The next installment of the Emmy Award-winning CNN original series “Decades” We’ll be back on Sunday with “The 2010s.” And its two-hour premiere covers groundbreaking television from the “Peak TV” era.
Given the sheer number of great series, the CNN Entertainment team has had a challenging job putting together a list of scripted shows that define the decade that best captured the zeitgeist.
Read on for a look back at some of the most influential television. 2010s In order of appearance time of each series:
“The Walking Dead” (AMC) 2010-2022
One of the most influential and successful shows of the decade originated on the Basic Cable Network (AMC) rather than on any station or premium channel, influencing many imitators and numerous spin-offs. launched a zombie drama that gavesure, then Move forward into the next decade With multiple cast changes along the way, the show will probably aptly, some new programs.
“Game of Thrones” (HBO) 2011-2019
HBO’s big swing into fantasy soared throughout the decade, much like Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and her dragons are doing…we know what they did.” Thrones’ is now one of HBO’s greatest show ever, It has inspired a resurgence of content in the fantasy genre and spawned many “thrones”. spin-off seriesBased on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series, the weekly release of episodes has prompted a return to reservation viewing, and the chaotic budget has given viewers a truly cinematic experience visually. It delivered a stunning hour-long episode. “Thrones” still had problems. series finale and that starbucks cup Cameo — and violence While the nudity felt unjustified at times, the ensemble cast—led by Clarke, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams—wowed audiences through eight unforgettable seasons. (Both HBO and CNN are part of Warner Bros. Discovery.)
“Scandal” (ABC) 2012-2018
when “scandal” It debuted on ABC and became the first network drama since the ’70s to feature a black woman in the lead role. Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope in DC Fixer.creator Shonda Rhimes told CNN. to see it all. Because the series appeared on the network’s linear his format on television, the cast was able to interact with ‘Gladiator’ viewers on social media, allowing new episodes to air in real time, enhancing the viewing experience and helping the show The whole topic has expanded. Let’s not forget the glorious seven years we got to see Tony Goldwyn claim his place as the dreamy President Fitzgerald Grant.
“Key & Peele” (Comedy Central) 2012-2015
It only aired for three seasons, but it was starred by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. “Key & Peel” The sketch comedy had a lasting effect in social commentary and satire. “Key & Peele” tackles the polarizing political climate of race, stereotypes and times with thoughtful humor.president Barack Obama even participated in their jokes Keys took the stage at the 2015 White House Correspondents’ Dinner to appear as his popular recurring character, Luther, Obama’s “angry translator.” Like “Broad City” and “Portlandia,” “Key & Peele” began on the Internet and expanded to a linear audience.Both men have found more success in television and film since then, with Peele 2018 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay For “get out”.
“Girls” (HBO) 2012-2017
“Sex and the City” comparisons aside, Lena Dunham’s unapologetic ode to being a twenty-something New Yorker in the 2010s is what most shows hope to achieve in its first two seasons. I did more for body positivity and candid conversations about sexuality and “grown-upness” than for being in. throughout the run. “girlAdam Driver and Allison Williams ran with her hated Marnie in Jordan Peele’s fantastic “Get Out” (see above). As quirky and cranky as “girls” were at times, the show never strayed from its gritty commitment to the often penny-pinching realities of urban millennial life. The best “cruel drunk” out there.
“Orange is the New Black” (Netflix) 2013-2019
Jenji Kohan “Orange is the New Black” It shattered tired stereotypes by taking stories about women of all ages, sizes, races, sexual orientations and mental health conditions, and providing critical commentary on the U.S. justice system.produced a lot breakout starLaverne Cox, Dasha Polanco, Daniel BrooksBased on Piper Kerman’s memoir of the same name, “Orange” was Netflix’s early foray into original content. and one of the first to release an entire season at once, making ‘Binge Up’ the new Black.
“Better Call Saul” (AMC) 2015-2022
as full The withdrawal effect from “Breaking Bad” After the explosive 2013 series finale, series creator Vince Gilligan whet the audience’s appetite with “Better Call Saul.” Filled with cartel action and many familiar characters, the courtroom drama follows the hapless adventures of flawed attorney Jimmy McGill aka Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) and his romantic partner Kim Wexler. (Rhea Seehorn) followed.series bounced between Viewers will learn the past, present, and future of the Breaking Bad timeline while learning how Slippin’ Jimmy evolved into Goodman, the beloved character who first appeared on Breaking Bad. I called. In “Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul,” and his 2019 continuation of his Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) storyline Movie “El Camino” Everything came out in a decade, and the 2010s were dominated by Gilligan’s universe.
“Master of None” (Netflix) 2015-2021
As aspiring actor Dev Shah, Aziz Ansari draws on her background (and her real-life parents who play them in the series) to personalize the immigrant experience and explore the dynamics and life experiences of many families across different cultures. has been shared. “Isn’t it strange, all of us first-generation children, we have these wonderful lives because our parents made these crazy sacrifices. Shouldn’t we find out more. One episode Ansari the developer asks at. “Master of Zero,” He does just that.
“Stranger Things” (Netflix) 2016-
When it comes to ‘peak TV’, few titles can match Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’, which has probably not peaked yet ( Fifth and final season still coming). With homages and nostalgia to her ’80s classics like “Stand By Me” and “Ghostbusters,” “Stranger Things” feels new and fresh at the same time. That same mix is reflected in the impeccable casting featuring Winona her rider in one of her best roles since she hit the scene in 1988’s “Beetlejuice.” . millie bobby brown As an Eleven like Jean Gray, who is still shrouded in mystery. From Season 2’s Max (the excellent Sadie Sink) to his best-ever sister Erica (Priah Ferguson) to last season’s boisterous actor, Hawkins has joined the ranks every season. Eddie (Joseph Quinn)And let’s not forget the great title sequence with its synth-heavy instrumentation.
“Unsafe” (HBO) 2016-2021
Issa Ray He was one of the stars who successfully transitioned from YouTube to the small screen.her hit HBO comedy “anxiety” It’s really as awkward as only someone struggling in adulthood can do. Rae’s character spent seasons searching for romantic love, but eventually found out that it was the love of her friends that kept her going. With Ray’s outspoken wit, “Insecure” is a celebration of black female friendship. She kept it real and the audience responded with dedication and gratitude.
“Killing Eve” (AMC) 2018-2022
Featuring jaw-dropping performances from Sandra Oh and Emmy Award winner Jodie Comer, this immersive series from Phoebe Waller-Bridge (the genius of “Fleabag” (see below)) keeps viewers at every turn. I let you guess the second and third. “Killing Eve” took a well-known spy-thriller trope and turned it on its head with a fresh and terrifying female perspective. The show was also undeniably entertaining, giving Comer and Oh an ever-expanding playground to spar.
“Pose” (FX) 2018-2021
This groundbreaking FX series by Ryan Murphy explores the New York ballroom scene at the height of the AIDS crisis in the ’80s. Beyond glamor and fad and “dozens across the board” “Pause” It’s a show about love, compassion, acceptance, fearlessness, and family. The series helped usher in a new era of transgender actor representation in entertainment: “Pose” shows how the LGBTQ+ community remained resilient in his 1980s and 1990s has been praised for depicting the current political situation.
honorable mention
“Downton Abbey” (PBS) 2010 – 2015: PBS provided further evidence that television success can come from anywhere with highly commercial hits in this form. Addictive upstairs/downstairs dramachronicles the early twentieth-century challenges of an aristocratic family and its army of servants.
“Homeland” (Showtime) 2011 – 2020: and Cinematic scale, international intrigue, high-stakes drama, this edge-of-seat terrorism thriller episode was like a weekly installment in the “Bourne” franchise. Her CIA agent Carrie Mathison, played by Claire Danes, was as powerful and intense as “Homeland” itself.
“Beep” (HBO) 2012 – 2019: No sitcom is more brutal (and According to real politics, to be exact) satirized US lobbying, campaigning, and governance. Julia Louis-Dreyfus was hilarious as Vice President (and Season 3) President Selina Meyer, but she pays tribute to the ultimate bagman, Gary (played brilliantly by Tony Hale) .
“American” (FX) 2013 – 2018: the cold war FX series about spies hiding in plain sight Before the Berlin Wall came down, many series built a reputation for sticking to what they couldn’t do in their finale: landing.
“Jane the Virgin” (The CW) 2014 – 2019: CW drama Striking the right balance of romance, soap drama and comedy, this telenovela-inspired story stars Gina Rodriguez as a young woman who was accidentally inseminated and ends up caught between her boyfriend and her biological father. increase.
“Blackish” (ABC) 2014 – 2022: this series As for the wealthy black family, it made us laugh while unafraid to tackle real issues about race and class.
“The Crown” (Netflix) 2016 – 2023: As Britain’s longest reigning monarch neared the end of reality, late queen elizabethwhich takes viewers back to the early days of the young queen’s accession to dramatize the personal and historical events that shaped her reign, providing plenty of internet fodder for the royalists in the process.
“Fleabag” (Amazon) 2016 – 2019: Phoebe Waller-Bridge has perfected what so many couldn’t before her sharp Amazon prime series — Break the 4th wall with cuts and insightful commentary about the scene at hand. Plus, the show’s back-and-forth between side-split laughter and well-earned tears quickly became a classic.
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