Watching: Find your next favorite show
As drawn from our 100 Best TV Shows of the Century list
Watching
September 28, 2026

Find your next favorite show

A composite image of close-up shots of major characters from “Veep,” “Arrested Development,” “I May Destroy You,” “Breaking Bad” and “The Wire.”
HBO (“Veep,” “I May Destroy You,” “The Wire”); Fox (“Arrested Development”); AMC (“Breaking Bad”)

Dear Watchers,

Last week, we rolled out our 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century list, as chosen by more than 500 actors, writers, showrunners, executives and other TV professionals. It has generated a lot of fun and passionate conversation so far.

Many of you have cast your own ballots in our reader poll. If you haven’t, today is your last chance to vote. (Ballots close at midnight Eastern.) We’ll publish the results at the end of this week. (And click here to see how dozens of our celebrity voters chose.)

It will be interesting to see how the reader list differs from our industry poll. More than a few readers have politely suggested that the industry opinion we surveyed is, ahem, perhaps a little out of touch with the tastes of the average viewer. We’ll find out on Friday!

In the meantime, we’ve published a few new goodies, including:

It’s Monday, so read below for our usual roundup of notable TV this week.

Happy watching!

Also this week

A woman wearing a Victorian-era dress and lace choker collar with bare shoulders stares cooly at something outside the frame.
Florence Pugh stars in a series-length adaptation of the John Steinbeck novel “East of Eden.” Geoffrey Short/Netflix
  • Season 2 of the “Scrubs” revival, starring Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke, premieres on Wednesday at 8 p.m., on ABC.
  • “War,” a juicy new British legal drama starring Dominic West and Sienna Miller, debuts on Thursday at 9 p.m., on HBO and HBO Max.
  • A seven-part adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” premieres on Thursday, on Netflix. The series was adapted by Zoe Kazan, whose grandfather Elia Kazan directed the 1955 film starring James Dean. The absent mother Cathy, played here by Florence Pugh, is a central character in this version.
  • “Coven Academy,” a supernatural teen series created by Tim Federle (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”), premieres on Thursday at 8 p.m. on Freeform and arrives on Friday on Disney+ and Hulu.

Tell us what you think

What surprised you about our 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century list? What didn’t? Click here to leave a comment. Times editors, critics and reporters will continue to join in the conversation.

EXTRA-CREDIT READING

How ‘Breaking Bad’ Became the Best Show of the 21st Century

“Breaking Bad” was voted the greatest show of the 21st century by our panel. We interviewed the creator Vince Gilligan and the actors Bryan Cranston and Giancarlo Esposito about the making of the show and why it still resonates nearly 20 years after its debut.

By Jeremy Egner, Mimi Dwyer, Ben Laffin, Maggie Beidelman, Laura Salaberry and Nicholas Kraus

James Austin Johnson Is More Than Just Trump

Johnson found fame playing President Trump on “S.N.L.” He hopes a new comedy special shows he has more to offer than just impersonations.

By Dave Itzkoff and Mark Sommerfeld

Lola Petticrew, as Dolours Price in “Say Nothing,” is dressed as a nun and pointing a handgun at something outside the frame.

Lola Petticrew Has Taken on the Troubles, Twice

Before playing a mesmerizing serial killer in “Furious,” the Belfast performer starred in two series set during the bloody conflict in Northern Ireland.

By Mike Hale

Critic’s Notebook

‘The Sopranos’ Is Nowhere on This List. Also, It’s Everywhere.

Our poll of the best shows of the 21st century explores how TV built on, and moved on from, one of the last great shows of the 20th.

By James Poniewozik

Lea Michele, sporting a bob haircut and blue dress giving nautical vibes, sings from a stage with her arms raised high.

Critic’s Notebook

How ‘Glee’ Made Musical Theater Cool

The TV series, our critic writes, gave us a slew of talented stage performers and used pop songs to help turn musical theater into mass entertainment.

By Elisabeth Vincentelli

Kyle MacLachlan: David Lynch’s Singular Weirdo Is Secretly a Normie

The actor still hasn’t come to grips with the loss of David Lynch. He talks about that, his hesitation about taking a role in “Sex and the City” and his new memoir.

By Melena Ryzik and Sinna Nasseri

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