- Home
- TV
- Radio Times and Latitude Festival to name the greatest TV show of the past 20 years – last chance to vote
❚ We may earn commission from links on this page. Our editorial is always independent (learn more).
Radio Times and Latitude Festival to name the greatest TV show of the past 20 years – last chance to vote
From prestige drama to global streaming hits – cast your vote and help decide the winner.
Latitude Festival / Sarah Louise Bennett
- Morgan Jeffery
Published: Wednesday, 8 July 2026 at 4:00 pm
Subscribe to Radio Times: 10 issues for £10
Radio Times has partnered with Latitude Festival to ask one big question: which television series has truly defined the past two decades?
Ad
From gripping prestige dramas to era-defining comedies and global streaming sensations, the last 20 years have delivered an extraordinary range of storytelling – and now time is running out for viewers to have their say.
Voting has been open since March, with fans invited to choose the one programme that stands above the rest. But with the poll closing soon, there is not long left to make your choice count – so be sure to vote now!
Once voting has closed, a jury of TV personalities, writers and producers will decide the final winner. The result will be revealed live on stage at Latitude Festival at Henham Park later this summer as part of the festival’s 20th anniversary celebrations.
Television audiences have watched empires rise and fall in Game of Thrones and Succession, stepped inside the corridors of power with The Crown, and witnessed the devastating realities of Baltimore’s drug trade in The Wire.
Closer to home, viewers have been hooked by the nerve-shredding tension of Line of Duty and Happy Valley, while Breaking Bad stunned with its brutal brilliance and Fleabag left audiences reeling with its emotional honesty.
Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) in Line of Duty. BBC
International hits have also reshaped the TV landscape. South Korea’s Squid Game became a global phenomenon, Germany’s Dark redefined sci-fi storytelling, and Spain’s Money Heist proved subtitles were no barrier to worldwide success.
Comedy has flourished on both sides of the Atlantic. British favourites such as Gavin & Stacey, Derry Girls, Taskmaster and Inside No. 9 have delivered laughs in very different ways, while US hits including The Office, Parks and Recreation, Schitt’s Creek and Ted Lasso showed comedy can be both hilarious and heartfelt.
Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell on Strictly Come Dancing. BBC/Guy Levy
Landmark factual and entertainment shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, The Great British Bake Off and Sir David Attenborough’s Planet Earth II have brought audiences together, while drama has continued to push boundaries, with Peaky Blinders, Luther, Black Mirror, I May Destroy You, Mad Men, The Handmaid’s Tale, The White Lotus, Slow Horses and It’s a Sin all staking their claim as defining works of their era.
The vote arrives at a fitting moment, as Latitude Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026 – but the window to take part is almost closed.
Whatever your choice might be - cast your vote now before voting closes!
Ad
Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Morgan Jeffery
Morgan Jeffery is as a TV and Film expert and has appeared on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live and Sky Atlantic.
Ad
Ad
Subscribe for £1 per week
Too much to watch this autumn? Let Radio Times magazine and app do the choosing, with expert picks across TV, streaming and film.
Loading...
Ad
Loading...