100 Best TV Series and Shows of the Century: The Sopranos on Top, Game of Thrones Seventh

The Guardian's version.

The British newspaper The Guardian has published a list of the 100 best TV series of the 21st century. The criteria are not specified, but there is an obvious bias toward British viewers’ tastes, since the ranking includes several not very well-known series and shows. Yet the top places are mostly American.

Three years ago, Rolling Stone published its top 100 TV series and shows, but not for the 21st century; it covered all time. The top positions of the two publications nearly coincide: The Sopranos and The Wire take first and second places respectively. Breaking Bad and Mad Men also make the top five. The Guardian dropped only Seinfeld, but it ended in the last century.

Interestingly, the British publication did not include The Simpsons in its top 100, but it moved Game of Thrones, the most popular series in history, up from 12th to 7th place. At the time of the Rolling Stone ranking, only five of its seasons had aired.

The Guardian’s top 100 includes many HBO series and far fewer from Netflix: its best series — “Black Mirror” — takes 23rd place.

1. The Sopranos — 1999-2007
2. The Wire — 2002-08
3. Mad Men — 2007-15
4. The Thick of It — 2005-12
5. Breaking Bad — 2008-13
6. The Office — 2001-03. British version
7. Game of Thrones — 2011-19
8. Fleabag — 2016-19
9. Peep Show — 2003-15
10. Atlanta — 2016-…
11. Happy Valley — 2014-…
12. 30 Rock — 2006-13
13. Line of Duty — 2012-…
14. Curb Your Enthusiasm — 2000-…
15. The West Wing — 1999-2006
16. Nighty Night — 2004-05
17. Deadwood — 2004-06
18. Girls — 2012-17
19. The Vietnam War — 2017
20. O.J.: Made in America — 2016
21. Arrested Development — 2003-19
22. Twin Peaks: The Return — 2017
23. Black Mirror — 2011-…
24. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart — 1999-2015
25. The Handmaid’s Tale — 2017-…
26. Red Riding — 2009
27. Transparent — 2014-19
28. The Killing — 2007-12
29. Spaced — 1999-2001
30. Killing Eve — 2018-…
31. Blue Planet — 2001, 2007
32. The Office — 2005-13. American version
33. Big Brother — 2000-18
34. Catastrophe — 2015-19
35. This Is England — 2010-15
36. The Great British Bake Off — 2010-…
37. Brass Eye — 2001
38. Detectorists — 2014-17
39. The Good Wife — 2009-16
40. The Power of Nightmares — 2004
41. Friday Night Lights — 2006-11
42. South Park — 1997-…
43. The Americans — 2013-18
44. The Crown — 2016-…
45. The Bridge — 2011-18. Swedish-Danish version
46. Doctor Who — 2005-…
47. Nathan Barley — 2005
48. Better Call Saul — 2015-… Prequel to Breaking Bad
49. Insecure — 2016-…
50. Downton Abbey — 2010-15
51. Patrick Melrose — 2018
52. The Good Fight — 2017-…
53. Black Books — 2000-04
54. Parks and Recreation — 2009-15
55. Utopia — 2014
56. The Jinx — 2015
57. Sex and the City — 1998-2004
58. Orange Is the New Black — 2013-19
59. Wolf Hall — 2015
60. Sherlock — 2010-…
61. State of Play — 2003
62. Succession — 2018-…
63. Show Me a Hero — 2015
64. Six Feet Under — 2001-05
65. Flight of the Conchords — 2007-09
66. Inside No. 9 — 2014-…
67. Borgen — 2010-13
68. Band of Brothers — 2001
69. The Good Place — 2016-…
70. Shameless — 2004-13
71. Lost — 2004-10
72. Planet Earth — 2016, 2010
73. Spiral — 2005-…
74. The Inbetweeners — 2008-10
75. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia — 2005-…
76. A Very English Scandal — 2018
77. The Shield — 2002-08
78. Freaks and Geeks — 1999-2000
79. Halt and Catch Fire — 2014-17
80. Veep — 2012-19
81. Gavin and Stacey — 2007-10
82. Strictly Come Dancing — 2004-… This is the equivalent of Dancing with the Stars
83. Buffy the Vampire Slayer — 1997-2003
84. Looking — 2014-16
85. Gogglebox — 2013-…
86. Fresh Meat — 2011-16
87. The Leftovers — 2014-17
88. Justified — 2010-15
89. The L Word — 2004-09
90. 24 — 2001-10
91. Silicon Valley — 2014-…
92. Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace — 2004
93. RuPaul’s Drag Race — 2009-…
94. Skins — 2007-13
95. The Trip — 2010-…
96. Broad City — 2014-19
97. The Shadow Line — 2011
98. The Mighty Boosh — 2006-07
99. Life on Mars — 2006-07
100. I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! — 2002-…