The 2000swere not only a decade of new and exciting shows, but they alsomarked the dawn of a new era intelevisionitself.New creators and emerging networks likeHBOchanged audiences' expectations of what the medium of television was capable of offering.The boom ofreality TVwas on the horizon, and premium cable channels were running fewer movies and more original content.
Cable networks offered attractive options of less censored programming normally reserved for films,causing the old guard of traditional broadcasting to change their tactics to stay competitive for market share.From the need to compete came shows filled with innovation, creativity, and intelligence— the shows that defined a television renaissance.
10’Family Guy' (1999-)
Created by Seth MacFarlane
Many shows tried to duplicate the success ofThe Simpsons, but no program was ever as successful in their attempt asFamily Guy. Filled with murderous babies, talking dogs, and brawling chickens, the series is now the institution it once aspired to be. WhilePeter Griffin (Seth MacFarlane)may bring to mind Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta), the comedic journey of Quahog’s favorite resident was one of much edgier material that, in the early years, flirted on the edge of bad taste.
Family Guyfeatured boundary-pushing comedy that felt so provocative at times thatviewers wondered if they were actually watching network television.The need for shocking humor has somewhat been rendered unnecessary with fans taking primary comfort in the silliness of the characters, which has only helped the show last longer. After recovering from a mild case of being canceled,Family Guyhas remained popular with fans who have followed the series for more than 20 seasons.
Family Guy
9’CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' (2000-2015)
Created by Anthony E. Zuiker
The first notes of the Who’s “Who Are You” signaled the beginning of one of TV’s most popular franchises,CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The crime procedural followed the members of the Las Vegas crime scene unit, led by the cerebrally enigmatic Dr. Gil Grissom (William Petersen). Each week theteam would use their scientific expertise to solve murders with seemingly no obvious evidence.CSI: Crime Scene Investigationwould quickly become the most-watched show in the U.S., commanding the attention of millions of viewers.
A murder of the weekprocedural was by no means a new concept in 2000, but a slick presentation and clever mysteries reignited a love for the genre. The influence ofCSI: Crime Scene Investigationcould be found on any channel where solo detectives were replaced by teams of criminal justice professionals. The success of the series spawned multiple popular spin-offs, such asCSI: MiamiandCSI: NY, making sure the population understood that no matter where a murder was committed,a team of attractive lab technicians would find the culprit.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
8’The Daily Show' (1996-)
Created by Madeleine Smithberg & Lizz Winstead
Jon Stewart’s time on Comedy Central’sThe Daily Showhad an immeasurable impact on both late-night programming and news coverage in the 2000s. The format has remained largely unchanged since its heyday, with a mixture of comedic reporting on the day’s news and an interview segment to close out the show. Now on the air for more than two decades,The Daily Showhas been a consistent launching ground for comedy stars likeSteve Carell,Stephen Colbert, andMichael Che.
WhileThe Daily Showstarted in 1996 with former ESPN anchorCraig Kilborn, it wasn’t until Jon Stewart stepped in as host in 1999 that the comedy show began to find its voice—which is to say, Stewart’s voice. Sharp political commentary that aimed its satirical crosshairs atnot only the politicians but also the news outlets' coverage of the D.C. power brokersmadeThe Daily Showa dark horse source for current events. It’s debatable whetherThe Daily Showshould have been seen as a news source, but it didn’t change the fact that younger viewers used it as one anyway, trusting the voice of Stewart more than anyone behind the desk of the endless 24-hour news channels.
The Daily Show
7’Grey’s Anatomy' (2005-)
Created by Shonda Rhimes & Michelle Lirtzman
Great shows last for roughly ten years –Grey’s Anatomyhas almost doubled that. The series follows Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) as she worked her way up from surgical intern to esteemed Hospital Chief. Romantic entanglements and professional setbacks would cause the expected headaches for Meredith, but she could rely on her friends and co-workers for support when the melodrama hit a fever pitch. Grey’s Anatomy would give a revival to the career ofPatrick Dempseyand provide a showcase for emerging talent likeKatherine Heigl.
Core cast members have come and gone over the years, but what’s stayed is the audience, ready to see what new emotional torture the cast can endure. The show’s continued airtime speaks to the audience’s emotional attachment to the characters and creatorShonda Rhimes’sstorytelling.Grey’s Anatomyis the gold standard for modern primetime soap operas, and the hospital drama proves that effective storytelling will always rise above the changing trends in entertainment.
Grey’s Anatomy
6’The Office' (2005-2013)
Created by Greg Daniels, Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant
The nine-to-five grind was highly enjoyable when distilled down to 22 minutes in NBC’sThe Office.Steve Carell took his career to the next level by starring as the needy and often inappropriate boss Michael Scott, who ran a regional paper supply office. Before long, the comedy series would expand into a large ensemble affairfeaturing a charmingly eclectic group of employees with quirks to rival Michael’s.
While the mockumentary format seems commonplace on television, with shows likeAbbott Elementarystill making use of glances at the camera and subtext providing confessionals,the style was untested for American TV audiences whenThe Officepremiered.The British original utilized the intrusion of cameras to ratchet up the tension, but the Carell-led ensemble aimed for an ultimately softer touch. By adding more heart and straying away from the cynical source material,The Officefound its voice and viewers to go with it. The result would lead tonine seasons and over 200 episodesthat redefined what a workplace comedy could look and feel like.
The Office
5’Who Wants to be a Millionaire' (1999-2024)
Developed by Michael Davies
Never were game shows more theatrically presented than when hostRegis Philbinfirst asked the question:Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?Quick camera pans and rotating lights gave the stripped-down concept of two people sitting in chairs a dramatic flair to visually represent the stakes at hand. The task for the player was simple:answer 15 questions correctly in a row and win one million dollars.As lucky contestants were selected to try their luck, America tuned in to see who would be the first to win.
Even thoughWho Wants to Be a Millionaireoriginally debuted as a limited event, the show was expanded into a regular series after the game became a cultural phenomenon. The series would see multiple hosts in the form ofMeredith Vieiraand laterJimmy Kimmel, but the early run with Philbin at the helm will remain the most iconic.Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’s popularity changed the network’s opinions on game shows,allowing them to creep into prime-time programming and not be limited to daytime or late-afternoon time slots.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is currently unavailable for streaming or purchase in the U.S.
4’American Idol' (2002-)
Created by Simon Fuller
American Idolwas theWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factoryof television shows. Aspiring stars could begifted the opportunity of a lifetime to become the next singing sensation,and all they had to do was take some tough criticism from judges likeSimon Cowelland make the country fall in love with them. This winning formula produced future stars likeCarrie UnderwoodandJennifer Hudsonwhile changing the way television worked.
Television was entertaining on a good day, but it was almost never interactive untilAmerican Idol.Viewers could impact the show they were watching with their votes, and thatinvitation to engage with the product developed a sense of ownership in the audience.American Idolhas long since seen its original judges leave for other projects, but the show continues because the real star is the thrill of discovering someone new. Shows likeThe VoiceandAmerica’s Got Talentwouldn’t exist withoutAmerican Idol’s colossal influence on primetime television.
American Idol
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3'Lost' (2004-2010)
Created by J.J. Abrams, Jeffrey Lieber & Damon Lindelof
A plane crash on a mysterious island leaves survivors to deal with supernaturally impossible dangers in ABC’s fantasy drama,Lost.The mystery series was big in every sense of the word –a cinematic marvel of intricate plotlines and lush visualswith a cast seemingly too large to convey a cohesive story. Survivors like Sawyer (Josh Holloway) and John Locke (Terry O’Quinn) each had their own winding backstories told in flashbacks that gave viewers an endless amount of lore to sift through while anxiously waiting for the next episode.
The unsatisfying ending forLosttends to overshadow the greatness of the show’s fantastic early seasons, but the impact of the show’s success on the modern television landscape was game-changing.A heavily serialized plot with episodes that offered more questions than answers didn’t turn away viewers– in fact, it did the opposite. The development of the internet gave fans a new way to connect via chat rooms where they could dissect the tiniest detail for clues about thetruth of the island, establishing a clear turning point for how television was consumed moving forward.
2’Survivor' (2000-)
Created by Charlie Parsons
The cast ofLostcould return to their trailers after a tough scene, but the contestants of the primetime game showSurvivorwere not given the same luxury. A revolutionary idea for a television show,Survivorwould leave contestants stranded in an exotic setting while they foraged for food and shelter.Each week, a different survivor is voted off by the remaining players until the final episode, when returning eliminated players will vote for who should be left standing to win one million dollars.
Audience curiosity was in a frenzy well before the first episode aired, as there was disbelief about the show’s premise. Once the country tuned in, they stayed hooked, intoxicated by the mix ofhigh-stakes drama, double-crosses, and players with big personalities.The concept could have been mistaken as sensationalistic programming with no long-term value, but nowin its47th season,Survivoris one of the most successful game shows, reality-based or otherwise, of all time.
1’The Sopranos' (1999-2007)
Created by David Chase
Television can be categorized into the time beforeThe Sopranosand afterThe Sopranos.HBO’s organized crime epic looked like nothing else on television, with visuals that would look at home in aMartin Scorsesefilm, and a cast oflargely unknown actors deliveringmasterful performances.James Gandolfini’s turn as New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano could be relatably sympathetic and menacing all within the same scene – sometimes the same line. That duality of recognizable and dangerous extended to the series itself, laying out storylines that would build to shocking and violent conclusions.
The look and feel of a film were available on television in weekly installments, and that concept provided an exciting glimpse of what the future of programming could be.The Sopranosdebuted in 1999, but positive word of mouth and DVD box sets would spread the gospel of the mob drama until enough new followers turned the series into must-see television. Future television creators saw what was possible in The Sopranos and were encouraged tocreate characters that didn’t fit into a morally acceptable template or write stories that featured nuanced and complex narrativesthat would be built upon week after week. The Sopranos defined the 2000s but also declared TV would never be the same again.
