Bryan Cranston as Walter White in a desert looking into the distance in Breaking Bad.
The 2000s marked a transition for TV. On one hand, you had the typical network formulas with the sitcoms and crime procedurals that the audience had grown used to. However, the decade also saw creators experimenting with complex, long-form storytelling that challenged not only the viewers but the medium itself.
This era gave rise to shows that tackled impossible themes, blended genres, and broke the rules of traditional TV. This set new standards for writing, worldbuilding, and character development that most shows can’t match to this day. Let’s step back in time and revisit 2000s shows that can be called masterpieces thanks to the risks they took. 7 'Arrested Development' The original run of Arrested Development on Fox is hands down the smartest show the network has ever produced. The sitcom premiered in an era when laugh tracks and three-camera setups were the formula to strike comedy cold. However, Arrested Development dared to do something different with its documentary-style satire about an unbelievably dysfunctional Bluth family in Orange County. The story follows Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth, the one competent adult, trying to hold his family together after his father, George Sr. , is arrested for fraud. Michael Cera, David Cross, Jessica Walter, Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi, and Tony Hale round out the show’s cast and deliver performances that are guaranteed to leave anyone in stitches. Watching Michael trying to run his family’s real estate empire amidst prison breaks, fake illnesses, and family rivalries feels both absurd and realistic. The show is full of clever callbacks and sight gags that demand the viewers’ full attention. At the same time, Arrested Development works because it lets the audience actively interpret its comedy without ever overexplaining things. Ron Howard’s all-seeing narration is just the cherry on top and turns the sitcom into one of the most experimental yet brilliant shows of the 2000s. 6 'Lost' No show can ever come close to the genius of Lost. What could have been a straightforward survival drama about a plane crash ended up being one of the most influential TV series of all time. The show was a philosophical exploration of human nature set against the backdrop of adventure, sci-fi, supernatural thriller, and drama all at once. It sounds complex, but somehow, Lost made it all feel effortless. The show begins with the crash of Oceanic Flight 815 that scatters 70 survivors across a remote island that seems deserted, but that isn’t really the case. Turns out that the place holds strange creatures known as the Others, along with other mysteries that pull surgeon Jack Shephard into a reluctant leadership role. From there, the show balances Jack’s attempts to uncover the island’s secrets with the survivors’ backstories. In doing so, the show constantly challenges the viewers’ expectations through its nonlinear storytelling and eventually even alternate realities. You are just as invested in who these people were before the crash as you are in their successful escape from the island. Lost plants clues, symbols, and recurring motifs in episodes to invite the audience to participate in the narrative and really pay attention to every small detail. Watching Lost is an experience and a masterclass in storytelling. 5 'Firefly' Firefly was canceled too soon, and fans are still upset about it for all the right reasons. The space Western was a daring take on war and progress, and was way ahead of its time. Firefly takes place in the year 2517, after humanity has fled Earth to inhabit a new star system. However, Joss Whedon crafts a universe where technology isn’t the answer to everything. In fact, the aftermath of a recent civil war has resulted in a class divide like never before. The story follows the Firefly-class ship Serenity and its captain, Malcolm Reynolds , a former soldier on the losing side of that war. His second-in-command, Zoe , fought beside him and carries the same trauma, while her husband, Wash , is the ship’s charming pilot. Mal’s crew is a group of misfits who are trying to outrun the powerful central government that is desperate to retain control of the outer planets. What sets Firefly apart, though, is how lived-in the world feels. The show completely subverted all expectations one might have from a sci-fi fantasy and comes across as a documentary-like exploration of a lost culture. Firefly had a brief 14-episode run, but that was enough for the story’s depth to shine through. The writing asked audiences to embrace moral ambiguity and explore the consequences of war. The show was anti-authoritarian and anti-corporate at a time when most series wouldn’t even think of crossing that boundary. That’s why it holds up as one of Fox’s biggest missed opportunities even two decades later. 4 'Band of Brothers' Band of Brothers is one of the greatest miniseries ever made, if not the single greatest. The show, created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, is based on Stephen E. Ambrose’s nonfiction book of the same name and follows Easy Company, a paratrooper unit in the 101st Airborne Division. Damian Lewis stars as Richard “Dick” Winters, who joins the unit as a junior officer and gradually rises in rank as World War II intensifies. Each episode shows a different chapter in Easy Company’s journey, whether it’s parachuting into Normandy on D-Day, fighting through France, or later entering Germany and uncovering the horrors of a concentration camp. By the time the group reaches Hitler’s mountain retreat, both the soldiers and viewers understand the cost and weight of everything they have survived. War stories usually tend to feel grand, but Band of Brothers hits hard because of how personal it feels. The show has a large cast, but it does a great job of giving each soldier their moment to shine as we see the war through their eyes. The series also incorporates interviews with the real Easy Company veterans, whose reflections give the story emotional weight that the script alone couldn’t have achieved. The show’s commitment to authenticity and recreating the soldiers’ actual experiences deserves all the praise it gets. Band of Brothers is a masterpiece that will continue to resonate with every new generation that discovers it because of how cinematic yet intimate it manages to feel. 3 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Avatar: The Last Airbender pushed the limits of what animated storytelling can truly achieve. Some might write the show off for being a kids’ fantasy adventure, but once you start watching, you realize that it’s a beautifully layered epic about war, culture, and colonialism. The series, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, takes place in a world divided into four nations based on the natural elements, where certain people have the ability to bend their elements. However, only the Avatar can master all four and restore balance to the world. The story follows twelve-year-old Aang , the last surviving Air Nomad and the current Avatar, who joins forces with siblings Katara and Sokka from the Southern Water tribe to travel the world and master the elements before Fire Lord Ozai wages war on the four nations. People often say that Avatar: The Last Airbender feels even richer when you rewatch it because of the balance it retains between its serious themes and light, heartwarming moments. The show is a masterclass in character development, and by the end, almost every character has grown in meaningful ways. The most impressive arc, obviously, is Zuko’s transformation from Aang’s enemy to an ally. The animated series is also remembered for its brilliant worldbuilding that’s inspired by East Asian philosophies. The story, grounded in the exploration of conflict and displacement, remains relevant to this day, and that shows how ambitious animation can be as a genre. 2 'The Wire' The Wire is one of the greatest TV dramas ever made, with every episode being absolute perfection. The show, created by former police reporter David Simon, starts as a typical crime procedural but ends up being one of the sharpest commentaries on the institutions that shape and often fail the people living in America. The story starts with Detective Jimmy McNulty , whose frustration with how the police department ignores the city’s most powerful drug network accidentally sparks a major investigation into Avon Barksdale , the kingpin who runs the West Baltimore drug trade. Subscribe to the newsletter for 2000s TV masterclass picks Explore standout 2000s TV and more by subscribing to the newsletter — get thoughtful analysis, scene-by-scene breakdowns, and contextual essays that deepen your appreciation of storytelling, character arcs, and TV craft. Subscribe Subscribe to the newsletter for 2000s TV masterclass picks Explore standout 2000s TV and more by subscribing to the newsletter — get thoughtful analysis, scene-by-scene breakdowns, and contextual essays that deepen your appreciation of storytelling, character arcs, and TV craft. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. The first season focuses on the war on drugs and the police, while later seasons expand into the struggling dockworkers’ union, city politics, the public school system, and even the local newspaper. Each new setting serves as a puzzle piece for the original story and attempts to show how these systems work and collide with each other. Most people mistake The Wire for being a show about crime, drugs, or corruption. However, it’s actually just a show about how people have to survive against the very systems meant to help them. The story introduces dozens of characters every season, but still makes them feel human. The show works because it’s smart entertainment that gives its audience a glimpse into how a city really works. Few shows have ever aimed this high, and close to none have managed to pull it off as The Wire has. 1 'Breaking Bad' Breaking Bad changed television forever. The neo-Western crime drama starring Bryan Cranston as a chemistry teacher turned meth kingpin is one of the most intriguing character studies of all time. The show follows Walter White , who feels invisible in his own life and is completely pushed over the edge after receiving a lung cancer diagnosis. He then chooses to partner with his former student Jesse Pinkman to cook meth and make enough money to secure his family’s future. However, things are obviously not as easy as Walter thinks. Their operation starts small, but as it scales, the teacher-student duo finds themselves involved with unstable distributors and rival drug lords while battling their own conscience. The show perfectly portrays Walt’s descent into the world of crime, and eventually, you realize that he’s not doing it for his family anymore. Breaking Bad can be best described as a Shakespearean tragedy that takes place in the New Mexico desert. Every choice the characters make comes back to haunt them, and every victory comes with a cost. The stakes are constantly high, and this builds a sense of tension that stays with you long after the episode ends. What’s great is that after a consistent run, Breaking Bad also sticks its landing and does justice completely to the questions it raises about power and pride. Like Follow Followed Breaking Bad TV-MA Crime Drama Thriller Release Date 2008 - 2013-00-00 Network AMC Showrunner Vince Gilligan Directors Vince Gilligan, Michelle Maclaren Cast See All
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