These TV Shows Of The Last 20 Years Are The Best From Recent Memory

Anyone can name a TV show of recent memory that's been as good as gold for the last 20 years. This particular list represents the combined opinions of thousands of TV fans. What are the best TV shows?

Well, you're looking at the best shows from 1998 to today that you can watch again and again on DVD or Netflix (or whatever). Some shows were critically acclaimed while others are cult classics that we can't help but to go back to. This is the place to turn to discover the taste of TV fans around the world.

The Sopranos Was Regarded As One Of The Best Televisions Shows Ever

Photo Credit: HBO/MovieStillsDb
Photo Credit: HBO/MovieStillsDb

New Jersey-based Italian mobster Tony Soprano faces difficulties while trying to balance his home and criminal organization life.

With the show winning many awards, it's impossible to imagine any other actor or actress portraying Tony and Carmela. The couple's sometimes ugly marriage had never been seen on television before.

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It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Began As A Short Film Idea

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Photo Credit: FX Networks/MovieStillsDb
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Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton made a show that's "Seinfeld on crack." They wrote about a man telling his friend he might have cancer, while the friend's only intent is to borrow a cup of sugar for the coffee he made.

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The story was made into a pilot, which would be picked up by FX Network. Since it's debut in August 2005, it's made it to its 13th season, which will premier on September 5, 2018.

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The Office Was An Adaption Of The BBC Show Of The Same Name

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Photo Credit: NBCUniversal Television Distribution/MovieStillsDb
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The original BBC series of the same name was adapted for American TV by Greg Daniels. The series debuted as a midseason replacement as there were mixed reviews for the first season.

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However, the following four seasons received widespread acclaim thanks to ensemble cast and the idiocy of "The World's Greatest Boss," Michael Scott. Fun fact: a show on ABC took the premise of The Office, but with families instead. Guess what that sitcom is shortly.

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Game Of Thrones Is One Of The Most Talked About Shows

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Photo Credit: HBO/MovieStillsDb
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It's true. It can be exhausting hearing co-workers talk about the episode from the night before, especially if you don't have any interest in it.

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Nevertheless, George R.R. Martin's fantasy novels have attracted record viewerships on HBO for its acting, complex characters and storylines. The series will conclude with its eighth season which premieres in 2019.

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House Was The Most Watched Television Program In 2008

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Photo Credit: NBCTelevision Distribution/MovieStillsDb
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Britain's Hugh Laurie played an unconventional medical genius, Doctor Gregory House. It took the show four seasons just to out-gun their rivals to become the world's most watched show in 2008.

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According to Eurodata Worldwide, House and his team of doctors gathered more than 81.8 million views in 66 countries.

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Modern Family Took An NBC Show And Made It Into A Mockumentary About Families

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Photo Credit: ABC/MovieStillsDb
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Like The Office, the series is presented in a mockumentary style of modern families. The show was acclaimed for the first few seasons, but reception has been mixed with the later seasons.

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The family sitcom has nine seasons under its belt, with the 10th being the series final season. What TV show ranked within the top 10 of the final television season ratings? Monica might know the answer to that.

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South Park Remains One Of Comedy Central's Highest Rated Shows

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Photo Credit: Viacom Media Networks/MovieStillsDb
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Trey Parker and Matt Stone's animated sitcom debuted in August 1997. With great success in the ratings, it became one of Comedy Central's highest rated shows.

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Since 2000, each episode has been written and produced in the week preceding its broadcast, with Parker serving as the primary writer and director.

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Breaking Bad Entered The Guinness World Record As The Most Critically Acclaimed Show

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Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Television/MovieStillsDb
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A struggling high school chemistry teacher is diagnosed with lung cancer. With his former student Jesse Pinkman, Walter White turns to a life of crime by making meth.

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By the time the series finale aired, it was among the most-watched cable shows on television. In 2013, Breaking Bad entered the Guinness World Records as the most acclaimed show of all-time.

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Friends Series Finale Was The Fifth Most-Watched Finale In Television History

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Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Television Distribution/MovieStilsDb
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All ten seasons of Friends ranked within the top 10 of the final television season ratings. The eighth season was the only time it reached the number one spot.

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When the series finale aired on May 6, 2004, it was watched by 52.5 viewers, making it the fifth most-watched series finale in television history. Which series finale made fans really upset? The controversy behind that is just around the corner.

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The Simpsons Are The Longest Running Cartoon

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Photo Credit: 20th Television/MovieStillsDb
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Since its debut on December 17, 1989, over 600 episodes have aired. On October 1, 2017, the 29th season made the sitcom the longest running-animated program ever.

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Surpassing Gunsmoke, The Simpsons is considered an all-time classic, with the catchphrase "D'Oh!" being adopted in the English language.

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The Big Bang Theory

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Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Television Distribution/MovieStillsDb
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The show received mixed reviews from critics during its first season. The reception was strongly favorable during the second and third seasons.

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Later seasons saw a decline in comedic quality. Despite the reviews, seven seasons of the show have ranked within the top ten of the final television ratings.

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How I Met Your Mother Left Fans Disappointed About The Finale

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Photo Credit: @OfficialHowIMetYourMother/Facebook
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With a double-length finale episode, fans were pretty upset. The finale received polarizing reviews thanks to its controversial twist ending.

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Many people believed it contradicted the true purpose of the show. However, an alternative ending was included on the season 9 DVD. A show that debuted three months after Seinfeld made an impact thanks to its teenage cast members. That show that's a blast from the past is still on the way.

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Family Guy Premiered Following Super Bowl XXXIII

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Photo Credit: 20th Television/MovieStillsDb
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The family was conceived by Seth McFarlane, and its debut came on January 31, 1999.

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MacFarlane developed two animated films, The Life of Larry and Larry & Steve, but he redesigned Larry and his dog Steve. Eventually, the characters would be named Peter and Brian, and the rest is history.

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Arrested Development Was Canceled Then Revived By Netflix

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Photo Credit: 20th Television/Netflix/MovieStillsDb
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After its debut in 2003, the series received widespread acclaim. However, despite the acclaim, the show earned low ratings and was canceled by Fox in 2006.

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In 2011, Netflix agreed to license new episodes and distribute them on their video streaming website. The episodes were added in May 2013, with the fifth season released in May 2018.

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That 70's Show Debuted Three Months After Seinfeld Ended

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Photo Credit: Casey-Werner Distribution/MovieStillsDb
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A world without Seinfeld felt weird but didn't last long. That 70's Show debuted on August 23, 1998, three months after Jerry and co. were sent to jail.

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Not only was this period sitcom a blast from the past from the seventies, but the main teenage cast members are very well-known today. The sitcom about a boy genius and his dysfunctional family is coming. But, did any fans know what their last name was?

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Dexter's First Season Was Derived From A Book

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Photo Credit: CBS Television/MovieStillsDb
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Jeff Lindsay's novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter was adapted for television by screenwriter James Manos Jr. Subsequent seasons evolved independently based on Lindsay's works.

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The season-eight premiere was the most watched episode with 3 million viewers, with the finale drawing 2.8 million, the largest overall audience in Showtime's history.

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The X-Files Went From A Cult Series Into A Pop Culture Touchstone

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Photo Credit: 20th Television/MovieStillsDb
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The X-Files tapped into the public mistrust of governments and large institutions, along with conspiracy theories and spirituality.

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Both David Duchnovy and Gillian Anderson received numerous awards, and at the show's end, it was the longest-running science fiction series in U.S. television history.

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Malcolm In The Middle Went Six Seasons Without Revealing The Family's Last Name

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Photo Credit: 20th Television/MovieStillsDb
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Frankie Muniz played a normal boy who's actually a genius. While he enjoys his intelligence, he has to deal with his gifted class, along with his parents and brothers.

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One true mystery behind the show was Malcolm's last name. Nobody knows it, and a publicist for Fox said: "Officially, the family's last name should be considered a mystery."

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Scrubs Is A Play On Words For Surgical Scrubs

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Photo Credit: Buena Vista Television/MovieStillsDb
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It's also a reference for a low-ranking person because, at the start of the show, a majority of the main characters are medical interns.

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The series was fast-paced, with slapstick humor and vignettes which are presented as daydreams of Dr. John Dorian.

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Parks & Recreation Writers Researched Politics For The Show

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Photo Credit: NBC Television Distribution/MovieStillsDb
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The writers researched local California politics for the series. They consulted with urban planners as well as elected officials.

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The staff included current events into the episodes, particularly, a government shutdown in Pawnee, which was inspired by the real-life global financial crisis of 2007-2008.