1. Game of Thrones
Sitting on top of the list is no other than the record-breaking Game of Thrones. It’s a fantasy drama TV series created exclusively for HBO. Game of Thrones draws inspiration from “A Song of Ice and Fire” - a fantasy novel series by George R. R. Martin. It was premiered on April 17, 2011, and ended on May 19, 2019, spanning eight seasons with 73 episodes.
Game of Thrones broke various viewership records of both HBO and the world. The second episode of season 5 of the series. “The House of Black and White”, received a Guinness World Record for being the “Largest TV drama telecast”. It’s reported that Game of Thrones reached a peak of 3.28 crore viewers per episode in the United States alone.
2. The Walking Dead
Coming up next on our top list of most popular TV series is the American post-apocalyptic horror - The Walking Dead. The sequence is based on the comic book by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and Tony Moore, which tells the story of a group of survivors in a zombie apocalypse. The series depicts the miserable life of the survivors, constantly threatened by zombies (known as “walkers”), and also by hostile conflict right in the community.
The Walking Dead has been nominated several times, including the “New Series” by the Writers Guild of America Award and “Best Television Series - Drama” at the Golden Globe Award. The series reached a peak of 1.4 crore viewers per season.
3. The Big Bang Theory
Coming in at number 3 in the American sitcom - The Big Bang Theory, created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. All 12 seasons of the series were recorded in front of a live audience and experienced mixed reviews that circled back and forth. Despite that, The Big Bang Theory still manages to achieve certain success. Critics rate it an 82% approval on Rotten Tomatoes and 61/100 on Metacritic. Sheldon and his friends were also ranked #52 on the TV Guide’s List of the 60 Best Series of All Time.
4. Breaking Bad
Next on our list is yet another 2000s’ classic - Breaking Bad. The American neo-Western crime drama was first aired on January 20, 2008, and concluded on September 29, 2013. Across its 5 seasons with 62 episodes, Breaking Bad tells the story of Walter White, a washed-up chemistry genius with a Nobel Prize. He turned to crime, producing meth to be exact, to secure his family financially as well as saving his life from the hands of lung cancer.
Breaking Bad received multiple nominates as well as awards, including the 2013 Guinness World Records for the “Most critically acclaimed show of all time”.
5. Lost
Lost comes in at 5th place on our list of the most popular TV series in the last 15 years. The American drama/ the supernatural and science fiction how lasted 6 seasons with a total of 121 episodes. It follows the story of plane-crash survivors to an unknown island somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean. Lost has been regularly ranked by critics as one of the best TV series of all time with over 1.6 crore viewers per episode for its very first season.
6. How I Met Your Mother
Though the last season was quite a bit of a let down for fans of the series, How I Met Your Mother still made it to #6 on our list. With nearly 67 crore views worldwide, it’s one of the most successful sitcoms ever. The series revolves around a group of best friends and the story of Ted Mosby, the main character, as he relives the seemingly endless chronicle of finding his wife with his children. How I Met Your Mother is full of wit, humor, and a whole lot of life lessons that you can take away.
7. Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is a teen drama TV series created on the novel of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar. It lasted 5 years, covering 6 seasons. The series tells the story of Serena van der Woodsen - a privileged upper-class adolescent played by Blake Lively. Gossip Girl won 18 Teen Choice Awards and various other awards.
8. Prison Break
Coming at number 8 is Prison Break. The American TV serial drama earns its place in-depth stories and thrilling theme music. Prison Break revolves around the rescue mission of Michael Scofield to free his brother Lincoln Burrows from a death sentence that he didn’t commit.
9. Dexter
Dexter is an American crime drama, set in Miami. It centers around Dexter Morgan, played by Michael C. Hall. Dexter is a bloodstain pattern analysis technician at the fictional Metro Police Department by day, and a vigilante by night. He hunts down the murderers who manage to escape the punishment of justice - much as the Marvel’s superhero Daredevil. The show finale drew over 28 lakh viewers on Showtime - the largest ever seen on the platform.
10. Grey’s Anatomy
Last but definitely not least, Grey’s Anatomy is on the 10th place of the most popular TV series from 2004 to 2020. It’s an American medical drama that first aired on March 27, 2005. The name, Grey’s Anatomy, is based on Henry Gray’s classic human anatomy textbook published in 1858 - Gray’s Anatomy. The series tells the lives of surgical interns, doctors, and residents as they manage to keep the balance between work and personal relationships.
Grey’s Anatomy 16th season was premiered last year and the series is ABC’s highest-rated so far. As of 2020, it’s also the American longest-running primetime medical drama.
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