Game of Thrones is the Greatest TV Show of the 21st century according to a Digital Spy readers' poll

If it was up to us, we would have wanted Game of Thrones to run for a couple of more seasons at least. Not more than that because we wish to sound reasonable. But whether we digest it or not, the sensational HBO show is over for good. Books and spinoffs aside, of course. Despite the end of its run, it’s a show that’s bound to remain with us as is the case with all stories that indulge, enchant, and entertain.

There’s no doubt indeed that it was the biggest show ever and perhaps one of the best in most all-time lists. But a little more validation doesn’t hurt anyone. Thus, Game of Thrones fans would be glad to hear that the fantasy show has secured the #1 position in a list of 100 Greatest TV Shows of the 21^st Century featuring on Digital Spy’s debut magazine issue on Apple News+. Read on to find out more.

Digital Spy is a U.K.-based entertainment, film, and TV website. They have produced the final list based on a readers’ poll; where people were asked to vote for their favorite TV shows from a list of 150 shows that began airing from 2000 onwards. So, the shows that premiered in the 1990s or 1980s but still running in the 21^st century could not find their way into the list. Thus, no Friends or The Sopranos.

Game of Thrones grabbed the top position by popular opinion, followed by Stranger Things and Doctor Who in the second and third spots respectively. The digital magazine also contains audio stories titled “An Oral History of the Greatest TV Show of Our Time”; which feature words from the cast and many other insider stories from the decade-long run of GoT.

The following shows made it to the top ten in the list of 100 Greatest TV Shows of the 21^st Century –

1) Game of Thrones

2) Stranger Things

3) Doctor Who

4) Sherlock

5) Breaking Bad

6) The Great British Bake Off

7) Killing Eve

8) Gavin and Stacey

9) Line of Duty

10) Chernobyl

Laurence Mozafari, the editor of Digital Spy, shared his thoughts about the list, reports ET Canada. “Digital Spy readers are deeply passionate about their favorite TV shows and that’s shone through with the voting on this poll. Whist there’s been an array of amazing shows from the last 20 years, it’s not too hard to see why ‘Game of Thrones’ has resonated so strongly with the public. George R.R. Martin likes to tell a big story and it’s no easy thing to pull off a fantasy epic without looking silly; but with 269 awards worldwide and more plaudits coming its way, ‘Game of Thrones’ really has raised the bar for entertainment.”

Mozafari also discussed the strong British presence on the list. “It was also extremely interesting to see top 10 placings for U.K. shows like ‘Gavin and Stacey’ – which despite one Christmas special has not aired a new episode for 10 years – and ‘The Great British Bake Off’, which has generated entertainment around baking that no one could have predicted. They prove that British humour and genres really do strike a special chord with the public.”

The full list of the 100 greatest shows appears in the digital magazine issue of Digital Spy; available to be read on Apple News+ with a free one-month trial. So, if you have an Apple device, good for you.

What are your thoughts on this distinction for Game of Thrones? Talk to us in the comments section.