A Chai with Priya - Top 100 TV shows of the 21st century   

The New York Times just published its top 100 TV shows of the 21st century and, unsurprisingly, Breaking Bad was at the top of the list.  

The Wire came in at number two, followed by Mad Men, Succession, Fleabag and Game of Thrones.  

Veep, 30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Atlanta rounded off the top 10.  

Some 500 stars, showrunners and other TV insiders, including critics, were polled and the results were published in batches of over the course of last week.  

All those taking part were asked to name the best 10 series that premiered since January 1, 2000.  

The poll caught my interest because two of my favourite shows, Scandal and Gilmore Girls, placed in at 100 and 99 position respectively.  

And as I followed the development of the results published keenly, I was looking orward to seeing how it rolled out.  

Although unlike my numbers for books read in any Top 100, I was disappointed to see I’d only watched 28 shows on that list.  

This was unlike my cousin who had seen 57 shows on this list, and many others that didn’t make the cut.  

An avid TV series watcher, I knew she’d be the best person for this.  

“I agree with most of the list but it’s very male-protagonist led,” she said.  

“I’m glad that The OA, Fleabag and I May Destroy You are all there, and other strong women series like Girls and Hacks.”  

“But I am surprised This Is Us did not feature on this list which is very American, although it does feature some British shows.”  

She was disappointed to note the absence of Friends and Star Trek, especially Deep Space 9, from the list, which all premiered before the poll’s cut off date.  

She shared a screen shot of her current watch list from her Notes app, featuring the name of the show, when they are shown if live on TV or which streaming site, and when they premiere for this season.  

“There are some really good new shows,” she said.  

“And most of them are on Apple.”  

Her recommendation was Silo, which she described as “mind-blowing”. 

I thought about how my number of 28 shows on the list seen pales in comparison.  

And even that number was questionable.  

There were many series that I never went back to after the first series or I watched a few episodes because of the hype and then never went back to it because people had stopped talking about them.  

I felt a bit of a disconnect from the list because I do watch a lot of series in other languages, namely Japanese anime, Korean dramas and Hindi Bollywood and Pakistani Urdu series, both on TV and streaming sites.  

I also have a confession to make about watching TV – I really like reality TV and I really like TV that gives me the opportunity to escape the stress and be able to switch off from my everyday life.  

I also prefer switching on a series I’ve seen too many times to count since over the years, hence my annual rewatch of Gilmore Girls the minute the tree leaves change colour and there’s a chill in the atmosphere.  

I only recently learnt that many people with anxiety or neurodivergence find it more comforting to watch something they already know because it is familiar to them.  

The unfamiliarity of new characters, situations and plot lines can leave them feeling ill at ease. 

I always thought it was because it was something I could lend little attention to and felt comforting to revisit familiar faces and places on my screen.  

I also love how the box in the corner has become part of our cultural zeitgeist.  

It was the conversation held at work or at school after a particularly exciting episode aired the previous night.  

Or everyone talking about a new show or movie on social media, be it Twitter (now X), or more recently Threads or Reddit.  

It reminds me of how my nearly 80-year-old uncle binge watched all of Squid Game in one night just so that he did not feel left out in the office.  

Or how my friends, who are a couple, made it a point to watch every single episode of Boston Legal and other legal shows after being disappointed by Suits.  

Or another friend who used to watch ER on her iPad while doing her cardio sessions at the gym.  

Or my other friend who, after Heated Rivalry aired last year, now hosts a successful podcast that examines how queer relationships are portrayed in media. 

And as comforting as I find TV, there’s a part of me that watches TV until it’s time to do what I really love, and that is getting into bed and reading for an hour… or three, until I fall asleep.