“The A.V. Club” has ranked the 25 best TV shows of the 2010s, which is impressive . . . because with ALL the cable networks, streaming services, short-lived shows, and anthologies, there is a TON of TV.
I mean, 495 scripted shows aired in 2018 alone.
The rules are simple: A show had to debut or air the majority of its episodes between January 1, 2010 and last month. They considered both scripted and un-scripted shows, as well as TV movies and comedy specials.
Anthology series were bundled . . . so “American Crime Story” counts as one . . . and revivals and reboots like “Twin Peaks: The Return” and “One Day at a Time” were judged only on the episodes that aired this past decade.
Here’s the Top 25:
1. “Breaking Bad”, 2008-2013
2. “Mad Men”, 2007-2015
3. “Atlanta”, 2016-present
4. “Parks and Recreation”, 2009-2015
5. “The Americans”, 2013-2018
6. “The Good Place”, 2016-2019
7. “The Leftovers”, 2014-2017
8. “Bob’s Burgers”, 2011-present
9. “30 Rock”, 2006-2013
10. “Fleabag”, 2016; 2019
11. “BoJack Horseman”, 2014-present
12. “Hannibal”, 2013-2015
13. “Community”, 2009-2015
14. “Twin Peaks: The Return”, 2017
15. “Better Call Saul”, 2015-present
16. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”, 2015-2019
17. “Rick And Morty”, 2013-present
18. “American Crime Story”, 2016-present
19. “Review”, 2014-2017
20. “Veep”, 2012-2019
21. “Justified”, 2010-2015
22. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, 2013-present
23. “Barry”, 2018-present
24. “Enlightened”, 2011-2013
25. “The Great British Bake Off/Baking Show”, 2010-present
(Hit up AVClub.com for the whole list. If you’re curious, “Game of Thrones” was #30, and yeah, that was partially because the final seasons “struggled to resolve [the books’] unfinished story cleanly.”)