Stories the whole world has watched: 15 major TV series of the 21st century
The New York Times has presented a rating of the 100 best TV series of the 21st century, based on the votes of 516 representatives of the television industry. The list includes projects of various genres and formats, from dramas and comedies to documentaries and reality shows. At the same time, professional rating does not always coincide with mass popularity, so "Izvestia" singled out 15 TV series from a worldwide selection that have become particularly recognizable and noticeable phenomena of modern pop culture.
"Breaking Bad"
"Breaking Bad" is considered one of the most recognizable TV series of the 21st century. Vince Gilligan's project has gained wide popularity due to the story of the gradual transformation of an ordinary schoolteacher into one of the largest drug manufacturers.
The series premiered on January 20, 2008 on AMC. In the center of the plot is Walter White, a chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with cancer. In an effort to provide money for his family, he begins producing methamphetamine with his former student Jesse Pinkman. Starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt and RJ Mitte.
"Game of Thrones"
"Game of Thrones" has become one of the most ambitious television phenomena of the 2010s. The series turned a fantasy story about a power struggle into a massive cultural phenomenon: discussion of new episodes accompanied each season, and the characters and storylines became widely recognizable far beyond the audience of the genre.
It premiered on April 17, 2011 on HBO. The plot revolves around several noble houses of Westeros, who are fighting for the Iron Throne. In parallel, the story of Daenerys Targaryen is developing and the threat of the White Walkers is gradually increasing. The series starred Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and other actors.
"Office"
The American "Office" has become one of the most cited comedy series of the 21st century. The series is built in the format of a pseudo-documentary observation of employees of an ordinary office, thanks to which everyday situations, work conflicts and relationships of the characters have become a recognizable source of jokes and memes.
It premiered on March 24, 2005 on NBC. The action takes place at the Dunder Mifflin branch in Scranton, where the eccentric manager Michael Scott, salesman Jim Halpert, secretary Pam Beasley and ambitious Dwight Schrute work. Starring Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer and BJ Novak.
"Dr. House"
"Dr. House" made medical drama a mainstream television genre and turned its main character into one of the most recognizable television characters of the 2000s. At the center of the series is a doctor with unusual diagnostic methods who takes on cases that turn out to be too difficult for other specialists.
It premiered on November 16, 2004 on Fox. Gregory House leads the diagnostic team and tries to determine the causes of rare and mysterious diseases, often violating hospital rules. The character's image is partly based on Sherlock Holmes. Starring Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein, Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Jennifer Morrison and Jesse Spencer.
"Very strange things"
"Stranger Things" became one of the main Netflix series of the second half of the 2010s. The project combined teen drama, science fiction and horror, and its visual style and references to the culture of the 1980s made the series a notable phenomenon of popular culture.
The premiere took place on July 15, 2016. The story begins with the disappearance of high school student Will Byers in the small town of Hawkins. His friends meet a girl named Eleven and gradually learn about a parallel dimension, government experiments, and creatures threatening the city. The series stars Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton.
"Stay alive"
"Stay Alive" became one of the series that defined the television culture of the 2000s. The mysterious island, numerous plot mysteries and constant audience theories have turned watching new episodes into a separate cultural event.
It premiered on September 22, 2004 on ABC. After the Oceanic 815 plane crash, several dozen passengers find themselves on an unknown island in the Pacific Ocean. Gradually, it turns out that the place is associated with numerous mysteries, and the past of the characters themselves turns out to be an important part of the story. Starring Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, Jorge Garcia, Terry O'Quinn and Naveen Andrews.
"Black Mirror"
"Black Mirror" differs from most of the series in the collection in the format of an anthology: the episodes tell independent stories, united by themes of technology, media and their impact on humans. Thanks to this, the series has become recognizable not only as an entertainment project, but also as a source of discussion about the possible consequences of technology development.
It premiered on December 4, 2011 on the British Channel 4. New characters and actors appear in each story, including Daniel Lapane, Hannah John-Kamen, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jesse Plemons and Rory Kinnear. The creator of the series is Charlie Brooker.
"The Walking Dead"
"The Walking Dead" has become one of the most notable zombie series and one of the major television hits of the 2010s. The story gradually moved beyond the confrontation between humans and the walking dead: the series paid significant attention to the relationships between survivors and conflicts within their groups.
It premiered on October 31, 2010 on AMC. After the outbreak of the zombie apocalypse, a group of survivors led by former policeman Rick Grimes is looking for a safe place and trying to maintain human relations in the face of constant threat. The series starred Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and other actors. AMC subsequently expanded the story with numerous spin-offs and individual projects within the universe.
"Sherlock"
"Sherlock" has become one of the most notable British television adaptations of classic literature in the 21st century. The creators transferred the characters of Arthur Conan Doyle to modern London, preserving the basic principles of the original detective stories and adding smartphones, the Internet and modern technology.
The first episode premiered on 25 July 2010 on BBC One. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson investigate crimes in modern London, and their relationship becomes an important part of the story. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman starred in the series; Mark Gatiss, Rupert Graves, Louise Briley and Yuna Stubbs also starred.
"Chernobyl"
"Chernobyl" has become an example of how a mini-series can receive large-scale international attention. Five episodes tell about the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the subsequent attempts of Soviet specialists to establish the causes of the accident and stop the spread of its consequences.
It premiered on May 6, 2019 on HBO. At the center of the story are scientist Valery Legasov, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Boris Shcherbina and nuclear physicist Ulyana Khomyuk, as well as firefighters, liquidators and other people who were directly involved in the disaster. Starring Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgard, Emily Watson, Paul Ritter and Jesse Buckley.
"The Crown"
"The Crown" has become one of Netflix's most ambitious historical projects. The series attracted attention not only with the story of the British royal family, but also with the change of actors as the characters matured and the narrative moved on to the next decades.
The premiere took place on November 4, 2016. The plot focuses on the life and reign of Elizabeth II, her relationships with family members, prime ministers and political institutions of Great Britain. In the first season, the main roles were played by Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby and Jared Harris; later the cast changed.
"The Witcher"
"The Witcher" became one of Netflix's biggest fantasy projects of the late 2010s. The series gained a wide international audience due to the popularity of Andrzej Sapkowski's literary series and CD Projekt Red video games, and after the premiere, it became a prominent part of the franchise.
The premiere took place on December 20, 2019. The plot centers on the witcher Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter whose fate turns out to be linked to the enchantress Yennefer and Princess Ciri. The first season starred Henry Cavill, and also starred Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan and Joey Batty.
"Sex education"
"Sex Education" has become one of the most recognizable Netflix youth series. The project combined school comedy with stories about growing up, relationships, sexuality, and finding your own place among peers.
The premiere took place on January 11, 2019. The main character Otis Milburn is a shy schoolboy who lives with his mother, a psychotherapist. Together with his classmate Maeve, he opens a kind of relationship and sex counseling at school. Starring Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Nkuti Gatwa, Emma McKay and Aimee Lou Wood, Netflix reported that over 40 million households watched the series in the first four weeks.
"Euphoria"
"Euphoria" became one of the most notable HBO youth series of the late 2010s. The project stood out for its visual style and the story of teenagers facing addiction, relationships, traumatic experiences, and growing up issues.
The premiere took place on June 16, 2019. The main character, Rue Bennett, returns home after rehab and tries to cope with addiction, while building relationships with her new friend Jules and other teenagers. The main role was played by Zendaya, and the series also starred Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demi, Maude Apatow and Angus Cloud.
"The Bridgertons"
"The Bridgertons" has become one of the biggest romantic Netflix series in recent years. The story of British high society during the Regency era has received a modern twist, and the love lines of the characters and the image of the anonymous gossip girl Lady Whistledown quickly became recognizable elements of the series.
The premiere took place on December 25, 2020. The plot of the first season focuses on Daphne Bridgerton's social debut and her relationship with the Duke of Hastings. In the first season, the main roles were played by Phoebe Dynevor and Regeh-Jean Page; other key actors include Jonathan Bailey, Nicola Coughlan, Claudia Jesse and Ajoa Ando.
What other projects are included in the world ranking?
According to The New York Times, "Breaking Bad" took the first place in the ranking of the 100 best TV series of the 21st century. """""The Wire"" got the second position, ""Mad Men" got the third, ""The Heirs" got the fourth, and "Flibag" got the fifth.
""""""""Game of Thrones"" also entered the top ten in sixth place, " "Vice President" in seventh, ""Studio 30" in eighth, ""Curb your Enthusiasm" in ninth and "Atlanta" in 10th. The rating was based on the votes of 516 representatives of the television industry, who were asked to name up to ten of the best TV series of the 21st century. The final list could include projects of different genres and formats that were released starting from January 1, 2000.
Other ranking positions
"Medialogia" on August 28 presented the Russian rating of TV series for July of this year. The leader among the 30 projects was the Russian novelty "The Story of his Handmaid", which scored 2,325 points. The American ""House of the Dragon"" TV series took the second place (1824 points), and the third place was taken by the Russian project "Kholod" (1580 points). "Boys" (1546 points) and the anime "Magic Battle" (1352 points) also entered the top five.
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