Best TV Shows of 2001
The 40 most popular TV shows that premiered in 2001, most watched first, with a vote floor so obscure titles do not crowd out the ones people remember.
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40 titles · updated 3rd October 2026
1.Law & Order: Criminal Intent(2001)
7.6Drama
The third installment of the “Law & Order” franchise takes viewers deep into the minds of its criminals while following the intense psychological approaches the Major Case Squad uses to solve its crimes.
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2.Smallville(2001)
8.2Sci-Fi & FantasyAction & AdventureDrama
The origins of the world’s greatest hero–from Krypton refugee Kal-el’s arrival on Earth through his tumultuous teen years to Clark Kent’s final steps toward embracing his destiny as the Man of Steel.
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3.24(2001)
7.8Action & AdventureDramaCrime
Counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer fights the bad guys of the world, a day at a time. With each week's episode unfolding in real-time, "24" covers a single day in the life of Bauer each season.
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4.Scrubs(2001)
8.2Comedy
In the unreal world of Sacred Heart Hospital, John "J.D." Dorian learns the ways of medicine, friendship and life.
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5.Crossing Jordan(2001)
7.2Drama
Crossing Jordan is an American television crime/drama series that stars Jill Hennessy as Jordan Cavanaugh, M.D., a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed in the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
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6.The Fairly OddParents(2001)
7.6AnimationComedySci-Fi & Fantasy
The zany, fast-paced adventures of a 10-year-old boy and his fairy godparents, who inadvertently create havoc as they grant wishes for their pint-sized charge.
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7.Star Trek: Enterprise(2001)
7.5Sci-Fi & FantasyAction & AdventureDrama
During the mid-22nd century, a century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the formation of the Federation.
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8.Six Feet Under(2001)
8.1Drama
When death is your business, what is your life? For the Fisher family, the world outside of their family-owned funeral home continues to be at least as challenging as—and far less predictable than—the one inside.
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9.The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy(2001)
8.1AnimationComedyKids
The exploits of the Grim Reaper, who has been forced into being the best friend of two children. A spin-off of the show Grim & Evil.
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10.According to Jim(2001)
6.5Comedy
Jim is the typical all-American guy — a macho "everyman" — with a soft spot for his beautiful wife and children. Jim's boyish bravado and humorous antics keep a certain level of turmoil in their home, but there's never a doubt that this "opposites attract" couple are in their marriage for keeps!
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11.The Bernie Mac Show(2001)
6.7Comedy
The Bernie Mac Show is an American sitcom that aired on Fox for five seasons from November 14, 2001 to April 14, 2006. The series featured comic actor Bernie Mac and his wife Wanda raising his sister's three kids: Jordan, Bryana, and Vanessa.
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12.The Guardian(2001)
7.0Drama
Nick Fallin is a hotshot lawyer working at his father's ultrasuccessful Pittsburgh law firm. Unfortunately, the high life has gotten the best of Nick. Arrested for drug use, he's sentenced to do 1,500 hours of community service, somehow to be squeezed into his 24/7 cutthroat world of mergers, acquisitions and board…
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13.Waking the Dead(2001)
7.2CrimeMysteryDrama
A detective team apply new techniques to old crimes as they solve cold cases.
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14.Samurai Jack(2001)
8.4Sci-Fi & FantasyAction & AdventureAnimation
A great warrior is displaced to the distant future by the evil shape-shifting wizard Aku. The world has become a bleak place under the rule of Aku, segregated into fantastic tribes and ruled by Aku's evil robot warlords. Jack travels this foreign landscape in search of a time portal that can return him to his home…
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15.Band of Brothers(2001)
8.6DramaWar & Politics
Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as their journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men from paratrooper training in Georgia through the end of the war. As an elite rifle company parachuting into Normandy early on D-Day morning, participants in the Battle…
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16.McLeod's Daughters(2001)
7.2Drama
When Jack McLeod passes away, his two daughters inherit Drovers Run, a vast cattle ranch in the Australian outback. Ultimately, Tess and Claire decide to run the ranch together, with their housekeeper, Meg, her teenage daughter, Jodi, and a local girl, Becky. Their lives are hard and the obstacles many, but the…
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17.Grounded for Life(2001)
6.8FamilyComedy
Right out of high school, Sean Finnerty got his girlfriend Claudia pregnant. Now she’s his wife, and at just 32, he’s somehow found himself with 14-year-old daughter Lily, two little boys, and a constant struggle between his need to be responsible and his desperate desire to be irresponsible. His judgmental father…
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18.Reba(2001)
6.6Comedy
After her dentist husband of 20 years leaves her for his dental hygienist, Reba Hart's seemingly perfect world is turned upside down.
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19.Mutant X(2001)
6.7Sci-Fi & FantasyAction & AdventureMystery
Follow the adventures of a group of human mutants - led by the mysterious Adam Kane - possessing extraordinary powers as a result of genetic experimentation gone awry.
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20.The Proud Family(2001)
7.7AnimationComedyKids
Follow the adventures and misadventures of Penny, a 14-year-old African American girl who's doing her best to navigate through the early years of teen-dom. Penny's every encounter inevitably spirals into bigger than life situations filled with hi-jinks, hilarity and heart. Her quest to balance her home, school and…
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21.My Wife and Kids(2001)
7.4ComedyFamilyDrama
Michael Kyle is a loving husband and modern-day patriarch who rules his household with a unique and distinct parenting style. As he teaches his three children some of life's lessons, he does so with his own brand of humor.
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22.The Office(2001)
7.8Comedy
Nightmare boss. Tedious colleagues. Pointless tasks. Welcome to Wernham Hogg.
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23.How It's Made(2001)
7.7Documentary
Have you ever wondered how the products you use every day are made? How It's Made leads you through the process of how everyday products, such as apple juice, skateboards, engines, contact lenses, and many more objects are manufactured.
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24.Disney's House of Mouse(2001)
7.7AnimationKidsComedy
A very-recognizable audience of Disney animated characters gather into the House of Mouse nightclub to enjoy musical guests, cartoon shorts and Master of Ceremonies Mickey Mouse's comical introductions from the stage.
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25.The Legend of Tarzan(2001)
7.0Action & AdventureAnimationKids
The Legend of Tarzan picks up where the 1999 feature film left off, with the title character adjusting to his new role as leader of the apes following Kerchak's death, and Jane adjusting to life in the jungle. Rounding out the cast are Jane's father, Professor Archimedes Porter; Tantor, the germophobic elephant; and…
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26.Justice League(2001)
8.2Action & AdventureAnimationSci-Fi & Fantasy
The long-awaited rebirth of the greatest superhero team of all time: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter.
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27.Trailer Park Boys(2001)
7.7Comedy
Follow the booze-fueled misadventures of three longtime pals and petty serial criminals who run scams from their Nova Scotia trailer park.
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28.Lizzie McGuire(2001)
7.2ComedyKidsFamily
Lizzie McGuire is all about the ordinary and not-so-ordinary adventures of a junior high student and her two best friends as they try to deal with the ups and downs of school, popularity, boys, parents, a bratty little brother--just life in general. And if Lizzie leaves anything unsaid, you can bet that her cartoon…
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29.The Zeta Project(2001)
7.5Action & AdventureAnimationKids
Follow the futuristic adventures of Zeta, a renegade government-designed robot, and Ro, his 15-year-old streetwise companion.
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30.Braceface(2001)
6.7DramaAnimationComedy
The show, set in Elkford, British Columbia, is based around Sharon Spitz, who is a junior high school student with braces that get in her way of leading a normal teenage life. In the first season, she is enrolled at Mary Pickford Junior High.
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31.Alias(2001)
6.8Action & AdventureDrama
Sydney Bristow, an agent who has been tricked to believe she is working for the U.S. government, is actually working for a criminal organization named the Alliance of Twelve. Upon learning this, Sydney becomes a double agent for the real CIA.
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32.Invader ZIM(2001)
8.5AnimationComedySci-Fi & Fantasy
Zim dreams of greatness. Unfortunately, though, he's hopelessly inept as a space invader. Desperate to be rid of the annoying Zim, his planet's leaders send him on a mission to infiltrate Earth, providing him with leftover, cobbled-together equipment. To their consternation, Zim succeeds in setting up a base on Earth…
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33.Undeclared(2001)
7.3Comedy
College freshman Steve Karp, his girlfriend and their fellow dorm-mates embark on one the greatest experiences of their lives...unfortunately for Steve, his lonely and recently divorced father is tagging along for the ride.
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34.Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps(2001)
6.8Comedy
The lives of five loveable, 20-somethings are followed in the northern town of Runcorn in Cheshire, England, where the friends meet often at a local pub to chat about life and love.
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35.Night Visions(2001)
7.1Sci-Fi & FantasyDramaMystery
Horror anthology series, with each episode comprising two half-hour stories dealing with themes of the supernatural or simply the dark side of human nature.
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36.The Lone Gunmen(2001)
6.8ComedyDrama
After years of playing second fiddle to Agents Mulder and Scully on The X-Files, the trio of computer-hacking conspiracy geeks popularly known as The Lone Gunmen are finally heading out on their own. Never ones to stray far from the center of corporate and government intrigue, the threesome play like a misguided…
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37.Time Squad(2001)
6.0AnimationComedyKids
The adventures of the Time Squad, a team of dysfunctional characters who travel through time to rectify any deviations in history.
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38.Witchblade(2001)
7.0Sci-Fi & FantasyMysteryDrama
Sara "Pez" Pezzini searches for justice which brings her into contact with the Witchblade. An ancient, intelligent, living weapon so powerful it can battle Earth's darkest evil forces. Week in and week out, Pez employs her skills as a police detective to fight crime. Pez finds she must employ the Witchblade to combat…
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39.The Job(2001)
6.8DramaComedy
Mike McNeil is a decorated New York City detective whose toughest assignment is himself. He's struggling to balance a challenging personal life with a job that leaves him wondering on a daily basis if he is the last sane person in New York. His unconventional approach to his job makes him a great cop, even on the…
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40.The Oblongs(2001)
7.6AnimationComedy
The Oblongs are not so much dysfunctional as slightly nonfunctional. Living next to a polluted swamp has left them with the occasional missing limb or mysterious growth, but through it all, this close-knit family sticks together. Sometimes literally.
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