Ranking the Top 15 TV Shows of the 2010s

15. Better Call Saul

Creators: Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould

A spin-off of Breaking Bad had no right to be this good. It was such a shock at how good it was that it took me a long time to like be able to objectively watch it and get into the story because I was so amazed they were able to find a new angle and a new way to tell the story from the other side.

The heartbreaking character study of Jimmy McGill's transformation into the corrupt Saul Goodman was a complete Greek Tragedy.

14. Parks and Recreation

Creators: Greg Daniels and Michael Schur

This is one of those shows that got the time it needed to find its footing, and because they were patient, Parks and Recreation blossomed into one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time.

It was a beacon of optimism, a show that always left you feeling kinda good after every episode.

Amy Poehler's relentlessly positive Leslie Knope was the perfect anchor. The show's ensemble cast is arguably one of the best ever assembled. You rooted for all of them, and it had a great finale as well.

13. Broad City

Creators: Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson

Born from a web series, Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson brought their unique brand of chaotic friendship and millennial struggles to the small screen.

This was a show that felt like it could not be contained. Huge personalities with points of view and clever jokes, bouncing off the screen and delivering quotable dialogue. It was a blast and an unapologetic ode to friendship and navigating young adulthood in a confusing world.

12. The Crown

Creator: Peter Morgan

I had no idea about the Royals or why anyone cared about them until I watched this show. Suddenly, I was thrust into a world that blew my mind and opened up a whole lot of characters that were so real and had such huge stakes. And the crazy part was, every few seasons, the whole cast and time period changed.

The Crown quickly established itself as a prestige powerhouse. Peter Morgan's ambitious series chronicled the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, offering a meticulously researched and beautifully acted glimpse into the lives of the British Royal Family.

11. Atlanta

Creator: Donald Glover

This was live TV viewing in my apartment when it was on TV. It was so funny and had so many big ideas that paid off every week. We followed Earn Marks (Glover) managing his cousin Alfred, an aspiring rapper named "Paper Boi."

The show used that platform to talk about complex societal issues like race, class, fame, and the surreal nature of everyday life in the titular city. It was often funny, sometimes disturbing, and always thought-provoking.

10. Modern Family

Creators: Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan

This started in the 2000s and lasted like 11 years, so it earned its place on this list. It was an absolute ratings and awards juggernaut.

Modern Family defined the family sitcom for the first half of the decade. It capitalized on the mockumentary style, using it to capture the chaotic dynamics of three interconnected families.

It won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series five consecutive times.

9. Veep

Creator: Armando Iannucci

Politics were always treated so seriously until this show completely lampooned the whole idea of them and of the democratic process.

The show starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, a gaffe-prone Vice President (and later President) who had a foul mouth and didn't like to be pushed around. Armando Iannucci's creation was a relentless barrage of profanity-laden insults, desperate power plays, and shockingly accurate portrayals of political dysfunction. It was America encapsulated.

8. The Americans

Creators: Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields

I feel like this show never got enough love. I was an avid fan and spent each week pretty much rooting for the bad guys to spy on our country and to fix their marriage.

We followed two deep-cover KGB spies, Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys), posing as an American couple in suburban Washington D.C.

The show explored the profound personal cost of their dangerous mission and picked apart the American Dream as two people try to fake it.

7. Fargo

Creator: Noah Hawley

The Coens created a perfect movie. Adapting it into a TV show was such a wild idea. And yet, what we got was a show that understood the spirit of the whole endeavor and delivered.

And it was even able to deliver while continuously changing the story and cast season after season. We even got a new "true crime" story each year, all infused with the quirky, dark humor and sudden violence synonymous with the Coens.

6. Fleabag

Creator: Phoebe Waller-Bridge

One day, this felt like it was a one-woman play, and the next day it was like a cultural phenomenon that could not be stopped.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag is a breathtakingly raw and hilarious portrait of a woman grappling with grief and love and her wild family. We were thrown into the chaos and had to catch up and have fun as she broke the 4th wall and spoke to us as well.

5. Succession

Creator: Jesse Armstrong

Though it premiered late in the decade (2018), Succession quickly cemented its place as one of the defining shows taking on capitalism, corporate greed, and backstabbing.

Jesse Armstrong's scathing satire of the ultra-rich and powerful Roy family, owners of a global media conglomerate, is a masterclass in Shakespearean-level familial betrayals.

You were not rooting for them as much as watching like a voyeur as their empire ebbed and flowed, looking for someone to take over and control power.

4. The Leftovers

Creators: Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta

I want to reach this show, but I know if I do, I'll spend weeks just curled up weeping during episodes. And that is an expensive cost.

It's probably the most profound and ambitious show of the decade. And it dared to ask questions only the audience could answer with what they believe, and to then challenge the characters to be bereft, to find hope, to deal with love, and to tear it all apart and build it back up.

It's set three years after 2% of the world's population vanishes, and we follow the ones still here, trying to cope with what that all means.

3. Game of Thrones

Creators: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (based on George R.R. Martin's novels)

No list of the 2010s would be complete without Game of Thrones. It could have been number one, and maybe should be. The cultural impact of this show was seismic, at least as big as The Sopranos left on the early 2000s.

For years, this epic fantasy saga captivated the globe, drawing in audiences with its intricate world-building, shocking twists, and unforgettable characters.

It felt like anyone could die at any moment, and audiences had to tune in on Sunday nights to make sure they didn't get anything spoiled.

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss brought Westeros to life in spectacular fashion, and the groundbreaking scale of this series is undeniable.

2. Breaking Bad

Creator: Vince Gilligan

While Breaking Bad began in 2008, its most iconic and critically acclaimed seasons aired in the 2010s, solidifying its legacy as one of the greatest TV shows of all time.

I talked about it on the 2000s list, but I'll just say that it sort of defined what it meant to have a golden era of television.

Vince Gilligan's meticulously crafted story of Walter White's transformation from mild-mannered chemistry teacher to ruthless drug kingpin was an undeniable force. It's a show that constantly raised the stakes for the people watching and the people who wanted to work in television.

1. Mad Men

Creator: Matthew Weiner

For me, I think this might be a top three TV show of all time. It's so exquisitely crafted and a deep dissection of society. Like Breaking Bad, it started in the late 2000s, but its prime years and powerful conclusion were firmly in the 2010s.

Matthew Weiner's exploration of identity and ambition within the changing American landscape was a slow burn of psychological depth and visual artistry.

Don Draper, Peggy Olson, and the entire Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce crew left an indelible mark on all of us. It was a show that was never loud, but it pitched itself to you like an ad man, luring you into its world and letting it change you inside and out.

Summing It All Up 

These are all recent shows, so it's hard to say they stand the test of time, but they've been very influential and will have a lot of staying power.

These were my favorites of the 2010s, but you have shows you think should be on the list.