TV.com's Top 30 Shows of the Past Five Years, Vol. 2: #20–11
Welcome to Day 2 of TV.com's Top 30 Shows of the Half-Decade! Our opening batch certainly got you wonderful folks talking, and now we're back with the next round of greatness. This is where the things start to get really competitive; eight of the following 10 shows are separated by just seven points total, and there were a number of ties as well. You'll also notice that this group ended up a bit heavy on the comedy, with several of the past five years' funniest joke machines falling between #20 and #11. However, it's a diverse lineup all the same, featuring a few shows that were too great to last in this dark world, two animated powerhouses, a couple of FX wonders, and one of the greatest comedies of all time.
Let's get to it shall, we?
Note: For details on how we compiled these rankings, you can find a description of our methodology here.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
#30 – #26 | #25 – #21 | #20 – #16 | #15 – #11
20. Veep (31 POINTS)
ELIGIBILITY: Season 1 through the present
Since its debut, Veep's deeply cynical take on politics and the often idiotic people we've elected to run our country has emerged as one of the most intelligent and reliably funny series on the air. It's the perfect contrast to the highly romanticized version of the White House that Aaron Sorkin presented in The West Wing, and it's miles ahead of the B.S. that Frank Underwood is currently spouting on House of Cards. The absolute ineptitude of many of Veep's characters, coupled with the series' sharp, pointed skewering of politics, embodies the "funny because it's true" style while simultaneously inspiring face-palming and laugh attacks. —Kaitlin Thomas
19. Happy Endings (31 POINTS)
ELIGIBILITY: Season 1 through the series finale (Season 3)
This half-decade ushered in the grand return of the "hangout" sitcom—you know, the type of comedy that initially focuses on the One Thing That Got the Show on the Air and then eventually just chronicles the lives and hijinks of a bunch of attractive friends. ABC's Happy Endings was far and away the best within its crowded field, not to mention one of the most purely funny comedies on all of TV. And while the writing was sharp in its own right, the show's success stemmed from its tremendous ensemble and their palpable chemistry, to the point where all six leads were constantly vying for Cast MVP seemingly each week. If you need any further indication of the show or its actors' greatness, take a look at where the cast is now—all six have gone on to star in significant but ultimately lesser projects that only make Happy Endings' cancellation hurt that much more. —Cory Barker
18. Fargo (31 POINTS)
ELIGIBILITY: Season 1
Considering the side-eye we tend to throw at the mere mention of TV remakes and adaptations—especially in cases where the source material is pretty excellent to begin with—FX's decision to reimagine the Coen Brothers' classic film was a major risk. But the result turned out to be one of the best shows of 2014, as sharp writing, an unbelievably talented cast, wonderful characters, and a rich setting came together in a violent and darkly comic triumph. Fargo may be young, but its 10-episode first season is a masterpiece. —Jen Trolio
17. Louie (32 POINTS)
ELIGIBILITY: Season 1 through the present
What happens when you give a free-thinking auteur total control to create a show however he wants? The answer is "Louie," an indie comedy from one of today's best observational comics, Louis C.K. The FX series is an unrestricted, unfiltered collection of honest slices of life that are rarely seen on television. One episode might focus on Louie saving a duckling while on tour in the Middle East, another might deliver an eloquent hard truth about respecting fat women, and yet another might see Louie confusing his feelings of friendship for another man with something more—and they'll all be entirely unique. Equal parts funny and sensitive, Louie is the best example of why network executives should put down their note-writing pens and just let the creatives do their thing. —Tim Surette
16. 30 Rock (35 POINTS)
ELIGIBILITY: The second half of Season 4 through the series finale (Season 7)
Don't let anyone tell you that the miraculously long-running NBC comedy lost steam toward the end; it's flat-out untrue. Many of my favorite episodes are contained within the show's final three and a half seasons, which continued to consistently and expertly skewer the business of making television the way that only 30 Rock could. The show's merciless mocking of NBC as well as pop culture, its superbly calibrated mix of highbrow and lowbrow humor, its brilliant ensemble cast, and its impressively well-developed longer-term character arcs made it a zany, unpredictable delight in all the best ways—and its eventual series finale was as good and funny and touching as I ever could've asked for. BRB gonna go re-watch the entire run now; somebody bring me some hammmmmm! —Jen
NEXT: #15 – #11
PREVIOUSLY: #20 – #16
15. Terriers (36 POINTS)
ELIGIBILITY: The show's first and only season
Ted Griffin and Shawn Ryan's Terriers was an impressively slick ride masquerading as a beat-up old clunker when it debuted in 2010. The clever and tireless series—which followed two unlicensed P.I.s with good intentions and not-so-good luck—was full of surprises, all the way down to its misleading title and its tone. Terriers repeatedly zigged when I thought it would zag; as the show continued to explore the seedy underbelly of the southern California town its characters called home, the darkness behind the show's deceptively sunny locale began to emerge, and the result was a witty and amusing noir. But its greatest strength was the bromance between Donal Logue's Hank and Michael Raymond-James' Britt, who arrived on our TV screens at a time when the recession was still at the forefront of everyone's minds and notched a win for the little guys. Terriers only lasted one season due to its low ratings, but its finale was satisfying in a perfectly imperfect way, which made it feel like a complete story rather than one that suddenly fell off a cliff. And shit, that theme song was memorable. —Kaitlin
14. Adventure Time (38 POINTS)
ELIGIBILITY: Season 1 through the present
Have you ever listened to someone try to explain Adventure Time? It's basically impossible to do without receiving odd looks from your friends who've never watched it: "It sounds like someone made a show while peaking on a sweet, sweet high." You just have to coerce them into sitting down and watching an episode. And before you know it, they're hooked. The optimism is infectious. The jokes are sharp and quotable. And the series arcs are wild and complicated enough to suck in grown-ups while still maintaining a simple baseline story that children (or even grown-ups who aren't paying attention) can enjoy. In short, Adventure Time is a next-level kind of show that features all the elements of children's programming (songs, lessons, fart jokes) but isn't afraid to show a little darkness or request real emotional investment from its viewers, no matter their age. —Nick Campbell
13. Live sports (42 POINTS)
ELIGIBILITY: Any sporting event that occurred between January 1, 2010 and the present
2010 World Cup: U.S. vs. Algeria
Dramas like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones regularly deliver heart-pumping action, but there isn't much TV programming that can compare with the adrenaline rush of live sports. And in a world where we're all watching different things at our own pace, nothing else can bring us together—on social media, or as nations—like an exciting athletic feat. In 2010, Landon Donovan knocked a ball into the back of Algeria's net and the crowd went wild. People who actually live in the U.S. screamed, shouted, and swooned in response to Donovan's heroics on the pitch. It was an emotional moment that everyone shared, both as a community and on YouTube, even as it lost some of its power in post-game highlight packages. There's nothing quite like witnessing that kind of serendipity as it unfolds while surrounded by a bunch of people who are simultaneously falling in love with the Beautiful Game. —Nick
2010 Wimbledon Championship: John Isner vs. Nicolas Mahut
This match was simply insane, lasting a total of 11 hours spread across three days. It disrupted Wimbledon's schedule, it disrupted the BBC's and ESPN's planned coverage of other, higher profile matches, and it disrupted audiences' days and nights as everyone refused to rip themselves away from their screens, eager to see the end of match that seemingly didn't have one. —Noel
2015 College Football Playoff: Ohio State vs. Alabama and Oregon vs. Florida State
Just a few short months ago, the long-anticipated NCAA Football Playoff somehow far exceeded fans' expectations for how thrilling the new system could be. The Oregon–Florida State and Alabama–Ohio State double-header on New Year's Day made for one of the best eight-hour stretches in the history of live telecasts, producing two unbelievable games, a number of tremendous memes on social media, and millions of people emphatically wondering why we didn't switch to this playoff format a decade ago. —Cory
12. Enlightened (42 POINTS)
ELIGIBILITY: Season 1 through the series finale (Season 2)
HBO's gorgeous and moving indie comedy defies description, but I'll try to write one anyway. Few people watched Mike White's poignant series about a woman transforming her life and her attitude through new-age hippie magic, probably because the show's protagonist Amy Jellicoe (an absolutely flawless Laura Dern) was so abrasive, but that's what made her one of the best characters on television. She'd either discovered the meaning of life or she was spiraling down into madness, but she was always fighting against the status quo for whatever new cause struck her fancy that day. Following her "progress" was both inspirational and frightening, as well as heartfelt and funny. Meanwhile, the whole series was framed by superior cinematography, a wonderful score, and a distinct tone, making it a transformative journey not just for Amy, but for the audience as well. —Tim
11. Bob's Burgers (43 POINTS)
ELIGIBILITY: Season 1 through the present
The differences between Bob's Burgers and Fox's other animated fare aren't immediately apparent. It looks different than The Simpsons and Family Guy, but it's still basically about a three-child family with still-married parents and all the wacky adventures they get themselves into. But what makes Bob's Burgers great is how in touch it is with culture in a way that other shows simply are not. Sure, The Simpsons might do an episode where Lisa wears a blue-and-black dress in the near future, but that sort of gag basically amounts to ephemeral commentary on pop culture; in contrast, Bob's Burgers' characters are actually shaped by pop culture, and the show speaks to an audience that its animated peers have largely lost touch with. Tina is into slash fiction (involving her friends) and really conveys what it's like to be a teenager in the modern world. Louise is strong in a way that's unique to this last half-decade. Gene is a one-liner delivery machine powered by Eugene Mirman's innate greatness. The Simpsons and Family Guy are institutions, but its important to also have a program that's comfortable existing among the rabble. Bob's Burgers is one of us. —Nick
PREVIOUSLY:
#30 – #26 | #25 – #21 | #20 – #16
