2. Avatar: The Last Virender
– IMDb user rating: 9.3
– Years on the air: 2005–2008
Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino co-created this anime-inspired American animated show, with the backstory involving the “Avatar,” a person who can “bend” and manipulate all four main elements of air, water, fire, and earth. Aang is the current Avatar, found by Water Tribe siblings Katara and Sokka 100 years after Aang froze in an iceberg, leaving the world under siege by the Fire Nation. The show was followed up by “The Legend of Korra,” a show set 70 years later about the next Avatar. The beloved animation earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Program (for programming less than one hour) in 2007.
1. Breaking Bad
– IMDb user rating: 9.4
– Years on the air: 2008–2013
The critically acclaimed AMC series “Breaking Bad” turned Walter White into an icon. The show also catapulted Bryan Cranston into cult status for his portrayal of the high-school-teacher-turned-meth-kingpin. Cranston won four Primetime Emmy Awards for the role. It’s considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time, having become the most-watched cable TV show on American television, and most critically acclaimed of all time.