The Best TV Shows Of The Last Decade

From Philadelphia bar owners to Pawnee government officials, from New York ad men to Russian spies, TV has only kept getting better over the past decade. It’s hard to narrow down the best offerings, but we stand by these as the best television shows airing during the 2010s.

A show about five deadbeat lowlifes running a bar in South Philadelphia doesn’t exactly sound like a comedic goldmine right off the bat, but for better or for worse, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has defied all the odds for years. After it got off to a relatively inconspicuous and super-cheap start in 2005, the show continued through the entire following decade, truly becoming a comedy staple of the 2010s. When it was renewed for its 14th season, it officially tied with The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet as the longest-running live action sitcom of all time, which might be the only way those two shows can be compared to each other.”

So how exactly has Sunny stayed so fresh over nearly 15 years? Thanks to brilliant scripts by co-creators Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day, who also play Mac, Dennis, and Charlie, respectively, this totally bizarre sitcom has kept things new and exciting even as it enters the 2020s. From its innovative approach to current issues to insane board games, ill-advised child beauty pageants, the best plane trip of all time, “The Gang” always keeps things interesting, and the series even manages to hit its emotional beats without seeming inauthentic. At the end of the show’s 13th season, Mac came out to his father in a gorgeously choreographed dance, proving that Always Sunny will always be relevant, no matter how long it’s on the air.

As the spiritual successor to The Office, NBC’s other workplace mockumentary Parks and Recreation had huge shoes to fill. Ultimately, it succeeded by creating an entirely different show and relying on pure positivity rather than cringe humor. The story of a small government department in Pawnee, Indiana, led by the intrepid and overly intense Leslie Knope in an arguably career-defining role from Amy Poehler, Parks & Rec taught audiences that they could achieve anything they wanted, even if your life takes some unexpected turns. With a supporting cast rounded out by future stars like Chris Pratt, Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza, and Adam Scott, alongside established stars like Rob Lowe and Rashida Jones, the show always survived on sheer optimism, even as it repeatedly faced cancellation. Keep watching the video to see the best TV shows of the last decade!

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