4 good TV shows turning 20 years old in 2024

I know it doesn’t feel like 2004 was 20 years ago, but it was, which means many great TV shows just turned 20 years old. 

Seriously, 2004 is a sneaky good year for new TV premieres. Most of the titles on this list of good TV shows turning 20 years old in 2024 were broadcast hits. The cable networks had a decent market share in the early 2000s, but we’re still a decade before the streaming industry changed the TV game. 

At this point in TV history, we’re still seven years before the Game of Thrones premiere. Remember that, please! 

Let’s get the list started with the best show of 2004! 

Lost 

Created by Jeffrey Lieber, J. J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelof, Lost premiered on ABC in the fall of 2004. The series told the story of a group of survivors of a plane crash on a mysterious island. It was one of the most popular shows on TV during its six-season run on the network. 

Lost had an incredible cast. There are simply too many important characters and cast to list, but Matthew Fox, Naveen Andrews, Emilie de Ravin, Maggie Grace, Jorge Garcia, Evangeline Lilly, Dominic Monaghan, Daniel Dae Kim, and Terry O'Quinn were just a few of the fan favorites. 

In the decade-plus since Lost has been off the air, the series has only become more popular as the series has bounced around from streamer to streamer. It used to be one of the most-watched shows on Netflix. I think that’s changed now, but it’s still culturally relevant two decades later. 

In September 2024, you can watch Lost on Disney+ and Netflix. 

Desperate Housewives 

Desperate Housewives was a huge new release when the series premiered in October 2004. The series had top 5 ratings during its first two seasons on ABC, and it was one of the biggest shows during its eight-season run. The show came to an end in the spring of 2012. It’s safe to say this series changed the landscape of broadcast TV. 

From Marc Cherry, Desperate Housewives tells the stories of the women of Wisteria Lane, played by Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria, and Nicollette Sheridan. The series follows the inner drama of their family, relationships, friendships, and scandalous affairs. 

If you haven’t seen Desperate Housewives, I highly recommend giving the series a watch today. Of all the shows on the list, Desperate Housewives holds up the best in my opinion. 

All eight seasons of Desperate Housewives are now available to stream on Hulu. 

House 

If you’re a fan of medical dramas, especially the medical dramas of today, they were probably influenced at least a little bit by House. Created by David Shore, House premiered on FOX on Nov. 16, 2004. The series ran for eight seasons on FOX through the spring of 2012. House got off to a slow start, but during the middle of its run, it was one of the top 10 most popular shows on TV. 

The series tells the story of Dr. Gregory House, MD, played by Hugh Laurie, and the team of doctors and nurses at a specialty hospital in New Jersey. Despite being a major pain in the butt and rude to everyone, House uses his expertise to solve puzzling medical issues before it's too late. 

Jennifer Morrison, Lisa Edelstein, Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer, Olivia Wilde, Robert Sean Leonard, Peter Jacobson, and Kal Penn star alongside Laurie in the series. 

If you want to watch House right now, you have a lot of options. The series is available to stream on Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV+, and Prime Video. 

Veronica Mars 

It’s so wild that Veronica Mars premiered on UPN/The CW two decades ago! Created by Rob Thomas and starring Kristin Bell, Veronica Mars tells the story of the titular character, who becomes a P.I. for a little bit of extra cash. She actually turns out to be quite good at it! 

The series ran for three seasons through 2007, but fans never gave up! Veronica Mars, the movie, hit theaters 10 years ago in March 2014. Hulu ordered an official fourth season, which premiered in 2019. 

The series also has a great cast that includes Percy Daggs III, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Teddy Dunn, Jason Dohring, and more,

If you’re looking for a good mystery series with an excellent lead (Bell), Veronica Mars is a great show to binge-watch on Hulu right now! 

Other good shows that premiered in 2004: Drake & Josh, Deadwood, Entourage, The 4400, Battlestar Galactica, Boston Legal, and Friends spinoff, Joey