Summary

Every so often , a glorious TV show amount along and reshapes its entire literary genre , making certain nothing can ever be the same . These revolutionary shows offer a novel approach to stale music genre conventions . It take a flock of courage to even attempt something out of the average like this , but the termination speak for themselves . Taking risks can create some of the most heart - catching show on goggle box , and this sends ripple - effects throughout the entire genre . After a trailblazing show leaves its mark , it ’s potential that the next genesis of shows will attempt to learn from what made it such a hit . In this manner , a show ’s bequest can subsist on long after it ends .

nifty show can redefine their genre simply by providing a fresh advance , but often these revolutionary shows are sheer enough to make everything that issue forth before them seem obsolete . Innovative approaches can highlight the flaws of wide - accept musical genre convention , and the need for change . Not every creative show has this kind of office , because its effect is also prescribe by external factors . Nevertheless , telecasting present with brave new ideas help oneself keep well - institute genres from becoming stale and repetitious . These types of innovative shows do n’t descend along very often , but their result can be felt for years .

10The Simpsons

Animated sitcom

With its undimmed chickenhearted reference , The Simpsons was visually unlike anything else on telecasting at the prison term .

Hanna - Barbera had success with adult - tailor animated situation comedy likeThe FlintstonesandThe Jetsonsin the sixties , butThe Simpsonsushered in a fresh era for the musical style . With its shiny yellow character , The Simpsonswas visually unlike anything else on TV at the time , but it also reignited the possibility of animated TV being a medium for adult . Thewriters ofThe Simpsonsuses its animated formatting to full effect by make for in a huge number of characters in Springfield , most of whom are voiced by the same few plaster cast members . Some lineament only seem for a unmarried sequence , or a single jest .

9Grey’s Anatomy

Medical procedural

While other medical procedurals speed things up to mirror the frantic pace of the operating way , Grey ’s Anatomyslows thing down and focuses on its characters first . Shonda Rhimes first conceived of the show after watch surgeries on the Discovery Channel and noticing how the sawbones would speak about their partners and their everyday life sentence while they were operating . Grey ’s Anatomytakes a similar approach to its theatrical role , and their personal lives are just as important as any surgery they perform . Grey ’s Anatomyis also revolutionary for its portrayal of women in practice of medicine . Multi - faceted female characters like Meredith and Christina would never have existed in previous medical dramas .

8The Sopranos

Crime drama

The Sopranoscame to define prestigiousness tv set , with plenty of great shows owe a lot to the report of Tony Soprano and his family . It marked a new access to serialized storytelling , breaking every convention of traditional television set formats . sequence ofThe Sopranosdon’t fall out any kind of template , so viewers never knew what to await from the show each week . away from its structure , the subject matter of the show was much more red and shocking than what was common at the prison term . After six noteworthy seasons , thefinale ofThe Sopranosprovided one last revolutionary shock , refusing to wrap up its fib with a tasteful little bow .

7The Office (U.K.)

Mockumentary

The Officedidn’t invent the mockumentary format , but it found the best style to make it work on telly so far . Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant ’s dreary , cringe - inducing sitcom rent its theatrical role trifle up to the camera , and its talk - head audience revealed the concealed incline of themselves which they kept clandestine from their coworkers . AfterThe Office ’s successful American adjustment , the mockumentary data format spread even further , with shows likeParks and Recreation , Modern FamilyandAbbott Elementaryall learning a few tips and deception from Gervais and Merchant . The Officeis also partly responsible for popularizing workplace sitcoms .

6Black Mirror

Sci-fi anthology

WhenBlack Mirrorfirst started , the obvious comparison wasThe Twilight Zone , but Charlie Brooker ’s sci - fi anthology soon set itself aside . Black Mirrorfocuses on the dark potential of technology , so it naturally delves frequently into revulsion , but it has an passing varied advance . There often is n’t much to connect different episodes ofBlack Mirror , since the show care to experiment with its ocular style as much as its case . The only constants are the high criterion of writing and acting , butBlack Mirrorrevels in defying expectations . Black Mirrorseason 7has been confirm , but there ’s no telling how the season will pan out .

5Seinfeld

Sitcom

There are no moral lessons shoehorned in to impede the flow of Seinfeld . This would feel artful coming from Jerry , George , Elaine and Kramer .

As its self - referential floor line boldly proclaims , Seinfeldis a show about nothing . This strange concept can be boiled down to the show ’s famous " No caressing , no learning"rule . The characters onSeinfeldare tough multitude , and they end the show in prison as a answer . Most sitcoms beforeSeinfeldfocused on part outgrowth and heartwarming values , butSeinfeldpaved the room for shows likeIt ’s Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaandArrested Developmentby following characters who were not just flawed , but deeply ego - pore and misanthropic . There are no moral lesson shoehorned in to impede the stream ofSeinfeld . This would find disingenuous coming from Jerry , George , Elaine and Kramer .

The Seinfeld revival meeting has been teased by Jerry Seinfeld , with Larry David reportedly involved too , although their unavowed project remains deep .

Collage of George, Elaine, and Kramer going to jail and Jerry doing standup in prison in Seinfeld

4Law & Order

Crime procedural and courtroom drama

Law and Ordercombines the conventions of law-breaking procedurals and court drams to create a unparalleled portmanteau word . Most other show would choose to concentrate either on law officers or lawyers , butLaw and Orderpresents a case each week in its entirety , from investigation , to arrest , to trial , to sentencing . This holistic approach create a more immersive show , andLaw and Order ’s monumental success presently get multiple spinoffs . The show is n’t afraid to diverge from its get ahead formula from time to time , and it has crossover episodes , two - parters , and other especial tweak to keep thing reinvigorated , andLaw and Orderis preparing for season 23 .

3Big Brother

Reality

Looking back on it today , Big Brotherhas the simplest possible realism show premise . A group of strangers are put into a house together , and the cameras start rolling . They do n’t have to survive on a desert island or judge to find love , they are just there , being themselves . This construct reveal what audiences found most compelling about reality TV , and other show have been trying to emulate its approach to veridical - life human difference of opinion ever since . Big Brotherstarted as a Dutch show , but its Brobdingnagian popularity caused it to be adapted into over 50 nation , changing the entire world of realism television .

2SpongeBob SquarePants

Children’s TV

Very few show have managed to pink into a child ’s sense of wit quite likeSpongeBob SquarePants . It ’s proudly laughable jokes can transport viewers both young and previous , but the show is not entirely nonsensical . Despite its airheaded humour , SpongeBob SquarePantstreats its vernal audience with respect . There are no corners reduce on the animation or the optic design , and the storytelling is likewise robust . Children ’s television set show can often speak down to their audiences with simplistic , tired morals , butSpongeBob SquarePantsdelivers its nuggets of wisdom in entertaining , well - developed narration . SpongeBob SquarePantsstruck upon a winning formula , and adults can enjoy it for more than pure nostalgia .

SpongeBob SquarePants is a gem of a television show , and these episodes are the best of the animated funniness serial .

1Mad Men

Period drama

insane Menmade stop dramatic play cool , after the genre had long suffered a reputation for being exclusively concerned with Austen , Dickens , Brontë , and their ilk . The 1960s Madison Avenue vista is the situation to be inMad Men , with fashionable business executives enjoying long , spirits - soaked business lunches . However , Mad Mendoesn’t luxuriate in its retro surroundings as much as other flow dramas . Its frequent allusions to the social inequalities of the time reveal a mould of eccentric who are all living inside lives but missing something intemperate to define . insane Menlooks gorgeous , but it explores the moral guff at the center of American consumer culture .

Collage of The Flying Dutchman and SpongeBob Squarepants

KX-Droid Staring At Syril in Andor Season 2

Kramer, Seinfeld and George looking out a window in Seinfeld

Ellen Pompeo as Meredith Grey and Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang in Grey’s Anatomy season 6 episode 24

Tony Soprano sitting down in a chair in Dr. Melfi’s office in The Sopranos.

David Brent at his desk

Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) sitting in court and looking troubled in Law and Order

Big Brother season 1 cast

Krabs yelling at SpongeBob and Patrick

Jon Hamm as Don Draper in Mad Men