New York Times korar 2000-talets bästa serier

Breaking Bad is an American neo-Western crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan for AMC. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an overqualified high school chemistry teacher who, after being diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer, begins producing and selling methamphetamine with former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) to secure his family's financial future. The series also stars Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Giancarlo Esposito, Bob Odenkirk, and Jonathan Banks. Breaking Bad premiered on AMC on January 20, 2008, and concluded on September 29, 2013, after five seasons and 62 episodes. Its first season received generally positive reviews, while later seasons, especially the fifth and final season, received widespread critical acclaim for the performances, writing, direction, cinematography, and character development. The series had modest viewership during its first three seasons, before viewership increased after it became available on Netflix prior to the fourth season. Viewership rose further during the second half of the final season in 2013, and the series finale became one of the most watched cable television episodes of its era. Since its conclusion, Breaking Bad has been widely regarded by critics as one of the greatest television series of all time. It received numerous accolades, including 16 Primetime Emmy Awards, 2 Golden Globe Awards, 2 Peabody Awards, and a British Academy Television Award. Cranston won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series four times, Paul won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series three times, and Gunn won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series twice. The series has continued to appear in retrospective rankings of the best television programs. The series gave rise to the larger Breaking Bad franchise. Better Call Saul, a spin-off series centered on Odenkirk's character Saul Goodman, debuted on AMC on February 8, 2015, and concluded on August 15, 2022. El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, a sequel film starring Paul, was released on Netflix and in selected theaters on October 11, 2019.

The Wire is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered on June 2, 2002, and ended on March 9, 2008, comprising 60 episodes over five seasons. The idea for the show started out as a police drama loosely based on the experiences of Simon's writing partner Ed Burns, a former homicide detective and public school teacher. Set and produced in Baltimore, Maryland, The Wire introduces a different institution of the city and its relationship to law enforcement in each season while retaining characters and advancing storylines from previous seasons. The five subjects are, in chronological order: the illegal drug trade, the port system, the city government and bureaucracy, education and schools, and the print news medium. Simon chose to set the show in Baltimore because of his familiarity with the city. When the series first aired, the large cast consisted mainly of actors who were unknown to television audiences, as well as numerous real-life Baltimore and Maryland figures in guest and recurring roles. Simon has said that despite its framing as a crime drama, the show is "really about the American city, and about how we live together. It's about how institutions have an effect on individuals. Whether one is a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge or a lawyer, all are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution to which they are committed". Lauded for high quality scripting and an uncommonly accurate exploration of society, politics and urban life, the series received average ratings and failed to win any major television awards when originally broadcast. Subsequently, the show gained a cult following, and is now widely considered one of the greatest television series of all time.

Mad Men is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner for AMC. It ran from July 19, 2007 until May 17, 2015, with seven seasons and 92 episodes. The series title is allegedly borrowed from the phrase advertisers working on Madison Avenue used to refer to themselves, although the only documented use of the phrase may derive from the late-1950s work of James Kelly, an advertising executive and writer. Set between March 1960 and November 1970, Mad Men follows Don Draper (Jon Hamm), a senior executive and creative director at Sterling Cooper, a Manhattan-based advertising agency. Other primary characters include Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), Don's secretary; Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), a mid-level executive at Sterling Cooper; Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks), the agency's office manager; Roger Sterling (John Slattery), the agency's name partner; Betty Draper (January Jones), Don's wife; and in later seasons, Sally Draper (Kiernan Shipka), Don's oldest child. As the series progresses, it depicts the changing moods and social mores of the United States throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. Weiner first developed Mad Men in 2000 but it was greenlit by AMC several years later, acting as the network's first original series. Principal photography for Mad Men primarily took place in New York City and Los Angeles during its run and the writers conducted large amounts of research to accurately depict its time period. The series is considered the breakthrough roles for Hamm, Slattery, and Jones and helped revive the career of Hendricks. Mad Men received widespread acclaim for its writing, acting, directing, historical authenticity and visual style. It won several awards, including 16 Emmys and 5 Golden Globes. Mad Men is the first basic cable series to receive the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, winning it each year of its first four seasons (2008–2011). It is widely regarded as a key series in the Golden Age of Television in the early 21st century and as one of the greatest television series of all time.