Summary
- Breaking Bad is No.
- 1 in The New York Times ranking of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century.
- The Wire and Mad Men complete the top three.
Breaking Bad tops The New York Times’ new ranking of the 100 best television shows of the 21st century, ahead of The Wire, Mad Men, Succession and Fleabag.
The ranking was not produced by a small panel of critics. The New York Times asked more than 500 people from the television world — actors, creators, writers, producers, executives and other professionals — to choose up to 10 shows.
A key eligibility rule was that a show had to premiere on or after 1 January 2000. That explains one of the most conspicuous absences: The Sopranos, which debuted in 1999, was not eligible even though much of its run belongs to the 21st century.
Breaking Bad takes the top spot
Vince Gilligan’s series, which ran from 2008 to 2013, took first place. The Wire is second, Mad Men third, Succession fourth and Fleabag completes the top five.
The top 10 continues with Game of Thrones, Veep, 30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Atlanta. The group mixes prestige drama and comedy across different phases of television’s transition from linear broadcasting to the streaming era.
The 100 best TV shows of the 21st century
- Breaking Bad
- The Wire
- Mad Men
- Succession
- Fleabag
- Game of Thrones
- Veep
- 30 Rock
- Curb Your Enthusiasm
- Atlanta
- The Office (U.S.)
- Arrested Development
- Girls
- Friday Night Lights
- Six Feet Under
- The Office (U.K.)
- The Americans
- I May Destroy You
- Chernobyl
- The Crown
- The White Lotus
- Lost
- The Comeback
- Deadwood
- The Leftovers
- Black Mirror
- Better Call Saul
- Band of Brothers
- Key & Peele
- Severance
- Survivor
- Andor
- Enlightened
- Schitt’s Creek
- True Detective (Season 1)
- The Pitt
- Battlestar Galactica
- Homeland
- Watchmen
- Adolescence
- Louie
- Hacks
- Peaky Blinders
- BoJack Horseman
- Happy Valley
- Broad City
- Twin Peaks: The Return
- House of Cards
- Normal People
- Parks and Recreation
- The Good Place
- Downton Abbey
- Stranger Things
- The Bureau
- Insecure
- Nathan for You
- I Think You Should Leave
- Chappelle’s Show
- PEN15
- Peep Show
- RuPaul’s Drag Race
- Slow Horses
- The Thick of It
- Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
- Mare of Easttown
- The Rehearsal
- The Handmaid’s Tale
- Ozark
- Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
- The Shield
- Beef (Season 1)
- Squid Game
- Barry
- The Bear
- Ted Lasso
- Somebody Somewhere
- Modern Family
- It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- The Good Wife
- How To with John Wilson
- The Queen’s Gambit
- Better Things
- Justified
- Planet Earth
- The Great British Baking Show
- Shogun
- Reservation Dogs
- Dexter
- Baby Reindeer
- Eastbound & Down
- Catastrophe
- The Night Of
- Station Eleven
- The Diplomat
- House
- Halt and Catch Fire
- Community
- The OA
- Gilmore Girls
- Scandal
What the ranking shows
The list spans very different forms of television. Major dramas sit alongside comedies, limited series, reality television, documentaries and streaming-era productions. Survivor is No. 31, Planet Earth No. 84 and RuPaul’s Drag Race No. 61, underlining that the ballot was not limited to scripted fiction.
Relatively recent productions have also entered high on the list: The Pitt is No. 36 and Adolescence No. 40. Meanwhile, hugely influential popular hits such as Stranger Things appear lower down, at No. 53.
What we think
The list is most useful as a snapshot of what more than 500 people working in or around television consider significant, rather than as a definitive answer to which show is “best”. The post-1 January 2000 premiere rule inevitably shapes the outcome, with The Sopranos being the clearest example.
Frequently asked questions
Which show is No. 1?
Breaking Bad is No. 1 in The New York Times ranking, ahead of The Wire and Mad Men.
Why is The Sopranos missing?
The series premiered in 1999. The ranking only considered shows that debuted on or after 1 January 2000.
Who voted?
The New York Times says more than 500 actors, showrunners, creators, craftspeople, executives and other television professionals voted.
What is the top five?
Breaking Bad, The Wire, Mad Men, Succession and Fleabag, in that order.
