History's Best Selling TV Shows of 2011

Make way for the hits of 2011! This remarkable era stood as a testament to the turn-of-the-millennium pop explosion and the march of first-rate tv. Crowd-pleasers such as Game of Thrones shared the spotlight with mega-bestsellers Homeland and Black Mirror. Brought to you by top-notch makers from industry leaders like David Benioff & D. B. Weiss and Howard Gordon, these trailblazing products dominated airwaves and playground buzz alike and earned a permanent place in cultural lore. Check out the complete rank-ordered ledger below to relive the finest releases of the year.

1. Game of Thrones

   Released in 2011 by David Benioff & D. B. Weiss, HBO

   On April 17, 2011, HBO premiered 'Winter Is Coming,' the first episode of what would become a global television phenomenon, 'Game of Thrones'. This date marked the culmination of a lengthy and ambitious development process to adapt George R. R. Martin's sprawling fantasy novel series, 'A Song of Ice and Fire'. In an era of television largely focused on crime procedurals and domestic dramas, HBO took a monumental risk on a high-concept, high-budget fantasy epic. The premiere introduced millions of viewers to the complex world of Westeros, the warring noble houses of Stark, Lannister, and Baratheon, and the exiled Targaryen dynasty across the sea, setting the stage for a decade-defining story of power, betrayal, and survival.

2. Homeland

   Released in 2011 by Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa, Showtime

   On October 2, 2011, Showtime premiered a series that would capture the zeitgeist of post-9/11 America unlike any other. "Homeland" arrived a decade after the attacks, tapping directly into the nation's ongoing anxieties about terrorism, national security, and the psychological cost of the War on Terror. In an era of complex geopolitical tensions, the show's debut introduced audiences to Carrie Mathison, a brilliant but troubled CIA officer, and Nicholas Brody, a returning war hero who may not be what he seems. The premiere set the stage for a high-stakes psychological thriller that blurred the lines between hero and villain, patriot and traitor, immediately establishing itself as must-watch television that was both thrilling and profoundly relevant to the contemporary political landscape.

3. Black Mirror

   Released in 2011 by Charlie Brooker, Channel 4, Netflix

   On December 4, 2011, British television audiences were introduced to a startlingly new and unsettling form of storytelling. On this date, Channel 4 broadcast the first episode of 'Black Mirror', titled 'The National Anthem.' In a television landscape dominated by more conventional dramas and reality shows, Charlie Brooker's creation arrived like a shock to the system. The episode's provocative and disturbing premise immediately established the series as a fearless and prescient commentator on modern life. This debut marked the beginning of a cultural phenomenon, an anthology series that would hold a dark, reflective 'black mirror' up to society's relationship with technology, a theme that would only become more urgent and relevant in the years to come.