Here’s a look back at the most iconic TV shows of the decade and a look into what made them so special.
Fleabag
Phoebe-Waller Bridge’s multi-award winning drama Fleabag was a triumph for the modern female voice. Bridge delicately (and often bluntly) meditates on modern relationships, sexual identity and the complexities of emotional dysfunction and grief. Fleabag’s voice is cheeky and charming, offering a brilliant insight into the mind of the modern woman.
Bojack Horseman
Alongside Rick and Morty, Bojack Horseman revolutionized the cartoon. For a generation that can no longer get behind The Simpsons, Bojack is the perfect show when it comes to delivering the cartoon medium’s comedic charm while also being dead on point when it comes to today’s social climate. Witty and dead-earnest, Bojack Horseman offers nuanced insight into some of the most difficult issues encountered in modern society. The only thing that makes consuming the show bearable is the fact the characters mostly comprise of cartoon animals.
The Good Place
The Good Place is NBC’s response to sit-com fatigue. The 20-minute comedy places a group of likable characters in a unique situation. Season after season the show explores the intricacies of relationships while simultaneously becoming more and more absurd. What makes the show so decade-defining is how it challenges the audience with profound philosophical questions in a way that is so light and charming, no one but the characters on the show could pull it off.
The Killing
The original Danish version of The Killing is a shocking investigation into the emotional aftermath of a murder. What makes it exceptional is how intricately and powerfully the show explores the intensity of grief, anger, and determination in the face of tragedy. It satisfies the audience’s craving for something honest and real.
Game of Thrones
Putting the divisive eighth season aside, Game of Thrones has been a shining example of how television can reach the same levels of greatness as cinema. Aside from the infamous Starbucks blunder, it can be said that the attention to detail paid across the series is unlike anything else on television. In fact, so much effort when into perfecting the Battle of Winterfell that it took 11 weeks to film.
Breaking Bad
The 2010s is the decade that saw Breaking Bad unfold into one of the most iconic TV series of all time. The show truly raised the standards of television, making it no longer acceptable to recycle the same old character tropes and conventions. Walter White became the decade’s most infamous antihero and the show is credited for its flawless development and satisfying finish.
Mad Men
Like Breaking Bad, Mad Men is a landmark show in the era of exceptional television. The period drama delivered seven seasons of stellar television before wrapping up in 2015. It raised the bar and took home a host of prestigious awards to prove it.
The Boys
Like it or hate it, The Boys offers an appropriate conclusion to the reign of Marvel and DC. Over the decade, countless superhero films and TV shows have dominated Netflix and the box office. The Boys explores the darker capitalist side to superhero culture and the parallels between the characters on the show and the characters of Marvel are dead on point.
Black Mirror
Black Mirror may not be up to the standard of the likes of Mad Men, but it does hold a prominent position in the decade of great television. Charlie Brooker has been bringing our deepest and darkest technological fears to life since 2014. Whether you think it’s genius or a fad, his innovative choose-your-own-adventure episode was a groundbreaking progression in Netflix entertainment.
Atlanta
Donald Glover’s Atlanta is brilliantly thought-provoking and dead funny. What makes the show so remarkable is the way it dodges genre categorization. Episode after episode, it delivers flawless new stories, always keeping the audience on their toes. For a generation with shrinking attention spans and high expectations, Atlanta never fails to deliver.
