BBC ranking
The best series of the 21st century
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Nowadays, one hit series chases the next. But what are the best series of our century? The BBC interviewed experts and created a top 10. We present the series.
While most of the series were actually still on television in the past, streaming services are now enjoying ever greater success. They are increasingly relying on their own productions and are thus achieving record numbers. The only problem with this oversupply for most is likely to be the following question: which series do I start next? To make this decision a little easier, here are the top 10 best series of the 21st century.
Experts voted
In order to identify the best series of our century, the British broadcaster BBC decided to evaluate the opinions of a number of experts. A total of 206 people, including critics, journalists, academics and representatives of the industry from 43 countries voted over 460 different series. Everyone named the station their ten favorite series of the 21st century. The BBC ranked them according to votes and ultimately determined the top 100 best series. We have listed the most popular 10 for you here.
An industry in upheaval
Television is probably the most defining art form of our century so far, according to the BBC. While it used to be in the shadow of the cinema, its artistic credibility can no longer be disputed today. What is striking about the ranking is that all series in the top 10 are in English. This clearly shows a weighting and inequality in the industry, especially in favor of the US film and television industry. However, according to the BBC, opposing trends can also be observed. Non-English language series would also enjoy increasing popularity and diverse groups of people would be addressed. Incidentally, two German productions are also represented in the Top 100: The Netflix series “Dark” made it to place 58, “Babylon Berlin” ranks 75th.
Place: “The Wire”
“The Wire” took first place. The American crime drama series was filmed in Baltimore (Maryland) from 2002 to 2008. Each of the five seasons focuses on a different aspect of the city around the Baltimore Police Department and the drug trade. Since the makers of the series themselves have experience with the Baltimore police, they managed, according to critics, to create a very realistic, quasi-documentary series.
Place: “Mad Men”
At the center of the “Mad Men” series is the fictional New York advertising agency “Sterling Cooper” in the 1960s with its employees and their environment. The main character is the ambitious advertising man Don Draper, whose dark past comes to light in the course of the series. The series received multiple Golden Globe Award and Emmy nominations.
Place: “Breaking Bad”
“Breaking Bad” is about chemistry teacher Walter White, who developed lung cancer and began to manufacture and sell drugs with his ex-student Jessie Pinkman. In the course of the series, Walt changes more and more from “normal” to criminal. The five-season series received numerous awards.
Place: “Fleabag”
The British series “Fleabag” won six Emmys in 2019, including best comedy series. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who is the author of the book, was also honored as the best leading actress. The woman the series is about is British Fleabag. She runs a café that she once opened with her late friend Boo. Fleabag lives the turbulent city life of London amid grief, chaos and numerous male affairs.
Place: “Game of Thrones”
The American fantasy series Game of Thrones makes fifth place their own. The first six of the eight seasons in particular are based on the book “A Song of Ice and Fire” by the American writer George RR Martin. The series takes place in a fictional world that is based on the Middle Ages and interweaves many complex storylines between countless characters. It is primarily about the different claims to power of the kingdoms, which are often carried out with war.
Place: “I May Destroy You”
The drama mini-series “I May Destroy You” by and with Michaela Coel revolves around the topic of sexual violence. The theme is how the protagonist experiences abuse on her own body and then tries to cope with the resulting trauma. Coel is also the author, director and actress of the mini-series and has been nominated and awarded several times for her work. Critics consider “I May Destroy You” to be the best series of 2020.
Place: “The Leftovers”
“The Leftovers” is a three-season American television series that first aired in 2014. It is based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrottas from 2011. The fictional plot of the series begins after two percent of the world’s population has inexplicably disappeared without a trace. The protagonists of the series try to find the reason for the disappearance of the 140 million people and increasingly struggle with psychological problems. “The Leftovers” and its actors have also received several awards.
Place: “The Americans”
“The Americans” is set in the early 1980s, during the Cold War. It’s about the married couple Elisabeth and Philip Jennings, who live as Soviet KGB spies with their children in a suburb of Washington DC. Their work is put to the test when an FBI employee moves into the neighborhood. Phillip also begins to increasingly question his role as a spy and agent. The series won several awards, including Best Drama Series.
Place: “The Office (UK)”
The British comedy television series “The Office” was broadcast at the beginning of the century, from 2001 to 2003. The Fremdscham classic was filmed in the style of a long-term documentary in which a fictional team from the BBC station records everyday life in an open-plan office. The lead role, David Brent, is played by producer Ricky Gervais himself. Brent is the head of the office, who incessantly overestimates himself and thus fails again and again, but in a bizarre way always manages to free himself from the mess he has created himself. The series was the first British television series to receive a Golden Globe.
Place: “Succession”
“Succession” has aired since 2018 and is an American television series. It revolves around the elderly father Logan Roy and his family, who run a veritable media empire. It is increasingly about the question of what happens when the influential family man and media mogul retires as CEO of the company. A series about the father’s legacy, messed up family relationships and the desire for power.
Source: “BBC “
This article originally appeared on stern.de.