The Matz Brothers Present: The 10 Best Basic Cable Shows of the 2010s

This is the second installment of my brother Sam's & my best TV shows of the decade (You can read the first, which covers network shows, here). This time we're looking at the ten best shows that aired on basic cable, those shows that still had to deal with the burden of commercials but could get away with a little more adult content than their network (NBC, CBS, etc.) brethren.

A brief reminder on how we compiled the lists:

• There will be four top 10 lists (network, basic cable, premium cable, streaming) and then a final, top 50, list that combines the previous four, plus ten shows that didn't quite make the first four. If you want to know more about why we chose to break it down this way read the first installment. 
• Any show that aired in the 2010s is eligible, regardless of when it started, but only seasons that occurred during the decade are considered -- for example The Office could've make the network TV list, but its first five seasons didn't count so it didn't come close. 
• To create the lists Sam & I individually compiled our own top 20 for each category & then combined them, with a first place selection worth 20 points, second worth 19, & so forth. The scores of our top 10 are listed to give you an idea of which shows elevated themselves above the pack & which ones we might order differently on any given day. In the event of a tie I ultimately broke it, though not always in favor of my bracket. 
• We also list each show's best character, season, & episode, as well as where you can stream it, because we're thorough like that. While we discussed these, the person who wrote about a show made the final call on these categories. 

And don't worry, we avoided any major spoilers because if you haven't seen any of these shows we'd love for you to watch them.

10. Rick and Morty (Cartoon Network) -- 21 points
      Streaming on: Hulu

Rick and Morty outraced the competition to make our top 10 list. Warner Bros.

What a beautifully strange show Rick and Morty is. Somewhat based on a f*cked up version of the Back to the Future tandem of Marty McFly and Doc Brown*, this show does things that others can’t, and realistically probably wouldn’t want to. I thoroughly enjoyed the pilot up until the very end of the episode...and that was when it completely sold me. It is those kinds of silly, wordy, and drawn-out bits that are Rick and Morty at its best (the true highlight of this coming in "Rixty Minutes"). A lot of credit must also go to the fantastic voice acting, led by co-creator Justin Roiland (who voices both titular characters), and the team behind the inspired visuals. -- S

Best Character: Jerry Smith
Best Episode: "Total Rickall" (Season 2, Episode 4)

Best Season: One

*Joe's Note: Originally a VERY f@#$ed up version.

9. American Crime Story (FX) -- 24 points
    Streaming on: Netflix

The prosecution finally gets a verdict they approve of, ninth on our list. Ray Mickshaw/FX

This is strictly based on the first season of American Crime (We haven't seen the second), which should be an indication of just how special that season was. 

I was not even three years old during the O.J. Simpson trial and realized while watching that I knew little about what had occurred. The entire season as a whole was something, though two episodes, in particular, blew me away; "The Race Card" and "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia." Each was an incredible showcase for Sterling K. Brown* and Sarah Paulson. This was not a show content to simply show the trial and be done, rather it dug deep into all that surrounded the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman and the lives of those involved. Topics like racism, sexism, misogyny, infidelity, fame, and the justice system were not shied away from, instead examined under a microscope with great depth and care. It’s a credit to the show that though I knew how the trial would end I was still anxiously awaiting the verdict, hoping it would be different. -- S

Best Character: Marcia Clark

Best Episode: "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" (Season 1, Episode 6)

Best Season: One

*This was just the beginning of my crush on Sterling K. (though if you are watching This Is Us right now and you’re on Team Randall we have an issue)

8. Fargo (FX) -- 27 points
    Streaming on: Hulu

Kirsten Dunst & Jesse Plemons fell in love on the set of Fargo season 2, just thought you should know. FX

Adapting the Coen brothers' Oscar-winning film was a bold move, how could anyone do justice to the work of some of America's greatest filmmakers? Yet Noah Hawley, & three incredible casts pulled it off, working in homages to various other Coen brothers' films & nailing the visuals, sharp dialogue, & darkly comic tone that make their movies great. The fact every season has a new cast, crime, & time period makes it all the more impressive, with each one intricately plotted & filled with memorable character's like Alison Tolman's Marge Gunderson-esque deputy, Billy Bob Thornton's malevolent force of a hit man, or Bokeem Woodbine's clever fixer (Plus Key & Peele as FBI agents!). Season 2 in particular, about warring crime syndicates in the lates 70s, was about as good a season of television as the 2010s produced. Expertly mixing humor, violence, & philosophy, Fargo told the most entertaining morality tales around,  & an upcoming 4th season should be among the best television of this year. -- J

Best Character: Mike Milligan
Best Episode: "The Castle" (Season 2, Episode 9)
Best Season: Two

7. Justified (FX) -- 27 points
    Streaming on: Hulu

They dug coal together. FX

“I've shot people I like more for less.”

There were better written shows than Justified in the 2010s, but none with more entertaining dialogue -- fitting for a show adapted from an Elmore Leonard novella. Of course the best decision the show made, after casting Timothy Olyphant to play lead character U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens, was changing the end of Leonard's story (which serves as the pilot episode) to keep Boyd Crowder (the always fantastic Walton Goggins) alive. Their back & forths & dueling agendas, fueled in equal parts by animosity & respect, drove the show & created one of the great rivalries in TV history. That it stayed fresh & compelling throughout the six season run (save some of season 5) is a credit both to Olyphant & Goggins, as well as a writing staff smart enough to enliven the show with new antagonists each season (highlighted by a never better Character Actress Margo Martindale -- in the role that garnered her an Emmy -- & Sam Elliott). As important as Boyd was however, the show took its ultimate cue from Raylan, just as his cool demeanor hid a repressed rage, the show's eloquent dialogue distracted from the violence that could erupt any moment (On second though that sounds a lot like Boyd too). It was a blast. -- J

Best Character: Raylan Givens
Best Episode: "Bloody Harlan" (Season 2, Episode 13)
Best Season: Two

6. Rectify (Sundance TV) -- 30 points
    Streaming on: Netflix

Getting off death row is only the beginning of Daniel Holden's story. Sundance TV

Rectify had the sort of plot that could easily lend itself to DRAMA! That is to say, drama dialed up to the max -- with lots of yelling, sex, violence, & suspense. It was about a Daniel Holden, a Georgia man on death row (for the rape & murder of his high school girlfriend) who's released after nineteen years when DNA evidence contradicts the prosecution's case, vacating his sentence, & returning him to his hometown. A hometown where many, including both a state senator & the brother of his alleged victim, still believe he's guilty, as well as a high-school classmate who may know the truth, a sheriff wearily following the evidence, & a family that doesn't understand him (save his step-brother's gentle wife). It's not hard to imagine a version of this story involving murders, affairs, & a vast conspiracy, as Daniel races to prove his innocence before someone carries out his original sentence. Instead creator Ray McKinnon & co. opted for a slow, sensitive, & contemplative, look at faith, family, truth, redemption & the South. Because of that languid pace it wasn't for everyone, but if you were on its wavelength it was a beautiful show, both visually & emotionally, that allows you to learn something about the human soul. -- J

Best Character: 
Best Episode: "Unhinged" (Season 2, Episode 10)
Best Season: One

5. The Americans (FX) -- 30 points
    Streaming on: Amazon Prime

Few marriages face more obstacles than the Jennings'. Jeffrey Neira/FX

Joe has still only seen the first few seasons of this so it was on me to write this one (though to be fair I have not finished the final season...I know, I know*). 

Watching Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell (partners in real life too!) fully and completely inhabit these two roles was purely brilliant. Rhys brought compassion and subtlety to his Philip, while Russell brought grit and undying commitment to Elizabeth. You could not help but find yourself rooting for these two Russian spies to outsmart the FBI at every opportunity they had. The Americans did well to give us a look at the Cold War from both sides though, never shying away from the devastating choices each character had to make, the ramifications of those choices, or the toll they took on all those involved. Characters are constantly struggling between what they feel is moral and what they feel is their duty to their country. What The Americans did better than any other show like it is clarify that there ultimately is no difference between those on either side, no good or bad, just everyone doing what they believe they must. -- S

Best Character: Philip Jennings (Respect this man! Though definitely not his best moment)

Best Episode: “Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?” (Season 3, Episode 9)
Best Season: Three (Or maybe four...or two...or five...I really don't know)

*I’m trying to wait for my roommates to catch up...hopefully that will be soon.

4. Atlanta (FX) -- 33 points
    Streaming on: Hulu

The Atlanta guys look comfortable in our #4 slot. Guy D'Alema/FX Networks

It's rare for a show, especially a comedy, to come firing out of the gate. With the need to find out which characters work best together, how to tailor writing to a performer's strengths, etc. the first season is often more of an experiment on the way to (hopefully) later greatness. It wouldn't be inaccurate to call much of Atlanta's first, & second, season an experiment but the greatness was immediate. The first episode showed off the balance between grounded & dream-like that would make any episode hard to pin down, while introducing a core cast that (Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, & Zazie Beetz), while largely unknown at the time, could rival any on television. The second had Donald Glover's Earn stuck in lockup awaiting bail, & examining everything from police brutality & mental illness to homophobia, & by then it was clear the show's ambitions went well beyond the norms audiences were used to, & it would only expand from there with racism, fame, talk shows, appropriation, relationships, childhood bullying, invisible cars, & horror all being expertly tackled. 

Creator/star Donald Glover, musically known as Childish Gambino, has stated, "The thesis with this show was to show people what it’s like to be black, and you can’t write that down. You have to feel it." I'm not qualified to say whether he, & a historic all black writers room that includes his younger brother Stephen, have succeeded in that mission, however there's no doubting they've made something singular in the history of television. -- J

Best Character: Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles
Best Episode: "Juneteenth" (Season 1, Episode 9)
Best Season: Two

3. Halt and Catch Fire* (AMC) -- 37 points
    Streaming on: Netflix

No group of characters was more rewarding to watch than the Halt and Catch Fire crew. James Minchin/AMC

Number one on my list (recency bias be damned!!), Halt and Catch Fire was another show we came to late in the game, though this time after it had already ended its perfectly thought out four seasons. What made it so profound was its ability to shift, often within a season, who seemed to be the lead without losing any quality or intrigue. This may not sound particularly impressive, but I would ask you to think about a show that did not have a noticeable dropoff when following one or two characters over others. Cameron, Gordon, Donna, and Joe were all incredibly rich and textured characters. Watching each of them evolve, whether it was because of or in spite of each other, was one of the best journeys a television show has taken me on. 

The growth of the show itself was also impressive. When it began many believed it to be a poor man’s Mad Men, not only because it centered on a talented, handsome and mysterious antihero, but it also aired on the same channel. Luckily for its viewers, the two Christophers, Cantwell and C. Rogers (the showrunners), realized this and were smart enough to take us on a different route. 

The emotional payoffs over the final few episodes also hit extremely hard, as I realized how much the characters truly meant to me. It does not hurt to have one of my favorite television actors, who I completely have a crush on, Lee Pace**, in one of the lead roles. Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not mention the fantastic work done by the underrated Toby Huss as Boz. In a role that could have been much less impactful in the hands of another, Huss gave us one of TVs most meaningful secondary performances (up there with Jonathan Banks in Breaking Bad). -- S

Best Character: Gordon Clark

Best Episode: "The Threshold" (Season 3, Episode 7)

Best Season: Three

*Such a cool intro
** Multiple times over the past few years I have devoted meaningful time trying to find the glasses he wore, especially this pair: https://i.redd.it/awsetwiba9oz.jpg

2. Mad Men (AMC) -- 37 points
    Streaming on: Netflix

Make an old fashioned, sit down, & watch the best written show on this list. Snap Stills/Rex_Shutterstock   

From the outside Mad Men could appear to be a show glamorizing the past while following a lead character who has it all, movie-star looks with the charisma to match, a gorgeous wife & beautiful  family, topped off by a well paying job he's brilliant at. The reality was the show was interrogating all of this, & holding up a mirror to our own age as well. The 60s, the decade the show covers, were a time of social upheaval that began to alter our nation's power structures, but the racism, homophobia, classism, & sexism that the show explores (the latter most extensively) have hardly disappeared a half century later. The difficulties Peggy, Joan, Betty & Dawn experienced at home & in the work place remain relevant. Likewise men of older generations (Roger), or who think the world ought to be theirs (Pete), continue to be vexed at the changing landscape that, they feel, threatens to leave them behind. The issues we face don't change so much as evolve.

Likewise we all face different external pressures, but our internal issues tend to be very similar, & few characters have ever demonstrated that better than Don Draper. A man who tried to reinvent himself only to realize you can't escape your past. Who found success in the shape of money, kids, awards, & beautiful women & discovered it didn't fill the emptiness inside. A man who when asked, "What do you have to worry about," replied, "That I never did anything. That I don't have anyone." In a million ways he wasn't like any of us, & at his core he was the most relatable character on TV. 

Mad Men was a masterpiece. -- J

Best Character: Peggy Olsen (I know I just went on about Don, but he'd agree with this choice)
Best Episode: "The Suitcase" (Season 4, Episode 7)
Best Season: Five

1. Breaking Bad (AMC) -- 39 points  
    Streaming on: Netflix

It's hard work being our #1 basic cable show. Frank Ockenfels/AMC

Shout out to our good friend Cody for completely legally burning the first three seasons of the show for Joe and I. We burned through them (see what I did there? ;)) and were ready just in time for season 4, one the best to ever grace any television. The beauty of Breaking Bad was in the details. Every character, no matter how minor, felt like they had a backstory, and what seemed like simple moments were never truly simple. 
The final few episodes of the series were the beginning* of event television (suck it GOT!), with Joe and I gathering with at least 3 others every week to watch together. The end felt mostly fair for those involved, if not slightly optimistic for Walt. BB created such a wonderful world of characters that it spawned what is, by all means, an almost equally wonderful show in Better Call Saul (apologies to that show and Cody, who is always protesting for Joe & me to watch it**, for it not making this list), as well as a follow-up movie in El Camino (an unnecessary, though quite enjoyable addition).   

Breaking Bad was also an expert takedown of the white male ego at its most toxic, providing the picture of a man who feels he has lost control of his life, and what is owed to him, so he must regain that lost power by any means necessary. He uses and manipulates anyone who gets in his way to achieve a goal that ultimately only matters to him, just so he can feel better about himself. For all those who believed Walt was a hero to the end, f*ck you. -- S

Best Character: Jesse Pinkman

Best Episode: "Ozymandias" (Season 5, Episode 14)

Best Season: Four

*Joe's Note: I'd say it was actually one of the last shows to be event, or at least appointment, TV, but the first to see a big ratings boost courtesy of people catching up on Netflix.

**Update: I am now 9 episodes into season 1 of BCS! A silver lining of this quarantine.

Unlike the broadcast list, which was roundly dominated by NBC, we find ourselves with a pretty equal split between two networks here. FX grabbed the most spots with five but AMC took the top 3 spots, & may well have had 4 if we were caught up on Better Call Saul (plus bonus points for being the network to originally develop Rectify). Next we take a look at the top 10 premium cable shows of the 2010s.