Every year, the entertainment industry churns out several television shows. Some of them click with the audiences, while most of them don’t. Very few of them turn out to be regarded as the best. So here’s a list of the top 25 best tv shows of the century, across all genres.
For this list, we will mention television shows that had a significant cultural impact and were well received by audiences and critics. Though many readers’ choice varies, most of the shows mentioned in the list are widely regarded by critics as a fine piece of art. So let’s find out.
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Top 25 Best TV Shows Of The Century
25) Stranger Things (2016-)
Netflix’s flagship series transported the audiences into Hawkins’s fictional town, filled with well-etched characters. Starting out in the 1980s, the show is heavily inspired by the works of Steven Speilberg, Stephen King, and John Carpenter. Over the years, ‘Stranger Things‘ has become a cultural phenomenon and has been well received by both audiences and critics. It has also kick-started several acting careers and won many awards. A fifth and final season is awaited.
24) Lost (2004-2010)
The influence of this show is still felt as various shows are trying to capture the magic it created. It enjoyed around 20 million viewership at its peak and had the fans at the edge of their seat. ‘Lost‘ forced the audiences to come up with their own theories and speculations regarding each episode’s ending. Mostly known for its plot twists and mysteries, the show also had several memorable and relatable characters that we all enjoyed. Despite a lackluster finale, ‘Lost‘ influenced the medium like no other.
23) Barry (2018-)
Co-created by and starring Bill Hader, this show follows a contract killer who joins an acting class. Sounds weird? Well, that’s what makes this show shine out from the crowd. It’s funny, unbearably thrilling, and thought-provoking. ‘Barry‘ is packed with incredible actors including Emmy-winning performances from Hader and Henry Winkler. It’s consistently enjoyable thanks to the dry humor and tight writing. You can’t afford to miss this incredible modern-day classic. It’s streaming on Netflix.
22) The Office (2005-2013)
It’s one of those exceptionally rare cases of an adaptation eclipsing the success of its original. ‘The Office‘ is a remake of the eponymous British sitcom and started out stale but picked up momentum from the second season. The characters were instantly relatable, the humor was out of this world and amazing. Steve Carell gave a performance of his career as the unpredictable manager of the Dunder Mifflin paper company. It’s one of those shows that you never get tired of watching, and when you are done, you miss its characters.
21) The Americans (2013-2018)
Well, it might look like a run-of-the-mill show, but ‘The American‘ is so not that. It follows two Soviet spies pretending to be an American couple in suburban Washington. To hype up the tension, there’s a neighbor who works counter-intelligence for the FBI. It has all the excitement and cat and mouse tension you’d expect from a thriller. Looking at it differently from a human level, it also explores the concept of marriage and self-identification. Unfortunately, the show flew under most people’s radar, but it deserves to be watched.
20) Fleabag (2016-19)
This British comedy show by Phoebe Waller-Bridge came out of nowhere and blew everyone up. Its fourth wall-breaking and self-aware titular character struck a chord with its viewers and became an instant fan favorite. What makes it different from other sitcoms is Phoebe’s intelligent writing and amazing performance. The show doesn’t vow its viewers with expensive production, it’s simply a heart-warming and funny show with extremely relatable characters. Too bad the show ended quickly as fans wanted more seasons.
19) Atlanta (2016-)
‘Atlanta‘ follows a struggling young man (played by Donald Glover) who decides to manage his cousin’s budding rap career. But it’s so much more than that and you’ll have to watch it to understand it. Glover has called it “Twin Peaks with rappers“, and that’s certainly an accurate description. The show hovers over several themes like horror, surrealist comedy, personal drama, and a look into the social media-obsessed generation. ‘Atlanta‘ is consistently enjoyable with interesting characters, despite its peculiar track of storylines.
18) The Leftovers (214-2017)
Hear this, after two percent of the world’s population suddenly and mysteriously vanishes, the leftovers try to find out the answers. Sounds interesting? That’s the premise of the show that has intrigued viewers since it first aired. It might be a difficult view for some as the subject deals with the human psyche and loss. But stick around and you will be rewarded with some of the best writing and acting performances in television history. Created by the mind behind ‘Lost‘, the show has over the years garnered a cult following.
17) Mad Men (2007-2015)
‘Mad Men‘ follows the employees of an advertising agency, but that’s just the surface-level thing. It’s only used as a microcosm to explore several themes and is an absolute master class in character development and storytelling. The airing phase of the show coincides with the changing social climate in the United States which is beautifully captured in it. Set in the 60s, ‘Mad Men‘ uses the time period to stylistically tell the story of modern times.
16) Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-)
Created by comedy legend Larry David, ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm‘ follows his exaggerated version and he goes on with his life. The humor is mostly observational and light-hearted backed by strong acting performances. The theme song of the show is now a part of pop culture and is used frequently in memes. It’s still going strong as HBO renewed the series for a 12th season. The show won the 2002 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.
15) The Wire (2002-2008)
Widely regarded as one of the best shows ever made if not the best, ‘The Wire‘ is one of the most ambitious shows ever created. It saw a realistic depiction of a city’s life and politics on television. That’s largely due to the show’s creator’s background as a police reporter at the Baltimore Sun. An accurate depiction of what goes on in the streets, the show is filled with literary themes. Surprisingly, the series received only average ratings and never won any major television award during its original run.
14) Parks And Recreation (2009-2015)
Often called the spiritual successor to ‘The Office‘, ‘Parks and Recreation‘ has the same crew, same mockumentary, the same kind of protagonist, and a shaky first season. But that’s where the common thread ends. Several real-life political figures have cameos in the show’s episodes such as John McCain, Michelle Obama, and Joe Biden. It is also the recipient of the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy. The show also catapulted several of its cast into mainstream success.
13) Chappelle’s Show (2003-2006)
Dave Chappelle is one of the greatest stand-up comedians of his generation. He is the mind behind one of the most important sketch comedy shows of all time. Not only due to the quality but also what the show represents. It contained several funny, topical, and thematic sketches. The drug addict lead character became a part of pop culture. Unlike most sketches, Chappelle’s show had much more fun and edgy sketches. The comedian walked away after the production started taking a toll on his mental health.
12) Six Feet Under (2001-2005)
This show beautifully blends several genres like dark humor, psychological drama, and simply fun comedy. It’s one of those shows which is morbid and weirdly uplifting at the same time. The show follows the lives of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles. ‘Six Feet Under‘ digs deep into themes like mortality, pain, ambiguity, and philosophical quandaries it presents. With one of the greatest finales in TV history, the series won numerous awards, including nine Emmys.
11) Veep (2012-2019)
After ‘Seinfeld‘, Julia Louis-Dreyfus managed to get another role of a lifetime in the political satire ‘Veep.’ In it, she plays Selina Meyer, a fictional Vice President of the United States who tries to leave a strong legacy behind. If nothing else, the show leaves a strong legacy for Julia who knocks it out of the park with her performance. It earned her six consecutive Emmy Awards and a lot of praise. The show has also won three awards. So if you haven’t seen it yet, go and start binging on this light-hearted political satire.
10) Sherlock (2010-2017)
This British crime drama mystery series is easily one of the best TV adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes detective stories. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular character along with Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson. The has received acclaim for its quality writing, direction, and the performances of Cumberbatch and Freeman. It has won awards in three categories at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards. Unlike most adaptations, ‘Sherlock‘ is set in the modern time which makes it unique.
9) Better Call Saul (2015-2022)
Never in a thousand years should ‘Better Call Saul‘ have worked. It’s mostly because spin-offs are synonymous with cash grabs and bad quality. But this one surpassed all expectations and according to some, even the quality of its original show. The show follows Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill a con artist cum lawyer as he transforms into a cunning criminal defense attorney Saul Goodman. Its final season recently concluded on a great note that left a massive impact on the viewers.
8) Downtown Abbey (2010-2015)
It’s very rare for a period drama to reach the height of success and a cultural obsession. But this show bridged the gap between critical acclaim and widespread enjoyment. It might sound like a mundane period drama, but it’s much more than that. ‘Downtown Abbey‘ uses historic events to reflect the character’s life and their choices. It also sheds light on the fall of the British aristocracy. If all this sounds boring, fear not as this show is entertaining as hell. It also received the most nominations of any international tv show in Emmy’s history.
7) Watchmen (2019)
Superhero genres are often expected to comment on wider societal issues and in that regard, HBO’s ‘Watchmen‘ shines like a beacon. It primarily focuses on the issues of racism and racial justice. The show has cops covering their identities after a white supremacist group called the Seventh Kavalry takes up arms. ‘Watchmen’ received widespread critical acclaim for every aspect including its depiction of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. It became more popular during the 2020 protests following George Flloyd’s death.
6) Bojack Horseman (2014-2020)
Animated shows are often perceived to be light-hearted, cookie cutter, and frivolous by many. Then came ‘Bojack Horseman.’ The show deals with heavy themes like depression, addiction, sexism, loneliness, fame, social media, etc, all with a dash of wicked humor. It tells the story of an anthropomorphic horse named who is a washed-up star of a 1990s sitcom. The show is filled with hilarious dialogues, bizarre scenes, and great acting performances. ‘Bojack Horseman’ often tops the list of best-animated shows of all time.
5) Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)
This Canadian sitcom would have been another run-of-the-mill show if it was handled by a lesser director. Created by Eugene and Daniel Levy, the show follows a former wealthy Rose family who is forced to relocate to Schitt’s Creek after their family business goes sour. A major highlight is the way the gay characters are shown in it without making a fuss about it. It feels refreshing to see makers trying to normalize homosexuality in such a popular show.
4) I May Destroy You (2020)
‘I May Destroy You‘ came out of nowhere and shook the audience to their core. This British drama is created by and stars Michaela Coel as Arabella, a young writer in the public eye who tries to rebuild her life after being raped. She stemmed it from her own experience of sexual assault which makes this show more hard-hitting and personal than any other. As per Metacritic, it was the most critically acclaimed television program of 2020. It also won several BAFTA and Emmy Awards.
3) The Sopranos (1999-2007)
‘The Sopranos‘ changed the way television was made forever. It legitimized the medium as a serious art form which was earlier seen as a lesser format. This show proved that TV could tell dark, complex, and richly thematic stories; it also single-handedly launched the golden age of TV dramas. Most of the all-time great shows owe their success to ‘The Sopranos‘. A masterpiece in television, the show is much more than a gangster story as it also explores American life.
2) Game Of Thrones (2011-2019)
HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones‘ achieved the level of production value and extravagance, that most shows can only dream of. This show bridged the gap between TV and film as it had a large canvas with a massive cast. It is easily the decade’s biggest TV event filled with shocks, twists and turns, and beautiful character development. Despite a lackluster finale, GOT remains one of the most well-made and well-received TV shows to come out in recent history.
1) Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
There are shows and then there’s ‘Breaking Bad.’ Easily the most well-written and tightly plotted show in television history. Its influence can be seen in various shows that tried to imitate its plot-twist style of storytelling. Plus, its spin-off also managed to garner equal if not more amount of critical acclaim. Words like Walter White, Heisenberg, and Jesse Pinkman are a part of our pop culture now.
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