It has been 13 years since ‘Breaking Bad’ ended, and it is still at the top. Bryan Cranston, who played Walter White for all five seasons, says he is "exceedingly proud."
Bryan Cranston couldn’t help but feel proud after "Breaking Bad" was named the best TV show of the 21st century by The New York Times.
Bryan Cranston attending the Broadway opening night ot "Celebrity Autobiography" at the Shubert Theatre on May 18, 2026 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
In an exclusive interview with People while attending ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the 70-year-old actor reacted to the milestone ranking. "I'm exceedingly proud of that,” he said. Cranston noted the credibility of the recognition, saying, “That’s something that’s voted on. That’s bestowed upon us as the collective who had something to do with that show.”
Last month, The Times published its list of the 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century, based on votes gathered from 516 television industry professionals, including actors, writers, showrunners and producers. The shows included were only those that premiered on or after January 1, 2000.
"Breaking Bad” topped the list, followed by "The Wire," "Mad Men," "Succession" and "Fleabag."
In a separate list based on votes of over 100,000 New York Times readers, the top four matched, but the fifth spot went to “Game of Thrones.” “Fleabag” fell to the eighth spot, behind “Breaking Bad” spinoff, “Better Call Saul,” and “The Office.”
"Breaking Bad” premiered in January 2008 on AMC and ran for five seasons until September 2013. It follows the story of Cranston’s character, Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer. After learning his diagnosis, he begins making and selling methamphetamine with a former student, Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul. The cast also included Anna Gunn, Giancarlo Esposito, Bob Odenkirk, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte and Jonathan Banks.
The critically acclaimed show won 16 Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, two Peabody Awards and a British Academy Television Award during its run. Cranston also won the Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series four times. Paul won the supporting actor Emmy three times, and Gunn won the supporting actress Emmy twice.
A couple of projects stemmed from “Breaking Bad,” including the television spinoff based on Odenkirk’s character, “Better Call Saul,” which ran from February 2015 to August 2022, and "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," a sequel film starring Paul, which featured on Netflix and in select theaters in October 2019.
