In honor of MioOlogy, TVOlogy is taking a look at groundbreaking modern day series who made their impact on the industry in the 90s-00s. We’ll be observing them five at a time, and this is only our first look at a few of the most important shows in history.
The Sopranos (1999-2007)
One could endlessly debate which of HBO’s trifecta of ‘00s dramas is the best, with cases easily being made for The Wire’s elaborate plotting and gritty realism or Deadwood’s poetic use of the word “c*cksucker.” But when it comes to which of the series changed television forever, there’s no denying the impact of New Jersey’s duck loving, sociopathic mob boss. In 1999, Tony Soprano and his crew were unlike anything anyone had ever seen on TV, combining the cinematic style, brutal violence, and complex characters of a Scorsese flick with the breadth and intimacy of a TV series. The show lost a little of its edge in its closing act, and the ending is still the biggest case of narrative blue balls ever, but without Tony Soprano looking up from his menu to the strains of “Don’t Stop Believing,” we wouldn’t have Vic Mackey shooting Terry Crowley in the face, Don Draper coming home from his bohemian mistress to his loving wife and children, or Walter White doing every single awful thing Walter White has ever done. The Sopranos paved the way for despicable antiheros on the small screen, and brought us into a new age of compelling television dramas.
The Simpsons (1989-today)
Fully explaining the impact of The Simpsons in anything less than a massive leather bound tome is nearly impossible, considering the brilliant creative minds it has bestowed upon the world (Brad Bird! Conan O’Brien! Greg Daniels!), the countless shows it has influenced (South Park! Family Guy! Every show that’s ever been on Adult Swim!), and the staggering number of classic episodes it is responsible for (“Marge vs The Monorail!” “Homer at the Bat!” “Cape Feare!”). The “Golden Age” of The Simpsons is nearly a decade’s worth of sharp satire, breaking down every facet of American culture into hilarious, endlessly quotable, and sometimes even touching animated half-hours. Without The Simpsons, cartoons may have always been socially unacceptable for people over the age of 12 to watch. That an entire generation is growing up with a watered down, way-past-its-prime version of TV’s greatest dysfunctional cartoon family is a shame, but the first ten seasons of The Simpsons remain mandatory viewing for the pop culture fiends of the future.
LOST (2004-2010)
LOST certainly had its forebears. Shows like The X-Files and Buffy reinvented the sci-fi and supernatural television landscapes long before Flight 815 crashed on the island, and Twin Peaks was way ahead of its time by coining the whole “impenetrable, esoteric mystery with a hugely disappointing ending” thing. But LOST successfully harnessed the obsessive fanaticism of the Internet age. Each episode was packed with so many mythology expanding questions that fans had to set up entire encyclopedic databases just to keep track of all the speculation. Polar bears, smoke monsters, and DHARMA Initiatives kept audiences tuning in, but it was the strong cast of characters that kept the show grounded when the plot twists threatened to become too much – a fact that’s been lost on the numerous LOST copycats that have sprung up in the show’s wake. LOST changed TV by inspiring other shows with its endless parade of enigmas, but the human stories of Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Ben, and the rest of the series’ impressive ensemble made it a one-of-a-kind show.
Survivor (2000-today)
Watching a group of real people act like a bunch of jerks on national television may have originated with The Real World, but it wasn’t until Survivor that audiences could watch a group of real people act like a bunch of jerks on national television for a chance to win large sums of money. Back in 2000, the desert island reality competition was revolutionary, despite a brilliantly simple premise – throw 16 total strangers together onto an island with limited resources, have them compete against one another for a million dollars, and watch the Lord Of The Flies-inspired antics begin. Survivor was trashy, entertaining, and above all else, game changing. The show made reality television popular, marginalizing scripted shows in favor of series that forced real people to race around the world, work to impress an egomaniacal business mogul, or sing, dance, and eat disgusting things for a shot at a big cash prize. The relative benefits of introducing people like Johnny Fairplay, Russell Hantz, and Jeff Probst into the zeitgeist are debatable, but there’s no denying that when Richard Hatch first set out naked along the beach, television was irrevocably changed.
Will & Grace (1998-2006)
These days, having a gay character in your TV show is the cool thing to do: even the burliest of series (Entourage, Game Of Thrones, Prison Break) feature prominent LGBT figures—some as lead characters—with no public afterthought, with no consideration as to just how big of a deal that small feat is. When Will & Grace first aired as a companion to the stratospheric phenomenon that was NBC’s smash sitcom Friends, a show with a gay character as a lead (and a titular character at that) was absolutely unheard of. But the eight-season story of two gay men and the two women who loved them turned out to be another classic comedy series, written with a stylized humor and crass wit that both brilliantly displayed the comedic chops of stars Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally as well as bringing a new and hilarious facet of the LGBT lifestyle to every home in America. What overpowered that sting of stigma in watching what was a shamelessly gay series and the ultimate reason it broke so many barriers was just one thing: it was a damn funny show.
What are your favorite TV series ever? Let us know in the comments.
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Follow Terron R. Moore on Twitter: @cityfitch
