10 Most Innovative Shows That Changed TV, Ranked

There are great TV shows and then that are TV shows that changed the game. This doesn’t necessarily relate to the subject matter of the show, even the storytelling. It is sometimes because the show truly made an impact on the way television content is delivered.

The show 24, for example, is the first-ever to be delivered in real-time, with every hour-long episode reflecting an actual hour in the life of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland). Lost was a groundbreaking show that took small-screen content to a new level, showing that complex storylines could be told in episodic format. Amos ‘n’ Andy was the first Black sitcom, paving the way for all others that came since. The most innovative TV shows are ones that go down in the history books for very specific reasons.

10

‘Roseanne’ (1988–1997)

Created by Matt Williams

Before Roseanne, every sitcom featuring a white family was presented as being affluent, or at least middle-class. They had nice homes, decent jobs, and financial strife wasn’t part of their equation. But Roseanne was the first sitcom to portray a lower-middle-class family struggling to pay bills and dealing with more realistic challenges. The show was lauded for its believable and relatable portrayal of the average working-class family.

Named by many publications one of the greatest TV shows of all time, Roseanne was resurrected in 2018 but its star Roseanne Barr was infamously fired following questionable Tweets. The spin-off series The Conners was born, and that show lasted for seven seasons. It continues the same premise, tackling tough and topical issues like politics, immigration, bullying, gender identity, and the opioid epidemic. This isn’t uncommon nowadays, but back in the days of Roseanne, that sitcom redefined what the genre could look like, and confirmed that viewers would watch a show that highlighted real-life struggles.

9

‘House of Cards’ (2013–2018)

Created by Beau Willimon

A political thriller, House of Cards told the story of Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), an ambitious politician willing to do whatever it takes to climb to the top. He’s partnered with his equally amoral wife Claire (Robin Wright). It’s not necessarily the story in House of Cards that makes it a game-changer, though it is one of the preeminent political thrillers. It’s two main aspects of the show itself.

First is that House of Cards was one of the first major, high-profile series to be available through streaming, produced by a streaming network, Netflix. Second, it’s also one of the first TV series that proved top Hollywood movie actors could find viable careers on the small screen, and that TV was worth pursuing. Since House of Cards, streaming services producing their own content and attracting top-tier talent is commonplace.

8

‘Game of Thrones’ (2011–2019)

Created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss

Game of Thrones is one of the first TV shows to popularize the concept that “no one is safe.” Prior to the fantasy drama, main characters were typically safe through at least the main duration of a show’s run. But when the 2011 series killed off its main character Ned Stark (Sean Bean) in the first season and one of Game of Thrones‘ best episodes, fans were shaken. No one saw it coming. From there, they came to understand that no one is safe and virtually anyone could die at any moment.

While some might argue that shows like The Walking Dead did this long before, Game of Thrones gained particular attention for its ruthlessness with characters. No one bats an eye when a main character is killed in a show nowadays, or a character played by a big-name actor. But that wasn’t always a thing.

7

‘I Love Lucy’ (1951–1957)

Produced by Jess Oppenheimer

Widely considered to be one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time, I Love Lucy was groundbreaking at a time when no show like it existed on television. In fact, I Love Lucy is responsible for many firsts, including the first time a pregnant woman was seen on screen, the first time three cameras were used to film sitcoms, and its studio was the first independent one to deliver off-network syndication successfully.

Along with the fantastic portrayals of the main cast led by Lucille Ball, I Love Lucy was a sitcom that virtually every household with a TV at home watched when it was on. With syndication, it opened the door to the idea that watching episodes when it was convenient for you was possible, long before the days of VCRs and DVRs.

6

‘Ellen’ (1994–1998)

Created by Neal Marlens, Carol Black, and David S. Rosenthal

There was a lot of controversy surrounding Ellen when its groundbreaking episode aired, which eventually led to the show’s cancellation and star Ellen DeGeneres’ life being upended. But it holds an important part in television history. DeGeneres publicly came out as gay, and not long after, an episode of the show aired whereby her character Ellen does the same.

Gay characters on television weren’t as common back in the ‘90s, particularly played by celebrities coming out as gay in real life, as Ellen did. ABC was forced to add a parental advisory at the beginning of every episode and viewership declined. The reason was partly that viewers were uncomfortable with the portrayal of a gay main character and also because this reality led to a more serious tone for a show that was meant to be funny. Nonetheless, LGBTQ characters are all over TV nowadays, and they can thank Ellen for opening doors decades ago.

5

‘Dallas’ (1978–1991)

Created by David Jacobs

Fans have a love/hate relationship with the cliffhanger ending, which ends an episode with an unresolved moment that leaves viewers at the edges of their seats in anticipation of what happens next. With a weekly show release schedule, what happens next isn’t found out for another week. In some cases, the cliffhanger comes at the end of a season, which leaves months for fans to theorize and discuss.

While the era of streaming introduced the concept of full seasons of shows being released at once, many are going back to the weekly release schedule. That’s in large part because of the value of the cliffhanger. Even with shows that are bingeable, cliffhanger endings are popular, encouraging fans to keep watching. It’s the soap opera Dallas, however, that was one of the first shows, if not the first to do this. “Who shot J.R.?” remains one of the most famous TV show cliffhangers of all time.

4

‘The Simpsons’ (1989–)

Created by Matt Groening

There used to be a clear line between live-action shows, mainly for adults, some for families or teens and tweens, and animated shows for kids. Sure, anime has existed for some time, which appeals to adult audiences as well. But it’s The Simpsons that brought forth the concept of the adult animated sitcom. While the series appeals to kids, too, the clever jokes and cultural references that go over their heads but delight adults have become key to the show’s success. The Simpsons is animated entertainment, but it’s also a vehicle for thought-provoking political and social discourse, albeit veiled as humor.

Making history as the longest-running American animated series, longest-running American sitcom, and longest-running American scripted primetime series, without The Simpsons, there would not have been shows like Family Guy and Futurama.

3

‘Friends’ (1994–2004)

Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman

As the show’s name implies, Friends was one of the first sitcoms to center around a ground of single friends navigating their lives. While the series was arguably inspired by Living Single, a similar show that came before it, it’s Friends that catapulted to massive success and became one of the most iconic shows of all time, in any genre.

Whether directly or indirectly, the dynamic between the five main friends and their individual quirks inspired shows like How I Met Your Mother, Happy Endings, New Girl, The Big Bang Theory, and Dawson’s Creek.

2

‘The Sopranos’ (1999–2007)

Created by David Chase

Without Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) from The Sopranos, we may never have met some of the other greatest TV anti-heroes of all time, like Walter White (Bryan Cranston) from Breaking Bad and Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) from Dexter. As an Italian American mobster who’s also strangely likable and seems to want to be a better person and do right by his family, fans felt a sense of appreciation for Tony, despite the heinous things he did.

The Sopranos also presented like a gangster movie, which gave fans indication that the small screen had real potential to deliver compelling and dark stories across multiple episodes and seasons versus a single two-hour film. It’s shows like The Sopranos that allowed popular, darker series like The Penguin, Mad Men, and The Wire to be as accepted as they were and picked up by their respective networks.

1

‘Survivor’ (2000–)

Created by Charlie Parsons

Technically, the first-ever reality TV show was Candid Camera way back in 1948, and the first of the kind fans know today was The Real World in 1992. But it’s Survivor that is widely considered to be the reality competition show that completely changed the face of television. The series is filmed in an exotic location and brings together people from all walks of life from across America. Together, they must survive on minimal resources, compete, strategize, and test their internal fortitude.

Now considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time with 48 seasons under its belt and still going strong, it’s tough to remember a time when Survivor wasn’t part of the primetime TV line-up twice a year. The show has not only solidified its place in pop culture history, it has spawned plenty of catchphrases and inspired shows like The Amazing Race, Tough As Nails, Alone, and The Challenge. Reality TV is now a genre on its own, and that’s in large part thanks to Survivor.

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