The 100 best TV series of the last 25 years according to 500 industry experts: are yours there too?

serie tv

The American newspaper The New York Times has published a ranking of the 100 most influential television series of the last 25 years. To draw up this mammoth and controversial ranking, the magazine has chosen to gather together the elite of English-speaking entertainment, asking for the help of over 500 professionals including world-famous directors, showrunners, producers and leading actors. A choral operation that photographs the golden age of television, ranging from complex dramas to the most brilliant comedies. While focusing on English-language productions, the list represents a fundamental guide to orient yourself among the titles that have redefined the narrative and aesthetic canons of contemporary entertainment. So let’s see what the top 20 positions are.

The Crown

In twentieth place we find The Crownthe series created in 2016 which tells the entire parable of the British monarchy under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II in 6 seasons. A monumental work that delves into private dramas and the complex power relations of the crown, highlighting even the darkest and most controversial sides of the royal house.

Chernobyl

Nineteenth position for Chernobylthe dramatic 2019 miniseries created by Craig Mazin retraces the nuclear power plant catastrophe that occurred in 1986 in just 5 episodes. A distressing and meticulous story that combines historical rigor and profound humanity, focusing on the heroes and victims overwhelmed by the ecological disaster.

I May Destroy You

Released in 2020 and signed by Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You ranks in 18th place. This bold miniseries tackles the themes of consent, abuse and the blurred boundaries of gender violence in contemporary society with a unique and unfiltered gaze, overturning every stereotype about emotional survival.

The Americans

Set during the 1980s at the height of the Cold War, The Americans follows the events of two Soviet KGB spies who live in Virginia posing as a normal American couple with children. A tense psychological and domestic thriller about loyalty, identity and geopolitical paranoia.

The Office UK

The Office UKthe milestone mockumentary-style comedy created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant in 2001, ranks 16th. Set in the squalid branch of a provincial paper company, the series redefined global television comedy with cynical, embarrassing and deeply realistic humor.

Six Feet Under

Fifteenth place for Six Feet Under. Created by Alan Ball in 2001, this tragicomedy explores themes of grief, family, religion and sexuality through the management of a funeral home in Los Angeles, opening each episode with the death of a new character.

Friday Night Lights

The series is taken from the journalistic report of the same name Friday Night Lights from 2006 tells the hopes, dramas and disillusionments of a Texan community around a high school football team, capturing the essence of American adolescence with documentary realism.

Girls

Written, directed and performed by Lena Dunham since 2012, Girls offers a ruthless, ironic and anti-sweetened generational insight into the lives of four twenty-year-old girls struggling with economic and sentimental precariousness in New York.

Arrested Development

Masterpiece of zany and surreal comedy launched in 2003, Arrested Development follows the daring misadventures of the Bluth family and reluctant patriot Michael, forced to keep a clan of selfish oddballs together after the financial collapse of the family business.

The Office US

American adaptation of the British show of the same name debuted in 2005, The Office US transformed office life at Dunder Mifflin into a global phenomenon, buoyed by Steve Carell’s memorable performances as the insufferable but fragile boss Michael Scott.

Atlanta

Let’s enter the top ten of the ranking of the best TV series with Atlanta. Created and starring Donald Glover, the series combines surrealism, social satire and music following two cousins ​​who try to make their way in the rap scene of the Georgian metropolis, on a journey made of cultural barriers and existential redemption.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Created and performed by Larry David from 1999 to 2024, Curb Your Enthusiasm stages a caustic and fictionalized version of the comedian struggling with the small unwritten rules of civil coexistence in Los Angeles, transforming every gaffe into a social disaster.

30 Rock

The award-winning sitcom created by Tina Fey in 2006 30 Rock takes viewers behind the scenes of a chaotic TV variety show broadcast by NBCmixing witty jokes, corporate cynicism and showbusiness parody.

Veep

The ferocious political satire starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the vice president of the United States enters seventh place with Veep. The series dismantles with hilarious cynicism and sharp dialogues the mechanisms of power, the baseness and pettiness that move the corridors of the White House.

Game of Thrones (Game of Thrones)

HBO’s fantasy blockbuster based on the novels by George RR Martin Game of Thrones (Game of Thrones) ranks sixth in the rankings. Broadcast from 2011 to 2019, the series glued the world to the screen thanks to epic battles, court plots, ruthless plot twists and dragons.

Fleabag

The British series written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge Fleabag conquered the audience thanks to the extraordinary breaking of the fourth wall, telling with disarming sincerity, cynicism and pain the attempts of a young woman to survive her failures in London.

Succession

Fourth place for the satire-drama created by Jesse Armstrong Succession which chronicles the infighting of the powerful Roy family for control of a global media empire. A very lucid and Shakespearean analysis on money, generational trauma and contemporary capitalism.

Mad Men

On the lowest step of the podium we find Mad MenMatthew Weiner’s creation set in 1960s New York. Through the events of the Madison Avenue advertising agencies, the show explores the great social, civil and moral changes in America at the time with stylistic elegance and depth.

The Wire

Considered one of the absolute peaks of modern television, the series The Wire created by David Simon and set in Baltimore, it wins second place. It offers a sprawling and uncompromising portrait of American society, analyzing drug trafficking, educational institutions, unions, the media and politics in 5 seasons.

breaking Bad

A timeless classic triumphs at the absolute top of the New York Times ranking: breaking BadVince Gilligan’s moral odyssey that follows Walter White’s transformation from mild-mannered chemistry professor to ruthless drug kingpin. A masterpiece of writing and narrative tension that has redefined the quality standards of global television series.

The complete ranking

  1. breaking Bad
  2. The Wire
  3. Mad Men
  4. Succession
  5. Fleabag
  6. game of Thrones
  7. Veep
  8. 30 Rock
  9. Curb Your Enthusiasm
  10. Atlanta
  11. The Office (US)
  12. Arrested Development
  13. Girls
  14. Friday Night Lights
  15. Six Feet Under
  16. The Office (UK)
  17. The Americans
  18. I May Destroy You
  19. Chernobyl
  20. The Crown
  21. The White Lotus
  22. Lost
  23. The Comeback
  24. Deadwood
  25. The Leftovers
  26. Black Mirror
  27. Better Call Saul
  28. Band of Brothers
  29. Key & Peele
  30. Severance
  31. Survivors
  32. Andor
  33. Enlightened
  34. Schitt’s Creek
  35. True Detective (Season 1)
  36. The Pitt
  37. Battlestar Galactica
  38. Homeland
  39. Watchmen
  40. Adolescence
  41. Louie
  42. Hacks
  43. Peaky Blinders
  44. BoJack Horseman
  45. HappyValley
  46. Broad City
  47. Twin Peaks: The Return
  48. House of Cards
  49. Normal People
  50. Parks and Recreation
  51. The Good Place
  52. Downton Abbey
  53. Stranger Things
  54. The Bureau
  55. Insecure
  56. Nathan for You
  57. I Think You Should Leave
  58. Chappelle’s Show
  59. PEN15
  60. Peep Show
  61. RuPaul’s Drag Race
  62. Slow Horses
  63. The Thick of It
  64. Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
  65. Sea of ​​Easttown
  66. The Rehearsal
  67. The Handmaid’s Tale
  68. Ozarks
  69. Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
  70. The Shield
  71. Beef
  72. Squid Game
  73. Barry
  74. The Bear
  75. Ted Lasso
  76. Somebody Somewhere
  77. Modern Family
  78. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
  79. The Good Wife
  80. How to with John Wilson
  81. The Queen’s Gambit
  82. Better Things
  83. Justified
  84. Planet Earth
  85. The Great British Baking Show
  86. Shogun
  87. Reservation Dogs
  88. Dexter
  89. Baby Reindeer
  90. Eastbound & Down
  91. Catastrophe
  92. The Night Of
  93. Station Eleven
  94. The Diplomat
  95. House
  96. Halt and Catch Fire
  97. Community
  98. The OA
  99. Gilmore Girls
  100. Scandal
Chris Rivers

Chris Rivers

With over 15 years of experience in journalism and a deep-seated passion for environmental sustainability, I lead the editorial team at Green Technology Investments. My background in environmental science fuels my commitment to crafting insightful and impactful content. When I'm not penning articles, you can find me exploring national parks or tending to my organic garden.