Top 100 TV Shows This Millennium

[What Would Jesus Do?]

The NYT will be posting their list starting in a week. But we can get started now.

Whatcha got?

Here's the NYT blurb...

We asked show creators, actors, writers, craftspeople and other television professionals in Hollywood and around the world to pick the 10 best shows that have premiered since Jan. 1, 2000. It was up to them to decide what “best” meant: Favorite? Most rewatched? Most artistically ambitious?

More than 500 of them voted, and next week, you’ll be able to see how they chose. Each day, starting on Sept. 21, we’ll reveal 20 shows on the list, beginning with No. 100.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/14/arts/television/100-best-tv-shows-of-the-21st-century-sign-up.html

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I'll kick it off with a few of my favorite Sci-fi shows, just so they don't get forgotten.

Battlestar Galactica
The Expanse
Fringe

 

[TJ8869]

I don’t watch a lot of television, but of the shows that I do watch, a few that stand out:

Justified
The Americans
What We Do In The Shadows
The Office

Does Curb Your Enthusiasm make the cut? The pilot aired in October 1999 but the first full season didn’t start until 2000.

I’m assuming this is limited to American tv shows? If not then I would add 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

 

[McLovin32]

I don’t watch a lot of television, but of the shows that I do watch, a few that stand out:

Justified
The Americans
What We Do In The Shadows
The Office

Does Curb Your Enthusiasm make the cut? The pilot aired in October 1999 but the first full season didn’t start until 2000.

I’m assuming this is limited to American tv shows? If not then I would add 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

What We Do In the Shadows is so godddamn funny.

 

[AFM22]

My safe guesses.

Breaking Bad
Game of Thrones/HOTD/KOTSK
Ted Lasso
Chernobyl
Stranger Things
Severance
The Wire

Likely see some controversial ones like 2 1/2 men or big bang theory, a star wars series, prob the mandolorian. I'd throw LOST, The Boys and White lotus and a couple other HBO shows, but 100 shows to cover several channels is really not that many.

 

[AFM22]

I don’t watch a lot of television, but of the shows that I do watch, a few that stand out:

Justified
The Americans
What We Do In The Shadows
The Office

Does Curb Your Enthusiasm make the cut? The pilot aired in October 1999 but the first full season didn’t start until 2000.

I’m assuming this is limited to American tv shows? If not then I would add 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

I can definitely see the office making it. Maybe P&R as well. As much as I think 30 Rock should be on there, it probably wouldn't make the cut.

 

[Ty7]

The Shield > all

fight me

 

[SeaPA]

Mad Men
Dexter
Prison Break
Walking Dead

 

[PabloNole]

The Wire
The West Wing
Veep
The Newsroom
Breaking Bad
Ted Lasso
Band of Brothers

 

[AFM22]

 

[AFM22]

My safe guesses.

Breaking Bad
Game of Thrones/HOTD/KOTSK
Ted Lasso
Chernobyl
Stranger Things
Severance
The Wire

Likely see some controversial ones like 2 1/2 men or big bang theory, a star wars series, prob the mandolorian. I'd throw LOST, The Boys and White lotus and a couple other HBO shows, but 100 shows to cover several channels is really not that many.

My safe guesses.

Breaking Bad - #1
Game of Thrones/HOTD/KOTSK - #6
Ted Lasso - #75
Chernobyl - #19
Stranger Things - #53
Severance - #30
The Wire - #2

Likely see some controversial ones like:
2 1/2 men or big bang theory,

a star wars series, prob the mandolorian. (Andor - #32)

I'd throw in:
LOST #22
The Boys
White lotus - #21

and a couple other HBO shows, but 100 shows to cover several channels is really not that many.

 

[AFM22]

I can definitely see the office making it. Maybe P&R as well. As much as I think 30 Rock should be on there, it probably wouldn't make the cut.

I was way off on 30 Rock. It came in the top 10 at #8. Office at #11, P&R at #50.

 

[JMNSH0]

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

My safe guesses.

Breaking Bad - #1
Game of Thrones/HOTD/KOTSK - #6
Ted Lasso - #75
Chernobyl - #19
Stranger Things - #53
Severance - #30
The Wire - #2

Likely see some controversial ones like:
2 1/2 men or big bang theory,

a star wars series, prob the mandolorian. (Andor - #32)

I'd throw in:
LOST #22
The Boys
White lotus - #21

and a couple other HBO shows, but 100 shows to cover several channels is really not that many.

I tried a couple of the Star Wars spinoffs. Andor was clearly the best, and the only one I stuck with.

 

[AFM22]

I tried a couple of the Star Wars spinoffs. Andor was clearly the best, and the only one I stuck with.

I also thought it was the best, but it overall Mando was more popular.

Personally, I thought Mando was very boring, and when they merged it with the Book of Boba Fett plot, it just got plain bad.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

The new season of Ted Lasso is still great.

I expect Slow Horses to make the top 100 eventually. Maybe top 20.

 

[AFM22]

The new season of Ted Lasso is still great.

I expect Slow Horses to make the top 100 eventually. Maybe top 20.

Its at 62.

 

[alaskanseminole]

I'll kick it off with a few of my favorite Sci-fi shows, just so they don't get forgotten.

Battlestar Galactica
The Expanse
Fringe

1. BSG - My favorite Sci-fi series of all time, barely nudging out FireFly.
2. The Expanse - Almost missed it, tried 2x and gave up. @BelemNole told me to stick with it. Glad I did. Great show!
3. Fringe - I'm towards the end of S2 where we see what really happend to Peter. Not going to lie, I was expecting more from this show. It's good, but not nearly as good as #1&2.

There are so many good shows out there like Silo, Breaking Bad/BCS (RIP HROT Jimmy), GoT, Stranger Things, Alias, 24, Suits, The Office, Parks, Friends, LOST, Travelers, Jerico, Landman, Homeland, Walking Dead, Andor, Vikings, BoB, and I can just keep going. There's also a list of shows that will never make that list, but I really enjoyed like Smallville, Arrow, Chuck, White Collar, Supernatural,

 

[alaskanseminole]

The Shield > all

fight me

Been wanting to watch this. Is it a procedural or serial drama? I really don't like procedurals...it takes a strong cast for me to like one like White Collar, Chuck, and earlier seasons of Justified and S1 of Suits.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

1. BSG - My favorite Sci-fi series of all time, barely nudging out FireFly.
2. The Expanse - Almost missed it, tried 2x and gave up. @BelemNole told me to stick with it. Glad I did. Great show!
3. Fringe - I'm towards the end of S2 where we see what really happend to Charlie. Not going to lie, I was expecting more from this show. It's good, but not nearly as good as #1&2.

There are so many good shows out there like Silo, Breaking Bad/BCS (RIP HROT Jimmy), GoT, Stranger Things, Alias, 24, Suits, The Office, Parks, Friends, LOST, Travelers, Jerico, Landman, Homeland, Walking Dead, Andor, Vikings, BoB, and I can just keep going. There's also a list of shows that will never make that list, but I really enjoyed like Smallville, Arrow, Chuck, White Collar, Supernatural,

Fringe had trouble deciding what it wanted to be when it grew up. It grew up sometime in season 2, as I recall, when they went all in on the parallel world story line. It continues to evolve after that and takes another leap in the final season that some found jarring, but I thought was great after I got over my initial WTF reaction.

In retrospect, the actor who played Walter deserved some awards. I wonder if he got any?

ETA: If I counted right, John Noble (Walter) was nominated 11 times and won twice. The Show as a whole was nominated 90 times and won 18. Anna Torv also won twice.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1119644/awards/

 

[alaskanseminole]

Fringe had trouble deciding what it wanted to be when it grew up. It grew up sometime in season 2, as I recall, when they went all in on the parallel world story line. It continues to evolve after that and takes another leap in the final season that some found jarring, but I thought was great after I got over my initial WTF reaction.

In retrospect, the actor who played Walter deserved some awards. I wonder if he got any?

Ya, I've actually stuck with it because of Walter. Brilliantly played character.

p.s. I meant Peter. Joshua Jackson played Charlie in the Mighty Ducks. It's hard not to see him as the Captian of the Ducks!

 

[Ty7]

Been wanting to watch this. Is it a procedural or serial drama? I really don't like procedurals...it takes a strong cast for me to like one like White Collar, Chuck, and earlier seasons of Justified and S1 of Suits.

procedural. 90% of the cast is there from day 1. You will love it.

 

[SeaPA]

Question for those who watched Mad Men...

We've never watched it, but decided to do so; it wasn't available for free on anything, so paid for the entire series on Prime (think it was $35). We're about halfway through Season 1; so far, I'm not overly impressed. Not that I think it's bad, just that so far it hasn't had anything thar really captivated us & made us want to binge a bunch of episodes. We'll watch one or two on a Friday night, but that's about it. Does it get better a season or two in?

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Question for those who watched Mad Men...

We've never watched it, but decided to do so; it wasn't available for free on anything, so paid for the entire series on Prime (think it was $35). We're about halfway through Season 1; so far, I'm not overly impressed. Not that I think it's bad, just that so far it hasn't had anything thar really captivated us & made us want to binge a bunch of episodes. We'll watch one or two on a Friday night, but that's about it. Does it get better a season or two in?

A couple of my geriatric friends are working through the show. They like some of the acting a lot, and enjoy the nostalgic look at the world they grew up in, but find the values off-putting. I think they'll stick with it all the way. Being big fans of John Hamm helps.

I watched a few episodes and share their impressions, but didn't like it enough to stick with it.

 

[tigres88]

Question for those who watched Mad Men...

We've never watched it, but decided to do so; it wasn't available for free on anything, so paid for the entire series on Prime (think it was $35). We're about halfway through Season 1; so far, I'm not overly impressed. Not that I think it's bad, just that so far it hasn't had anything thar really captivated us & made us want to binge a bunch of episodes. We'll watch one or two on a Friday night, but that's about it. Does it get better a season or two in?

Yes- I think it's the best show of all time personally, though it came in at number 3 on this list.

Each episode is treated like a piece of literature, and if you pay attention to the thematic nature of each, and what the writer is trying to get across about the characters, humanity, and the American dream in each, it will greatly enhance your viewing.

I'd say wait until Seaon 1 Episode 13- if you aren't hooked by the end of that episode, it may not be for you, and that's all good too!

 

[kidmike41]

Question for those who watched Mad Men...

We've never watched it, but decided to do so; it wasn't available for free on anything, so paid for the entire series on Prime (think it was $35). We're about halfway through Season 1; so far, I'm not overly impressed. Not that I think it's bad, just that so far it hasn't had anything thar really captivated us & made us want to binge a bunch of episodes. We'll watch one or two on a Friday night, but that's about it. Does it get better a season or two in?

It is my favorite show of all time. So much depth.