# Best TV show of the decade? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2019, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972 "2019-12-17T01:06:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/61 "2019-12-18T00:13:37Z")
Just coming in to vote for _Rome_. And _Barney Miller_ holds up just fine, **Dinsdale**. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/62 "2019-12-18T00:50:52Z")
The shows I enjoyed and can re-watch on repeat: Fleabag Game of Thrones Fargo Better Call Saul The Last Kingdom (the book series is also fantastic) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Happy Valley (UK/Netflix) Barry The Crown I feel like I’m forgetting one but those are most of the top ones. I would include Breaking Bad & Mad Men too though they straddle the timeline. Outlander - its holding my interest better than the books at this point ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/63 "2019-12-18T01:01:48Z")
My vote goes to Brooklyn 99 for best overall show. Most defining of the decade should be Stranger Things: Nostalgia and streaming services are the 2010’s media in a nutshell. I’m not counting Breaking Bad since it started in 2008, and the last couple of seasons of Game of Thrones have, I’m sorry to say, ruined what would have been an absolute shoe-in for best show of the decade. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Sponge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dark_sponge/32/121_2.png) [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/64 "2019-12-23T15:30:33Z")
Electric Dreams would be my top pick. Also can’t get enough of the following: Mr. Robot Stranger Things Nailed It My Hero Academia ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/65 "2019-12-23T19:11:27Z")
Breaking Bad Better Call Saul Game of Thrones The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Succession Homeland Archer Bob’s Burgers (I have a soft spot for this one because I can watch with my kids and we all enjoy it) Rick and Morty The Walking Dead Several of these went downhill in later seasons (TWD, Archer, Homeland) but the early seasons still exist and deserve a spot on the list as best of the decade IMO. Honorable mentions: Black Mirror Community Modern Family Parks and Rec (this one was tricky, it has brilliant moments and characters that make it feel like it belongs up with the best) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/66 "2019-12-23T20:51:08Z")
> [@Calavera](#): > > I’ve got no real interest in watching _Twin Peaks: The Return_, I just don’t have enough time. Is whatever makes episode 8 so good something I could pick up from context without watching 1-7, or are the previous episodes mandatory? Just watch it 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2019, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/67 "2019-12-23T21:02:51Z")
> [@Dark\_Sponge](#): > > My Hero Academia I tried this, but found I would much rather watch _One Punch Man_ instead. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/68 "2019-12-24T05:26:08Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Full stop. Close the thread. Phew…good thing this thread wasnt closed,there have been over 60 replies to the OP and no other mention(I think) of your show. My favs are What We Do in the Shadows Your Pretty Face is going to Hell Bob’s Burgers Rick and Morty ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2019, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/69 "2019-12-24T13:36:25Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Best drama: _Mad Men_. > Best comedy: _Community_. > > Making Alison Brie a Very Special Person. I’d guess you are watching GLOW as well. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2019, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/70 "2019-12-26T22:04:43Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > I’d guess you are watching GLOW as well. I would, but **Mrs. FtG** is not on board so I’d have to find time to watch it on my own. (I don’t do TV during the day and at night it’s a joint thing.) She’s cool with Marc Maron but apparently not as big a fan of Betty Gilpin as I am. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2019, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/71 "2019-12-27T01:47:05Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I would, but **Mrs. FtG** is not on board so I’d have to find time to watch it on my own. (I don’t do TV during the day and at night it’s a joint thing.) She’s cool with Marc Maron but apparently not as big a fan of Betty Gilpin as I am. Hopefully she’ll give it a try. It’s far better than I would have ever guessed. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2019, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/72 "2019-12-27T04:09:41Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > I’d guess you are watching GLOW as well. GLOW belongs itself in this discussion. And Alison Brie’s voicing is wonderful in Bojack Horseman (my favorite show of the decade). ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/73 "2019-12-27T21:32:04Z")
Parks and Rec Community Person of Interest Hap and Leonard The Expanse Rick and Morty ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2019, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/74 "2019-12-27T21:36:52Z")
Killing Eve. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/75 "2019-12-28T01:29:57Z")
I really don’t see how anyone could argue with _Game of Thrones_. Seven and a half great seasons, and a cultural phenomenon. Even people who didn’t like what happened in the final episode, and I’m one of them, have to admit it was visually spectacular. It was, by far, the most talked-about show of the decade, and for all I know, in modern history (defining “modern” as after the time there were only three stations to choose from, so it was no great feat to get half of all viewers to watch your show). To do that from a station that required a hefty extra subscription fee is remarkable. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2019, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/76 "2019-12-28T01:43:41Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > I really don’t see how anyone could argue with _Game of Thrones_. … > > It was, by far, the most talked-about show of the decade, … > > To do that from a station that required a hefty extra subscription fee is remarkable. We all have different tastes. I didn’t even like the show. You realize HBO had already done this a few times. Sopranos which I loved, Band of Brothers which I also loved and Sex in the City which I didn’t love. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/77 "2019-12-31T07:38:35Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Full stop. Close the thread. I just watched the first episode of this show. It was hilarious and very edgy. The one called, “Charlie gets a Son”. It seems kind of strange that the four lead actors also seem to be the Exec Producers. That is certainly very unusual. Thank you for your post. I’m gonna go binge watch some now. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/78 "2019-12-31T08:19:00Z")
> [@Calavera](#): > > I’ve got no real interest in watching _Twin Peaks: The Return_, I just don’t have enough time. Is whatever makes episode 8 so good something I could pick up from context without watching 1-7, or are the previous episodes mandatory? I’d say no. TPTR is pure, unadulterated David Lynch, far more so that any of his movies. It’s a plate-glass window to the alternate dimension in which his mind resides. That means that it takes some time adapt to his otherworldly rhythms and points of view, and as Episode 8 is the most Lynchian episode of the most Lynchian show, you really have to be in the right place, mentally, to appreciate it. I have to admit, the series isn’t really for everyone; I’m not entirely sure it’s for me, either. Several times I caught myself thinking, “Why am I watching this? Nothing’s happening! Nothing makes sense! This is amazing! I can’t turn it off!” Other shows are weird for the sake of weird. _Twin Peaks: the Return_ is weird because it was created by a certified madman. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/79 "2019-12-31T17:30:18Z")
_Game of Thrones_. It’s not even close. Sure, the final season was rushed and beset by technical shortcomings, but put that aside. The show redefined how we talk about TV. It may have even redefined TV itself. This show set the bar so high that I seriously worry I’ll never watch another show that surpasses it, or even meets it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972/80 "2019-12-31T18:09:02Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > _Game of Thrones_. > > It’s not even close. Sure, the final season was rushed and beset by technical shortcomings, but put that aside. The show redefined how we talk about TV. It may have even redefined TV itself. This show set the bar so high that I seriously worry I’ll never watch another show that surpasses it, or even meets it. Sure, in your opinion. I would put dozens of shows ahead of it in quality and importance. Hell I was just watching an episode of Northern Exposure and that was TV perfection. Close to 30 years old and still perfect. The Dick Van Dyke show is still funny nearly 60 years later. It went of the air before I was born. That is amazing. Important? How can anything top All in the Family for such a major change to TV shows. Has it held up? No not really, but I really doubt any show has changed TV as much. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-tv-show-of-the-decade/844972.md?page=5)