TELEVISION fans have never had so many channels to choose from, shows to devour and genres to explore.
Over the past 25 years, audiences have been treated to loads of laughs, love stories and thrillers to quicken the pulse.
Boxer Tommy Fury and influencer Molly-Mae Hague’s hot tub moment on Love Island in 2019 marked the start of TV’s ultimate reality golden couple
We’d had Posh and Becks, but now it was time for Tommy and Molly Mae to shine
But TV bosses have also turned out moments that have changed the face of TV for ever.
Now, critics and celebrities have helped glossy lifestyle bible GQ compile the most influential scenes and series that shaped telly as we know it.
From ’s inventing the reality TV villain in 2000 to award-winning London drug series reclaiming British culture, here we share the magazine’s high-brow look at the biggest hitters.
1. BB’s Nasty Nick reinvents the TV villain
In 2000, Nick Bateman shattered Big Brother’s rules with a secret note, earning himself the title of TV’s first reality villain
IN August 2000 Nick Bateman blew up the first ever series of when he broke the rules to write down his nomination strategy.
He became the first ever reality TV villain – and was booted off the show for his efforts.
2. The Office redefines comedy
The 2001 launch of The Office revolutionised TV comedy, inspiring hits like Borat and cementing Ricky Gervais as a legend with his cringeworthy boss David Brent
THE mockumentary introduced a whole new TV genre when it launched in July 2001 and arguably inspired blockbuster films such as .
It established as a legend, with his cringe- making boss David Brent.
3. pave the way for Kardashians
The Osbournes hit screens in March 2002 with family chaos, paving the way for glossier celeb reality shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians
THE fly-on-the-wall celeb show landed in March 2002, bringing new meaning to warts-and-all television.
With bickering, it was a breath of fresh air and paved the way for the glossier Keeping Up With The .
4. Lost spawns the online superfan
Lost crashed onto screens in 2004, sparking a frenzy of online theories as fans obsessed over its island mysteries
FACING supernatural forces on a deserted island sounds like the stuff of fever dreams, not a TV hit.
But it landed in 2004 when online forums were booming, and Lost swiftly found a ferocious fanbase that dug into every theory.
5. disrupts the pop industry
When The X Factor launched in 2004, Simon Cowell set out to create stars — and with Leona Lewis and a run of Christmas No1s, he certainly achieved his goal
AT its launch in 2004, set out to find pop superstars.
And he achieved that when became a global sensation after winning the third series – and the show took a stranglehold on Xmas No1s.
6. Quentin Tarantino directs CSI
When Quentin Tarantino directed CSI’s season five finale in 2005, it turned heads and opened the door for other Hollywood heavyweights to try their hand at TV
maestro asked the makers of humdrum drama CSI whether he could direct their season five finale in May 2005.
They bit his hand off, and it opened the door for other big directors to move into telly.
7. aces the soundtrack
The OC shocked fans in 2005 when Marissa shot brother Trey to the haunting sound of Imogen Heap’s Hide And Seek
GLOSSY teen drama was already leagues ahead of the pack when dropped Imogen Heap’s haunting track Hide And Seek after Marissa shot her brother Trey in May 2005.
The song went on to be used in parodies across the internet.
8. The Sopranos finale breaks TV
The Sopranos ended in 2007 with Tony in a diner and the screen cutting to black — a finale that still fuels fierce debate
SECTIONS of the fanbase were desperate to see killed off in the June 2007 finale.
Instead, the final seconds saw him look to camera in a diner before the screen cut to black. The ballsy decision still causes hot debate today.
9. Mad Men makes a style statement
Mad Men’s Sixties style pips Sex And The City, with Don Draper’s suits and pocket squares shaping fashion trends and inspiring collaboration lines
THE Sixties-era ad exec show pips as TV’s most stylish series.
Don Draper and the lads’ skinny suits and pocket squares had a huge impact on fashion land, even inspiring collaboration lines.
10. Louie bends comedy rules
Louis CK’s Louie impressed with its mix of autofiction and surrealism, despite being overshadowed by controversy
SEMI-autobiographical 2010 comedy series Louie has been written out of TV conversations after writer ’s sexual misconduct.
But it was deeply inventive, blending autofiction and surrealism in a way that went on to inspire other comics.
11. Black Mirror predicts tech anxiety
TETNEEDED
12. Girls is the first great millennial show
Girls gave coming-of-age TV a raw authenticity with New York glamour
IN April 2012, Girls brought warts-and-all authenticity to the coming-of-age genre.
US fans saw their own journeys in the four leads, whilst UK fans lapped up the lifestyle they’d only seen with Sex And The City gloss.
13. House of Cards kickstarts Netflix fever
House of Cards became a TV phenomenon with Kevin Spacey at the helm, setting the stage for hits like Orange Is The New Black
THIS breakneck political thriller was Netflix’s first major foray into original programming in February 2013.
With as lead, it became a TV phenomenon and paved the way for its next big hit, .
14. kills lead characters
The penultimate episode of series three in June 2013 became iconic, setting a new standard for mass murder on TV
WHEN the biggest TV show of its day slaughtered half its cast at a wedding , it became the stuff of legend.
The penultimate episode of series three in June 2013 has become a symbol of the show and set the bar for mass murder on TV.
15. Fleabag reframes female desire
The first series in 2016 shocked viewers with Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character masturbating to a Barack Obama video
THE first series in 2016 saw Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s character , while in series two she went on to have a mutual crush on a “hot priest”.
And female sex on telly was never the same again.
16. Big Little Lies brings megastars to TV
Nicole Kidman’s return to TV in 2017 with Big Little Lies was a major moment, as the bougie crime drama set the trend for megastars taking on small-screen roles
SHE had not done TV since her early career in the 1980s, so when signed up to on in 2017 it was huge news.
The bougie crime thriller set the trend and megastars often slum it on telly now.
17. Atlanta spearheads charge for diversity
Donald Glover’s Atlanta, which debuted in April 2018, helped reshape US TV by spotlighting black experiences
WHEN Donald Glover’s drama about four friends in Atlanta’s hip hop scene first aired in April 2018, it painted a new picture of black experiences in the US.
At the time, channel HBO was manned by a largely white workforce.
18. Love Island couples up Molly and Tommy
WHEN boxer slipped into the hot tub with influencer on in June 2019, few could imagine they’d become British TV’s first reality golden couple.
We’d had Posh and Becks and soap newlyweds before, but nothing like these two, whose love story fans watched from the off, creating a whole new kind of celebrity couple.
19. Top Boy reclaims black British culture
Top Boy is hailed for reclaiming black British culture and shining a spotlight on local talent, creatives, and music
AFTER it had two series on , rapper blew up this London crime drama by reviving it for in September 2019.
It is credited with reclaiming black British culture and celebrating local creatives, talent and music.
20. shows kids’ toons are for adults too
Smuggled gags, knowing themes and emotional moments soon drew in the grown-ups to Bluey, too.
AROUND November 2019, parents began to realise that Bluey was not just a kids’ cartoon, but was instead written with them in mind.
Smuggled gags, knowing themes and emotional moments soon drew in the grown-ups, too.
21. saves lockdown
A month into the pandemic in April 2020, Sally Rooney’s 12-part adaptation had viewers hooked on the tale of two Irish teens in love
A MONTH into the lockdown in April 2020, the 12-part adaptation of Sally Rooney’s book, which charted the romance between two Irish , had us all in raptures.
It established leads and as superstars.
22. defines #MeToo
This 2020 drama unpicks some of the most sensitive issues of the day, including sexual assault, gender, race and class
THE series centres on Arabella, who is spiked and raped on a night out.
And through her story, the June 2020 drama unpicks some of the most sensitive issues of the day, including sexual assault, gender, race and class.
23. Ru Paul takes drag into the mainstream
Some 15.6million watched Liverpudlian queen the Vivienne win as the show brought back ‘watchalong’ TV
ANOTHER triumph born of Covid, UK second season flourished in lockdown after a limp first outing.
Some 15.6million watched Liverpudlian queen win as the show brought back ‘watchalong’ TV.
Even your dad started saying “slay
24. The Last of Us nails game-to-TV format
2023’s The Last Of Us became an HBO smash, launching Pedro Pascal to stardom
FOR years, Hollywood’s adaptations of such as Lara Croft were ridiculed.
But 2023’s stuck faithfully to the game and became a smash hit for HBO, catapulting to stardom along the way.
25. leads manosphere debate
Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s drama on a teenage boy’s killing of a schoolgirl sparked debate on the ‘manosphere’ and parenting – and is now studied in schools
JACK Thorne and Stephen Graham’s drama about a teenage boy killing a schoolgirl sparked debate about the “manosphere” and parenting in the social media age.
It has now made its way on to school curriculums.
