Television is perhaps one of the greatest inventions of modern times.

In the modern day of streaming, some would say it’s even a lost art in the days of eight-episode seasons. I think the people yearn for 22 episodes and 8 seasons again, as I do. Shows like this have gone down in history as the greatest of all time, despite being decades old.

As we are adjusting to the era of 2026 television, I have compiled a list of the best shows from each year from 2000 to 2025 with the following stipulations:

• No animated TV shows
• No spin offs
• The first season must have debuted that year
• No reality TV
• Must be American made

I am making my judgments based on how much I enjoyed the show, how much it affected pop culture, and how well the production, writing and acting impacted me. Compared to other shows that debuted in the same year.

2000: For the year 2000, it could only be “Gilmore Girls.” It makes the list not only because very few shows came out this year but also because this show has stood the test of time from the first season. You can not scroll through your for you page in fall without spotting a post from a “Gilmore Girls” fan. The show is peak fall coziness, small-town romanticism and family drama. Not to mention the long and short-term love interests that have created teams and audiences of their own. #TeamJess.

2001: 2001 was something of a revolutionary year in many ways, including the premiere of an iconic show: “Queer as Folk.” The show follows a group of gay friends and their journeys in adulthood and relationships. This was representation in a time when it was sparse; it was honest, it was raw and the acting was well done. The show was all interpersonal drama and found family. I watched it way too young, but it absolutely built my understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community. “Smallville” was fun, but “Queer as Folk” was life changing.

2002: In 2002, there were a few shows that I had seen that fit my own criteria. Admittedly, I have not finished the show I’ve chosen for this year, but would be remiss not to name it the winner. “The Wire” is undoubtedly the best show from that year. A one by one drama about drug lords, runners and the police in Baltimore. It was truly the first of its kind, and the start of many beloved stars’ careers. I mean, it gave me Michael B. Jordan, and for that I am eternally grateful to “The Wire.”

2003: For 2003, it’s between two powerhouses of the teen drama zeitgeist: “One Tree Hill” and “The OC.” Both shows redefined the teen drama, but “The OC” felt like something new. The show follows a down on his luck teen living in the OC (Orange County, California) who is adopted by a rich family, and chaos ensues. It was familiar in its tropes, with the rich kids behaving badly, but the character development kept us hooked untill the very end. Not to mention its theme song is forever synonymous with California and Orange County.

2004: For 2004, let’s cut the chit chat. “Lost” takes it all. The first of its kind in speculative fiction. set in a world no one knew, it kept people coming back every time it aired. “Lost” follows a large cast of characters who get in a plane crash and are — you guessed it — lost and have to figure out how and why they ended up in the situation. This was maybe the first TV show with what felt like a universal viewership, and the use of the internet to cultivate that.

2005: In 2005, we saw the debut of “Supernatural” and “Bones,” and though “Supernatural” features Sam and Dean Winchester of Lawrence, Kansas, who are basically my hometown heroes, I have to give it to “Bones” for re-watchability alone. “Bones” follows an FBI agent and a group of scientists focused on using forensic science to solve cases. It’s a peak slow-burn romance and detective TV show without being propaganda for the FBI, CIA or military. It examines those offices in a realistic way. It talks about the nuances of policing and military work, and of course, love.

2006: Some of my favorite shows came out in 2006. However, my favorite has got to be “Psych” because it is a brilliant reimagining of “Sherlock Holmes,” with a complete storyline thatmust take the cake. The show follows Shawn Spencer, who fakes being a medium and solves cases with nearly impossible deductive skills. A fake medium, an unmatched best friend duo and a slow burn will they, won’t they? It cannot get better than that.

2007: For 2007, I have the Nickelodeon show “iCarly.” It has birthed many memes and iconic moments. “iCarly” basically gave birth to the influencers, and even did a One Direction crossover which changed my life. “iCarly” follows Carly and her friends in the early days of the internet, where they have their own vlog and website.

2008: For 2008, I was between “90210” and “Being Human,” and though “90210” features a Kansas family taking on a bigger world, “Being Human” genuinely changed my brain chemistry. A vampire, werewolf and ghost move in together and interspecies mayhem ensues. The plot twists! The love interest! I have to give the show its flowers.

2009: 2009 was in many ways, a peak time for television. We have two iconic shows with “Game of Thrones” and “Vampire Diaries.” “Game of Thrones” was revolutionary, but its ending sealed it into a bleak part of popculture to the point of no return. It’s only ever referenced these days in connection to its spin-off, but “Vampire Diaries” is eternal. Every fall season, it makes a comeback on some social media, and the characters are simply iconic. As far as pure entertainment, drama and cultural relevance, the winner has to be “Vampire Diaries.”

2010: For 2010, “Parenthood” is the standout pick for me. A drama that follows an extended family and their individual journeys, which grows and becomes more progressive as the times do. The character storylines are raw and well acted. I think it’s an underrated pick.

2011: 2011 was another stacked year with “Shameless,” “Teen Wolf” and “New Girl.” For me, the winner has to be “New Girl.” It is the only sitcom I actually like. “Teen Wolf” is iconic and I love it but the humor and love stories in “New Girl” are just so good, and “Shameless” is just not as re-watchable as the former. New Girl follows Jess, a girl out on her luck who moves in with three guys after a breakup with a cheating boyfriend.

2012: 2012 gave us “Arrow.” “Arrow” kicked off CW’s DC universe, and I cannot thank it enough. The show follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen upon his return to the real world after being stranded on an island. In the early days of this series, when the fandom was alive, it was unmatched. It brought back the vigilante superhero TV show in a real way, which is why it wins.

2013: In 2013, we had two of my favorites of all time: “Reign” and “The Fosters.” My brain is saying “Reign” but my heart says “The Fosters.” I must follow my heart. “The Fosters” is about a group of foster siblings and all the chaos of their teenage lives. “The Fosters” captured an early 2010s realness that cannot be replicated. The drama, the storyline, the romance between two potential foster siblings. This show was doing things I had never seen before, and I loved every second of it.

2014: “Outlander,” “The Flash” and “Jane the Virgin” all premiered in 2014, and they all changed my life respectively, but “Jane the Virgin” rewrote the telenovella for a new audience. Jane the Virgin” is about a girl, Jane, who is remaining a virgin until marriage who accidentally gets artificially inseminated. The deaths, the babies, the biblical comparisons. There has yet to be another show like “Jane the Virgin.”

2015: For 2015, I have “Sense8” and “The Magicians.” In reality, there is no competition. “Sense8” is one of the best shows ever, period. It makes the list for representation, speculative fiction, and a succinct ending and storyline with just three seasons. It is truly a one-of-a-kind show that deserves more love. Eight strangers, all born in different countries on the same day at the same time, share a telepathic connection, and chaos ensues.

2016: In 2016, “Stranger Things,” “Shadowhunters,” and “The Shanta Chronicles” all debuted. I think the runaway winner is “Stranger Things.” Those first three seasons captured people and did not let go. The intrigue, speculative aspect and period drama of it all were unmatched in 2016.

2017: 2017 debuted “Riverdale” season one was unbelievable iconic. I had a dedicated instagram account to Jughead Jones, his “weird” speech, the shipping wars. Riverdale, as far as American made tv in 2017, it can not get more iconic. So it must win.

2018: For 2018, my last two standing are “On My Block” and “Manifest.” “Manifest” captured me with its speculative, seemingly biblical aspect, but “On My Block” captured everyone with its raw, but dramatized depiction of young people of color in a modern society. Throw in a mystery and it had us hooked till the end.

2019: In 2019, I have two underappreciated picks: “Deadly Class” and “Wayne.” “Wayne” wins this simply because it has a more complete story. “Wayne” is a romance between a guy who uses violence to solve his problems because he doesn’t feel pain, falling for this girl he protects.

2020: 2020 gave me “Bridgerton” and “High Fidelity,” and though “High Fidelity” is criminally underrated, “Bridgerton” is so rightly popular. It brings back real yearning and the period drama in a time where the world needed it most.

2021: 2021 featured “Reservation Dogs” and “Shadow and Bone.” “Reservation Dogs,” however, is the better show. It has representation for indigenous teens and is the typical teen drama but in an unexplored setting for this medium.

2022: In 2022, “The Bear,” “The Gilded Age” and “The Summer I Turned Pretty” premiered. I know, wholeheartedly, that “The Bear” is a better show than “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” but I only rewatch one of them every summer. I have to give it to TSITP just for pure re-watchability, my personal joy and giving the slow-burn romance I have yearned for.

2024: For 2024, I have “One Day” and “The Buccaneers.” “The Buccaneers” is a great early American period drama, but “One Day” is the perfect one season show that takes you through every emotion and leaves you distraught. Watch it, you won’t regret it.

2025: Lastly, the best show of 2025 was “Adolescence.” This one season true crime based drama examined the state of ‌adolescent boys, and how the media they consume affects us all. It’s real, it’s raw, it’s beautifully acted, and it started a much-needed conversation.