NY Times Ranks The Wire, Breaking Bad Among Top Shows of 21st Century

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Actors, writers and industry figures helped determine the rankings for the newspaper's list.

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The New York Times unveiled its ranking of the 100 best television shows of the 21st century, and TODAY walked viewers through the results, highlighting which series landed in the top 10. The list was compiled using votes from actors, writers and other industry figures, giving the rankings weight beyond typical critics' polls.

The segment focused on breaking down the newspaper's methodology and revealing the shows that rose to the top of the list, drawing on input from people working within the television industry rather than a single critic's opinion. TODAY's hosts walked through the selections as part of the network's ongoing coverage of entertainment news and pop culture headlines.

The ranking arrives as a notable moment for television retrospectives, with the New York Times drawing on a broad pool of industry voices to assess two decades of programming. The segment gave viewers a quick look at which shows industry professionals themselves consider the standouts of the era.

TODAY presented the countdown as part of its regular entertainment coverage, giving audiences a rundown of the top-ranked series without ranking every title from the full list of 100.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/NY-Times-Names-The-Wire-Breaking-Bad-Among-Its-100-Best-TV-Shows-of-the-Century-20260925)._