Look,difference between eroticism and sex we're never going to knock mindless entertainment, especially with all the *everything* going on.
But we also want to celebrate the stories we watched this decade that moved the needle out in the real world. Whether they be fictional series or narrative-based docu-series, the shows we chose —just a few highlights, not all-encompassing — are products of strategic work by writers and creators that illuminated some of our world's most pressing sociopolitical and environmental issues.
Below, eight vital shows that stuck with us and went above and beyond to utilize their platforms to give voices to the voiceless, remedy lapses in societal judgement, and tell vital stories, and, ideally, inspired their audiences to go out and do more.
You May Also Like
1. Handmaid's Tale
Women protesting the Trump administration's immigration policies don 'Handmaid's Tale' garb. Credit: Kevin Hagen/Getty Images Author of The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood's assessment of her 1985 novel rings true: the story that captivated readers and audiences alike is "about now." Taking wardrobe cues from the Republic of Gilead in the not-so-distant future, women donned red cloaks and bonnets at protests all across the U.S., Ireland, Argentina, United Kingdom, Croatia, and Poland to make a harrowing statement about reproductive and abortion rights and gender inequality.
The first protest populated by handmaid lookalikes occurred in Texas: in March 2017 after Hulu staged a demonstration based on the then-upcoming show, members of NARAL Pro-Choice Texas sent women in the frocks to the Texas Senate in protest of a bill that would further restrict abortion access in the state. Two-and-a-half years later, the red cloak and white bonnet look has become a staple component in protests surrounding women's rights across the globe.
2. When They See Us
The real Central Park Five (Kevin Richardson, Antron Mccray, Raymond Santana Jr., Korey Wise, and Yusef Salaam) were instrumental in Durvernay's adaptation of their story. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Twenty years after the landmark Central Park Jogger case, Ava Duvernay's dramatic miniseries told the stories of the Central Park Five, five teenage boys who were indicted and wrongly incarcerated — one of whom was tried and punished as an adult (Korey Wise, portrayed by Jharrel Jerome).
In the years following the case, its prosecutor, Elizabeth Lederer (played by Vera Farmiga) remained the senior trial counsel at the New York County District Attorney's Office, and eventually became a part-time lecturer at Columbia Law School; Linda Fairstein (Felicity Huffman), who oversaw prosecution of the case, was head of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's sex crimes unit and rose to fame as an esteemed crime novelist. Fairstein's work at the District Attorney's Office is credited for inspiring Law & Order: SVU.
Linda Fairstein poses with 'Death Dance,' one of her many crime novels. Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images After the miniseries resurfaced the case and its mishandling at the hands of the two women, both faced immense backlash. Although Lederer's teaching position had already been protested by Columbia's Black Law Students Association, it took the public's reaction to When The See Us to provoke her resignation.
Fairstein's fate took a different route: she was dropped by her book publisher, Glamour Magazine effectively rescinded Fairstein's 1993 Woman of the Year award, and #CancelLindaFairstein trended on Twitter, and petitions called for her titles to be pulled from bookseller's repertories. Further, Fairstein resigned from the boards of Safe Horizon and Joyful Heart Foundation and that of Vassar College.
3. Orange Is The New Black
When Poussey was killed at the hands of one of Litchfield's correctional officers during OITNB's fourth season, fans were heartbroken. Samira Wiley's portrayal of the fun-loving, empathetic, optimistic, big-hearted character brought a silver lining to the narrative (intentionally) set in such a bleak and finite environment. Thus, the fictional Poussey Washington fund featured on OITNB's final season delivered bittersweet closure as Taystee used her late friend's namesake to help women formerly incarcerated make transition to life outside prison.
Seemingly in a parallel effort to allow the show to live on past its series finale, OITNB unveiled the (real life) Poussey Washington Fund, which supports eight non-profit organizations that focus on issues presented throughout the show's seven seasons.
4. "The John Oliver Effect"
The amount of real world change that Oliver's Last Week Tonight has enacted could be a standalone piece (and it is).
In one of his most memorable takedowns, Oliver exposed the FCC for attempting to not comply with net neutrality. The episode caused the agency to adopt net neutrality norms, and their servers crashed due to messages from outraged Last Week Tonight viewers. The impact that the host has had on global politics and governance is likely thanks to his accessible, approachable style and comprehensive reporting.
5. Making a Murderer
Steven Avery's history with the Manitowoc County Justice Department in Wisconsin is fraught with falsified accusations and coerced confessions, both of which are exposed on the hit Netflix docu-series, Making A Murderer.
After the show's first installment (which premiered in 2015), fans outraged by Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey's cruel fate appealed to the Obama administration in order to obtain a presidential pardon for the pair who were in custody in 2016. The White House responded by explaining that Avery and Dassey's cases were within the purview of the state of Wisconsin, not that of the federal branch. Therefore, Avery and Dassey would need to be pardoned by local officials.
But fans didn't stop after a plea to the top executive: in addition to the White House petition, another petition in Avery's honor on Change.org received over 500,000 signatures.
The current fates of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey are unclear, though both of the accused are still crusading to prove their innocence. Avery is continuing to appeal his own conviction, while Dassey's legal team has asked that Wisconsin Governor Tom Evers grant him clemency, among other updates on the still-unfolding case.
6. The Keepers
The murder case surrounding the 1969 disappearance and death of Cathy Cesnik went cold in 1992. Twenty-five years later, The Keepers enlightened viewers about the alleged sexual abuse that haunted the halls of Archbishop Keough High School primarily at the hands of Father Joseph A. Maskell. As described in the series, many involved with the case believe that Cesnik had knowledge of the sexual abuse and was killed by Maskell (or, those associated with him) in order to silence her.
In a preemptive response to the claims unearthed by the docu-series, the State of Maryland extended the statute of limitations for victims of childhood sexual abuse, meaning women who were abused in high school that wanted to sue Maskell (or any related entities) could do so until they were 38 years old, rather than 25. This move from the State was meaningful: a 1995 suit filed against Maskell by two of the women he abused was thrown out because it had surpassed said statute of limitations.
Once the docu-series aired, the impassioned viewer response provoked the Baltimore police department to re-open the case. It all began with a form on the department's website (which is still active) that provided an avenue for survivors of sexual abuse related to the incidents detailed on The Keepers to report. Taking power into their own hands, the show's audience created a petition urging a grand jury to investigate the Archdiocese of Baltimore, as those associated are said to hold countless documents pertaining to the sexual abuse claims against Maskell.
7. Blue Planet II leads the (offscreen) war against plastics
Blue Planet II's finale tackled the harmful effects of human overuse of plastic. The response from viewership was a mix of outrage, surprise, and incentive; all of which took the forms of tangible efforts to cut down on plastic waste and pollution.
As described by Attenborough in his laud of the Blue Planet II audience crusaders, viewers cleaned beaches and modified their lifestyles pertaining to plastic use, local organizations worked to reduce their plastic footprint, and companies in Britain joined in on an initiative to reduce plastic pollution. Outside the U.K., Attenborough informs that China has spearheaded its own Blue Planet campaign against single-use plastic overuse.
What's more, outside research confirmed Attenborough's message: 88% of people who watched Blue Planet II's finale changed their behavior when it came to single-use plastics. Additionally, 60% of people reportedly choose reusable water bottles and coffee cups as a result of the knowledge they gleaned from the mini-series. Finally, Waitrose, the supermarket company that conducted the aforementioned research, reported an 800% increase in customers inquiring about plastic use in products and stores nationwide.
8. Living Undocumented
Produced, shot, and released amidst a world of "fake news" accusations and conflicting narratives surrounding immigration laws and practices, Netflix's Living Undocumentedprovides an unabashed look at the harsh realities of those living without legal status in the United States.
One of the most jarring revelations from the docu-series is the encounter between immigration attorney Andrea Martinez and two unrelenting ICE agents, all of which was caught on camera. As shown in the clip above, while working on deportation cases related to Luis Diaz, attorneys Andrea Martinez and Megan Galicia escorted their client into an ICE facility in Kansas, MO to reunite his son, Noah, with mother (and Luis's girlfriend) Kenia. Diaz transported Noah to the facility because both Kenia and Noah were to be deported to Honduras. After attempting to enter the facility with Diaz, two ICE agents forcefully pushed Martinez, causing her to fall onto the concrete and break her foot.
Later on, viewers see Martinez being wheeled out of the ICE facility, presumably after she requested medical assistance on behalf of her foot. The episode during which both clips appear is aptly titled "The World is Watching," and the series was shot throughout 2018.
After the docu-series's premiere in October, 2019, Martinez is demanding justice for the way she was treated: represented by the ACLU, Martinez filed a lawsuit suing the U.S. government for "excessive force" and "unlawful search and seizure" in violation of her Fourth Amendment rights.
As for the two ICE agents depicted in the episode (who have been identified as Everett Chase and Ronnet Sasse), Martinez is suing for “assault, battery, false arrest, false imprisonment and negligent infliction of emotional distress.” The lawsuit is being filed to the U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri.
After the docu-series wrapped, Martinez has continued to advocate for immigration reform in a multitude of ways. She's still represents immigrants living in the U.S., in addition to reporting on and sharing immigration-related news via her Twitter account, and hosting a podcast titled Immigration Matters with her aforementioned legal partner, Megan Galicia.
Topics Activism Hulu Netflix