During the first two years of operation, the TCV tokamak has produced a large variety of plasma shapes and magnetic configurations, with 1.0 less than or equal to B-tor less than or equal to 1.46T, I-p less than or equal to 800kA, kappa less than or equal to 2.05, -0.7 less than or equal to delta less than or equal to 1. A new shape control algorithm, based on a finite element reconstruction of the plasma current in real time, has been implemented. Vertical growth rates up to 1000 s(-1) have been stabilized using the external coil system. Ohmic H-modes with Troyon factors (beta(tor)aB/I-p) up to two and densities up to 2.25 x 10(20) m(-3), corresponding to the Greenwald limit, have been obtained in diverted discharges. Limiter H-modes with Line averaged electron densities up to 1.7 x 10(20) m(-3) have been obtained in elongated D-shaped plasmas with 360 kA less than or equal to I-p less than or equal to 600 kA.