The AV Club's Top 30 Shows Of The '00s

[Adam]

link (http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-best-tv-series-of-the-00s,35256/)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b7/The_Wire_Stringer_Bell.jpg/250px-The_Wire_Stringer_Bell.jpg

1. The Wire
2. The Sopranos
3. Arrested Development
4. Freaks & Geeks
5. Mad Men
6. Breaking Bad
7. The Office (UK)
8. Lost
9. Deadwood
10. The Shield
11. The Office (US)
12. Battlestar Galalctica
13. 30 Rock
14. Futurama
15. Veronica Mars
16. Friday Night Lights
17. Firefly
18. How I Met Your Mother
19. Big Love
20. Tim & Eric
21. Curb Your Enthusiasm
22. Six Feet Under
23. Undeclared
24. Dexter
25. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
26. The Venture Brothers
27. Flight of the Conchords
28. Eastbound & Down
29. Wonder Showzen
30. The West Wing

a few thoughts...

Not a whole lotta surprises, but it's a solid list. The only real big head scratcher for me is the lack of some pretty essential UK comedies like Spaced, The Thick Of It and especially Peep Show. Also, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia should probably be on there

I like Breaking Bad fine, but I also think it gets a little too silly or contrived at times and it's not the sixth best tv show of this past decade

Spongebob should've made this list. It had a real nice run there for a while

Don't understand why everybody creams their pants over How I Met Your Mother. Always seemed like kind of a generic slog to me

I have never watched an episode of The Shield, Battlestar Gallactica, Veronica Mars, Friday Night Lights, Big Love, Tim & Eric, Dexter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Venture Brothers or The West Wing. Am I missing out on anything?

Seeing Wonder Showzen get some love is wonderful

It's a total shame that Futurama is gonna come back and shit all over its near-perfect legacy. Seriously, those direct to DVD movies they did were horrible

Twitch City, bitches

The Wire is the greatest piece of American art made in my lifetime

[Kurosawa Fan]

That's a solid list. I share the same opinion you do about How I Met Your Mother. I've seen about 10 random episodes, and have never laughed more than once per episode. I don't understand the appeal. The only inspired episode I saw was Slapsgiving. I laugh harder when I catch a random episode of Big Bang Theory.

As for the shows you haven't seen, Friday Night Lights is amazing. It hit a bump in season two, but righted itself and brought about the strongest season yet in season three. Veronica Mars is good, fluffy fun. If you dig the characters, you'll dig the show. If not, skip it. Dexter had a great two year run, but the third season was putrid. I gave up halfway through. The West Wing was a fantastic four years and then I quit. I've heard nothing but bad things about the rest of its run. BSG and Big Love were both exercises in mediocrity as far as I'm concerned.

I agree about It's Always Sunny and Spaced making the list. Spongebob is a huge oversight. Despite its overexposure, it's still a brilliant show. Also, where the heck is South Park? It's a bit hit or miss, but it definitely deserves a spot on that list. I'd personally like to see Avatar on there as well, but I understand the oversight considering I only just watched it this year, and otherwise had heard almost nothing about it.

Some of the rankings are screwy too, but that's arbitrary and not worth arguing over.

[Mara]

I have never watched an episode of The Shield, Battlestar Gallactica, Veronica Mars, Friday Night Lights, Big Love, Tim & Eric, Dexter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Venture Brothers or The West Wing. Am I missing out on anything?

Um, yes. BSG is fantastic (ignore the naysayers), Veronica Mars is pleasant, Friday Night Lights is good, Dexter's first two seasons are amazing, Buffy is a favorite, and West Wing is a must-see.

[Sycophant]

The top 4 shows on this list are at or near the very top of my own recently composed list. I had The Sopranos at #1. List could use more Slings & Arrows. Undeclared on the list (while I like the show) is sort of strange to me.

I've been toying with the idea of watching The Shield, and maybe The West Wing, though I'm daunted by its length.

I've got 2 seasons of The Venture Bros. lent to me by one mango that I need to watch.

[Sycophant]

I'm a BSG naysayer/detractor, but it's totally worth watching the entire run. Or at least giving it a shot.

[Adam]

Yeah, I'm probably going to watch BSG and The Shield sooner or later, just because they feel like such huge oversights to me

The AV Club also had a separate list for sketch/late night programs, by the by, so that's why there's no Chappelle's Show or Colbert Report here

[Henry Gale]

There's only a few choices I don't completely love on this list, but that's more because they're shows I've either yet to get around to (Sopranos, The Shield, West Wing, BSG) or just haven't caught up with since early episodes to have a full opinion of them (Breaking Bad, Mad Men). Also I'd say, like most people, that Dexter only as its first two seasons deserves to be on there.

But things like Lost, Futurama, Freaks & Geeks, Friday Night Lights, Wonder Showzen, Arrested Development, Conchords, Eastbound, Veronica Mars, and even How I Met Your Mother (which is a much better show than it should be, even though I tend to find it to be more charming than insanely hilarious) making the list as prominently as they do make me very happy with this, even if the order isn't exactly what I'd have.

Only things that come to mind as being "missing" from my tastes are Extras, Pushing Daisies, Alias, It's Always Sunny, Chappelle, Da Ali G Show, Dog Bites Man, Stella as well as 24 and Scrubs at their best.

EDIT: I now see that basically everything I mention in that last part is included in their "Best TV episodes of the decade (from shows not on any of our other lists)" or their late night list. So nice to see they acknowledge them in some way.

[ledfloyd]

the first three are exactly as i would rank them. after that, the only show on the list i've seen and not liked was lost. i feel like curb and buffy should be higher. i apparently really need to see freaks and geeks. it's been on my 'to see' list for awhile.

i agree with adam that the wire is the greatest piece of american art produced in my lifetime. so good.

[thefourthwall]

I liked the list because it allowed me to feel smarmy that the majority that we hadn't seen are already in the TV queue.

I adore Buffy and was sad about its lowish placement, but I suppose if they're only placing it based on what actually aired in the 00s, I can potentially let it slide. Maybe.

Makes me want to catch up on BSG (haven't seen Razor and beyond), Dexter and Venture Brothers (only seen the first two seasons of each).

[Mara]

Makes me want to catch up on BSG (haven't seen Razor and beyond), Dexter and Venture Brothers (only seen the first two seasons of each).

Season 2 of Dexter is just about as far as you want to go.

I know I need to see The Wire.

I know I do.

But I'm trying to move to Baltimore. I want to live there. It just seems like a bad idea.

[thefourthwall]

But I'm trying to move to Baltimore. I want to live there. It just seems like a bad idea.

Well, then just watch Hairspray, and it'll perk you back up.

[Raiders]

But I'm trying to move to Baltimore. I want to live there. It just seems like a bad idea.

In the actual city? I dunno. It's not a place I would recommend despite having many nice communities and the greatness of the Inner Harbor. There's a reason the two greatest cop shows of all-time both take place there, and it isn't just David Simon.

[Mara]

In the actual city? I dunno. It's not a place I would recommend despite having many nice communities and the greatness of the Inner Harbor. There's a reason the two greatest cop shows of all-time both take place there, and it isn't just David Simon.

I'm looking at row houses in Fells Point. It's a nice neighborhood, affordable, and my sister and brother-in-law live there. Also, an easier commute to my job.

But, yes, I've had some bad experiences in the city. You have to be really careful.

[Ezee E]

They do have the Orioles!

Top five city for murder, and number one for assaults. GO!

[Mara]

They do have the Orioles!

Yes, I know. Because it totally screws up the traffic on Pratt street. And that is the sum total of everything I know about the Orioles.


Top five city for murder, and number one for assaults. GO!

You think I won't, but I will. I'm putting together an offer for a place today. Really, though, it's in one of the nicest areas of Baltimore. I'm quite familiar with the city and I wouldn't move there if I didn't think I could be safe.

[monolith94]

Missing Peep Show and Darkplace.

[Ezee E]

Mad Men at #5 though. Guess I should make that show a priority.

[Hugh_Grant]

I know I've said this before, but I really want to like Mad Men...but I don't, and it's not from a lack of trying.

I watch a ton of television, but there are only two shows I love on this list--The Wire and Flight of the Conchords.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I know I've said this before, but I really want to like Mad Men...but I don't, and it's not from a lack of trying.

I watch a ton of television, but there are only two shows I love on this list--The Wire and Flight of the Conchords.

:sad:

Not even Freaks and Geeks?

[Hugh_Grant]

:sad:

Not even Freaks and Geeks?

Errrr...it's okay. :(

[Mara]

I know I've said this before, but I really want to like Mad Men...but I don't, and it's not from a lack of trying.

I had extremely ambiguous feelings about the show in the first two seasons. It's sort of deliberately alienating and cold, and so many of the characters are really awful people. So, even though I could recognize the quality of the visuals, the acting, and the writing, it almost felt unlikeable to me.

This third season, however, I completely loved. I don't know if the show actually changed, or I just got used to it.