While some may describe Hulu or Netflix as just modern-day streaming services, I’d describe them as portals to the past. With a variety of different shows and movies to choose from, I can always count on finding something that I haven’t seen before (even if they came out 20 years ago). 

One might argue that 2000s shows are overrated, but they’d be wrong. The era of “Gossip Girl” and “One Tree Hill” is what Glamour magazine is referring to as “the Golden Age of television” and here’s why:                       

Rewatching “Gilmore Girls” is a ritual for me every October. Airing from 2000-2007, the show follows the bubbly and eventful lives of Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), a mother-daughter duo living in the fictitious town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. The small-town charm and energy that the characters bring to each episode make rewatching 6 seasons easy. The quick-paced conversations and never-ending laughs are in my opinion what makes the series so comforting. Shows nowadays lack the same kind of wit and comfort the shows of the 2000s did. Take “Ginny and Georgia”, for example. Although the show has similar themes, the nostalgic masterpiece that is “Gilmore Girls” is not something that can be replicated.

A main issue I have with current shows in comparison to those of the 2000s is their severe lack of dramatization and the constant predictability. However, “The OC” (2003-2007) which starred actors Peter Gallagher and Adam Brody, never fails to have me on the edge of my seat. With the average episode running for about 44 minutes, there’s always plenty of time for scandalous and jaw-dropping storylines. Today, a lot of shows barely reach 30 minutes per episode and have shorter seasons which can sometimes make the plot feel rushed or incomplete. 

Further emphasizing the idea that shows today are simply not long enough, I must reference my favorite show of all time, “One Tree Hill” (2003-2012). Each episode is roughly 60 minutes with eight seasons in total. This allows viewers to grow an attachment to the characters and see their character arc in full. Unfortunately, the problem with streaming culture is that oftentimes shows get canceled before even the second season. So then we’re left with one season of a predictable show with 24-minute episodes that more than likely doesn’t star early 2000s heartthrob Chad Michael Murray. 

There have been times when remakes of the classic 2000s shows have been attempted, but they’re rarely ever quite as successful. “Gossip Girl” (2007-2012) starring Blake Lively and Leighton Meester,  ran for six seasons. Truly ahead of its time as it was incredibly influenced by social media stalking at a time when a lot of the social media apps we use today weren’t even created yet. The glamorous and dramatic lives of the Upper East Side teens had many people drawn into their fantasy world for years. A remake was created in 2021 and though the series had potential, it was canceled earlier this year after only two seasons. As I mentioned earlier, some things just can’t be replicated. 

Overall, the shows of the 2000s bring a sense of nostalgia, drama, and wit to the screen that many shows today haven’t been able to master. Whether the plot style of these shows will ever resurface is unclear, but until then, we have our portals to the past at just a click of a button.