It is official: Breaking Bad is the best TV show of the 21st century. The New York Times ranked the AMC drama at No. 1 on its list of the 100 best shows of the century, voted on by 516 television industry professionals. Here is why the honor matters — and what is new in the Breaking Bad world.
1. The ranking
The Times surveyed more than 500 actors, writers, showrunners and executives, each naming up to ten shows that premiered on or after January 1, 2000. Breaking Bad finished ahead of The Wire, Mad Men, Succession and Fleabag. Bryan Cranston, who played Walter White, said he was exceedingly proud, noting the honor was bestowed by the industry itself, not chosen by the cast.
2. The show
Running five seasons from 2008 to 2013, Breaking Bad follows Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer, who turns to making and selling meth with former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to secure his family’s future. It won 16 Emmys, two Golden Globes and two Peabody Awards, and spawned the spin-off Better Call Saul and the film El Camino.
3. A new oral history
Fans are getting a definitive oral history of the show. Dean Norris, who played Hank Schrader, is releasing Do What You’re Gonna Do on November 3, built from two years of interviews with Cranston, Paul, Anna Gunn, Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito and creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.
4. Still streaming, still No. 1
A separate YouGov poll of American viewers in October 2026 also named Breaking Bad the most popular TV show of the century, and Netflix has extended its license through at least 2027. More than a decade after the finale, Walt’s story is not done being discovered. Watch the trailer on the series page.
