The 24 TV Shows That Defined The 2000s

The 2000s are already history, baby. On Sunday, July 8, CNN's original series "The 2000s" will look into the defining moments of the decade from 2000-2009, and how those milestones paved the way for today's landscape of hashtags and hellfire.

The sociopolitical events of the 2000s can only be recalled through documentaries, news, and interviews. Once they have passed, they can't be viscerally experienced. But the decade's pop culture? That's still there, ready for the streaming. You can experience the aughts through its remarkable TV shows.

Why, you ask, should I go back to the TV shows of the 2000s when I'm steeped in the Golden Age of TV, when there's a quality and prestige show for practically every niche? Because the 2000s were a precursor to the Golden Age, that's why. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for shows like The Sopranos and The Wire of the '90s, which created space for complex, character-driven dramas, and for comedies like 30 Rock and The Office. Here's a walk through the most iconic shows that defined the 2000s.