Over 70 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of 14 Wildly Successful '00s TV Shows That Came Out Of Nowhere
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Vote up the 2000s shows that became unexpected phenomenons.
The 2000s were an interesting decade for television, as the last era before the proliferation of streaming services changed the medium forever. The decade produced numerous hit shows that became cultural staples, whether they were sitcoms, dramas, or reality shows.
Indeed, some of the most fascinating examples of 2000s television are those series which were completely unexpected hits, either due to featuring unproven talent, strange concepts, or experimental ideas. For a variety of reasons, these managed to capture the spirit of the times - check out these 2000s TV shows that came out of nowhere and surged to popularity.
Before he appeared in Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston was best known for his comedic role as classic sitcom dad Hal on Malcolm in the Middle. Starting in 2008, however, he began appearing in the role which would change his career trajectory, starring as Walter White, a downtrodden chemistry teacher who begins cooking meth ostensibly to pay for his lung cancer treatments and provide for his family, only to become intoxicated by the power he feels from dominating the drug trade.
Though Breaking Bad seems like an obvious hit in retrospect, it wasn't considered so at the time. Multiple networks including Showtime, TNT, and HBO passed on creator Vince Gilligan's pitch, leaving the relatively new AMC network (which had only recently begun to venture into original programming with Mad Men) as the only buyer. Fortunately for AMC, Cranston gave his all to the performance of Walter White, and he perfectly captured the bitterness, rage, and fury of the White American male, leading to several Emmy wins and nominations. Along with Gilligan's sharp writing and more award-worthy performances from Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, and the rest of the stellar cast, Breaking Bad went from underdog pitch to a masterpiece that's often cited as one of the best TV dramas of all time.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a perfect rags-to-riches Hollywood success story. The creators and stars - Rob McElhenny, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day - were struggling actors without many credits to their names when they created a homemade pilot on a budget of only $100. Their talent and vision was strong enough to sell the show to FX, though it still seemed like an underdog, adding Katlin Olson to the ensemble for a show about four self-centered friends who run a bar in Philadelphia. However, with Season 2, acclaimed actor Danny DeVito joined the cast, and fans started to flock to the absurd, boundary-pushing humor that made fun of the characters' horrible behavior.
Since then, each season has pushed the envelope in terms of taste and acceptability, and each member of the Gang has become increasingly deranged. The unapologetically bizarre tone helps to explain why it has, as of the 15th season, become the longest-running live-action American sitcom.
In some ways, Psych is the very definition of a cult TV series. A blend of comedy, procedural, and drama, it focuses on Shawn Spencer and Burton “Gus” Guster (James Roday Rodriguez and Dulé Hill), a faux psychic detective and his best friend. It proved to be something of a surprise hit for its home network, USA, and it even became, in its own way, key to its brand identity. Network president Chris McCumber said in 2014 that Psych “established a tone of comedy for the network. We like to call it a 'comedy with a dead body every week.'”
The premise of Shawn using his hyper-observational skills to fake being a psychic and assist with detective work didn't seem terribly different from other similar procedurals with quirky investigators. However, the humor and the chemistry between the lead actors struck a chord with fans. The series had an extraordinary run on USA, ultimately lasting eight seasons. It soon became its own small universe, with three films (with at least three more currently in development), and six novels. For a show which faced uncertainty at the very beginning, Pysch has certainly become a true success story.
American television audiences have long been captivated by the spectacle of crime, so it’s no surprise the extent to which the procedural has become one of the staples of network TV. Few procedurals, however, became quite the phenomenon as CSI, which debuted in 2000. Despite steep competition in the procedural genre, including other juggernaut franchises like Law & Order, the newcomer show hit the right balance of human magic - thanks to William Petersen’s Gil Grissom - and dazzling special effects, which helped to illuminate the way forensic science helps solve crimes.
The runaway success of CSI is even more surprising given that the creator, Anthony Zuiker, had hardly any credits to his name when his script was discovered by powerhouse producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who helped the TV show get made at CBS. The collaboration turned out to be a blockbuster, running for 15 seasons and spawning number of spinoffs located in various cities across the US, including New York City and Miami, as well as in cyberspace.
Supernatural emerged on the the WB network in 2005 just before its transformation into the CW. What began as a story about two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) pursuing various monsters soon evolved into a lore-heavy adventure spanning decades. The standard monster-of-the-week format from creator Eric Kripke slowly takes on larger contours, as the two brothers find themselves battling the forces of Hell itself.
The story goes in some even wilder directions after the fifth season (and Kripke's departure), growing in both scope and complexity. This wide-ranging story, plus the popularity of the two lead actors, allowed the show to continue far longer than even other undeniable successes of a similar genre (such as The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer). The show ran for a total of 15 seasons, wrapping up in 2020 after defining nearly two decades of TV. Like so many other popular culture phenomena in the multimedia world, Supernatural has expanded into a number of other media, and in addition to collectibles there are also stories expanded upon in the comic book series.
These days it’s impossible to be on the internet and not be aware of The Office. Even a decade after its final episode aired it remains a part of the zeitgeist, which is a testament to its success as a sitcom. This success and ubiquity is all the more surprising considering its rather lackluster first season, which was both abbreviated (only 6 episodes) and lukewarmly received by critics.
Fortunately, The Office managed to bounce back for a much stronger second season, finding its footing and its own voice distinct from the UK series it was adapted from. Tighter humor as both writers and actors felt the rhythm of the mockumentary format, Steve Carell’s unexpected success as movie star (due to his appearance in The 40-Year-Old Virgin), and the support of network executives all came together to launch The Office into a sitcom that not only had a successful run for itself, but inspired countless other American sitcoms to copy it. Additionally, it launched the career of several now-legendary writers and actors, including John Krasinski, B.J. Novak, and Mindy Kaling.
