100 greatest TV series of the 21st Century
Critics from 43 countries were asked to choose the best of the best.
- Published by David Knox
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The BBC has assembled a list of the 100 greatest TV series of the 21st Century
In total, 460 different series were voted for by 206 TV experts – critics, journalists, academics and industry figures – who came from 43 countries, from Albania to Uruguay.
Of these voters, 100 were women, 104 were men, and two were non-binary. Each voter listed their 10 favourite TV series of the 21st Century, which were scored and ranked to produce the top 100 listed below.
While there are some fantastic shows here, I can think of a lot that’s missing, what about you…?
1 The Wire (2002-2008)
2 Mad Men (2007-2015)
3 Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
4 Fleabag (2016-2019)
5 Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
6 I May Destroy You (2020)
7 The Leftovers (2014-2017)
8 The Americans (2013-2018)
9 The Office (UK) (2001-2003)
10 Succession (2018-)
11 BoJack Horseman (2014-2020)
12 Six Feet Under (2001-2005)
13 Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)
14 Atlanta (2016-)
15 Chernobyl (2019)
16 The Crown (2016-)
17 30 Rock (2006-2013)
18 Deadwood (2004-2006)
19 Lost (2004-2010)
20 The Thick of It (2005-2012)
21 Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-)
22 Black Mirror (2011-)
23 Better Call Saul (2015-2022)
24 Veep (2012-2019)
25 Sherlock (2010-2017)
26 Watchmen (2019)
27 Line of Duty (2012-2021)
28 Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
29 Parks and Recreation (2009-2015)
30 Girls (2012-2017)
31 True Detective (2014-2019)
32 Arrested Development (2003-2019)
33 The Good Wife (2009-2016)
34 The Bridge (2011-2018)
35 Fargo (2014-)
36= Downton Abbey (2010-2015)
36= Band of Brothers (2001)
38 The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-)
39 The Office (US) (2005-2013)
40 Borgen (2010-2022)
41 Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)
42 Peep Show (2003-2015)
43 Money Heist (2017-2021)
44 Community (2009-2015)
45 The Good Fight (2017-)
46 Homeland (2011-2020)
47 Grey’s Anatomy (2005-)
48 Inside No 9 (2014-)
49 The Bureau (2015-)
50 Halt and Catch Fire (2014-2017)
51 Small Axe (2020)
52 This is England 86, 88 and 90 (2010-2015)
53 Call My Agent! (2015-2020)
54 Happy Valley (2014-)
55 The Shield (2002-2008)
56 The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019)
57 The Young Pope (2016)
58 Dark (2017-2020)
59 The Underground Railroad (2021)
60 House of Cards (2013-2018)
61 Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008)
62= The Good Place (2016-2020)
62= Pose (2018-2021)
64 Detectorists (2014-2017)
65 Orange is the New Black (2013-2019)
66 Mare of Easttown (2021)
67 RuPaul’s Drag Race (2009-)
68 Stranger Things (2016-)
69 24 (2001-2010)
70 Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)
71 Enlightened (2011-2013)
72 Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
73 Planet Earth (2006)
74 Utopia (2013-2014)
75 Babylon Berlin (2017-)
76 Rick and Morty (2013-)
77 American Crime Story (2016-)
78 The Killing (Denmark) (2007-2012)
79 Mindhunter (2017-2019)
80 House (2004-2012)
81 OJ: Made in America (2016)
82 Big Little Lies (2017-2019)
83 Insecure (2016-2021)
84= Normal People (2020)
84= Narcos (2015-2017)
86 How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)
87 The Comeback (2005-2014)
88 The OA (2016-2019)
89 Dexter (2006-2013)
90 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-)
91 Westworld (2016-)
92 Show Me a Hero (2015)
93 Treme (2010-2013)
94 Louie (2010-2015)
95 Luther (2010-2019)
96 Catastrophe (2015-2019)
97 Hannibal (2013-2015)
98 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015-2019)
99 Steven Universe (2013-2020)
100 The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
TVT readers recently chose their Top 20 of the past decade you can read here (international) and here (Australian).
Source: BBC
13 Responses
What about the groundbreaking US Queer As Folk?
Notable that ‘The Wire’ was barely shown here on 9, post midnight for the 1st season and always very late for the following ones-I bought the 1st season on DVD and introduced it to others…
Where is Carnivale ?
Nice to see Lost so high in the list. The Good Wife deserves to be much higher. And Boston Legal nowhere to be seen?! Shocking and outrageous.
The list shows one thing… Distribution rules. A lot of fantastic foreign content doesn’t get a look in.
Ha – oh yeah *face palm*. (I thought Sopranos began in early 2000s but I was wrong, it began 1999!)
While I’d have it higher, the fact that French series The Bureau made the top 50 automatically makes me give this list a thumbs up.
While I agree with the top 3, in that order mind you, the rest of the list goes to shambles after that. These things are always subjective though, so there is no right or wrong answer at the end of the day!
Doctor Who,
Ashes to Ashes and Life on Mars
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
The A word
The League of Gentlemen
Is Ru Paul’s Drag Race the only reality that made the list? That’s a surprising entry
These things are always subjective but I’m astonished at some that made the list. There are too many omissions to mention so I’ll just say the ones that first airbag to mind: The Sopranos (should be in the top 5), Seinfeld, The Simpsons. (Unless they are there and I missed them 😂)!
Looks like this list is only for shows starting in 2000 or after.
The 2!st Century, Sopranos, Seinfeld, The Simpsons are all 20th Century…