Ranking television shows is awful, let’s just get that out of the way. What’s the difference between No. 7 and No. 9 on a ranked Top 10 list? Don’t ask me, I have no idea. There was some kind of logic when I wrote it, but it’s wholly my own, and therefore, wholly indefensible.

But somehow, assembling the best television of the decade felt easy. It’s been a decade rich with television—and markedly, a decade where what “everyone” was watching has progressively mattered less than ever. There are glaring omissions in my viewing history for the decade—such as the Real Housewives spin-off Vanderpump Rules, whose fans swear that it is the best show on television. But my decade was still full of good TV—great TV—that I’ve watched and rewatched on DVR, streaming device, laptop computer, and even, occasionally, real live TV. The following is not indicative, necessarily, of the TV that caused the most conversation, or even the TV shows that I thought or wrote about the most. But they’re the shows I look back on and see a complete vision, an honest reckoning, a joyful romp.

The 2010s began with ’00s holdouts carrying a lot of the critical heft: Mad Men and Breaking Bad on the drama side, 30 Rock, Community, and Parks and Recreation in comedy. I’ve decided to ignore any show that debuted before 2010, to better showcase the decade in TV.

10. The Great British Baking Show

The Great British Baking Show From the Everett Collection.

Besides teaching Americans the crucial importance of a well-baked sponge, The Great British Baking Show—you know, The Great British Bake Off, sans the Pillsbury trademarked phrase—brought something kind, cozy, and cooperative to cooking reality television, which alone accounts for a huge subset of unscripted TV. After the show debuted to great success in 2010 in the U.K., PBS and Netflix imported the show to the U.S., where its gentle, cheery disposition took the country by storm. GBBO is a show where the drama centers entirely around a moist crumb, an even rise, and a jammy filling—not, say, what one chef said to the other during an immunity challenge. Things have changed: After seven seasons on the BBC, the production switched studios two years ago, jettisoning much of the onscreen talent—including the beloved 84-year-old Mary Berry, whose pronunciation of “scone” and “self-saucing pudding” will forever be missed. The Channel 4 GBBO has drawn criticism for its increasingly obscure recipes and occasional TV stunts. At least we had seven glorious seasons of Mel, Sue, and Mary and the earnest competitors that made this yeasty show dominate a decade with sweetness. (Stream on Netflix.)

9. Broad City