2000s The Best Television Shows of the 2000s  

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List Rules Only TV series that aired between 2000 and 2009

Some great TV shows came out of the 2000s, while some have even lived on. Here's a list of the best shows that aired from 2000-2009, as ranked by television fanatics and critics. Television has been steadily evolving over the past few decades. What used to be simply an entertaining way to spend a half hour with the family has transformed into an elevated art form. Movies have been usurped by the television medium due to a continued rise in content quality. Starting in the 2000s, when cable networks like HBO and Showtime were introduced, the focus moved to quality in writing, directing, and acting more than ever before. People in the entertainment business who used to focus on movies began to move into television.

In the '00s, there were more quality television shows on the air than ever before. Cable networks introduced shows like Six Feet Under, Dexter, and The Sopranos that revolutionized the way television was made. Other shows, like Lost, Battlestar Galactica, and Supernatural, changed the way people watched television, by including fan involvement and discussion as part of the experience. Comedies like Arrested Development and The Office and reality shows like American Idol also reigned supreme in the television universe.

What are your favorite TV shows from 2000-2009? This list includes the top shows from the 2000s from a variety of genres from sitcoms to science fiction.

list ordered by

1
1,561 815
The Office is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2005-2013 The Office is an American television comedy series that aired on NBC from March 24, 2005 to May 16, 2013. It is an adaptation of the BBC series of the same name. The Office was adapted for ...more

2
1,338 688
Friends is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
JenAnistonFriends added 1994-2004 Friends is an American television sitcom, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which originally aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004. It lasted ten seasons and is now in ...more

3
794 851
House is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2004-2012 House is an American television medical drama that originally ran on the Fox network for eight seasons, from November 16, 2004 to May 21, 2012. The show's main character is Dr. Gregory House, a ...more

4
1,089 614
Breaking Bad is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2008-2013 Breaking Bad is an American drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. The show originally aired on the AMC network for five seasons, from January 20, 2008, to September 29, ...more

5
584 648
The Sopranos is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
1999-2007 The Sopranos is an American drama television series created by David Chase. Revolving around the fictional New Jersey-based Italian-American Tony Soprano, the show portrays the difficulties he ...more

6
642 851
Lost is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2004-2010 Lost is an American television drama series that originally aired on the American Broadcasting Company from September 22, 2004, to May 23, 2010, over six seasons, comprising a total of 121 ...more

7
647 635
Dexter is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2006-2013 Dexter is an American television drama series. Set in Miami, the series centers on Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for Miami Metro Police Department who also leads a secret life ...more

8
650 556
Malcolm in the Middle is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
datrlykewlfreekinguymandood added 2000-2006 Malcolm in the Middle is an American sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000 and ended its six-year run on May 14, ...more

9
902 662
How I Met Your Mother is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2005-2014 How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 19, 2005, to March 31, 2014. The series follows the main character, Ted Mosby, and his group of friends in ...more

10
688 528
Modern Family is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2009-present Modern Family is an American television sitcom that premiered on ABC on September 23, 2009, which follows the lives of Jay Pritchett and his family, all of whom live in suburban Los Angeles. ...more

11
713 549
Family Guy is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
1999-present Family Guy is an American adult animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; ...more

12
708 370
That '70s Show is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
1998 That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that originally aired on Fox from August 23, 1998, to May 18, 2006. The series focused on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in ...more

13
647 497
Scrubs is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2001-2010 Scrubs is an American medical comedy television series created by Bill Lawrence that aired from October 2, 2001 to March 17, 2010 on NBC and later ABC. The series follows the lives of employees ...more

14
718 402
The Simpsons is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
1989 The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by the ...more

15
853 600
The Big Bang Theory is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2007-present The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head ...more

16
326 573
Mad Men is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2007-2015 Mad Men is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on July 19, 2007 on the cable network AMC and is produced by Lionsgate Television. The ...more

17
514 501
Supernatural is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2005-present Supernatural (The CW, 2005) is an American fantasy horror television series created by Eric Kripke. Two brothers, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), follow their father's ...more

18
479 459
Futurama is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
looksharp added 1999 Futurama is an American adult animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the ...more

19
537 454
Law & Order: Special Victims U... is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
1999-present Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural, legal, crime drama television series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced. In the style of the ...more

20
680 435
Parks and Recreation is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2009-present Parks and Recreation is an American television sitcom starring Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a perky, mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created ...more

21
602 480
South Park is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
1997-present South Park (Comedy Central, 1997) is an American adult animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. In the small town of South Park, four boys get caught up in all sorts of bizarre ...more

22
463 463
Arrested Development is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2003-present Arrested Development is an American television sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz, which originally aired on Fox for three seasons from November 2, 2003 to February 10, 2006. A fourth season of ...more

23
452 352
Criminal Minds is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2005-present Criminal Minds is an American police-procedural television program that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based ...more

24
388 391
Everybody Loves Raymond is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
looksharp added 1996 Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom starring Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Doris Roberts, Peter Boyle, Brad Garrett, and Monica Horan. It originally ran on CBS from September ...more

25
400 409
Psych is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2006-2014 Psych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks and broadcast on USA Network with syndication reruns on ION Television. It is produced by Franks and Tagline ...more

26
471 322
Boy Meets World is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
1993 Boy Meets World is an American television sitcom that chronicles the coming of age events and everyday life-lessons of Cornelius "Cory" Matthews. The show follows Cory and his friends ...more

27
274 412
The Wire is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2002-2008 The Wire is an American drama television series set and produced in and around Baltimore, Maryland. Created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon, the series was ...more

28
330 504
Monk is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
looksharp added 2002 Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the eponymous character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to ...more

29
443 404
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
1997-2003 Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American television series which aired from March 10, 1997 until May 20, 2003. The series was created in 1997 by writer-director Joss Whedon under his production ...more

30
349 368
The X-Files is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
looksharp added 1993 The X-Files is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by Chris Carter. The program originally aired from September 10, 1993 to May 19, 2002 on Fox, spanning nine ...more

31
366 377
Sons of Anarchy is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2008-present Sons of Anarchy is an American drama television series created by Kurt Sutter, about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in California's ...more

32
492 374
SpongeBob SquarePants is listed (or ranked) 32 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
1999 SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. The series chronicles the adventures and endeavors of ...more

33
303 416
Frasier is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
looksharp added 1993 Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, premiering on September 16, 1993, and concluding on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David ...more

34
392 373
Gilmore Girls is listed (or ranked) 34 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2000-2007 Gilmore Girls is an American comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on the WB to widespread ...more

35
330 384
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2000-present This show is an American drama television series that premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. It is filmed primarily at ...more

36
247 436
24 is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2001-present 24 is an American television series produced for the Fox network created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, and starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each ...more

37
191 420
Six Feet Under is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2001-2005 Six Feet Under is an American drama television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It premiered on the premium cable network HBO in the United States on June 3, 2001, and ended on August ...more

38
279 320
Chappelle's Show is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
looksharp added 2003 Chappelle's Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedians Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show as well as starring in the majority of its ...more

39
222 378
Chuck is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
WarrenMitchell added 2007-2012 Chuck (NBC, 2007) is an American action-comedy/spy-drama television series created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. When a twenty-something computer geek (Zachary Levi) inadvertently downloads ...more

40
359 242
Rugrats is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
1991 Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers, most prominently ...more

41
403 355
Grey's Anatomy is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2005-present Grey's Anatomy is an American medical soap opera television series that premiered on American Broadcasting Company as a mid-season replacement on March 27, 2005. The series has aired eleven ...more

42
358 254
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
1996 Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is an American sitcom based on the Archie comic book series of the same name. The show premiered on September 27, 1996, on ABC to over 17 million viewers in its ...more

43
359 319
Drake & Josh is listed (or ranked) 43 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2004 Drake and Josh are two guys with different personalities. REALLY different. Going to the same school is about the only thing they have in common. But that's about to change--in a BIG way. See, ...more

44
346 187
Scooby-Doo is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
1969 Scooby-Doo is an American animated cartoon franchise, comprising several animated television series produced from 1969 to the present day. The original series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, was ...more

45
292 264
The Fairly OddParents is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2001 The Fairly OddParents is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. The series revolves around the everyday adventures of Timmy Turner, a boy who is granted ...more

46
289 345
Prison Break is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2005-2009 Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on Fox for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has ...more

47
264 240
The Price Is Right is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
1956 The Price Is Right is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. The show revolves around contestants competing to identify accurate pricing of merchandise to win ...more

48
315 300
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2005 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody is an American sitcom created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. The series was first broadcast on Disney Channel on March 18, 2005, with 4 million viewers, ...more

49
197 367
Fringe is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2008-2013 Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. It premiered on the Fox Broadcasting network on September 9, 2008, and concluded ...more

50
273 345
Firefly is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list The Best Television Shows of the 2000s
2002-2003 Firefly is an American space western science fiction drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as an executive ...more