Screen Rant is leaving behind its teenage years and heading boldly toward its twenties, but each year the site has been active holds fond TV memories, with some releases in particular standing out. Whereas most 19-year-olds would celebrate their birthdays by consuming questionable amounts of alcohol and trying to forget about the sorry state of the housing market they’re about to join, Screen Rant is marking its 20th anniversary by revisiting each year the site has been active, from 2003 to 2023, and highlighting the best TV show that premiered during each. The sheer amount of shows to choose from confirms the television medium has never been in ruder health.
A TV show will be eligible only for the year its first episode premiered, but will be judged on the quality of its entire run and subsequent enduring legacy. While each pick relies heavily upon the subjective viewpoints of SR’s editorial team, each year will be accompanied by a selection of honorable mentions, many of which could have easily claimed top spot, such is the level of competition and standard of quality in modern TV. Long may that continue into the next 20 years.
2003: Peep Show
Honorable mentions: The OC, Arrested Development
Peep Show is remembered as the quirky British sitcom that had the novel notion of placing cameras on actors’ heads to create a unique point-of-view framing style. Peep Show is also remembered as the unlikely breakout of future Oscar-winner Olivia Colman. Most of all, however, Peep Show is remembered for its eccentric – and tragically relatable – cast of characters, including Mark “I just called to say I like you” Corrigan, Jeremy “you know how I feel about capitalism” Usborne, and, of course, Super Hans, whose penchant for iconic quotes was matched only by his penchant for massive amounts of hard drugs.
The deliciously awkward interplay between David Mitchell and Robert Webb as Mark and Jez, respectively, was the comedic core of Peep Show‘s immense success, sustaining the TV show for nine critically-acclaimed seasons between 2003 and 2015. Written by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, Peep Show‘s snappy dialogue and offbeat tone set it apart from TV comedies on both sides of the Atlantic, and 20 years later, the concept feels no less fresh. The long-gestating Peep Show US remake is supposedly still happening, but the world will always be able to revisit the original El Dude brothers when laughter is needed.
2004: Lost
Honorable mentions: House, Battlestar Galactica
2004 represented a new dawn for US network television, as progressive shows like Battlestar Galactica, Desperate Housewives, and House redefined the style of storytelling that was possible on the small screen. None, however, had quite the same impact as Lost. ABC’s ridiculously ambitious pilot episode became a cultural phenomenon, and set the tone for Lost‘s early seasons, which quickly turned into must-see blockbuster viewing. Far from perfect, Lost‘s momentum was derailed by its lack of long-term planning and a poorly-timed writers’ strike, but it was the divisive and ambiguous finale that left the sourest taste.
The controversy surrounding its final episode unfairly overshadows Lost‘s overall quality. Lost‘s weaker seasons still contained some of the show’s greatest episodes – Lost season 4’s “The Constant,” for example – and the finale itself is frequently misunderstood. Lost‘s many unanswered questions may have frustrated audiences and pushed away casual viewers, but those who embraced the mysticism and stuck with Jack and the gang through all six seasons were rewarded with a TV experience the likes of which has not been repeated since, despite countless imitations.
2005: Doctor Who
Honorable mentions: Grey’s Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother, The Office
After more than three decades onscreen, Doctor Who had the misfortune of dying twice. Doctor Who was canceled by the BBC in 1989, before a TV movie starring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor failed to spark the grand comeback that was expected. In true Time Lord fashion, Doctor Who gently sidestepped death and regenerated into something bigger and better in 2005, with Russell T Davies reinventing the franchise for a modern audience. Doctor Who has bounced from strength to strength ever since, proudly flying the flag for British sci-fi through the incarnations of Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, and Jodie Whittaker.
Episodes such as “Blink,” “The Girl in the Fireplace,” and “Heaven Sent” immediately entered the pantheon of Doctor Who classics upon airing, and are just the tip of a big, blue, timey-wimey iceberg. Doctor Who‘s modern era has also brought the titular Time Lord increased international attention, particularly during Matt Smith’s tenure. With RTD back calling the shots for the 60th anniversary and Doctor Who season 14, as well as a distribution deal with Disney+ in place, Doctor Who is still breaking new ground almost 20 years on from its return.
2006: Friday Night Lights
Honorable mentions: Psych, 30 Rock
Despite following in the footsteps of H.G. Bissinger’s original 1990 book and its 2004 movie adaptation, Friday Night Lights was not a ratings smash for the majority of its five-season run between 2006 and 2011. Positive reviews and a passionate, if not sizable, audience carried Friday Night Lights to glory against the odds, and the sports drama’s legacy remains resonant some 17 years later. The best testament to Friday Night Lights‘ deft storytelling is its crossover appeal. Football fanatics were well catered for, certainly, but Friday Night Lights could just as easily be appreciated by those who think a gridiron is a type of cooking grill.
At the heart of Friday Night Lights‘ success was its ensemble cast, underpinned by Kyle Chandler as Coach Taylor and Connie Britton as his wife, Tami. Chandler and Britton were ably supported by a raft of younger talents that included Jesse Plemons, Michael B. Jordan, Minka Kelly, Taylor Kitsch, Adrianne Palicki, and Jurnee Smollett, among others. That so many of those names have since gone on to huge Hollywood success only serves to highlight how Friday Night Lights did not get the attention it deserved in 2006.
2007: Mad Men
Honorable mentions: Skins
Whereas some years from the past two decades saw multiple TV shows jostling for top spot, Mad Men was clearly the cream of the small-screen crop in 2007. Starring Jon Hamm in a career-making turn as advertising director Don Draper, Mad Men ran for seven seasons between 2007 and 2015, launching Hamm to stardom alongside co-stars such as Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks. Smartly written and effortlessly stylish, Mad Men brought a welcome 1960s flair to 2000s TV. Despite reveling in its period setting, Mad Men never backed away from the uncomfortable aspects of the era, and this juxtaposition between bright, colorful nostalgia and moral gloom made for a compellingly rich narrative throughout.
Indeed, it was Mad Men‘s consistency that set it apart from so many other late-2000s hits that crashed and burned after several years of prosperity. Mad Men‘s ending joins a very elite list of TV finales that enjoyed broad acclaim and satisfied the lofty expectations of an unforgiving audience. Precious few shows as popular as Mad Men can claim to have stuck their landings with such panache, and were it not for another TV show that premiered the following year, Mad Men‘s final episode could have laid claim to having the best TV finale of the past 20 years.
2008: Breaking Bad
Honorable mentions: Sons Of Anarchy
When Breaking Bad premiered in 2008, few would have anticipated that the seven-episode AMC crime drama starring the dad from Malcolm in the Middle would soon be hailed as the pinnacle of TV’s so-called Golden Age. By the time Breaking Bad bowed out in 2013, it had transformed into a genuine cultural landmark and surpassed all hyperbole. Bryan Cranston’s performance as Walter White was, of course, the driving factor in Breaking Bad‘s immense popularity, but the story could never have prospered without sterling performances from Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman, Anna Gunn as Skyler White, Dean Norris as Hank Schrader, and numerous others.
Vince Gilligan’s ruthlessly economic method of weaving a modern TV epic through suspenseful dialogue, perfect pacing, and expert-level foreshadowing elevated Breaking Bad‘s ensemble to mythic heights. Just like Walter White’s famous meth recipe, the glorious end product could only be achieved by each and every component being properly handled and working in harmony. Breaking Bad‘s legacy will forever be etched into TV history, and its place was cemented by its final episode, “Felina,” which is regularly hailed as one of the greatest TV show endings of all time.
2009: Community
Honorable mentions: Parks & Recreation
The wait goes on for the Community movie, but across six seasons between 2009 and 2015, Greendale Community College was somewhere for viewers to call “home.” Conceived by Rick & Morty co-creator Dan Harmon and based upon his own community college experience, Community entered a crowded US sitcom market in 2009, debuting alongside the not-entirely-dissimilar Parks & Recreation and held against existing giants like The Office. Despite ample competition, Community‘s overwhelming heart, underdog spirit, and want-to-take-them-home cast allowed it to thrive in a busy arena.
Like its characters, Community was flawed. Season 4, otherwise known as the “Gas Leak Year,” saw a notable dip in form. Also like its characters, however, Community‘s imperfections only made it more endearing in the long run. Ratings may not have matched audience enthusiasm, but the volume of calls for a Community movie eight years after the TV show ended proves how significant of an impact Jeff Winger’s Greendale study group left upon those who watched along. Gas leaks aside, the true meaning behind Community‘s title only sinks in after becoming a fan.
2010: The Walking Dead
Honorable mentions: Justified, The Trip
The Walking Dead may have courted controversy with season 6’s cliffhanger finale and the subsequent deaths of Abraham and Glenn, and may have also suffered declining ratings amid the exit of Andrew Lincoln as lead protagonist Rick Grimes. Throughout the early-mid 2000s, however, The Walking Dead was a cable behemoth and a worldwide obsession, virtually untouchable among critics and audiences as it adapted, and usually improved upon, Robert Kirkman’s comic series. A delicately-balanced blend of human drama and unflinching undead goriness proved a winning formula, and despite a revolving door of cast members that were only ever one stray chomp away from death, The Walking Dead forced audiences to wholly invest in the survival of Rick Grimes.
The AMC zombie franchise’s reputation has undeniably been sullied in more recent years. The baffling decision to kill off Carl Grimes, a horde of spinoffs, and a series finale that did more to set up the future than end The Walking Dead‘s 12-year run all contributed toward that. Strangely, The Walking Dead‘s limbs don’t appear to have all fallen off just yet. Daryl Dixon marked a critical and commercial high point for the franchise, and Andrew Lincoln will return alongside Danai Gurira’s Michonne in the forthcoming The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live spinoff. With a teased Walking Dead crossover also on the horizon, TV’s most famous zombie IP is more “walking” than “dead.”
2011: Game Of Thrones
Honorable mentions: Black Mirror
A Drogon-sized elephant fills the room whenever Games of Thrones‘ legacy is discussed. HBO’s fantasy juggernaut stumbled in its penultimate season, collapsed to a nonsensical heap in season 8, then chewed its way through the floorboards in a maligned season finale. Nevertheless, Games of Thrones between 2011 and 2015 was a feast. Visually, Game of Thrones brought unseen levels of production and scale to TV, doing justice to George R.R. Martin’s world far better than a movie could. Starring what often felt like every British actor available at the time, the vast majority of Game of Thrones‘ cast members have since become global stars, including Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, and Sophie Turner.
There are many ways to measure Game of Thrones‘ success, whether it be awards, viewing figures, or record-breaking levels of online piracy, but while listing the show’s achievements would take until next winter, nailing the main reason behind them is a much simpler task. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were masters of adapting GRRM’s source material for television. Once that source material waned, Game of Thrones lost its luster, and was hindered further by a sprint-finish timeline crunch. Fortunately for the citizens of Westeros, a poor ending cannot overshadow the fundamental truth that Game of Thrones had many more great episodes than bad.
2012: Veep
Honorable mentions: Line Of Duty
Somewhere between dating Jerry and succeeding Fury, Julia Louis-Dreyfus found time to become Vice President of the United States. Running for an impressive seven seasons on HBO between 2012 and 2019, Veep served as a quasi-adaptation of British political comedy The Thick of It, but whereas most UK comedy imports seem to drop their funny parts over the Atlantic, Veep more than lived up to its esteemed predecessor. Echoing The Office before it, Veep avoided the temptation of a direct adaptation, molding The Thick of It‘s hilarious brand of political satire specifically for a US audience.
Even with its ace concept and tailored formula, Veep could never have worked without a career-standout turn from Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the eponymous politician. Racking up Emmys for fun, Louis-Dreyfus proved perfectly cast as Veep‘s master of withering put-downs, becoming the audience’s champion by saying precisely what no one else dared to. Whether being ghosted by the president, or rolling around in hysterics on the bathroom floor, Selina Meyer dominated the spotlight Veep afforded her. After a supporting role in Seinfeld and moderate success as the star of The New Adventures of Old Christine, Veep finally gave Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ comic brilliance the vehicle it deserved.
2013: The Americans
Honorable mentions: Peaky Blinders, Utopia
The Americans was criminally overlooked during its six-season stint on FX between 2013 and 2018. Despite modest ratings and significantly less mainstream recognition than some of its contemporaries, The Americans remained a favorite with critics and its loyal audience. As the story of the Jennings family carefully unfolded, The Americans never suffered an off day, providing consistently top-tier drama against the backdrop of a tense 1980s setting, topped off with a generous sprinkling of classic espionage. With Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys in the leading roles as Mr. And Mrs. Definitely-Not-Russian-Spies, The Americans sizzled with narrative poise and juicy character moments across its entire run.
The Americans was perhaps destined to fall short of widespread appeal. Measured pacing and plot points that only paid off in later seasons demanded patience and investment that other, more immediately accessible, TV dramas did not. As a single body of work, however, The Americans stands proudly as an all-time great of the small screen, with each chapter selflessly serving the larger tale being told of two spies carving out a life behind enemy lines.
2014: BoJack Horseman
Honorable mentions: True Detective, The Leftovers
The 2010s saw a sudden explosion in animated TV shows aimed squarely toward grown-up audiences, spurred on by the success of Rick & Morty, and the imminent rise of streaming platforms as a viable alternative to traditional networks and cable. Riding at the zenith of this new wave was BoJack Horseman, which ran for six seasons on Netflix until its series finale in 2020. After an inconsistent first season spent feet-finding, BoJack Horseman finally established itself as a hidden gem that miraculously succeeded in merging the wild surrealism of having an alcoholic horse as a main character with an earnest and introspective analysis of heavy real-life topics.
Hilariously meta, surprisingly meaningful, and constantly entertaining, BoJack Horseman‘s unapologetic uniqueness made it impossible to ignore and even harder to forget. BoJack Horseman‘s legacy has been enshrined further by a strong series finale, a constant stream of new viewers stumbling across its genius, and an unflinchingly accurate depiction of mental health that is reason alone to ride the BoJack Horseman train all over again from the very beginning. Discussion of a potential revival may continue, but BoJack Horseman has nothing left to prove.
2015: Better Call Saul
Honorable mentions: The Expanse, Narcos
An understandable skepticism arose when Better Call Saul was first announced as a spinoff of Breaking Bad. Vince Gilligan had struck gold with his original series, then defied convention by escaping the notorious series finale trap. Daring to revisit the Breaking Bad world seemed like a fool’s errand, especially given the countless spinoffs of beloved TV shows that had failed spectacularly beforehand. Such concerns were unnecessary. Not only did Better Call Saul go on to become the archetypal blueprint for a successful prequel, it arguably surpassed Breaking Bad for gripping, carefully-plotted storylines and tragic character twists.
Better Call Saul served as the perfect compliment to Breaking Bad, enhancing Walt and Jesse’s story with new context and fascinating background. Moreover, Better Call Saul delivered a beautiful story all of its own, fleshing out the histories of familiar characters such as Bob Odenkirk’s Jimmy McGill and Jonathan Banks’ Mike Ehrmantraut, while seamlessly knitting newcomers like Rhea Seehorn’s Kim Wexler and Michael Mando’s Nacho Varga into the tapestry. For a final flourish, Better Call Saul‘s series finale managed to both conclude the spinoff itself on an ideal, bittersweet note, and perfectly round off Breaking Bad as a larger franchise.
2016: Fleabag
Honorable mentions: Stranger Things, The Good Place
2016 might have been a year to forget for western democracy, but it fared far better in the TV stakes. That the Netflix behemoth Stranger Things only musters an honorable mention speaks volumes about the quality on offer as streaming services finally swung the pendulum in their favor and disrupted TV’s stale status quo. Ousting Eleven and co. for top spot, Fleabag was a humble British comedy written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, based on her stage show of the same name. Fast-forward to 2023, and Waller-Bridge is a sought-after Hollywood talent involved in James Bond, Indiana Jones, and plenty more. That success is entirely down to Fleabag.
Lasting only a scant 12 episodes between 2016 and 2019, Waller-Bridge did everything on Fleabag but the catering. Starring as the titular character as well as writing and producing, her charming wit, incisive dialogue, and tragic character creation eventually earned Fleabag the international acclaim it deserved, cementing Waller-Bridge as a star-in-the-making. Bleak, poignant, and hopeful in all the right places, Fleabag perfectly captured the millennial zeitgeist, leaving a deep imprint on 2010s pop culture that few other TV shows could match.
2017: Twin Peaks: The Return
Honorable mentions: Ozark, Mindhunter
Reviving Twin Peaks 27 years after the original David Lynch acid trip debuted looked like a bad idea. Despite a strong cult following, Twin Peaks had petered out with an inferior second season, an infamously ambiguous finale, and a movie prequel that stunk up the box office. Twin Peaks: The Return was either going to disappear in a puff of pretentiousness, or remind the world why “who killed Laura Palmer?” was the talk of TV town in 1990. Mercifully, it did the latter. Twin Peaks: The Return more than lived up to its predecessor’s reputation, despite several decades of constant speculation enhancing the legend of David Lynch’s surreal crime story.
Twin Peaks: The Return may have aired on Showtime in 18 parts, but can justifiably be considered a cinematic landmark for the art of filmmaking. With Lynch’s unmistakable direction plastered over every single episode, Twin Peaks: The Return – effectively serving as the show’s season 3 – stunned visually, challenged regularly, and rewarded generously. Those seeking clear answers were left disappointed, but those wanting a visual smorgasbord dripping in multiple layers of meaning and metaphor would struggle to find a better outlet for their desires than Twin Peaks‘ long-awaited return to the Black Lodge.
2018: Succession
Honorable mentions: The Haunting of Hill House
Despite coming to global prominence during its later seasons, Succession first brought the trials and tribulations of the Roy family to small screens in 2018. Succession success was humble at first, but by the time season 4 brought the corporate drama to a close in early 2023, Logan Roy’s colorful vocabulary had become a bona fide sensation transcending geographical borders and TV demographics alike, with the series finale earning higher viewing figures than any previous episode (via HBO). Pegged as King Lear meets the Murdoch family, Succession‘s application to the real world only made the explosive drama tastier.
While comparisons to Shakespeare say plenty about Succession‘s rich scripts and razor-sharp dialogue, it was the ensemble that brought the on-paper magic together. Led by Brian Cox as the inimitable Logan Roy, Succession‘s procession of ambitious opportunists, each more unlikable than the last, somehow managed to earn a degree of audience sympathy, adding dimension after dimension to what is, essentially, a 39-episode family row. Succession‘s slow-burn success will also mean that new audiences can continue to discover the joys of House Roy as the years pass, keeping the legacy burning.
2019: Chernobyl
Honorable mentions: Watchmen, The Mandalorian
Few TV shows can claim to be all-time greats, but even fewer can claim to have fundamentally altered the medium itself. The likes of Band of Brothers, Lost, and The Simpsons each helped to mold the future of television in one way or another, and 2019’s Chernobyl rightfully deserves a spot on that exclusive list. Retelling the 1986 disaster and its aftermath in painstaking, harrowing detail, Chernobyl brought new levels of cinematic atmosphere to the small screen. Beyond just oppressive visuals and a mesmerizing soundtrack, Chernobyl made its historical subject more visceral by framing the issues that led to such tragedy in a modern context, deliberately spotlighting themes that still resonated strongly in 2019.
For a show singularly focused around one particular moment in history, Chernobyl was surprisingly malleable, exploring every facet of the event from the epicenter to the courtroom. Success at the Emmy and Golden Globe awards duly followed, while creator Craig Mazin has since gone on to earn HBO even more money as showrunner on The Last of Us. By necessity, Chernobyl is not an easy watch. It is, however, an enriching and important one that does justice to its grim subject.
2020: The Queen’s Gambit
Honorable mentions: I May Destroy You, Ted Lasso
People spent plenty of time indoors in 2020, which did no harm whatsoever to Netflix’s viewing figures. The streamer enjoyed two massive hits with Tiger King and The Queen’s Gambit, and while the tale of Joe Exotic can hardly be counted among TV’s proudest moments, The Queen’s Gambit certainly can. Anya Taylor-Joy’s star was already making a swift ascent, but as chess prodigy Beth Harmon, her acting prowess was suddenly brought before a captive audience that had little else to do. The Queen’s Gambit justified its popularity with a touching tale of womanhood, competition, mental health, and family, and sparked a sudden surge in interest for the sport of chess.
The Queen’s Gambit‘s greatest achievement was taking a topic so often dismissed as stuffy and intellectual, and affixing a human heartbeat to its center. The Queen’s Gambit was very much a “chess show,” spending ample time building tension between moving pawns, and effortlessly conveying the mental turmoil behind each clack of a shifting piece. Simultaneously, The Queen’s Gambit was a drama about a brilliant woman walking a path to greatness alongside her addictions, her traumas, and her select group of trusted allies. Both of these narrative tracks combined turned The Queen’s Gambit into a Grandmaster of binge television.
2021: It’s A Sin
Honorable mentions: The White Lotus, Mare of Easttown
When Russell T Davies isn’t crafting sci-fi magic in blue boxes, he’s crafting beautiful TV dramas like 2021’s It’s A Sin. Exploring the delicate topic of AIDS in 1980s London, It’s A Sin‘s empathetic portrayal incorporated the full spectrum of human emotions, singling out the struggle of the gay community, highlighting the mass ignorance surrounding HIV and AIDS, and telling a heartfelt story that became 2021’s most vital TV tale. While having a top-of-his-game RTD calling the shots played a significant role in It’s A Sin‘s popularity and critical success, a surprisingly rounded lead performance from Years & Years singer Olly Alexander proved equally instrumental.
It’s A Sin was a long time in the making, and required the full force of Russell T Davies’ determination to become a reality. That passion and dedication shone through in the finished show, not just from RTD’s writing, but from all involved in this landmark release. It’s A Sin justified any risks taken in its development with a smattering of award nominations, celebrity endorsements, and international appeal.
2022: The Bear
Honorable mentions: Andor, Severance, House of the Dragon
Kitchen-based drama came oddly into fashion in 2022, with The Bear, Boiling Point, and The Menu all premiering in quick succession. With a second season now behind it, however, The Bear‘s stock has grown considerably since its debut, and as The Bear season 3 approaches, the Hulu dramedy is rapidly becoming one of the most talked-about shows of the 2020s. Capable of the tragic, the hilarious, and the surreal, The Bear offers much more than the standard fictional workplace, and most excitingly of all, the show is yet to reach its full potential.
As the show’s head chef, Jeremy Allen White looks destined for greater things whenever he hangs up the apron, but The Bear‘s broad palette ensures there is plenty more of Carmy still to uncover. The Bear‘s steep rise to cultural prominence can be best understood by watching the now-famous Christmas dinner episode. Speeding through more cameos than a superhero losing their multiverse virginity, The Bear season 2’s “Fishes” was a haunting and hectic jewel in the crown, and set a near-impossible bar for season 3 to clear.
2023: The Last Of Us
Honorable mentions: Silo
Live-action video game adaptations once endured a level of popularity akin to parking fines and the flu, but that curse has gradually lifted since Sonic the Hedgehog and Detective Pikachu both earned family-friendly plaudits. Properly destroying the negative perception of video game adaptations is The Last of Us. Given the game’s immense popularity, The Last of Us could have gone badly wrong in many ways. Through faithfulness to the source material and the perfectly-cast duo of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, respectively, HBO’s The Last of Us defied the odds to become a TV highlight of both 2023, and the decade thus far.
While The Last of Us has prospered in part due to the respect shown towards the game, changes have still been made. These were clearly enhancements, and The Last of Us episode 3 proved exactly why. Essentially a bottle episode, “Long, Long Time” starred Nick Offerman as Bill and Murray Bartlett as Frank. Side characters they have been, but when the dust settled on The Last of Us‘ debut season, episode 3 was the obvious high point in an all-round strong debut run. Powerful storytelling, effective world-building, and keen characterization allowed The Last of Us to prove 2023 was game over for bad video game adaptations.
Sources: HBO.
