Throughout its eight season run on HBO, Game of Thrones earned its fair share of impressive accolades, awards, and accomplishments. The series, based on George R.R. Martin's epic A Song of Ice and Fire novels, became a massive hit with critics and audiences alike, setting Emmy records galore and becoming a cultural juggernaut in ways which society hasn't really seen since.
Now, seven years after its conclusion, Game of Thrones has received another exciting honor. With the show's run complete. Game of Thrones' next cultural hurdle is how it will stand the test of time. The fact that it has earned yet another prize so long after its ending showcases how it might fare in that challenge.
The 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century
Recently, the New York Times published its list of the 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century. The list aims to celebrate the ever evolving medium of television, which has come a long way since the year 2000.
Not only did Game of Thrones make the list, it earned an incredibly high placement, ranking as the sixth best series overall. The only shows to surpass it are Breaking Bad, The Wire, Mad Men, Succession, and Fleabag. These acclaimed shows demonstrate the impressive company that Game of Thrones still keeps.
Additionally, it is worth noting that Game of Thrones is the highest ranking fantasy (or science fiction) show to make the list. Breaking Bad, The Wire, Mad Men, and Succession are all contemporary crime series or corporate dramas, while Fleabag is a dark comedy. Thrones outranks a handful of shows with similar genres, including The Leftovers, Black Mirror, Severance, Andor, Battlestar Galactica, Watchmen, and Stranger Things. All of these series are more than worthy of their spots on this list, but based on the New York Times' preferences, Game of Thrones remains the best sci-fi/fantasy series of the century so far.
Although Game of Thrones earned its fair share of love on this list, its two spinoffs, House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, failed to make the cut. Despite both series' quality and success, this is understandable, as House of the Dragon has occasionally proved to be more controversial than its predecessor, and as of the Times list's publication, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms had only released six episodes, and while each of those episodes makes for fantastic television, it's far less to go on than a multi-season series. Still, several spinoff series did end up included in the ranking, such as Better Call Saul, which originated from Breaking Bad, and the United States version of The Office, which actually outranks its British precursor, so maybe with time, some of the other shows from the A Song of Ice and Fire universe could make the next iteration of the Times' ranking.
What does this mean for Game of Thrones' legacy?
Sadly, Game of Thrones reputation took a hit with the release of its final season. While the ending, which sees Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead-Wright), an unlikely candidate, end up as King of the Seven Kingdoms, satisfied many fans, others felt let down by the abrupt conclusion to the already truncated final season. As such, it seemed for a time as though discussion around the once omnipresent series had come to a halt.
However, Game of Thrones' insanely high ranking on the New York Times' list shows that, despite the sour taste season 8 left in many audience members' mouths, the show can still culturally endure. "The sixth best TV show of the century" is a highly lauded title, and the shows placed around its ranking — which also rightfully remain beloved — enter Thrones into a conversation with other majorly praised series, further helping to secure its staying power. Mentioning Game of Thrones in the same breath as the likes of Breaking Bad and The Wire will keep discussions about the series going for a long time.
Although they didn't end up making the list, perhaps the successes of House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms helped Game of Thrones land such a high spot. These two shows can remind audiences, even those dissatisfied with season 8, why they loved Game of Thrones in the first place, resurrecting chatter around the show.
Regardless of why The New York Times ranked it so highly, Game of Thrones fans around the world should be thrilled that their favorite show received yet another incredible honor.
Make sure to stream House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and the sixth best TV show of the century on HBO Max.
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