At the beginning of the 2010s, we watched TV the same way we had been watching for decades, checking out whatever was live on our favorite channels. Granted, the amount of channels were always growing, and innovations like DVR let us record stuff for later, but the fundamental act of watching television remained the same.
Now at the end of the decade, we’re in a totally different TV landscape thanks to the explosion of streaming TV services. In 2013 Netflix realized the real way to become a pop culture player was to not only offer classic movies and TV shows ready to stream at a moment’s notice, but also create entire seasons of buzzworthy original TV shows to “binge watch” all at once over a weekend. Competing streaming services have since entered the fray with their own content, including traditional TV channels that seem to announce a new streaming platform every day.
Fortunately for viewers, the great streaming arms race has led to more quality shows than we could possibly hope to consume even over the course of a decade. So here are our picks for the best shows we binge-watched this decade.
Doom Patrol
The superhero genre just got bigger and bigger this decade, so of course the genre saw plenty of representation in streaming. We even got a big horny Netflix Marvel crossover universe. But the hidden gem of superhero streaming shows is Doom Patrol on DC Universe, a beautiful, aching, weird, and perfectly imperfect adaptation of the misfit superhero team.
Glow
I hate professional wrestling. I hate how many people I respect like professional wrestling. And I hate being made to feel less progressive somehow for not liking professional wrestling. Still, Glow’s examination of 1980s feminism and performance through the semi-fictional lens of comedic ladies’ professional wrestling makes for great Netflix TV.
American Vandal
American Vandal is The Breakfast Club for this generation. The cute and brutally funny Serial high school mystery gimmick is really a smokescreen for one of the smartest and most empathetic examinations of modern teen life. Netflix not renewing this for a third season is an absolute disgrace.
The Handmaid’s Tale
It’s a shame that Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel about a repressed women-hating society has so much relevance in 2019. But at least Hulu got a crown jewel of a streaming show out of it. Maybe take your time with this one, though. You don’t always have to binge.
Stranger Things
There’s an argument to be made that Stranger Things is so popular because it’s a moody reminder of other popular 1980s things, rather than being a great show on its own. Still, few other shows on Netflix became such massive pop culture hits.
Russian Doll
It turns out all we needed to take the Groundhog Day time-reset formula to the next level is Natasha Lyonne delivering equal amounts of dry New York wit and gut-wrenching pathos as she lives, dies, repeats on Netflix
Bojack Horseman
Who knew Gob Bluth voicing a washed-up cartoon horse actor on Netflix would end up being the poster child for a new generation of TV that honestly tried to grapple with depression and other kinds of mental illness.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Amazon may still be better known for delivering packages than delivering great TV, but The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a delightful take on 1950s stand-up comedy history as seen through one feisty lady. Maybe that Lord of the Rings TV show will be okay after all.
The Mandalorian
Disney+ launched at the tail end of the decade, but launching with the first live-action Star Wars show sure is a great way to force yourself into the streaming conversation. The Mandalorian is just wrapping up its first season and Baby Yoda alone already makes it better than The Rise of Skywalker.
The Get Down
Baz Luhrmann miraculously turned the birth of hip-hop in 1970s South Bronx into an operatic music history masterpiece that was way too beautiful for this world… and too expensive for Netflix to keep funding.
Devilman Crybaby
Netflix’s surreal and soulful dark remake of the classic Satanic anime proved they mean serious business when it comes to the Japanimation game.
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So many streaming TV services to choose from. Where do you start?
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Although it no longer has a free option, Hulu is a great streaming TV service that is worth paying for.
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From buying to renting to subscribing to individual channels, Amazon offers a bevy of streaming TV options.
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YouTube Red subscribers can watch original shows from streaming stars, but YouTube TV lets you watch actual live TV.
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You have to buy channels in bulk and still deal with commercials, but with DirecTV Now you get the real live TV experience delivered through streaming.
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If you want to stream shows and documentaries that actually teach you something, go with CuriosityStream.
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AMC Premiere just focuses on current AMC shows, but for Walking Dead super fans that might be enough.
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With Boomerang, tons of retro cartoons, from Looney Tunes to Scooby-Doo, can all come back to you
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FuboTV may be the escape from cable that sports fans are looking for. It’s pricey, but being able to easily stream live sports and more from dozens of channels with only one subscription might very well be worth it.
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Brown Sugar has all of the classic Blaxploitation movies you could want and then some. It’s niche, but it’s one of the most impressive niche libraries we’ve seen.
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For the true cinephile, FilmStruck has a large collection of classic films from all eras and countries, including movies from the Criterion Collection.
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Along with presenting streaming services like Netflix and Sling through one box, Dish AirTV also lets you watch local over-the-air channels with an additional installation.
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Get a streaming media device to enjoy these services on your TV. Our favorite is the Amazon Fire Stick.
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As expensive and glossy as it is, the actual original content on AppleTV+ just can't compete quite yet.
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