Top 20 Shows of the Decade (According to Tarek’s humble opinion)

Post by Tarek J

So, as with my films of the decade, here are according to my not so humble opinion, the best shows of the decade. Since I can only limit it to 20, it’s likely that a lot of your favorites aren’t on here. It’s also important to note that I am nowhere near as well versed in TV as I am in cinema, so maybe I’m not even the right guy for the job. Finally, some of these are still running, and they’ve been amazing so far, but if they ruin themselves near the end (ahem GOT ahem) I might have to publish a retraction. Oh, and before you throw a fit, I haven’t watched Bojack Horseman or Mr. Robot, so they’re not on here due to ignorance note preference. So without further ado, here they are:

20) Chernobyl
19) Watchmen
18) Black Mirror
17) Atlanta
16) Louie
15) High Maintenance
14) The Crown
13) Curb Your Enthusiasm
12) Mindhunter
11) True Detective

10) Girls
There may be certain shows that are more deserving of this slot than Girls, but in writing this article I wanted to keep in mind the shows that weren’t just great but also defined the decade for me, Girls introduced us to the kind of female led storytelling that brought us a new voice in the form of Lena Dunham (let’s keep her annoying public persona out of this), the creator and star of this little gem. Filled with moments both hilarious and heartbreaking, the show wasn’t afraid to explore some darker edges of relationships, and most importantly gave us unpolished insights into the lives of millennial women, warts and all. Ad to that the bragging rights of discovering and launching Adam Driver’s career, and ending the show with some of the most emotionally satisfying final episodes, and you got yourself a winner. Let’s just hope this isn’t a fluke in Dunham’s career, and just the first of many greats.

9) Ramy
With just one season under its belt, Ramy already made its way into TV pantheon status for me. It’s smartly written, wonderfully performed, and most importantly it introduced the world into the life of a modern Muslim trying to make it in a western world without whitewashing or hiding any of our cultural quirks and flaws. The show depicted its characters as real humans, full of all the complexities that came with it, while hilariously pointing out all the extremities we deal with in our families (conspiracy theories, male chauvinism, hypocritical religiousness,etc). The first season of Ramy was an almost perfect 10 episodes of comedy drama and character building, and I can’t wait for season 2.

8) Game of Thrones
A few years back, and this might have landed in the top three. It’s first 4 seasons were utter perfection, and after a slight drop in season 5, it started to gather itself up for an excellent if flawed season 6. Seasons 7 and 8, however were a different story and are the sole reason this show was pushed down so low. Looking back, however, no show defined the decade and collective experience of an international audience as much as Game of Thrones. Marked with the impossible task of creating an adult fantasy genre, risking alienating most of the audience, it ended up being the most successful show in HBO’s amazing history. This all comes down to excellent source material, incredibly deft casting, unprecedented set design and VFX for a show, and creating year after year of heart stopping memorable moments from Ned on the chopping block, the Red Wedding, the Red Viper, and of course The Battle of the Bastards.

7) Stranger Things
The Netflix darling that caught us all by surprise but landed at just the right time to capture (and capitalize on?) the nostalgia zeitgeist. However, unlike many of its imitators and peers, The Duffer Brothers’ love for the cinema of Amblin and Carpenter was genuine and their brilliance in translating it to an engaging and original tale that wears its influences on it sleeve resulted in one of the most entertaining shows around. Launching with a heart stopping first season, followed by a slightly lower tier second season, but ramping it up to their most exciting and entertaining season yet with season 3, Stranger Things is a show for the ages,

6) Fleabag
Introducing us to one of the most original voices in comedy, Fleabag was not the first work by the wonderful Phoebe Wahler Bridge, but it has become her most popular, and to no surprise. Written with equal levels of depth and hilarity, her brand of comedy is one that is unrivaled on TV today. Season 1’s arc was beautifully told, but it was Season 2’s characterization and central relationship between our hero and her priest that elevated the show to its comedic gold status. Dark, demented, heartbreaking, and in some moments transcendental, Fleabag is one of the best examples of modern writing. Oh, and the cast is a wonderful menagerie of talent.

5) Westworld
For lovers of mystery, sci-fi, thrillers, romance, action, and meditations on free will and the nature of mankind, look no further than one of the best shows still running on TV today. Westworld ‘s first season was a brilliant rubick’s cube of storytelling, filled with plot twists and non linear editing, watching it slowly unfold and finally come into place piece by piece near the end was one of the most satisfying experiences of that year. Add to that a career high performance by Sir Anthony Hopkins supported by a cast of veterans on top of their game and you had a surefire hit. While its second season failed to match the perfectly orchestrated filmmaking of the first, it instead had the privilege of featuring an episode called “Kiksuya”, which in my opinion is one of the greatest single episodes of any show, ever. With season three on the horizon, one can only hope that it keep up the pace as this show has the potential to become one of the all time greats .

4) Fargo
The problem with anthologies is that history has taught us that it near impossible to keep the consistency. Thank heavens for this exception of the rule, as watching Fargo is one of the most rewarding experiences you can get these days. With each season being a self contained 10 episode “film” (with an entirely new cast , story, and time period) it’s the kind of show that breaks all expectations . Season One was a perfect blend of dark comedy and thriller with excellent performances from Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton. Season Two upped the ante by being set in the 70’s, and blending a lovers on the run story with a crime epic worthy of Scorsese (and the odd little bit of sci-if) and a heartstopping finale. Then came season Three featuring a perfect double performance by Ewan McGregor playing twin brothers, and a most deliciously evil villain played by David Thewlis resulting in arguably the best season yet. Part homage to the Coen Brothers’ filmography, part original dramatic crime anthology, Fargo deserves every award it has gotten so far and more.

3) Breaking Bad
I’m pretty sure there no need to convince you of why this show belongs in the top ten. In fact, you might be more confused as to why it isn’t on top as the best show of the decade, and the real reason is based on a technicality: half the show’s seasons were in the previous decade. Nevertheless, Walter White’s descent and transformation into Heisenberg, married with Jesse Pinkman’s tragic tale of loss resulted in some of the most gripping drama and suspense in TV history. Special points go towards the introduction of instant classic character Saul Goodman, and perhaps the best villain to grace the silver screen in the form of Gus Fring. Building on such a powerful story, we all feared its eventual finale and whether or not like many shows before it, we would be disappointed. Thankfully, it not only stuck the landing, but performed a slam dunk, hole in one, and every other metaphor you can think of to say that the ending was exactly what we all needed,

2) Rick and Morty
I might get lot of hate for this, because this show has its die hard fans, and its die hard haters. You can guess where I lie on that spectrum, but no show has captured my imagination and had the ability to blow my mind as frequently and as consistently as this. From the haunting opening score credits, to the mind expanding concepts on the multiverse, to the tragic self destruction of its main character, it somehow takes all of that baggage and turns it into the most hilarious show around. With favorites like Inter-dimensional Cable, McDonald’s schezuan sauce, Mr. Meseeks, Planet Rick, and most recently, Snake Jazz, no show has me waiting in more anticiption for the next season than Rick and Morty.

1) Boardwalk Empire
All of the above shows are amazing achievements and feature some of the best work in storytelling today, but in selecting the top spot I tried to focus not only on my personal favorite, or the most popular, but the most comprehensively impressive work. With Boardwalk Empire, we found what I believe was the pinnacle of television filmmaking. Produced by none other than the great Martin Scorsese, Boardwalk was a cinematic achievement in every right. On a technical level, it had incredible art direction, cinematography, editing, costume design, and music. The performances led by the legendary Steve Buscemi were top notch, and the direction always felt like true cinema. But it was the writing and characterizations of this crime epic set in the 1920’s Prohibition era that made it truly standout. Nucky Thompson, Nelson Van Alden, Arnold Rothstein, a young Al Capone, Chalky White (my favorite), and fan favorite Richard Harrow (Whose enigmatic character, disfigured face, growly voice, and sense of morals stole the show), the variety of characters and their dynamic was just a masterclass in filmmaking, Every season was as strong as the other, and with a perfectly executed finale, the work as a whole represents one of the most technically and artistically solid shows in TV history.

And that’s the list. It’s been an amazing decade for series, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. Now, let’s try to keep it civil when you guys tell me how much of an idiot I am for including so and so and forgetting such and such 🙂

Post by Tarek J