Few television images arrive with the same stomach-dropping efficiency as Breaking Bad putting a severed head on a tortoise and then turning the poor reptile into a cartel bomb. Hank Schrader walks toward the grotesque warning, the desert goes boom, and prestige television suddenly feels capable of anything.

That cocktail of dread, black humor, and moral decay powered Vince Gilligan’s meth-soaked masterpiece across five seasons. Nearly two decades after Walter White first stepped into an RV wearing his underwear and terrible judgment, Breaking Bad has now topped The New York Times’ ranking of the century’s greatest television shows.

Bryan Cranston’s response was wonderfully Walter-free.

Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE, Bryan Cranston reflected on Breaking Bad taking the No. 1 spot on The New York Times’ list of the 100 Best TV Shows of the 21st Century. His reaction carried none of Heisenberg’s empire-building swagger.

“I’m exceedingly proud of that,” Cranston said. He immediately spread the credit around.

“That’s something that’s voted on. That’s bestowed upon us as the collective who had something to do with that show,” he added while speaking with People. 

Framing the recognition as a victory for the writers, actors, directors, and crew who transformed Walter White’s cancer diagnosis into one of television’s darkest character descents.

The ranking came from ballots submitted by 516 television professionals. The Wire finished second, Mad Men landed third, Succession followed at fourth, and Fleabag completed the top five. Eligible programs had to premiere on or after January 1, 2000.

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And while Breaking Bad has secured its place on television’s Mount Rushmore, another brutal animated saga is already preparing its next blood-soaked chapter.

Prime Video has confirmed that Invincible Season 5 will arrive in 2027, with Season 6 already ordered before the fifth chapter has even premiered. That is a considerable vote of confidence for a show where superheroes frequently finish fights looking like somebody dropped them into a blender.

Steven Yeun returns as Mark Grayson, while J.K. Simmons remains Omni-Man. Season 4 introduced Lee Pace as Thragg, the terrifying Viltrumite ruler, alongside Matthew Rhys as Dinosaurus and Danai Gurira as Universa. Prime Video has also confirmed The Boys star Jack Quaid for Season 5 as Chris, also known as Gravitator, a gifted engineer whose path crosses Mark’s.

Story specifics remain locked away, although Robert Kirkman’s comics provide plenty of combustible material. The looming Viltrumite conflict, Thragg’s ambitions, and Mark’s increasingly uncomfortable moral choices give the series enough narrative dynamite for several seasons. Prime Video has wisely avoided confirming exactly which comic arcs Season 5 will adapt.

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What do you think about Breaking Bad taking the No. 1 spot? Does it deserve the crown, or would you put another series above it? Let us know in the comments.