The top 50 shows of the last 24 years have been definitively decided by critics. We have to disagree.

The best shows of the 21st century have been rounded up, according to three TV critics, and well, we have questions.

Critics at The Hollywood Reporter have ranked the best 50 shows from the past 24 years. And look, TV opinions are subjective, but even still, some very odd inclusions and omissions have been made. 

Rather curiously, the list features fictional series and reality shows mixed with documentaries and talk shows thrown in for good measure. I don't know how one would compare these but go off, I guess.  

So how did this list get made?

The Hollywood Reporter's three critics — Daniel Fienberg, Angie Han and Robyn Bahr — got together to co-author a list over multiple Zoom calls, to rank the 50 best shows that aired from December 31, 1999, until today, including only English-language shows.

Let's start with the good stuff.

The top three shows are pretty solid. Succession is third, Sopranos is second, and in the number one spot is Mad Men. These three shows are not just critically acclaimed but became cultural moments when they aired. 

The Wire and 30 Rock round out the top five. This is acceptable. Again, inarguably very good shows.

The rest of the top 10 are a bit more, well let's just say random. There's one-season cult show Freaks and Geeks, Reservation Dogs, BoJack Horseman, and Breaking Bad spin-off, Better Call Saul.

In case you're wondering, Breaking Bad placed at number 16.

If you're thinking, this seems like a lot of TV shows with audiences that skew rather male, then you wouldn't be alone in that line of thinking.

There are some women-led shows which ranked highly, such as Girls, I May Destroy You, Broad City, Insecure, and Enlightened, but most of these entries are wedged between mostly male-dominated shows.

Then there are just some baffling decisions.

Sex and the City is ranked last. Let that sink in. 

How did this happen??

The writers noted that any season airing before 1999 would not be included, but this would leave four SATC seasons to be judged.

Season three to season six — some of the show's best work. 

The seminal series remains a cultural phenomenon and not to mention, a sex and dating bible for women everywhere. It's hard to comprehend how this game-changing show is ranked below shows that only just a handful of episodes, or some series which to be brutally honest, are just not well-known enough to top this list. 

For instance, five-episode miniseries Chernobyl is ranked 35 while US-centric show How To With John Wilson is at number 28. 

And don't even get me started on the complete omission of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is widely considered one of the greatest pop culture franchises of all time. The writers wrote that "Buffy the Vampire Slayer was eligible, but it lost three and a half seasons," due to the list's criteria. 

Again, this would still leave another three seasons, including the critically acclaimed season five. Make it make sense. 

Then there's other incredible shows women especially love, like Fleabag and Veep, which didn't even crack the top 30. There's not a single show on the list by Shonda Rhimes, who is one of the most prolific show creators in history, with no mention of shows like Grey's Anatomy, Scandal or Bridgerton.  

And then there's the absolute refusal to acknowledge the value of reality TV, a genre which is also most frequently viewed (and talked about) by women. There is only one reality show on the list: Survivor. 

Survivor is iconic, it deserves its place, but to make no mention of 21st century zeitgeists like any Real Housewives show or spin-off, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, or The Bachelor, shows a willful detachment from the masses, along with an elitist view of culture in the last 24 years. 

But as stated earlier, TV opinions are subjective. 

Maybe to some, this list is exactly right. Read the full list here. 

Feature image: HBO + Netflix + Amazon.