My Completely Uninformed Take on the 10 Most Consequential TV Shows of the Past 30 Years

Having spoken out of turn on music and movies, let's now turn to TV.  What shows have been the most consequential in the past 30 years?  Given that I watch very little TV, I am ill-prepared to answer the question.  But I love exploring pop culture, so why not ask it, and then provide some thoughts borne of ignorance, in the hopes that others can add to the conversation?

Some ground rules first.  By "consequential," I mean a combination of influence on contemporary society as well as influence on the art form itself.  So bonus points for shows that captured or drove the zeitgeist, and for shows that broke ground for other shows that followed.

OK, enough meandering...here's my list:  

Cosby Show (1984-1992) - Forever tainted by the misdeeds of its star and producer, nevertheless it was incredibly important – at a time of Rodney King, Al Campanis, and blackface – for showing an upper-middle-class black family anchored by two successful professionals.

Simpsons (1989-present) – Somewhat of a time capsule (and in some cases influencer) of the very long pop culture era it is a part of, it has also spawned countless adult cartoon derivatives.

Friends (1994-2004) – With “Sex and the City,” a cultural touchstone that also heralded the shift in pop culture focus from suburban families to urban singles.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) – Strong female lead, strong vampire motif, a little bit quirky and rule-breaking at times…this show was way ahead of its time.

Will and Grace (1998-2006) – Hard to believe it was barely 20 years ago that a sitcom featuring an openly gay male lead was considered ground-breaking.

CSI (2000-2015) – Has left an imprint on the kind of shows we like to watch (and the whiz-bang science and cinematography we have now come to expect), and made being smart kind of cool.

Survivor (2000-present) – When it first came out, we thought it was about the physical and intellectual challenges of surviving a harsh landscape; we now take for granted what Survivor taught us, which is that competitions like this are all about forming alliances, counting votes, and staying one step ahead of your opponent.

The Wire (2002-2008) – Said “to hell” with the old formulaic and tidy crime drama format, and as a result we can now never go back.

Lost (2004-2010) – It took a while for shows to realize they needn’t be tethered to the “folks will only watch this once, all at the same time, one week at a time” format, and so therefore could be way more imaginative and multi-layered (and therefore binge-worthy).

  

Atlanta (2016-present). Maybe there is be a better window into the social justice issues of the Trump years than this show, but it’s my placeholder for now. 

Honorable mention: Fresh Prince of Bel Air, ER, Sex and the City, Law and Order, 24, In Living Color, Game of Thrones, Sopranos, Seinfeld, Real World.