Not to brag, but choosing the best TV of the decade has never been so daunting a task as it is right now. The 2010s were an embarrassment of riches, with the onset of Peak TV and the dawn of the streaming era. 10 years ago Netflix was mailing DVDs — now it’s one of at least 10 competing streaming networks that basically reinvented cable right before (and explicitly for) our eyes.
With so much to choose from, we had a major requirement: The show has to have started in the 2010s — that’s why you won’t see ubiquitous TV darlings like Breaking Bad and Mad Men, which premiered in the previous decade; the time has come to pass the baton.
Without further ado, in no particular order (except alphabetical), here are our best 15 shows of the 2010s:
1. The Americans, 2013 - 2018 (FX)
Though criminally underwatched and underappreciated in an era that pitted it against Game of Thrones-level heavy hitters, The Americans was textbook prestige TV, showcasing fine acting, production, and eerie synchronicity with current as well as past political events. It was arguably one of the last prestige TV shows that could and would have dominated the 2000s, and would have fit in better on a list with Lost and Breaking Bad than one with The Leftovers and Bojack Horseman.
Still, The Americans reminded us of the merits of linear storytelling, realistic fiction, and the hypnotic cyclicality of history in our times. It was a good old-fashioned spy thriller with almost comically high stakes (the FBI agent is their neighbor!), visceral violence, and regular, magnificent guest appearances by character actress Margo Martindale. It’s worth a watch, no matter when you say you’ll get to it, and you’ll understand why it deserved so much more than it got. -Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter
Where to watch: Amazon(opens in a new tab)
2. Atlanta, 2016 - present (FX)
Atlanta is at once one of the most real and surreal shows on television. Created by renaissance man Donald Glover, Atlanta gives such an intimate look at its characters that it’s impossible not to get sucked into their lives in the biggest city in Georgia. Just when you get comfortable with them, the show will take a turn and give you an episode that makes you wonder if you’ve fallen asleep and started dreaming about people in Atlanta, and it’s the weirdest most wonderful experience.
Amidst the fantastic stores of Atlanta are commentaries on race, class, gender, toxic masculinity, drugs, relationships, and so many other important, everyday topics that affect every aspect of our lives. The way the show weaves these issues into its characters’ lives is so natural, and even in the most outlandish situations, there’s a pervasive humanity that beats through the whole show thanks to the superb acting. Atlanta just doesn’t ever let up. -Kellen Beck, Entertainment Reporter
Where to watch: Hulu(opens in a new tab)
3. Barry, 2018 - present (HBO)
HBO’s Barry may have only premiered in 2018, but its artful balance of comedy and tragedy makes it one of the decade’s best shows — and, if things keep going this well, quite possibly among the best of the next.
Displaying excellence across writing, directing, and acting, Barry took what at first seemed like inspiration for a bad SNL sketch (hitman leaves crimes to become an actor) and created one of the most darkly satisfying series in recent memory. Bill Hader’s lead character capitalized on the antihero wave ushered in by Breaking Bad, but delivered something more sinister and amusing than previously thought possible.
Supporting performances by Henry Winkler, Sarah Goldberg, Stephen Root, and Anthony Carrigan — all Emmy-nominated, with Winkler winning in 2018 — exhibited similar duality with ingenious jokes and grisly acts of violence that are somehow all equally memorable. -Ali Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
Where to watch: HBO(opens in a new tab)
4. Bob's Burgers, 2011 - present (FOX)
Adult cartoons endured the past decade with remarkable tenacity. Old favorites like The Simpsons maintained their loyal audiences, while newcomers like Rick and Morty brought in niche fanbases with emotional courage. Then, there was the show that somehow combined the best of both worlds, and set a new standard for the genre.
Entering its tenth season this fall, Bob's Burgers is an unparalleled feat of staying power. Year after year, the family comedy has conquered the sitcom format, delivering topical one-liners, punchy dialogue, and running gags that somehow never seem to stop being funny. At the same time, the series built an intricate universe of feeling, grounded in the kinds of characters TV was made for — and that viewers actually like.
Since 2011, Bob, Linda, Tina, Gene, and Louise have become household names, and the Belchers’ recognizable voices some of the most beloved in broadcast. Of course, the struggling third-generation restaurateur and his family are still facing many of the obstacles they saw in the pilot, but at least they’re now serving a full house on Sunday nights. -AF
Where to watch: Hulu(opens in a new tab)
5. Bojack Horseman, 2014 - present (Netflix)
Seeing how by 2019 this decade proved itself to be an increasingly surreal collection of moments that make no sense, it tracks that Bojack Horseman is one of the greatest TV shows to come out of it. Of course the animated Netflix show about a depressed, alcoholic horse who doesn’t know how to be a better person is the one that best captured the sometimes wild, sometimes anhedonic experience of being alive right now. Of course some of this decade’s most quotable lines and poignant psychological insights came from the horse show. It’s always the horse. Of course. -Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter
Where to watch: Netflix(opens in a new tab)
6. Broad City, 2014 - 2019 (Comedy Central)
The 2010s achieved the Herculean task of finally getting Hollywood to tell stories about women and people of color (an ongoing struggle, to be clear, but one that has made monumental strides this decade), to the point where this list had multiple contenders in the “millennial women figuring it out” category. Broad City existed in a microcosm of New York and millennial culture, where everything is hookups and hijinks, but where the needle of adulthood moves imperceptibly but inevitably forward.
Abbi and Ilana grew up before our very eyes, often in conjunction with viewers who spent the early seasons picking air conditioners up off the sidewalk and now have the luxury of buying their own. The show is hyperspecific to New York City, but gave us lovable and eccentric characters that could be adored from anywhere (anyone who doesn’t fall in love with Lincoln is a demon). It dabbled in experimental episodes and minimal arcs, but over the course of five seasons told a beautiful story of growing up, getting high, and finding your soulmate. -PK
Where to watch: Hulu(opens in a new tab)
7. Brooklyn Nine-Nine, 2013 - present (FOX/NBC)
Though not as ubiquitous as he is now to the TV comedy fan, Mike Schur’s stamp was already spreading at the start of the decade. In the 2010s, Schur and frequent collaborator Dan Goor expanded this television universe, starting with Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Where shows like The Office and Parks (both of which started before 2010 and therefore couldn’t be on this list) require a little patience to fall in love with, the Nine-Nine is the work of seasoned vets who established this world boldly right from the pilot; storylines like Jake and Amy’s connection, Holt’s role as a mentor, and the general tenacity with which the Nine-Nine fight for each other — all these seeds were planted in episode 101 and have been the show’s pillars for years.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine was also effortlessly inclusive from day one, creating a safe and supportive space for its minority characters while not shying away from the real-world microaggressions they’d experience in episodes like "Moo Moo" and "Game Night." The show was nominated for multiple GLAAD Media Awards (with a win in 2018) and Emmys, and few current comedies can boast as high a joke density as this one with its sharp cuts and shaky zooms. It has single-handedly made a case(opens in a new tab) for preserving the cold open in sitcoms and elevated it from weekly gag to high art(opens in a new tab). -PK
Where to watch: Hulu(opens in a new tab)
8. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, 2015 - 2019 (The CW)
The title and premise sound a bit like a 30 Rock fake show, so you'd be forgiven for originally missing this CW charmer. But this musical dramedy about a woman who moves across the country to try and get back together with a high school ex is, to quote the original theme song(opens in a new tab), actually a lot more nuanced than that, and well worth your time if you missed it originally.
Over the course of four near-perfect seasons, Rachel Bloom and company delivered a beautiful exploration of living with mental illness and the lies we tell ourselves to keep people from seeing the real us. This show had love triangles and complicated friendships and reveled in playing around with shades of grey. All that, plus endlessly catchy original (and, finally, Emmy-winning) tunes about anti-depressants(opens in a new tab) and generalizing about men(opens in a new tab). -Erin Strecker, Entertainment Editor
Where to watch: Netflix(opens in a new tab)
9. Enlightened, 2011 - 2013 (HBO)
Looking back at HBO's Enlightened from 2019, it's surprising to realize how very 2019 it feels: It's a story of a "difficult" woman (Laura Dern) who has the audacity to imagine a better world, and the determination to try to make it happen — by blowing the whistle on her own employer, even, if that's what it takes.
At the time it was airing, though, we didn't know how prescient it would be. We just knew it felt special. We loved that it could be boisterously funny and quietly devastating, sometimes in the space of a single scene. We were moved by its uncommon empathy, which found humanities in the nobodies the rest of the world would just as soon shove into a basement and forget. We related to its satirical take on the the rot of corporate culture, and its earnest exploration of just how difficult toppling such institutions can be. And we know that, even now, even when shows like Enlightened are easier to come by, there's nothing quite like it anywhere else. -Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor
Where to watch: HBO(opens in a new tab)
10. Fleabag, 2016 - 2019 (BBC/Amazon)
It might only be two seasons and 12 episodes, but there can be no denying the impact of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s hilarious and hedonistic brainchild that shook fans and critics alike. It blew past our expectations of the line between comedy and drama, existing moment-to-moment between both genres and elevating both spectacularly.
To be fair, the 2010s birthed multiple Fleabag siblings (some on this list), but the main character herself provided an emotional hook with the gravitational pull of Jupiter. Talk to any Fleabag fan and you'll know they connected with it on a deep, emotional level, yet we never have to air our own baggage in all its dirty detail when we have our cheeky, wall-breaking antiheroine to talk to instead. Just as the audience is her interloper, Fleabag is ours, bridging trauma and feelings when we aren't ready to talk about them yet. She sucked us in, and it won’t pass(opens in a new tab). -PK
Where to watch: Amazon(opens in a new tab)
11. Game of Thrones, 2011 - 2019 (HBO)
On April 17, 2011, HBO introduced a titan and changed television forever. Game of Thrones had nothing that projected the most successful television show of our lifetimes; it had too many characters and storylines, a sprawling fantasy setting, incest — nay, twincest — no big name stars (the most known cast member’s character didn’t survive Season 1). Yet it gripped viewers in a way that nothing had in years, crossing bridges of culture, age, and other seemingly arbitrary distinctions between people that cease to exist when we’re bonding over television we love.
And on top of that — it was good. It was critical catnip (until, arguably, the later seasons, but still a force to be reckoned with), with production designed to make Emmy voters salivate, as they did again and again. It changed what television is and can be, and no matter how it ended, its most indelible legacy will be that we were here to witness and share it together — in online forums, at the watercooler, and among our friends. -PK
Where to watch: HBO(opens in a new tab)
12. Jane the Virgin, 2014 - 2019 (The CW)
In the fall of 2014, The CW took a chance on a telenovela about an accidentally artificially inseminated virgin that from its opening moments alone was so much better than it had any right to be. We fell in love with every corner of it: with the regular fantasy sequences, the telenovela twists and turns, and with Jane (Gina Rodriguez), Rafael (Justin Baldoni), Michael (Brett Dier), and little Mateo (Elias Janssen in later seasons).
So much of the show should have been comical and outlandish, but it stuck every landing because of heartfelt performances and sincere, painstaking writing from Jennie Snyder Urman and her team. In the age of the antihero, Jane was a guiding light, a moral compass, a heroine to whom we could aspire while empathizing with her mistakes and cheering on her every victory. -PK
Where to watch: Netflix(opens in a new tab)
13. The Leftovers, 2014 - 2017 (HBO)
At the start of the decade, TV fans were hardly ready for the type of genre-bending experimentation we now guzzle down daily. Look no further than the polarizing Lost finale and creator Damon Lindelof’s subsequent exit from Twitter — but then look to his daring next project: the boundlessly existential The Leftovers, which had critics salivating throughout its acclaimed three-season run.
Set in a world where two percent of Earth’s population abruptly vanish one day, The Leftovers never promised answers, and instead offered questions so rich and engrossing that they become the show’s integral fiber. It questioned the very essence of reality and existence and created a whole new vocabulary and reference point for grief in our own world. It utilized a magnificent cast, including Carrie Coon, Amy Brenneman, and of course the indomitable Ann Dowd. So brief was its run that it's easy to forget it ever graced us; it's as if it vanished into thin air, leaving us with beautiful, haunting memories. -PK
Where to watch: HBO(opens in a new tab)
14. Ramy, 2019 - present (Hulu)
As we look back on the past 10 years of television, it’s also important to look to the future. Ramy may only have premiered in 2019, but the Hulu comedy from creator Ramy Youssef sets a standard for the next decade of television. The Hulu comedy is a curious and contemplative look into the life of a millennial Muslim American and his family. It’s culturally relevant and one-of-a-kind, but that’s not the important part (especially according to Youssef(opens in a new tab)): The important part is it’s fucking good television. It’s a master class, a season on par with the best of Atlanta or Master of None but which happens to be its creator’s television debut. It is often in the same breath devastating and laugh-out-loud hysterical. It is art.
The first season was easy to lose in a deluge of other shows; it came out within days of the Game of Thrones final season premiere and was arguably underwatched even by critics. Luckily a greenlit Season 2 is in the works and you have plenty of time to catch up now that there’s peace in Westeros (lol). -PK
Where to watch: Hulu(opens in a new tab)
15. Veep, 2012 - 2019 (HBO)
Veep had many successes as a TV series. It featured some of the most creative uses of profanity and insult comedy on television. It gave the legendary Julia Louis-Dreyfus an energizing role and an opportunity to escape, once again, from the shadow of Seinfeld.
There's also the small fact of Veep predicting a Donald Trump presidency.
The show never went as far as naming the Orange Menace, though the final stretch of episodes delivered character shifts and story developments that directly echoed our real world. Even before that, though, in the early years before anyone could even seriously consider a Trump presidency, Veep saw modern U.S. politics for the circus it was. And it made us laugh oh so much.
That laughter grew more bitter and rueful over time, but the show never lost its magic. Louis-Dreyfus is a force as Selina Meyer, and her surrounding cast – notably Tony Hale as her faithful bagman Gary Walsh – always helped keep the story's twists and terrible people entertaining. -Adam Rosenberg, Senior Entertainment Reporter
Where to watch: HBO(opens in a new tab)
