20 Best TV Shows Of The 2010s, Ranked

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The 2010s marked a big turning point in television. Streaming caused a shift in how people viewed shows, and network series were no longer the biggest hits. Netflix introduced the world to binge-watching, and cable channels like AMC and FX started cranking out prestige TV.

Meanwhile, 22-episode seasons stopped being the norm while streamers opted out of the typical September to May schedule. Many would argue that these changes have been bad for the industry and that the streaming wars have created some casualties in Hollywood. However, there is no denying that a lot of good television was made as a result.

After careful consideration, we have chosen the best shows from the 2010s. Some series on this list started in the 2000s, while others ended in the 2020s, but the majority of their seasons aired during the 2010s. Whether it is a fantasy series about people vying for a throne or an animated show about a depressed horse, there was a lot of unique and exciting television happening during the 2010s.

When it comes to television shows from the 2010s, "Veep" accidentally ended up reflecting reality. The satirical show debuted on HBO in 2012 and starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, the Vice President of the United States.

"Veep" was not only full of laughs, but it also allowed viewers a cathartic release when it came to the state of politics. During its run, "Veep" was praised for its cynical and hilarious political commentary. By the time it ended in 2019 after seven seasons, it was the perfect time capsule of a tumultuous political decade. 

Throughout its run, "Veep" was nominated for 68 Emmys, winning 17. It scored the award for Outstanding Comedy Series three times, while Louis-Dreyfus won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series a record-breaking six years in a row.

"The Good Place" was a unique show for NBC and a standout of the 2010s. The network was not known for high-concept sitcoms, but Michael Schur's afterlife comedy became an instant hit after it debuted in 2016. While the series only ran for four seasons, ending in 2020, it remains one of the most charming and uplifting shows of the decade.

"The Good Place" starred Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop, a selfish and unkind woman who finds herself in a mistaken identity situation in the afterlife, AKA The Good Place. With the help of some goofy new pals, she must do what she can to avoid ending up in The Bad Place. The show introduced viewers to philosophical theories and helped audiences expand on the concept of good versus bad, not to mention having one of TV's biggest first season twists.

"The Good Place" also starred Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, D'Arcy Carden, and Manny Jacinto. It earned 13 Emmy nominations during its short run but never took home any prizes. 

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is the only series on this list that started in the 2000s and is still airing in the 2020s. In fact, it is the longest-running live-action sitcom in American history. However, it has a long way to go before it beats the British show, "Last of the Summer Wine."

Created by Robert McElhenney, AKA Rob Mac, "It's Always Sunny" debuted on FX in 2005 and is expected to have an 18th season in 2026. The show stars McElhenney along with Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito as a dysfunctional group of friends and family members who run an Irish pub in Philly. The show has managed to thrive for all of these years thanks to the charm of its leads. Every main character is an objectively terrible person, but it is so much fun watching them scheme and get into ridiculous messes. While shows like "The Good Place" and "Parks and Rec" focus on the good of humanity, "It's Always Sunny" swings in the opposite direction.

Despite its record-breaking 17 seasons, "It's Always Sunny" has only received three Emmy nominations, and they were all for stunt coordination.

"Steven Universe" may not be the most famous show on this list, but it is easily one of the most special. Created by Rebecca Sugar, the animated series ran for five seasons on Cartoon Network from 2013 to 2019. The show followed the titular young boy and his adventures with the Gems, the extraterrestrial magical beings who raise him.

While "Steven Universe" starts as a cute kids' program, it evolves into a poignant, beautiful story about love, family, and acceptance. It has several LGBTQ+ characters and tackles important topics such as mental health, generational trauma, and the power of empathy. The series also made history behind the scenes.

During its run, "Steven Universe" was nominated for six Emmys, winning one for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation. After the show ended, Cartoon Network released "Steven Universe: The Movie" and the miniseries, "Steven Universe Future," in 2019.

When it comes to sketch comedy in the 2010s, nobody was doing it like Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. "Key & Peele" was first released on Comedy Central in 2012 and ended in 2015 after five seasons. Together, the comedy duo created some of the funniest and most memorable sketches to ever hit television screens.

"Key & Peele" managed to develop thoughtful ideas centered on big topics such as race and identity. They took those concepts and turned them into original, gut-busting sketches. Not only did the two men play off of each other in the best ways, but they also roped a lot of famous actors into their hijinks.

"Key & Peele" was nominated for 18 Emmys, winning two, including Outstanding Variety Sketch Series. In 2021, Peele confirmed he had retired from acting, so do not expect a Key and Peele reunion anytime soon.

"Justified" is a neo-western series that ran for six seasons on FX between 2010 and 2015. The show was developed for television by Graham Yost and was based on "Fire in the Hole" by Elmore Leonard. The show follows Timothy Olyphant as Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a lawman who is reassigned near his hometown in Kentucky.

The drama provides a gritty look at crime in the American South while adding layers of dark humor and exciting action. The show is elevated by Olyphant's back and forth with Walton Goggins' Boyd Crowder, who is on a quest to control the town.

During its time on FX, "Justified" was nominated for eight Emmys, winning two. Both Jeremy Davies and Margo Martindale won for their performances. In 2018, Olyphant returned for "Justified: City Primeval," which took Givens to Detroit. While the limited series was not recognized by the Emmys, it was an excellent return to form.

NBC has been creating biting sitcoms for decades, and "Community" is easily one of the network's funniest. The show debuted in 2009 and ran for five seasons before being cancelled and saved by the short-lived Yahoo Screen. It got a sixth and final season and came to an end in 2014.

Created by Dan Harmon, "Community" followed a group of strangers (Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie, Danny Pudi, Donald Glover, and Chevy Chase) who formed a study group at their local community college. They develop an unlikely bond while getting up to crazy shenanigans during and after school hours. The absurdist series consistently takes big swings and frequently parodies films and other genres. During its run, the show somehow only ever received three Emmy nominations. 

A long-running joke of "Community" was about getting six seasons and a movie, and fans are still waiting on the film. The good news is that the movie has been greenlit by Peacock, and the original cast is expected to return.

Bill Hader is known to many for his iconic run on "Saturday Night Live," but he sparked a new era for his career with the HBO hit "Barry" 2018. The dramedy/crime series starred Hader (who also wrote, directed, and produced throughout) as the titular depressed hitman who catches the acting bug. There is more than a little of Hader in his "Barry" performance, which earned him two Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

"Barry" always managed to toe the line between funny and tragic while including some fierce crime-related storylines. The series also featured great performances from Henry Winkler, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, and more.

During its four seasons, "Barry" was nominated for 55 Emmys, winning 10. In addition to Hader's acting wins, the show also scored Winkler an Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series win.

By the time "Atlanta" debuted on FX in 2016, Donald Glover was already known to TV audiences as Troy from "Community," as well as his alter ego, Childish Gambino, to music lovers. Glover created "Atlanta," a surrealist dramedy, to showcase the city where he spent a huge chunk of his childhood. The success of the series helped skyrocket Glover even further into stardom.

"Atlanta" starred Glover as Earn Marks, a music manager trying to make it in the city's hip hop scene. The series also featured Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz.

"Atlanta" ran for four seasons and came to an end in 2022. The show was nominated for 26 Emmys during its time on the air, winning seven. Glover won Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series in 2017. The following year, "Atlanta" made waves at the ceremony when Glover's character, Teddy Perkins, attended the event. He went so method when playing Teddy on "Atlanta" that it fooled Stanfield on set.

David Fincher's ongoing relationship with Netflix has produced hits ranging from Emmy-winner "House of Cards" to Oscar-winner "Mank," but "Mindhunter" is their most noteworthy collaboration. The psychological crime thriller was created by Joe Penhall and was based on the true crime book "Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit" by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker.

The drama chronicles the founding of the Behavioral Science Unit in the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the late '70s and early '80s. Jonathan Groff starred in "Mindhunter" as special agent Holden Ford alongside Holt McCallany as special agent Bill Tench. As for Fincher, the director executive-produced the series and helmed seven episodes.

"Mindhunter" tackles the compelling history of criminal profiling, and its gripping format makes it one of the best shows created by any streamer in the 2010s. The series ran for two seasons between 2017 and 2019. In that time, it was nominated for two Emmys.

When it comes to drama and intrigue, "The Americans" had audiences locked in throughout its six seasons on FX. Debuting in 2013, the show starred Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as Soviet KGB intelligence officers posing as an American married couple living in a D.C. suburb.

Created by former CIA officer Joe Weisberg, the spy thriller provided a unique perspective on the Cold War. The show managed to capture the nuances of the main duo's struggle with maintaining the life they had built together while trying to execute their core mission as covert spies. The show only got better as the years went on, which is why many consider Season 6 to be its best.

By the time "The Americans" came ot an end in 2018, it had received 18 Emmy nods. It won four, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Rhys.

"Bojack Horseman" is the best animated show to come out of the 2010s, and one of the best adult animated shows of all time. The Netflix series debuted in 2014, making it one of the first successful binge drop series of the streaming era. Unlike many animated shows, "Bojack" did not overstay its welcome and ended in 2020 after six seasons.

Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, "Bojack" followed the titular anthropomorphic horse as he navigated life as an aging, former sitcom star. His ongoing depression and addiction led to self-destructive behavior, which negatively affected everyone around him. The Hollywood-set show is both side-splittingly comical and tragically sad. It delivers everything from silly animal puns to gut-wrenching deaths. The main voice cast was made up of Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul.

"Bojack Horseman" only received three Emmy nominations during its run, including two nods for Outstanding Animated Program.

While some 2010s shows dominated the decade, other masterpieces came and went after limited runs. "Fleabag" only had two seasons, totaling 12 episodes between 2016 and 2019, but it left a lasting impression on television fans. 

Created by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, "Fleabag" was based on her one-woman stage show of the same name. The BBC series followed a woman struggling with life as she deals with anger and guilt over past mistakes. She has issues with her family, which includes a sister played by Sian Clifford and step-mother played by Olivia Colman. While this show's first season is excellent, Season 2 is what solidified "Fleabag" as one of the decade's best. This is partly due to Andrew Scott's addition as Fleabag's love interest, known to viewers as the Hot Priest.

Season 2 of "Fleabag" earned 11 Emmy nominations, winning six. It took home both Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Waller-Bridge in 2019.

"Game of Thrones" became event viewing during its eight-season run on HBO from 2011 to 2019. The show's final season was incredibly divisive, with many writing it off after hating the ending. The finale featured some choices that did not work, but the show still deserves a spot on this list. Most of "Game of Thrones" was an epic ride, and unlike anything that had been seen on TV before.

Based on the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series by George R. R. Martin, "Game of Thrones" was created for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The series showed different families from the fictional Westeros fighting to take over the Iron Throne to rule the Seven Kingdoms. The results were often bloody and shocking, but audiences could not get enough. The first six seasons were especially excellent thanks to the show's exciting writing, mesmerizing production design, and stacked cast.

During its run, "Game of Thrones" was nominated for 159 Emmys, winning 59. It won Outstanding Drama Series four times. Two spin-off series, "House of the Dragon" and "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," have been released since "Game of Thrones" came to an end. More shows and films set in the "Game of Thrones" universe are currently in development. 

"Parks and Recreation" is one of the funniest and most wholesome sitcoms ever to air on NBC. The show ran for seven seasons between 2009 and 2015, and it's now considered to be among the best workplace comedies of all time. The show starred Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, the deputy director of the Parks and Rec Department in the town of Pawnee, Indiana.

Leslie's genuine love for her town, ambitious attitude, and overall energetic behavior were infectious. The show's silly cast of characters always rallied behind her, and the audience could not help but root for her at every turn. The supporting cast was also full of hilarious heavy-hitters, including Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Aziz Ansari, Rashida Jones, Rob Lowe, and more.

Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, "Parks and Rec" received 14 Emmy nominations during its time on air but somehow never won a single award. 

"Better Call Saul" is one of the greatest spin-offs in television history. The prequel series told the story of Jimmy McGill, AKA Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), before the events of "Breaking Bad." While it does not outrank "Breaking Bad" on this list, some fans have argued that the show is better than its predecessor.

Created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, "Better Call Saul" debuted on AMC in 2015 and came to an end in 2022 after six seasons. Odenkirk was a fan-favorite on "Breaking Bad," but so much depth was added to Jimmy/Saul in the follow-up series. The show featured top-notch performances from franchise newcomers like Rhea Seehorn, Michael Mando, and Tony Dalton, while "Breaking Bad" staples such as Jonathan Banks and Giancarlo Esposito also returned to shine. 

While "Better Call Saul" was not quite as intense as "Breaking Bad," the sharp narrative was equally as strong. The show famously never won a single Emmy, but it was nominated 53 times, only three fewer times than "Breaking Bad."

"Twin Peaks: The Return" was like an unexpected, glorious fever dream. The original "Twin Peaks" was cancelled after two seasons in 1991, but David Lynch never gave up on the story. He directed the prequel film, "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" in 1992, and released the revival series, "Twin Peaks: The Return," on Showtime in 2017.

The original finale saw Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) saying, "I'll see you again in 25 years," to Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), which is exactly what came to be. Co-Created by Mark Frost, "Twin Peaks'" long-awaited third season saw most of the cast returning to the mysterious little town of Twin Peaks, Washington.

"The Return" is captivating, strange, and powerful. Lynch and Frost managed to not only recapture the magic they had constructed in the '90s, but they arguably made it better. The revival season earned nine Emmy nominations, including a directing nod for Lynch.

"Mad Men" debuted on AMC in 2007 and paved the way for prestige cable shows, proving they could make quality content akin to the premium networks. "Mad Men" came to an end in 2015 after seven seasons, and by the time it was finished, the landscape of TV had changed exponentially.

Created by Matthew Weiner, the show starred Jon Hamm as Don Draper, an ad exec at a Manhattan-based agency in the 1960s. The period drama is an immersive look into the decade, capturing the era in a way that no other show had done before. Like most of the series on this list, the writing is clever, and the actors fall into their roles seamlessly. "Mad Men" is easily the most stylish show of the 2010s, gifting fans with nonstop gorgeous aesthetics.

"Mad Men" was nominated for 116 Emmys, winning 16, including Outstanding Drama Series four times. Hamm was nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Drama eight times and finally won for the second half of Season 7. As of 2024, Hamm has no interest in making a "Mad Men" reboot.

There were a lot of supernatural dramas released in the 2010s, but none compared to HBO's "The Leftovers." The show followed the aftermath of the "Sudden Departure," which saw 2% of the world's population disappear without a trace.

Created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta, "The Leftovers" was based on Perrotta's book of the same name. It told the story of a police chief (Justin Theroux) and a woman who lost her entire family in the Departure (Carrie Coon), along with the people in their lives. The series delivered on genre intrigue while making you care deeply about the characters. As much as fans wanted questions to be answered, they were more invested in the personal stories. The show also starred Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler, Margaret Qualley, Ann Dowd, Regina King, Scott Glenn, and more.

"The Leftovers" only ran for three seasons from 2014 to 2017, but it managed to deliver an emotionally satisfying goodbye. During its run, the series earned a single Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series for Dowd. While it may not have been an awards darling, "The Leftovers" will always stand out among the best of the decade.

"Breaking Bad" was the pinnacle of 2010s television. The show debuted on AMC in 2008 and ran for five seasons, ending in 2013. Created by Vince Gilligan, the series starred Bryan Cranston as Walter White, a chemistry teacher who starts cooking meth after he is diagnosed with cancer. He teams up with a former student, slacker Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), and the duo quickly becomes entrenched in New Mexico's drug trade.

There is so much to appreciate about "Breaking Bad," from its intense writing to perfect performances, but it is the evolution of Walt that makes it the best show of the decade. His descent from meek family man to merciless kingpin is masterful storytelling. Part of the show's flawless execution had to do with one simple rule in the writers' room.

During its run, "Breaking Bad" received 58 Emmy nominations, winning 16. It earned the award for Outstanding Drama Series twice, while Cranston won Outstanding Actor in a Drama four times and Paul won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama three times. The prequel series, "Better Call Saul," debuted in 2015, and the follow-up film, "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," was released in 2019.