Best TV Shows - MUST SEE
by carlosdaypomar | created - 18 Feb 2013 | updated - 07 Aug 2022 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The Sopranos (1999–2007)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.
Stars: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli
Votes: 471,837
The greatest TV show of all time. The HBO classic kick-started a resurgence of the small screen. Today, TV is on a level playing field with Hollywood. It all started when this Mob family show bullied and extorted its way to the top of people's watchlists. This great show about a tough mobster with mother issues has probably influenced every successful show to date.
2. Lost (2004–2010)
TV-14 | 5,445 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
The survivors of a plane crash are forced to work together in order to survive on a seemingly deserted tropical island.
Stars: Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Yunjin Kim, Evangeline Lilly
Votes: 595,577
This had me hooked. The best show for cliffhangers and mind-boggling mysteries and riddles. It has its detractors but it is an all time great. Must be watched from start to finish.
3. Californication (2007–2014)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
A writer tries to juggle his career, his relationship with his daughter and his ex-girlfriend, as well as his appetite for beautiful women.
Stars: David Duchovny, Natascha McElhone, Evan Handler, Pamela Adlon
Votes: 188,468
Californication is a show I could watch endlessly. Brilliantly flawed and rich characters and supremely well-written. Bags of wit and charm, but touching too.
4. Peaky Blinders (2013–2022)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
A gangster family epic set in 1900s England, centering on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby.
Stars: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle, Helen McCrory
Votes: 650,414
5. Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.
Stars: Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington, Lena Headey
Votes: 2,286,328
I have a difficult time with Game of Thrones. Some of it is great. But most of it is dragged out and quite simply boring. I don't quite connect to the characters in this show. But it has something that keeps me watching it. Is winter EVER going to come!!?
6. Shameless (2011–2021)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
A scrappy, feisty, fiercely loyal Chicago family makes no apologies.
Stars: Emmy Rossum, William H. Macy, Ethan Cutkosky, Jeremy Allen White
Votes: 285,707
One of the lesser known and most underrated shows out there. Excellent family dramedy with great writing and fleshed-out characters. This one really grows (along with the actors) and comes into its own in the 4th season, the best yet. Keeps getting better without sticking to a formula.
7. Dexter (2006–2013)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
He's smart. He's lovable. He's Dexter Morgan, America's favorite serial killer, who spends his days solving crimes and nights committing them.
Stars: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, James Remar
Votes: 767,076
"Ah but he's the good guy!" Brilliant show, at least until the final season. (Don't let that put you off, because there are 8 seasons) Wonderfully interesting character and each episode leaves you thirsty for more.
8. Breaking Bad (2008–2013)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine with a former student in order to secure his family's future.
Stars: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt
Votes: 2,138,422
This show is amazing. Written almost like a novel, it unfolds wonderfully over the course of its 5 seasons.
9. Narcos (2015–2017)
TV-MA | 50 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A chronicled look at the criminal exploits of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, as well as the many other drug kingpins who plagued the country through the years.
Stars: Pedro Pascal, Wagner Moura, Boyd Holbrook, Alberto Ammann
Votes: 470,632
10. House of Cards (2013–2018)
TV-MA | 50 min | Drama
A Congressman works with his equally conniving wife to exact revenge on the people who betrayed him.
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Michel Gill, Robin Wright, Kate Mara
Votes: 531,065
"Did you think I had forgotten you?" No, Frank Underwood I did not. The main characters are evil, pure evil, but it is so exciting to watch them play the politics game. You break that fourth wall Francis!
11. Only Fools and Horses (1981–2003)
TV-PG | 95 min | Comedy
Comedy that follows two brothers from London's rough Peckham estate as they wheel and deal through a number of dodgy deals and search for the big score that'll make them millionaires.
Stars: David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Roger Lloyd Pack, Buster Merryfield
Votes: 56,735
Greatest British sitcom of all time. Ran for 22 years, my father watched it growing up, and so did I. Gives a feeling of comfort to anyone born in the UK and Ireland.
12. Luther (2010–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
John Luther is a brilliant homicide detective with a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers. Unfortunately, his unconventional methods and personal demons put him at odds with his team.
Stars: Idris Elba, Dermot Crowley, Michael Smiley, Warren Brown
Votes: 154,399
Brilliantly flawed character played by the coolest actor in the game. Big Driss pulls off a fantastic performance in this BBC series.
13. Friends (1994–2004)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, Romance
Follows the personal and professional lives of six twenty to thirty year-old friends living in the Manhattan borough of New York City.
Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc
Votes: 1,088,768
What can I say? They'll be there for you. That is all.
14. House M.D. (2004–2012)
TV-14 | 45 min | Drama, Mystery
Using a crack team of doctors and his wits, an antisocial maverick doctor specializing in diagnostic medicine does whatever it takes to solve puzzling cases that come his way.
Stars: Hugh Laurie, Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Jesse Spencer
Votes: 514,015
This show is Gregory House. Gregory House is this show. We watch this show for the intricate, delicate, nasty and delightfully witty doctor portrayed by Hugh Laurie. Yes the show is formulaic, but infinitely interesting and enjoyable. Wickedly funny.
15. Daredevil (2015–2018)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A blind lawyer by day, vigilante by night. Matt Murdock fights the crime of New York as Daredevil.
Stars: Charlie Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson
Votes: 474,981
16. Sherlock (2010– )
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The quirky spin on Conan Doyle's iconic sleuth pitches him as a "high-functioning sociopath" in modern-day London. Assisting him in his investigations: Afghanistan War vet John Watson, who's introduced to Holmes by a mutual acquaintance.
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs, Rupert Graves
Votes: 999,366
Best adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes stories I have seen. Benedict Cumberbatch is wonderful, as is Martin Freeman.
17. The Killing (2011–2014)
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A police investigation, the saga of a grieving family, and a Seattle mayoral campaign all interlock after the body of 17-year-old Rosie Larsen is found in the trunk of a submerged car.
Stars: Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Billy Campbell, Liam James
Votes: 123,458
18. Ray Donovan (2013–2020)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
Ray Donovan, a professional "fixer" for the rich and famous in Los Angeles, can make anyone's problems disappear except those created by his own family.
Stars: Liev Schreiber, Eddie Marsan, Dash Mihok, Pooch Hall
Votes: 93,575
Another Soprano-esque and Soprano-influenced hit show. Great one to watch, mainly for the characters. The first season was brilliant, the second season however fell into a formulaic trap, but the show is in its infancy. Much more to see from the Donovans.
19. Rectify (2013–2016)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama
Daniel Holden must put his life back together after serving 19 years on Georgia's Death Row before DNA evidence calls his conviction into question.
Stars: Aden Young, Abigail Spencer, J. Smith-Cameron, Adelaide Clemens
Votes: 27,654
This show is exquisitely written, shot, directed and acted. Even just watch this for how wonderfully Aden Young portrays a man newly-released from prison.
20. True Detective (2014– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Anthology series in which police investigations unearth the personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within and outside the law.
Stars: Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch
Votes: 656,965
As with Rectify, this show is purely a testament to filmmaking, in this case TV-making. Beautifully shot and composed with spellbinding performances. The direction in this is incredible, just watch the last 6 minutes of episode 4 and you'll see.
21. Fargo (2014–2024)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Various chronicles of deception, intrigue, and murder in and around frozen Minnesota. All of these tales mysteriously lead back one way or another to Fargo, North Dakota.
Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks
Votes: 422,200
22. Broadchurch (2013–2017)
TV-MA | 1,143 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart.
Stars: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan
Votes: 127,363
23. Bloodline (2015–2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Thriller
A family is forced to face their past secrets and scars when the black sheep returns home.
Stars: Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini, Sissy Spacek
Votes: 58,620
24. The Leftovers (2014–2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Three years after the disappearance of 2% of the global human population, a group of people in a small New York community try to continue their lives while coping with the tragedy of the unexplained nature of the event.
Stars: Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler
Votes: 112,423
This was a strange but pleasant find during the summer. I liked it very much but I find it hard to describe why. This may not be one for the masses, but that is for you to decide. Only one season in, and it looks promising to me.
25. Mr. Robot (2015–2019)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Elliot, a brilliant but unstable cyber-security engineer and vigilante hacker, becomes a key figure in a complex game of global chaos when he and his shadowy allies try to take down the corrupt corporation his company is paid to protect.
Stars: Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Carly Chaikin, Martin Wallström
Votes: 418,492
26. Homeland (2011–2020)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A bipolar CIA operative becomes convinced a prisoner of war has been turned by al-Qaeda and is planning to carry out a terrorist attack on American soil.
Stars: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Damian Lewis, Rupert Friend
Votes: 361,042
Season 1? Yes. Season 2? Oh please, give me more! Season 3? Mehhh... Why is the moody teenager getting all the screen time..? Season 4? Why? Why have you ruined this show...?
Showtime seem to have finally let me down with this one. I did like it, I wanted to keep liking it, for some of season 4 it was fine, but no. Just no.
27. Penny Dreadful (2014–2016)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Explorer Sir Malcolm Murray, American gunslinger Ethan Chandler, scientist Victor Frankenstein and medium Vanessa Ives unite to combat supernatural threats in Victorian London.
Stars: Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Eva Green, Reeve Carney
Votes: 131,128
Very promising. Another hit for Showtime. Only 8 episodes and one season in. Keep it coming.
28. The Wire (2002–2008)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The Baltimore drug scene, as seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement.
Stars: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce
Votes: 377,807
Can't comment on this one yet.. It's still in progress for me!
29. Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
An Atlantic City politician plays both sides of the law by conspiring with gangsters during the Prohibition era.
Stars: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham
Votes: 203,217
I have a keen interest in all things relating to the American Mafia, especially its formation and the rise of its founder/organiser, Charlie Lucky Luciano. Even though I knew the broad story of this show before watching it, I thought it would engage me much more. But I intend to give it another shot. It is very well made with great sets, costumes and acting.
30. Suits (2011–2019)
TV-14 | 44 min | Comedy, Drama
On the run from a drug deal gone bad, brilliant college dropout Mike Ross finds himself working with Harvey Specter, one of New York City's best lawyers.
Stars: Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Meghan Markle, Sarah Rafferty
Votes: 479,280
This show just fell off a cliff. No, it took a nosedive off Mt. Everest. This was so slick, witty, funny and charmingly entertaining in its first couple of seasons. Now its just silly. Stupid show. I'd recommend people to watch the first two seasons and convince themselves that there are no 3rd or 4th seasons.
31. Community (2009–2015)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
A suspended lawyer is forced to enroll in a community college with an eccentric staff and student body.
Stars: Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Donald Glover, Chevy Chase
Votes: 293,637
This show is smart. Was smart. Is. Was. Community just became frustrating, and repetitive. Very smartly written and funny early on, but you can grow tired of it quickly.
32. The Following (2013–2015)
TV-14 | 43 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A brilliant, charismatic, and psychotic serial killer communicates with other active serial killers and activates a cult of believers who follow his every command.
Stars: Kevin Bacon, James Purefoy, Shawn Ashmore, Valorie Curry
Votes: 91,514
33. What Remains (2013)
TV-MA | 59 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A young couple move into an apartment only to find the body of a young woman that had been missing for 2 years but never registered as missing which leads to a deeper investigation into what actually happened.
Stars: Alexander Arnold, David Bamber, Claudie Blakley, Denise Gough
Votes: 4,177
34. North and South, Book I (1985)
TV-PG | 94 min | Drama, History, Romance
Two friends, one northern and one southern, struggle to maintain their friendship as events build towards the American Civil War.
Stars: Kirstie Alley, Georg Stanford Brown, David Carradine, Philip Casnoff
Votes: 11,901
35. Six Feet Under (2001–2005)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
A chronicle of the lives of a dysfunctional family who run an independent funeral home in Los Angeles.
Stars: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose
Votes: 149,511
36. The Walking Dead (2010–2022)
TV-MA | 45 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to learn the world is in ruins and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive.
Stars: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan
Votes: 1,082,833
37. Prison Break (2005–2017)
TV-14 | 44 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A structural engineer installs himself in a prison he helped design, in order to save his falsely accused brother from a death sentence by breaking themselves out from the inside.
Stars: Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller, Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper
Votes: 579,710
38. The Newsroom (2012–2014)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama
A newsroom undergoes some changes in its workings and morals as a new team is brought in, bringing unexpected results for its existing news anchor.
Stars: Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher Jr., Alison Pill
Votes: 124,742
39. Fringe (2008–2013)
TV-14 | 46 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
An F.B.I. agent is forced to work with an institutionalized scientist and his son in order to rationalize a brewing storm of unexplained phenomena.
Stars: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Jasika Nicole
Votes: 257,582
40. Oz (1997–2003)
TV-MA | 55 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A series chronicling the daily activities of an unusual prison facility and its criminal inhabitants.
Stars: Ernie Hudson, J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen, Dean Winters
Votes: 106,724
41. Arrested Development (2003–2019)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
Level-headed son Michael Bluth takes over family affairs after his father is imprisoned. But the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family are making his job unbearable.
Stars: Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett
Votes: 324,333
42. Sons of Anarchy (2008–2014)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A biker struggles to balance being a father and being involved in an outlaw motorcycle club.
Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Mark Boone Junior, Kim Coates
Votes: 323,673
43. Columbo (1971–2003)
TV-PG | 100 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Los Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to winkle out even the most well-concealed of crimes.
Stars: Peter Falk, Mike Lally, John Finnegan, Bruce Kirby
Votes: 42,044
44. In Treatment (2008–2021)
TV-MA | 25 min | Drama
A psychotherapist questions his abilities and gets help by reuniting with his old therapist, whom he has not seen for ten years.
Stars: Gabriel Byrne, Uzo Aduba, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Forbes
Votes: 18,287
45. Ed (2000–2004)
60 min | Comedy, Drama
A separated, fired NYC lawyer returns to his hometown in Ohio, meets old high school friends and cute crush, buys a bowling alley and opens a law office in it.
Stars: Tom Cavanagh, Julie Bowen, Josh Randall, Jana Marie Hupp
Votes: 7,495
46. Mad About You (1992–2019)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Romance
Mad About You centers on the trials and tribulations of a married couple living in New York.
Stars: Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt, John Pankow, Leila Kenzle
Votes: 25,154
47. Becker (1998–2004)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy
Dr. John Becker goes through his daily routine of being a doctor, stopping at his favorite diner, and other various situations, all the while hating life and everything around him.
Stars: Ted Danson, Hattie Winston, Terry Farrell, Shawnee Smith
Votes: 14,189
48. Wayward Pines (2015–2016)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A Secret Service agent goes to Wayward Pines, Idaho in search of two federal agents who have gone missing in the bucolic town. He soon learns that he might never get out of Wayward Pines alive.
Stars: Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Toby Jones, Shannyn Sossamon, Hope Davis
Votes: 60,184
49. The Affair (2014–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama
A struggling novelist and a young waitress strike up an extramarital relationship that promises to forever change the course of their lives.
Stars: Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, Maura Tierney, Julia Goldani Telles
Votes: 49,182
50. Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019)
TV-MA | 59 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Convicted of a decade-old crime of transporting drug money, ordinarily law-abiding Piper Chapman is sentenced to 18 months behind bars and quickly discovers the realities of life-changing prison time.
Stars: Taylor Schilling, Danielle Brooks, Taryn Manning, Emma Myles
Votes: 320,274
51. Westworld (2016–2022)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
At the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, waits a world in which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.
Stars: Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, Thandiwe Newton
Votes: 533,148
52. Black Mirror (2011– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Featuring stand-alone dramas -- sharp, suspenseful, satirical tales that explore techno-paranoia -- "Black Mirror" is a contemporary reworking of "The Twilight Zone" with stories that tap into the collective unease about the modern world.
Stars: Wunmi Mosaku, Monica Dolan, Daniel Lapaine, Hannah John-Kamen
Votes: 640,474
53. The Sinner (2017–2021)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Detective Ambrose employs some unusual tactics and a deep capacity for empathy to solve his cases. His boundless dedication is driven by his dark past, leading him into powerful and often dangerously intimate bonds with his suspects.
Stars: Bill Pullman, Jessica Hecht, Dohn Norwood, Adam LeFevre
Votes: 139,090
54. Severance (2022– )
TV-MA | 50 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. When a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.
Stars: Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman
Votes: 201,175
55. For All Mankind (2019– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
In an alternative version of 1969, the Soviet Union beats the United States to the Moon, and the space race continues on for decades with still grander challenges and goals.
Stars: Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Wrenn Schmidt, Krys Marshall
Votes: 69,332
56. The Man in the High Castle (2015–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
In a dystopian America dominated by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, a young woman discovers a mysterious film that may hold the key to toppling the totalitarian regimes.
Stars: Alexa Davalos, Luke Kleintank, Rufus Sewell, Rupert Evans
Votes: 111,044
57. Watchmen (2019)
TV-MA | 59 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws, Watchmen embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name, while attempting to break new ground of its own.
Stars: Regina King, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tom Mison, Sara Vickers
Votes: 134,356
58. Defending Jacob (2020)
TV-MA | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The limited drama series is a gripping, character-driven thriller based on the 2012 New York Times best selling novel of the same name by William Landay. An assistant DA's world is shattered when his beloved son gets charged with murder.
Stars: Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell, Cherry Jones
Votes: 66,380
59. The Morning Show (I) (2019– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama
An inside look at the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning, exploring the unique challenges faced by the team.
Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass
Votes: 130,007
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