The New York Times has published a ranking of the top 100 television series of the 21st century, highlighting the top 20 productions. Russian news outlet Vechernyaya Moskva reported on the leading titles featured in the list.
Leading the selections are acclaimed crime sagas, period dramas, sharp political satires, and groundbreaking comedies produced across the past two decades.
Taking the top spot on the list is Breaking Bad, which aired from 2008 to 2013. The story follows high school chemistry teacher Walter White after he learns he has lung cancer. Facing severe financial strain and an uncertain future, Walter turns to manufacturing methamphetamine. He recruits his former student Jesse Pinkman, who was once expelled from school largely due to White. Pinkman had been cooking meth independently but lost his partner and laboratory following a Drug Enforcement Administration raid. The pair gradually slip into the criminal underworld, triggering irreversible consequences.
Created by Vince Gilligan and broadcast on AMC, Breaking Bad received widespread critical acclaim during its five season run and is widely considered one of the defining television dramas of the modern era.
In second place is The Wire, broadcast between 2002 and 2008. Set in Baltimore, the series follows a dedicated police unit attempting to bring organized drug trafficking rings to court. The detectives employ specialized tactics, including wiretaps and covert video surveillance. However, their investigations frequently collide with political corruption and the conflicting interests of their own department leadership.
Mad Men, which aired from 2007 to 2015, ranks third. Set in the United States during the 1960s, the drama centers on the Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue in central New York. The narrative revolves around creative director Don Draper, a master of manipulation and office intrigue. At the height of his career, Draper fights off rivals to maintain his position at the firm while his professional and personal life unfolds against a backdrop of sweeping social change.
Modern Drama and Fantasy Favorites
Ranking fourth is Succession, broadcast from 2018 to 2023. The drama focuses on Logan Roy, the influential elderly head of international media conglomerate Waystar Royco. Although his eldest son is positioned to assume control of the company, the family becomes embroiled in betrayal, strategic scheming, and an open power struggle.
Fleabag takes fifth place on the list, running from 2016 to 2019. Set in modern London, the comedy stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge as a headstrong young heroine who continually finds herself in chaotic situations. She desperately attempts to change something in the world, but remains completely unable to accept help or listen to advice from others.
The fantasy saga Game of Thrones, which aired from 2011 to 2019, holds sixth place. Set in a fictional world where a decade long summer is drawing to a close, a conspiracy brews around the Iron Throne, the center of power in the Seven Kingdoms. The king decides to enlist the support of his childhood friend Eddard Stark. In a realm where everyone craves power, weaves intrigue, and stands ready to stab others in the back, moments of compassion, nobility, and love still emerge. Meanwhile, far to the north, an ancient darkness reawakens beyond the Wall, with only the massive barrier separating humanity from destruction.
Political satire Veep, broadcast from 2012 to 2019, ranks seventh. The story follows former Senator Selina Meyer as she assumes the office of Vice President. However, the new position turns out to be far different from what Meyer had imagined, despite receiving numerous prior warnings from others.
In eighth place is 30 Rock, which aired from 2006 to 2013. Head writer Liz Lemon leads an eccentric writing team on the popular show The Girlie Show. Chaos erupts at work after new executive Jack Donaghy hires Tracy Jordan, an unpredictable Black comedian designed as a parody of Martin Lawrence. The decision triggers conflicts between writers, management, and existing cast members, alongside the presence of Kenneth, a mysterious page whose true intelligence remains ambiguous.
Acclaimed Comedies and Character Studies
Curb Your Enthusiasm, running from 2000 to 2024, sits in ninth position. Created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, the California set comedy depicts his neurotic life, constant bickering with his wife, his agent, and his friends, alongside frequent awkward social encounters.
Tenth place goes to Atlanta, broadcast from 2016 to 2022. After being expelled from Princeton University, Earn finds himself without money or housing, staying with his ex-girlfriend and their daughter. Upon learning that his cousin is a rapper on the verge of stardom, Earn becomes his manager to secure financial stability for himself and his daughter.
The American adaptation of The Office, which aired from 2005 to 2013, ranks eleventh. The sitcom depicts daily working life in a small regional branch of a large company, where employees endure the reckless antics of their boss.
Arrested Development, airing between 2003 and 2019, occupies twelfth place. The story details a wealthy family that loses everything, leaving son Michael Bluth to hold them together. Michael appears to be the only sane person in the family after his father is imprisoned for tax evasion. Remaining in Orange County to manage the collapsing business, Michael attempts to teach his eccentric relatives to live within their means while his father seeks self-discovery from a prison cell.
Girls, broadcast from 2012 to 2017, places thirteenth. The series focuses on 24-year-old aspiring writer Hannah, whose parents cut off financial support, forcing her to survive independently while seeking experiences beyond an ordinary job. Hannah feels a vital need to express her thoughts and emotions without considering the feelings of others. Her candid nature causes frequent friction with her friends Jessa, Marnie, and Shoshanna, who similarly struggle with personal relationships and self-realization.
Friday Night Lights, which ran from 2006 to 2011, takes fourteenth place. Set in the fictional Texas town of Dillon, Dillon High School is famous for its strong football team and devoted fans. New coach Eric Taylor immediately faces intense pressure, balancing ethical choices with winning games. His wife Tami, who also works at the school, frequently serves as his moral conscience in a story exploring loyalty, dreams, failures, and perseverance.
Dark Tales and Historical Dramas
Six Feet Under, broadcast from 2001 to 2005, ranks fifteenth. Set in Los Angeles, the drama begins when Nate returns home following the sudden death of his father. His withdrawn younger brother David manages the family funeral home, while teenage rebel sister Claire learns of the tragedy while under the influence of drugs tried with her boyfriend Gabe. Nate finds solace with Brenda, a passionate woman met on a flight whose family proves even stranger than his own.
The original British version of The Office, which aired from 2001 to 2003, holds sixteenth position. Set in a regional office of a paper merchant company, the series offers a reality television style perspective on workplace life, with employees commenting directly on daily occurrences.
Ranking seventeenth is The Americans, running from 2013 to 2018. The plot follows two KGB officers posing as a married couple in suburban Washington DC shortly after Ronald Reagan takes office. Their arranged marriage between Philip and Elizabeth gradually becomes genuine amidst Cold War tension, complicated by risky connections to informant networks and the arrival of Stan, an FBI counterintelligence officer living next door.
I May Destroy You, broadcast in 2020, takes eighteenth place. Young London writer Arabella Essiedu leads a carefree lifestyle partying in clubs and bars until she wakes up unable to remember the previous day's events. She soon becomes convinced that her drink was spiked with drugs and that she was assaulted.
Chernobyl, the 2019 historical miniseries, ranks nineteenth. The drama details the April 26, 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, where a reactor explosion during a safety test caused a major fire. Unprotected firefighters rushed to the scene unaware of the scale of the catastrophe. Plant management assured officials in Moscow that the situation was under control and radiation levels were normal. However, Academician Legasov demanded an inspection and was sent to the site alongside Soviet Deputy Chairman Boris Shcherbina.
Rounding out the top twenty is The Crown, which aired from 2016 to 2023. The historical drama chronicles the British royal family and Queen Elizabeth II from her 1947 wedding to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, into the early 21st century, detailing the sacrifices required to preserve her marriage and the monarchy.
Following the ranking publication, Vechernyaya Moskva reported that autumn 2026 will bring a wide selection of new television series premieres alongside returning seasons of established hits.
