Breaking Bad (2008)
0.6310Canon Score · ranked #5 all time
Aggregated from 11 of 13 authoritative lists, weighted by authority and adjusted for each list's scope and age. How scoring works →
About the show
Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family's financial future at any cost as he enters the dangerous world of drugs and crime.
Why it ranks #5
Every list on which Breaking Bad appears, with its position as published.
| List | Authority | Position |
|---|---|---|
| IMDb Top 250 TV (2026-07 snapshot) | Editorial list | #1 / 250 |
| THR Hollywood's 100 Favorite (2015) | Critics' canon | #2 / 100 |
| Empire 100 Greatest (2025) | Editorial list | #2 / 100 |
| BBC Culture 100 Greatest of 21st C (2021) | Major international poll | #3 / 100 |
| Rolling Stone 100 Greatest (2022) | Critics' canon | #3 / 100 |
| Rolling Stone 100 Greatest (2016) | Editorial list | #3 / 100 |
| Variety 100 Greatest TV Shows (2023) | Critics' canon | #5 / 100 |
| Guardian 100 Best of 21st C (2019) | Editorial list | #5 / 82 |
| TV Guide 60 Best Series (2013) | Critics' canon | #9 / 60 |
| WGA 101 Best Written Series (2013) | Critics' canon | #13 / 101 |
| 1001 TV Shows You Must Watch (2016) | Critics' canon | Selected |