A reader poll · Closes October 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT
The list was a provocation. This is the reply.
The New York Times asked 516 people who make television for the best series to premiere on or after 1 January 2000. Breaking Bad came out first. The Sopranos, which began in 1999, was not allowed in the room. Choose the five you would defend and the five you would send to the bottom. If the hundred missed something, name it — provided it actually premiered in this century.
Not affiliated with The New York Times. The original list is theirs.
01
Five best, from the hundred, in any order.
02
Five worst, from the hundred, in any order. No series on both sides.
03
Up to five omissions, checked against a premiere on or after 1 January 2000.
The hundred
Times order
100 shown
- 01
Breaking Bad
2008–2013
- 02
The Wire
2002–2008
- 03
Mad Men
2007–2015
- 04
Succession
2018–2023
- 05
Fleabag
2016–2019
- 06
Game of Thrones
2011–2019
- 07
Veep
2012–2019
- 08
30 Rock
2006–2013
- 09
Curb Your Enthusiasm
2000–2024
- 10
Atlanta
2016–2022
- 11
The Office (U.S.)
2005–2013
- 12
Arrested Development
2003–2019
- 13
Girls
2012–2017
- 14
Friday Night Lights
2006–2011
- 15
Six Feet Under
2001–2005
- 16
The Office (U.K.)
2001–2003
- 17
The Americans
2013–2018
- 18
I May Destroy You
2020
- 19
Chernobyl
2019
- 20
The Crown
2016–2023
- 21
The White Lotus
2021–
- 22
Lost
2004–2010
- 23
The Comeback
2005–2014
- 24
Deadwood
2004–2006
- 25
The Leftovers
2014–2017
- 26
Black Mirror
2011–
- 27
Better Call Saul
2015–2022
- 28
Band of Brothers
2001
- 29
Key & Peele
2012–2015
- 30
Severance
2022–
- 31
Survivor
2000–
- 32
Andor
2022–2025
- 33
Enlightened
2011–2013
- 34
Schitt’s Creek
2015–2020
- 35
True Detective (Season 1)
2014
- 36
The Pitt
2025–
- 37
Battlestar Galactica
2004–2009
- 38
Homeland
2011–2020
- 39
Watchmen
2019
- 40
Adolescence
2025
- 41
Louie
2010–2015
- 42
Hacks
2021–
- 43
Peaky Blinders
2013–2022
- 44
BoJack Horseman
2014–2020
- 45
Happy Valley
2014–2023
- 46
Broad City
2014–2019
- 47
Twin Peaks: The Return
2017
- 48
House of Cards
2013–2018
- 49
Normal People
2020
- 50
Parks and Recreation
2009–2015
- 51
The Good Place
2016–2020
- 52
Downton Abbey
2010–2015
- 53
Stranger Things
2016–2025
- 54
The Bureau
2015–2020
- 55
Insecure
2016–2021
- 56
Nathan for You
2013–2017
- 57
I Think You Should Leave
2019–2023
- 58
Chappelle’s Show
2003–2006
- 59
PEN15
2019–2021
- 60
Peep Show
2003–2015
- 61
RuPaul’s Drag Race
2009–
- 62
Slow Horses
2022–
- 63
The Thick of It
2005–2012
- 64
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
2013–2018
- 65
Mare of Easttown
2021
- 66
The Rehearsal
2022–
- 67
The Handmaid’s Tale
2017–2025
- 68
Ozark
2017–2022
- 69
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
2005–2012
- 70
The Shield
2002–2008
- 71
Beef (Season 1)
2023
- 72
Squid Game
2021–2025
- 73
Barry
2018–2023
- 74
The Bear
2022–
- 75
Ted Lasso
2020–2023
- 76
Somebody Somewhere
2022–2024
- 77
Modern Family
2009–2020
- 78
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
2005–
- 79
The Good Wife
2009–2016
- 80
How To with John Wilson
2020–2023
- 81
The Queen’s Gambit
2020
- 82
Better Things
2016–2022
- 83
Justified
2010–2015
- 84
Planet Earth
2006
- 85
The Great British Baking Show
2010–
- 86
Shōgun
2024–
- 87
Reservation Dogs
2021–2023
- 88
Dexter
2006–2013
- 89
Baby Reindeer
2024
- 90
Eastbound & Down
2009–2013
- 91
Catastrophe
2015–2019
- 92
The Night Of
2016
- 93
Station Eleven
2021–2022
- 94
The Diplomat
2023–
- 95
House
2004–2012
- 96
Halt and Catch Fire
2014–2017
- 97
Community
2009–2015
- 98
The OA
2016–2019
- 99
Gilmore Girls
2000–2007
- 100
Scandal
2012–2018
Your ballot
Any order
Best five
0/5- Open seat
- Open seat
- Open seat
- Open seat
- Open seat
Worst five
0/5- Open seat
- Open seat
- Open seat
- Open seat
- Open seat
Left off the list
0/5
Optional. Up to five series that are not in the hundred, if a recorded premiere falls on or after 1 January 2000.
Choose 5 more for your best five.
Fetching the room…