NYT names ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ and ‘Mare of Easttown’ two of the best TV shows of the 21st century
But we want justice for “Abbott Elementary," which did not get a mention.
The New York Times rolled out its roundup of the 100 best television shows of the 21st century so far, this week and highlighted some Philly shows and stars.
The ranked list came from a survey the newspaper conducted of 516 actors, showrunners, behind-the-camera crew members, and others across the TV industry. The responders — including West Philly-raised star Colman Domingo — submitted their 10 favorite series that premiered on or after Jan. 1, 2000 from any genre.
The top five shows were, in order, Breaking Bad, The Wire, Mad Men, Succession, and Fleabag.
While no Philadelphia-specific shows made it that high up in the ranking, Upper Darby comedy legend Tina Fey landed the number eight spot with her semi-autobiographical masterpiece, 30 Rock.
Further down, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the longest running live-action sitcom in TV history that celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, came in at number 78. Times writer Austin Considine described its undeniable staying power: “Sunny outlasted The Office. It outlasted Cheers. It may last as long as we need to laugh at horrible people, which shows no signs of abating.”
Game of Thrones creator D.B. Weiss, one of the survey’s responders who named Sunny on his ballot, called it “the smartest show about dumb people ever made.”
Philly’s comedy chops aside, the dark Delco drama Mare of Easttown, from Berwyn writer Brad Ingelsby, landed in the 65th spot. Leah Greenblatt, another Times writer, praised the show for delivering a “Pennsylvania atmosphere so thick you could slap it on a hoagie and eat it with sweet peppers.”
Several shows on the Times’ list featured actors and writers with ties to the Philadelphia area, including Broad City (#46), created by Wayne, Pa.-raised actor Abbi Jacobson, who starred alongside her comedic partner Ilana Glazer; Hacks (#42), which features famous Eagles fan Hannah Einbinder, who won an Emmy for her role, and Jean Smart, who also appeared in Mare of Easttown; and Friday Night Lights (#14), the high school football drama based on the book by former Inquirer reporter H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger.
Pennsylvania-set shows received special shout-outs, too, including the gruesome Pittsburgh ER drama The Pitt (#36) and The Office (#11). The U.K. version of The Office also snagged the 16th spot.
However one big name was missing from the list: The Times snubbed Abbott Elementary. Two different versions of The Office broke through the top 20 but their stylistic sequel — an Emmy-winning mockumentary workplace comedy inspired by The Office — didn’t even merit a mention.
West Philly comedian Quinta Brunson has been praised for saving, reviving, and reinvigorating the network sitcom (a genre quite well-represented throughout the Times list), but despite working with longtime Office director Randall Einhorn and picking up Emmy nominations for all of the show’s five seasons so far, Abbott was apparently left off many ballots. (Is everyone taking Abbott for granted? Maybe.)
