The 2010s saw the birth of countless great TV shows, but only one from each year of that decade can take the respective number one spots. Some of the projects that debuted in the 2010s have quickly become immortalized as among the best TV shows of all time. Many received multi-season runs and are either still active or only ended fairly recently.

Even now, some of the 2010s’ finest efforts remain the best shows to stream across various platforms. The decade saw the meteoric rise of streaming services, so the 2010s were an especially formative period for the TV industry, as the way many people accessed shows changed forever.

10

The Boys (2019-Present)

Amazon’s Satirical Superhero Show Was An Immediate Hit

As the show with the most recent premiere date on this list, it’s not really a surprise that The Boys isn’t over yet. That said, it is set to conclude with its fifth and final season, which is expected to land in 2026. Adapted from a series of comics of the same name, the show was an immediate hit for Prime Video and has since become a TV franchise.

The Boys debuted near the end of the MCU’s iconic Infinity Saga, when the live-action superhero genre had long hit saturation point. The show is filled with compelling lore of its own while satirizing both present-day political scenarios and tropes often seen in Marvel and DC movies.

The show’s dark sense of humor, shameless gore, and other adult-centric themes make it unsuitable for younger audiences, but something truly special for its target demographic. Spinoff Gen V also interwines brilliantly with The Boys main story, meaning there is more to enjoy than just the parent show.

9

You (2018-2025)

Netflix’s Live-Action Adaptation Of The You Books Took The World By Storm

Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg somewhat confusingly stole the hearts of the world when You season 1 debuted in 2018. The Netflix show’s problematic protagonist was quickly revealed to be an unhinged stalker/serial killer, and yet that didn’t stop viewers rooting for him throughout every season of You.

Based on a series of novels by Caroline Kepnes, You adhered to the literary source material pretty faithfully in season 1, but then started to essentially become its own thing from season 2 onward. Still, the show remained thoroughly engaging as Joe made his way through several relationships that were all doomed to fail for various terrifying reasons.

8

The Orville (2017-Present)

Seth MacFarlane Cast Himself In A Brilliant Star Trek Tribute

Despite the 10-year anniversary of The Orville‘s debut rapidly approaching, Seth MacFarlane’s love letter to the Star Trek franchise is still only three seasons long. The show’s creator is in such high demand that The Orville has experienced ongoing scheduling issues for a while now. Still, its brilliant blend of comedy and sci-fi made it the best new show of the year.

The Orville is shameless in how much it borrows from Star Trek, but it also doesn’t try to hide the homage either. Without MacFarlane’s comedic stamp on the show, it would feel very much like a clone of Star Trek: The Next Generation under a different name. Thankfully, there is plenty to laugh (and even cry) at while also enjoying some brilliant sci-fi worldbuilding.

7

Stranger Things (2016-2025)

Netflix’s Mega Hit Is Now A Household Name

Overnight cultural phenomena on an international level don’t happen all too often, but that’s exactly how Stranger Things exploded onto the scene back in 2016. The throwback show didn’t just manage to illicit feelings of nostalgia thanks to its 1980s setting – even somehow among viewers who weren’t alive at the time – but also expertly combined sci-fi and horror in an accessible way.

Stranger Things season 5 is ending the show in 2025, with the finale itself airing on New Year’s Eve. The story has seen the cast’s youngest members grow up on-screen, creating a fascinating connection between the audience and the characters – similar to what happened with the Harry Potter movies. Stranger Things coming to an end will certainly be felt deeply by its devoted fan base.

6

Better Call Saul (2015-2022)

The Breaking Bad Spinoff More Than Lived Up To Its Parent Show’s Legacy

There is always a lot of pressure for spinoffs to perform well, as they’re often commissioned after immense success from the show that spawned them. When Breaking Bad ended in 2013, Vince Gilligan’s beloved crime saga was left unvisited until Better Call Saul debuted in 2015, but the two-year gap was well worth the wait.

With Bob Odenkirk’s Saul Goodman being a very different sort of character to Bryan Cranston’s Walter White, it was unclear what tone Better Call Saul would adopt and how it would compare to Breaking Bad. The prequel show ultimately turned out to somehow retain the same vibe while also adopting elements of its own.

Better Call Saul is widely regarded to be at least as good as Breaking Bad, if not better. It avoided the problem experienced by many other prequels by introducing important characters with zero plot armor and only eventually revealing why they never appeared in Breaking Bad.

5

The Flash (2014-2023)

The CW’s Best Arrowverse Show Ran For An Impressive 9 Seasons

Although it wasn’t the first of the 6 main Arrowverse shows, The Flash went on to become the glue that held the sprawling saga together, as well as its biggest success. Some of the other projects with which it shared a canon often came close to matching The Flash‘s quality, but they were rarely able to pull it off quite so consistently.

What makes The Flash‘s success so impressive is how well the show was written compared with DC’s relatively disjointed attempts at creating a cinematic universe made up of feature-length installments. Rather than trying to fold itself into Zack Snyder’s branch of the franchise, The Flash was satisfied with being a vital part of the Arrowverse, and eventually other DC projects from years gone by.

4

The Blacklist (2013-2023)

The Story Of Raymond “Red” Reddington Was A Heck Of A Ride

The Blacklist was a crime thriller that used pretty much every trope in the genre’s toolbox while adding a fresh twist to pretty much all of them. The show found a way to be deeply engaging on an episode-by-episode basis while peppering in longer-running storylines that tugged at the heartstrings a surprising amount.

Although The Blacklist‘s cast was far more than just James Spader as Red, the actor’s performance as the show’s antihero eclipses his co-stars but also allows him to have terrific chemistry with them all. While The Blacklist does have some rough patches, they’re easy to forgive thanks to the quality of its highest heights.

3

Call The Midwife (2012-Present)

The British Medical Drama Is Still A Standout In Its Category

It can take a lot for British shows to become international hits, but when they catch on, it’s often a strong sign that they’ve been made to a very high standard. Since debuting in 2012, Call the Midwife, the generational medical drama, has chronicled UK midwifery through the decades, and made the endeavor into a thoroughly rewarding project.

Call the Midwife‘s revolving door of cast members has made sure the show continues to stay fresh while still maintaining its identity. While midwifery understandably remains the central theme, the characters all experience arcs unrelated to the show’s titular profession. Despite the show’s age, there are still only just north of 120 episodes, making it a reasonably easy binge.

2

Game Of Thrones (2011-2019)

HBO’s Award-Winning Fantasy Series Caught Everyone’s Eye

The incredible speed at which Game of Thrones seemed to become everyone’s favorite show in 2011 makes it an easy choice for the best show to debut that year. The adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s novels lasted for eight seasons and concluded in 2019. The high fantasy hallmarks paired with its mature storytelling approach gave it a whole lot of appeal.

The fact that Game of Thrones ended up leapfrogging its source material meant the final season had to get relatively improvisational, although Martin was stilll involved as a consultant. As a result, the show’s ending was divisive, with many fans feeling displeased. Still, 2022’s House of the Dragon prequel saw the franchise expand.

1

The Walking Dead (2010-2022)

AMC’s Zombie Drama Is The Saga That Just Keeps On Going

Just as the 2010s ended with a terrific comic book adaptation, the decade started with one too. While The Boys gave superhero fans something to cheer about, The Walking Dead was aimed at those who love horror. However, like only some of the best genre-heavy shows can do, The Walking Dead also drew in audiences who didn’t routinely engage with zombie stories.

Even though it was undeniably a huge hit, The Walking Dead still managed to hold onto the welcoming atmosphere of a cult classic. The world was so compelling that it spawned a spinoff in 2015, and more continue to appear today. The impact of The Walking Dead‘s success is still being felt now, making it one of the modern day’s most influential TV shows.