NY Times Top 100 TV Shows of the 21st Century

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fc2112
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10:33a, 9/27/26
If already posted, I apologize, but didn't see it on the first page.

500 industry insiders were polled on what they through the best shows of the 21st Century were. Rule was it has to be released all within the 21st Century, so The Sopranos, which debuted in 1999, are not on the list.

1. Breaking Bad
2. The Wire
3. Mad Men
4. Succession
5. Fleabag
6. Game of Thrones
7. Veep
8. 30 Rock
9. Curb Your Enthusiasm
10. Atlanta
11. The Office (U.S.)
12. Arrested Development
13. Girls
14. Friday Night Lights
15. Six Feet Under
16. The Office (U.K.)
17. The Americans
18. I May Destroy You
19. Chernobyl
20. The Crown
21. The White Lotus
22. Lost
23. The Comeback
24. Deadwood
25. The Leftovers
26. Black Mirror
27. Better Call Saul
28. Band of Brothers
29. Key & Peele
30. Severance
31. Survivor
32. Andor
33. Enlightened
34. *****ts Creek
35. True Detective (season 1)
36. The Pitt
37. Battlestar Galactica
38. Homeland
39. Watchmen
40. Adolesence
41. Louie
42. Hacks
43. Peaky Blinders
44. BoJack Horseman
45. Happy Valley
46. Broad City
47. Twin Peaks: The Return
48. House of Cards
49. Normal People
50. Parks and Recreation
51. The Good Place
52. Downton Abbey
53. Stranger Things
54. The Bureau
55. Insecure
56. Nathan for You
57. I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson
58. Chappelle's Show
59. PEN15
60. Peep Show
61 - RuPaul's Drag Race
62 - Slow Horses
63 - The Thick of It
64 - Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
65 - Mare of Easttown
66 - The Rehearsal
67 - The Handmaid's Tale
68 - Ozark
69 - Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
70 - The Shield
71 - Beef
72 - Squid Game
73 - Barry
74 - The Bear
75 - Ted Lasso
76 - Somebody Somewhere
77 - Modern Family
78 - It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
79 - The Good Wife
80 - How To With John Wilson
81 - The Queens Gambit
82 - Better Things
83 - Justified
84 - Planet Earth
85 - The Great British Baking Show
86 - Shogun
87 - Reservation Dogs
88 - Dexter
89 - Baby Reindeer
90 - Eastbound & Down
91 - Catastrophe
92 - The Night Of
93 - Station Eleven
94 - The Diplomat
95 - House
96 - Halt and Catch Fire
97 - Community
98 - The OA
99 - Gilmore Girls
100 - Scandal

How many have you seen all of the episodes? I do not watch a lot of TV, but here are mine. This list gives me a lot of ideas of what to watch next.

1. Breaking Bad
3. Mad Men
4. Succession
6. Game of Thrones
7. Veep
17. The Americans
19. Chernobyl
20. The Crown
27. Better Call Saul
28. Band of Brothers
43. Peaky Blinders
50. Parks and Recreation
52. Downton Abbey
64 - Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
67 - The Handmaid's Tale
69 - Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
72 - Squid Game
81 - The Queens Gambit
86 - Shogun
87 - Reservation Dogs
94 - The Diplomat
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CascadiaAg
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10:39a, 9/27/26
Only 15 for me, but I basically only watch two shows a year these days
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Lathspell
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10:39a, 9/27/26
AG
Band of Brothers being that low is criminal. Tells me the types of people voting for this..
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fc2112
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10:51a, 9/27/26
Here's what they said about the voters.

Quote:
To identify the best work of that period (as we did with books and movies), we polled hundreds of stars, showrunners, craftspeople, executives and other industry experts and asked them to vote for the 10 best series that have premiered since Jan. 1, 2000. (So don't expect to see "The Sopranos," which debuted in 1999.)

Among the more than 500 people who responded were stars like Elisabeth Moss, Adam Scott, Bryan Cranston, Rose Byrne, Colman Domingo and Jason Bateman, and showrunners like Damon Lindelof, Lena Dunham, Lena Waithe and Noah Hawley. See how your favorite shows ranked and save the ones you've always meant to watch.

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AustinAg2K
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11:51a, 9/27/26
I've only seen every episode of 7 of the shows. It's possible I've seen every skit from "Key and Peele" and Chapelle, but I've never actually watched them as TV shows. I've only seen them as YouTube videos.

A bunch of the shows I started, and loved, but then they took a multi year break, and I never went back and finished them. I hate the modern format of taking a 2-3 year break between seasons.
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gggmann
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12:08p, 9/27/26
AG
Dark should be in the top three, but it's not even on the list.
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SJEAg
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1:08p, 9/27/26
AG
Some head scratchers for sure. But far from the worst one of these I've seen when it comes to TV and movies.
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Head Ninja In Charge
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1:11p, 9/27/26
AG
Honestly good with the top five. Can maybe reorder here and there, but that's a solid starting line-up.
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fc2112
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In reply to Head Ninja In Charge • 1:35p, 9/27/26
Head Ninja In Charge said:
Honestly good with the top five. Can maybe reorder here and there, but that's a solid starting line-up.

I would have Game of Thrones ahead of Fleabag, but that's nit picking.
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wangus12
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2:20p, 9/27/26
AG
BoB terribly low. No Scrubs?

Top ones are fine, but then its just as **** show and throwing names against the wall
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Lathspell
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In reply to wangus12 • 2:30p, 9/27/26
AG
wangus12 said:
BoB terribly low. No Scrubs?

Top ones are fine, but then its just as **** show and throwing names against the wall

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!
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Brian Earl Spilner
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2:39p, 9/27/26
AG
Two ridiculous things that completely invalidate this list:

1. Dark nowhere on the list when it belongs in the top 10
2. Girls above Chernobyl
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Marsh
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In reply to fc2112 • 3:24p, 9/27/26
AG
fc2112 said:

1. Breaking Bad
2. The Wire
3. Mad Men

5. Fleabag
6. Game of Thrones
7. Veep
8. 30 Rock

10. Atlanta
11. The Office (U.S.)
12. Arrested Development

14. Friday Night Lights

16. The Office (U.K.)

19. Chernobyl

21. The White Lotus

24. Deadwood

27. Better Call Saul
28. Band of Brothers

32. Andor

35. True Detective (season 1)

39. Watchmen

43. Peaky Blinders

48. House of Cards

50. Parks and Recreation
51. The Good Place

53. Stranger Things

58. Chappelle's Show

62 - Slow Horses

65 - Mare of Easttown

71 - Beef

73 - Barry
74 - The Bear
75 - Ted Lasso

77 - Modern Family
78 - It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

81 - The Queens Gambit

83 - Justified
84 - Planet Earth
85 - The Great British Baking Show

88 - Dexter

90 - Eastbound & Down

92 - The Night Of
93 - Station Eleven

97 - Community


Seen a lot more than I thought. Better call Saul criminally underrated and underranked. Same with True detective season 1. Its always sunny is better than most comedies on the list.

Some decency bias that really kills this (white lotus is forgettable).

Game of thrones can't be that high with the trash the last few seasons were.

VEEP shouldn't be that high. Neither should friday night lights.
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Zombie Jon Snow
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4:15p, 9/27/26
AG
I've seen every episode for 32 of them and another 9 I saw probably half of them.


Justified and Band of Brothers are criminally low. As mentioned above also too low for Better Call Saul and True Detective.



Glad to see The Office UK so high it is much deserved it basically set the standard for that kind of show.
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OldArmy71
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4:20p, 9/27/26
AG
Girls at 13 and Band of Brothers at 28 tells you everything you need to know about who did the selections.

Good grief.
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SJEAg
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In reply to Marsh • 5:27p, 9/27/26
AG
Veep is elite...top 3 comedy in this era. Had an Emmy run for like 5 years.
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double aught
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5:44p, 9/27/26
AG
Decent list overall. Underrated:
  • Chernobyl
  • Better Call Saul
  • Band of Brothers
  • Andor
  • Parks and Rec
  • Stranger Things
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Complete Idiot
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7:00p, 9/27/26
I'd swap 73 and 74 otherwise it is completely perfect


If they do individual seasons I'd expect to see Fargo season 2
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brew82
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7:25p, 9/27/26
Justified at 83 is ridiculous. Easily a top 20 show in my opinion.
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FDXAg
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7:37p, 9/27/26
AG
No big bang theory??
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GreasenUSA
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11:14p, 9/27/26
AG
Agree that Fargo season 2 and or 1 should be up there. LOST too low. Want to say FNL too low, but tough competition above. Halt and Catch Fire too low.

Glaring omission to me was Silicon Valley.
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zap
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7:40a, 9/28/26
AG
I am 4/10 at the top.

1. Breaking Bad
2. The Wire
3. Mad Men
4. Succession
5. Fleabag
6. Game of Thrones
7. Veep
8. 30 Rock
9. Curb Your Enthusiasm
10. Atlanta

We tried Succession and Atlanta, but just lost steam.
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O.G.
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8:44a, 9/28/26
These lists are for rage/click bait. They mean absolutely nothing.
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YouBet
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10:04a, 9/28/26
AG
In the top 10, I've never heard of Fleabag or Atlanta.

The US Office being ranked above the UK Office is braindead stupid.
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EMY92
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10:16a, 9/28/26
AG
This list proves that I don't watch much TV. There isn't a show on the list that I've seen all of the episodes. The only shows that I've seen some episodes are:

31. Survivor - enjoyable in the first couple of seasons
32. Andor - enjoyed the first season, with Disney+ I have no idea if the second season released - one thing I hate about the streaming services is that it may be years between seasons.
37. Battlestar Galactica - I watched the first couple of seasons, then lost interest
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YouBet
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10:26a, 9/28/26
AG
I've seen all episodes of 15 of these.
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rjhtamu
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10:29a, 9/28/26
AG
Agree, the absence of Dark nearly invalidates the list.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
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EclipseAg
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10:30a, 9/28/26
AG
I thought Mad Men was much better than Breaking Bad. To me, it should No. 1 and Band of Brothers should easily be in the top five. Personal preference.

Lots of folks on X saying Mad Men is a much more rewarding rewatch than BB, given the subtleties of the writing and the absolutely perfect recreation of the time period. I've only seen BB once through so I can't compare.

Lots of people like shows with crime and action and Mad Men's focus on office stuff and relationships bores them, which I understand. I'm the opposite. In fact, I love the non-fighting sequences in BoB more than the action because its so tough to tell what is happening -- realistically so -- during gunfights.
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YouBet
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In reply to EclipseAg • 10:48a, 9/28/26
AG
I've never seen BB (other than the pilot episode), but I feel like I would be hard pressed to put it above Mad Men even if I had. MM is the best period show ever made.
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wangus12
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In reply to EMY92 • 11:17a, 9/28/26
AG
Andor's 2nd season came out over a year ago. Its very good
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Aggie_Boomin 21
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11:23a, 9/28/26
AG
As an Atlanta enjoyer (except for the last season) I'm not sure it should be on the list let alone top 10.
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HtownAg92
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In reply to O.G. • 11:25a, 9/28/26
AG
O.G. said:
These lists are for rage/click bait. They mean absolutely nothing.

You're just a hater. I can't believe you would have a problem with Ru-Paul's Drag Race being ranked ahead of .....checks notes....Ozark, Ted Lasso, Silicon Valley.
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CheeseSndwch
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11:27a, 9/28/26
As someone who routinely bumped The Handmaid's Tale thread, it is way too high on this list. Maybe if its ranking was for the first season only (a la True Detective) but there's no way it should be ahead of: Ozark, Barry, The Queens Gambit, etc.
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Iowaggie
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12:28p, 9/28/26
AG
I'm out of it. Shows I've probably seen a majority of the episodes.

6. Game of Thrones
9. Curb Your Enthusiasm
11. The Office (U.S.)
12. Arrested Development
21. The White Lotus
29. Key & Peele
30. Severance
34. *****ts Creek
50. Parks and Recreation
51. The Good Place
53. Stranger Things
97 - Community
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Head Ninja In Charge
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In reply to EMY92 • 12:29p, 9/28/26
AG
I mean this in the best, most just-kidding-FBI-if-reading-this way possible: Andor S2 had me ready to commit federal crimes on behalf of my beliefs. It's so good. The best Star Wars IP this century and it's not particularly close.
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