The 50 Greatest TV Shows Ever Made (2024)

Television has radically changed since its "Golden Age" between the 1940s and 1960s. Writers take big leaps that change the game forever, actors are more involved with their characters and the world-building is literally out of this world. To nail down the best television shows takes a lot of screen time and plenty of love for the creative experience.

The current era of television is certainly an exciting trip. Scripted shows are bending genres and captivating viewers on streaming, with social media playing a hand in upping viewership. Even when social media wasn't a marketing tool or a place where fans could share their love for complicated characters, TV shows still impressed viewers spectacularly. Some of the greatest works of television stem from the twisty, creepy aura of The Twilight Zone, all the way to Breaking Bad's meth-cooking cancer patient and Game of Thrones' fantastical landscape of winter, fire, and blood.

Updated on July 25, 2024, by Benjamin Vieira: Since the dawn of television, the format for watching shows has evolved numerous times. From cable to streaming, there have been numerous advancements in the ways in which audiences consume TV. Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Wire, and more have all earned their place among the greats. But who is the best? This article has been edited to CBR's CV standards.

50 Sesame Street Is A Beloved Children's Series That Ages Gracefully

1969-Present

Few children's shows have an influence on Americans like Sesame Street does. People trust Jim Henson's Muppets because they grew up with them. These Muppets never judge, nor criticize people for making mistakes. They teach preschoolers how to behave like good friends and develop their emotional intelligence. One could say adults should turn on an episode of Sesame Street from time to time.

Although it began in 1969, Sesame Street adapts to the changing culture and times in America to stay relevant. Adults rely on Sesame Street as an appropriate, educational program for their children, and it's never failed. There's an environment of love and acceptance when Sesame Street is on television, making it an excellent contender for one of the greatest TV shows of all time.

Sesame Street

G

children

Family

A longtime favorite of children and adults, and a staple of PBS, "Sesame Street" bridges many cultural and educational gaps with a fun program. Big Bird leads a cast of characters teaching children numbers, colors and the alphabet.

Release Date

July 21, 1969

Creator

Joan Ganz Cooney, Lloyd Morrisett, Jim Henson

Cast

Jim Henson , Frank Oz , Caroll Spinney , Jerry Nelson , Roscoe Orman , Bob McGrath

Main Genre

Educational

Seasons

53

Studio

Sesame Workshop

Main Characters

Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, Elmo, Grover

Number of Episodes

4600+

Network

PBS , Max

Streaming Service(s)

Max

49 Sex And The City Gave Women The Spotlight In The Late 1990s-Early 2000s

1998-2004

Sex and the City was one of the leading shows in the early 2000s to revolutionize the portrayal of women on television. Women were the lead and were unapologetic about their sex lives — a facet many series were still unafraid to hit at that time. Some of its storylines and portrayals haven't aged well, but Sex and the City contributed to an ongoing dialogue about women's issues that continued in the spinoff And Just Like That...

The series starred Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw, a writer of a weekly column who becomes a fashion icon both on and off-screen. Within her friend group are the sexually confident Samantha, the relationship pessimist Miranda, and the privileged perfectionist Charlotte. Sex and the City documents all of their adventures having sex "like men" by sleeping with whoever they want, when they want.

Sex and the City

TV-MA

Drama

Romance

Four female New Yorkers gossip about their sex lives (or lack thereof) and find new ways to deal with being a woman in the late 1990s.

Release Date

June 6, 1998

Creator

Darren Star

Cast

Sarah Jessica Parker , Kim Cattrall , Cynthia Nixon , Kristin Davis

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

6 Seasons

Production Company

Darren Star Productions, Home Box Office (HBO), Sex and the City Productions

48 Ozark Is The Prestigious Series Netflix Deserves

2017-2022

People like to refer to Ozark as Netflix's Breaking Bad. As much of a compliment as that is, it doesn't really do Ozark justice as its own show. Yes, they're both crime dramas where a family man's morality slowly devolves the more he brushes with the law. But Ozark deserves to be credited as an esteemed show all on its own.

The Netflix series takes place in the Lake of the Ozarks where Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) moves his family to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel. Over the course of the series, his family gets involved in the illegal business as they continue to make more enemies in their inner circle. Supporting (and sometimes competing against) Marty is Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner), who brings a fire to the grim story. This series has been widely praised for its complex plot and its three-dimensional characters, with whom viewers can relate even in the weirdest circumstances.

Ozark

TV-MA

Drama

Crime

Thriller

A financial advisor drags his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where he must launder money to appease a drug boss.

Release Date

July 21, 2017

Cast

Jason Bateman , Laura Linney , Julia Garner , Charlie Tahan

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

4

47 Stranger Things' Nostalgia Sets Up A Thrilling Sci-Fi/Horror

2016-Present

A recurring observation among modern television shows is that they rely on nostalgia to keep audiences watching. People love being reminded of the good ol' days, reminiscing about a time when technology and social media didn't hinge on the little things in life. Stranger Things does that throughout its four (nearly five) season run but tops it off with an exciting mystery to unpack.

Using a 1980s setting, most of Stranger Things capitalizes on the Dungeons & Dragons craze of that era to give familiarity to its original monstrous concepts. Stranger Things is still ranked lower than other sci-fi nostalgic series due to Seasons 2 through 4 failing to live up to the first season's oddities and intense plot. But even in its lowest moments, Stranger Things is Netflix's magnum opus.

Stranger Things

TV-14

Horror

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one strange little girl.

Release Date

July 15, 2016

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Cast

Winona Ryder , David Harbour , Cara Buono , FInn Wolfhard , Millie Bobby Brown

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

5 Seasons

Creator

Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

Production Company

21 Laps Entertainment, Monkey Massacre, Netflix

46 Deadwood Was HBO's Hit Western Before Westworld

2004-2006

Before Westworld's bewildering cowboy vs. robot narrative and Yellowstone's bloody succession, Deadwood was the Western drama to tune into. It unfortunately was stung by a devastating cancelation just after its third season, but HBO promised more was to come with two more movies in development. It's a promise many television shows have made to make up for cutting the cord too soon, but HBO eventually delivered a 2-hour film conclusion in 2019 — even if it was 13 years later.

So why did Deadwood have everyone up in arms against HBO? Deadwood had everything people expect from a Western — a lawless gold-mining camp to attract money-grubbers, discourse on the colonization of Native American land in the American West, and, of course, gunslinging. Too bad HBO didn't realize Westerns would have a resurgence until over a decade later.

Deadwood

TV-MA

Western

Crime

Drama

History

A show set in the late 1800s, revolving around the characters of Deadwood, South Dakota; a town of deep corruption and crime.

Release Date

March 21, 2004

Cast

Timothy Olyphant , Ian McShane , Molly Parker , Brad Dourif , W. Earl Brown , John Hawkes , Paula Malcomson , Dayton Callie

Main Genre

Western

Seasons

3

Creator

David Milch

45 House Of The Dragon Is A Worthy Successor

2022-Present

When it was heard that the Game of Thrones universe was going to continue to expand in the form of House of the Dragon, many were excited, but there was reason to be nervous. Many fans and critics did not like the last couple of seasons that took place in Westeros. However, only a couple of seasons into its existence, House of the Dragon has proven itself to be a more than worthy successor.

While it will take time before the show can be held up to the same position as its predecessor, it certainly could get there and even surpass it. The show takes a look at the Targaryen family and their internal politics and drama hundreds of years before the events of Season 1 of Game of Thrones.

House of the Dragon

TV-MA

Drama

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Two centuries before the events ofA Game of Thrones,House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone.

Release Date

August 21, 2022

Cast

Jefferson Hall , Eve Best , David Horovitch , Paddy Considine , Ryan Corr , Bill Paterson , Fabien Frankel , Graham McTavish , Olivia Cooke , Gavin Spokes , Sonoya Mizuno , Steve Toussaint , Matt Smith , Matthew Needham , Rhys Ifans , Emma D'Arcy , Milly Alcock

Main Genre

Drama

Franchise

Game of Thrones

Cinematographer

Alejandro Martinez, Catherine Goldschmidt, Pepe Avila del Pino, Fabian Wagner

Creator

George R. R. Martin, Ryan J. Condal

Distributor

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution

Production Company

Bastard Sword, Cross Plains Productions, Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO

Sequel

Game of Thrones

Sfx Supervisor

Michael Dawson

Story By

George R. R. Martin

Streaming Service(s)

Max

44 Six Feet Under Is A Daunting Study Of Grief In The Most Fitting Way

2001-2005

Another success in HBO's books, Six Feet Under was doing the black comedy family drama before Succession swooped in to charm everyone. Six Feet Under takes a more devastating approach to odd family dynamics by setting the series in a funeral home.

The series features an ensemble cast featuring Peter Krause, Lauren Ambrose, Michael C. Hall, and Frances Conroy as a family who inherit the patriarch's funeral home after he dies. Each episode's themes are determined by the type of death that's featured, whether it be a homicide or natural causes. Typically, Six Feet Under explores themes of grief, shame, and guilt in a gracious way, while also incorporating some well-timed humor.

Six Feet Under

Comedy

Drama

Release Date

June 3, 2001

Cast

Peter Krause , Michael C. Hall , Lauren Ambrose , Frances Conroy

Seasons

5

Number of Episodes

63

43 Family Guy Was Seth MacFarlane's Biggest Creation

1999-2002, 2005-Present

Despite being off the air for a brief time, Family Guy has grown a major following. Based around a Rhode Island family, it explores the adventures of Peter Griffin and his family. The show is meta in many ways, aware of its position on television and all the inside jokes surrounding it. The classic cutaways are a staple of its humor and are something instantly recognizable about it.

The show continues to run today, never running out of material because it often comments and poking fun at various different aspects of contemporary society. One episode is never solely surrounding one character, with many side plots taking place at once.

Family Guy

TV-MA

Animation

Comedy

In a wacky Rhode Island town, a dysfunctional family strives to cope with everyday life as they are thrown from one crazy scenario to another.

Release Date

January 31, 1999

Cast

Seth MacFarlane , Alex Borstein , Mila Kunis , Seth Green

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

23

Creator

Seth MacFarlane, David Zuckerman

Production Company

Fuzzy Door Productions, Fox Television Animation

Number of Episodes

420+

42 Curb Your Enthusiasm Celebrates The Genius Of Larry David

2000-2024

Curb Your Enthusiasm'stwelfth and final season is recently out, having been on since 2000. Larry David was already well-known for co-creating and writing the highly successful sitcom Seinfeld and plays on this persona in Curb Your Enthusiasm — a stellar picture of a man trying to recreate a once-in-a-lifetime success.

David portrays a fictionalized version of himself that displays an ignorance of social expectations and graces, leading to comedic situations and second-hand embarrassment. After Curb Your Enthusiasm ends, it'll be hard to replicate such a mastery of blending fact and fiction as David does.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

TV-MA

The life and times of Larry David and the predicaments he gets himself into with his friends and complete strangers.

Release Date

October 15, 2000

Cast

Larry David , Cheryl Hines , Jeff Garlin

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

12 Seasons

Creator

Larry David

Production Company

Home Box Office (HBO), Production Partners

41 The Golden Girls Approached The Thrill Of Women's Lives Ahead Of Its Time

1985-1992

Everyone knows the iconic theme song of The Golden Girls that when it turns on, no one can resist bursting out a "thank you for being a friend." The Golden Girls not only redefined what it meant to be a woman on television, but it also subverted expectations of older women in sitcoms. The four gal-pals aren't married, don't spend their time dealing with their kids' lives, and have casual sex with strangers sometimes. There was nothing else like it at the time.

The four Golden Girls became iconic in their own right: There was Bea Arthur's Dorothy, the sarcastic and practical one of the group. There's also her mother, Sophia (Estelle Getty), who always has a quick comeback and flaunts her Sicilian heritage. Then there's Rose (Betty White) and Rue (Blanche), the former being the "dim-witted" comic relief and the latter being the promiscuous roommate. They truly defined what it meant to be a woman in the 1980s. The progressive interpretation of this generation of women makes The Golden Girls an unforgettable sitcom.

The Golden Girls

TV-PG

Comedy

Drama

Four previously married women live together in Miami, sharing their various experiences together and enjoying themselves despite hard times.

Release Date

September 14, 1985

Cast

Bea Arthur , Rue McClanahan , Betty White , Estelle Getty

Main Genre

Sitcom

Seasons

7

Creator

Susan Harris

Number of Episodes

180

Network

NBC

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu

40 Bojack Horseman Explores Cynical Questions With A Talking Horse

2014-2020

Animated series typically have a rap of being childish, understated, and quick to the point. BoJack Horseman is anything but those things. The Netflix animated series has surprisingly realistic takes on heavy topics such as mental health, abortion, addiction, and the human condition.

With an anthropomorphic horse as its lead, BoJack Horseman explores the perils of Hollywood through a washed-up sitcom star of the 1990s. BoJack aims to make a comeback in Hollywoo (an alternative take on Hollywood) while also struggling with his mental health and addiction. He's also wrapped up in conflicts with his agent and former girlfriend, his freeloading roommate and former rival. The combination of dark humor and poignant takes about human nature make this animated series stand out from others of its kind.

BoJack Horseman

TV-MA

Animation

Comedy

Drama

BoJack Horseman was the star of the hit television show "Horsin' Around" in the '80s and '90s, but now he's washed up, living in Hollywood, complaining about everything, and wearing colorful sweaters.

Release Date

August 22, 2014

Cast

Will Arnett , Amy Sedaris , Alison Brie , Aaron Paul , Paul F. Tompkins , Diedrich Bader

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

6

39 Doctor Who Constantly Reinvents And Regenerates... But It Always Works

1963-Present

There's no show quite like Doctor Who that's reinvented itself so many times. The shtick with Doctor Who is that the main character, mostly known as just "The Doctor," is replaced by a new actor every few seasons, and the regeneration is written into the storyline when the Doctor faces mortal danger. The new face allows for a fresh start with new companions and stories in a cycle starting in 1963.

So far, there have been 15 Doctors on the show, the most current being Ncuti Gatwa. In each reincarnation, the Doctor is interpreted as a Time Lord alien who travels through time with the TARDIS to prevent evil forces from hurting innocent people. They make companions — usually humans from Earth — with whom they form endearing and memorable relationships. A show with a lot of heart, Doctor Who truly reinvented sci-fi as a genre.

Doctor Who

TV-PG

Action

Adventure

The adventures in time and space of the alien adventurer known as the Doctor and his companions from planet Earth.

Release Date

March 26, 2005

Cast

Jodie Whittaker , Peter Capaldi , pearl mackie , Matt Smith , David Tennant , Christopher Eccleston , Sylvester McCoy , Tom Baker , Paul McGann , Peter Davison

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Seasons

15

Creator

Sydney Newman

Production Company

BBC Studios, BBC Wales, Bad Wolf

Number of Episodes

196

Network

BBC

38 Chernobyl Makes A Thriller Out Of A Real Disaster

2019

Chernobyl was a catastrophic disaster in 1986. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant suffered an accident that killed people immediately and proceeded to kill hundreds more in the coming years due to cancer and other illnesses the radiation inflicted on workers, residents, and first responders. The drama miniseries named after the disaster gets to the root of the problem, which ultimately boils down to terrible human mistakes and ignorance.

Chernobyl is a five-hour gripping piece that does justice to a nation defined by a singular incident. The series is seldom positive, as it peels back the layers to the devastating truth behind the accident, but the bleakness doesn't drag the story. It instead pushes it towards the truth and tells the stories of the brave scientists and responders who risked their lives to contain the accident.

Chernobyl

Miniseries

Disaster

History

Release Date

May 6, 2019

Cast

Jared Harris , Stellan Skarsgård , Emily Watson , Paul Ritter

Seasons

1

Creator

Craig Mazin

Number of Episodes

5

Streaming Service(s)

HBO Max

37 Band Of Brothers Brilliantly Captures The Tragedy And Camaraderie Of War

2001

Before Chernobyl, Band of Brothers was the HBO miniseries that left people in shambles. The 2001 10-episode series was created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who both worked on the World War II film Saving Private Ryan. The series was decorated with critical acclaim and awards, winning Emmys and Golden Globes.

The highly emotional saga features an ensemble cast of characters who portray soldiers in the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Throughout the series, viewers come to understand these characters and the conditions they're forced under in the war. Most importantly, as a miniseries that's over 20 years old, Band of Brothers has held up quite well. There's a fine line in depicting war, as there's a delicate sociopolitical nature that can't be ignored, no matter how painful it is. But Band of Brothers puts it all on the table, even the ugliness.

Band of Brothers

TV-MA

History

War

The story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.

Release Date

September 6, 2001

Cast

Rick Gomez , Kirk Acevedo , Elon Bailey , Dale Dye

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

1

Creator

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg

Network

HBO Max

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix , Max

36 Avatar: The Last Airbender Puts Other Children's Shows To Shame

2005-2008

Children's shows hardly ever make it on the "greatest shows of all time" lists. Most of the time, these types of shows are written to keep children stimulated and distract them long enough, so parents can have time for themselves. But in the rare case of Avatar: The Last Airbender, it's engaging for everybody — the story is just that exciting as well as the lore, which is quite unique.

The Nickelodeon show takes no time to show the costly effects of war and genocide on all civilians. These mature concepts may go over the heads of young children, but that doesn't necessarily mean they aren't effective. The series uses the backdrop of an imperialistic war to deliver an emotional story of Aang, the young Avatar who can bend all four elements. So few children's shows have yet to replicate the mastery of conveying such dark themes in a series appropriate for every age.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

TV-Y7-FV

Animation

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

In a war-torn world of elemental magic, a young boy reawakens to undertake a dangerous mystic quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar, and bring peace to the world.

Release Date

February 21, 2005

Cast

Dee Bradley Baker , Mae Whitman , Jack De Sena , Dante Basco

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

3

Studio

Nickelodeon Animation Studio

Franchise

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Creator

Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko

Number of Episodes

61

Network

Nickelodeon

35 Arrested Development Remains A Cult Classic Comedy

2003-2006, 2013-2019

Before Schitt's Creek, Arrested Development had a rich family who lost everything and was forced to cope with going bankrupt. In a similar vein to Game of Thrones, fans of the series felt that the revived fourth and fifth seasons on Netflix failed to capture the tone of the series before it was canceled. But even if the last couple of seasons didn't measure up to much, the first three seasons are brilliant enough to override a dull ending.

Arrested Development juggles a lot of characters at once when the patriarch of a wealthy Orange County family is sent to jail. But each character is so incredibly distinct from each other that it never feels messy or convoluted. What makes Arrested Development one of the best comedy shows is its ruthlessness to laugh at its own characters while carrying multiple subplots that pay off exceptionally well.

Arrested Development

TV-14

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.

Release Date

November 2, 2003

Cast

Jason Bateman , Michael Cera , Portia de Rossi , Will Arnett , Alia Shawkat , Tony Hale , David Cross , Jeffrey Tambor

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

5

34 True Detective Daringly Reinvents Itself Every Season

2014-Present

True Detective's Leads Each Season:

Crime dramas never go out of style on television. Usually, they're stylized as a procedural, such as Law and Order or Criminal Minds. HBO's True Detective accomplishes something different by creating an anthology that focuses on a different crime each season, with different detectives solving the case.

The second season of the series fell a bit flat, not being able to live up to its phenomenal first season featuring Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. Yet, viewers don't let the second season stop them from recommending the series and continuing onto the third season, which picked back up with Mahershala Ali as its lead. The neo-noir, Southern Gothic style of this melancholic drama creates a tense narrative that slowly unfolds over each episode, building up to a finale that never stumbles.

True Detective

7

10

TV-MA

Crime

Drama

Mystery

Anthology series in which police investigations unearth the personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within and outside the law.

Release Date

January 12, 2014

Cast

Matthew McConaughey , Woody Harrelson , Rachel McAdams , Colin Farrell , Mahershala Ali , Ray Fisher

Main Genre

Crime

Seasons

4

Creator

Nic Pizzolatto

Streaming Service(s)

HBO Max

33 The Crown Follows Queen Elizabeth II Through The Decades

2016-2023

Actor Changes Throughout Six Seasons of The Crown

People have always been fascinated by the royal family, a fact that Netflix decided to capitalize on. Love them or hate them, the royal family has had a fascinating life that, for the most part, people still do not know much about due to high-level secrecy. The Crown feels like unauthorized access into the lives of some of the most prestigious individuals in the world, which is entirely why people still click "play" for six seasons.

Spanning across many decades, The Crown is known for switching actors every two seasons to represent the aging process. The first two seasons, starring Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II, take place from 1947 to 1964 as the new queen establishes her rule in the United Kingdom. The final two seasons notably have a shift in narrative as it focuses less on the Queen and more on Diana, Princess of Wales, as she copes under the pressures of royalty. Regardless of who serves as the series' main focus, The Crown offers a VIP pass to the life of one of the most controversial royal families ever, properly delivered with great writing and even better acting.

The Crown

TV-MA

Drama

History

Follows the political rivalries and romances of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped Britain for the second half of the 20th century.

Release Date

November 4, 2016

Cast

Claire Foy , Olivia Colman , Imelda Staunton , Matt Smith , Tobias Menzies , Jonathan Pryce , Vanessa Kirby , Helena Bonham Carter , Lesley Manville , Victoria Hamilton , Marion Bailey , Marcia Warren

Main Genre

Biography

Seasons

6 Seasons

Website

https://www.netflix.com/title/80025678

Cinematographer

Stuart Howell, Adriano Goldman

Creator

Peter Morgan

Distributor

Netflix

Main Characters

Peter Townsend, Prince Philip, Anthony Eden, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Queen Mary, Prince Charles, Princess Margaret

Producer

Andy Stebbing, Martin Harrison, Michael Casey, Andrew Eaton, Oona O'Beirn, Faye Ward

Production Company

Sony Pictures Television, Left Bank Pictures

Writers

Peter Morgan

32 The X-Files Left A Mark On Fandoms And The Supernatural Genre

1993-2002, 2016-2018

Procedurals have their place in the television world, but they hardly stand tall against gripping dramas such as Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and Game of Thrones. The X-Files was no different from other procedurals in that it featured a "monster of the week," similar to Supernatural. But it did reimagine the TV procedural by adding an overarching story of a planned alien invasion as well as focusing on dozens of different paranormal cases.

As a supernatural series, it kept viewers on the edge of their seats each week, hoping to learn more about the alien storyline. The show was also a slow-burn romance saga between the two leads, Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. The "will-they, won't-they" dynamic between the FBI agents inspired the term "shipping," a commonly used word in fandoms today. To say The X-Files had an impact on fandom culture is quite an understatement.

The X-Files

TV-14

Sci-Fi

Drama

Two F.B.I. Agents, Fox Mulder the believer and Dana Scully the skeptic, investigate the strange and unexplained, while hidden forces work to impede their efforts.

Release Date

September 10, 1993

Cast

David Duchovny , Gillian Anderson , Mitch Pileggi , William B. Davis

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Seasons

11

Creator

Chris Carter

Network

FOX

Streaming Service(s)

Amazon Prime Video , Hulu

31 Watchmen Grounds The Superhero Genre

2019

Like Freaks and Geeks, Watchmen is under the unfortunate umbrella of shows that were canceled too soon. Fans of both the comics, the show, and the movie of the same name have waited long and hard for the series to get a surprise renewal, but the chances of such are slim. Before the MCU ventured into television on Disney+, HBO and Damon Lindelof were putting a methodical spin on the superhero genre by depicting incredibly thoughtful events that the MCU might be a little too afraid of touching.

Watchmen follows a group of police officers in Tulsa, Oklahoma who are forced to go undercover when a white supremacist group called the Seventh Kavalry attacks them in their homes. It's certainly not an easy watch compared to the family-friendly MCU, but Watchmen's bold and unafraid moves to call out fascism with a superhero twist is more than enough to solidify it as a blazing show.

Watchmen

TV-MA

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.

Release Date

December 15, 2019

Creator(s)

Damon Lindelof

Cast

Regina King , Don Johnson , Tim Blake Nelson , Yahya Abdul-Mateen II , Andrew Howard , Jacob Ming-Trent , Tom Mison , Sara Vickers , Dylan Schombing , Louis Gossett Jr. , Jeremy Irons , Jean Smart , Hong Chau

Main Genre

Crime

Seasons

1

Creator

Damon Lindeloff