Golden Age of Television (2000s–present)

In the United States, the current Golden Age of Television has been a period widely regarded as being marked by a large number of high quality, internationally acclaimed television programs. The period is generally considered to have begun in either the mid-to-late 1990s, or the early 2000s. It is believed to have resulted from advances in technologies of media distribution, as well as a large increase in the number of hours of available television, which has prompted a major wave of content creation.

Its name refers to the original Golden Age of Television which occurred in the 1950s. It has also been referred to as the "New", "Second" or "Third Golden Age of Television" ("third" being used when a period in the early 1980s is considered a second Golden Age).

History

French scholar Alexis Pichard has argued that TV series enjoyed a Second Golden Age in the early 1990s which was a combination of three elements: first, an improvement in both visual aesthetics and storytelling; second, an overall homogeneity between cable series and networks series; and third, a tremendous popular success. Alexis Pichard contends that this Second Golden Age was the result of a revolution initiated by the traditional networks in the 1980s and carried on by the cable channels (especially HBO) in the 1990s.

Shows such as The Sopranos (which first aired in 1999), Six Feet Under (2001), The Wire (2002), Battlestar Galactica and Lost (2004), Mad Men (2007), Breaking Bad (2008) and Game of Thrones (2011), are generally considered the basis of the so-called Golden Age of Television, i.e. the new creator-driven tragic dramas of the 2000s and 2010s. The Writer's Guild of America vote for 101 Best Written TV Shows includes a complete foundation of the current Golden Age of Television.

Stephanie Zacharek of The Village Voice has argued that the current golden age began earlier with network shows like Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (both of which premiered in 1993), and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). Kirk Hamilton of Kotaku has said that Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005) should be considered a part of the golden age of television, and recommended "the sophisticated kids show" to others. With the rise of instant access to content on Netflix, creator-driven television shows like Breaking Bad, The Shield (2002), Friday Night Lights (2006) and Mad Men gained cult followings that grew to become widely popular. The success of instant access to television shows was presaged by the popularity of DVDs, and continues to increase with the rise of digital platforms and online companies.

The increase in the number of shows is also cited as evidence of a Golden Age. In the five years between 2011 and 2016, the number of scripted television shows, on broadcast, cable and digital platforms increased by 71%. In 2002, 182 television shows aired, while 2016 saw 455 original scripted television shows with an additional increase projected for 2017. The number of shows are rising largely due to companies like Netflix, Amazon Video and Hulu investing heavily in original content. The number of shows aired by online service increased from only one in 2009 to over 93 in 2016. John Landgraf, the CEO of FX Networks, has stated that the United States has reached "peak television", where the amount of television series being aired could be overwhelming for the viewer to choose from, especially for critics obligated to review as many shows as possible, which results in a decreased output of television series in the future.

List of important and notable figures

Showrunners David E. Kelley Aaron Sorkin Judd Apatow Matt Groening David Simon Steven Bochco Ryan Murphy Matthew Weiner Alan Ball David Chase David Lynch Vince Gilligan Seth MacFarlane Chuck Lorre Trey Parker Matt Stone

Actors James Gandolfini Matthew Perry Jerry Seinfeld Larry David Jordan Peele Dave Chappelle Julia Louis-Dreyfus Sarah Jessica Parker Jimmy Fallon Kelsey Grammer Tina Fey Amy Poehler Keegan-Michael Key Bradley Whitford Jon Hamm Peter Dinklage Jeffrey Tambor Glenn Close Bryan Cranston Aaron Paul Louis C.K. Donald Glover Claire Danes

Hosts Jon Stewart Stephen Colbert David Letterman Jay Leno Conan O’Brien

List of important and notable channels (outside the Big Four)

• HBO
• Hulu
• Netflix
• Showtime
• AMC
• SyFy
• TNT
• USA
• Amazon Studios
• FX
• Comedy Central
• Cartoon Network
• Nickelodeon

List of important and notable shows

Scrubs Atlanta Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Babylon 5 The Good Wife Futurama Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Family Guy Beavis & Butt-Head The Venture Bros Ren & Stimpy Modern Family The Sopranos Sex and the City Curb Your Enthusiasm South Park Friends Freaks and Geeks The Handmaid's Tale The West Wing 24 30 Rock Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier The Office (UK), The Office (US) Veep Chappelle's Show The X-Files

My So-Called Life NYPD Blue Louie Adventure Time Breaking Bad Mad Men Dexter The Wire Homeland House of Cards Game of Thrones Westworld Stranger Things Narcos Brooklyn Nine-Nine Orange Is the New Black Mozart in the Jungle The Walking Dead Sons of Anarchy The Americans Fargo Arrested Development Boardwalk Empire Lost Battlestar Galactica Steven Universe Six Feet Under

Big Little Lies Better Call Saul Twin Peaks American Gods Avatar: The Last Airbender Prison Break True Blood Heroes Friday Night Lights Oz Gravity Falls American Crime Story American Horror Story The Daily Show with Jon Stewart The Colbert Report The Larry Sanders Show Seinfeld Transparent Girls Downton Abbey Deadwood The Shield The Closer Burn Notice Nip/Tuck Weeds

Nurse Jackie Desperate Housewives Grey's Anatomy Glee Veronica Mars Buffy the Vampire Slayer Gilmore Girls Parks and Recreation Extras Party Down The Big Bang Theory The Simpsons Shameless The Newsroom The Legend of Korra Silicon Valley Episodes It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia BoJack Horseman Community Murphy Brown Damages Rick and Morty Skins

See also

• Anime
• Korean Wave
• Turkish television drama
• New Hollywood
• Golden Age of Television (1950s–60s)
• Adult Swim

External links

• We are living in the Golden Age of Television-The Daily Californian
• We Are Not In TV’s Golden Age-Global Comment
• The Golden Age of Television Is Officially Over-Paste Magazine