This crime epic about a mild chemistry teacher tops critic and fan lists for tense character arcs that redefined prestige television.
Breaking Bad vs The Wire: ratings compared
Breaking Bad and The Wire are both crime dramas built around the drug trade, but they could hardly be told more differently. Breaking Bad (AMC, 2008–2013) follows one chemistry teacher’s transformation; The Wire (HBO, 2002–2008) spreads across an entire city’s institutions. On our blend of public ratings Breaking Bad scores 93 and The Wire 92. Breaking Bad leads on Rotten Tomatoes critics and IMDb, The Wire leads on Metacritic, and the audience scores are within a point.
Head-to-head in 21 words
Breaking Bad beats The Wire by one blended point, trading a city portrait for one tightly plotted transformation that audiences adore.
The numbers
Breaking Bad scores 93 and The Wire 92 on our blend. Across the sources both shows have, Breaking Bad leads on Rotten Tomatoes critics, Rotten Tomatoes audience and IMDb (×10); The Wire leads on Metacritic.
| Breaking Bad | The Wire | |
|---|---|---|
| 21words score (1–100) | 93 | 92 |
| Rotten Tomatoes critics | 96 | 94 |
| Rotten Tomatoes audience | 97 | 96 |
| Metacritic | 87 | 91 |
| IMDb (×10) | 95 | 93 |
| TMDB (×10) | 90 | — |
| Letterboxd (×20) | — | 84 |
| Rank in our Series Top 21 | 1st of 21 | joint 2nd of 21 |
| Last checked | 2 November 2026 | 2 November 2026 |
Both, in exactly 21 words
This Baltimore crime drama about institutions still shows critics how novelistic television can map a city without losing its street-level pulse.
What this comparison does not tell you
Blended scores average different audiences: critics, verified-ticket and general audience scores, and enthusiast sites. A one- or two-point gap between all-time greats is noise; the per-source breakdown below is more telling than the headline number.
Source notes as recorded on our Series list: Breaking Bad: Blend 93 — RT 96 / Aud 97 / MC 87 / IMDb 95 / TMDB 90 (5/5) — public aggregates, 28 Sep 2026. The Wire: Blend 92 — RT 94 / Aud 96 / MC 91 / IMDb 93 / LB 84 (5/5) — public aggregates, 28 Sep 2026.
Questions
Which scores higher, Breaking Bad or The Wire?
Breaking Bad scores 93 and The Wire 92 on our blend. Across the sources both shows have, Breaking Bad leads on Rotten Tomatoes critics, Rotten Tomatoes audience and IMDb (×10); The Wire leads on Metacritic. In our Series Top 21, Breaking Bad is 1st of 21 and The Wire joint 2nd of 21.
Where do these numbers come from?
Each 21words series score is an equal-weight blend of Rotten Tomatoes critics and audience, Metacritic, IMDb ×10 and Letterboxd ×20 (TMDB ×10 when Letterboxd coverage is thin), with at least three sources. Both were last checked on 2 November 2026, and we re-check every Monday.