The best TV shows of this century, ranked

Critics chose the best 50 TV shows of the 21st century
Mad Men
The Sopranos
Succession
30 Rock
The Wire
Reservation Dogs
Better Call Saul
Girls
Freaks and Geeks
BoJack Horseman
The Daily Show
The Americans
30 for 30
Enlightened
Atlanta
Breaking Bad
Halt and Catch Fire
Friday Night Lights
Rectify
Peep Show
Deadwood
Better Things
Survivor
I May Destroy You
Review
Battlestar Galactica
Parks and Recreation
How To With John Wilson
Broad City
Game of Thrones
Fleabag
Veep
Orange Is The New Black
Jane The Virgin
Chernobyl
The Shield
Crazy Ex- Girfriend
Band of Brothers
The Deuce
Insecure
Beef
Station Eleven
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
The Leftovers
The Crown
The Underground Railroad
Vida
South Side
Avatar: The Last Airbender
S e x and the City
Critics chose the best 50 TV shows of the 21st century

With the emergence of streaming, the 21st century has been marked by a boom in TV shows. So choosing the best shows since Y2K was no easy task. But the critics at Hollywood Reporter hashed this list out after months of intense debate. Here are their favorites to have come out so far in descending order from best to very good.

Photo: AMC

Mad Men

Matt Weiner's dark drama about professional men and women in the 1960s.
AMC (2007-2015)

Photo: AMC

The Sopranos

The psychological masterpiece about the New York mafia.

HBO (1999-2007)

Succession

A biting satire on the depressing world of the 0.001%.

HBO (2018-2023)

30 Rock

A hilarious take on a sketch comedy series, from people who really lived it.

NBC (2006-2013)

The Wire

A devastating look at how crime interacts with different areas of society.

HBO (2002-2008)

Photo: HBO

Reservation Dogs

An experimental glimpse into the lives of some unique Indigenous teens.

FX/Hulu (2021-2023)

Photo: FX Network

Better Call Saul

The 'Breaking Bad' spinoff following the origin story of the lawyer "Saul Goodman."

AMC (2015-2022)

Girls

Love it or hate it, but this captured a generation of non-adults like no other.

HBO (2012-2017)

Freaks and Geeks

Just barely making the 21st-century cut, this teen sitcom was a launching pad for talent that would dominate Hollywood in the years to come.

NBC (1999-2000)

BoJack Horseman

A soulful animated show about the rocky comeback of a sitcom star, who is a horse.

Netflix (2014-2020)

Photo: Netflix

The Daily Show

The Hollywood Reporter particularly praises John Stewart's run as host.

Comedy Central (1996-present)

The Americans

A spy thriller that may have been overlooked by many who would love it.

FX (2013-2018)

30 for 30

A documentary franchise that gives filmmakers the chance to tell some of sport's most interesting stories.

ESPN (2009-)

Enlightened

'White Lotus' creator Mike White first charmed audiences with this poignant but hilarious show.

HBO (2011-2013)

Atlanta

Donald Glover's experimental TV show that blurs the lines between great TV and music.

FX (2016-2022)

Photo: FX Networks

Breaking Bad

Walter White showed the world the dangers of drugs.

AMC (2008-2013)

Photo: AMC

Halt and Catch Fire

A show that focuses on the birth of America's corporate world betwen the 80s and 90s.

AMC (2014-2017)

Friday Night Lights

Much more than a high school football drama.

NBC and The 101 Network (2006-2011)

Rectify

A unique anti-hero story and a leading contender for "the best show most people have never heard of," according to Hollywood Reporter.

SundanceTV (2013-2016)

Peep Show

You never realized how much you literally wanted to be in the head of these two weirdos.

Channel 4 (2003-2015)

Deadwood

A witty look at America's wild west.

HBO (2004-2006)

Better Things

What started as a sitcom grew into a thoughtful satire.

FX (2016-2022)

Survivor

The first, the best.

CBS (2000-)

I May Destroy You

An uncomfortable but gorgeously done look into the grey areas of assault against women.

BBC One and HBO (2020)

Photo: HBO

Review

This comedy follows around a man whose job is to review experiences.

Comedy Central (2014-2017)

Battlestar Galactica

This dystopian thriller is the top sci-fi on the list.

Sci-Fi/SyFy (2003-2009)

Parks and Recreation

This awkward sitcom follows an aggressively optimistic bureaucrat.

NBC (2009-2015)

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How To With John Wilson

Be delighted by following this strange man down some bizarre rabbit holes in this one-of-a-kind documentary series.

HBO (2020-2023)

Broad City

Like 'Girls,' but way funnier.

Comedy Central (2014-2019)

Game of Thrones

This epic fantasy had everyone talking... right up to its very disappointing end.

HBO (2011-2019)

Photo: HBO

Fleabag

Phoebe Waller-Bridge stuns the audience with this complicated look into the life of a woman.

BBC Three and Amazon Prime Video (2016-2019)

Photo: Amazon Prime

Veep

Probably the most accurate glimpse into the world of American politics.

HBO (2012-2019)

Orange Is The New Black

The prison drama that kicked off the streaming revolution.

Netflix (2013-2019)

Jane The Virgin

Bringing the juicy world of Telenovelas to an English-speaking audience.

The CW (2014-2019)

Chernobyl

An incredibly dark drama that traces what happened in the nuclear disaster.

HBO (2019)

Photo: HBO

The Shield

A fictionalized look at an American police scandal.

FX (2002-2008)

Crazy Ex- Girfriend

An unexpected musical comedy on TV.

The CW (2015-2018)

Band of Brothers

An epic look at the horrors of war.

HBO (2001)

Photo: HBO

The Deuce

A dazzling glimpse into the adult movie industry in the 70s and 80s.

HBO (2017-2019)

Photo: HBO

Insecure

An honest comedy centering on the existential angst of late 20-somethings.

HBO (2016-2021)

Photo: HBO

Beef

An incredible look at what happens after two strangers get into a road rage incident.

Netflix (2023)

Photo: Netflix

Station Eleven

A post-apocalyptic literary adaptation focusing on humanity and art.

HBO Max (2021)

Photo: HBO

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

The only food and travel show on the list.

CNN (2013-2018)

The Leftovers

A heartbreaking and sometimes surreal show that deals with death head on.

HBO (2014-2017)

Photo: HBO

The Crown

A historical epic tracing the British monarchy.

Netflix (2016-)

Photo: Netflix

The Underground Railroad

A fantastical telling of a dark and bright part of history.

Amazon Prime Video (2021)

Photo: Amazon Prime Video

Vida

This LA-based sitcom focuses on the city's Mexican American community.

Starz (2018-2020)

Photo: Starz

South Side

Hollywood Reporter says this is the best show to be made in the absurd style of '30 Rock.'

Comedy Central y Max (2019-2022)

Photo: Starz

Avatar: The Last Airbender

A children's show with a sophisticated message.

Nickelodeon (2005-2008)

Photo: Nickelodeon

S e x and the City

Just barely making the cut is this groundbreaking HBO show following four women exploring themselves and New York.

HBO (1998-2004)

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