History GenreTurningPoint / LiveActionTV

* ''Series/TheTonightShow'' ([[LongRunners 1954-present]]) defined what the late-night TalkShow would be for generations to come, a VarietyShow-esque mix of an OpeningMonologue, humorous commentary on current events, celebrity interviews, and musical performances with the host as the central figure of the program. Notably, while Creator/{{NBC}} would briefly try to experiment with this formula, turning ''The Tonight Show'' into basically a nighttime version of ''Series/{{Today}}'' after the original host Steve Allen left in 1957, they would quickly go back to the format that Allen laid down, which ''The Tonight Show'' retains to this day despite many hosts and competing shows over the years.

* ''Series/TheTonightShow'' ([[LongRunners 1954-present]]) defined what the late-night TalkShow would be for generations to come, a VarietyShow-esque mix of an OpeningMonologue, humorous commentary on current events, celebrity interviews, and musical performances with the host as the central figure of the program. Notably, while Creator/{{NBC}} would briefly try to experiment with a nighttime version of ''Series/{{Today}}'' after the original host Steve Allen left in 1957, they would quickly go back to the format that Allen laid down, which ''The Tonight Show'' retains [[LongRunners to this day]] despite many hosts and competing shows over the years.

* ''Series/TheTonightShow'' ([[LongRunners 1954-present]]) defined what the late-night TalkShow would be for generations to come, a mix of an OpeningMonologue, humorous commentary on current events, celebrity interviews, and musical performances with the host as the central figure of the program. Notably, while Creator/{{NBC}} would briefly try to experiment with a nighttime version of ''Series/{{Today}}'' after the original host Steve Allen left in 1957, they would quickly go back to the format that Allen laid down, which ''The Tonight Show'' retains [[LongRunners to this day]] despite many hosts and competing shows over the years.

** Together with ''The X-Files'', it played a major role in boosting the critical respectability of 'genre' television. Early in its run, the show's title alone saw it dismissed by critics expecting teenybopper junk, but by the time of its GrandFinale, it and its SpinOff ''Series/{{Angel}}'' were the subject of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_studies serious academic analysis]]. After ''Buffy'' and ''The X-Files'', the SciFiGhetto began to crumble on television, as critics could no longer dismiss fantasy and science fiction shows sight unseen. ''Series/VeronicaMars'', ''Series/{{Lost}}'', ''Series/TrueBlood'', and the relaunched ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' and ''Series/DoctorWho'' are just some of the shows that proliferated in their wake, winning a level of acclaim that had never been afforded to similar shows in the fairly recent past.

* ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' (1978-91) wasn't the first successful PrimeTimeSoap (that would be the 1964-69 adaptation of Grace Metalious' novel ''Literature/PeytonPlace''), but it ''was'' the first to become a true smash hit, bringing SoapOpera storytelling and {{melodrama}} to the evening hours with [[SceneryPorn far more lavish budgets, costuming, and set design]] than were afforded to their daytime counterparts (which ran at a rapid clip of up to five episodes a week and had to stretch their budgets thin as a result). Within the show, the biggest landmark was the "Who Shot J.R.?" StoryArc. As [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny hard as it may be to believe now]], it was considered ''unthinkable'' for an American TV show in 1980 to end a season on a {{cliffhanger}}, so when ''Dallas'' did it, it legitimately shocked the nation and produced what remains one of the most widely-viewed television events of all time. ''Dallas'', together with shows like ''Series/{{Dynasty}}'', ''Falcon Crest'', and the spinoff ''Series/KnotsLanding'' that [[FollowTheLeader followed in its wake]], arguably laid an important crack in the soap opera's status as a staple of daytime television, as prime-time dramas could now play around with the same kind of long-running stories -- especially once shows in genres outside of the "[[BigScrewedUpFamily family drama]]" format common to soaps, from cop shows to sitcoms to sci-fi and fantasy, began [[{{Soaperizing}} doing the same]].

* ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' (1978-91) wasn't the first successful PrimeTimeSoap (that would be the 1964-69 adaptation of Grace Metalious' novel ''Literature/PeytonPlace''), but it ''was'' the first to become a true smash hit, bringing SoapOpera storytelling and {{melodrama}} to the evening hours with [[SceneryPorn far more lavish budgets, costuming, and set design]] than were afforded to their daytime counterparts (which ran at a rapid clip of up to five episodes a week and had to stretch their budgets thin as a result). Within the show, the biggest landmark was the "Who Shot J.R.?" StoryArc. As [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny hard as it may be to believe now]], it was considered ''unthinkable'' for an American TV show in 1980 to end a season on a {{cliffhanger}}, so when ''Dallas'' did it, it legitimately shocked the nation and produced what remains one of the most widely-viewed television events of all time. ''Dallas'', together with shows like ''Series/{{Dynasty}}'', ''Series/FalconCrest'', and the spinoff ''Series/KnotsLanding'' that [[FollowTheLeader followed in its wake]], arguably laid an important crack in the soap opera's status as a staple of daytime television, as prime-time dramas could now play around with the same kind of long-running stories -- especially once shows in genres outside of the "[[BigScrewedUpFamily family drama]]" format common to soaps, from cop shows to sitcoms to sci-fi and fantasy, began [[{{Soaperizing}} doing the same]].

* ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' (1978-91) wasn't the first successful PrimeTimeSoap (that would be the 1964-69 adaptation of Grace Metalious' novel ''Literature/PeytonPlace''), but it ''was'' the first to become a true smash hit, bringing SoapOpera storytelling and {{melodrama}} to the evening hours with [[SceneryPorn far more lavish budgets, costuming, and set design]] than were afforded to their daytime counterparts (which ran at a rapid clip of up to five episodes a week and had to stretch their budgets thin as a result). It, together with shows like ''Series/{{Dynasty}}'', ''Series/FalconCrest'', and the spinoff ''Series/KnotsLanding'' that [[FollowTheLeader followed in its wake]], arguably laid an important crack in the soap opera's status as a staple of daytime television, as prime-time dramas could now play around with the same kind of long-running {{story arc}}s -- especially once shows in genres outside of the "[[BigScrewedUpFamily family drama]]" format common to soaps, from cop shows to sitcoms to sci-fi and fantasy, began [[{{Soaperizing}} doing the same]].

* ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' (1978-91) wasn't the first successful PrimeTimeSoap (that would be the 1964-69 adaptation of Grace Metalious' novel ''Literature/PeytonPlace''), but it ''was'' the first to become a true smash hit, bringing SoapOpera storytelling and {{melodrama}} to the evening hours with [[SceneryPorn far more lavish budgets, costuming, and set design]] than were afforded to their daytime counterparts (which ran at a rapid clip of up to five episodes a week and had to stretch their budgets thin as a result). It arguably laid an important crack in the soap opera's status as a staple of daytime television, as prime-time dramas could now play around with the same kind of long-running {{story arc}}s -- especially once shows in genres outside of the "[[BigScrewedUpFamily family drama]]" format common to soaps, from cop shows to sitcoms to sci-fi and fantasy, began [[{{Soaperizing}} doing the same]].

* ''Series/TheMaryTylerMooreShow'' (1970-77) is often credited with elevating the American {{sitcom}} into a respectable genre of television beyond just serving as a vehicle for jokes, its humor driven by its fleshed-out characters and their relationships and interactions rather than one-liners and wacky situations. [[Creator/MaryTylerMoore Moore herself]], and her character Mary Richards, have also been pointed to as a turning point beyond just television, bringing women's liberation into American living rooms by featuring a working, unmarried[[note]]Mary Richards was originally written as a divorcée, but this was changed to a broken engagement due to a) the fact that divorce was still controversial in 1970, and b) fears that viewers would [[JustForFun/RoleAssociation associate Richards with Laura Petrie]], Moore's character from ''Series/TheDickVanDykeShow'', and think that Laura had divorced Rob.[[/note]] professional woman as the protagonist rather than having her be a stay-at-home wife. Finally, [[TropesAreTools for better or worse]], it helped drive UsefulNotes/TheRuralPurge at CBS and other networks in TheSeventies, as its success, together with that of ''Series/AllInTheFamily''[[note]]Commissioned as a midseason replacement in January 1971, just four months after ''MTM''. Given ''All in the Family''[='=]s own impact (described in further detail below), the 1970-71 television season as a whole could be thought of as a turning point for American television.[[/note]], seemed to vindicate CBS' strategy of focusing more on younger, urban/suburban demographics.
* Speaking of ''All in the Family'' (1971-79), what ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' didn't do, Creator/NormanLear probably did. Lear brought a new level of social consciousness to American television in TheSeventies, raising the bar for the social, cultural, and political topics that could be discussed on TV and demonstrating that the "idiot box" could tackle serious issues with nuance and depth while still being funny and entertaining. His shows also brought a previously unheard-of degree of diversity to television, with his various female and non-white lead characters including the likes of [[Series/SanfordAndSon Fred G. Sanford]], [[Series/{{Maude}} Maude Findlay]], [[Series/GoodTimes Florida and James Evans]], [[Series/TheJeffersons George and Louise Jefferson]], and [[Series/OneDayAtATime Ann Romano]].

* ''Series/TheMaryTylerMooreShow'' (1970-77) is often credited with elevating the American {{sitcom}} into a respectable genre of television beyond just serving as a vehicle for jokes, its humor driven by its fleshed-out characters and their relationships and interactions rather than wacky situations. [[Creator/MaryTylerMoore Moore herself]], and her character Mary Richards, have also been pointed to as a turning point beyond just television, bringing women's liberation into American living rooms by featuring a working, unmarried[[note]]Mary Richards was originally written as a divorcée, but this was changed to a broken engagement due to a) the fact that divorce was still controversial in 1970, and b) fears that viewers would [[RoleAssociation associate Richards with Laura Petrie]], Moore's character from ''Series/TheDickVanDykeShow'', and think that Laura had divorced Rob.[[/note]] professional woman as the protagonist rather than having her be a stay-at-home wife. Finally, [[TropesAreTools for better or worse]], it helped drive UsefulNotes/TheRuralPurge at CBS and other networks in TheSeventies, as its success, together with that of ''Series/AllInTheFamily''[[note]]Commissioned as a midseason replacement in January 1971, just four months after ''MTM''. Given ''All in the Family''[='=]s own impact (described in further detail below), the 1970-71 television season as a whole could arguably be thought of as a turning point for American television.[[/note]], seemed to vindicate CBS' strategy of focusing more on younger, urban/suburban demographics.

** The second wasn't a "show" ''per se'', but rather, the O. J. Simpson trial in 1994-95. The highly sensationalized case (a superstar athlete turned actor at the peak of his celebrity is credibly accused of murdering two people) felt to many Americans like a thrilling arc out of a SoapOpera, and [[IfItBleedsItLeads that was just how it was treated]] by the media. Many networks devoted their daytime programming to covering the "Trial of the Century", which not only crowded out their ''actual'' soap operas and set off their decline due to the disruption of their schedules, but also whetted people's appetites for more programming in that vein. Lili Anolik, [[https://www.vanityfair.com/style/society/2014/06/oj-simpson-trial-reality-tv-pop-culture writing]] for ''Vanity Fair'', has described the media circus around the trial as the first true reality TV hit. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Kardashian family, among the most famous figures in reality TV, first entered the public eye due to lawyer and family patriarch Robert Kardashian being part of Simpson's "Dream Team" of legal defenders.

** Shows like ''Series/{{Oz}}'' (1997-2003), ''Series/SexAndTheCity'' (1998-2004), ''Series/TheSopranos'' (1999-2007), and ''Series/TheWire'' (2002-08), with their focus on cinematography, acting, and complex themes and storylines developed through sharp writing and in-depth characters, proved that television productions can be just as good as Hollywood movies, and that cable television could seriously compete with the broadcast {{networks}} on their own turf. This has led to what some have described as a new GoldenAge for American television, one that is still apparent on HBO with shows like ''Series/GameOfThrones'' and ''Series/{{Westworld}}'' but has also spread to basic cable channels such as Creator/{{AMC}}, primarily with ''Series/BreakingBad'' and ''Series/MadMen''. AMC's ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' at its peak regularly pulled in well over ten million viewers, a number that not only was once thought unattainable by smaller cable shows but, thanks to cable turning the audience tide, actually dwarfs the ratings of most broadcast fare in the 2010s.

* Creator/{{FX}}'s ''Series/TheShield'' (2002-2008) not only had almost the same amount of mature content as HBO's aforementioned shows, but brought premium cable-quality television to basic cable. After the success of ''The Shield'', not only did FX make other hit series such as ''Series/{{Niptuck}}'', ''Series/RescueMe'', and ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'', but other cable networks started making their own edgy series. Today, basic cable shows have gotten even closer to premium cable in terms of mature content, with networks like USA, FX, and AMC allowing {{Precision F Strike}}s on their original programming, which would have been unheard of ten years ago.

** The second wasn't a "show" ''per se'', but rather, the O. J. Simpson trial in 1994-95. The highly sensationalized case (a superstar athlete at the peak of his career is credibly accused of murdering two people) felt to many Americans like a thrilling arc out of a SoapOpera, and [[IfItBleedsItLeads that was just how it was treated]] by the media. Many networks devoted their daytime programming to covering the "Trial of the Century", which not only crowded out their ''actual'' soap operas and set off their decline due to the disruption of their schedules, but also whetted people's appetites for more programming in that vein. Lili Anolik, [[https://www.vanityfair.com/style/society/2014/06/oj-simpson-trial-reality-tv-pop-culture writing]] for ''Vanity Fair'', has described the media circus around the trial as the first true reality TV hit. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Kardashian family, among the most famous figures in reality TV, first entered the public eye due to lawyer and family patriarch Robert Kardashian being part of Simpson's "Dream Team" of legal defenders.

* Speaking of ''All in the Family'' (1971-79), what ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' didn't do, Creator/NormanLear probably did. Lear brought a new level of social consciousness to American television in TheSeventies, raising the bar for the social, cultural, and political topics that could be discussed on TV shows and demonstrating that the "idiot box" could tackle serious topics with nuance and depth while still being funny and entertaining. His shows also brought a previously unheard-of degree of diversity to television, with his various female and non-white lead characters including the likes of [[Series/SanfordAndSon Fred G. Sanford]], [[Series/{{Maude}} Maude Findlay]], [[Series/GoodTimes Florida and James Evans]], [[Series/TheJeffersons George and Louise Jefferson]], and [[Series/OneDayAtATime Ann Romano]].

* Speaking of ''All in the Family'', what ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' didn't do, Creator/NormanLear probably did. Lear brought a new level of social consciousness to American television in TheSeventies, raising the bar for the social, cultural, and political topics that could be discussed on TV shows and demonstrating that the "idiot box" could tackle serious topics with nuance and depth while still being funny and entertaining. His shows also brought a previously unheard-of degree of diversity to television, with his various female and non-white lead characters including the likes of [[Series/SanfordAndSon Fred G. Sanford]], [[Series/{{Maude}} Maude Findlay]], [[Series/GoodTimes Florida and James Evans]], [[Series/TheJeffersons George and Louise Jefferson]], and [[Series/OneDayAtATime Ann Romano]].

* ''Series/TheMaryTylerMooreShow'' (1970-77) is often credited with elevating the American {{sitcom}} into a respectable genre of television beyond just serving as a vehicle for jokes, its humor driven by its fleshed-out characters and their relationships and interactions rather than wacky situations. [[Creator/MaryTylerMoore Moore herself]], and her character Mary Richards, have also been pointed to as a turning point beyond just television, bringing women's liberation into American living rooms by featuring a working, unmarried[[note]]Mary Richards was originally written as a divorcée, but this was changed to a broken engagement due to a) the fact that divorce was still controversial in 1970, and b) fears that viewers would associate Richards with Laura Petrie, Moore's character from ''Series/TheDickVanDykeShow'', and think that Laura had divorced Rob.[[/note]] professional woman as the protagonist rather than having her be a stay-at-home wife.

** Also together with ''The X-Files'', it demonstrated that there existed a potentially massive female fanbase for fantasy and science fiction stories, beyond just {{Estrogen Brigade}}s attracted to [[MrFanservice hunky male leads]], breaking the stereotype of genre fiction being a male-dominated fandom -- and more importantly, while ''The X-Files'' was chiefly marketed to men with the female fans being seen as an unexpected but welcome bonus, ''Buffy'', a TeenDrama with horror-comedy elements and overtly feminist messaging, was marketed primarily to women. A staggering number of female protagonists in genre fiction since (especially in UrbanFantasy) can probably trace their lineage back to this show's titular ValleyGirl VampireHunter.

** Said shows also brought more mature content into American television, which, until then, was largely restricted to fairly tame (about a mild PG-13) programming due to [[MediaWatchdog the FCC]], whose rules only covered broadcast networks (cable, as a pay service, was exempted). Due to these restrictions, much of the creative boom in American TV over the last decade has been on cable networks -- and more specifically, on ''premium'' cable networks, which not only don't have to worry about the FCC, but also don't have to worry about advertisers being pressured by MoralGuardians to pull their ads.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' (1997-2003) had a similar impact when it premiered, especially in terms of boosting the critical respectability of 'genre' television. Early in its run, the show's title alone saw it dismissed by critics expecting teenybopper junk; by the time of its GrandFinale, it and its SpinOff ''Series/{{Angel}}'' were the subject of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_studies serious academic analysis]]. In particular, it demonstrated, together with ''The X-Files'', that there existed a potentially massive female fanbase for fantasy and science fiction stories, beyond just {{Estrogen Brigade}}s attracted to [[MrFanservice hunky male leads]], breaking the stereotype of genre fiction being a male-dominated fandom -- and more importantly, while ''The X-Files'' was chiefly marketed to men with the female fans being seen as an unexpected but welcome bonus, ''Buffy'', a TeenDrama with horror-comedy elements and overtly feminist messaging, was marketed primarily to women. A staggering number of female protagonists in genre fiction since (especially in UrbanFantasy) can probably trace their lineage back to this show's titular ValleyGirl VampireHunter.

* ''Series/ILoveLucy'' (1951-57) has so many turning points attached to it that one can honestly wonder if television as a whole would look the same today without it. It was a KillerApp for television in the days when TV sets still cost almost as much as a small car. It perfected and codified the three-camera sitcom setup that is still in use by many popular shows to this day, even with the rise of the single-camera sitcom in the 2000s. It invented the live studio audience, and their laughter was used by Creator/{{CBS}} to create {{laugh track}}s for their other sitcoms. And when Creator/LucilleBall got pregnant in the second season, leaving her unable to fulfill the 39-episode order, executive producer (and Ball's husband and co-star) Desi Arnaz decided to rebroadcast older episodes instead -- inventing the {{rerun}} and, later, UsefulNotes/{{syndication}} once it became clear that these episodes were a potential cash cow. Todd [=VanDerWerff=] of ''The Website/AVClub'' [[https://tv.avclub.com/why-does-i-love-lucy-endure-after-all-these-years-1798230734 described the show]], together with ''Series/TheHoneymooners'', as "one of the two foundational texts of American TV comedy."

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' (1997-2003) had a similar impact when it premiered in 1997, especially in terms of boosting the critical respectability of 'genre' television. Early in its run, the show's title alone saw it dismissed by critics expecting teenybopper junk; by the time of its GrandFinale in 2003, it and its SpinOff ''Series/{{Angel}}'' were the subject of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_studies serious academic analysis]]. In particular, it demonstrated, together with ''The X-Files'', that there existed a potentially massive female fanbase for fantasy and science fiction stories, breaking the stereotype of genre fiction being a male-dominated fandom. A staggering number of female protagonists in genre fiction since (especially in UrbanFantasy) can probably trace their lineage back to this show's titular ValleyGirl VampireHunter.

* ''Series/{{LOST}}'' (2004-2010) popularized the idea of shows built around long-term {{myth arc}}s that [[MindScrew jerk the viewer's mind around]], as well as bringing sprawling, SoapOpera-style storylines into TV sci-fi. While it has its antecedents (''Series/TwinPeaks'', ''Series/TheXFiles'', ''Series/BabylonFive''), the boom in such programming after ''LOST'''s success shows why the trope is called the ''{{Noughties|DramaSeries}}'' [[NoughtiesDramaSeries Drama Series]]. ''Series/{{LOST}}'' also played a significant role in convincing networks that a successful mainstream series could experiment with non-linear storytelling.

* ''Series/{{LOST}}'' (2004-2010) popularized the idea of shows built around long-term {{myth arc}}s that [[MindScrew jerk the viewer's mind around]], as well as bringing sprawling, SoapOpera-style storylines into TV sci-fi. While it has its antecedents (''Series/TwinPeaks'', ''Series/TheXFiles'', the aforementioned ''B5''), the boom in such programming after ''LOST'''s success shows why the trope is called the ''{{Noughties|DramaSeries}}'' [[NoughtiesDramaSeries Drama Series]]. ''Series/{{LOST}}'' also played a significant role in convincing networks that a successful mainstream series could experiment with non-linear storytelling.

* ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' (1989-98) changed the way SitCom characters and stories are portrayed so completely that the original series seems [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny derivative]] in the new context it created. It helped pave the way for American sitcom protagonists who were [[UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist far less moral and sympathetic]] than before; while there had been people like [[Series/AllInTheFamily Archie Bunker]], [[Series/MarriedWithChildren Al Bundy]], and [[Series/{{Roseanne}} Roseanne Conner]] in the past, the cast of ''Seinfeld'' was unique in that they were ''all'' abrasive, selfish jerks with nobody to balance out their worst tendencies, with the show's humor coming from watching them go through life and handle it badly without learning a damn thing. Along the way, it also increased the standards of sophistication for sitcom humor, having been created by a stand-up comic who eschewed the cornball humor and [[AnAesop Aesops]] of many contemporary sitcoms in favor of biting wit and satire. Shows like ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'', ''Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm'' (created by ''Seinfeld'' veteran Creator/LarryDavid), and ''Series/ShamelessUS'' probably would not exist without the influence of ''Seinfeld''.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', despite not doing spectacularly well in the ratings, spawned numerous short-lived imitators (a few coming from Creator/GeneRoddenberry, ''Trek'''s creator) in comic books and television. During the '70s it served as ''the'' template for ScienceFiction television in America (and to a lesser extent, the rest of the world) until the advent of ''Franchise/StarWars'', though the clones tended to only last for a season or two. Even the original ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|1978}}'' and other works influenced by ''Franchise/StarWars'' showed its influence. Its impact lasted as late as the '90s, though more in the form of television reacting ''against'' the series.
** ''Franchise/StarTrek''[='=]s influence, however, would go on to shape far more than science fiction as a genre. Not only is it the TropeCodifier (and {{Trope Namer|s}}) for the PowerTrio, but things like automatic doors, Kindle, iPods, bluetooth, cell phones, and laptops were all first conceived for ''Franchise/StarTrek''. Its impact even goes beyond pop culture and technology; Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to work in space, was inspired to become an astronaut after seeing Lieutenant Uhura on television as a little girl.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' had a similar status in the [[UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} United Kingdom]]. It, too, spawned numerous homages, ranging from the long-running but much-mocked ''Series/TheTomorrowPeople'' to the dark and cerebral ''Series/SapphireAndSteel'', as well as many other less well-known examples. Similarly, the 2005 revival is credited with restoring Saturday night family dramas to British television as others began to capitalize on its success, as well as with breaking down the barrier for British television in the American market (British TV often had to be RemadeForTheExport or shuffled off onto Creator/{{PBS}} before then), as British shows ranging from ''Series/{{Sherlock}}'' to ''Series/DowntonAbbey'' to ''Series/BlackMirror'' became [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff trans-Atlantic hits]].
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and ''Franchise/StarWars'' were (and still are) considered the bastions of American ScienceFiction, both being notable for their 'optimistic' views. ''Series/BabylonFive'', ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', and ''Series/TheXFiles'', all of which premiered in 1993, started taking sci-fi in a new direction, away from the SpaceOpera[=/=]SpaceWestern concept and more towards a mix of character-driven drama inspired by cop shows and long-running story arcs. (''The X-Files'' was even set on present-day Earth, drawing less from 'classic' science fiction tropes for its lore and more from real-world UFO conspiracy theories.) This started a slow but steady shift in American television sci-fi that later yielded ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', the reimagined ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'', and the Franchise/StargateVerse.

* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' had a similar impact when it premiered in 1997, especially in terms of boosting the critical respectability of 'genre' television. Early in its run, the show's title alone saw it dismissed by critics expecting teenybopper junk; by the time of its GrandFinale in 2003, it and its SpinOff ''Series/{{Angel}}'' were the subject of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_studies serious academic analysis]]. In particular, it demonstrated, together with ''The X-Files'', that there existed a potentially massive female fanbase for fantasy and science fiction stories, breaking the stereotype of genre fiction being a male-dominated fandom. A staggering number of female protagonists in genre fiction since (especially in UrbanFantasy) can probably trace their lineage back to this show's titular ValleyGirl VampireHunter.
* ''Series/{{LOST}}'' popularized the idea of shows built around long-term {{myth arc}}s that [[MindScrew jerk the viewer's mind around]], as well as bringing sprawling, SoapOpera-style storylines into TV sci-fi. While it has its antecedents (''Series/TwinPeaks'', ''Series/TheXFiles'', the aforementioned ''B5''), the boom in such programming after ''LOST'''s success shows why the trope is called the ''{{Noughties|DramaSeries}}'' [[NoughtiesDramaSeries Drama Series]]. ''Series/{{LOST}}'' also played a significant role in convincing networks that a successful mainstream series could experiment with non-linear storytelling.
* In the late '90s and early '00s, {{Creator/HBO}} shows like ''Series/TheSopranos'', ''Series/TheWire'', ''Series/SexAndTheCity'', and ''Series/{{Oz}}'', with their focus on cinematography, acting, and complex themes and storylines developed through sharp writing and in-depth characters, proved that television productions can be just as good as Hollywood movies, and that cable television could seriously compete with the broadcast {{networks}} on their own turf. This has led to what some have described as a new golden age for American television, that is still apparent on HBO with shows like ''Series/GameOfThrones'', but has also spread to basic cable channels such as Creator/{{AMC}}, primarily with ''Series/BreakingBad'' and ''Series/MadMen''. AMC's ''Series/TheWalkingDead'' regularly pulls in over 10 million viewers, a number that not only was once thought unattainable by smaller cable shows, but thanks to cable turning the audience tide, actually dwarves the ratings of most broadcast fare in the 2010s.

* ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' changed the way SitCom characters and stories are portrayed so completely that the original series seems [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny derivative]] in the new context it created.
* ''Series/HillStreetBlues'' was the series for which the term "gritty cop drama" was invented. The use of hand-held cameras gave viewers the feeling of being in the middle of a messy, dangerous, often chaotic, big-city landscape. Other camera techniques, such as tight closeups, use of offscreen dialogue and rapid cuts between stories gave the series a "documentary" feel. It pioneered intertwined storylines in an episode, some of which took several episodes to play out. Many episodes were written to take place in a single day. It was one of the first cop shows to have dirty-cop arcs instead of one-shot or guest appearances. A Jack Webb series it wasn't.
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' and its source material, ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', have been credited with the recent boost in mainstream acceptance of {{Fantasy}}, particularly DarkFantasy. Their widespread acclaim, thanks to their mature and complex storylines and characters that are clearly made for adults (throwing out the [[FantasyGhetto unfair notion that Fantasy is only for kids or family-friendly]]), and their massive {{Fandom}}, have put them into the public eye, made the books bestsellers and made the show one of the most critically and commercially successful television dramas of the past decade, often being listed as being on the level of shows such as ''Series/BreakingBad'' and ''Series/MadMen'', [[FollowTheLeader as well as inspiring a noticeable number of medieval fictions for television.]] In terms of [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome cinematic production values]], it's also basically to television what ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' was to film.
* ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack'', ''Series/HouseOfCardsUS'', and ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' season 4 have completely changed TV audiences perceptions of shows exclusive to services like Netflix, from mediocre stories and poor budgets to exceptionally well made and highly successful shows that stand on par with prime-time television.
* In 1968, American network Creator/{{ABC}} was a distant third to its rivals Creator/{{CBS}} and Creator/{{NBC}}. Unable to compete with their news departments' coverage of the Democratic and Republican Party conventions that summer, ABC News instead hosted a series of debates between two intellectuals and bitter ideological rivals, the conservative William F. Buckley, Jr. and the leftist Creator/GoreVidal. The insults flew fast and furious -- among other highlights, Vidal called Buckley a "crypto-Nazi", to which Buckley responded by calling Vidal a "queer" and threatening to [[TalkToTheFist punch him in the face]]. On that stage, the modern image of the PompousPoliticalPundit, and the format for the "talking head" political TalkShow, arrived on television in the form of Buckley and Vidal with their back-and-forth insults, while ABC and its news department went from a perennial also-ran to a major player in American television, joining CBS and NBC as one of the Big Three networks.
* In 1993, the Creator/{{Fox}} network was already known for hit shows like ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', and ''Series/BeverlyHills90210'', but it was still viewed as something of an upstart in American television, having launched just seven years earlier. But when they outbid CBS that year for the rights to air [[UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball NFC football]] games, and proceeded to pillage most of CBS Sports' on-air talent and several of CBS' most valuable affiliates (including UsefulNotes/{{Atlanta}}, UsefulNotes/{{Milwaukee}}, UsefulNotes/{{Detroit}}, UsefulNotes/{{Cleveland}}, and UsefulNotes/{{D|FWMetroplex}}allas) the following year, they were established as a power player. No longer were they "the fourth network"; after 1993, the Big Three networks ignored Fox at their own peril, and by the 2000s Fox had joined their rivals in what are now the Big ''Four''. CBS, meanwhile, saw its DorkAge, already ongoing since the mid-late '80s, deepen further; it wouldn't be until 2002 when they fully recovered.
** Fox's NFL coverage also revolutionized the way sports was presented on American TV. They introduced the continuous score/clock graphic on the upper part of the screen. It was was derided as visual clutter by the other networks but fans quickly expressed their approval and it's now nearly universal for all live sports broadcasts. ''NFL on Fox'' also marked a huge jump toward packaging football as entertainment rather than the often dry style that dominated sportscasting by the early 90s.
* ''Series/RobinOfSherwood'' introduced a number of changes from previous depictions of RobinHood: Being the first version to get away from the green-tights-and-hat-with-a-feather image in favour of something a band of 12th century outlaws might actually wear, introducing the idea of a Saracen outlaw which was copied by later adaptations, returning Maid Marian to being an ActionGirl after being a DamselInDistress since Victorian times, and for portraying King Richard as just as bad as Prince John (although that didn't catch on as much).
* ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'' for {{Toku}}satsu. Prior to the show, the genre was defined almost entirely by {{kaiju}} like Franchise/{{Godzilla}} and Franchise/{{Gamera}} stomping around on cinema screens and destroying things. With the debut of ''Ultraman'', it not only introduced the idea that heroes could battle these destructive monsters and win regularly, but that Toku could be adapted to the schedules and budgets of television with the same results and great success. The result? Toku transformed into a primarily television-based genre revolving around {{superhero}}es battling [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters of the Week]], allowing for the birth of popular franchises like ''Franchise/KamenRider'' (which started the "[[HenshinHero Henshin]] Boom") and ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' to the point of nearly putting the kaiju flicks out of business as people loved being able watch {{Toku}} weekly over having to wait for a new movie to come out each year in a period where home video releases were still just a dream.
* When ''Series/BeverlyHills90210'' premiered on Creator/{{Fox}} in 1990, it revolutionized the American TeenDrama. Before, teen-oriented TV series in the US had been either [[AnAesop issue-oriented]] Series/{{Afterschool Special}}s, {{sitcom}}s with mostly teenage casts like ''Series/WelcomeBackKotter'' and ''Series/SavedByTheBell'', or transmissions of Creator/{{CBC}}'s ''Series/DegrassiHigh'' that made it over the border or onto Creator/{{PBS}} stations. ''90210'', however, brought the genre [[HotterAndSexier sex appeal]], [[SoapOpera soapy drama]], and CharacterDevelopment that made it a sensation among young people and [[YouCanPanicNow a cause for concern]] among [[MoralGuardians their parents]], while handling teen issues with a mix of realism and sympathy for the teenage characters that was unheard of for such shows at the time (at least in the US[[note]]Canadians watching the aforementioned ''Degrassi High'' and its predecessor, ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'', likely wouldn't have been so shocked by ''90210''[='=]s tone. In fact, a popular rumor among ''Degrassi'' fans claims that Creator/AaronSpelling tried to get an [[ForeignRemake American remake]] of ''Degrassi'' off the ground, and created ''90210'' as a SpiritualAdaptation after being rebuffed by that show's producers.[[/note]]), bringing the revolution started by Creator/JohnHughes' teen movies in TheEighties to television. The sea change that ''90210'' started was such that virtually every teen drama of the '90s and 2000s bears some of its influence, even if only in reaction to it.
* ''Series/ILoveLucy'' has so many turning points attached to it that one can honestly wonder if television as a whole would look the same today without it. It was a KillerApp for television in the days when TV sets still cost almost as much as a small car. It perfected and codified the three-camera sitcom setup that is still in use by many popular shows to this day, even with the rise of the single-camera sitcom in the 2000s. It invented the live studio audience, and their laughter was used by Creator/{{CBS}} to create {{laugh track}}s for their other sitcoms. And when Creator/LucilleBall got pregnant in the second season, leaving her unable to fulfill the 39-episode order, executive producer (and Ball's husband and co-star) Desi Arnaz decided to rebroadcast older episodes instead -- inventing the {{rerun}} and, later, UsefulNotes/{{syndication}} once it became clear that these episodes were a potential cash cow. Todd [=VanDerWerff=] of ''The Website/AVClub'' [[https://tv.avclub.com/why-does-i-love-lucy-endure-after-all-these-years-1798230734 described the show]], together with ''Series/TheHoneymooners'', as "one of the two foundational texts of American TV comedy."
* ''Series/KolchakTheNightStalker'' was the show that figured out how to make horror work on television outside the context of an {{anthology}} series: namely, by combining the genre with the PoliceProcedural and focusing on the people investigating the various horrors. With that, the MonsterOfTheWeek format was born as IntrepidReporter Carl Kolchak hunted down monsters of various sorts. Creator/ChrisCarter cited ''Kolchak'' as one of his main influences when he created ''Series/TheXFiles'', and it's not hard to see why.

* ''Franchise/StarTrek'' and ''Franchise/StarWars'' were (and still are) considered the bastions of American ScienceFiction, both being notable for their 'optimistic' views. ''Series/BabylonFive'', ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', and ''Series/TheXFiles'', all of which premiered in 1993, started taking sci-fi in a new direction, away from the SpaceOpera[=/=]SpaceWestern concept and towards more character-driven drama, almost like cop shows. (''The X-Files'' was even set on present-day Earth, drawing less from 'classic' science fiction tropes for its lore and more from real-world UFO conspiracy theories.) This started a slow but steady shift in American television sci-fi that later yielded ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', the reimagined ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'', and the Franchise/StargateVerse.

* When ''Series/BeverlyHills90210'' premiered on Creator/{{Fox}} in 1990, it revolutionized the American TeenDrama. Before, teen-oriented TV series in the US had been either [[AnAesop issue-oriented]] Series/{{Afterschool Special}}s, {{sitcom}}s with mostly teenage casts like ''Series/WelcomeBackKotter'' and ''Series/SavedByTheBell'', or transmissions of Creator/{{CBC}}'s ''Series/DegrassiHigh'' that made it over the border or onto UsefulNotes/{{PBS}} stations. ''90210'', however, brought the genre [[HotterAndSexier sex appeal]], [[SoapOpera soapy drama]], and CharacterDevelopment that made it a sensation among young people and [[YouCanPanicNow a cause for concern]] among [[MoralGuardians their parents]], while handling teen issues with a mix of realism and sympathy for the teenage characters that was unheard of for such shows at the time (at least in the US[[note]]Canadians watching the aforementioned ''Degrassi High'' and its predecessor, ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'', likely wouldn't have been so shocked by ''90210''[='=]s tone. In fact, a popular rumor among ''Degrassi'' fans claims that Creator/AaronSpelling tried to get an [[ForeignRemake American remake]] of ''Degrassi'' off the ground, and created ''90210'' as a SpiritualAdaptation after being rebuffed by that show's producers.[[/note]]), bringing the revolution started by Creator/JohnHughes' teen movies in TheEighties to television. The sea change that ''90210'' started was such that virtually every teen drama of the '90s and 2000s bears some of its influence, even if only in reaction to it.