TV shows you won’t believe turn 20 this year

Being a mom is not for the weak, as shown by "Desperate Housewives," which aired on ABC from 2004 to 2012 for eight seasons.

Beyond the picture-perfect facade of a suburban neighborhood are four women whose realities are far from perfect: Susan is navigating life post-divorce and the challenges of raising a teenage daughter; Lynette is overwhelmed by the chaos of her four children; Bree embodies the neighborhood's perfectionism … despite being completely dysfunctional; and former model Gabrielle is married to Carlos, who wants it all in life. Their lives are narrated by their neighbor, the late Mary Alice.

During a 2004 interview with The New York Times, series creator Marc Cherry said the show was inspired by the case of Andrea Yates, who was found guilty in 2002 of drowning her five children. Cherry recalled how when he watched the trial with his mother, he was appalled by the crime and surprised by his mother's response. She said she understood the struggle and desperation of a housewife, and he realized how hard it can get for mothers. That experience played a pivotal role in forming "Desperate Housewives."

"This show is actually a love letter to all the women out there who have issues and are trying their best to be stay-at-home moms," Cherry said.

The show was an immediate hit upon its release, averaging 23.7 million viewers throughout the first season, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

"Desperate Housewives" is now available on Hulu.

If you're looking for a doctor who's sugar, spice, and everything nice … well, you've come to the wrong place.

"House," which aired on Fox for eight seasons until 2012, shares the story of a crotchety genius, Dr. Gregory House, who works at the fictional Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey and solves medical mysteries.

He plays mind games with his coworkers, but despite his bluntness and antisocial behavior, he is well respected for his instincts and unique perspective.

"House" gained momentum during its first season to become a fan favorite: After premiering to 7 million viewers, its series-one finale in May 2005 was watched by 19 million, Forbes reported. At one point, it was even the most-watched series in the world — in 2008, it drew 81.8 million viewers across 66 countries, Entertainment Weekly reported.

The show won numerous awards including five Primetime Emmys, two Golden Globes, nine People's Choice Awards, and a Peabody Award.

It is available for streaming on Hulu.

Even in 2004, the producers of "The L Word" were making strides to ensure that all communities — in this case, a group of lesbian and bisexual women — were seen and heard on TV.

The characters in "The L Word," which aired on Showtime, were on various romantic journeys, from serious relationships to casual encounters and devastating breakups. Storylines touched on contemplating starting families, exploring sexual identity, battling hidden desires, and embracing their authentic selves.

The cast was heavily female, with Jennifer Beals, Kate French, Leisha Hailey, Pam Grier, and Laurel Holloman starring. While considered groundbreaking at the time by many, it has since received criticism from LGBTQ+ viewers as a "depiction" of their community.

"The original 'L Word' was a wealthy, white fantasy about gay life in L.A. It reflected and reinforced some of the worst prejudices within our community," wrote Joy Ellison of Columbus Monthly in 2019.

In 2019, the show got a reboot, "The L Word: Generation Q," which sought to include more diverse voices, including more thoughtful trans narratives.

"The L Word" can be found on Paramount+.

Flashback to the best four years of your life: You're away from home and living on your own. Now imagine living in a co-ed house and being filmed making those memories.

"College Hill" was a reality TV series that documented eight students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as they tried to balance studying and socializing, all while living together. The first season was set at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The BET show, which aired for six seasons from 2004 to 2009, is credited as the first Black reality TV show.

"When you cast a reality show right, you don't have to script it. We never ever scripted 'College Hill.' Since reality shows have evolved, I can tell what's scripted. We were so old school and intricately involved in the casting process that the stories unfolded because of the characters that we put into the house," said show creator and executive producer Tracey Edmonds in a 2019 interview with Blavity.

In 2022, it got a reboot with a celebrity twist, featuring stars such as Stacey Dash, Ray J, Amber Rose, and NeNe Leakes. A new season featuring Karlous Miller, Tamar Braxton, and Saucy Santana has just kicked off.

But like the original, the reboot faces one big question from HBCU alumni: Is all press good press? The reality show spotlighted drama and partying at HBCUs — rather than academics — which some viewers believe led to its original downfall, per Collider.

"College Hill" and "College Hill: Celebrity Edition" are available for streaming on BET+ and Amazon Video.

Can you believe it's been 20 years since this OG crew of friends stole viewers' hearts?

In "Entourage," film star Vince Chase, portrayed by Adrian Grenier, has the support of his group of friends from Queens, New York, after they all move to Los Angeles.

"Entourage" was released to moderate success — Forbes called it "comfort food" — and it ran for eight seasons on HBO, ending in 2011. In 2015, a film, also called "Entourage," was released, earning $49.3 million at the box office, per Box Office Mojo.

"Its soft film-industry satire, glossy hedonism and strong chemistry among the cast made it an enjoyable, if unchallenging, show to watch," said Benjamin Lee of The Guardian.

The series can be streamed on Hulu.

Calling all fashionistas and the creatively inclined!

It's hard to believe it's been two decades since amateur fashion stylists and designers first battled it out to create the best clothes while juggling thematic, material, and time constraints.

The show has since lasted for 20 seasons.

Its early success could be largely attributed to big-name judges Heidi Klum, Michael Kors, Nina Garcia, and mentor Tim Gunn, fashion chair at Parsons The New School for Design.

While it's unclear what the future holds for the show, there's no denying its success over the past two decades. Beyond its record-breaking viewership numbers for Bravo, "Project Runway" has launched many professional designers' careers, including Christian Siriano and Leanne Marshall. There are also at least 13 spinoffs including series aired in other countries.

However, "Project Runway" is also no stranger to criticism.

"The contestants are good, but the show never regained the sense of unbridled creative ambition that it had in the early years," Vulture's Jason P. Frank wrote in 2023.

"Project Runway" is available for streaming on Amazon Video and Peacock.

This one was short-lived but memorable for a certain generation.

"Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide," commonly called "Ned's Declassified," only lasted for three seasons, from 2004 to 2007.

It shared the adventures of three preteens — Ned Bigby, and his best friends Jennifer "Moze" Mosely and Simon "Cookie" Nelson-Cook — navigating middle school and puberty. The crew tackled any teen problem you can think of and how to survive it all — every episode is a topic in the titular "survival guide," from popularity and grades to school sports and romance.

""Ned's" is built like a cartoon, all speed and exaggeration and sudden stops and starts — there is more physical comedy here than perhaps anywhere else on television," said Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times in 2007.

The tweenage guide to success is available on Paramount+.

"You calling me a liar?"

"I ain't calling you a truther!"

These are among the most memorable lines from the hit Nickelodeon series "Drake & Josh," which was beloved for its ridiculous jokes and hijinks.

The show, a teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider, depicted the conflicts of teenage stepbrothers Drake Parker, portrayed by Drake Bell, and Josh Nichols, portrayed by Josh Peck. Miranda Cosgrove plays Drake's mischievous little sister.

"In all of the show's campiness, there are also on-point, hilarious jokes and heartfelt moments. The cheesiness factor, while balanced with these other elements of the show, is also a staple that kept fans coming back for more," said Taylor Ferber for Bustle.

Over four seasons from 2004 to 2007, as well as two movies, they won over most Nickelodeon fans in what was deemed a ratings success — their Christmas movie was the "most-watched live-action television movie with kids 2-11 and total viewers in Nickelodeon's history," per a 2008 WebWire press release.

However, the show has been viewed with fresh eyes following the release of Investigation Discovery's 2024 docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," which revealed allegations of abuse at Nickelodeon and the reportedly toxic work environment under Schneider. In the docuseries, "Drake & Josh" star Drake Bell publicly revealed he'd been sexually abused by a Nickelodeon acting coach.

"Drake & Josh" is available for streaming on Paramount+.