Top 20 TV Masterpieces Of The Past Decade: A Look Back

While streaming services may have changed television, the last ten years have still given us some incredible shows. Think of hits like Baby Reindeer, Adolescence, and Dark. Plus, we even got a Breaking Bad spin-off that was just as good as the original.

Shows like Severance offered a dark take on balancing work and life, while Barry surprisingly transformed a simple idea – a hitman becoming an actor – into a thought-provoking exploration of life’s big questions. These series, including Andor, Arcane, and Atlanta, represent some of the best television of the last decade.

Watchmen

Alan Moore’s Watchmen is a landmark achievement, not only for comic books but for all of 20th-century literature. So, creating a sequel seemed like a risky undertaking. However, Damon Lindelof successfully continued the story with a compelling follow-up.

HBO’s Watchmen successfully captures the feeling of Alan Moore’s famous graphic novel. It flips the typical superhero story on its head, grounds superheroes in reality, and explores an alternate American history where superheroes existed.

Baby Reindeer

Richard Gadd bravely shared a deeply personal and painful experience in his series, Baby Reindeer. He portrays a bartender and comedian who, after showing kindness to a lonely customer, finds himself caught in a difficult and unsettling struggle with a stalker who is mentally unstable.

Baby Reindeer is a compelling and unflinching series that explores the patterns of abuse and the complicated ways people deal with trauma. Gadd offers a brutally honest and raw account of his own experiences.

Barry

The idea for Bill Hader’s show—a half-hour comedy about a hitman trying to become an actor—initially seemed like a simple, short-lived gimmick. However, the actual series proved to be much more than that, offering a deep, insightful, and remarkably well-observed look at its main character, comparable to the critically acclaimed show Breaking Bad.

Barry Berkman is tormented by his natural skill for killing and longs to leave that life behind. Despite his best efforts to change, he finds himself unable to escape committing terrible acts of violence.

The Rehearsal

Nathan Fielder’s show, The Rehearsal, built on the detailed planning from his previous series, Nathan for You. What began as a way to help people practice for challenging life events soon became a much larger and more fascinating project.

I was completely hooked from the start! In the first season, it was wild to watch Nathan use roleplaying as a way to figure out how to be a dad, working with a bunch of kid actors. It got a little complicated when one of them really connected with him and people started questioning if it was right to involve such young kids. Then, in season 2, he did something totally unexpected – he cloned a dog to learn about aviation safety! He basically lived Sully Sullenberger’s life and actually became a licensed pilot. It was unbelievable!

Mindhunter

David Fincher is known for films featuring serial killers, like in Zodiac and Se7en. But with Mindhunter, he explored how the idea of a serial killer first came about. The show centers on three FBI agents who research the behaviors of murderers to understand—and ultimately define—the serial killer profile.

I’m a huge fan of Mindhunter. It’s fascinating to see all those infamous serial killers from the 70s, but what really gets to me is how the show explores what it does to the FBI agents studying them. You really feel the weight of constantly diving into those dark and disturbing details, day in and day out – it takes a real toll on them.

Dark

Many TV shows have attempted to imitate the mysterious and unsettling style of Twin Peaks, but none have quite captured its essence. What made Twin Peaks special was that, at its heart, it was a classic small-town drama. Dark comes the closest to succeeding where others have failed, skillfully combining emotional, character-driven storytelling with supernatural elements, much like Twin Peaks did.

Daredevil

After a disappointing movie attempt over ten years ago, Daredevil has finally received the on-screen adaptation fans have been waiting for. The Netflix series Daredevil successfully captured the gritty atmosphere and complex characters from Frank Miller’s famous comics, and the performances of Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio created a captivating hero-villain dynamic.

Adolescence

The series Adolescence begins with a frightened teenager being arrested for a murder he claims he didn’t commit. Over the next four episodes, the mystery unravels in a captivating way, filmed in long, unbroken shots that happen in real time. This unique filming style makes Adolescence feel incredibly realistic and draws viewers in more than most thrillers on TV.

Reservation Dogs

Sterlin Harjo’s series, Reservation Dogs, offered a fresh and important look at Native American life on television. The show follows a group of teenagers in Oklahoma who are determined to earn enough money to move to California.

I’m completely captivated by Reservation Dogs. What really gets to me is how genuinely real it feels – it doesn’t shy away from both the funny and the sad parts of life. The way the characters talk feels so natural, and honestly, I totally buy into their friendships. It’s just a beautifully authentic show.

Twin Peaks: The Return

David Lynch finally revisited the world of Twin Peaks, and the result was excellent. While he last directed a feature film in 2006 with Inland Empire, many consider Twin Peaks: The Return to be his true final film.

This new version of Twin Peaks is just as good as the first two seasons, thanks to its unique style, moving acting, and stunning images. Essentially an 18-hour film by David Lynch, it feels like a fitting conclusion to his incredible work.

2025-11-20 20:40