BREAKING BAD

Walter White is just not ‘breaking bad’ — he’s also breaking records! The popular TV show that just started airing its fifth and final season in the US (we in India are just at Season I) is now the “highest rated TV series” and will be included in the Guinness Book of World Records 2014.

Breaking Bad’s record has been awarded on the basis of the “metascore” it has received from TV critics on the Metacritic site in 2012. Its score on Metacritic? A cool 99 out of 100!

The show that focuses on the moral degeneration of Walter White — who metamorphoses from chemistry teacher to crystal meth maker to provide for his family after his death — has earned kudos worldwide, including from seven Primetime Emmy Awards.

While Bryan Cranston as Walter White has become a household name, the show’s hard-hitting premise has earned scores of fans across the globe. “I think it works because the show just doesn’t portray the American point of view. It is universal… it is the way human beings act and think and feel. We are sometimes good, sometimes bad,” was how Cranston explained Breaking Bad’s global success in an interview to t2.

In Season 5 so far, Walter aka Heisenberg has robbed a train for meth, murdered an associate and planned a hit on partner Jesse Pinkman (played by Aaron Paul) before being arrested.

The others

DOWNTON ABBEY

The British period drama notched up a Metacritic score of 92 out of 100 and featured in Guinness 2012. An epic tale centred on the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era, Downton Abbey weaves in historical events like World War I, the sinking of the Titanic and the Spanish influenza pandemic. Result? A sweeping saga that has won fans globally and pocketed as many as 27 Emmy nominations in two seasons.

MAD MEN

Set in the 1960s, Mad Men is about the lives and loves of ladykiller Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and his team of professionals at advertising agency Sterling Cooper. Lauded for its historical accuracy and attention to detail, the six seasons of Mad Men have won 15 Emmys and four Golden Globes. In 2011, the show made its way to into the Guinness with a Metacritic score of 86 out of 100.

SONS OF ANARCHY

The television drama series created by Kurt Sutter follows the story of the outlaw motorcycle club Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original or SAMCRO that operates out of and controls the fictional town of Charming in California. The rough-and-tough club members are not above bribery, violence, coercion and intimidation and are involved in arms smuggling and running protection for local businesses. It scored 86 on 100 in 2011 to make it to the Guinness.

MODERN FAMILY

The story of three families living in Los Angeles and related to each other through Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill), Modern Family premiered in 2009 to 12.6 million viewers. It made its Guinness entry in 2011 with a metascore of 86 on 100. The fifth season is scheduled to go on air in the US this month.

t2’s chosen ones

DR WHO

It already holds two Guinness records — for the longest running and the most successful sci-fi series. The best treat for the show’s 50th anniversary would be a third record. With millions of fans all over the world and master storytellers like Neil Gaiman adding their touch, this story about a Time Lord from the planet of Gallifrey known as the Doctor, and his companions as they travel the universe engaging in adventures and saving planets, is up there with the best of the best.

HOMELAND

The compelling tale of a CIA agent constantly on the edge and an American war hero who has shifted his loyalties has made Homeland a winner of a watch. Homeland Season 2 may have lost out by a whisker to Breaking Bad in the Guinness race, but the edge-of-the-seat watch of the constantly fluctuating equations between Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) and Nick Brody (Damian Lewis) deserves to be on that list.

SHERLOCK

The BBC series about the consultant detective in the 21st century scored 91 out of 100 on Metacritic. Two seasons and six 90-minute episodes later, Sherlock has not only got rave reviews from critics but also garnered a fandom that is a force by itself. Supreme performances from the three main actors — Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock, Martin Freeman as Watson and Andrew Scott as Moriarty — combined with intelligent adaptation of the canonical stories makes it our must for a Guinness.

MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA

We know it’s the odd show out on this page of fictional watches, but if there’s a list of the most-watched TV shows, there’s no ignoring Masterchef Australia. The cookery competition that combines flavour and fun has been a favourite format for many around the globe. With the new season underway, we can only root for Masterchef Australia to catch the attention of the Guinness guys.

Which TV show is a record-breaker in your book? Tell t2@abp.in