TMC
07-18-2023, 01:13 AM
https://screenrant.com/most-influential-tv-shows-2000s/
Defined by anti-heroes, self-aware humor, and boundary-pushing storytelling, the most influential TV shows of the 2000s remain must-watch series.
While the 1990s are synonymous with sitcoms and off-beat, monster-of-the-week dramas, the most influential TV shows of the 2000s had their own defining traits. Looking at the early aughts, there’s a clear paradigm shift in the types of shows and characters people consumed (and DVR’d). While new seasons of ‘90s classics like Seinfeld and The X-Files waned, HBO, AMC, and other cable networks cultivated the last great generation of shows before the streaming era fully took hold.
Instead of wholesome multi-camera sitcoms, comedies tended toward more self-aware and dry humor, delivered by characters who actually seemed to exist outside their weekly escapades. Meanwhile, on the drama front, audiences saw the rise of the anti-hero — not just in the form of Tony Soprano-style mobsters, but in more “everyman” characters who made poor, unlikeable choices, too. Not to mention, other boundary-pushing shows played with genre and story structure in ways that have since shaped the medium.
10
The Office
https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ryan-michael-and-pam-the-office-michael-scott-paper-company.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5
One of the best mockumentary TV comedy series (https://screenrant.com/best-mockumentary-tv-comedy-series-ranked/) of all time, The Office popularized to-the-camera interviews and other fourth wall-breaking elements that dominate sitcoms today. The Office, which was based on the BBC series of the same name, ran for an impressive nine seasons from 2005 to 2013. Alongside shows like 30 Rock, it helped usher in a new golden age of TV comedy and continues to serve as an influence on popular shows of the 2020s, like Abbott Elementary.
Even viewers who've only seen Office memes likely know that the show centered on the employees of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Their Scranton, Pennsylvania-based branch was helmed by the often-incompetent Michael Scott (Steve Carell). With its single-camera setup and refusal to use a laugh track, The Office revolutionized creators' approaches to contemporary comedy series, too. The show proved that live studio audiences and multi-camera setups didn't have to define the future of sitcoms, making it one of the most influential shows of the 2000s.
Defined by anti-heroes, self-aware humor, and boundary-pushing storytelling, the most influential TV shows of the 2000s remain must-watch series.
While the 1990s are synonymous with sitcoms and off-beat, monster-of-the-week dramas, the most influential TV shows of the 2000s had their own defining traits. Looking at the early aughts, there’s a clear paradigm shift in the types of shows and characters people consumed (and DVR’d). While new seasons of ‘90s classics like Seinfeld and The X-Files waned, HBO, AMC, and other cable networks cultivated the last great generation of shows before the streaming era fully took hold.
Instead of wholesome multi-camera sitcoms, comedies tended toward more self-aware and dry humor, delivered by characters who actually seemed to exist outside their weekly escapades. Meanwhile, on the drama front, audiences saw the rise of the anti-hero — not just in the form of Tony Soprano-style mobsters, but in more “everyman” characters who made poor, unlikeable choices, too. Not to mention, other boundary-pushing shows played with genre and story structure in ways that have since shaped the medium.
10
The Office
https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ryan-michael-and-pam-the-office-michael-scott-paper-company.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5
One of the best mockumentary TV comedy series (https://screenrant.com/best-mockumentary-tv-comedy-series-ranked/) of all time, The Office popularized to-the-camera interviews and other fourth wall-breaking elements that dominate sitcoms today. The Office, which was based on the BBC series of the same name, ran for an impressive nine seasons from 2005 to 2013. Alongside shows like 30 Rock, it helped usher in a new golden age of TV comedy and continues to serve as an influence on popular shows of the 2020s, like Abbott Elementary.
Even viewers who've only seen Office memes likely know that the show centered on the employees of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Their Scranton, Pennsylvania-based branch was helmed by the often-incompetent Michael Scott (Steve Carell). With its single-camera setup and refusal to use a laugh track, The Office revolutionized creators' approaches to contemporary comedy series, too. The show proved that live studio audiences and multi-camera setups didn't have to define the future of sitcoms, making it one of the most influential shows of the 2000s.