Why These 10 Best TV Casts of the 2010s Still Stand Out, Ranked
Television’s Changing Reputation
In the 1990s, moving from film to television was often seen as a damaging career choice. The medium was widely treated as less prestigious, but that view shifted in the 21st century as television became known for strong acting and casting.
The list’s eligibility rule requires at least half a show’s run to have aired during the 2010s. That leaves out ensembles from The Office U.S. and Lost, while the choices weigh acting ability alongside the performers’ fame.
Crime Drama With Strong Ensembles
True Detective’s first season is remembered for Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as detectives pursuing an occult serial killer in rural Louisiana. Later seasons did not match its atmospheric intensity, mystery, character drama or philosophical depth, yet they brought together notable performers.
Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch play California police officers in Season 2, while Vince Vaughn portrays a crime boss seeking legitimacy. Mahershala Ali and Jodie Foster headline the next two seasons, extending the show’s focus on emotionally layered characters amid complex investigations.
Comedy Built On Chemistry
Veep depends on exact timing and chemistry to make its fast-moving political satire work, while also allowing room for improvisation. Julia Louis-Dreyfus leads the seven-season series as Vice President Selina Meyer and won six Primetime Emmys for the role.
Tony Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Timothy Simons, Sam Richardson and Reid Scott support Louis-Dreyfus with performances praised for their precision. Together, the cast balances sharp satire with realism in a series regarded as a leading HBO comedy and a major political show.
Distinctive Spin-Off And Family Sitcom
Better Call Saul builds its own story and tone while expanding the world of Breaking Bad. Bob Odenkirk develops Saul Goodman from a comical, morally compromised supporting character into a complex lead, while Jonathan Banks and Giancarlo Esposito return to their roles.
Rhea Seehorn, Tony Dalton and Michael McKean make new characters compelling, and the wider cast grounds the story in the legal system and drug trade. Modern Family, meanwhile, is described as having the decade’s strongest sitcom ensemble, with 12 lead actors by the end of its 11-season run and three Pritchett family households at its center.
Key points
- The selection includes series that aired at least half their run in the 2010s.
- True Detective’s later seasons featured casts led by Mahershala Ali and Jodie Foster.
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus won six Primetime Emmys for her role in Veep.
- Modern Family had 12 lead cast members by the end of its 11-season run.