Time to binge! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the standout television series from the past ten years — so they must begin between 2014 and 2023.
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00:00 I'm Theodore Perkins. Please, call me Diddy.
00:06 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the standout television series from the past 10 years.
00:11 So, they must begin between 2014 and 2023.
00:15 For consistency, we're only looking at live-action shows.
00:18 What am I gonna do with a soul anyways?
00:21 Number 20, The Last of Us.
00:25 And there are no treatments for this, no preventatives, no cures.
00:29 They don't exist, it's not even possible to make them.
00:32 So if that happens...
00:35 We lose.
00:38 If the 2020s are a turning point for actually successful video game adaptations,
00:42 HBO's The Last of Us is a major part of the shift.
00:45 Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey team up as Joel and Ellie, survivors of a zombie apocalypse.
00:51 The two must navigate the nightmarish infected and the equally monstrous living.
00:55 What sounds like another take on The Walking Dead actually raises the bar for high-concept drama.
01:00 Each episode is packed with inventive plotting, suspense, and shocking character moments.
01:05 Making it even better is the input from the creators of the renowned source material.
01:09 Beyond aesthetic faithfulness, the adaptation of The Last of Us commands its own fanbase as one of the decade's biggest surprises on TV.
01:16 It ends this way for everyone sooner or later, right?
01:19 Some of us just get there faster than others.
01:24 #19. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
01:27 A promising young lawyer relocates to California for empowering opportunities, or so she keeps telling herself.
01:41 Rebecca Bunch is actually still hung up on her summer camp sweetheart Josh Chan.
01:45 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend serves as a twist on its titular sexist archetype by blending satire, romance, comedy, and a variety of musical numbers.
01:54 What the show lacked in ratings was more than made up for in a passionate, if more niche, fanbase, as well as critical acclaim and awards.
02:01 This kept it going for four increasingly bold seasons.
02:04 Plus, fans can't help but return to its songs, which keep its cult status strong.
02:09 #18. Severance
02:19 #19. Lumen Industries
02:21 With so many shows tackling corporate politics as tragedy, thriller, or farce, few combine those genres as well as Severance.
02:39 Lumen Industries claims to have the ideal work strategy, splitting employees' consciousness between the office and their personal lives.
02:45 But there are sinister truths lurking for the severed workers, as well as their outside selves.
02:50 The show embodies peak TV's versatility in terms of style and storytelling, combining surreal visuals with tense moments of mystery.
02:57 The seasoned cast and sharp writing made Severance a standout for Apple TV+ after only its first season.
03:04 #17. The Boys
03:12 "Homelander?"
03:14 "You boys okay?"
03:18 In a decade arguably overrun with superhero entertainment, an adaptation of one of the most daring takes on the genre arrived on Amazon Prime Video.
03:26 The Boys presents a world of super-powered people corrupted by capitalism, power, and celebrity.
03:32 As the titular vigilante group struggles to bring down the behemoth corporation, Thought International, the line between good and evil only gets blurrier.
03:40 Behind this spectacular production is a diabolical mix of absurd hilarity and complex drama.
03:46 Anthony's star especially dominates as the venerated Homelander, one of the most terrifying villains in contemporary television.
03:52 True to his genre's tendencies, a spin-off series of the show premiered in 2023.
03:57 "If I could do something heroic, like actually help people, that would be good, right?"
04:03 #16. Dark
04:06 "The problem is not the secrets, the problem is the shit that everyone projects into everyone."
04:10 "I told you, you're in deep shit, and you're in deep shit, too."
04:14 A peaceful secretive town begins to unravel over the disappearance of children.
04:18 That might sound like pretty standard fare, but Netflix's first German-language original series takes that premise so much deeper.
04:24 Dark ties several genres into its mystery with elaborate sci-fi twists.
04:29 It also gives its vast ensemble plenty of room to develop as the real heart of the show's tension.
04:34 The puzzle-box narrative and compelling themes commanded a cult following throughout three seasons,
04:39 with critical acclaim generally building each season.
04:42 The series also helped establish Netflix's success with non-American productions.
04:46 As time has gone by, Dark has come out of its shadow as one of the service's most underrated shows.
04:51 #15. Schitt's Creek
04:58 "You can live there for next to nothing until you get back on your feet."
05:01 "I'm sure there's a penthouse we can move into. Please, there are other options."
05:06 "Well, homelessness is still on the table."
05:09 CBC Television's surprise international hit is an achievement in balancing sharp writing and talented comedic actors with an earnest heart.
05:16 When the bulk of their fortune is stolen by their business manager, the Rose family find themselves literally up Schitt's Creek.
05:22 The unfortunately named town helps the Roses realize the priceless values of family and community.
05:28 The audience was also made to feel at home with the show's irreverent humor and poignant character arcs.
05:32 The Canadian crowd-pleaser achieved global attention a few years into its sixth season run, when it debuted on Netflix in 2017.
05:39 From there, it captured the attention of audiences and critics, and went on to win nine Emmy Awards.
05:44 "Why could you not have waited till after the show to tell people you're engaged?"
05:49 "You're engaged?"
05:51 "This is not how the announcement was supposed to go!"
05:54 #14. Westworld
05:56 "Can we drink to the lady with the white shoes?"
06:00 "Perhaps we better drink to her deepened, dreamless slumber."
06:06 Michael Crichton's theatrical filmmaking debut was already a staple of artificial intelligence cautionary tales.
06:12 But Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan's take on Westworld explores the familiar themes of the 1973 movie with unique, harrowing depth.
06:19 The dynamic epic begins with the android hosts of a Western theme park gradually gaining the sentience to rise against humans.
06:26 From there, the setting and characters drastically shift to explore the nature of existence, morality, and corporate ethics.
06:33 The gifted cast added emotional weight to a compelling, twisty tale.
06:37 However, the magic seemed to run out on the show and viewership declined.
06:40 HBO pulled the plug after the fourth season.
06:43 Despite this, Westworld still holds a legacy as one of the most ambitious AI thrillers out there.
06:48 "What the hell was that?"
06:50 "I don't know. He's off script. We didn't program any of those behaviors."
06:54 #13 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
06:57 "So my life completely fell apart today. Did I mention that my husband left me?"
07:01 After her unfaithful husband leaves her, 1950s housewife Midge Maisel works her emotional breakdown into an impromptu stand-up routine.
07:09 From there, the audience follows her five-season path to possible stardom.
07:13 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel lives up to its name with how it presents the birth of modern showbiz in all of its fantasy and harsh reality.
07:20 Most remarkable from the show's run is its snappy, laugh-out-loud dialogue.
07:25 But at the same time, the many characters evolve with a depth rarely seen in straight dramas.
07:30 The cast is lousy with talent, with Rachel Brosnahan as a versatile lead.
07:34 It also garnered plenty of Emmy gold, winning 20 awards during its run.
07:38 "Thank you! Wow! Such a great crowd. It's very nice to be here. Really."
07:47 #12 The White Lotus
07:50 "And then I moved to the city to change the world and make a name for myself and pay off my loans, all of which I have yet to do."
08:00 Mike White's interest in the tragedy surrounding privilege has never been better timed than with television in the 2020s.
08:07 It's also never been better realized than through HBO's The White Lotus.
08:11 The anthology series follows a different all-star ensemble each season, visiting iterations of a fictional luxury resort chain.
08:18 The dark dramedy examines the escalating tensions of and between social classes in tourist hotspots.
08:23 Intersecting themes include gender dynamics, generational divides, colonialism, and race.
08:29 White builds every episode with an uncompromised control of absurdity, drama, and tension to draw viewers into the lavish disasters his characters face.
08:38 As addicting as it is thought-provoking, The White Lotus is well worth the trip.
08:42 "But you are very beautiful. I'm glad you're here."
08:52 #11 Watchmen
08:55 "Big oak tree out on Rolling Hill. Something you need to see there. I know who you are. You don't wear no goddamn mask."
09:06 One of the true masterpieces of comic book history has a complicated legacy and adaptation.
09:11 Zack Snyder's Watchmen received mixed reviews, but Damon Lindelof's miniseries manages to not only stay truer to the tone of the DC Comics series, but enrich the lore.
09:20 Part sequel, part remix of the original tale, the story starts with masked law enforcement in Tulsa unraveling a major far-right conspiracy.
09:28 But it goes way beyond that with non-linear twists, shifting perspectives, new characters, stylish action, and social commentary.
09:36 The series was even praised for helping to bring popular attention to the real-life 1921 white supremacist attack in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
09:43 Building off the themes of its source material, the new Watchmen story was a feat in its own right.
09:47 "What floor is it on? You know, I can't go upstairs."
09:50 "Yet you hung a man from a tree."
09:52 "Oh yeah, that's true."
09:54 #10 Twin Peaks The Return
09:57 "Two stars, earth, sun, snow."
10:00 "I understand."
10:07 Since its original cancellation in 1991, Twin Peaks has been hailed as one of the greatest TV series ever made.
10:13 Showtime allowed David Lynch to revive it as one of the boldest.
10:17 The Return follows FBI agent Dale Cooper's continued experiences in the supernatural town of Twin Peaks, where he was possessed by a malevolent spirit.
10:25 Technically regarded as the third season of the original show, the 18 new episodes are an epic display of Lynch's surreal artistry.
10:32 Praised for its experimental storytelling and intentional vision, the series was an achievement exploring the avant-garde on television.
10:39 While it may have challenged general audiences, many satisfied fans consider Twin Peaks The Return a singular masterpiece.
10:45 #9 Chernobyl
10:54 "What happened there, what happened after, even the good we did, all of it, all of it, madness."
11:05 Many are no doubt familiar with the historical facts surrounding one of the world's worst nuclear disasters.
11:10 But HBO's Chernobyl brings tragedy, fear, and awe to the forefront in its depiction of the event.
11:16 The miniseries meticulously dramatizes multiple perspectives and the political fallout of the reactor explosion in Soviet-era Ukraine.
11:23 The direction, writing, and acting portray the human element of this historical event.
11:28 With its deliberate slow pace, there's a sense of gruesome doom as people try to contain the crisis.
11:33 The slow burn also allows what could have just been a detailed history lesson to evolve into an urgent allegory on disinformation and the abuse of authority.
11:42 Chernobyl may be difficult to watch, but the spectacular production demands to be witnessed.
11:46 "And all the deputies, the entire congregation of obedient fools, they mistakenly sent the one good man."
11:56 #8 Barry
11:58 "Money from the Rochester job, just clear. One less bad guy in the world, nice work. As usual, Barry."
12:05 There's a thin line between tragedy and farce on the stage. It's even thinner on HBO's dramedy masterpiece, Barry.
12:11 Bill Hader plays a troubled Marine turned hitman who starts to question his life after catching the acting bug.
12:17 Fate and his criminal associates have other plans.
12:20 Barry Berkman is one of many characters driven to ruin by misguided ambition.
12:24 The whole cast perfectly walks the tightrope between humor, action, and tense drama.
12:29 Hader especially shows off his range as an actor, writer, and director.
12:33 What he and co-creator Alec Berg achieve with Barry is never predictable, but always exhilarating.
12:39 "Everything's so good right now. I'm a good person."
12:45 #7 Fargo
12:47 "Because some roads you shouldn't go down. Because maps used to say there'd be dragons here. Now they don't.
12:56 But that don't mean the dragons aren't there."
13:03 There's surely no replicating Joel and Ethan Coen's irreverent crime classic Fargo.
13:08 No doubt realizing this, Fargo series creator Noah Hawley simply brings that rich personality into his own anthology of crime tales.
13:15 Each season carefully composes dense plots with each episode featuring tonal and stylistic experiments.
13:21 Through it all, compelling ensemble cast keep audiences hooked on the stories of several colorful, usually tragic characters.
13:28 Do Hawley's twists of fate consistently live up to their lofty setups? That's up for debate.
13:33 But it's hard to deny that FX's Fargo strives to leave a similar impact on television as the Coen's tale did on film.
13:39 "Okay, then... look at me. If we're gonna get clear of this, then we're gonna have to clean it up."
13:50 #6 The Leftovers
13:53 "I know loads of people with dogs, and none of them ran away."
13:55 "No, no, no, not all of them did. Just the ones that witnessed it, you know? Who were actually there when someone went down."
14:01 Three years on, the world struggles to come to terms with 2% of the human population inexplicably vanishing.
14:08 The Leftovers starts off by following multiple characters in search of answers, or at least peace, with their new world.
14:14 Damon Lindelof collaborated with novelist and series co-creator Tom Perotta to structure a thrilling mystery with complex non-linear storytelling.
14:22 But the series also examines how humanity grapples with grief and uncertainty.
14:27 That drama comes to light through characters who undergo profound journeys across three seasons.
14:32 Mary Coon particularly captivated audiences in her breakout television role.
14:38 Though it didn't achieve huge numbers in viewership, there's no mystery as to why people are still talking about the acclaimed show.
14:42 "Oh, God bless Matt Libs. I couldn't ask for a better obituary."
14:49 "Happy to oblige."
14:51 #5 Fleabag
14:53 "Please don't contact me, or turn off my house drunk in your underwear. It won't work this time."
14:58 "It will."
14:59 Waller-Bridge transformed her one-woman show into a brief but spirited landmark of contemporary comedy.
15:04 Fleabag follows the awkward exploits of an unnamed Londoner trying to grapple with grief, family, and relationships.
15:11 The adaptation is still very much Waller-Bridge's show, with stylish direction serving as a vehicle for her snappy writing and singular character.
15:19 Her range on either side of the camera was a revelation.
15:21 Around the same time, she served as head writer on the first series of the crime thriller, Killing Eve, helping to cement her status as a distinctive creative talent.
15:29 "Dinner?"
15:30 "How would you kill me if you could?"
15:32 "Um, I don't know. Push you down the stairs?"
15:36 #4 Atlanta
15:38 "Let the path push you like a broken branch in a river's current."
15:42 "Nah, nah, I'm not going out like that, but thanks for the advice."
15:47 Donald Glover made perhaps the most eclectic show of the decade.
15:51 Through surrealism and satire, Atlanta uses the premise of rapper Paperboy's rise in the world of hip-hop to explore a variety of themes.
15:59 Touching on everything from race to stardom to existentialism to metaphysics and playing with the intersections of these themes, the show is both experimental and often hilarious.
16:09 Glover's penchant for standalone episodes makes for an ambitious, overall empathetic show.
16:14 All of this and more turned Atlanta into a bona fide pop culture phenomenon, garnering widespread acclaim from critics and six Emmy Awards.
16:22 "Most of the black murders that have occurred in the past year and a half have all been linked to a common denominator."
16:28 "All the victims may crank that dance videos back in the day."
16:31 #3 Stranger Things
16:33 "You know, Hopper, he has nothing to do with this. Trust me."
16:36 "Joyce, 99 out of 100 times, kid goes missing, the kid is with a parent or relative."
16:41 "Well, what about the other time?"
16:43 A group of small-town kids find themselves in something of a real-life game of Dungeons and Dragons when a girl with mysterious powers reveals government conspiracies and interdimensional monsters.
16:52 Stranger Things is much more ambitious than a nostalgia trip.
16:56 Certainly, there are loads of pop culture nods baked into its sweeping concept, but the Duffer brothers used the tools of prestige TV to combine adventure with character growth.
17:05 The ambitious project quickly became a generation-defining sensation.
17:09 The cast combined veteran actors, some looking for a comeback, with a compelling group of young stars.
17:14 The result was one of Netflix's biggest hits ever.
17:18 "And another one bites the dust. You are 046, Popeye."
17:24 #2 Succession
17:26 "Yeah, look, Dad, on lunch, I really want to be with you, but the deal, you know..."
17:32 "Son, it's your call."
17:36 The crises of mega-rich dynasties are no laughing matter, but HBO's Succession is as darkly hilarious as it is utterly terrifying.
17:44 The members of the Roy family alternate between securing the fortune of their company and competing for the unattainable favor of the patriarch, Logan.
17:51 It's a lofty opera on the mess of family, ambition, and the lunacy of American industry.
17:56 Creator Jesse Armstrong and company seamlessly mingle satire with a disturbingly authentic representation of late-stage capitalism.
18:03 The series also revolutionized villains as enthralling protagonists with dynamite dialogue and acting.
18:09 Through its morbid mastery of humanity's darkest side, it's actually one of the most important dramas of its time.
18:15 "So, um, do you want to come with me? Explore us? Can I ask for a little more information? No?"
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18:39 Number 1 - Better Call Saul
18:44 "And he gets to be a lawyer? What a sick joke! I should have stopped him when I had the chance!"
18:50 Vince Gilligan had his work cut out for him with the prequel spin-off of his groundbreaking show Breaking Bad.
18:56 However, Better Call Saul wound up in a league of its own.
18:59 Attorney Jimmy McGill's transformation into criminal counselor Saul Goodman allows for greater exploration of the Albuquerque underworld.
19:06 The series fleshes out the stories of some of the greatest supporting characters from Breaking Bad, while also introducing new faces.
19:12 Encapsulating spine-chilling crime thrills, heartbreaking tragedies, and a wealth of comic relief, the transcendent series is led brilliantly by Bob Odenkirk.
19:21 Some have called it an even better show than its predecessor, but we'll leave that up to the viewers.
19:26 "I'm not going to be practicing under the name McGill, so..."
19:30 "Shouldn't be a problem. Just down the hall, we have all the floors."
19:33 "Wait, Jimmy, Jimmy, what?"
19:36 "It's all good, man."
19:38 What's been your favorite TV show over the past decade? Let us know in the comments.
19:42 "And you will atone!"
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19:56 [music]