Golden Age Glories: Remembering the 2010s’ Finest Shows
Introduction
The 2010s was a transformative decade for television. This period saw the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, which challenged traditional networks and expanded the possibilities of serialized storytelling. Prestige dramas, clever comedies, genre-bending experiments, and novel adaptations all thrived. Compelling antiheroes, complex female leads, and diversity on both sides of the camera became commonplace. With so many groundbreaking shows, it can be tough to narrow down the very best. But here is an attempt to highlight 20 of the most outstanding television series from the 2010s.
20. The Last of Us (2023-present)
The 2020s seem poised to finally deliver truly successful video game adaptations. A major benchmark is HBO’s The Last of Us, which premiered in 2023. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey play survivors Joel and Ellie traversing a zombie apocalypse. On the surface, The Last of Us evokes The Walking Dead. But each episode delivers shocking character moments and raises the bar for high-concept drama. With input from the acclaimed game’s creators, The Last of Us commands its own following as one of the decade’s TV surprises.
19. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015-2019)
This musical comedy subverts the “crazy ex-girlfriend” stereotype. Successful lawyer Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) impulsively moves from New York to California to pursue her camp sweetheart Josh Chan (Vincent Rodriguez III). Crazy Ex-Girlfriend blends satire, romance, slapstick, and song-and-dance. Despite low ratings, passionate fans and critical acclaim kept the ambitious series on air for four seasons. The catchy musical numbers became viral hits, and Bloom took home a Golden Globe.
18. Severance (2022-present)
This existential thriller is set at Lumon Industries, which surgically divides employees’ work and personal memories. Mark (Adam Scott) starts unraveling the sinister secrets of “severance.” Directed by Ben Stiller, Severance combines surreal visuals with mystery. The stellar cast and sharp writing made this an instant hit for Apple TV+. After just one season, Severance was hailed as a new prestige drama benchmark.
17. The Boys (2019-present)
Superheroes are corrupted by capitalism and celebrity in this subversive Amazon Prime adaptation. The eponymous vigilantes try to take down the corrupt Vought corporation and its superpowered pawns, blurring the lines between good and evil. Antony Starr’s Homelander is one of TV’s most chilling villains. Showrunner Eric Kripke keeps the Superhero deconstruction thrilling yet absurd. A spinoff premiered in 2023, expanding this cynical comics adaptation.
16. Dark (2017-2020)
This German Netflix original centers on disappearing children in a small town. But Dark transcends familiar mystery tropes with elaborate sci-fi concepts. The show defines “prestige foreign language series,” tying diverse genres into a complex, character-driven puzzle box. Dark helped Netflix succeed with international content while building a cult fanbase through three seasons of escalating acclaim.
15. Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)
This heartwarming Canadian comedy depicts the formerly wealthy Rose family rebuilding their lives in rural Schitt’s Creek. Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara play married couple Johnny and Moira, whose video rental fortune vanishes thanks to their manager. Schitt’s Creek ultimately found global popularity when it hit Netflix. Audiences embraced the clever writing and talented cast. The Roses’ journey demonstrates that love and community matter more than money. Schitt’s Creek received sweeping Emmy love in its final season.
14. Westworld (2016-present)
Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s sci-fi drama remixes Michael Crichton’s 1973 theme park thriller into a philosophical epic. In a technologically advanced Wild West theme park, android “hosts” begin awakening. Westworld makes AI consciousness and the nature of free will into a lavish, twisty rollercoaster spanning divergent settings and genres over four seasons. With an outstanding ensemble and meticulous direction, Westworld became one of the most ambitious and thought-provoking sci-fi shows yet.
13. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-present)
Set in the 1950s comedy scene, this period piece stars Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a housewife who pursues stand-up after her husband leaves her. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel authentically captures old New York and the evolution of modern comedy. Midge’s journey demonstrates women entering male-dominated arenas. Brosnahan’s charm and the lavish costumes and production value created an Emmy magnet, winning 20 awards so far.
12. The White Lotus (2021-present)
Mike White examines privilege through tragicomedy in this HBO Anthology. Each season follows guests and staff at a tropical White Lotus resort. The social satire escalates tensions of class, race, gender, and colonialism with an all-star ensemble each season. Season 1 starred Connie Britton, Alexandra Daddario, and others at a Hawaiian resort. Season 2 shifted to Sicily with Aubrey Plaza, Michael Imperioli, and more. The White Lotus vacation is disturbing yet addictive.
11. Watchmen (2019)
Many consider Alan Moore’s graphic novel unadaptable. But showrunner Damon Lindelof continued the complex lore as a remix. The story starts with cops in Tulsa being targeted by a racist conspiracy, then expands into something greater. Regina King shines as masked cop Sister Night investigating these threats. The bold limited series embraces the comic’s style and sociopolitical themes for a stunning revision. Watchmen rightfully earned acclaim as one of 2019’s best shows.
10. Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)
David Lynch brought his surreal drama back 25 years later as an 18-episode Showtime event series. Kyle MacLachlan returns as Agent Dale Cooper, still dealing with demonic forces. The Return features nightmarish imagery and obscure storytelling as Lynch uncompromisingly pushes the medium. The experimental style perplexed some viewers. But most fans and critics hailed The Return as a singular artistic achievement unlike anything else on television.
9. Chernobyl (2019)
This five-part miniseries dramatizes the 1986 nuclear plant disaster, detailing the explosion and political fallout. Jared Harris stars as heroic scientist Valery Legasov. Chernobyl goes beyond disaster procedural to present an allegory about government lies. The horror comes from seeing officials downplay the crisis while men risk their lives preventing global catastrophe. Painstakingly crafted and acted, Chernobyl brings history to terrifying life.
8. Barry (2018-present)
Dark comedy and tragedy collide in this unpredictable HBO hit. Bill Hader plays Barry Berkman, a hitman who yearns for a new life after taking an acting class. But his criminal past won’t let Barry go. The stellar cast navigates between laugh-out-loud moments and high stakes tension. As director, writer, and star, Hader pushes into new territory. Barry keeps reinventing itself while asking pertinent questions about redemption and self-acceptance.
7. Fargo (2014-present)
Creator Noah Hawley’s anthology series channels the Coen Brothers’ trademark mix of violence, deadpan comedy, and human struggles. Each self-contained 10-episode season introduces a new bizarre crime plot with an excellent ensemble cast. Plots have spanned a small-town murder, a crime syndicate rivalry, and more. Clever callbacks reward loyal viewers across the interconnected seasons. Hawley’s characterization and sly twists prove he grasps the Coen touch that makes Fargo so iconic.
6. The Leftovers (2014–2017)
This drama focuses on the fallout after 2% of the world inexplicably vanishes. Justin Theroux plays Kevin Garvey, a police chief maintaining order as cults and chaos emerge. Lindelof and Tom Perrotta’s adaptation of Perrotta’s novel embraces mystery while emphasizing intricate characters. The excellent cast, thoughtful themes, and emotional weight made The Leftovers one of HBO’s finest. Its meditations on love, loss, and faith resonated with critics and fans.
5. Fleabag (2016-2019)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge adapted her one-woman play into this witty BBC comedy about Fleabag, an angry and promiscuous young Londoner. Breaking the fourth wall, Fleabag directly addresses the camera about her self-destructive behavior and grieving a tragedy. The humor mixes raunchiness with emotional vulnerability. As writer, showrunner, and star, Waller-Bridge displayed her creative force just before being recruited to Doctor Who and creating Killing Eve.
4. Atlanta (2016-present)
Donald Glover’s audacious FX series follows aspiring manager Earn (Glover) and rapper Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry) navigating the Atlanta hip-hop scene. Atlanta tells poignant stories about the black experience through surreal comedy, horror, and absurdism. Standout episodes have included satirizing police brutality, spoofing broadcast news, and depicting an invisible car. Glover’s ambitious auteur vision makes Atlanta hilarious yet thought-provoking.
3. Stranger Things (2016-present)
The Duffer Brothers channeled 1980s Amblin films into this Netflix phenomenon. In the fictional town of Hawkins, young misfit friends get caught up in supernatural events and government conspiracies. Winona Ryder leads the excellent ensemble. Each season expands the adventurous plot while growing the characters. Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo and others became breakout stars. Stranger Things brilliantly evokes nostalgia while telling a thrilling sci-fi story that resonates with today’s viewers.
2. Succession (2018-present)
Jesse Armstrong’s HBO drama follows the power struggles within the Roy family, who own a Murdoch-esque global media corporation. Brian Cox plays tyrannical patriarch Logan, with Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, and more as his squabbling heirs. The Shakespearean satire ruthlessly dissects wealth, greed, and ambition. Logan’s children constantly vie for his approval and Waystar RoyCo leadership. Cricket dialogue and stellar performances make the Roys both hilarious and monstrous. Succession is one of the decade’s most relevant and addictive dramas.
1. Better Call Saul (2015-2022)
This Breaking Bad prequel follows Jimmy McGill’s (Bob Odenkirk) moral descent into corrupt lawyer Saul Goodman. The spinoff matches its progenitor by delving deeper into Albuquerque’s criminal underworld with help from Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks). Nuanced writing and filmmaking build Jimmy, Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), and others into multidimensional characters. Many consider Better Call Saul an even greater accomplishment than Breaking Bad. Either way, its compassionate character study resulted in one of the 21st century’s foremost television tragedies.
Conclusion
The 2010s overflowed with groundbreaking television. We witnessed the unprecedented rise of streaming and serialized stories. Antihero dramas, niche comedies, and genre experiments thrived as never before. And shows took greater risks on tricky source material while embracing inclusion. The manifold innovations of the past decade will surely influence TV for years to come. But these 20 series broke new ground with their stellar writing, acting, and lasting impact. Let us know your own favorite shows of the 2010s in the comments!