That was painful.
The second decade of this millennial was flush with tv shows aplenty. No matter what genre of shows you liked, there was bound to be at least one show you liked. This is the era of Peak TV after all. And in all honestly, it may not last long with the rise of streaming and other ways to take you off the TV or computer screen. Thankfully, there was no shortage of outstanding programming to watch. Even extending the list to pick made it excruciating to pick. Some of the shows I didn't pick had some of my favorite seasons of all time. S1 of Daredevil and The Flash was among the best television I've seen from the superhero genre. Same could be said for the first 3 seasons of Community, a show that pushed the limit of what material can be put in a sitcom. Adventure Time and Regular show closed things up and epic fashion, establishing themselves as the premiere cartoons of that decade while Bob's Burgers turned out to be the best thing out of the premature end of King of the Hill becoming the best show of Fox's lineup by far. Not to mention so many shows that were taken away from us too soon. Yet what I am ranking by is quality. How long can a show keep up with its quality and bring joy every week. All of these shows here not only dished out spectacular episodes, they also stayed consistently good throughout their run (with a few hiccups in the beginning for a couple of them).
I also had to claw out some of the worst programming I watched over years, either out of curiosity or out of sheer hate-watching spite. These shows shared a consistency of a different variety: one of utter garbage.
With without further ado, here is my list of the best and worst of the 2010s:
1. The Middle
2009 was lightly one of the greatest rookie seasons of television of all time. Whether they lasted for a single season or for over ten, most of what was brought out that year were winners. While Modern Family is by far the most popular show to have come out that year, there was another show that flew under the radar for far too long. The Middle was basically a simple premise of a lower-class family in flyover county Indiana, yet they have ended up being the most enduring and relatable group of all time. Our protagonist Frankie is the wife who hoped that she and her family will live better lives, she may be a nag, but she truly cared for everyone involved. Mike eschews the current trend of emasculated husband to play the quiet gruff man that evolved from Flynn's time in Scrubs. Axl was the lazy yet charismatic oldest brother. Brick, the youngest, was brilliant yet was saddled with quirks that persisted, went away and then added some more (it's never revealed if he's autistic or not so the jury is out on that). Sue Heck is one of the best characters to have come of this decade and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. A character with the absolute worst luck in a family already deep in that yet never truly lost her optimistic spirit. Coupled with a wonderful supporting cast that ranged from friends to co-workers and family and you have possibly the most organic ecosystem of cast members of that decade. Each and every character could carry an episode even by themselves and did so consistently throughout the show's 9 season run. Even more miraculously, the characters showed evidence of change. While most other sitcoms depended on flanderizing their characters to squeeze out laughs, the Hecks grew. Frankie gained more faith in her family, Axl learned to like her sister and even let her join in on parties. Sue learned to defend herself and argue in her favor. Even Mike grew a heart... slightly. It's extremely rare to find a show that maintained its quality for as long as it did
and stick the landing, and yet The Middle made it look easy. And all it got for it was a Critic's Choice Award for Eden Sher. And yet ABC (the idiots that they are) didn't go through with the spinoff. Hell, I wish they gave the show a couple more seasons so that Sue could finally have a day to celebrate her birthday (it's February 29th. Yeah). Lord knows Modern Family should have ended sooner. Still, I will be forever happy watching the story of the greatest family never known.
2. Person of Interest
When it came out in 2011, I dismissed it as yet another long list of cop procedurals that CBS has been churning out in the past two and a half decades. It wasn't until AV Club kept dishing out As after As on it's final season that I decided to check it out. Even without the context I was blown the hell out at what I saw. And all by ending it with possibly
the best finale of all time. It wasn't until 6 years later that I was able to watch the show in its entirety. And it was still a great ride. You know how certain shows only manage to get better with each episode? Person of Interest takes that concept and runs with enough power to run a city. Even the maligned first season is much better than most programming at the time. It basically started with a programming genius Harold Finch recruiting the help of a former agent John Reese to help him fight crime with a super computer named The Machine. The show is help immensely with even the initial cast from Reese's cool and sophisticated demeanor not usually seen in these kind of shows to Finch's witty remarks. The show grew on itself with supporting members such as detective Joss Carter and corrupt cop Lionel Fusco, who turn out to be the heart of the crew. And then the show went crazy with the concept, from enigmatic crime bosses and the possibility of sentient AI to secret government agencies to even rival AIs. All while growing their stellar cast members to include Sameen Shaw, a government agent gone rouge. And then we have Root, another contender for one of the best characters of that decade. Her alignment shifts throughout the show and yet she only become even more amazing as a character as she show progresses. All while it was also blessed with some of the best music produced for the small screen. It's a decidedly old-man group as most main characters are over 40, but it helps that the actors are all experienced enough to work the script. And yet for how high-brow the show is, it wasn't afraid to give us a few laughs. For ever philosophical question thrown at us, there's one where Harold gets high on drugs. It was the perfect blend. It may have been the reason it has been shunned out of any awards. Yet while other highly regard shows stumble in their endings, PoI fans can be satisfied with a wild ride with the perfect ending.
3. The Carmichael Show
A pilot may well be the most important aspect of a show. It sets the tone of how a show is seen in the eyes of those interested in following it. With that said, they usually aren't the best the show has to offer. The Carmichael Show said screw that we will give you the biggest barrel of laughs you've ever had. That was without a doubt the best pilot I have ever seen in a show. While most shows on this list either have their best years at the beginning or end of their careers, The Carmichael Show had you at the edge of your seat from beginning to end. All of this while mainly focusing on events and topics that occured throughout its run. From Bill Cosby to gun shootings, drug use to the n-word. And yes even Agent Orange himself. It helps that the cast of characters were quirky enough to keep you guessing as to where they land. Jerrod is the laid back protagonist who is content with living his life and not rocking the boat (which given what happened the past four years... yeah not the best look). His girlfriend is more progressive and seeks to change her world for the better. Combine that with Jerrod's parents and his brother and you have a group that showed that not even black people are a monolith. It was tragically the victim of a botched trade between NBC and Fox. Tired of the increasingly restrictive nature of the network, he decided to end it right there. We can only hang our heads in sadness at a legendary sitcom cut short in its prime. If only it got more time to shine.
4. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
The CW went on a revamp over this decade. With most of its veteran shows on its last gasp, they went all in on focusing on younger audiences. While the DC Universe were the main draw, they also experimented in the comedy-drama section, bringing back hour long shows that haven't been in use for a while. And we are forever grateful for it. There is no way any other medium would have let this show run its full course let alone give it a single season. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend takes the classic tale of a woman trying to reconnect with an old flame and turning it on its head. Rebecca Bloom created and starred in a character with mental issues that tries to reconnect with a small city and makes all sorts of friends and mistakes along the way. And we still love her for it. She's also backed with an amazing cast of supporting characters that came and went throughout the series (including a recasting that somehow worked out for them). Oh and did I mention this was also a musical? Adam Schlesinger (RIP) did a spectacular job with the songs building an incredible soundtrack. The short-lived Galavant would be proud. It also introduced concepts and facts that were absent in most other genres, making it a learning experience for everyone involved. Whether you have someone for Rebecca to root for or just love the other characters, there is plenty of reasons to enjoy the show. And we have the CW to thank for keeping it alive despite the ridiculously low ratings.
5. Gravity Falls
After the animation segment of the big three was left for dead (despite an effort from Chowder), the genre was beset with a new renaissance of amazing cartoons that will stand the test of time for decades to come. Among them was this gem which is one of the greatest examples of serialized and planned storytelling. Gravity Falls proved to be the best at dishing out an incredible array of characters who developed over time. You have such choices as the sleuthing Dipper, the optimistic Mabel and the apologetically greedy Uncle Stan (secretly the best character in the show. Due to the limited number of episodes, they managed to make the most of what they had. The big episodes hit like a prick from all sorts of crazy monsters to shifts in relationships. Even the filler episodes were enjoyable. I thought the second episode was one of the funniest I've watched that decade despite being the least consequential one and set the tone as to what was in store. All while laying out a mystery that not only let kids and adults go all in on it, but rewarded them for their efforts (take notes LOST). All while finishing with an epic finale for the ages. Well done Alex Hirsch, and may The Owl House end up just as great.
6. One Day at a Time
Just when you thought that the laugh track comedy was dead, shows like How I Met Your Mother and The Carmichael show showed they they can just as relevent and innovating as their modern counterparts. But they're not the only ones. The brainchild of one of the greatest sitcoms of all time that was All in the Family decided to take a new spin of an old show. It could have easily led to disaster. And yet there were just enough tweeks to not only create a show that stood on its own, but one that would surpass its competition. This version featured a Cuban family starring a war veteran striving to become a nurse and raising her kids as well as her flamboyant mother. The show managed to provide belly-aching laughter and debilitating pain within the same episode day in and day out and was also not afraid to showcase the family's emotions in interesting ways. At also served as a way to show issues within the Latino community. Not to mention having one of the best LGBT romances of all time. It tried to escape death by going into a new network, but it lost a bit of its magic along the way. Thankfully, its best moments were in this moment of time and it can bask in its moment as one of the best sitcoms of all time.
7. The Good Place
The twist is a concept used to draw people into shows by shattering expectations and setting the plot in situations that wasn't thought possible. These days, not only is it hard to keep secrets in the digital age, but it's also difficult for said twist to pay off (a lot of shows in the fails of the year will fall in that category). You don't usually see this in sitcoms as they are more focused on delivering laughs. Yet this show managed to swerve you in the first 7 minutes of the show. This entire show was a massive risk.It extensively uses special effects rarely ever used in a sitcom. It delves deeply into philosophy and the aspect of the afterlife. Kristen Bell and Ted Danson are the only well knowns in this film. The others' experience ranged from a BBC presenter to PBS actor. And yet they ended up being one of the greatest core of characters of the decade. It's amazing how everyone stepped up for this show. D'arcy Arden was merely an improv actor and yet she became one of my favorite actresses. All of which makes for an incredible viewing experience. Seriously, if you are going to watch this show, go in without any knowledge of what you're getting yourself into. You'll enjoy it all the more for it.
8. Happy Endings
Happy Endings continues a trend of sitcoms to focus on friends instead of family that was popularized in Cheers and continues to this day with the likes of New Girl. Yet there was no other sitcom that managed to ooze charisma between its protagonists. It fully capitalized the rapid fire jokes that currently dominate the network. And all of this is tied by two people who decided not to marry. This is the kind of show that fully relies on the main cast more than most on this list. But this show proves that sometimes that is all you need to produce a great show. Sadly, this show was a victim of ABC's stringent ratings machine and ended after 3 short seasons. Well, the gang returned for a pandemic one-shot last year and showed that they were as incredible as ever together.
9. Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23
Odd couples are one of the easiest ways to create tension between characters in your show. Whether the two are married or they're just two people living in an apartment together it can work well under the write conditions. There was even a remake of The Odd Couple last decade (which... you're probably better off not checking it out). It also didn't help that another show perfected the concept a couple years earlier. Country girl June moves in to the Big Apple and finds out the only one with an affordable rate is party girl Chloe (who Marvel fans may recognize as Kristen Ritter before she took up the role as a private eye. Yes it's a near personality swap from this character). Together, they learn on each other's strengths and learn to be better people together as they deliver a bountiful of laughs. All of this is the brainchild of debuting executive producer Nahnatchka Khan It's always nice to see new artists show off their directing chops and pulling it off well. Also, who can hate that A-plus title? Oh and if that isn't enticing enough, there's James Van Der Beek as himself! And he gets to be on Dancing in the Stars in one episode. This decade had no shortage of apartment style comedies, but this show was an utter treat to watch and should have had twice as many seasons dammit! It at least managed to pave the way to the creation of Kimmy Schmidt, another show placing a country girl in the big city.
10. Trial and Error
It's safe to say that NBC had a great run of comedies that decade. The Office and 30 Rock were at their peak while plenty of new shows came and went to coincide with those two legends (I have another on the list coming up). This one sadly won't have the staying power of the other greats that were made, but it deserves all the credit for an incredible ride. Both seasons involve two different mysteries with a big city lawyer attempting to solve the case with the help of some quirky citizens that would make Pawnee look sane. Yet it made for some insane twists and turns throughout both their runs. The first season was so good was teary-eyed when I found out that half the cast was leaving for greener pastures... only to jump for joy for Kristen Chenoweth. And she sings too. Given time, it could have been put along the great all-time comedies. That did not happen, but you will always be in my heart. Hail to the Murder Board.
11. Steven Universe
Out of all of the shows from Cartoon Network that came out that decade, I don't think anyone would have thought that Steven Universe would go in the direction that it went. When it first came out, it just felt like a sort of slice of life show that wasn't as funny as Regular Show or as intriguing of a world as Adventure Time. People didn't think much of the show... until The Return. After that, it was nothing but amazing secrets after amazing secrets. And by some miracle, it managed to beat both shows on both accounts. While Adventure Time became a bit frustrating with its worldbuilding and Regular Show made Mordecai borderline unlikable, Steven Universe managed to maintain its identity and give us a bunch of characters both crystals and humans that became enduring characters. It even managed to redeem the cynical Lars of all people (sadly Ronaldo is still the worst. And Pearl had her dark times as well). Even the filler episodes provided an entertaining look at the various characters.
12. Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated
Scooby-Doo... is a weird franchise. It hasn't changed that much in most of its incarnations, but they all tend to have their own set of fans. A Pup Named Scooby Doo and What's New Scooby Doo? are both fairly liked (jury's still out in Shaggy and Scooby Doo Get A Clue. It's a guilty pleasure though I know not everyone liked it). Yet no show changed the game in such a fundamental level as this one. Sure the gang still solves mysteries and exposes goons in disguises, but it also unveiled concepts that were outright foreign to the series. Plot arcs. Character developments. Recurring villains. A freaking previously on... segment. Hell, it gave us a Shaggy/Velma romance and
made it work. All while providing cases that were interesting to see unfold as well as new characters to fall in love with. And it became the ultimate love letter to the long-running franchise referencing all sorts of past shows and movies. If only the series that came after that was as good...
13. Black Lightning
One of the greatest joys I have had over that decade has been with the CW. Besides Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, the channel decided to create his own version of the DC Universe, starting with Arrow. All of these shows have had varying degrees of success. Some of them have been a blast such as Seasons 2 and 5 of Arrow, Season 1 of Flash, Season 4 of Supergirl and most of the Legends of Tomorrow. But if there is one show that has managed to be consistently good throughout its run, it's Back Lightning. It may have to do with the fact that it is made up of a completely different team from the one in Vancouver. The show also depicts a rather unusual premise. A dad figure coming out of retirement to save its city from an old foe, with his daughters developing powers along the way. The way the show has managed to avoid the pitfalls of its counterparts is to keep the characters grounded. Not only do their everyday lives feel real and relevant, but it treats them like the experienced people they should be. There's a reason people think Tobias would run circles around most of the characters in the other shows. Not only is he entertaining, he is constantly keeping the heroes on their toes as a recurring villain. And yet there are also a large and interesting range of allies and enemies recurring and one-shot throughout the series. Sadly, it will all come to an end later this year, but I would say it would be better off to keep the spark bright than to let it fade into irrelevance.
14. Wander Over Yonder
Flying under the radar of the much more popular Gravity Falls was another show under the legend himself, Craig McCracken. It's a simple story of a pair of two friends on opposite sides of the Good/Evil alignment chart as they try and thwart each other and have adventures of their own along the way. it's a return to basics in the first season as it is standalone episodes galore, but the second season amps up the stakes with a new threat in town. All in all, it's a blast to watch. But what really sets it apart is the animation. At a time where people lament at the lack of innovation from the mainline shows, McCracken dishes out the smoothest display of animation today. It's a similar achievement matched by Jackie Chan Adventuress and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, his last work. You'd have to wait until Primal to see animation this good... or go watch some anime. If you love art, just watch it to see how the characters move. It has a damn good story as well at the end. Sucks that it ended too soon though.
15. Parks and Recreation
Hot off the tails of The Office and 30 Rock, NBC brought in a few more shows to bolster their ranks. Community hit the ground running with a hot start. This show? Not so much. It was deemed too similar to its predecessors while not being anywhere near as funny as them. Not to mention Mark Brendanawicz. Ugh. Yet Michael Schur took the initial criticisms to heart and turned this around for the show. He added a couple new characters that would become mainstays for the rest of the show. By the time season 3 came around, it was seen as the hottest sitcom in one juggernaut of an NBC lineup. What made the change? Well, with a much better script, the cast of characters grew out into endearing characters, from the determinator Leslie Knope and staunch libertarian Ron Swanson to the monotonic April Lovegate. Yes, even Gary/Larry/Jerry. Not to mention the town itself evolved to such a memorable cast of supporting characters with everyone member of the audience becoming fans of at least one of them. This may not always go as planned for their department, but you can be damn sure they won't stop trying. And bring in the laughs along the way.
16. Impulse
When I first heard of the show, I made a pass on it. The film Jumper that was based on the show soured my perception on how it would turn out. It looked like the protagonist would be just as bad as her dad was in the film. So it was to my surprise that the show had such great reviews. Eventually, I found the time to watch it and it exceeded my expectations. It's an astonishingly slow burn and not everyone may have the patience to see it through, but the ride is a pleasant one by some new and underappreciated acting talent (including some from the guilty pleasure Rookie Blue). Even when the characters are at their worst, you can at least sympathize with what they are going though. And the few examples of special effects that do have are done fairly well. For book fans, it's a more faithful adaptation in terms of messaging (it still goes off kilter from the book series, but in a good way this time around). Unfortunately, this one ends on a cliffhanger so the slow burn was for nothing, but it was still a great run while it lasted.
17. GLOW
You can never know what can become a hit when it comes to Netflix. With how many shows it dishes out in all sorts of genres, a lot of shows can fly under the streaming site's radar. This is probably the biggest example of this. The series itself was an odd one. A fictionalized remake of an 80s all-female wrestling federation. The biggest name there was Alison Brie and she was best known for Community. The only actual wrestler on the female side was an aging Awesome Kong. As enticing as the premise is, there was a lot that could have gone wrong in this regard. Thankfully, Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch put those doubts to rest producing a quality look not just into the indie networking business but also a look back into that time period when those kind of shows were beginning to stale. You could find a fan in any of the women in the ring even if they don't have that much screen time. The realism was helped by training the actresses into doing the moves themselves. Yet much of the action happened outside the ring in the form of backstage drama, romance, a search for self-identity and the rough reality for women in the 80s. All while getting a good laugh out of the cast. It was clear that Netflix didn't think much of the show and was close to cancelling it on many occasions, finally doing so in the backdrop of a pandemic. Cheers to hoping that the show will have some sort of closure.
18. Amazing World of Gumball
Sure, modern animation has a similar look with the major shows in this decade, but that didn't mean that producers couldn't do anything innovating with it. Case in point? Debuting executive producer Ben Bocquelet found a way to combine all sort of rejected characters from all sorts of backgrounds and animation and combine them into a single show. Most of the characters use traditional animation, but you can see all sorts of people from CGI to puppetry to even an upside-down face. No one feels out of place in this show, even real life people. The show started off with simple hijinks, but it it ended up being one of the best mediums in depicting current events as well as it's many faithful parodies of other genres such as RPGs and D&D. It's one of the few shows that ended at its strongest point, with the creator deciding to end things while the going was good. It's a respectable position and the show continues to have strong support. It has even gained a movie with the hopes of wrapping up its cliffhanger. Let's hope that the last look of Elmore will be a memorable one.
19. Selfie
Okay, there was plenty of reason to be skeptical of this show. Everyone was trying their best to bash millennials into oblivion for daring to not live up to their boomer parents. The premise was basically a modern take of My Fair Lady. When the pilot was leaked, it was received so poorly that it made headlines. And yet this crazy show ended up being one of the most endearing adventures of the sitcom era featuring two highly underrated actors. Karen Gillan and Jon Cho worked wonderfully as the odd couple as they decided to team up with each other and eventually fall in love. Sadly, the bad press from the first episode did the series in and it didn't even get a full season.
20. Jane The Virgin
Love triangles are one of the oldest concepts of fiction. That may be so, but it takes intricate planning to create one where either option seems viable for the audience. And I can't think of any other that succeeded in this than Jane the Virgin. That is mostly in part because it does a great job in not having it be the main focus. The show provided us with a great range of characters from family to rivals and even an international criminal mastermind. Season 1 was an amazing ride of never-ending twists that kept you at the edge of your seat. One could say that it was straight out of a telenovela, right? Speaking of which, the narrator deserves props as well for keeping the show fresh and unique. Whatever person you were rooting for, it was great to have a show that also made you fine with rooting with team Jane.
1. Work It
ABC may have been killing it in the sitcom department in the first half of the decade, but they still had clunkers. And yet none of them even come close in comparison to this unholy mess of a show. At a time when drag queens were beginning to gain prominence in pop culture, the executives thought it was a great idea to get a couple of dudes and treat them as the laughing stocks that they've been in the mainstream for decades. Every sort of low-brow joke you could think of were used in just the first few episodes. And yet this show managed to go beyond the typical homophobic jokes. From blaming women for the current recession (a 'mancesion' as one of the protagonists explained) to the women checking all the ditzy boxes showing they are incapable of spotting the two dudes to a Puerto Rican supporting character saying he's good at selling drugs because his people are known for it. Yes, this show manages to be transphobic, homophobic, misogynistic
and racist all in the fucking pilot. It was so bad that the show was pulled off the air after 3 episodes. I can't help but wonder if its cancellation was one of the reasons Trump ran for president. And if the show aired few seasons later, I'm certain some of the right wing chuds would be clamering for its revival. No, the only thing this show should be remembered is being the absolute worst show in the decade.
2. Brickleberry
Despite the existence of Bob's Burgers, it was Family Guy who dominated the Animation Domination ratings for much of the decade (until The Simpsons took it back). As such, executives were hungry to hop on their success. This is somehow the most successful and more horrendous example of these knockoffs. Brickleberry somehow managed to get 3 seasons under its belt while getting away with whatever gross-out humor it can throw it a dart board. From obvious lesbian and black stereotypes to... a whole lot of sex. And with none of the grace of fellow Comedy Central show South Park or even Family Guy (which probably would be in the running, but I left that show a long time ago). The animation
wishes it could match Family Guy even at its best times. It was a dark time of hate watching and I wish I don't ever come across a show like this again.
3. The Powerpuff Girls (2016)
Look, it was inevitable for networks to go back into the past to create new content. That has been happening since the dawn of fiction. There has also been plenty of failures over the years. Hell in this show, Teen Titans Go! Was one of the most hated shows on the network (that has died down by now thanks to a fanbase of its own and a well received movie and crossover).
This on the other hand has no redeeming qualities outside of a decent intro. This was a show that fell victim to following modern trends for the sake of trying to look relevant. Yeah this show would have been rough to recreate given how much of its violence would have had to be toned down. But who in the name of Walt Disney thought that having little girls twerk with a We Bare Bears wannabe thought would suffice? I've avoided most of the worst remakes that came out this decade, but curiosity got the better of me for this one. This should be a cautionary tale for those who think they can get away with remakes with no care to see what made the original special.
4. Inhumans
Okay, I will say this: this show had a lot going against it. This was made at the height of Ike Perlmutter's attempts of erasing mutants and replacing them with Inhumans. This was originally a movie but was was slapped together as a tv show instead. It starred Scott freaking Buck, the mastermind behind the disastrous Iron Fist series. It would have taken a miracle for this series to have been Anson Mount ended up being the biggest miscast in the history of the MCU. A character nearly entirely dependent of facial expressions to convey their thoughts was acted by a guy that looked constipated in half his appearances. Yet it can't entirely be blamed on the actors. The show managed to flounder Serinda Swan's performance as Medusa after becoming a fan favorite as Zatanna in Smallville. passable never mind a series that could match Agents of SHIELD or Agent Carter. Yet I don't think anyone was ready for the disaster that stood before us. Inhumans were not only nerfed in abilities, but also in special effects and intelligence. It really says something when there were far too many gifs that could have showcased its infamy. From Gorgon nearly drowning to Medusa's laughable hair effects to Black Bolt not only hilariously killing his parents with a shout, but also that infamous scene in the trailer where it looked like her burped a pickup truck away. This did have one benefit. It buried Scott Buck's reputation as a credible showrunner and placed the TV section in more capable hands. And if we get more shows like WandaVision, we can be thankful that this show paved the way for its creation.
5. We Are Men
CBS had little luck in replicating the success found their other sitcoms such as Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother (more on how that last one went later). The closet thing I can think of to being good shows from there were Mom and the short-lived McCarthys. The rest ranged from mediocre to... this program. Yes the mancession craze was rearing its ugly head around the broadcasting world, and this was no different. Not much else to say besides this show was a show about a MAN doing MANLY THINGS with his long-lost bros. It was just completely void of any sort of humor or interesting plots. And this was the show that got paired with the infinitely better Mom. Can I also say that it had one of the laziest titles I've seen? Until CBS decided to make it a habit in the back half of the decade. It only did
slightly better than Work It as this show managed to have one more episode before being tossed into the dustbin of failure.
6. How I Met Your Mother
This show right here? This hurts. After 9 seasons of ups and downs, one of the biggest sitcoms of the decade comes to an end in such a devastatingly bad fashion. Fans watched in horror as everything built up for the season came undone in the final episode. The audience was given so many gut punches to their psyche and intelligence that nearly everyone revolved as a result. Look, I'm one of those freaks that could see a justification for what happened so far. Sure you can tell me that Barney and Robin don't work out (it's clear that children was going to be a dealbreaker due to Barney's love of them and Robin's adversion to them). You could say that Barney sees the light in raising a daughter. You could say that the group drifts apart over the years. Hell, you can even sell me that the mother dies (that's actually speculated as to why Ted's telling his kids about her). But if you're telling me that after all these seasons explaining driving Ted/Robin to the ground and how detrimental doing this behind everyone's back will be, Ted goes ahead and does it anyways? Congratulations, you made Ted Mosley one of the worst sitcom protagonists of all time. Doubly damning that against all odds, the mother was actually a delight to watch and meshed well with him. Yet he and the kids were willing to toss that aside at the drop at a hat. I know you had this taped in long before the actors would be grown by now, but you had to have known this was a bad idea. And this sort of failure doesn't extend to just the finale. The show changed from being one of the best sitcoms of all time with its first for seasons to being an absolute drek to watch. And coincidentally, the maligned 5th season happened right at the turn of the decade, starting with a premiere that had a massive drop of quality not seen until season 4 of Community. Very few episodes could match the quality that came before it. The mother mystery took a back seat to Ted turning from a hopeless romantic to an idiotic geek. Barney got his personality reset twice and Robin was dialed up to full on tomboy. Marshall and Lily mainly escaped this, but god were some of those episodes rough. None of the flings these characters had were interesting and some break ups went out in the most absurd ways. One of Robin's boyfriends, and I kid you not, starting acting like a dog out of nowhere. And the crazy thing was... it looked like things would turn around in the final season. The mother was great and it was nice seeing the gang together one last time. Ted let go of Robin in the most overly dramatic fashion but it finally happened (until the finale). Only to pull that shit of a finale, one so bad that the producers rushed an alternate ending. This is a prime reason why sticking to an ending all the way through can backfire as much as creating twists on the fly.
7. Early Cancellations
Look, complaining about the cancellation of shows is such a third world problem and it's been happening ever since television existed. But this time around it may be coming to the point that it's hurting the television market in general. Networks have been so dependent on advertising, they're willing to toss any show that won't rack up the key 18-49 demo. Sure, they won't yank shows off the air before the season's finished, but this is a diminishing comfort. Think about it. From a producer's perspective, why would anyone try and bring out a great product when it comes at the risk of cancellation anyways? They would either go with the tried and true method of boring content the olds will like or fuck off to some streaming site crazy enough to take them. Viewers will no longer have much of an incentive to keep watching so they will just watch what's on social media and wait for the season to come out to binge. People have short attention spans these days and I don't think this is entirely the fault of this, but this will surely hurt their prospects in the long run. The CW seems to be the only network that gets it, letting their shows run through their natural lifespan or until the actors and producers had enough. That way, young people will stick around to watch their shows on Netflix. So driven by keeping their ratings live, the broadcasting landscape is now a barren landscape with barely anything of interest left. Most of the highly rewarded shows are now in cable while the only good stuff are aging shows leaving them to the mercy of those producers to keep them alive no matter how shitty it becomes. Unfortunately, even the streaming shows have started to become as ruthless as their TV counterparts, especially in the past few years. If this keeps up, we may only have limited series to look up to.
8. 2018 pilot season
Yes, I'm still bitter about Single Parents. No, I don't care if it improved from its first season. Let's put it from this perspective. Out of all the shows that came out in that pilot season, can you think of
any of them that stood out and became hits? The Rookie? Nathan Fillion's carrying the show and it has its backstage problems. FBI? Okay, if you're into the endless amount of police procedurals.The Masked Singer? Okay, yeah that's a hit, but if you're into scripted shows you're out of luck. All American is becoming a staple for the CW as well, but I don't see anything on that season winning any awards. Much of it was because the networks wanted to chase that Roseanne money and it ended up blowing up in their faces when the star of the show proved to be what everyone thought she was. The networks may try to right the ship, but I fear it may be too late by now. Their veteran shows continue to falter as they fail to produce anything that can replace them. Even the CW may be in the hole pretty soon with their superhero shows going past their expiration date. Not to mention diversity has been taking a decline as well with few new shows filling that gap. And the pandemic appeared at the worst possible time for them. It will take a heavy reevaluation as to why that pilot season failed for the next decade to be any better than the last one.
9. MAD
This one's personal. Satire is difficult to come by these days. Even the best shows in the business have been struggling to keep up with the increasingly crazy world we live in right now. There is also a good case for doing the same for fictional characters and the people who made them. I've dreamed of a show where characters from different genres interact with each other, make fun of each other yet overall create a show that is greater than the sum of them all. This ain't it. The show is plagued with self-depreciation of not only nearly every character they spoof, but even the show itself. It doesn't even do research on many of the shows they spoof (I dare you to tell any How I Met Your Mother fan that Marshall is nothing but a brainless caveman). Spy vs Spy was the only decent thing out of the program and the Nintendo/Top Model skit was the only decent one out there. Robot Chicken may have their issues, but at least they got a good number of skits under their belt. I can't see anyone looking back fondly at this show.
10. WWE
Look, quality wise, there was a lot of good that did manage to happen during that time. NXT became one of their most treasured franchises during the decade, starting with the creation of Nexus. CM Punk dished out an incredible promo to start the Summer of Punk. Shawn Michaels had a wonderful sendoff match with The Undertaker. Daniel Bryan became one of the most beloved superstars of all time out of sheer force of will from the fans. The women's division tore off the Divas moniker with the Four Horsewomen. Even the tag teams had some highlights with The Usos and New Day. The problem here is that with all the good that the franchise has created, it is offset by some truly awful decisions. Vince tried to replace Cena with Roman Reigns, a guy to found a way to be even more divisive than Cena.The tag team division slowly rotted to irrelevance from both the men and women sides. The company forgot how to create a credible babyface that the fans could get behind and the ones that did came about by sheer accident. Even many of the positives have been marred in some way. Bayley was nearly ruined. DB got injured and had his career sidelined for years. The Summer of Punk failed to be anything as incredible as his stint in Ring of Honor. The Nexus was buried by Super Cena. Even NXT has become a problem as they can't seem to find a way to bring that same level of quality out of their superstars in the main roster. The amount of talent employed there only to be wasted for years on end is staggering. And the less said about Vince's moves outside the ring the better. With other promotions sensing blood in the water, the next year will be critical for the future of pro wrestling and whether WWE can maintain their stranglehold on the business. If the product stays at its current state, said stranglehold may not last long.
