The 100 best TV shows of the 21st century by Guardian
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- CreatorDavid ChaseStarsJames GandolfiniLorraine BraccoEdie FalcoNew Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.
- CreatorDavid SimonStarsDominic WestLance ReddickSonja SohnThe Baltimore drug scene, as seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement.
- CreatorMatthew WeinerStarsJon HammElisabeth MossVincent KartheiserA drama about one of New York's most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.
- CreatorArmando IannucciStarsChris AddisonJames SmithPeter CapaldiThe Minister for Social Affairs is continually harassed by Number 10's policy enforcer and dependent on his not-so-reliable team of civil servants.
- CreatorVince GilliganStarsBryan CranstonAaron PaulAnna GunnA chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with a former student in order to secure his family's future.
- CreatorRicky GervaisStephen MerchantStarsRicky GervaisMartin FreemanMackenzie CrookThe story of an office that faces closure when the company decides to downsize its branches. A documentary film crew follow staff and the manager David Brent as they continue their daily lives.
- CreatorDavid BenioffD.B. WeissStarsEmilia ClarkePeter DinklageKit HaringtonNine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.
- CreatorPhoebe Waller-BridgeStarsPhoebe Waller-BridgeSian CliffordOlivia ColmanSeries adapted from the award-winning play about a young woman trying to cope with life in London whilst coming to terms with a recent tragedy.
- CreatorJesse ArmstrongSam BainAndrew O'ConnorStarsDavid MitchellRobert WebbMatt KingMark and Jez are a couple of twenty-something roommates who have nothing in common - except for the fact that their lives are anything but normal. Mayhem ensues as the pair strive to cope with day-to-day life.
- CreatorDonald GloverStarsDonald GloverBrian Tyree HenryLaKeith StanfieldEarn and his cousin, Alfred, try to make their way in the world through Atlanta's rap scene. Along the way they come face-to-face with social and economic issues touching on race, relationships, poverty, status and parenthood.
- CreatorSally WainwrightStarsSarah LancashireSiobhan FinneranJames NortonYorkshire-based crime drama centering on the personal and professional life of Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood.
- CreatorTina FeyStarsTina FeyAlec BaldwinTracy MorganLiz Lemon, head writer of the sketch-comedy show "TGS with Tracy Jordan", must deal with an arrogant new boss and a crazy new star while trying to run a successful television show without losing her mind.
- CreatorJed MercurioStarsMartin CompstonVicky McClureAdrian DunbarDrama series following the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anti-corruption unit.
- CreatorLarry DavidStarsLarry DavidCheryl HinesJeff GarlinLarry David stars as an over-the-top version of himself in this comedy series that shows how seemingly trivial details of day-to-day life can precipitate a catastrophic chain of events.
- CreatorAaron SorkinStarsMartin SheenRob LoweAllison JanneyInside the lives of staffers in the West Wing of the White House.
- StarsJulia DavisAngus DeaytonRebecca FrontAlthough Jill's husband seems to respond well to cancer treatment, she tells him that he's dying. Jill pretends she's already a widow and pursues her next-door neighbor, Don. Jill manipulates and torments Don's wife, who suffers from MS.
- CreatorDavid MilchStarsTimothy OlyphantIan McShaneMolly ParkerA show set in the late 1800s, revolving around the characters of Deadwood, South Dakota; a town of deep corruption and crime.
- CreatorLena DunhamStarsLena DunhamAllison WilliamsJemima KirkeA comedy about the experiences of a group of girls in their early 20s.
- StarsPeter CoyoteHuy DucJames WillbanksA comprehensive history of the United States' involvement in the bitterly divisive armed conflict in Southeast Asia.
- DirectorEzra EdelmanStarsKareem Abdul-JabbarMike AlbaneseMuhammad AliA chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.
- CreatorMitchell HurwitzStarsJason BatemanMichael CeraPortia de RossiLevel-headed son Michael Bluth takes over family affairs after his father is imprisoned. But the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family are making his job unbearable.
- CreatorMark FrostDavid LynchStarsKyle MacLachlanSheryl LeeMichael HorsePicks up 25 years after the inhabitants of a quaint northwestern town are stunned when their homecoming queen is murdered.
- CreatorCharlie BrookerStarsWunmi MosakuMonica DolanDaniel LapaineFeaturing stand-alone dramas -- sharp, suspenseful, satirical tales that explore techno-paranoia -- "Black Mirror" is a contemporary reworking of "The Twilight Zone" with stories that tap into the collective unease about the modern world.
- CreatorMadeleine SmithbergLizz WinsteadStarsJon StewartTrevor NoahStephen ColbertA comedy news show featuring humorous takes on top stories.
- CreatorBruce MillerStarsElisabeth MossYvonne StrahovskiAnn DowdSet in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.
- DirectorJulian JarroldStarsAndrew GarfieldDavid MorrisseyJohn HenshawRookie journalist Eddie Dunford is determined to find the truth in an increasingly complex maze of lies and deceit surrounding the police investigation into a series of child abductions.as a trilogy
- CreatorJoey SolowayStarsJeffrey TamborAmy LandeckerGaby HoffmannAn L.A. family with serious boundary issues have their past and future unravel when a dramatic admission causes everyone's secrets to spill out.
- CreatorSøren SveistrupStarsSofie GråbølMorten SuurballeLars MikkelsenPolice detective Sarah Lund investigates difficult cases with personal and political consequences.
- StarsSimon PeggJessica HynesJulia DeakinFriends Tim and Daisy, 20-something North Londoners with uncertain futures, must pretend to be a couple to live in the only apartment they can afford.
- CreatorPhoebe Waller-BridgeStarsJodie ComerSandra OhFiona ShawAfter a series of events, the lives of a security operative and an assassin become inextricably linked.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughPierce BrosnanPeter ScoonesMammoth series, five years in the making, taking a look at the rich tapestry of life in the world's oceans.+Blue Planet II
- CreatorGreg DanielsRicky GervaisStephen MerchantStarsSteve CarellJenna FischerJohn KrasinskiA mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, tedium and romance.
- CreatorJohn de MolRon DieselStarsJulie Chen MoonvesClayton HalseyPhil ProctorContestants must compete against each other for a chance to win $500,000 in a house wired with cameras and microphones, capturing their every move for a TV and Internet audience.
- StarsSharon HorganRob DelaneyMark BonnarAmerican man Rob gets Irish woman Sharon pregnant when they hook up for a week while he is on a business trip in London.
- StarsAndrew EllisAndrew ShimChanel CresswellShaun has just finished his final exams and he realizes he is no longer a kid. It's mid 80's England, and the gang are back, looking for a laugh, a job and something that resembles a future.+This England '88 and '90
- StarsPaul HollywoodPrue LeithNoel FieldingBakers attempt three challenges each week trying to impress the judges enough to go through to the next round and eventually are crowned Britain's best amateur baker.
- CreatorMackenzie CrookStarsMackenzie CrookToby JonesRachael StirlingThe lives of two eccentric metal detectorists, who spend their days plodding along ploughed tracks and open fields, hoping to disturb the tedium by unearthing the fortune of a lifetime.
- CreatorMichelle KingRobert KingStarsJulianna MarguliesChris NothJosh CharlesAlicia Florrick has been a good wife to her husband, a former state's attorney. After a very humiliating sex and corruption scandal, he is behind bars. She must now provide for her family and returns to work as a litigator in a law firm.
- StarsGilles KepelWilliam KristolMelvin GoodmanA series of three documentaries about the use of fear for political gain.
- CreatorPeter BergStarsKyle ChandlerConnie BrittonZach GilfordA drama that follows the lives of the Dillon Panthers, one of the nation's best high school football teams, and their head coach Eric Taylor.
- CreatorTrey ParkerMatt StoneBrian GradenStarsTrey ParkerMatt StoneIsaac HayesFollows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.
- CreatorJoseph WeisbergStarsKeri RussellMatthew RhysKeidrich SellatiAt the height of the Cold War, two Russian agents pose as the average American couple, complete with family.
- CreatorPeter MorganStarsClaire FoyOlivia ColmanImelda StauntonFollows the political rivalries and romances of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped Britain for the second half of the 20th century.
- CreatorMåns MårlindHans RosenfeldtBjörn SteinStarsSofia HelinRafael PetterssonSarah BobergWhen a body is found on the bridge between Denmark and Sweden, right on the border, Danish inspector Martin Rohde and Swedish Saga Norén have to share jurisdiction and work together to find the killer.
- CreatorSydney NewmanStarsJodie WhittakerPeter CapaldiPearl MackieThe further adventures in time and space of the alien adventurer known as the Doctor and his companions from planet Earth.
- StarsNicholas BurnsJulian BarrattClaire KeelanAfter publishing a rant about 'idiots' - frantically hip, ignorant scenesters - Dan Ashcroft finds these same people embracing him as his idol and his nerves constantly tested by his biggest fan, moronic scene personality Nathan Barley.
- CreatorVince GilliganPeter GouldStarsBob OdenkirkRhea SeehornJonathan BanksThe trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill in the years leading up to his fateful run-in with Walter White and Jesse Pinkman.
- CreatorIssa RaeLarry WilmoreStarsIssa RaeYvonne OrjiJay EllisFollows the awkward experiences and racy tribulations of a modern-day African-American woman.
- CreatorJulian FellowesStarsHugh BonnevillePhyllis LoganElizabeth McGovernA chronicle of the lives of the British aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the early twentieth century.
- StarsBenedict CumberbatchJennifer Jason LeighHugo WeavingThis series depicts how the son of an aristocratic family seeks redemption and recovery.
- CreatorMichelle KingRobert KingPhil Alden RobinsonStarsChristine BaranskiSarah SteeleNyambi NyambiWhen Diane Lockhart's life savings are lost, she must start from scratch at a new firm.
- CreatorDylan MoranStarsDylan MoranBill BaileyTamsin GreigBernard Black runs a book shop, though his customer service skills leave something to be desired. He hires Manny as an employee. Fran runs the shop next door. Between the three of them many adventures ensue.
- CreatorGreg DanielsMichael SchurStarsAmy PoehlerJim O'HeirNick OffermanThe absurd antics of an Indiana town's public officials as they pursue sundry projects to make their city a better place.
- CreatorSanto CilauroTom GleisnerRob SitchStarsRob SitchCelia PacquolaDave LawsonComedy set inside the offices of the "Nation Building Authority", a newly created government organization responsible for overseeing major infrastructure projects.
- StarsRobert DurstAndrew JareckiCharles BagliFilmmaker Andrew Jarecki examines the complicated life of reclusive real estate icon Robert Durst, the key suspect in a series of unsolved crimes.
- CreatorDarren StarStarsSarah Jessica ParkerKim CattrallKristin DavisFour female New Yorkers gossip about their sex lives (or lack thereof) and find new ways to deal with being a woman in the late 1990s.
- CreatorJenji KohanStarsTaylor SchillingDanielle BrooksTaryn ManningConvicted of a decade-old crime of transporting drug money, ordinarily law-abiding Piper Chapman is sentenced to 18 months behind bars and quickly discovers the realities of life-changing prison time.
- StarsMark RylanceDamian LewisClaire FoyAfter the downfall of Cardinal Wolsey, his secretary, Thomas Cromwell, finds himself amongst the treachery and intrigue of King Henry VIII's court and soon becomes a close advisor to the King, a role fraught with danger.
- CreatorMark GatissSteven MoffatStarsBenedict CumberbatchMartin FreemanUna StubbsThe quirky spin on Conan Doyle's iconic sleuth pitches him as a "high-functioning sociopath" in modern-day London. Assisting him in his investigations: Afghanistan War vet John Watson, who's introduced to Holmes by a mutual acquaintance.
- StarsJohn SimmDavid MorrisseyKelly MacdonaldJournalists uncover a government conspiracy when a young politician's assistant and mistress is killed.
- CreatorJesse ArmstrongStarsNicholas BraunBrian CoxKieran CulkinThe Roy family is known for controlling the biggest media and entertainment company in the world. However, their world changes when their father steps down from the company.
- StarsOscar IsaacNatalie PaulCarla QuevedoNick Wasicsko takes office as mayor of Yonkers in 1987 and has to face the issue of building public housing in the white, middle-class side of town.
- CreatorAlan BallStarsPeter KrauseMichael C. HallFrances ConroyA chronicle of the lives of a dysfunctional family who run an independent funeral home in Los Angeles.
- CreatorJames BobinJemaine ClementBret McKenzieStarsJemaine ClementBret McKenzieRhys DarbyBret and Jemaine are Flight of the Conchords, a folk-rock band from New Zealand living in New York City in search of stardom.
- CreatorSteve PembertonReece ShearsmithStarsReece ShearsmithSteve PembertonDerek JacobiGenre-mixing anthology series, inviting viewers into some very different and enigmatic No. 9s.
- CreatorAdam PriceStarsSidse Babett KnudsenBirgitte Hjort SørensenSøren MallingA political drama about a prime minister's rise to power, and how power changes a prime minister.
- StarsScott GrimesDamian LewisRon LivingstonThe story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.
- CreatorMichael SchurStarsKristen BellWilliam Jackson HarperJameela JamilFour people and their otherworldly frienemy struggle in the afterlife to define what it means to be good.
- CreatorPaul AbbottStarsDavid ThrelfallRebecca AtkinsonAlice BarryThe lives and relationships of a group of siblings and their estranged father Frank Gallagher on a rough Manchester estate.
- CreatorJ.J. AbramsJeffrey LieberDamon LindelofStarsJorge GarciaJosh HollowayYunjin KimThe survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together in order to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island.
- StarsSigourney WeaverDavid AttenboroughNikolay DrozdovA documentary series on the wildlife found on Earth. Each episode covers a different habitat: deserts, mountains, deep oceans, shallow seas, forests, caves, polar regions, fresh water, plains and jungles. Narrated by David Attenborough.+Planet Earth 2
- CreatorAlexandra ClertGuy-Patrick SainderichinStarsCaroline ProustAudrey FleurotThierry GodardFollows criminal investigations in Paris from all the different points of view of those involved.
- StarsSimon BirdJames BuckleyBlake HarrisonFollows four friends and their antics during their final years of school.
- CreatorRob McElhenneyGlenn HowertonStarsCharlie DayGlenn HowertonRob McElhenneyFive friends with big egos and small brains are the proprietors of an Irish pub in Philadelphia.
- StarsHugh GrantBen WhishawAlex JenningsBritish Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe is accused of conspiracy to murder his gay ex-lover and forced to stand trial in 1979.
- CreatorShawn RyanStarsMichael ChiklisCatherine DentWalton GogginsDrama series following the lives and cases of dirty cop Vic Mackey and the corrupt LAPD unit under his command.
- CreatorPaul FeigStarsLinda CardelliniJohn Francis DaleyJames FrancoA high school mathlete starts hanging out with a group of burnouts while her younger brother navigates his freshman year.
- CreatorChristopher CantwellChristopher C. RogersStarsLee PaceScoot McNairyMackenzie DavisFollows some players in the 80s technological revolution that lead to information society.
- CreatorArmando IannucciStarsJulia Louis-DreyfusTony HaleAnna ChlumskyFormer Senator Selina Meyer finds that being Vice President of the United States is nothing like she hoped and everything that everyone ever warned her about.
- CreatorJames CordenRuth JonesStarsJoanna PageMathew HorneAlison SteadmanGavin and Stacey have been continuing their romance on-line and by telephone for the last six months. Now they want to be together but will their friends and family let them?
- StarsAlan DedicoatCraig Revel HorwoodTess DalyA dance competition where celebrities compete to be crowned the winner. Who is kicked out of the competition each week is decided by the judges' scores and viewer votes.
- CreatorJoss WhedonStarsSarah Michelle GellarNicholas BrendonAlyson HanniganA young woman, destined to slay vampires, demons and other infernal creatures, deals with her life fighting evil, with the help of her friends.
- CreatorMichael LannanStarsJonathan GroffFrankie J. AlvarezMurray BartlettThree best friends living in San Francisco share the nuances and complexities of contemporary gay relationships as they explore a variety of options, both in love and in life.
- StarsCraig CashRalf WoerdenweberJosh TapperSome of Britain's most opinionated and avid TV viewers comment freely on the best and worst television shows of the past week, from the comfort of their sofas.
- CreatorJesse ArmstrongSam BainStarsZawe AshtonGreg McHughKimberley NixonA comedy that follows a group of six students about to embark on the most exciting period of their lives so far, university.
- CreatorDamon LindelofTom PerrottaStarsJustin TherouxAmy BrennemanChristopher EcclestonThree years after the disappearance of 2% of the global human population, a group of people in a small New York community try to continue their lives while coping with the tragedy of the unexplained nature of the event.
- CreatorGraham YostStarsTimothy OlyphantNick SearcyJoelle CarterEnforcing his own brand of justice, U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a strong-willed, quiet law-man haunted by his past, returns to his native town to see that justice is served to those in need.
- CreatorMichele AbbottIlene ChaikenKathy GreenbergStarsJennifer BealsLeisha HaileyLaurel HollomanFollows the lives and loves of a small, close-knit group of lesbian women living in Los Angeles as well as the friends and family members that either support or loathe them.
- CreatorRobert CochranJoel SurnowStarsKiefer SutherlandMary Lynn RajskubCarlos BernardCounter Terrorism Agent Jack Bauer races against the clock to subvert terrorist plots and save his nation from ultimate disaster.
- CreatorJohn AltschulerMike JudgeDave KrinskyStarsThomas MiddleditchT.J. MillerJosh BrenerFollows the struggle of Richard Hendricks, a Silicon Valley engineer trying to build his own company called Pied Piper.
- StarsRichard AyoadeMatt BerryMatthew HolnessThis parody series is an unearthed 80s horror/drama, complete with poor production values, awful dialogue and hilarious violence. The series is set in a Hospital in Romford, which is situated over the gates of Hell.
- StarsRuPaulMichelle VisageRoss MathewsRuPaul searches for America's next drag superstar.
- CreatorJamie BrittainBryan ElsleyStarsKaya ScodelarioNicholas HoultJoe DempsieThe story of a group of British teens who are trying to grow up and find love and happiness despite questionable parenting and teachers who would rather be friends (and lovers) than authority figures.
- StarsSteve CooganRob BrydonClaire KeelanSteve is asked to review restaurants for the UK's Observer who is joined on a working road trip by his friend Rob who fills in at the last minute when Coogan's romantic relationship falls apart.
- CreatorIlana GlazerAbbi JacobsonStarsIlana GlazerAbbi JacobsonHannibal BuressBroad City follows two women throughout their daily lives in New York City, making the smallest and mundane events hysterical and disturbing to watch all at the same time.
- StarsChiwetel EjioforChristopher EcclestonKierston WareingChristopher Eccleston and Chiwetel Ejiofor star in this intricate conspiracy thriller set in a world of blurred morality, inhabited by conflicted characters on both sides of the law.
- StarsJulian BarrattNoel FieldingMichael FieldingSurreal British comedy in which Vince Noir and Howard Moon have adventures filled with oddball characters while working as Zoo Keepers, before pursuing a musical career and running a second-hand shop.
- CreatorMatthew GrahamTony JordanAshley PharoahStarsJohn SimmPhilip GlenisterLiz WhiteAfter a near-fatal car accident, smart, savvy, sharp-suited detective Sam is mysteriously transported back to 1973. Confused by his new surroundings, Sam tries to return to the present, but the police force of long ago needs his help.
- StarsDeclan DonnellyAnthony McPartlinMimi WebbBritish reality series presented by Ant and Dec in which 12 celebrities are abandoned in the Australian jungle. In order to earn food, they must perform Bushtucker Trials which challenge them physically and mentally.