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1. Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
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2. Arrested Development (2003-2006) Development is the epitome of a television show cut down in its prime. As the saying goes, three seasons with Gob, George Michael, Buster, Lucille and co. is better than nothing at all. A half hour with the Bluth gang could convince us that hanging out in a banana stand was the coolest thing in the universe and that visiting your father in jail with your lawyer, Barry Zuckercorn, at your side was as normal as sitting down to a family dinner. Guilt and innocence are inconsequential to the Bluth story. Somehow in the flick of Gob’s wrist, the show enchanted us with its documentation of family psychosis. |
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3. Mad Men (2007-present) Don Draper sits contemplating the worth of a lucky strike cigarette, and in a single strike of epiphany, he’s got it. He has the campaign that brings the associates of advertisers on Madison Avenue in 1960s New York City to silence. It’s the suavest, most sophisticated series ever to happen to AMC and television in general. John Hamm’s portrayal of the double lived Draper is also the most nuanced television character to hit the small screen in a long while. Late on the scene though the Men may be, here’s to a successful future of good old-fashioned ’60s intrigue, sex, lies and deceit. |
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4. Lost (2004-present) How a show like Lost, a show steeped in mythology, a show chockfull of sci-fi elements, a show that has more questions than answers, became a pop culture phenomenon is as mysterious as the island it’s set on. Television’s greatest ensemble draws viewers in week by week as character’s secrets are revealed and the plot unfolds. J.J. Abram and Mark Lindeloff’s brainchild brings an experience so unique to the usual television viewer. One can only hope it ends well in this upcoming year. |
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5. The Sopranos (1999-2007) Following a decade full of Scorcese gangster flicks, David Chase and HBO brought mobsters to the small screen in a show both intimate and epic. The Sopranos unleashed the Soprano family of New Jersey as they violently yet charmingly wheeled their way about the seedy underbelly of organized crime. The show succeeded as a portrayal of the dysfunctional Soprano household, as well. As the patriarchs of the Soprano family, James Gandolfini and Edie Falco submit timeless, raw performances worthy of comparison. |
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6. The Office (2005-present) Well Michael, you’ve done it. Fans of The Office officially fear how much they love you and your ragtag group of Dunder Mifflin-ites. The American version of the hugely successful British original that harnessed an essence of pointedly witty workplace neuroses, has brought the world the subtle flirting and tension of sweethearts Jim and Pam, the aggressively perfectionist beat farmer Dwight Shrute, and the conservative heartbreaker Angela to name just a few. Who knew there was a comic goldmine hidden in an ordinary meeting of the party planning committee? For the creators of The Office, the mundane is the stuff of their comedic brilliance. |
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7. The West Wing (1999-2006) The well-meaning Bartlett administration captivated and inspired American audiences with its great team of characters. To get many liberals through the rough Bush administration, The West Wing showed the golden side of Washington’s oft-bashed system through Toby, Josh, CJ and others – characters with whom everyone could fall in love. An inside look at the Bartlett oval office, backed by an over-the-top score, portrayed government’s trials and tribulations, but always ended triumphantly. |
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8. The Wire (2002-2008) In just five seasons, David Simon’s hardboiled, heartbreaking, heavy portrait of Baltimore revealed the peaks and depths of a city, and in effect the flaws and hope in the country. Unlike the vast majority of TV shows, which grant gratification at the end of each episode, The Wire reads like a novel, building and lacing plots, frustrating viewers on a week-to-week basis, but exploding with wondrous satisfaction at the end of each season. Refreshingly transient, each season delves deep into a new issue, from drug trade to the mob to city politics to public schools to journalism. |
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9. Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-present)
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10. The O.C. (2003-2007) |
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