Fifteen TV shows that shaped the decade

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-12-23 11:45
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Fifteen TV shows that shaped the decade

13. “Six Feet Under” (2001 – 2005)

When “Six Feet Under” premiered in 2001, as the brainchild of “American Beauty” creators Alan Ball and Alan Poul, HBO was riding high. The show perfected the trifecta of HBO’s dominance in cable (along with “The Sopranos” and “Sex and The City”), and offered a take on the family drama that had never been seen before. The story revolved around the dysfunctional Fishers, and used the unique gimmick of a death in the opening scene of each episode to lead as a metaphor for their family’s problems. The show also launched the careers of a fine cadre of promising young actors, many of who went on to star in other great series, including Michael C. Hall (“Dexter”), Peter Krause (“Dirty Sexy Money,” “Parenthood”), Rachel Griffiths, (“Brothers and Sisters”), Jeremy Sisto (“Law & Order”), Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez and Justina Machado. The 2005 finale was one of the most emotional hours ever on television, as the show fast-forwarded through the span of all of the main characters’ lives in 10 minutes, to the tune of Sia’s haunting song, “Breathe Me.” To date, no other hour of television has affected me so much emotionally. I cried for days when it ended. — Jeremy Blacklow

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