23 defining TV characters of the 21st century so far

Amy Poehler’s wildly overzealous positivity matched the era of change brought on by Obama’s first administration in 2009.

Robin Hood is one of the most adapted characters in entertainment — the outlaw who just wants to do good for their people, and Omar Little was definitely that. Only, instead of a bow and arrow, he had a more modern choice of weaponry.

Every era has a medical drama that viewers cling to for years, and while ER made its way into the new millennium, ending in 2009, Grey’s Anatomy has taken over, and Meridith Grey has been at the helm.

Before everyone and their mother had a podcast, Marc Maron laid the foundation for what it takes to make a great show with WŦF with Marc Maron. He then turned the show into a whole new venture when he played a fictionalized version of himself on Maron. It ran three seasons and helped push many towards getting their own mics.

The 21st century was the first time in television that millennials were showrunners . This generation was raised heavily by the small screen, and it showed in many shows, including Lena Dunham. The creator of  Girls caused quite the commotion with her acclaimed HBO series, Girls, in which she played an aspiring writer with a number of struggles.

The world’s greatest boss…if one just ever looks at the cup and doesn’t actually ever watch Michael Scott in action. Not, but really, Michael Scott did represent a new wave of comedy on television and helped popularize the mockumentary style moving forward — at least in the US.

People often overlook the impact of television aimed at America's youth, but one cannot deny how influential Carly Shay and Nickelodeon’s iCarly were. Premiering just two years after YouTube kicked off, Carly inspired a generation of vloggers.

Just before the 21st century got underway, The Sopranos ushered in the era of the antihero, and from there, the world got a plethora of them, including the serial killer who fans had to argue was doing everything he did (most of the time) for a good reason. Dexter could also be considered the jumping-off point for many who flocked to true crime years later.

Orange is the New Black wasn’t the first Netflix original series, but many could argue it was the first one to really make people grasp the idea of binge-watching. While the show had the most glorious array of female characters with stories that captured the hearts of many, there was one whose ultimate end made the world mourn. Poussey Washington’s death was a reflection of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States and an homage to Eric Garner, a victim of police brutality.

It is not easy to create a character as familiar as, say, Spongebob Squarepants, but Chuck Lorre and CBS did just that with Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory. Such a simple design — a nerd in a superhero tee — yet Sheldon and his catchphrase of “bazinga” will live forever in the TV greats.

Mental health and the way the world approaches it has shifted so much in recent decades that a show like 13 Reasons Why caught on so fast with viewers, and why Hannah Baker was a standout character.

Nothing says 21st century like the tech boom, and at the helm were tech bros as well as tech nerds like the one Richard Hendricks played on Silicon Valley, a show that highlighted the nightmare that is the tech industry.

There was a time when Fox still tried to do more than The Masked Singer . It was back in 2015 when Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson stepped into the world of Empire, and for a minute, no one could touch Henson’s Cookie Lyon. She was the baddie matriarch who no one wanted to mess with.

Breaking Bad was and will forever be considered one of the greats, but what Walter White really did was shine a spotlight on the American healthcare system, or lack thereof.

Social media is often used to highlight the highs of life, especially when it comes to influencers. So Beef’s Amy Lau was a wonderful example of pulling the curtain back on someone everyone views as perfect, showing that there is always more behind the curated content and filtered posts.

Where would TV be in the ‘00s without the boom of apocalyptic programming? At the helm of all of that was The Walking Dead’s fearless leader for a majority of the show’s wild ride, Rick Grimes.

Politics were relatively boring when Scandal premiered, but in hindsight, Olivia Pope was that girl.

It’s hard to say whether or not Apple TV+ would have continued if not for the infectious ways of Jason Sudeikis’ show in which he plays the titular Ted Lasso.

Coming-of-age stories tend to focus on adolescence, but Sam in Somebody Somewhere proves that we’re never done finding ourselves, our purpose, and our place in life.

This Is Us was an ensemble cast achievement, but it can be argued that Randall Pearson was the show's rock. For too long, TV stereotyped Black men, and Sterling K. Brown’s award-winning character shattered every stereotype throughout six glorious seasons.  

Those who weren’t around when Hannah Montana was airing don’t know just how big that show was. The merchandise was everywhere, Miley Cyrus was a household name before she could drive, and the influence of that show about a pop star is responsible for inspiring everyone from Chappell Roan to Sabrina Carpenter.  

The Boys premiered in 2019 and held a mirror up to American politics, but with a superhero twist. While he might be the villain of it all, there is no escaping the fact that Homelander and his antics are why that show can be considered addicting.

Someone from reality TV? First off, there’s nothing that is real about reality TV, everyone knows that. Secondly, New York can very much be considered a character since Tiffany Pollard was given that name on Flavor of Love and filled the role of the villain vying for love.