Some decades have left their mark onTVhistory, and 2005 was one of them, as it saw the release of some ofthe best TV shows of the decade. The 2000s were a strong decade for TV shows, with many popular shows likeFriends,Buffy the Vampire Slayer, andThe Wireending during this decade.
However, the 2000s were also a big decade thanks to the arrival of many great TV shows. Some ofthe best TV shows of all timewere released in the 2000s, such asBreaking Bad,Six Feet Under, andParks and Recreation, but one year, in particular, saw the debut of many great TV shows and became a key year in TV history: 2005.
Some Of The Best TV Shows Of The Century Premiered 20 Years Ago
Many Great Shows Turn 20 In 2025
Every year sees the debut of, at the very least, one highly successful TV show, but throughout TV history, there have been some years that were more productive and successful than others. As mentioned above, the 2000s were huge in the world of TV, but specifically, 2005 brought some of the best TV shows of not just the decade but the century, as well.
2005 brought a bit of everything, such as sci-fi horror and fantasy withSupernatural, action drama withPrison Break, a very generous dose of laughs withThe OfficeandHow I Met Your Mother, a highly influential medical drama withGrey’s Anatomy, and animated TV shows likeAvatar: The Last Airbender.
2005 also saw the release of some underrated and even forgotten TV gems, such asZoey 101,Life with Derek,Masters of Horror, andAmerican Dragon: Jake Long, but it mostly had a lot of big releases that won over critics and general audiences thanks to their quality, complexity, sense of humor, and/or performances.
Some of thebest TV shows of all time turn 20 in 2025, such asGrey’s Anatomy,Avatar,The Office, and the current relaunch ofDoctor Who,and there are others that, while not found on every “best of all time” list, deserve every ounce of praise they have gotten, as is the case forBones,Criminal Minds, andSupernatural.
2005 Changed The TV Landscape Forever
2005 Marked A New Chapter In TV History
The 2000s had a strong start on TV, so even without all the great shows released in 2005, the decade would have been an important chapter in TV history – but all those shows in 2005 made it better and a highly influential decade. The 2000s were the beginning of streaming services, so TV was on its way to an inevitable big change.
The audience’s interests, time, and more had evolved, and TV shows had to evolve with them as well.
Of course, streaming services weren’t the only trigger of change for TV in the 2000s, as the audience’s interests, time, and more had evolved, and TV shows had to evolve with them as well. 2005 was the year that saw these changes go into effect, most notablya shift towards serialized dramas(Medium,Bones, andRome, to name some).
As the branch of sitcoms is one of the most popular ones, it also went through changes that marked a new beginning on TV.2005 saw the rise of more character-driven comedies, with shows like the above-mentionedHow I Met Your MotherandThe Office, along withMy Name Is EarlandEverybody Hates Chris.
More specifically, some shows changed the way TV used to be in their genres, with the best example beingGrey’s Anatomy. The show has gone for character-driven narratives, has had diverse characters and representation, and tackled serious topics through which it has also added social commentary.
Even if it isn’t always 100% accurate,Grey’s Anatomyhas also given the audience awareness of health issues and the struggles and pressures of medical staff everywhere.TV nowadays would be very different had 2005 not had all these shows and more, and to make it even more impressive, some of them have been so good that they are still going.
Plenty Of The Franchises That Began In 2005 Are Still Going
2005 Was The Beginning Of Many Popular Franchises
Of course, many of the TV shows released in 2005 have already ended (either soon or many seasons later), but others have been so good that they are still going or keep expanding. The most notable examples areGrey’s AnatomyandCriminal Minds, which, at the time of writing, are in their 21st and 18th seasons, respectively.
Adding to that list are the sitcomIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, currently in its 17th season, and the 2005 relaunch ofDoctor Who.
Other shows have already ended, but their success and popularity are such that they are now expanding in different ways.The Officeis getting a follow-up series titledThe Paper, scheduled for a September 2025 release, andPrison Breakis being rebooted, with production having started in June 2025.
Avatar: The Last Airbenderis getting a sequel TV show(animated, thankfully), titledAvatar: Seven Heavens, and an animated movie titledThe Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, set for a January 2026 release. 2005 earned its place inTVhistory, and its influence continues to be felt.
Grey’s Anatomy
Cast
Grey’s Anatomy is a medical drama series revolving around surgical interns, residents, and attendings at the fictional Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The show features the professional and personal lives of these medical professionals, led initially by Dr. Meredith Grey, played by Ellen Pompeo. Created by Shonda Rhimes, the series highlights the complexities of medical cases while delving into the interpersonal relationships among the hospital staff.
The Office
This mockumentary comedy series observes the mundane and humorous daily lives of employees at the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It offers insights into office dynamics, personalities, and the eccentric behavior of both management and staff, depicting an ordinary workplace with extraordinary characters.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender, released in 2005, follows a young boy in a war-torn world of elemental magic as he reawakens to embark on a challenging mystical quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar and restore peace to the world.
