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Your Weekend Homework: When Did the 2000s Happen?

By James Poniewozik | @poniewozik | November 13, 2009 | +

Among the year-end business I’m working on right now is a list of the top TV shows of the last decade. In some ways it’s actually easier than my year-end top-ten list, because it’s really the creme de la creme—if a show doesn’t immediately come to mind, it probably shouldn’t be on the list.

But there’s one big dilemma: what to do with “border shows,” series that aired episodes in both the 1990s and the 2000s—Freaks and Geeks, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, The West Wing, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Daily Show, and so on.

Here are a few possible rules for dealing with these shows. Tell me which you prefer, or suggest your own:

1. All shows that aired a single episode in the 2000s are eligible (but are judged on the basis of only those episodes that aired in the 2000s). In other words, every border show is eligible.

2. Only shows that began airing on or after January 1, 2000, are eligible: no border shows make the cut.

3. No shows that could reasonably have made my best-of-the-’90s list are eligible. This is a little more complicated and subjective, but it makes some sense to me. It would allow, for instance, The West Wing and Freaks and Geeks, which had only aired a few episodes by the turn of the century, and probably stood little chance of making anyone’s best-of-the-’90s list then. But it would exclude Buffy (which had aired a few seasons) and probably Sex and the City and The Sopranos. The first season of The Sopranos in 1999 was probably the most critically praised single season of any show ever (excepting maybe season 4 of The Wire), and though I didn’t do a best-of-the’90s list, I would certainly have put it on if I had.

None of these are perfect, which just shows how arbitrary lists are. Tell me which of these options you like better, or suggest your own rules if you want. I don’t promise to pick the most popular choice, but getting your opinions will make my decision easier. Or much harder!

Related Topics: housekeeping, james poniewozik, lists

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  • Paul O’Regan

    I don’t care that much (it’s your list; your choice), but I’d go for allowing shows that aired more episodes in the 00s than they did in the 90s.

    I think that allows for all the border shows you mentioned to be included.

  • http://memles.wordpress.com/ Myles

    I think Option #1 makes sense in terms of eligibility, whereas Option #3 seems like the sort of objective criteria that would help decide whether individual shows deserve to be on the list.

  • Tom Shaw

    I’d go with #1, base it on the content of episodes that aired between 1/1/2000 and 12/31/2009.

    The sheer number of excellent West Wing episodes that aired in 2000+ shouldn’t be ruled out because a couple good episodes happened to air in 1999. On the flip side, Buffy is straight out because the 90s content (ending fittingly with Hush) comprises the vast majority of good Buffy.

  • ghaff

    I’d just make a quasi-subjective decision for the spanning shows. If a show’s first few seasons were in the 90s I’d probably consider it a 90s show unless it really started out slow and hit its stride later on (no good examples come to mind). The Sopranos are the obvious straddler; I’d include in in the noughts even if it would also have qualified for the nineties.

  • zhyatt

    I’m not sure if any of the 3 work… 1 is too lenient, 2 is too harsh. What about some sort of threshold based on % of episodes aired in the 2000s? West Wing, for example, had 156 episodes, 146 of which aired from January 2000 onward. 93%. Freaks and Geeks, 13/18… 72%. Buffy = 78/144, 54%. SATC, 64/94, 68%. Sopranos, 73/86… 84%. I feel like 75% of episodes airing in the 2000s feels reasonable… which means just West Wing and Sopranos make the cut. SATC I feel iffy on (5 of 7 seasons aired in the 2000s), but the numbers disagree with me. There really is no right answer unfortunately.

  • doubleang

    I would lean towards option #3.

    look at it as a percentage basis. Buffy was most definitely a 90s show based on that (and how it lives in my memory)
    Sopranos may have had a great first season, but the bulk of it aired after 2000.

    If I go to the store and see an item on sale for $199.99 plus tax, I dont say, ooh, thats a $190 item. That is most definitely $200+ bucks

  • beerbaron

    Are you kidding? The Sopranos has to be on the list. Adjust your rules accordingly.

  • Rorschach

    If the show was amazing in the 90s, but still amazing in 2000s, it should be allowed. But if it was just hanging on then veto. That sounds like what you are leaning towards.

  • chriskw

    The Sopranos and The West Wing should definitely be eligible. Maybe you could form a percentage rule. That at least 40% of the show’s episodes aired in this decade.

    As far as Freaks and Geeks goes,it could be the recipient of the decade’s “Best Brilliant But Cancelled Show Award”.

    Or maybe the best way of deciding is like what you said. If it comes to your mind immediately than it should be on the list. Therefore, Freak and Geeks is on it.

  • anon76

    I think setting up objective parameters within which to build a subjective list is ridiculous. I actually agree with beerbaron- your rules should be whatever they need to be to come up with the list with which you feel the most comfortable.

  • cbalbes

    For a “Best of the 2000s” I’d go with #2 and add an appendix of “Best Continuing Shows” (which is a nice euphemism for what is actually doing two separate list).

    The Sopranos,Sex and the City and The West Wing are most definetely 90s shows in my book.

  • http://tomcamfield.wordpress.com/ Tom

    I’d go with Myles, Option 1 for eligibility, and Option 3 to help narrow down the selection.

    Like cbalbes, I also think The Sopranos, Sex and the City and The West Wing are all 90s shows. Perhaps I’m biased, however, as none of those shows are my favorites.

  • thebro88

    #3 seems like a winner. I feel it should at least be any show that was in production after Y2K, whether it be during the beginning, middle, or end ot its lifecycle.

  • adriaezn

    I don’t know…all of this could vary on a show-by-show basis:

    Buffy: so much of that show was a culmination/extension of 90s trends in pop-culture (girl power, fusing teen pop and sci-fi, etc.); so I would lead towards labeling that strictly a 90s show. This doesn’t mean it wasn’t an important show for the 2000s as well (I think, if you counted the number of people who used to watch Buffy religiously as Tweens/Teens and then asked them if they watched True Blood today, you’d find a huge correlation)

    Daily Show: 2000s…easily…in the 90s it was more JUST comical takes on news items…in the 2000s it has become much, much more a direct satire/socio-political critique, and therefore much more socially important

    You may or may not just have to sack-up and do it on a case by case basis…extra work, but I’m sure we’d all enjoy the results!

  • rhys1882

    Option #1. Who cares if they could’ve been on the best of the 90′s list? If they deserve it they are allowed to be the best of two separate decades.

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