Breaking Bad

2008 | Seasons: 5

When psychologists talk about coping mechanisms, the “start producing and distributing crystal meth with your former student because you have cancer and need to provide for your family after you die – oh, and you also hate your job as a high school chemistry teacher” is definitely not what they have in mind. Breaking Bad is one of those rare shows that, having received mainly positive reviews for its first season, continued to be unanimously acclaimed until the very last episode. With Vince Gilligan, one of the creators behind the classic The X-Files, as the mastermind of the show, its success isn’t really surprising. 

The Big Bang Theory

2007 | Seasons: 12

If you ever thought scientists were boring and unfunny, watch The Big Bang Theory. This sitcom that has successfully run for twelve seasons centers around two roommate physicists, Sheldon and Leonard, and a bunch of their friends, some of them scientists and some not. Launching this TV show very much resembled a scientific experiment. The first pilot was rejected, with some characters receiving negative reactions from the test audience. However, the creators decided to rework their material and came up with another pilot that paved the way for one of the best TV shows of the 2000s. 

Dexter 

2006 | Seasons: 8

Dexter Morgan witnessed his mother’s brutal murder at the age of 3. His adoptive father, a police officer, manipulated him into becoming a vigilante to channel his developing sociopathic tendencies. Later, Dexter became a forensic analyst specializing in bloodstain pattern analysis but didn't give up his other “job,” trying his best to make the two personas co-exist. Critical response and audience reception varied greatly from season to season, but overall placed Dexter among the public’s favorites.

The Good Wife

2009 | Seasons: 7

Throughout her marriage, Alicia Florrick was a stay-at-home mom who supported her husband’s career, took care of their home, and raised their two teenage children. But what do you do when your husband, a state attorney, becomes involved in a sex scandal and political corruption? Some would break down and be at a loss. Some, but not Alicia. Instead, she picked up her legal career from where she left it before getting married and began making a name for herself. The creators of The Good Wife mentioned that the idea for the show came from several real-life scandals, and they wanted to break the cliché of the wife silently standing by her politician husband as he confesses to his misconduct. 

Sex and the City

1998 | Seasons: 6

Even though it technically started before the 2000s, Sex and the City definitely counts as one of the iconic TV shows of the decade. Following the protagonist Carrie and her three friends, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda, the show explores the typical life of a single woman in her 30s in New York, from her career to her romantic relationships and friendships. The idea is based on a somewhat true story, as it was adapted from a newspaper column of the same name by author Candace Bushnell, who used to write about the experiences she and her friends had. The show also had a lasting influence on mass fashion. 

Grey’s Anatomy

2005 | Seasons: 18

As is common for medical dramas, Grey’s Anatomy is full of intertwined professional and personal relationships. Surgical interns and residents of a Seattle hospital learn to balance their careers, emotions, and feelings. The name of the series is a nod to an actual human anatomy textbook by Henry Gray, published in 1858. In May 2022, the show concluded its eighteenth season and was renewed for season 19. It is the longest-running scripted primetime TV program to air on ABC and is often called a “phenomenon” for staying relevant for so long.

True Blood

2008 | Seasons: 7

Vampires exist, but humans don’t know about it. However, this will change when Japanese scientists invent synthetic blood. Now vampires can “come out of the coffin” and live among humans, as there is no need for them to kill anymore. Seems like a win-win situation, but in reality, it creates lots of tension: some vampires want to become part of the society while others fiercely object to that, and at the same time, humans can’t come to a common conclusion as to whether peaceful co-existence with the other kind is possible at all. True Blood revolves around the life of Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waiter whose troubles start when she finds herself romantically involved with a 174-year-old vampire, Bill Compton. The series is often seen as an allegory for the LGBT rights movement. 

Girlfriends

2000 | Seasons: 8

Girlfriends follows the lives of four young women who support each other through good and bad. In true sitcom style, it depicts the various life situations the main characters go through, the way their friendship develops, and the challenges they have to face. Despite it being rather popular among audiences, the production was canceled after a reduced last season, without a proper season finale, citing low ratings as the main reason.

Gossip Girl

2007 | Seasons: 6

Ever wondered what the life of upper-class privileged teens from the Upper East Side, Manhattan is like? Gossip Girl explores this territory, bringing to the surface all the emotions, relationships, betrayals, and drama. Add to that a mysterious blogger who uses the pen name of Gossip Girl and seems to know everything about everybody and often doesn’t think twice before sharing this knowledge with the whole world – or at least, with the group of characters involved in the story. Adapted from a New York Times best-selling novel series, it was at times criticized for deviating from the book too much; however, the author, Cecily von Ziegesar, fully supported the show.

Friday Night Lights

2006 | Seasons: 5

Friday Night Lights was adapted from a nonfiction book of the same name that was also made into a movie. While the book told the story of a real high school football team from Odessa, Texas, the events of the TV show unfold in a fictional town, much smaller than the original one. The creators used this backdrop to focus on a number of painful issues, from school funding to racism to a lack of economic opportunities, and many more. The show never went on to become a universal hit, but critics praised it for the realism it portrays Middle America with.