Top 100 TV shows of the 21st century sparks uproar as people claim 'significant shows are missing'
The New York Times has dropped its official list of the 100 best television shows of the 21st century, and it is safe to say the internet has absolutely lost its mind.
If you had to decide what your favorite show is, you could probably boil it down to two or three - and if you're like me it's guesswork from there. Personally, my top three is The Office US, Game of Thrones and Planet Earth - each are completely different genres.
So, when you're making a list of the greatest TV shows to air since the turn of the century without breaking it down by category - there's bound to be some mad men breaking bad.
Without further ado, let's get into the list - and I've actually subtly named two of the top three already - yes, it might come as no surprise to some that clinching top spot is Breaking Bad.
Advert
The critically acclaimed series beat off (yikes) hits like The Wire (2nd), Mad Men (3rd), and Succession (4th), while the British comedy Fleabag managed to round out the top five.
Surprisingly, Game of Thrones only managed to secure sixth place, despite dominating our teles for almost an entire decade... although we can all agree the ending was rushed.
But while the top choices sparked plenty of debate, it was the lower placements and omissions that really rattled people online.
For instance, Better Call Saul sits pretty far down at 27th, while Dexter was dumped all the way down in 88th place - and to add fuel to the fire, The Great British Baking Show (which for those UK readers is the US title for The Great British Bake Off) is actually three positions higher in 85th.
Further down the list, acclaimed series like Severance made the cut at 30th place, proving that newer releases still managed to earn praise from critics.
Others questioned how Stranger Things was placed down at 53rd, while Ozark was only 68th place.
But the biggest outrage stemmed from the legendary shows that were completely left off the list.
Fan favorites like Prison Break, Snowfall, Money Heist, The Walking Dead, Narcos, and Power were all omitted.
Unsurprisingly, frustrated fans quickly flooded the comments section of a LADbible Instagram post to complain.
One user wrote: "How sopranos isnt there is mad"
Another penned: "No Sopranos? No Sons of Anarchy? No Prison Break??!!! Some mentioned shows are just plain bad."
A third added: "Sons of anarchy should easily be in the top 10"
People were especially furious about The Sopranos missing out, but there is actually a perfectly logical explanation for its absence.
As one fan pointed out in the comments, the iconic HBO mob drama actually premiered back in 1999, meaning it is disqualified from a list exclusively focusing on 21st-century releases - despite running well into the 2000s.
Still, fans were not happy - with one user even writing: "Lol, they clearly used AI. This list is a joke."
Picking 100 TV shows and ranking them without breaking it down by genre was always going to cause chaos - but I guess it drives engagement!
The 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century
- Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
- The Wire (2002-2008)
- Mad Men (2007-2015)
- Succession (2018-2023)
- Fleabag (2016-2019)
- Game of Thrones (2011-2019)
- Veep (2012-2019)
- 30 Rock (2006-2013)
- Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-2024)
- Atlanta (2016-2022)
- The Office (U.S.) (2005-2013)
- Arrested Development (2003-2019)
- Girls (2012-2017)
- Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
- Six Feet Under (2001-2005)
- The Office (U.K.) (2001-2003)
- The Americans (2013-2018)
- I May Destroy You (2020)
- Chernobyl (2019)
- The Crown (2016-2023)
- The White Lotus (2021-present)
- Lost (2004-2010)
- The Comeback (2005-2026)
- Deadwood (2004-2006)
- The Leftovers (2014-2017)
- Black Mirror (2011-present)
- Better Call Saul (2015-2022)
- Band of Brothers (2001)
- Key & Peele (2012-2015)
- Severance (2022-present)
- Survivor (2000-present)
- Andor (2022-2025)
- Enlightened (2011-2013)
- Schitt's Creek (2015-2020)
- True Detective (Season 1) (2014)
- The Pitt (2025-present)
- Battlestar Galactica (2005-2009)
- Homeland (2011-2020)
- Watchmen (2019)
- Adolescence (2025)
- Louie (2010-2015)
- Hacks (2021-2026)
- Peaky Blinders (2013-2022)
- BoJack Horseman (2014-2020)
- Happy Valley (2014-2023)
- Broad City (2014-2019)
- Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)
- House of Cards (2013-2018)
- Normal People (2020)
- Parks and Recreation (2009-2015)
- The Good Place (2016-2020)
- Downton Abbey (2010-2015)
- Stranger Things (2016-2025)
- The Bureau (2015-2020)
- Insecure (2016-2021)
- Nathan for You (2013-2017)
- I Think You Should Leave (2019-present)
- Chappelle's Show (2003-2006)
- PEN15 (2019-2021)
- Peep Show (2003-2015)
- RuPaul's Drag Race (2009-present)
- Slow Horses (2022-present)
- The Thick of It (2005-2012)
- Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2013-2018)
- Mare of Easttown (2021)
- The Rehearsal (2022-present)
- The Handmaid's Tale (2017-2025)
- Ozark (2017-2022)
- Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005-2012)
- The Shield (2002-2008)
- Beef (Season 1) (2023)
- Squid Game (2021-2025)
- Barry (2018-2023)
- The Bear (2022-2026)
- Ted Lasso (2020-present)
- Somebody Somewhere (2022-2024)
- Modern Family (2009-2020)
- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-present)
- The Good Wife (2009-2016)
- How To With John Wilson (2020-2023)
- The Queen's Gambit (2020)
- Better Things (2016-2022)
- Justified (2010-2015)
- Planet Earth (2006)
- The Great British Baking Show (2010-present)
- Shogun (2024-present)
- Reservation Dogs (2021-2023)
- Dexter (2006-2013)
- Baby Reindeer (2024)
- Eastbound & Down (2009-2013)
- Catastrophe (2015-2019)
- The Night Of (2016)
- Station Eleven (2021-2022)
- The Diplomat (2023-present)
- House (2004-2012)
- Halt and Catch Fire (2014-2017)
- Community (2009-2015)
- The OA (2016-2019)
- Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
- Scandal (2012-2018)
Topics: Streaming, Entertainment
Joe Yates