Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 21
Breaking Bad Tops 100 Best 21st-Century TV Shows After 500-Plus Industry Votes
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 21

Breaking Bad Tops 100 Best 21st-Century TV Shows After 500-Plus Industry Votes

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 21

Summary

  • Breaking Bad ranked No. 1 as the news organization unveiled the top 20 of its 100 best TV shows of the 21st century, capping a poll of more than 500 actors, showrunners, executives and other TV figures.
  • The ranking covered series that premiered on or after Jan. 1, 2000, excluding pre-2000 debuts such as The Sopranos even if they dominated the century’s TV conversation.
  • The top 10 placed The Wire second, Mad Men third, Succession fourth and Fleabag fifth, followed by Game of Thrones, Veep, 30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Atlanta.
  • The full list spans broadcast, cable and streaming eras, reflecting how Peak TV and the rise of streaming reshaped the medium over the past two-plus decades.

Insights

Why did 500 industry insiders crown a dark tale of greed as the century's best over culturally transformative comedies?
How did the rise of binge-watching secretly engineer the perfect narrative formula for today's most celebrated prestige dramas?
If global audiences voted instead of Hollywood elites, would an American antihero still dominate the 21st-century television canon?