Every genre has a template. Storylines and characters change, but formats remain, no matter what you tune into. But, once in a while, there comes a show so good that it changes the game, creating a brand-new blueprint for the entire genre. For years or decades, every other TV series in the genre follows the same circuit, until another outstanding small-screen production comes and offers something different.
So, what are some of the shows that revolutionized (or created the foundation for) their genres? Examples stretch as far back as the 1950s and 1960s, where experimentation wasn’t common, yet some writers and producers dared to be bold. Sometimes it takes a while for such a game-changing series to come out (for example, there were no major ones in the 1980s), but they eventually do, creating a refreshing feeling that leaves everyone excited about the future.
Here are TV shows that created blueprints for their genres.
10
‘Dragnet’ (1967 – 1970)
Genre: Case-of-the-Week Procedural
Dragnet stars Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday and Harry Morgan as his partner, Bill Gannon. In each episode, the two investigate a new crime that occurred in Los Angeles, each inspired by real LAPD files. Common offenses on the show are homicide, drug dealing, fraud, juvenile delinquency, and kidnappings.
Compared to today’s cop shows, Dragnet is pretty mild stuff, the most shocking thing probably being Friday repeating the phrase “Ma’am (Sir), we just want to get the facts” so many times, like he has been programmed. Still, the show revolutionized the police procedural, ushering in the case-of-the-week style that continues to be a necessary ingredient in 2025. Whether it’s Chicago P.D. or Law & Order: SVU, there is always a new lawbreaker popping up in each episode. Most importantly, the ‘60s gem was the first to portray cops as professionals, not action heroes.
9
‘St. Elsewhere’ (1982 – 1988)
Genre: Character-Driven Medical Drama
Events in St. Elsewhere occur at the fictional St. Eligius Hospital, a decaying urban hospital in Boston’s South End neighborhood. “St. Elsewhere” is a slang nickname in the medical field, often accorded to lesser-equipped hospitals where doctors attend to patients turned away by more prestigious institutions. The show examines medical cases in detail, while presenting plenty of romance and friendship arcs involving the doctors and patients.
It’s nice for viewers to be taken through complex medical procedures, but nothing is entertaining about a scalpel cutting through skin. The creators of St. Elsewhere realized this, creating a series that was not only medically accurate but also featured bumbling characters and those who seem bewildered by all the hubbub. The ’80s production, which had a young Denzel Washington among the cast, never ranked higher than 47th place in the yearly Nielsen ratings, but it collected Emmys regularly. Without it, we wouldn’t have ensemble, character-driven medical dramas (with flawed doctors) like E.R., Grey’s Anatomy, and The Pitt. But what’s with fictional doctors always dating each other?
8
‘Star Trek: The Original Series’ (1966 – 1969)
Genre: TV Space Opera
Star Trek: The Original Series is an enthralling and imaginative look into space travel and advanced technology. Set in the Milky Way galaxy during the 23rd century, it follows the crew members of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), captained by the resourceful and compassionate James T. Kirk (William Shatner), as they venture into deep space territories.
It might be old, but Star Trek is still the most technically accomplished franchise installment, featuring several innovations that reflected what technology would be in the future. It didn’t just influence the 11 shows and 13 feature films that it birthed. In addition to that, it created the skeleton for the space opera genre by dwelling on hopeful futurism, ensemble galaxy-roaming protagonists, and storytelling based on deep scientific theory. Shows like Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, and Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville all owe their existence to this unforgettable classic.
7
‘Sex and the City’ (1998 – 2004)
Genre: Female-Centered Dramedy
Based on the newspaper column of the same title by Candace Bushnell, Sex and the City follows four female friends in New York as they navigate professional and sex-related challenges. They include the uncertain columnist Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), the sexually liberated PR expert Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), the conservative art dealer Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), and the pessimistic attorney Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon).
Sex and the City rewrote the rules for how sexuality and women’s friendships were portrayed on television, inspiring dramedies like Girls, Desperate Housewives, The Bold Type, Harlem…, and Sistas. For a long time, women had been portrayed from a conservative angle, only acting along traditional, socially acceptable lines. Then came a show that emphasized career progress, sexual empowerment, and a “Me first” rather than “family first” perspective.
6
‘Perry Mason’ (1957 – 1966)
Genre: Super Lawyer Legal Drama
Perry Mason stars Raymond Burr as a skilled Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer who originally appeared in the detective literature by Erle Stanley Gardner. His clientele primarily consists of people who have been wrongly accused of murder. The first half of each episode involves investigations, while the second has Mason sparring with prosecutors in courtrooms. These exchanges tend to be thoroughly humiliating for the latter, rousing them to anger.
Legal dramas existed before Perry Mason, but it created many of the conventions that the genre still leans on, and so good was it that it was accorded the first Silver Gavel Award presented for television drama by the American Bar Association. Looking at The Practice, Suits, and Better Call Saul, you see confident, witty lawyers who do whatever it takes to win… lawyers who don’t just argue cases but also do parallel investigations. The courtroom hadn’t been a popular setting either, but everyone jumped in after seeing Mason dominate the space.
5
‘All In the Family’ (1971 – 1979)
Genre: Socially Conscious Sitcom
All in the Family welcomes viewers to the living room of the Bunker household in Queens. The family is led by the blunt and conservative Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor), who frequently clashes with his liberal daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) and her husband Mike “Meathead” Stivic (Rob Reiner) over trending issues. Thankfully, Archie’s level-headed wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) is ever ready to infuse some sense into everyone’s minds.
For the longest time, viewers had grown used to gentle, family-friendly sitcoms, only for All in the Family to come and lay bare the world’s harsh realities. Feminism, gay rights, abortion, racism, and many other heavy topics were covered, forcing the public to think and not just laugh. Rather than sweet nothings and slapstick, the tone shifted to that of tense discourse, all while maintaining the humor. With the doors now open, shows like The Jeffersons and Black-Ish followed in later years.
4
‘The Sopranos’ (1999 – 2007)
Genre: Anti-Hero Crime Drama
New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) has a lot on his plate in The Sopranos. He suffers from panic attacks, so he has weekly appointments with a psychiatrist. Additionally, Tony has to deal with stubborn crew members, enemy mobsters, a lazy son, and a spouse who isn’t intimidated by him. Still, he does just fine, dodging traps and finding time to cavort with his string of goomahs.
The Sopranos is predated by several great gangster shows, but in all of them, the lines between good and evil were clear. Then came an antihero who would sneak into a compound to strangle a traitor while in the middle of something as noble as helping his daughter look for a college. Everyone was wowed, so shows like Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, and Peaky Blinders were made in later years. All of these had a gangster you’d love one minute and hate the next. Whether the HBO gem influenced society’s morality is anyone’s guess, but it certainly made an impression and raised the storytelling quality on television.
3
‘The Twilight Zone’ (1959 – 2003)
Genre: Sci-fi/Horror Anthology
Created and presented by Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone features episodic tales in which unsuspecting characters get caught up in disturbing and unusual scenarios (an experience described as “entering the Twilight Zone”). Each story has a twist ending and a moral lesson. Primarily a sci-fi production, the anthology series occasionally touches on Kafkaesque and paranormal events.
No one cared about anthology shows in the early days of television. Shows of such kind were considered niche and stagey. Then Rod Serling created something that went mainstream and inspired many others. Every sci-fi/horror anthology series made after The Twilight Zone heavily draws from its vast well of innovations. Black Mirror, The Outer Limits, Inside No. 9, Love, Death & Robots… you name it. Even though the use of a host or narrator has gone out of fashion, all of these shows tap into Serling’s approach, which includes moral dilemmas and social commentary.
2
‘Batman: The Animated Series’ (1992 – 1995)
Genre: Gritty Animated Superhero Series
Featuring nearly every popular Gotham-based villain, Batman: The Animated Series follows Bruce Wayne, aka Batman (voiced by Kevin Conroy), as he fights crime in Gotham City. Each episode centers on a new crime, but many villains appear more than once. The animated show also explores the complex backgrounds of their antagonists, revealing their personal struggles and specific events that caused their moral compasses to bend. For people who were previously repressed, sad, and lacking in confidence, their villain awakening is truly a distressing experience.
Since the days of Adam West’s Batman, superhero shows have been comedic. The cheesy plots normally featured many slapstick elements, and not just the type that was common for DC comics. The same could be seen in Marvel productions, such as The Incredible Hulk. Thankfully, BTAS was made. The show blew everyone away with its dark tone, characterization, philosophical dialogue, and visuals. This style caused a change in the genre on television, with future productions (both live-action and animated).
1
‘The Simpsons’ (1989 – Present)
Genre: Adult Animated Sitcom
Created by Matt Groening (drawing inspiration from his own siblings and parents), The Simpsons covers the misadventures of the titular family, who live in the fictional town of Springfield. Homer, the clumsy and buffoonish dad, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. He is married to Marge, a stereotypical American housewife. They have three children: Bart, a notorious 10-year-old prankster; Lisa, a super-smart eight-year-old activist; and Maggie, a toddler. The family also owns Santa’s Little Helper, a greyhound.
Before The Simpsons, there were no issue-based animated series that caricatured society and family life. Such an outlook had been reserved for live-action sitcoms. Besides that, there were no animated shows with floating timelines, where the main characters never aged. No one imagined this approach could work, but it did, inspiring the birth of dozens if not hundreds of series, including the likes of South Park and Family Guy.
