Mike's Mildly Concussed Head's Best TV Shows of the Decade

I know these last few posts have had little to do with alcohol, but I must get said needs out of my system. Bear with me...I'll have another real-time review and holiday post up before years end. But you should all know the greatest things of the decade...so they are not lost to the past. What are the greatest TV shows of the decade and what criteria am I basing this on? Criteria is unimportant. It is the my opinion and you will follow it blindly thank you good day let's do this. Here are the 10 Best TV Shows of the 00's, As Told By Me With A Mild Concussion.

Honorable Mention: "Mad Men" -- "Mad Men," one of the best shows currently on TV, loses out on a top ten spot for one reason and one reason only: the inconsistency of it's third season, although still a good season, has not been up to par with season's one and two.

10. Freaks and Geeks
Included Because: F&G's is probably still the best depiction of high school life to be on television. Although it only lasted one season, it paved the way for future Judd Apatow to be one of the most successful comedic directors of the decade. Actors Jason Segel, Seth Rogen, James Franco, among others, all got their start right here. And what a brilliant, funny depiction it was. Anyone who was ever a "freak" or a "geek" in high school can identify with the hilariously real creations that are the shows characters.

9. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Included Because: In a painful eight years of ineptitude in the White House, an historical election and perhaps the worst national tragedy in our nation's history, Jon Stewart became the face of the younger generation's news. Finally, there's someone to call out the screaming heads at Fox News, among other news outlets, and criticize the government when it needed to be. Jon Stewart perhaps was one of the most politically influential people, especially to younger people, of the decade.

8. The Sopranos
Included Because: HBO's excellent mob drama, The Sopranos was an explosively entertaining drama. Even the world's scariest people are not exempt from psychological problems like depression and anxiety, i.e. Tony Soprano. The show, although some were disappointed with the ending, was consistently captivating throughout its run. It's characters gave stand out performances and the story's direction never faltered. Mob life has never been so dramatic on the small screen.

7. Battlestar Galactica
Included Because: BSG, which will get me openly criticized for me being a complete loser and it's spot on the list, was an excellent drama. I once thought too that it was completely only for nerds of the highest degree--until I saw it. It's action packed, thumping space drama that has rich characters and a compelling mythos. It's so much more than just nerd fodder: it's a human drama, set in space. Freaks and Geeks is in high school, The Sopranos is in the mob, and BSG is in space. Why it gets the nerd rap, I don't know, but it's undeserved since it's excellence is relatively unmatched in the sci-fi genre, or almost any drama as a whole.

6. Curb Your Enthusiasm
Included Because: Larry David's next show about nothing is almost as good, if not as good, as his baby Seinfeld. Such a simply show, played to perfection by David and his improv companions. It's the tale of a rich Jewish man living in L.A., obsessed with the most superfluous, ridiculous details of life. It's hilarious in it's subtly but also overt in that it knows what it's dealing with. It's Seinfeld, on HBO, with a different lead actor that can actually act.

5. The Office (U.S.)
Included Because: Some might argue it should be the British version in this spot and perhaps those people are right. But the American "Office" translates much better to it's American audience than the British one. And let's be honest: the American version is a much happier show. Besides it's lackluster 1st season, The Office has been consistently hilarious. It perhaps uses running jokes better than any other show, yet still manages to keep them funny. It has developed every member of Dunder Mifflin and given their own perfect persona. The Office is funny, awkward, and heartfelt. And it's proved that you CAN have the "will they or won't they" couple get together and still keep the show very, very funny.

4. Friday Night Lights
Included Because: It's one of the crimes of the decade that viewers couldn't see past the football of this show and give it a chance--since it's one of the best dramas on television. It's focus on a small, football obsessed town focuses on so much more than sport. High school, marriage, corruption, and all the elements of a good drama are there to draw the viewers in. No show will break your heart or lift it up more so than FNL, and you will be rewarded for your faith in the show while tuning in. It's a show that's hard to describe but so easy to be drawn in by. Brilliant, yet overlooked, performances give the show a mystique rarely found on TV.

3. Lost
Included Because: For all it's haters, Lost has a ridiculously obsessed fanbase, me included. Usually sci-fi doesn't capture the loyalty of a large fanbase, but this show has done so by developing it's characters and centering the show around them. The show, granted, can be confusing at times, but really only to those who do not completely invest in the show. It's preposterously addicting--like the TV edition of crack. It's one of those things that must be seen to be believed. Beautiful, enriching, and emotionally invested, Lost will be a show imitated for years to come.

2. Arrested Development
Included Because: AD was definitely the best comedic creation of the decade. Centered around a dysfunctional family, AD became an epic collection of running jokes, catchphrases, meta-humor, and preposterously hilarious characters. It's a show that has lived on long past it's end date and has inspired similar shows. AD is the best sitcom of the decade, maybe even one of the best ever, and is so glorifiably table and just plain fun to watch that it's longevity will likely last much longer than any show could ever dream to.

1. The Wire
Included Because: The Wire is an achievement unlike any other. Paint a portrait of an entire city: but not only it's police force, rather it's police, it's drug dealers, it's addicts, and it's corrupt politicians. It explores the inner workings of the entire system, not just one. It's deliberate pacing may be off putting at first--but it transforms the show into something unbelievably monumental. It's one of the best collection of acting, direction, story, and personality that television has ever seen. It's emotionally haunting and supremely confident and real. It doesn't pull any punches or turn something into a happy ending to keep the audience uplifted. It's real, it's disturbing, it's captivating, but most of all--it's one of the best televisions since forever and ever.