The 100 Best TV Shows of the 2000s

Another decade of our youth lost to the boob tube. Here's 100 Best TV Shows that aired from 2000 to 2009.

The Wire
HBO

Image via HBO

The Wire

This feature was originally published on October 26, 2009.

It's a new day, which means a new installment in Complex's Best of the 2000s series. How can we sum up the Aughts? Another decade of our youth lost to the boob tube. We could've run a marathon, we could've started our own business, we could've joined the Peace Corps. But we didn't. Instead we spent hours (upon hours upon hours) parked in front of our television set zoned out like crackheads. There ain't no shame in our game—in fact, we're proud to share our extensive knowledge of the idiot box with our totally comprehensive guide to the 100 Best TV Shows that aired from 2000 to 2009. Grab a drink, your favorite snack, and of course the remote...

RELATED: The 100 Greatest 2000s Films

100. Flavor of Love (VH1)

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Aired: 2006-2008


Flavor Flav stars as the object of affection for a group of inexplicably besotted women. Yes, it occurs in this dimension—but add in spitting and hair-pulling from ladies who think that gold-digging is a fine art, and things become even more perverse. How Hoopz came out of this one alive we have no idea.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Flavor of Love was the highest-rated show in VH1 history. Way to go, America!

99. The Simpsons (Fox)

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Aired: 1989-


The animated story of a family living in Springfield (state unknown), said family consisting of paterfamilias Homer (who's fond of exclaiming "d'oh!"), his blue-haired wife Marge, lovably insolent son Bart...what's that you say? You've already heard of these lovable kooks? OK, so Matt Groening's cartoon juggernaut may have reached its peak in the '90s, but, like nitrous, The Simpsons have a timeless appeal: you couldn't get enough of 'em when you were a teenager, and they're still great for a few laughs after church on Sundays.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The episode airing February 16, 2003 entitled "Barting Over" was advertised as the show's 300th, although according to the network's production code order, it was no. 302. TAKE THAT, GROENING!

98. The Hills (MTV)

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Aired: 2006-2010


The epitome of reality TV, the show follows Laguna Beach's Lauren Conrad and friends through the drama and deception that comes with living in Hollywood. And living with a bunch of producers who instigate everything so you don't have to.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Audrina Patridge was cast by producers to play Lauren's and Heidi's new friend.

97. Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

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Aired: 2003-


The follow-up to his ABC talk show is a bit more pretentious, but still a worthwhile watch as Bill Maher and a rotating panel of guests discuss current political events. When he breaks the left-leaning circle jerk and brings on conservative guests—or at least Mos Def—is when the show really gets good. Superhead's loss is our gain.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Christopher "Kid" Reid (you know...from Kid N' Play) composed the opening theme music.

96. Penn and Teller Bullshit! (Showtime)

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Aired: 2003-2010


Organic Food? Bullshit. The Pope? Bullshit. Handicapped Parking? Bullshit. Everything you thought you believed in gets neatly torn to shreds in hilarious 30-minute installments by the magician duo known for debunking their own tricks.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

After Penn and Teller were forced to cancel a planned episode on Scientology, friends Matt Stone and Trey Parker were inspired to make their infamous "Trapped In the Closet" Scientology episode of South Park.

95. Everyday Italian (Food Network)

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Aired: 2003-2008


Cooking shows are usually about as alluring as a chopped leek, but Giada De Laurentiis changed all that for the better. With slow-motion shots, cleavage close-ups, and a cinematic feel, the show used its pint-sized (and top-heavy) culinatrix to serve up hot sex on a platter. FOH, Rachael Ray.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

GDL's grandfather Dino was the producer behind Complex classics like Serpico, Death Wish, and Army of Darkness.

94. Wonder Showzen (MTV)

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Aired: 2005-2006


What happens when you mix PBS-style kids' programming, bad kids, and corrupt Muppets? Oh, just a glorious lampoon that makes heavy use of sex, war, and politics. And may or may not go great with a White Owl. Allegedly.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The show was originally shopped to the USA Network, but they felt that it didn't fit in with their usual family-friendly fare like WWE Raw.

93. Southland (NBC)

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Aired: 2009


A rookie LAPD officer (Benjamin McKenzie) who comes from money learns the ropes from cops who have addictions and all kinds of personal and professional problems. This gritty drama was exactly what we needed when The Shield wrapped. So, really, thanks for canceling it, NBC.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Despite renewing the show for a second season, and even shooting six episodes, NBC canceled it before they aired because moronic execs thought it was too dark (and expensive) for the 9 p.m. prime-time slot. Meanwhile they've got Jay Leno sucking down ratings five nights a week. Nice work, peacock!

92. Stump the Schwab (ESPN2)

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Aired: 2004-2006


Contestants challenged ESPN's first and only statistician in a quest for up prize money. Not surprisingly, most self-proclaimed "stat-heads" got lumped up by Howie Schwab and sent back home with a bruised ego. Come correct next time, sports nerds!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

From the show's inception to its close in 2006, The Schwab's record was a dynasty-like 64-16.

91. American Chopper (Discovery/TLC)

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Aired: 2003-2010


Gear heads can enjoy the nuts and bolts of this reality series about the Orange County Choppers custom bike shop, but the engine of the show is undoubtedly badass tattooed biker owner Paul Teutel, Sr. as he continuously tears his employee sons new crankshafts.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The bike-building banger has inspired two video games: American Chopper (PS2, Xbox) and American Chopper 2: Full Throttle (GameCube, PS2, Xbox).

90. Sons of Anarchy (FX)

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Aired: 2008-2014


Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam), V.P. of a gun-running California biker gang co-founded by his deceased dad and run by his stepfather, begins to question its direction while reading his dad's manuscript detailing the club's corruption. All the hogs and scantily clad skanks you need, plus some chest-naked Hunnam for your lady.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The show is loosely based on Shakespeare's Hamlet, the ending of which you'd know if you hadn't slept through high school.

89. Supernatural (WB/CW)

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Aired: 2005-


Two badass brothers carry on the family business—hunting demons, ghosts, and various other things that go bump in the night. But don't pause this show just because it's about two dudes-the supernatural shit gets super real, super fast.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

There's a sadly-not-surprising glut of fanfic on the Internet that changes the two brothers into lovers.

88. 24/7 (HBO)

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Aired: 2007-


Boxing may be a dying sport, but it comes alive in this four-part commercial reality series, which follows two fighters as they prepare for a PPV bout. Expert technical insights and dramatic personal stories make watching two men sweetly, scientifically savage each other even more fun.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The first edition of the series promoted the big-money super welterweight bout between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr., whose friend 50 Cent made a cameo riding a Segway indoors. Curtiiiiis!

87. Fringe (FOX)

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Aired: 2008-2013


A hot FBI agent, Pacey from Dawson's Creek, and his crazy father genius use fringe science to investigate some seriously crazy paranormal business. Created by the same team that did Alias and the new Star Trek (JJ Abrams et al), this show is like Mulder and Scully, but less gully.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The flashing images before each commercial break are actually a hidden cipher. The message in the first episode spells "Deez Nuts."

86. How It's Made (Science Channel)

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Aired: 2001-


After the Dutch goes around, have you ever looked at something sitting nearby and said "Dude, how'd they make that?" Well, now you can sit there agape while the entire process that goes into producing pencils—or coins, or marbles, or bubble gum—washes over your thirsty little brain.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

In Romania, the show is known as Cum se fabric?. Now ya got Siemen's furniture!

85. Party Down (Starz)

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Aired: 2009-2010


Rob Thomas—the man behind Veronica Mars, not the Matchbox 20 guy—goes full comedy on this half-hour shot of brilliance about a party catering company staffed by wannabe actors. With a respectable ensemble of slept-on actors (including Ken Marino, Lizzy Caplan, and Adam Scott) and consistently witty writing, this one has officially put the Starz Network on the original programming map.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The homie Fred Savage (a.k.a. Kevin Arnold from The Wonder Years) directed several episodes of this (as well as of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia).

84. The Brak Show (Cartoon Network)

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Aired: 2000-2003


A cat-boy with a metal mask from the '60s cartoon Space Ghost gets his own Leave It to Beaver-style show, courtesy of the twisted minds at Adult Swim. If you need much more than that, you've either been sleeping under a rock or you're one of those weird weed-is-the-devil people.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Brak's father was never meant to be smaller than normal, but the show's staff thought the initial mistake was so funny they let it ride.

83. MTV's Fear (MTV)

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Aired: 2000-2002


Take a bunch of twentysomethings, stick 'em in an abandoned insane asylum overnight, fill their heads with scary stories, then film them freaking out with night vision cameras. Ghost-based killaaaaaaa!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The show was cancelled after 14 episodes, not because of ratings, but because MTV was too cheap to want to shell out for the relatively high production costs. See, that's how you drive a decent network into the ground.

82. Firefly (FOX)

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Aired: 2002-2003


From TV impresario Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), this futuristic space Western is about a witty crew of smugglers that's big on multiculturalism and high-level prostitution. FOX cancelled it after only 11 episodes, but it hit cult status with big DVD sales and a spinoff movie (Serenity). Yes, because of the action, but also because of Summer Glau and her...lady friends. Space boner!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Whedon wrote the theme song to the series.

81. Law & Order: SVU (NBC)

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Aired: 1999-


From assault to sodomy, rape to prostitution—all types of illegal fuckery are twisted into a sick crime in SVU episodes. The fast-paced, in-your-face style of the show keeps viewers glued to the screen. Especially since Hayden Panettiere was shown doing something real suspect. I like!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Christopher Meloni (Det. Stabler) once played a sadistic rapist/murder on HBO's Oz; the opposite of his role hunting them down on SVU.

80. Man vs Wild (Discovery)

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Aired: 2006-2011


Bear Grylls (actually his real name) gets dropped in the middle of the wilderness with a camera crew so he can show you how to survive in different environments around the globe. So what if he secretly stayed a few of those nights in 5-star hotels? This dude sucks water out of elephant and camel poop! He earned it.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

In 2009, Will Ferrell co-hosted the Season Four premiere, in which he and Bear went on a trek through Sweden's frozen tundra.

79. 24 (FOX)

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Aired: 2001-2014


Jack Bauer has lost his wife, tortured the shit out of countless terror suspects (some of them were even guilty), spent two years in a Chinese prison, and developed and kicked a heroin habit—all in the name of national security. No one knows how much more Jack can take, but one thing is for sure: There has not been a terrorist attack in the US since he first appeared on TV.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Courtesy of Jack Bauer Facts: Jack Bauer once shot himself ten times just to prove that 50 Cent is a bitch.

78. Gossip Girl (CW)

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Aired: 2007-2012


Josh Schwartz, the guy who made The O.C., subverts the schmaltzy teen melodrama formula he got rich off of with this over-the-top satire of fucked-up, mega-rich Upper East Side kids. More happens in 10 minutes of this show than a whole season of your typical lame-ass CW drama.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth are reportedly big fans of Gossip Girl; the band has played on the show twice, and Gordon even performed the marriage between two of the characters.

77. Damages (FX)

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Aired: 2007-2012


Trina? Lil' Kim? Foxy Brown? No, the baddest bitch is Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), the complex and ruthless head of a New York law firm who will extort and order the murder of anyfuckingbody to get a win in this legal dope. Case closed.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

In two seasons, Close has twice won the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emmy for her portrayal of Hewes.

76. The Amazing Race (CBS)

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Aired: 2001-


Take the fame whores you'd usually find on Big Brother, sprinkle in some old folks, bickering couples, and strained parent-child relationships—then make them eat eyeballs and race their jet-lagged asses around the world for a chance at a million dollars. It may have jumped the shark when they got family-friendly, but it's still compelling all the same.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

TAR has won the Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program all seven years the category has existed. Suck on that, Mad Men!

75. Justice League Unlimited (Cartoon Network)

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Aired: 2004-2006


Picking up on the heels of 2001-2004's Justice League, this animated jammy features the expanded cast of the Justice League, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and all those characters who look vaguely familiar, but whose names you don't know. Think more Batman Begins and less Batman and Robin.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Kevin Conroy, who voices Batman on the show, also plays The Caped Crusader in this year's smash video game Batman: Arkahm Asylum.

74. Futurama (FOX/Adult Swim)

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Aired: 1999-2013


Matt Groening's other show, about an intergalactic parcel delivery service, may have been set in 1,000 years in the future, but it was one big skewering of the way we live now. The characters weren't as memorable or quotable as their Simpsons counterparts (save for Bender), but at least this one didn't run past its sell-by date.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The show may have a chance to wear out its welcome after all, as Comedy Central (the station that syndicated it after its cancellation) has ordered 26 new episodes set to air in 2010. Please, Mr. Groening, don't fuck this up.

73. Deadwood (HBO)

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Aired: 2004-2006


In this wild, wild Western drama based on real events, Sheriff Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) tries to clean up lawless, violent 1870s Deadwood, South Dakota as it develops from a mining camp of a few whores to a thriving town of many whores. Can't fight progress!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The word "fuck" and its derivatives are used 2,980 times throughout the series. That's an awful fucking lot!

72. Saturday Night Live (NBC)

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Aired: 1975-


Some nights were liver than others, but thanks to Tina Fey's Sarah Palin, Will Forte's MacGruber, and Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake's dicks in a box (ll), it wasn't absurd to stay in on a Saturday night in the 2000s. It's not like you can't get drunk and fuck on a Tuesday.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Currently appearing in his 15th season, Darrell Hammond holds the record for the number of seasons as a cast member.

71. Punk'D (MTV)

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Aired: 2003-2007


Ashton Kutcher took Candid Camera and pumped it full of HGH. Elaborate pranks schemes that made every celebrity from Salma Hayek to Bow Wow lose their fucking minds. And making Justin Timberlake cry over his dog in one of the first few episodes? Genius.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

David Spade was punked, but didn't sign release papers, so the segment never aired.

70. Survivor (CBS)

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Aired: 2000-


Arguably the mother of all reality television, this show allowed Americans to go to exotic locations for a couple of weeks and play Lord of the Flies for a shot at a cool milli. Over the years, contestants have eaten bull's testicles and stood on pillars for hours at a time in hopes of lasting another week.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

International versions of Survivor have been shown in 43 different countries.

69. Attack of the Show (G4)

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Aired: 2005-2013


Pick up an issue of Complex, cram it into your USB port and turn the resulting file into a TV show—that's AOTS. G4's flagship tech/internet/movies/TV/gaming/sex review show starts with everything you care about in pop culture and takes a giant loving crap on top of it, all for your enjoyment. Oh, and Olivia Munn. That is all.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Onetime tech correspondent Wil O'Neal once pitched Complex an article, then went AWOL when the deadline loomed. Nice one, Wil!

68. The Sarah Silverman Program (Comedy Central)

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Aired: 2007-2010


Is Sarah Silverman the worst person in the world? If you're judging from her hilarious show, then she's basically a self-obsessed, immature 14-year-old asshole trapped in a thirtysomething woman's body. Whether you love or hate her button-pushing standup, you'll find something to love and/or hate about her here.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The show was almost canceled by Comedy Central in the spring of 2009 as a result of the recession, until gay-themed sister channel Logo stepped in and co-financed the show's third season. Yes homo!

67. Nip/Tuck (FX)

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Aired: 2003-2010


You think plastic surgeons are fucked up people? You have no idea. This FX drama is like an hour-long shot to your moral standards. Follow the doctors of McNamara/Troy as they deal with an endless string of bizarre surgical cases and personally explore the depths of their own sexual depravity.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The show always took place in Miami, until McNamara/Troy moved their practice to Los Angeles in Season 5.

66. ego Trip's The White Rapper Show (MTV)

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Aired: 2007


White people rapping? Will wonders never cease? The ego trip geniuses bring their biting satire to the reality TV world with this show that's the perfect fusion of race and music.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

ego trip followed up the show with their female MC competition, Miss Rap Supreme, in 2008.

65. House (FOX)

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Aired: 2004-2012


Asshole genius Gregory House leads a team of doctors at a teaching hospital in New Jersey. He's arrogant, he's usually right, he's a pill-popper, and he gets some Cuddy every now and then (zing!). Sounds like someone we can fux with.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The show makes several allusions to Sherlock Holmes. Some of them include: Dr. House's relationship to Dr. John Wilson (mirroring that of Holmes to Dr. Watson) and House's apartment number being 221B, just like Holmes' street address.

64. Hard Knocks (HBO)

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Aired: 2001-


A soap opera for football fans, this reality series follows one NFL team per preseason as it deals with contract holdouts, rookie hazing, training, position battles, cuts, personal lives, and more. There's no hiding behind cliche athlete-speak, but if it ever features the Raiders there may be some faces hidden behind paper bags.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

In the 2009 season, Cincinnati Bengals QB Carson Palmer and his brother Jordan plug their website and iPhone app RunPee, which alerts moviegoers to the best times to dash and splash off on a urinal cake.

63. Rescue Me (FX)

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Aired: 2004-2011


Following the life of NYC firefighter Tommy Gavin and company after 9/11 isn't as depressing as it might sound—once you get past the fights with dead people, raging alcoholism, thieving prostitutes, the men of 62 Truck are some of the funniest sonsabitches you'll ever have the pleasure of watching.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Just before finding success with Rescue Me, Dennis Leary created The Job, a short-lived show about NYPD officers that featured some of the same cast members.

62. Man vs. Food (Travel Channel)

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Aired: 2008-


Shows like this one, in which host Adam Richman travels around the country gorging himself while trying his hand at various restaurants' gustatory challenges, are why foreign countries hate America. By that same token, it's why we love it.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Although Adam Richman describes himself as a self-educated food expert, he ain't on that Kanye West program: He's got a master's degree from the Yale School of Drama.

61. Skins (BBC)

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Aired: 2007-2013


Like a badass British version of Degrassi, this BBC import exposes the seedy side of teen life in Bristol.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

MTV recently announced that they're planning to shoot an American remake of Skins in Baltimore. Sigh.

60. Talk Soup/The Soup (E!)

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Aired: 1991-2002, 2004-2009


Talk Soup started in the '90s as a clip show taking the piss out of the inane fuckery of talk shows. Then came the Aughts, and with 'em a little thing called reality TV, and TS became simply The Soup, a clip show taking the piss out of the weapons-grade inane fuckery of I Love New York and its ilk. Launched the career of the great Joel McHale, Number Two on Tyra Banks's "To Kill" list (just after that dolphin that winked at her at Sea World).

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The Soup started as the What the...? Awards but was renamed to keep its ties to the original Talk Soup.

59. The West Wing (NBC)

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Aired: 1999-2006


Aaron Sorkin, the man behind Sports Night, created a political drama that was not only watchable, but good—making it the first of its kind, if you don't count The Dukes of Hazzard. The show's lefty sensibility and succession of intelligent liberal presidents was a welcomed measure of solace during a time when our real president was busy ass-raping the country.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Jimmy Smits' character Matthew Santos was based on Barack Obama, with the show's writers calling David Axelrod to pick his brain after Obama's 2004 National Convention speech.

58. Ninja Warrior (G4)

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Aired: 2002-


"From the Land of the Rising Sun, 100 determined athletes have accepted the challenge to become NINJA WARRIOR." Think you're in decent shape? Think again, couch bunny. The competitors on this imported competition (it started in Japan in '97, but G4's been airing it here since '02) go through obstacle courses that make American Gladiator look like fucking minigolf.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Ninja Warrior is known as Sasuke in Japan, and is shown in 18 other countries.

57. Avatar: The Last Airbender (Nickelodeon)

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Aired: 2005-2008


Besides Spongebob and reruns of The Cosby Show, the only other Nickelodeon show we kept up with was the anime-influenced series about a young kid who's awakened after a century-long nap to assume his role as the savior of a war torn world. Pretty, pretty, pretty heavy stuff for Nick.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

M. Night Shyamalan is directing a live-action adaptation set to be released in 2010. That's like hearing that somebody's planning to rape your dog.

56. Undeclared (FOX)

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Aired: 2001-2002


Judd Apatow created this ingenious but short-lived follow-up to his original ingenious but short-lived show Freaks and Geeks. This one took place in college instead of high school, but still boasted F&G alumni Jason Segel and Seth Rogen, with cameos from no-names like Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller. Wonder what ever happened to that Apatow guy...

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

While the show was filming, Rogen showed Apatow a script he had written called Superbad, and the show's cast did a table reading with Segel playing Michael Cera's character.

55. Peep Show (BBC)

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Aired: 2003-2015


British roommates and best friends who call themselves "The El Dude Brothers" bumble their way through some really terrible sexual scenarios, which you get to suffer through their eyes. The best use of POV since...well it's a tie between the porn industry and Call of Duty. Hey, speaking of which, why hasn't there been a Call of Booty? Or a Call of Doody?

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Stars David Mitchell and Robert Webb, aka Mitchell and Webb, have also starred in the British "Mac vs. PC" Apple ads.

54. Alias (ABC)

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Aired: 2001-2006


Sydney Bristow is the name, and sexy espionage is her game. The superspy takes dangerous missions using different aliases in search of artifacts from the Renaissance period that supposedly hold the answer to life's secrets. The show's real catch, however, is seeing Jennifer Garner in hot little outfits (every kind your dirty mind can think of) and kicking the bejeesus out of brolic dudes.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The Central Intelligence Agency (yes, the real CIA) featured Jennifer Garner in their 2004 recruitment video.

53. Insomniac with Dave Attell (Comedy Central)

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Aired: 2001-2004


Ever wonder what different cities have cracking at night, when the freaks come out? Dave Attell, the Lonely Planet of comedians/the hilarious cigarette-smoking boozy bald guy of city guides, wanders around with the weirdos and a film crew to show you.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The only time an episode didn't end with the sun rising was when Attell filmed in Alaska, where the "midnight sun" stays out 24 hours a day.

52. Drive-Ins, Diners & Dives (Food Network)

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Aired: 2007-


Gluttony isn't a privilege, it's a right. Hosted by Guy Fieri, the show focuses on the most eye-popping comfort food across this great endomorphic country of ours. Despite Fieri's bleached-rockabilly-buffoon act, artery-cloggers like "Chicken Fried Lamb Chops with Creamy Gravy" will have you hooked whether it's dinner time or not.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Fieri is an avid car collector, and each episode starts off with him in one of his classic convertibles.

51. Making The Band 2 (MTV)

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Aired: 2002-2004


Diddy does a lot of things, but his biggest talent in life might actually be as stone-faced reality TV ringleader. This is the show that started it all—six mediocre artists join forces to make a horrible group and one of the most memorable displays of fuckery in modern TV history. Dylan, Dylan, Dylan!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Chopper has gone on to be the most famous former member of Da Band, thanks primarily to his amazing taste in menswear.

50. Family Guy (Fox)

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Aired: 1998-


Since the show has aired, The Griffin gang and their friends have provided quotables to keep us roffling all day, every day. At this point, if you don't know what we mean when we say "giggity giggity," then may God have mercy on your soul.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Seth McFarlane does the voices for Peter, Stewie, Brian Griffin, Quagmire, Tom Tucker, and Carter Pewtewschmidt's voices. Not bad for someone who signed a contract only worth $100 million.

49. Aqua Teen Hunger Force (Cartoon Network/Adult Swim)

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Aired: 2000-2015


On paper, this show makes absolutely no sense: A milkshake, a box of french fries and a ball of raw hamburger meat all live together in a house in New Jersey, next door to their super-Jerseyian neighbor (Carl). Two things, though. 1) Since when does a show have to make sense to be funny, and 2) Fuck you, ATHF is fucking amazing. How can it not be when Schoolly D performs the theme song?

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

In early episodes the anthropomorphic trio were detectives who solves crimes for money. The premise was dropped after a few episodes.

48. Californication (Showtime)

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Aired: 2007-2014


The sex-addicted David Duchovny channels his real-life persona in this show about a hopeless romantic/successful novelist whose sex drive just screws shit up for him. Pun intended.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

All of Hank Moody's books on the show are named after the heavy-metal band Slayer's albums.

47. True Blood (HBO)

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Aired: 2008-2014


In the deep South, vampires are both accepted by and preyed upon by humans, leading to plenty of sparks. While the Twilight movies are about hormonal teenagers with romantic fantasies, True Blood throws subtlety and subtext to the wind and just lets vampires get freak-dog buck nasty onscreen. Love bites!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

True Blood is based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries series by Charlaine Harris.

46. Reno 911 (Comedy Central)

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Aired: 2003-2009


You know how you always think that the shit on Cops is funnier than anyone could come up with even if they tried? WRONG. The State x law enforcement + numerous cameos from comedy geniuses = improv-based gold.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The show came about when creators Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, and Kerri Kenney-Silver had a pilot canceled by Fox the day before shooting in 2000; they asked to use the remaining money/equipment to film a new pilot, and voila.

45. No Reservations (Travel Channel)

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Aired: 2005-2012


Chef/food writer extraordinaire Anthony Bourdain travels far and beyond to experience different cultures and cuisines. How is it different from a million other foodie-goes-around-the-world shows? Try sheep testicles and raw seal eyeball tossed with a healthy dose of profanity, topped with a dash of blows at Emeril Legassi and vegetarians. Oh, and served over a pilaf of AWESOME.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Anthony Bourdain and the No Reservations crew were trapped in Beirut when the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict broke out, but they kept the camera rolling, and the episode resulting from the gutsy move was nominated for an Emmy. Gangster.

44. Top Gear (BBC)

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Aired: 2002-


The best damn car show period! Although it originally started back in 1977, Jeremy Clarkson retooled the show in 2001 to be more humorous, more critical, and just flat out more fun. Beautifully shot and edited, with sharp, witty hosts, you get it all: celebrity interviews, car reviews, and crazy challenges. Plus, at long last, and answer to the question, "What's faster: a Bugatti Veyron or a Typhoon fighter jet?"

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The show was so successful when relaunched in 2002 that two international versions were created in Australia and Russia.

43. CSI (CBS)

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Aired: 2000-2015


Forget the spin-offs, the original CBS series was the best new crime drama since Law & Order, birthing a slew of horrible half-assed imitators—as well as a nation of suspicious girlfriends who started busting out the blacklight to catch you in a lie. Clean-up on aisle bedspread!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The CSI set was actually broken into once, and the thieves were never caught. Way to use all that expensive-ass equipment, guys.

42. Intervention (A&E)

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Aired: 2005-


You think your life's fucked up? Just watch an episode of A&E's harrowing addiction documentary show Intervention and suddenly things don't seem so bad. Yeah, it sucks that your rent is late, but at least you're not huffing aerosol cans on the reg or downing shots of mouthwash to catch a buzz. At least we hope not.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Fred Armisen needed an intervention...to stop watching Intervention.

41. Pardon The Interruption (ESPN)

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Aired: 2001-

So a bald black guy and a bald Jewish guy walk onto a TV soundstage, and...talk about sports and other shit for 30 minutes every day (sorry Rush, no jokes here!). In the decade when sports talk went from being merely mind-numbingly ubiquitous to being let's-stop-having-sex-so-we-don't-propagate-the-species-and-keep-this-bullshit-up prevalent, Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser were talking heads we could actually watch. Well, them and Peter North's My Junk Can Speak! Vol. 3 (Vol. 1 and 2,not so much).

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
In 2006, PTI (along with the show that precedes it, Around the Horn) averaged better ratings than ESPN's signature show, SportsCenter.

40. Friday Night Lights (NBC)

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Aired: 2006-2011


FNL is art imitating life in the truest sense-the show is based on a book which was written about the high-school-football-is-more-important-than-life-itself cuture in Texas. Yes, the show is centered around football, but there is something for everyone—the series does a phenomenal job of highlighting and dissecting the various groups and cliques that make up suburban America. Also, Minka Kelly. *bows*

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The book's author, Buzz Bissinger, hates the Internet. Like, really really hates it. Oh, and he's a pedantic asshole. Almost forgot that one!

39. Blind Date (Syndicated)

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Aired: 1999-2006

Going on a blind date is awkward enough, but add a video camera and some mean-spirited thought bubbles (plus a few cocktails), and the cringe meter soars off the charts. Throw in a never-ending supply of socially inept singles and the awesomely named host Roger Lodge, and you've got the recipe for one of our favorite late-night guilty pleasures ever.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Porn star Obsession appeared on an episode using the name "Kara."

38. Da Ali G Show (HBO)

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Aired: 2003-2004


Three distinct characters, each one funnier than the other. Sacha Baron Cohen as Ali G saw a gangsta wannabe conduct horrifically awkward interviews with people like Buzz Aldrin (who he called Buzz Lightyear) and Pat Buchanan, while Borat and Bruno would cause havoc in whatever setting they were in. If you thought the movies were amazing, cop the DVD collection of the show.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

It's rumored that the character of Ali G is loosely based on London DJ Tim Westwood.

37. Crank Yankers (Comedy Central)

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Aired: 2002-2007


Another one of Comedy Central's gems this decade, it traded on the so-simple-it's-genius concept of having comedians and guest celebrities making prank calls, then re-enacting the calls with puppets. YAAAAAAAYYY!!!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

All calls done on the show are recorded out of Nevada, due to the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1969, which makes it illegal to record phone calls without the consent of all individuals in the conversation.

36. Scrubs (NBC/ABC)

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Aired: 2001-2010


Viewers follow J.D. (Zach Braff) as he daydreams and narrates through life as a doctor at Sacred Heart Hospital. ER and Gray's Anatomy are fine, but Scrubs wins because it's like a live-action Family Guy for people who are smarter than a fifth-grader.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Some of the funniest scenes from Scrubs were improvised by the actors on set.

35. Top Chef (Bravo)

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Aired: 2006-


Iron Chef is the king of culinary competition shows, but Japanese chefs are just too damn polite. Time to kick it up a notch? Bravo offers money and fame to a bunch of unknown chefs and voila! Top Chef is all the drama, trash talking, and back stabbing one could ever ask for from a food competition show...and about 25% of the Padma Lakshmi, but maybe we're just greedy.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Marcel, the runner-up of Season 2, was smashed in the head with a champagne bottle by a fan of the show at a nightclub.

34. Boondocks (UPN)

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Aired: 2005-2014


Adapted from his nationally syndicated comic strip, Aaron McGruder's animated series follows the Freeman family (Huey, his little brother Riley, and Grandad Robert) as they adapt to life in an all-white town while delivering scathing critiques of pop culture (and BET) and exposing race relations with stinging zeal. The only show that can have Dr. Martin Luther King saying the N word, at least until Glenn Beck gets himself a better video editor.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Animation production for the third season has been entirely moved to Korea.

33. Robot Chicken (Cartoon Network/Adult Swim)

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Aired: 2005-

We're surprised Robot Chicken isn't a title sponsor for Attention Deficit Disorder Association events. The stop-motion animated series runs for 11 minutes per episode and manages to cram like 80 pop-mocking skits into each one.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:
Almost everyone that's cool in Hollywood has contributed their voice to the show including: Jon Favreau, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Scarlett Johansson, Conan O'Brien, Master P, Simon Pegg, T-Pain, and Rosario Dawson. And many, many, many others. And yes, we said Van Damme was cool.

32. The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)

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Aired: 2005-2015


Making the ridiculous sublime, former Daily Show performer/reporter Stephen Colbert took Bill O'Reilly's belligerently conservative neo-fascist talk show host act to a whole other level, eventually surpassing his former show in the process. O'Reilly himself tried to get in on the success of the TCR, appearing in a guest spot swap with Colbert in 2007—but don't think you're in on the joke, Bill: we're laughing at you, definitely not with you.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

In 2007, then Democratic Caucus chair Rahm Emanuel instructed freshmen Democratic representatives not to appear on TCR's "Better Know a District" segment.

31. Locked Up Abroad (National Geographic)

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Aired: 2006-


Where do you never ever want to be? Check this show's title for the answer. Better yet, peep any episode from this well-produced NatGeo series, which travels around the world to reenact stories of first-world travelers who land in third-world jails. The predictability of each episode's narrative arc—bored American/Brit smuggles drugs, gets caught, and then suffers in overcrowded foreign prison—makes them no less compelling. We've seen enough doomed airport security checks on LUA that we'll never even consider sneaking greenery through customs. Not again, anyway.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The show's O.G. U.K. title is the considerably cooler Banged Up Abroad. Sounds like a Rocco Siffredi movie, don't it?

30. BET Uncut (BET)

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Aired: 2000-2006


You may remember BET Uncut as the late night rap-video peep show. But we prefer to think of it as the precursor to World Star Hip Hop: an indie video forum where cash-strapped rappers, who would never get on Rap City or 106 and Park, could get their shine for bountiful T&A shoestring artistry.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Although the show was endorsed by a number of rappers, Big Boi of OutKast found it to be "distasteful" and akin to "soft porn." Allllrighty, DUDE WHO HAS A STRIPPER POLE IN HIS HOUSE.

29. True Life: I'm A... (MTV)

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Aired: 1998-


"I'm addicted to porn." "I live in a brothel." "I'm a binge drinker." "I want the perfect body." "I'm obese." "I have Tourette's syndrome." "I'm a Staten Island girl." Over its 200 episodes, MTV's first-person documentary series has covered pretty much every affliction we can think of, all from a refreshingly open-minded perspective. Like MTV, we don't judge—well, except homie that got the calf implants. Fuck was up with him?

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

A.D. from True Life: I'm Bisexual later appeared on the second season of From G's to Gents. Wow, you made it, kid!

28. MXC (G4)

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Aired: 2003-2007


Redubbing Japanese obstacle-course game show episodes (from a show called Takeshi's Castle) that are nearly two decades old? Either it's genius or it's just another testament to we're so far behind the Japanese in terms of...well, everything. Forget Wipeout and get with the show that started it all.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

In 2004, there was one special U.S. episode, taped in Orlando, that featured Tony Hawk and snowboarder Tara Dakides.

27. Six Feet Under (HBO)

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Aired: 2001-2005


Before True Blood, Alan Ball flipped a different kind of gothic tale for HBO-about a pair of brothers who take over the family funeral home when their father dies. Sex, death, and plenty of melodrama made for one of the better written shows the network had ever aired, and, along with The Sopranos, Oz, and The Wire, solidified its critical ascension during in the late '90s/early 2000s.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Playing central character David Fisher was the first screen role Michael C. Hall—you know, Dexter—had ever taken on. And considering he got an Emmy nomination after the first season, it seems like he did ok.

26. King of Queens (CBS)

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Aired: 1998-2007


CBS, long a trailblazer in the Fat Loser With Hot Wife Sitcom field, actually fucked up and made one that was funny. Kevin James is insanely underrated as a master of physical comedy, Costanza's dad is a fucking genius, and there are black people that aren't tokens! Someone's got some 'splainin' to do!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Somehow, the show exists in the Everybody Loves Raymond universe, but isn't a spin-off. Our minds have officially been blown.

25. Entourage (HBO)

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Aired: 2004-2011


If there was ever a show you and your boys wished was your life, it's this one. A-list actor Vinny Chase (Adrian Grenier) is someone we all vicariously live through—especially when he's banging models and dropping paper on houses and whips. Awesome characters (Ari Gold top 5 dead or alive!) and great celeb cameos (Bob Sagat) make the show a winner, every season.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

HBO recently renewed Entourage for a seventh season, but it won't premiere until Summer 2010.

24. Dateline: To Catch a Predator (NBC)

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Aired: 2006-2008


NBC stumbled on comedic gold with what was ostensibly intended to be a noble hidden-camera show exposing (or entrapping?) unsuspecting pedophiles. Sounds pretty serious, until you actually watch host Chris "Schadenfreude" Hansen swoop in to ambush these pathetic pervs. Who knew that child molesters are so fucking entertaining? Wait, don't answer that...just take a seat right there.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Not so funny: Both NBC and vigilante group Perverted Justice caught heat in Nov. 2006 after Louis Conradt, a Texas district attorney, committed suicide in the middle of a Dateline sting. (This Esquire feature on the incident is a must-read.) Conradt's sister later sued NBC for $105 million; the suit was "amicably resolved" out of court.

23. Veronica Mars (UPN)

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Aired: 2004-2007


Ever wonder why we love Kristen Bell? Her breakout portrayal of the titular dream girl, a whip-smart high school private eye, still has us hooked. This cult classic was the greatest thing to ever happen to UPN—a unique mix of noir, sharp humor, and teen drama that sadly was too good to last.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

After the show's untimely cancellation, a Veronica Mars movie was reportedly in the works. Unfortunately, by summer 2009, Kristen Bell reported that the studio had lost interest.

22. Weeds (Showtime)

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Aired: 2005-2012


Mary-Louise Parker plays a sexy, widowed housewife who provides for her kids by pushing that sticky-icky in the 'burbs. A stellar supporting cast (including reliable comic foils Kevin Nealon, Elizabeth Perkins and Justin Kirk) made this one a must-watch.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Weeds creator Jenji Kohan began her career by writing an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1994.

21. Jackass (MTV)

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Aired: 2000-2002


Spike Jonze, Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, and the crew from Big Brother Magazine teamed up in '00 and started filming the stupid shit skateboarders had been doing for years: racing golf carts, lighting each other on fire, and terrorizing the general public. The result? A couple of classic movies, way too many MTV spinoff shows, and—despite a public outcry that would lead you to believe otherwise—not nearly enough maimed imitators.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Johnny Knoxville's real name is Philip John Clapp. Bam Margera's real name is, amazingly, Bam Margera. Just kidding! It's Brandon.

20. Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi)

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Aired: 2004-2009


After hostile cyborgs nearly eradicate the population, what's left of humanity bands together in a fleet of ships in search of a new planet...and to kick some machine ass. Yes, we know how that sounds, but trust us. BSG features a Complex cover girl, a Playboy cover girl, and plenty of other intergalactic ass. Still planning to pass? Frak outta here.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

This kickass 2004 series was a re-imagining of a really horrible 1978 series.

19. How I Met Your Mother (CBS)

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Aired: 2005-2014


How did I meet your mother? She came over to watch this hilarious three-camera sitcom that relaunched Doogie Howser's career. And then I nailed her. It was legen...wait for it...dary.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

All of the show's narration is done by Bob Saget.

18. The Flight of The Conchords (HBO)

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Aired: 2007-2009


A couple of folk-rock wannabes from New Zealand hit the streets of the Big Apple looking for fame and fortune in the music biz, and occasionally get so inspired they spontaneously break into song. What sounds like a lame(r), Kiwi version of Rent is anything but, as Jemaine and Bret (plus scene-stealing Rhys Darby as their manager Murray) mine hilarity out of a famously mirthless music genre. Kingston Trio tested; Peter, Paul, and Mary approved.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Bret McKenzie had small roles in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.

17. The Shield (FX)

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Aired: 2002-2008


Bald and badass, Michael Chiklis plays Detective Vic Mackey, the murderous, thieving, adulterous, and lying (gasp!) leader of a brutal, foulmouthed, corrupt unit of L.A. police officers whose community service is decidedly self-serving. The Commish this ain't.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The LAPD Rampart Division's corrupt anti-gang unit inspired Mackey's Strike Team.

16. Dexter (Showtime)

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Aired: 2006-2013


A blood spatter analyst for Miami PD (Michael C. Hall) moonlights as a serial killer who targets and dismembers bad, bad people—always while wearing the same fucking henley shirt. Now in its fourth season, despite the lowest Crip viewership of any currently running program.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

A company owned by some dude named Marc Ecko developed a Dexter game for the iPhone earlier this year.

15. Mad Men (AMC)

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Aired: 2007-2015


Somehow this show, set in New York in the 1960s—when black people could apparently only operate elevators and empty dust bins and women were relegated to secretarial duties—has us looking past all that and focusing squarely on the enigmatic, philandering adman Don Draper and the characters that orbit around him.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Mad Men was the first basic cable series to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.

14. 30 Rock (NBC)

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Aired: 2006-2013


Tina Fey draws on her SNL experience for a sitcom about a sketch comedy writer, a half-insane star (Tracy Morgan), and a megalomaniacal boss (Alec Baldwin). We know what you're thinking: where the hell does she come up with this stuff?

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

30 Rock premiered the same season as Aaron Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, another roman a clef about SNL. Only one of them made it out alive. *sad trombone* Sorkin.

13. Eastbound & Down (HBO)

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Aired: 2009-2013


Danny McBride stars as Kenny Powers, a burnt-out major league pitcher who returns to his small Southern hometown, takes a job as a middle school gym teacher, and commences a rampage of on-the-reg fuckery that would make Stalin blush. The most lovable redneck since...well, since ever.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Ben Best, who wrote and created E&D (along with McBride and Jody Hill), plays Kenny Powers' drug-habit enabling bartender buddy Clegg.

12. Freaks & Geeks (NBC)

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Aired: 1999-2000


Though the short-lived series premiered too early for its time, its unflinching chronicle of social awkwardness and the perils of puberty (starring a young James Franco and Linda Cardellini) encapsulated the ultimate high school experience. It's also the reason you've heard of Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Martin Starr.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Producers recruited Ben Stiller to make a cameo as a Secret Service agent to stave off network cancellation, but the episode aired after the series had already been cancelled.

11. The Office (US) (NBC)

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Aired: 2005-2013


Easily as good as (and in some people's opinions, better than) the British original, the American Officeis the most consistently funny mainstream sitcom of the decade. A shitheel boss, a bizarre dysfunctional workforce, and thankfully, hardly anyone willing to stop the insanity.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Paul Giamatti was originally offered the part of Michael Scott, but he turned it down.

10. The Office (BBC)

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Aired: 2001-2003


Your favorite comedian's favorite comedy. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's magnum opus—a mockumentary about the lives of a paper company's employees in England—was a true watershed moment, making discomfort and douchery the funniest thing since watching an old lady fall down the stairs.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Before comedy popped off for him, Gervais was in an '80s duo called Seona Dancing. Seriously.

9. South Park (Comedy Central)

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Aired: 1997-


The second greatest animated series of all time (them Simpsons did it!) helped Comedy Central make its bread in the '90s, but the show really hit its stride this decade by giving screen time to a slew of memorable supporting characters (Towlie, Jimmy, Butters, Timmy), brutally satirizing (and and often sodomizing) current events within days of them occuring, and bringing Cartman to horribly depraved new lows.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

In 2007, Trey Stone and Matt Parker, who still write and direct each episode, signed on to create South Park through season 15, meaning we'll have it around until at least 2011. Then Baseketball Part Deux, perhaps?

8. Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)

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Aired: 2000-


When it comes to comedy, Larry David does what he wants. The co-creator of Seinfeld took to HBO to star in his own unscripted sitcom, and it's turned out to be genius. LD's quirky x asshole x self-deprecating personality, coupled with hilarious guest stars, makes for a brilliant formula.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The George Costanza character on Seinfeld is based on the real-life Larry David.

7. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (FX)

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Aired: 2005-


Four dirtbag-ass best friends in Philadelphia own a bar, drink to excess, eat cat food, try out for the Eagles, sniff glue, write musicals, become crackheads, shit in the bed, dance their asses off, pop their shirts off, and do shitty, shitty things to people. The anti-Seinfeld if ever there was one.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

In real life, Charlie and the coffee-shop waitress are married. As are Mac and Sweet Dee! Mazel tov, kids!

6. The Daily Show (Comedy Central)

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Aired: 1996-


It was funny enough with Craig Kilborn, but once Jon Stewart took over as anchor of this satirical news show in 1999, it hit a whole other level. Hoisting news shows and politicans alike by their own petard with a crack team of correspondents and keen-eyed video research, the critical darling also birthed the careers of little-known hacks Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

During the WGA writers' strike in 2007-08, the show ran for a month as A Daily Show With Jon Stewart, relying on ad-libs for material. And they say freestlye is dead...

5. Lost (ABC)

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Aired: 2004-2010


Survivors of a plane crash on a remote island try to find their way back to civilization while being plagued by a series of incomprehensibly bizarre circumstances, each more more WTF than the last. The biggest mindfuck on TV since Twin Peaks FUCKING EVER.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Anything we say would be a spoiler, trust. Just get the DVDs and watch the damn show. And thank us later.

4. The Sopranos (HBO)

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Aired: 1999-2007


The show that kicked off HBO's decade of dominance: a Mafia boss in present-day Jersey starts visiting a shrink when middle age begins to close in: an aging parent (that wants to off him), competition at work (that want to off him), a bratty kid (that makes him want to off himself). Paulie Walnuts, Meadow Soprano, and a typically unhinged Steve Buscemi cameo FTW. Bada bing bada bang bang!

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Paulie Walnuts' first name is Peter; Paul is his middle name. In fact, his given birth name is "Peter Paul Wall Nuts."

3. Arrested Development (FOX)

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Aired: 2003-


Usually "dysfunctional family comedies" are about as funny as a fart in a spacesuit—kinda funny, but the novelty wears off fast. Not the case with this, maybe the most groundbreaking sitcom of the decade: A lone voice of sanity (Jason Bateman) tries to keep his genetic loonie bin intact when his father goes to jail for embezzlement. The creative womb from which Will Arnett and Michael Cera sprang.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

The hip-hop group Arrested Developments actually sued the show's producers in 2003. Yeah, because everyone was crushingly disappointed when the show turned out not to be a half hour of the "Mr. Wendel" video on a loop.

2. The Wire (HBO)

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Aired: 2002-2008


There's really nothing we can say that hasn't been said already, so just trust us. Ride with genius co-creators David Simon and Ed Burns (a former Baltimore newspaperman and cop respectively) as they deconstruct the modern American city—from drug corners to elementary schools to the mayor's office—in their TV novel. If you want a "cop show," go peep a T.J. Hooker re-run.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

Several of the real-life cops and former criminals upon whom the show's characters are based have small roles on the show, including notorious drug kingpin Melvin Williams (who plays Deacon), stickup man and hitman Donnie "Larry" Andrews (Donnie), and homicide detective Jay Landsman (Lt. Dennis Mello).

1. Chappelle's Show (Comedy Central)

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Aired: 2003-2006


One of the artistic high points—in any genre—of the decade, Dave Chappelle's all-too-brief sketch show was hilarious, culturally relevant, and even environmentally-friendly. Doubt us on that last one? OK, so we doubt any of the frat boys yelling "I'm Rick James, bitch!" have changed their racial attitudes because of Chappelle's Show, but if just oneof them OD'ed on cocaine after hearing James say it was a hell of a drug, then the world is a better place for everyone else.

YOU AUGHTA KNOW:

A Jackson, MS city council candidate named Rick James blamed repeated thefts of his campaign signs on fans of Chappelle's Show.

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