Top Rated TV Series of the 2020s
According to Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic aggregated critic scores, the highest rated TV series of the 2020s include "The Bear," "Succession," and "Severance." "The Bear" holds a 99% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes for its first two seasons, driven by its intense kitchen drama and character arcs. "Succession" concluded with a 97% critics score and won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 2023, reflecting consistent critical acclaim across all four seasons. "Severance" premiered on Apple TV+ in 2022 and reached a 96% critics score, combining sci fi premises with workplace satire. These rankings are based on critic review aggregation sites and do not include audience scores. For more details on critic aggregated scores, see Rotten Tomatoes.
Streaming viewership data from Nielsen and Parrot Analytics shows that "The Bear," "Bridgerton," and "Squid Game" ranked among the most watched series in the 2020s. Nielsen reported that "Squid Game" generated 3.8 billion minutes of viewing in its first week on Netflix in October 2021, setting a platform record at the time. "Bridgerton" Season 1 became the most watched series on Netflix in 2021 with 625 million hours viewed, according to Nielsen's top 10 streaming originals list. "The Bear" ranked in Nielsen's top 10 streaming originals for multiple weeks in 2022 and 2023, driven by its Emmy wins and word of mouth. Parrot Analytics measured demand expressions for these series and used them to rank global audience demand. For more on Netflix viewership metrics, see Netflix.
Most Award Winning TV Shows of the 2020s
Emmy and Golden Globe Winners
At the Primetime Emmy Awards, "Succession" won Outstanding Drama Series in 2023 and 2024, while "The Bear" won Outstanding Comedy Series in 2023 and 2024. "Succession" also earned 27 Emmy wins across its run, with Jeremy Strong and Sarah Snook winning Lead Actor and Lead Actress in a Drama. "The Bear" earned 10 Emmy wins in 2023 alone, including Outstanding Supporting Actor for Ebon Moss Bachrach and Outstanding Directing. On the Golden Globe stage, "Succession" won Best Television Series Drama in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and "The Bear" won Best Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2024. These awards are tracked by the Television Academy and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Other Major Awards and Recognition
Beyond Emmys and Golden Globes, "Squid Game" won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2022 and the TCA Award for Program of the Year. "Severance" won the TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama in 2023 and earned multiple Emmy nominations in 2023 and 2024. "The Last of Us" won the TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries, and Specials in 2023 and received multiple Emmy wins for its adaptation of the video game. Awards data is sourced from the Television Critics Association and the Screen Actors Guild.
Highest Rated Drama and Comedy Series
Drama Series Rankings
In drama, "Succession," "Severance," and "The Last of Us" consistently rank at the top of best of the decade