We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. We are now into our sixth year!
This month, we are talking about our top 10 favorite TV series of the 21st century. We'd love to know what yours are, so please don't hesitate to share in the comments!
We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them.
Putting together this list was like choosing a favorite child. I've enjoyed so many shows over the past 25 years. I'm going to share some runners-up (and that list was hard to narrow down too), but explain why they didn't make the list. I'm also commenting on some of Sara's picks, and I noticed that neither of us chose Six Feet Under, even though we talk about it a lot. Sara is commenting on mine, as well.
Sara: I actually had Six Feet Under on my list at first and considered keeping it, but I felt the other shows on my list were more impactful to me. Of course, the last episode of the series will forever remain one of the most heartbreaking and memorable. Sia's "Breathe Me" took on a whole new meaning.
Here's my top 10, in no particular order (except for the first two).
1. Ghosts: If it's possible to love a show more than Schitt's Creek, then Ghosts won that honor. (I'm talking about the US version.) It's so funny and heartwarming and it's definitely saving my sanity these days. I got my husband into it, so now I'm re-bingeing it while also caught up on the fourth season (and I can't wait for him to experience that soon). I highly, highly recommend it for some high quality entertainment.
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| Courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes |
2. Schitt's Creek: So great, I watched it thrice! Iconic characters, funny dialogue, and lots of sweet (and sometimes bittersweet) moments.
Sara: I really love this show, too. I'm glad you recommended it to me. Whenever you use the word "bebe" when we chat online, I can hear Moira saying it.
3. Orphan Black: Sara got me into this show and I'm sooo glad! It was brilliant and really well done throughout. Tatiana Maslany is incredible at playing multiple characters. She was especially awesome as Helena. I also loved the supporting characters, especially Felix. My husband watched OB too and after each episode, we'd say "such a great show!" There was one time we were watching and someone raised a gun to shoot someone. At that very moment, there was a huge thunderclap outside and the power went out. Wild timing!
Sara: I forgot that I recommended Orphan Black to you! You usually suggest such great shows to me, that I forget which ones I've suggested to you.Tatiana was excellent in all of her roles on the show.
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| Courtesy of Adventures in Vertigo |
4. Desperate Housewives: This was my version of a soap opera. I was totally there for it and loved the characters and storylines. I can relate to all the women in some way or another. Sara watched it years later and I got to relive it vicariously through her.
Sara: "Yes..." (Said in my very best Mary Alice inflection.) You know a show is great when your kids like it, too. My eldest watched the episodes with me, after getting hooked on Orson (Kyle MacLachlan) and Dave (Neal McDonough). It's a soap opera with a mystery punch to it, and I couldn't wait to see what might happen next on Wisteria Lane.
5. Somebody Somewhere: Such a wonderful series in so many ways. I just love how everyone is so flawed and genuine. I can't get enough of Sam and Joel's friendship. And Fred Rococo is one of the best supporting characters. I wish there were going to be more seasons because I'd definitely watch!
Sara: It's not often I get overly emotional when I watch a show, but when Brad sang a special song to Joel with Sam's help, I think I may have actually cried a little. I felt like we got to see a side to Bridget Everett we've never seen before.
6. A Million Little Things: This show came out around the same time as This is Us, but I ended up liking it more. It's about a group of adult male friends who bond after being stuck in an elevator and become even closer after one of them commits suicide. The extension of friendship includes the wives and girlfriends in their lives, and even some kids. The storylines cover a variety of topics. I love the friendships between all the characters. And it was definitely emotional at times.
7. Cobra Kai: Great series from beginning to end. I loved all the Karate Kid nostalgia. It was an adrenaline rush to watch the competitions. And I loved seeing them try to take down the villains (especially Silver). The bromance/frenemy relationship between Daniel and Johnny was definitely interesting. I also loved that Chozen became a part of the series. Another favorite supporting character for me!
Sara: My whole family loves Cobra Kai. After watching all three movies in the 80s franchise when I was a kid, I never thought I'd like Johnny, but he was my favorite character on the show. I love his wit and gruff demeanor.
8. The Bold Type: If you want a fabulous "girl power" show, this is the one to watch! Not only are the three main characters amazing, their boss Jacqueline (played by Melora Hardin) is the boss that anyone would want at their own job. The series handles some current issues with tact and sensitivity, but also doesn't hold back.
Sara: Melissa recommended The Bold Type, and I liked it, too! I loved the various storylines and felt I could live vicariously through all of the characters, even when I didn't always agree with their choices--Sutton made a decision that I felt wasn't the right one, but it's what helped to make her and the others feel more well-rounded and fleshed out as characters. No one was perfect and I appreciated that.
9. Ugly Betty: While my husband thought it was basically The Devil Wears Prada, America Ferrera won my heart in her role as Betty. I loved the campiness of it and how it played out as a telenovela in some ways. I also loved the supporting characters and it was a great introduction to Michael Urie (whom I now love on Shrinking). Betty's nephew was also adorable. (The actor is on Hacks now.) I was sad when it finished for good.
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| Courtesy of Ugly Betty Wiki |
10. Stranger Things: I'm not much for horror, but this series does it so well. I love that it's set in the 1980s and all the nostalgia. There's also a lot of heart to the characters and I genuinely care about what they are going through from one season to the next. A lot has happened in the past few seasons, and while some of it is scary for sure, it also keeps my attention and leaves me wanting more. There's a lot of humor too. I can't wait for it to come back!
Sara: Talk about a title sequence that will never leave your psyche. Within the first few seconds, I know what show is playing, even if I can't visually see what's on my TV screen. Stranger Things is so cleverly written, combining everything we love about the 80s with suspense and thrill. When the seasons are on, I can't help but binge-watch them all.
Top Five Runners-up:
Four Weddings and a Funeral: It only got one season, which was disappointing, since it was really well done. A love letter to rom-coms.
Sara: I agree, it was a really cute show. I wish it had more screen time than just one season.
Ted Lasso: Lots to love about the show and I'm glad it's coming back for a fourth season, but season three felt weak to me.
Riverdale: I was obsessed with this show for a while, but it also got really dark and made me anxious. Still, it had musical theater episodes!
Sara: On a somewhat related note: I think the Coral character from this season's The Masked Singer is Camila Mendes, who played Veronica on Riverdale. But that's just my guess.
Virgin River: It's a comfort show for me, even though there's some intense stuff happening from time to time. It just gets really sappy sometimes.
Sara: It's a comfort for me, too. I joke about how it's this simplistic, calming presence, but at times interrupted by storylines that involve things like murder, destructive relationship experiences, bad guys, and drug plots. It gives the appearance of sweetness but there is a nice dramatic side to the show, too.
Only Murders in the Building: Funny, witty, great actors and cameos, and an immersive NYC feel. I wanted to include this in the top 10, but there were times when it could get slow for me.
Sara: Yes, so much fun! I love the cameos and it's never easy for me to figure out "whodunnit."
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| With my older son in front of the Murders building |
I love television. I think the majority of us who were children in the 80s can probably express that same sentiment. It started with Saturday morning cartoons. Then the teen dramas of the late 90s, like Dawson’s Creek. That parlayed into fun late 90s dramedies like Ally McBeal, or the then scandalous Sex and the City. There are great shows everywhere it seems, and although the list I’m sharing consists of shows from the 21st century, quite a few of them I never watched when they originally aired. Usually, I’d get a recommendation from someone, which would spur me on to look into the show.
It’s great that we have the option to watch whatever we want, given all of the various apps and viewing platforms available. It was really hard to narrow this list down to just 10, but I did it! Here is my top 10 list of what I feel are the best shows from 2001-The Present:
Breaking Bad (2008)
My eldest recommended we watch “Breaking Bad,” which turned out to be one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long while. If one of us has an epiphany of sorts, we’ll usually break out Jesse Pinkman’s line of, “Ahhh….wire….” (you most likely have to see the show to get that reference.) But it’s pretty hilarious.
House (2004)
My eldest was really into this show, too, when they were just entering teenhood. I found that fascinating; that they’d take interest in a show that seemed like it might go over a young teen’s head, but the plan now is to re-watch the show after we’re done rewatching “The Office” and its extended uncut episodes. Something we learned from this show: It’s never lupus. Until it is.
The Office (2005)
Some of my favorite moments from the show: When Dwight breaks out into classic Hannibal Lector and says, “Hello, Clarice,” while wearing a first aid CPR dummy’s plastic skin. Or when Michael performs The Lazy Scranton Rap, but the best is from the last season, when Michael shows up to be there for Angela’s wedding.
Melissa: I enjoyed The Office until Michael left. Then I lost interest. My favorite episode is "Diversity Day" in season one. "Wanna go to the beach?"
Arrested Development (2003)
Marry me. Please! What a fun show. This is a show that I never watched when it first aired, not until it was available on Netflix. Just the other day, something had happened and one of my family members screeched, “He did it again!” Just like Lucille (Jessica Walter) would do whenever Gene Parmesan (Martin Mull) surprised her. And who doesn’t love the chicken dance?
Melissa: I always say "pass the GENE Parmesan" whenever we're having pasta for dinner. I loved AD too, but felt it jumped the shark in season three (which is ironic because they had an episode about jumping the shark at one point). Also, "has anyone ever SEEN a chicken?"
Battlestar Galactica (2004)
At first, I didn’t think I’d like this show. My husband is a sci fi kind of guy and recommended it to me, so I decided I’d put in the effort and watch a few episodes. Seasons later, back when Blockbuster was still a thing, I’d go to my local video store and desperately search for the latest seasons and episodes, because back in those days, other than Netflix on DVD, that’s all we could do. I became obsessed!
Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001)
Back in the 80s, I watched the original “Degrassi”, and I liked the show. But I had no idea it had continued on or was a thing, not until Melissa shared it with me. It was a frequent show in my household. So much so, there is a video of my youngest singing the theme song! Who isn’t still reeling from what happened to J.T.?
Melissa: I was highly considering adding this to my list, but the characters got annoying in later seasons and the storylines kept repeating themselves. Still, it was a great distraction during the pandemic.
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| Courtesy of SheKnows |
Handmaid’s Tale (2017)
I read this book years ago, which is what encouraged me to watch the show. The show has really become a focal point and at times a reference given the climate of our society over the last several years, a dystopian viewpoint that some fear is a cautionary tale. No matter the background or what has happened, June never gives up, which encourages us to feel that we can’t give up, too.
90 Day Fiancé (2014)
As I’m working on this post, I’ve got the latest episode of 90 Day Fiancé on in the background! I can get as in depth into an episode as I want, or days like day, it’s background noise for me. But either way, I enjoy the show and the sometimes wild individuals who are doing their best to find love in unexpected ways and places. This is another show that Melissa recommended to me, and while she doesn’t watch it anymore, I can carry the torch for the both of us.
Melissa: I'm cracking up at this since I didn't know Sara was going to keep at it. We still have our inside jokes from when we both watched. We even wrote a post about it!
Westworld (2016)
This is another show my husband recommended to me, and once again he knew it was something I’d appreciate! The first two seasons were the ultimate, with the last couple of seasons dragging on, but I still stuck it out and watched it through to the very end. Nothing excited me more when I discovered who Bernard really was. “It doesn’t look like anything to me.”
Severance (2022)
I recently finished watching this show, and I can’t wait until we get to see more of it! It’s mind bending and unconventional, leaving viewers on several cliffhangers. Is it a good idea to sever yourself from yourself? That’s the ultimate question. My favorite character is Milchick. How Tramell Tillman does it, I’ll never know.
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| Courtesy of Decider |
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