100 Best Seasons of TV in the 21st Century
Television series ebb and flow. Some seasons boast powerful performances, side-splitting comedy, scintillating storylines, and pitch-perfect writing, while others from the same show are just, well, meh. Often a show has a stunning debut season only to fall into the proverbial sophomore slump; or the reverse, a series will start out slow, take a while to catch its groove, and then stun audiences and critics with its brilliance.
Stacker gathered data from Rotten Tomatoes on all seasons of television in the 21st century that have a 100% fresh rating. It ranked them by the number of reviews that contributed to their score, the #1 spot having the most reviews and reflecting the most agreed-upon choice. Ties were broken by audience score and further broken by number of audience ratings. Some shows appear on the list for more than one season. The list covers data through Dec. 14, 2020.
The television shows on this list run the gamut in terms of longevity, genre, and networks. Many have remained on the air for the better part of a decade while others were one-hit wonders that provided viewers with a single perfect season. There are cult classics, hilarious comedies, groundbreaking series, animated gems, and period dramas. One show is a mockumentary that reimagines and satirizes classic documentaries, while another is a grotesquely funny look at the joys and pitfalls of adolescence. They come from cable television stations like HBO and Showtime, from the major networks like ABC, NBC, and CBS, and from streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu.