Theearly 2000s represented a cultural shiftfor which we’re still very grateful. This is when TV was reborn and suddenly TV executives were enamored with the idea of making the format bigger and more cinematic. Of course, technology played a big role in this, as high-definition content became available in the comfort of our own homes.
Yes, reruns of the most important shows of the ’90s were and still are huge players in the game of TV broadcasts but also during the 2000s streaming started to be taken more seriously. It was the beginning of an unstoppable trend that gets more and more popular every day. The conversation about TV being bigger than cinema is worth checking out.
How did it all start, you might ask? With these huge TV series that confirmed the game was changing and was now worth taking the risks that came with television.
There’s no questionLostbroke the rules and rearranged the dynamics of drama television. Here was a show whose showrunners seemed to control everything from the very beginning. Aside from a few missteps, they always seemed to have in mind where everything would end. It wasn’t just about people stranded on an island, and if you still don’t know what it is about, then a rewatch would come in handy.
Related:The Greatest R-Rated Comedies of the 2000s
The ending? If you disagree with it, then we would love to see your version of how such a complex TV series should end in order to appeal to everybody after a six-season run.
19How I Met Your Mother
Let’s be clear about something. There’s no discussing whetherHow I Met Your Motheris better thanFriendsor not because they’re entirely different shows. That being said, the CBS response to the ’90s NBC juggernaut of a sitcom is pretty solid. It’s downright silly when it has to be, and it’s risqué enough to make your day every now and then. For those of you who don’t give it a chance because of the whole discussion mentioned before, give it a shot. You won’t regret it, and it’s not as similar as you would think.
WhenCSIwas released in 2000, we had seen nothing like it. Here was a cool group of forensic investigators that were capable of fighting crimeafter analyzing gruesome scenesthat always hid several clues. Video games were made for following up on the show’s massive success, and even Quentin Tarantino was so fascinated with the series he directed a season finale. It recently had a revival, but it’s yet to match the clever storytelling style of the original, as well as its compelling characters. There were otherCSIsin other cities, but Las Vegas remains a favorite.
The insides of the Sterling Cooper advertising group in the 1950s are only a part of the plot ofMad Men, the highly successful AMC show that proved good writing and a good cast are sometimes enough to let a show run its natural course for seasons. There’s no secret as to why the story of executive Don Draper is so engaging: success turns to self-doubt as the social dynamics suffer the shifts of the ’60s.
16Aqua Teen Hunger Force
The adventures of fast food items that constantly interact with their neighbor and go on adventures in New Jersey.Aqua Teen Hunger Forceis a great example of an adult animated show that’s remained pristine since its release in regard to its surreal basis of a story. It’s exactly what it sounds like, and if you think there are no stories that can be told about these four characters, then you haven’t seen one of the strangest and most interesting animated shows in TV history.
15The Shield
InThe Shield, Michael Chiklis plays Vic Mackey, a police officer that literally will do anything for justice. Yes, even being a corrupt agent in the LAPD. The FX show stills feels like a fantastic adaptation of a TV trope that we’ve seen countless times, but not with the dramatic force of the scripts that made it run for seven seasons.The Shield’scast is impressive, and it only got better with the years when Mackey’s run became darker and more compelling.
14True Blood
If you still haven’t seen HBO’sTrue Bloodbecause it’s a vampire show, and you’re honestly tired of the horror subgenre, give yourself the chance to go through a couple of episodes. We guarantee you’ll fall for the adventures of a Louisiana waitress who’s got enough powers to deal with the vampires that have been accepted into society because they now drink synthetic blood. No, thisis not another version ofBuffy. This is one sexy show that gets flooded with great characters in every season and will possibly change your mind about the bloodsuckers genre.
Related:The 15 Best Superhero Movies of the 2000s, Ranked
13Chappelle’s Show
Dave Chappelle may get canceled in every corner of Earth, but this doesn’t mean his 2003 show isn’t funny anymore. Full of wit and powered by a great cast,Chappelle’s Showhad a great run in the early 2000s that confirmed the value of the comedian who lacked any restraints for speaking his mind. This one is reminiscent of times when cable TV was open-minded enough to be more than risky: it was dangerous.
Fringesupposedly intended to fill a void in TV. It looked like other sci-fi shows of its nature, but quickly it turned into its own thing when the characters' storylines were interesting enough to drift away from the usually underdeveloped concepts and ideas of a procedural TV show. It told the story of an agency that uses fringe science to investigate weird and paranormal events, but then it became much more than a series of script ideas that were solved in one episode. If you give it a shot, you’ll notice what we’re talking about.
11Survivor
In the land of reality television,Survivorremains a solid concept that’s still running decades later and with a series of offshoots that prove how popular it is. In any case, it’s as terrific as it was in the past when it constantly submits strangers to extreme circumstances. Sure, they may be all scripted, but as viewers we usually let go of these ideas and allow ourselves to be mesmerized by the adventures of regular Joes and Janes facing the improbable.
