NYT poll of the century’s best TV

When the New York Times published a poll of the “100 Best TV shows of the 21^st Century,” I enjoyed comparing their list to mine.  We agree on #1 Breaking Bad and #2 The Wire (though I include #27 Better Call Saul in the top tandem).  My quirky #3 Rectify does not appear on their list, and my quirky #4 Buffy the Vampire Slayer was disqualified as dating from the previous century, as was HM The Sopranos.  My #5 Justified comes in as their #83, but my #6 Deadwood does better at #24.  My #7 Friday Night Lights is their #14, but my #8 Borgen is absent.  My #9 Mad Men and #10 Succession are their #3 and #4.  Among my Honorable Mentions are #20 The Crown, #96 Halt & Catch Fire, and Doc Martin (not ranked though I do note that Netflix has just started an American remake).  Among current contenders, I’m avidly following Slow Horses #62.  Some other favorites lack the longevity to make my list.
 
But I primarily wanted to use the NYT list to answer a reader’s query about my highest-ranking half-hour comedies, which seem to come in pairs.  Comedies are more period dependent than dramas, so I don’t include last-century favorites going back to the likes of Mary Hartman or Mary Tyler Moore, but only include shows on the Times list.  Leading off with the era-defining dark comedies (or “sad-coms”) #4 Fleabag and #91 Catastrophe, I have a decided preference for British series, followed up with the seminal series #60 Peep Show and #63 The Thick of It (more than its American reincarnation as #7 Veep; just as I enjoyed the British version of #16 The Office and never watched an episode of the American at #11).  Not on their list, but among my very favorites is Mum, which stands in for other UK favorites like The Detectorists or Gavin & Stacey or W1A. The American series that I love for that sort of wit, warmth, superior acting, and personal authenticity is #82 Better Things.  Recent heartland shows like #76 Somebody Somewhere and #87 Reservation Dogs also offer more than jokes and calculated laughlines.  Similarly, #50 Parks and Recreation stands out for its emphasis on character over laughs (while #8 30 Rock seems more standard sit-com).  That sort of depth certainly describes #74 The Bear, which layers its humor with drama, and even #75 Ted Lasso, which lays on the sentiment.  There may be other favorites that slip my mind (e.g. where’s Silicon Valley, perhaps the most topical of all?  And perhaps I should find a place for Nurse Jackie? Stop! – this is madness.).  Anyway, these are my picks from the Times list.  They stand out in memory for the eagerness with which I looked forward to each new episode or new season.  Feel free to add your recommendations in the comments.