn't live 15 minutes from Charm City, The Wire would be one among the best ever. David Simon wrote this series as a modern Greek tragedy. And while you're watching it, you can't help but see that in the storylines. Each season focused on a different facet of the city; the illegal drug trade, the port system, the city government and bureaucracy, the school system, and the print news media. Simon has said that the show is "really about the American city, and about how we live together. It's about how institutions have an effect on individuals, and how whether you're a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge or a lawyer, you are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution you've committed to." We may never see a show that lays it all out so openly and honestly again.

1. Arrested Development

"Now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together. It's Arrested Development."

I was really, really, really tempted to just put Arrested Development in spots 1 through 5. I wouldn't have had any problem with that. This show truly is the best ensemble show ever. You rarely see the chemistry they had on TV and it elevates this show above 99% of the other series out there. For three seasons they crammed in layer after layer after layer of laughs; from the beginning narration to "On the next Arrested Development..." They approached themes the majority of shows would be afraid to touch because their writer's wouldn't know how to make them funny and accessible. I love this show and I started to type of the funny quotes, cool guest stars, and memorable moments, but realized everything about this show is awesome. From the Sunday brunch restaurant named "Skip Church's" to their expert ability to sneak in some...dirty word usage. The chicken dance, Franklin the puppet, Ron Howard's narration, Tobias Funke Analrapist, Charlize Theron as Rita, Henry Winkler as the family lawyer, Bob Loblaw's Law Blog...the greatness of this show can't be touched.

Next week, we take a look at what could be the hardest Decade list yet...The Top 5 Performances of the Decade.