BBC critics have created a list of what they consider to be the best series of the 21st century, so far. To create the list, they have been based on the opinions of 206 experts, including journalists specializing in television, critics, academics and important figures in the audiovisual world, from more than 43 countries.
The list begins in 2000 and ends in 2020, so some series, such as “The Squid Game” have not been included.
To make it easier to find and enjoy these series, we also tell you on which platforms it is possible to find them. These are the best series of the 21st century and where it is possible to watch them:
-“The Wire” (HBO): One of the most awarded series in television history. The 60-episode series focuses on the slums of Baltimore, where a drug-related murder is investigated. The series portrays police corruption and the world of drug cartels, as well as the misery linked to drug trafficking in certain neighborhoods.
-“Mad Men” (Amazon Prime Video): This drama series chronicles the beginnings of a prestigious advertising agency in the 1960s. The series focuses on the company’s executives and depicts the society of the time, machismo, homophobia and strange personal relationships. The main character, Donald Draper, a man of great talent, also keeps a big secret that will jeopardize his lifestyle.
-“Breaking Bad” (Netflix): The story of “Breaking Bad” centers on Wlater White a high school chemistry teacher in New Mexico who is diagnosed with terminal cancer and will be forced to find a way to defray the costly treatments. With a wife and a disabled son, White will see how his life takes a 180-degree turn and how, little by little, his decisions change the way he is.
-“Fleabag” (Amazon Prime Video): Both seasons of “Fleabag” can be enjoyed in a single evening. This naive, nihilistic, yet tremendously funny story puts us in the shoes of a 30-something Londoner whose life is a complete mess. The protagonist continually breaks the fourth wall and challenges the viewer to make moral judgments about her actions and decisions.
-“Game of Thrones” (HBO): Based on the saga of books written by George R. Martin, the story takes us to the Seven Kingdoms, where the sudden death of King Baratheon, brings the continent to an increasingly brutal confrontation, while a shadow grows in the north and one in the south gathers a large army.
-“I Could Destroy You” (HBO): 12-episode miniseries about a young writer who is uncommitted and easily distracted. After writing a successful text she is proclaimed as “the voice of her generation”. After being sexually assaulted, her life is irreversibly changed and she will be forced to re-evaluate her life, so she will have to embark on a journey to come to terms with what happened.
-“The Americans” (Disney+): A period drama whose protagonists are a couple of KGB spies who, in the 1980s, live near Washington DC, posing as an American married couple. The two will have to hide their true identities from their children and friends, while facing complicated situations after the Cold War escalates during Ronald Reagan’s term in office.
-“The Office (UK version)” (Filmin): Although its American version is the most generally known, the British version (original), is a corrosive critique of the members of an office and the business culture of the early 2000s. With a “reality show” format, it shows us an office full of curious characters, each one funnier than the last.
-“Succession” (HBO): “Succession” tells the story of Logan Roy’s family of four children who control one of the largest media companies in the world. The problems of this totally dysfunctional family will begin when the father has to appoint a successor.
For those who want to know which series are part of this list of 100 series, below you can find the original list created by the BBC.
