Help shape these rankings by voting on this list of 18 2000s TV Shows That Make Us Nostalgic For The Pre-iPhone Era
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Vote up the shows that take you back to the 2000s.
For many decades, TV was seen as “lesser” medium than film, with many artists and critics looking down on episodic storytelling as less serious than cinema. However, in the 21st century, most people appreciate that TV is just as capable of grand, clever, and moving storytelling on a small screen. This transition towards more appreciation for TV as an art started in the early 2000s with some major hits on multiple networks.
While many would argue that TV has only gotten better since the 2000s, many of the shows from this period are very nostalgic for viewers. Whether they used to watch these shows after school, or were just starting to discover how good TV could be, these shows hold a special place in viewers' hearts.
Take a look back at these early '00s shows that will make you nostalgic for when you watched TV without scrolling on a smartphone.
Scrubs was a unique take on the medical show formula when it premiered in 2001. Unlike the common format of medical dramas, Scrubs is a sitcom, deriving plenty of laughs from the shenanigans at Sacred Heart Hospital, narrated (and frequently day-dreamed) by J.D. (Zach Braff).
Aside from the quality humor, the show's soundtrack is also guaranteed to jumpstart some 2000s nostalgia with bands like The Shins or The Fray who were popular during the decade. Scrubs enjoyed a widely-acclaimed nine-season run from 2001 to 2009.
When House premiered in 2004 it was a nice change of pace for Fox, who had largely been running reality shows around that time. A loose take on Sherlock Holmes in a medical setting, the procedural followed Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) and his diagnostics team that specialized in very mysterious medical cases.
While not unique to the decade, House's use of the walk and talk style of filming for many scenes reflected a trend that also appeared in shows like The West Wing and Ugly Betty during the 2000s. Laurie's turn as the ingenious yet constantly cranky Dr. House received plenty of acclaim through the show's end in 2012.
Gilmore Girls remains enduringly popular for old and new viewers alike, telling the story of young mother Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and her teen daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) as they navigate school, career, and relationship challenges in the tiny but charming town of Stars Hollow. Thanks to distinct, rapid-fire dialogue, compelling slice-of-life plots, and impeccable New England autumn vibes, the show retains many fans.
Though many aspects of Gilmore Girls feel of its time, it remains popular on the strength of its characters. Additionally, it's fun to go back and watch supporting cast members like Jared Padalecki, Melissa McCarthy, and Sean Gunn, who have since achieved much wider fame since appearing on the show.
Spinning off from another popular legal drama The Practice, Boston Legal premiered in 2004, centering on Alan Shore (James Spader) and his new practice. Alan is joined by several other existing characters from the preceding show (including William Shatner as Danny Crane) as they tackle newer, tougher cases.
Like The Practice, Boston Legal was a huge hit with critics and definitely showed some of the early signs of the prestige TV landscape to come. Spader impressed audiences and won multiple Emmys for his decade-defining performance.
Teen dramas were a very popular subgenre in the 2000s, and The O.C. was and is one of the most acclaimed from the era. Beginning with troubled teen Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie) getting adopted by the wealthy Cohen family, the show follows the drama of various young adults and their parents in a scenic Orange County beach town.
Actors like Mischa Barton (who played Marissa Cooper) surged in stardom thanks to the four-season drama. Additionally, the popularity of The O.C. was so intense that it turned cast members like McKenzie and Adam Brody (who played Seth Cohen) into major heartthrobs.
Few 2000s shows do as good a job illustrating the rising popularity of serialized drama shows like Lost. Taking the ostensibly simple premise of the survivors of a plane crash exploring the island they land on, Lost maintained staggering viewership throughout its run by keeping fans on edge with a barrage of new mysteries each episode.
While Lost's unresolved mysteries and dangling plot threads have become somewhat of a joke since its run ended in 2010, at the time it was peak water-cooler TV. Now that there are far more shows on the air which tend to come and go much more quickly, it's easy to be nostalgic for chatting with coworkers about the nature of Lost's Smoke Monster.
