Entertainment
2000s TV Shows You Forgot About That Were Actually Great
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ABC
There are so many television shows that launch every season. Just think about all of the new shows that came out last year. It is impossible to remember them all. So, trying to recall shows from a decade or two ago — like "fetch," just isn't going to happen. We will remember our all-time favorites, but there are a lot of forgotten 2000s TV shows. It's too bad because some of the shows we forgot about were genuinely decent.
The 2000s were an interesting time for television thanks to the massive explosion of reality TV and some very addictive teen dramas. And it was a great time for comedy. You've probably re-watched (the early years) of The O.C. and Lost countless times. Why not switch things up by getting reacquainted with some one-time favorites? Here are the forgotten 2000s TV shows that were actually really good. It's worth watching them again or watching them for the first time.
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8 Simple Rules
ABC
Do you remember what Kaley Cuoco was like pre-The Big Bang Theory? Whether you do or not, you can see her flex her comedic chops on 8 Simple Rules. The ABC sitcom premiered in 2002 and the concept was inspired by the book "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" by W. Bruce Cameron. It featured the late John Ritter as the patriarch of the Hennessy family with Kaley being one of the daughters and Kerry (Amy Davidson) being the other one. It was an entertaining family sitcom, but the unfortunate passing of John impacted how the show would go.
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Pushing Daisies
ABC
Pushing Daisies is a unique TV show name that people might remember, but they might not recall watching the ABC program. Change that by streaming the show again. The comedy-drama series was on from 2007 to 2009. As you might be able to guess, it centered on death. Ned (Lee Pace) had the ability to restore life to the dead using simply his touch. Of course, having such power doesn't come without complications. Ned attempted to use his powers to help investigators solve murders. In addition to a unique story line, the show earned acclaim for featuring interesting characters and unique visuals and production. It's often cited as one of the TV shows that was canceled too soon. So, go give it a watch.
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Freaks and Geeks
NBC
Let us hear it for the Freaks and Geeks. It is one of those forgotten 2000s TV shows that didn't really have a chance to get going before it was gone for good. The NBC show premiered during the millennium and it featured some brilliant writers including Judd Apatow and Paul Feig. On top of that, it had some soon-to-be-major-A-listers in the cast playing misfits including Seth Rogen, James Franco, Busy Philipps, and Jason Segel. The show was really set in the 1980s and featured some toe-curling situations outcasts have to put up with. Even those who didn't live through the Eighties will enjoy it. Trust.
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So Little Time
FOX Family
If you watched Full House and all of the Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen movies, you likely watched So Little Time. It was a fun family sitcom that premiered in 2001. It was the twins' TV series following Two Of A Kind. The new show featured teenage sisters Riley and Chloe Carlson (obviously Mary-Kate and Ashley) dealing with the usual problems teenagers encounter in high school. The first episode is about the sisters' theory that boys are no different than dogs. It is something that could hilariously still hold up today so go watch it and laugh. The series will also make you appreciate noughties fashion.
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Everwood
The WB
Everwood is one of the forgotten 2000s TV shows that you need to watch ASAP whether you tuned in the first time around or not. Why? Because it features baby Chris Pratt. This is Chris Pratt before Parks and Recreation and long before the Guardians of the Galaxy glow up. The show came on the air in 2002. It gets its name from renowned New York City-based brain surgeon Dr. Andrew Brown (Treat Williams) moving to Everwood, Colorado after his wife passes away. Chris plays Bright Abbott, one of the people in town who Dr. Brown's kids will meet. Watch to find out more.
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Punk'd
MTV
There were a lot of fantastic scripted sitcoms that aired in the 2000s. But, we cannot overlook all of the addictive reality TV shows from the time. And Punk'd was definitely a show that changed the game. First of all, it had a known actor, Ashton Kutcher from That '70s Show fame. Then you had him playing hilarious so-out-there-that-it-should-not-work-but-it-did pranks on fellow celebrities with the help of the genius Dax Shephard. And everything was secretly filmed. Everyone can always enjoy Justin Timberlake crying and calling his mom when he thinks his house is going to get repossessed. It's classic TV.
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The Inbetweeners
E4
How well people know The Inbetweeners will likely depend on what side of the pond they grew up on. Those who grew up stateside might remember it as a niche show about the awkwardness of growing up. It's cult classic viewing, and everyone should see it whether they watched it in the 2000s or not. The British comedy series premiered in 2008 and it followed the high jinks and often cringe-worthy antics of four teenage boys growing up in the suburbs. It's a coming-of-age show that is sometimes painful to watch because everyone can relate to it no matter how old they are or where they are from.
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What I Like About You
TeenNick
Did you watch everything on TeenNick growing up? Then you probably tuned in to What I Like About You. It was the hit series that showcased more of Amanda Bynes' talent. The comedy came after The Amanda Show. What I Like About You was on from 2002 to 2006 on The WB before showing on TeenNick, so there are four fun-filled seasons to enjoy again. Amanda starred as Holly Tyler. Her life is thrown a major curve ball when her dad takes a job in Japan. She ends up moving with her older sister Valerie Tyler (Jennie Garth) in New York City. Prepare for sister clashes and plenty of entertainment.
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Rich Girls
MTV
Long before Gossip Girl, The O.C., The Hills, and Laguna Beach, we had Rich Girls. In fact, some could say that the reality TV show helped pave the way for Laguna Beach and The Hills. The MTV show premiered in 2003 and followed the lives of two wealthy 18-year-olds. More specifically, it documented the lives of Ally Hilfiger, the daughter of fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, and her then-best friend Jaime Gleicher, the daughter of Innovation Luggage founder Leo Gleicher. It was unapologetic guilty pleasure TV with lots of shopping and luxurious filming locations. It also gave us the classic line, "My dad invented cargo pants."
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The IT Crowd
IFC
If you have completely lost all memories of The IT Crowd, allow us to change things ASAP. It is one of the many forgotten 2000s TV shows that needs to be remembered because it is filled with laughs. Many people might find their IT departments to be boring or full of random people, but the hilarious British sitcom showed how amusing the department can be. It featured the technicians at Reynholm Industries in London trying to keep everything afloat. The cast included Chris O'Dowd, you guys. The show premiered in 2006 and there are four seasons to enjoy — plus a special from 2013.
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S Club 7 In LA
BBC One
S Club 7 In LA (or L.A. 7 as it was sometimes known) is one of those guilty TV pleasures that was so random that it had to be good. It was particularly brilliant when it premiered back in 2000. This was the time of S Club 7. Let us be clear that it was not a reality TV show about the band. It was a show about all seven S Club 7 members playing fictionalized versions of themselves and hoping to make it big in Los Angeles. It is so backwards, but nothing has really been done like it since then. That's not to say it didn't work. After all, there ain't no party like an S Club party.
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The Ashlee Simpson Show
MTV
If you were a big Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica fan, you might have gotten into The Ashlee Simpson Show. And if you weren't big on Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson's love story, you might have been interested in "rebel" Ashlee Simpson. The Ashlee Simpson Show was released on MTV in 2004. It was connected to the release of her debut album, Autobiography. Even to non-cynics it was obvious that the show was to boost recognition and album sales, but it was still addictive reality TV watching. Ashlee didn't want to be another Hilary Duff, Britney Spears, or Christina Aguilera. The show also introduced the world to Ryan Cabrera.
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Popular
The WB
Forget the jokes about not immediately remembering a TV show called Popular. It is time to discuss why you should know it now. It premiered way back in September 1999 and was on until 2001 so it is understandable if you don't recall. The comedy-drama was all about high school hierarchy with cheerleader Brooke McQueen (Leslie Bibb) and misfit school journalist Sam McPherson (Carly Pope) being pretty much forced to be a part of each other's lives after their parents get engaged. What could go wrong with living together and having to deal with each other at school? #Majordrama
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Skins
E4
Skins is another one of the cult British shows that might have been lost on this side of the pond as time has marched on. There was a short-lived American version of the show that premiered in 2011. But that one doesn't fall into the decade parameters. And it definitely is nowhere near as good as the OG. The original was on from 2007 to 2013. It's worth watching now to see some of the budding stars including Dev Patel, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Dempsie, and Hannah Murray. (The last two are Gendry and Gilly on Game of Thrones, respectively.) The show was renowned for being a coming-of-age tale about a group of teenagers in Bristol, England. The plot didn't sugar coat or shy away from any topic which = controversy, sometimes.
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Summerland
The WB
Critics might have dubbed Summerland the lesser version of The O.C. but there is room for both of the shows on our TVs nowadays. Summerland premiered in 2004 (a year after The O.C.) and it was only on for one season. The short-lived show featured teen dreams Zac Efron and Jesse McCartney as part of the cast. The plot centered on fashion designer Ava Gregory (Lori Loughlin) adapting to living with her housemates plus her nieces and nephews after their parents die in a car accident. It is all set in the fictional idyllic town of Playa Linda, California. Expect lots of surfing scenes.
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South of Nowhere
TeenNick
South of Nowhere came to the small screen in 2005. It was another TV show that featured a family uprooting. This time it was the Carlin family moving from a small sleepy town in Ohio to the bright city lights of Los Angeles for mom Paula's (Maeve Quinlan) new job. The teen drama initially had some controversy before it aired surrounding the portrayal of teenage daughter Spencer Carlin (Gabrielle Christian) questioning her sexuality with her bisexual friend Ashley Davies (Mandy Musgrave). When the TeenNick show was released it was mostly praised for featuring a key LGBTQ+ story line.
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Greek
ABC Family
Greek is one of the forgotten 2000s TV shows that deserves some attention in this decade. It riffs on the classic plot line of a geeky high school student wanting to shed their dorky image in college. This time, it focuses on Rusty Cartwright (Jacob Zachar). The trouble is that his sister, Casey Cartwright (Spencer Grammer), has already established herself as the "sorority queen." And she isn't exactly cool with her nerdy brother coming into the picture. The show lasted from 2007 to 2011 and was known for having the right teenage soap formula and for covering a range of college-related issues.
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Jack & Bobby
The WB
If you are a Kennedy fan, you will likely know Jack & Bobby. If you don't really follow the complex history of the Kennedy family, you could have/will still be interested in the American drama series because it's not a historical show inspired by those Kennedys, but there is some obvious overlap. The drama was only on for one season from 2004 to 2005, but it was special because it told an interesting tale. It was set in then-modern times and focused on two teenage boys, Jack McCallister (Matt Long) and Robert "Bobby" McCallister (a young Logan Lerman), hence the title. One of them is going to be the president in 2041. If you are unsure of which one, we aren't going to say anything...
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Beautiful People
ABC Family
There are countless television shows featuring beautiful people. And we will admit that they can all start to blur together after a while. That is not to say that you should ignore the 2000s show that was actually called Beautiful People. If your mind is a little fuzzy, the ABC show was on from 2005 to 2006 and it followed a genetically blessed family relocating from New Mexico to New York City. There is fashion, glamorous city locations, aspiring models, and the occasional wealthy snob. It has all of the stuff you expect from a NYC-centric show post-Sex and the City.
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