The Best of the Decade 2010-19: My Favorite TV Shows

The greatest thing I saw on television over the past 10 years aired on the evening of November 2, 2016.

It had everything anyone could want:

Anticipation, pathos, rising action, crisis, concern, prayer and, ultimately, jubilation.

Oh, and a fortuitous rain delay.

While my beloved Chicago Cubs winning the World Series for the first time in 108 won't top my list below, it does speak to my TV-watching habits over the past decade.

It was somewhat different earlier in the '10s--when there were some broadcast TV shows I would tune into each week--but at this point, sporting events are about the only thing I watch when initially shown.

Everything else I watch on-demand, often in binge sessions.

And I really don't watch all that much.

A lot of shows that were widely acclaimed--Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, The Americans, The Walking Dead, Veep, True Detective, Fleabag, Dexter, Downton Abbey, Shameless, Transparent and more--didn't really capture me. At best I saw a few episodes of some of them.

Even shows I did like, some making my list below, I only watched for one or perhaps a few seasons; very rarely have I seen an entire series. And in terms of network shows, perhaps I only caught occasional episodes.

My criteria for consideration is that I watched at least one full season--even if it contained as few as 6 episodes--or 10+ random episodes in this decade. (If the program began before 2010, I am only judging the quality within this decade.)

If you've been reading my barrage of my Best of the Decade posts, hopefully you've caught on that I don't claim to be an expert on anything. These are just my opinions, which I'm happy to share and discuss, but am also publishing largely to have a personal resource I can look back upon.

With great regard for quality television well beyond what I opt to watch, in no way am I suggesting that these were really the Best TV Shows of the Decade. Rather just...

The Best Television Series
I Watched This Decade
(for at least one full season or 10+ random episodes)

1. Orange is the New Black (Netflix)
2. The Good Wife (CBS)
3. Stranger Things (Netflix)
4. Modern Family (ABC)
5. Jessica Jones (Netflix)
6. Friday Night Lights (NBC)
7. Burn Notice (USA)
8. Person of Interest (CBS)
9. Making a Murderer (Netflix)
10. Homeland (Showtime)
11. Love (Netflix)

Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order)

Catastrophe (Amazon Prime)
11/22/63 (Hulu)
The End of the %#!#! World (Netflix)
The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
GLOW (Netflix)
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel (Amazon Prime)
Mindhunter (Netflix)
Mr. Robot (USA)
Royal Pains (USA)
The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)