What was the best decade for television?

Submitted by Inovox t3_yhksbi in television

Echoing a previous post here about the golden age of TV, I have to agree that it was definitely the 2000s. If you watch the dramas coming out during that time they were made with a sort of reverence for their audience, that they would watch every episode mindfully, pay attention to detail, and be loyal enough to come back the next week.

They were visual novels. It was serialized storytelling at its finest.

While modern shows might be built for binging (and trust me, binging is my favorite way to watch), ironically I find it easier to binge the older shows, because they were like an entire world you could get lost in.

13-24 episodes a season, too! You could argue that modern series trim the fat, but in retrospect you really need that fat to build the full picture and get to know the story more deeply.

2000s TV was for hardcore TV people. Modern prestige shows are like blockbusters, more expensive and explosive without going nearly as deep.

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HoratioMG t1_iueb9fy wrote

In terms of the sheer number of quality TV shows, it's never been as good as it is now, so I'll say 2012-2022

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draxenato t1_iuhc7pa wrote

Your definition of quality may not be everyone else's

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VOSYS t1_iuel34m wrote

The year you were born + 13 years. Whichever decade that lands in, that one.

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pm_me_reason_to_livx t1_iueanzd wrote

eeeeehh... idk, i respect your opinion but i'd have to go with 2010s here tbh. probably because i've seen more from the decade, but visually and production-wise especially, i'm not too stoked about many popular 2000s series. i never cared too much for the 22-episode format either. plus as someone who values foreign-language productions, i can't think of any from the 2000s besides anime.

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Inovox OP t1_iufagrc wrote

Interesting, could you elaborate? What are your favorite 2010s series, and which major 2000s series have you seen?

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pm_me_reason_to_livx t1_iufc0ay wrote

i have a lot of favourite 2010s shows tbh:

Shameless, Les Revenants, Game of Thrones, Black Mirror, Spartacus, Skam, The Affair, Inside No. 9, Banshee, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, Girls, The Americans, Broad City, You're the Worst, Legion etc.

> which major 2000s series have you seen?

I've seen a lot of them actually:

Lost, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Gossip Girl etc.

I know that a lot of those went over into the next decade (because they were major of course). I'd say my favourite show from the 00s is Skins though. That's the one I'll rewatch every few years. Loved the early seasons of Veronica Mars too. But overall, I don't fuck with 00s television much, especially when it comes to aesthetics, you know.

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Inovox OP t1_iufcp8v wrote

I think the 2000s had better writing and character development, and the 2010s had better cinematography and cinematics. It's a trade off, but for a show, I tend to prefer the former to the latter.

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Skavau t1_iufeg30 wrote

Thing is, in the 00s it was all just American. That is no longer true at all

And there is way more genre diversity now

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Inovox OP t1_iufil4q wrote

UK and Japan were making great shows in the 2000s too. And plus, a lot of genres have died off recently, like pure comedy.

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Skavau t1_iufio32 wrote

The sitcom has died, yes. Japan obviously has always made anime - I meant really in terms of live-action serials.

It was like 90% US, 10% UK in the 90s and 00s.

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pm_me_reason_to_livx t1_iug3z3g wrote

> I think the 2000s had better writing and character development

this is a completely subjective thing.

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Inovox OP t1_iug4a3n wrote

Any opinion on art boils down to "its subjective". The fun is in the discussion/debate.

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Skavau t1_iuevedn wrote

The 10s and probably, by the end, the 20s.

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Latter_Feeling2656 t1_iueo82q wrote

The 60s: Hitchcock, Twilight Zone, rural comedies, Westerns, Perry Mason, Peter Gunn, Dragnet, Star Trek, fantasy comedies, Man from Uncle, Get Smart, Batman, Mister Ed. They'll be around forever.

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anasui1 t1_iuf7p8x wrote

"prestige television" (god, I hate that pretentious ass definition) is hard to beat production wise, so early 2000s to circa today. But the heart seldom follows the head, thus my personal best decade is mid 80s to mid 90s. Stellar sitcoms like Frasier and OFAH, Star Trek DS9, MacGyver, Fresh Prince, Bottom, Edge of Darkness...that is my pick

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GarlVinland4Astrea t1_iuf9w1e wrote

Late 90's and early 00's. You had a lot of groundbreaking shows that pioneered the genre and prestige tv formats but still had a bit of the freedom to experiment that made them creatively unique in a way modern shows don't neccessarily have.

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Nobodycares2022 t1_iuffb0b wrote

Me being an older Redditor, I'm torn between 80's and 90's . I think 90s had more shows I enjoyed, but I think 80's had much longer seasons and networks gave their shows more time before cancelling them. Networks & streaming services especially are too quick to cancel a show if they don't pull in huge numbers in the first 2 weeks after release, especially Netflix. Their reasoning is b.s. Most need more time to gain an audience because most times it gets replaced with something far worse.

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QuintoBlanco t1_iuglwaa wrote

Have you re-watched those shows recently?

I tried to re-watch a few shows from that era and it was rough...

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Nobodycares2022 t1_iugptzn wrote

I've only re watched a few from the 80's like Family Ties, Voyagers , Punky Brewster, Quantum Leap, Full House , Family Matters, The Hogan Family

A few from the 90s like The X- Files , Parker Lewis Can't Lose,That 70s Show, It's Your Move

They all held up well in my opinion.

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QuintoBlanco t1_iugvyyr wrote

My experience was different.

But there are a few shows I will give a chance. I re-watched some Hill Street Blues and that was fun.

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smesch83 t1_iugg5no wrote

I think most queer people who care about representation would say: shows are doing more now and that makes the current decade better. the same goes for disabled people. and while the 90s felt like black shows were gaining traction, I think the 2010s were better than the 2000s.

I like many old shows, but I don't think anyone who cares about marginalized people and characters will pick an earlier era: it's slowly getting better, it still needs to get much better, and the current savings/cuts might be the sign that 2017, 2019 etc. were a high point (that wasn't even that "high").

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wednesdayware t1_iuiobdx wrote

This sub is showing its demographic.

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Inovox OP t1_iuipuib wrote

Not really. I think it's a patronizing idea that you can only love what you grew up with the most, like people don't have a mind of their own.

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wednesdayware t1_iuisj9o wrote

I just meant that the vast majority of comments seem to focus on relatively new shows, implying a younger audience/poster.

I'm sorry you feel that's patronizing, but you're projecting the reason as to why you think that.

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Inovox OP t1_iujjhls wrote

Maybe they're all older people into newer shows. I don't understand why you're assuming demographics on taste in television.

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Skavau t1_iujuy44 wrote

Well yes, does make sense. But there is a huge explosion in original scripted content now compared to the 90s and 00s.

And people are way too young here to broadly choose the 60's, 70's or 80's

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wednesdayware t1_iujxh92 wrote

Tell OP that, they’ve been sneering at that exact thought

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Tampammm t1_iuefo21 wrote

There were two "golden ages" actually. I prefer the first one from the 50s/60s. I don't know why they would give the 2nd one the same name.

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Skavau t1_iuevicm wrote

>13-24 episodes a season, too! You could argue that modern series trim the fat, but in retrospect you really need that fat to build the full picture and get to know the story more deeply.

Most of those shows were procedurals, where the plots were self-contained "monster/criminal/case of the week". They weren't that deep at all in many cases.

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An_Dr01d t1_iufzswc wrote

2000s probably has my top shows of all time, but 2010s+ probably has more good shows.

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homogenic- t1_iug9uao wrote

2010s followed by early 00s.

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Inovox OP t1_iuig6ry wrote

What made the early 2000s better than the late 2000s for you?

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Bright_Beat_5981 t1_iui17t8 wrote

I would say that 2000s was a bit better better than 2010s. Especially around 2005 was insane. How i met your mother season 1, two and a half men season 2, Sopranos season 5, the wire season 4, entourage season 2, Rome season 1, south park season 9, The shield season 4 , family guy. It really had something for everyone.

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Inovox OP t1_iuidnyh wrote

Absolutely! And what about the 2007-2008 season?

Breaking Bad Season 1

The Shield Seasons 6 and 7

Gurren Lagann Season 1

Lost Seasons 3 and 4

Clannad Season 2

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Seasons and 3 and 4

The Office Seasons 3, 4 and 5

Plus classic cartoons running like Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Codename Kids Next Door, Fairly OddParents, The Powerpuff Girls, etc.

And all this is just a sliver of the greatness that the 2000s had to offer. It was truly the best time to be a TV fan.

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