The New York Times recently named its 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century, and 11 of the shows on the list are currently streaming on Paramount+. These shows span multiple genres – thrillers, like Dexter®, dramas, like The Good Wife, reality shows, like RuPaul’s Drag Race and Survivor, and sketch comedies, like Key & Peele.
This article is your watch guide to the best shows on Paramount+ appearing on The New York Times list. There’s no need to search across the complete 100-show ranking. We’ve got all the info you need to watch these Times-selected titles on Paramount+ now.
Key facts
- List: The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century
- NYT list methodology: More than 500 TV-industry figures voted on series that premiered since Jan. 1, 2000.
- Shows on list that are currently streaming on Paramount+: 11
11 of the best TV shows to stream on Paramount+
The following shows all appeared on The New York Times’ ranking of the 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century, and can currently be streamed on Paramount+. They’re listed in ascending order, as per The New York Times’ rankings.
- Friday Night Lights
- Key & Peele
- Survivor
- Battlestar Galactica
- Broad City
- Twin Peaks: The Return
- Nathan For You
- Chappelle’s Show
- RuPaul’s Drag Race
- The Good Wife
- Dexter®
1. Friday Night Lights
Ranking on the The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century list: 14
Originally aired: 2006–2011
“Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!” The fictional Dillon, Texas is the setting for Friday Night Lights, the sports drama about the Taylor family – headed by Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and his wife Tami (Connie Britton) – and the students whose lives they impact. Though high school football is what unites its characters, the show’s look at family and community, as well as its timeless coming-of-age story, makes its appeal universal.
Why you should watch it: Friday Night Lights recently marked its 20th anniversary. There’s no better way to celebrate than by binge-watching the emotionally grounded ensemble drama that works for sports fans and non-sports fans alike. You can watch all seasons on Paramount+.
WATCH NOW: Friday Night Lights
2. Key & Peele
Ranking on the The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century list: 29
Originally aired: 2012-2015
Created by and starring Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, Key & Peele is the hilarious Peabody® Award-winning Comedy Central sketch-comedy series. Combining the duo’s character work, pop-culture satire, and social commentary, Key & Peele’s celebrity and sports parodies are as sharp as its dismantling of ethnic stereotypes.
Why you should watch it: Key & Peele is an easily bingeable sketch comedy that’s as smart as it is funny. Looking for more laughs? Check out our guide to Sketch Comedy Shows That Really Deliver (and that you can stream now).
WATCH NOW: Key & Peele
3. Survivor
Ranking on The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century list: 31
Originally aired: 2000-present
One of TV’s great reality TV shows, Survivor is the long-running CBS competition hosted by five-time Emmy® winner Jeff Probst. The series maroons its castaways in an isolated location, and challenges them to adapt to their surroundings, work together, and avoid getting voted out of the game by their tribemates – as they pursue the title of Sole Survivor and a $1 million grand prize.
Why you should watch it: With 51 seasons (and counting) of strategy, alliances, blindsides, and reality competition currently available to watch on Paramount+, Survivor makes for a deeply satisfying binge-watch.
WATCH NOW: Survivor
4. Battlestar Galactica
Ranking on the The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century list: 37
Originally aired: 2005-2009
Battlestar Galactica is the reimagining of the 1970s space opera about a fleet of survivors seeking refuge in the wake of their home’s destruction by the synthetic Cylons. Far eclipsing its predecessor in its ambition and scope, the show earned a Peabody® Award for its thoughtful examination of 9/11 and the resulting Iraq War through the lens of science fiction.
Why you should watch it: With its fusion of sci-fi and politics, Battlestar Galactica is serious, serialized genre storytelling at its best. Want more? Get our guide to watching the Battlestar Galactica franchise on Paramount+.
WATCH NOW: Battlestar Galactica
5. Broad City
Ranking on the The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century list: 46
Originally aired: 2014–2019
On our list of TV Comedy Shows That Deliver Big Laughs, Broad City is an odd-couple show about two best friends – played by creators Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer – navigating their 20s in New York City. Broke, lost, and often under the influence, Abbi and Ilana are always ready to dive into the stickiest of situations, no matter how messy it gets.
Why you should watch it: At the heart of Broad City lies its two leads’ unmatched chemistry and their chaotic everyday adventures. It’s a show for any viewer looking for a fast-paced, character-driven comedy about friendship.
WATCH NOW: Broad City
6. Twin Peaks: The Return
Ranking on the The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century list: 47
Originally aired: 2017
Twin Peaks: The Return is creator David Lynch and Mark Frost’s continuation of their legendary Twin Peaks, set 25 years later. Kyle MacLachlan returns as FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, here split into multiple personas. Lynch’s final screen production before his passing in 2025, Twin Peaks: The Return is even more mind-blowing and uncategorizable than its predecessor.
All 18 episodes of the SHOWTIME® limited event series are now streaming on Paramount+.
Why you should watch it: Twin Peaks: The Return is surreal, ambitious, unconventional television. If you’re a newcomer to Dale Cooper and company, consider starting with the original Twin Peaks, all episodes also now streaming on Paramount+.
WATCH NOW: Twin Peaks: The Return
7. Nathan For You
Ranking on the The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century list: 56
Originally aired: 2013-2017
Nathan Fielder stars in the satirical docu-reality comedy Nathan For You as a fictionalized version of himself offering business strategy advice to clients, in a deliciously, deliberately awkward parody of real-life marketing and management consultants.
Why you should watch it: Want something unlike a traditional sitcom or reality show? Like shows that blur the lines between reality TV, satire, and cringe comedy? Then Nathan For You is for you. It’s also a great primer for Fielder’s new A24 documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, You Can See Everything.
WATCH NOW: Nathan For You
8. Chappelle’s Show
Ranking on the The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century list: 58
Originally aired: 2003-2006
One of the best comedy shows in TV history, Chappelle’s Show is the legendary Comedy Central sketch comedy series that introduced the world to the pull-no-punches humor of comedian Dave Chappelle. It’s packed with smart social commentary – examining topics like race and class relations – as well as pop culture satires and music performances.
Why you should watch it: Chappelle’s Show is arguably the greatest television comedy of the 2000s. No show is more essential for fans looking to explore the era’s genre.
WATCH NOW: Chappelle’s Show
9. RuPaul’s Drag Race
Ranking on the The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century list: 61
Originally aired: 2009-present
One of the most beloved reality competition shows on television, RuPaul’s Drag Race features the iconic RuPaul as host, judge, and mentor to new generations of aspiring drag queens. With a massive cultural footprint, the show’s first 17 seasons are now available to watch on Paramount+, along with multiple spinoffs, including RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked.
Why you should watch it: RuPaul’s Drag Race is all about scintillating performances and outrageous fashion, along with comedy, competition, and unforgettable personalities.
WATCH NOW: RuPaul’s Drag Race
10. The Good Wife
Ranking on the The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century list: 79
Originally aired: 2009-2016
A riveting legal drama, The Good Wife stars Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick. When her husband Peter (Chris Noth) is sent to prison after he’s caught in a very public scandal, Alicia faces scrutiny (and embarrassment) as she rebuilds her family’s life. Husband-and-wife creative team Robert and Michelle King found success with this show as well as its spinoffs, The Good Fight (featuring Christine Baranski’s Diane Lockhart) and Elsbeth (starring Carrie Preston’s Elsbeth Tascioni.
Why you should watch it: Mixing case-of-the-week storytelling, serialized character drama, and political intrigue, The Good Wife is an intelligent, character-driven legal drama.
WATCH NOW: The Good Wife
11. Dexter®
Ranking on the The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century list: 88
Originally aired: 2006-2013
Dexter® stars Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan, a Miami blood-spatter analyst who’s secretly living as a serial killer. With a rich cast of supporting characters, including Dexter’s profanity-spewing police-officer sister Deb (Jennifer Carpenter), the show is a crime thriller with darkly comic appeal centered on a charming but tormented antihero. No wonder it’s grown into a full-blown Dexter® franchise, celebrating a 20th anniversary, and including Dexter®: Resurrection, which returns with Season 2, starting Friday, Oct. 30 (Paramount+ Premium plan only).
Why you should watch it: If you like crime thrillers with morally complicated protagonists, there’s none more complicated than Dexter Morgan.
WATCH NOW: Dexter®
How The New York Times chose the shows
For its list of the 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century, The New York Times asked hundreds of people working in and around television to submit their choices for the best shows that premiered since Jan. 1, 2000. More than 500 actors, writers, producers and other industry figures participated. This explains why the list spans prestige dramas, comedies, reality television, limited series, and other formats instead of being restricted to one genre.
What should you watch first?
The first of these shows you watch should be based on your personal preference:
- For crime and suspense: Dexter®
- For legal drama: The Good Wife
- For sci-fi: Battlestar Galactica
- For surreal/mystery TV: Twin Peaks: The Return
- For reality competition: Survivor or RuPaul’s Drag Race
- For sketch comedy: Chappelle’s Show or Key & Peele
- For unconventional comedy: Nathan For You
- For friendship comedy: Broad City
- For emotional ensemble drama: Friday Night Lights
Watch now on Paramount+
The 11 titles on this list from The New York Times’ 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century show the range of genres available on Paramount+. On the service, viewers can go from prestige dramas like The Good Wife to sci-fi like Battlestar Galactica to sketch comedy like Key & Peele to reality competitions like Survivor.
Start streaming these acclaimed TV shows now on Paramount+.
FAQ
What are the best TV shows on Paramount+?
We’re biased: We love all the shows on Paramount+. The New York Times, on the other hand, is free to make its own lists, and one of them, the 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century, names 11 shows, currently streaming on Paramount+, as the best shows to premiere since Jan. 1, 2020. We humbly report the Times’ findings in this article.
Are all seasons of these shows on Paramount+?
All the shows listed above are currently available on Paramount+, though their availability may differ by title, season and subscription plan. To confirm the availability of a specific season, just go to that show’s page on Paramount+.
Availability of titles subject to change.
