Best Television shows of the Decade

[RandytheHelpfulPineapple]

Metacritic compiled a Top 20 list of television shows according to 17 critics' lists:
1. The Sopranos
2. The Wire
3. Arrested Development
3. Mad Men
5. Lost
5. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
7. The Office (UK version)
8. Deadwood
8. The Shield
10. American Idol
11. Battlestar Galactica
11. The West Wing
13. Curb your Enthusiasm
13. Freaks and Geeks
13. The Office (US Version)
16. 24
16. 30 Rock
16. Survivor
20. Breaking Bad
20. Six Feet Under
20. Veronica Mars

How many did you follow? I never grew up with HBO, and their DVDs are a big investment, so I never really watched The Sopranos or The Wire. I'm very ashamed of this fact.

[GiggleFace]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

1. The Sopranos - good but should be #3
2. The Wire - should be #1
3. Arrested Development - should be #2
3. Mad Men
5. Lost
5. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - horribly overrated
7. The Office (UK version) - too short, should not be on the list
8. Deadwood
8. The Shield
10. American Idol - WTF? list maker's credibility ruined with this entry
11. Battlestar Galactica
11. The West Wing
13. Curb your Enthusiasm - should be higher
13. Freaks and Geeks
13. The Office (US Version)
16. 24 - WTF again. This show was good for like two seasons and has been shit for years
16. 30 Rock - WAY too low
16. Survivor
20. Breaking Bad - should be higher
20. Six Feet Under
20. Veronica Mars

[KingofCarrotFlowers]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

I watched at least a significant portion of 18 of those, which is a little frightening. That's really a pretty solid list, although I'd have The Wire over the Sopranos. I'm a little surprised there's no Dexter, although it has really only been excellent in seasons 1 and 4.

I've been considering tackling BSG and The Shield, but the Shield is a huge time investment and BSG seems like it would be tough to get into.

[Hoopo]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

Notable omissions: The Colbert Report, Life on Mars (BBC), South Park, Family Guy, Weeds

[GiggleFace]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

[quote author=Hoopo link=topic=2208.msg24776#msg24776 date=1289931221]
Notable omissions: The Colbert Report, Life on Mars (BBC), South Park, Family Guy, Weeds
[/quote]


LOL.

[RandytheHelpfulPineapple]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

[quote author=KingofCarrotFlowers link=topic=2208.msg24773#msg24773 date=1289930951]
I watched at least a significant portion of 18 of those, which is a little frightening. That's really a pretty solid list, although I'd have The Wire over the Sopranos. I'm a little surprised there's no Dexter, although it has really only been excellent in seasons 1 and 4.

I've been considering tackling BSG and The Shield, but the Shield is a huge time investment and BSG seems like it would be tough to get into.
[/quote]

BSG's first season was amazing! It got stuck in neutral later down the road with the writer's strike. Then it went all religious/preachy and characters would do irrational things just to help make way for story arcs. The two lead actors-- Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell were excellent the whole way through, but there were several key actors that were painful to watch.

[Hoopo]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

[quote author=RandytheHelpfulPineapple link=topic=2208.msg24780#msg24780 date=1289931429]

BSG's first season was amazing! It got stuck in neutral later down the road with the writer's strike. Then it went all religious/preachy and characters would do irrational things just to help make way for story arcs. The two lead actors-- Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell were excellent the whole way through, but there were several key actors that were painful to watch.
[/quote]

Fully agree. Same happened with LOST, "went all religious/preachy" with ridiculous resolutions for some characters. (Compare Kara Thrace as a ghost for the final season with Locke's body being used by Man in Black. GACK.)

BSG became insulting to watch in Season 3 and Season 4 was an all-out assault on science fiction's integrity.

[DeutschHistorian]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

Lost before Breaking Bad, The West Wing, Deadwood, and Six Feet Under? Really?

[Joe Norris]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

I find it to be VERY sad that the #3 show on the list could be cancelled after 2 and a half seasons

wish more people would have gotten on board with it

[gravyshanks]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

I'd take Lost off the list and move Breaking Bad way, way up. Love Jon Stewart but that's the wrong list. Fuck American Idol.

[Hoopo]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

LOST definitely belongs off the list. From a diehard Seasons 1-4 LOST lover. It all just spiraled out of control and into a vapid shaggy dog story. Blah.

[filmfanatic24]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

[quote author=RandytheHelpfulPineapple link=topic=2208.msg24769#msg24769 date=1289930458]
Metacritic compiled a Top 20 list of television shows according to 17 critics' lists:

20. Veronica Mars

[/quote]

[blackPHOGmoan]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

[quote author=Hoopo link=topic=2208.msg24776#msg24776 date=1289931221]
Notable omissions: The Colbert Report, Life on Mars (BBC), South Park, Family Guy, Weeds
[/quote]

Weeds? Really?

BBC Office is on there due to it's originality and deathblow it gave laugh tracks.
I think The Wire is better than Sopranos but I have friends who think differently.
Lost was fascinating and although certain story lines may have been drawn out, forgotten, etc., it was very entertaining and creative for network television.

I really, really need to see Mad Men.

[KingofCarrotFlowers]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

[quote author=Joe Norris link=topic=2208.msg24787#msg24787 date=1289932267]
I find it to be VERY sad that the #3 show on the list could be cancelled after 2 and a half seasons

wish more people would have gotten on board with it
[/quote]

Better than the 1 season that #13 got or the 1 season that Firefly only got, which is a damn shame.

I get why people felt betrayed by Lost and what not, but I thoroughly enjoyed the entire series. There were certainly some :rollseyes moments, but the characters were king on that show for me and I really liked how their stories concluded, for the most part.

[KingofCarrotFlowers]

Re: Best Television shows of the Decade

Re: Weeds, the first two seasons were really outstanding TV, then it just completely fell off a cliff. I still watch every episode, including last night's season finale (which I really liked), but it's nowhere near the quality of seasons 1 and 2.