Even now, some of the most watched TV shows are comedies, dramas, crime procedurals, and suspenseful thrillers.
Popular TV shows have a bigger impact than we would care to acknowledge, ranging from watercooler comedies to model shows that spark spinoffs, podcasts, and devoted fandoms.
A staggering range of genres and media are represented in some of the most well-liked and often-seen TV series. A show can occasionally attract a large audience without even using live-action video.
For your convenience, we’ve chosen to showcase some of the most well-liked TV series to air. The top 25 TV series are listed below, ranked by total rating, persistent popularity, and cultural impact/relevance.
NOTE: The list is completely based on shows broadcasted on television only.
10. Succession (2018 – 2023)
Another famous HBO series, Succession, concluded its run quite recently in 2023. Succession is an intergenerational dramedy that narrates the tale of the Roy family, who are currently in charge of the Waystar RoyCo corporation.
As Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the family patriarch, prepares to pass away, a kind of rivalry emerges among his several heirs to become the next in line for the throne while they also deal with the impending death of their father. Jesse Armstrong, who has written for television programs such as Dogface, Black Mirror, and Veep, is the creator of the series.
9. The Blue Planet (2001)
The Blue Planet, one of the BBC’s most famous nature shows, is narrated by renowned British biologist Sir David Attenborough. It first aired in September 2001, and delves into eight different areas of marine life over the course of eight episodes, highlighting everything from the immense depths beneath the ocean’s surface to the ocean’s beaches.
In 2017, The Blue Planet II, a sequel series, was released. Deep Blue, a shortened version of the series, would also be released in theatres in 2003.
8. Friends (1994 – 2004)
Friends is inarguably among the most enduring sitcoms of the 1990s. It is a drama that takes place in the heart of New York City and centres on a group of six friends who are just trying to make ends meet while navigating the hectic city.
The diverse personalities portrayed by Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer occasionally fight but eventually bring out the best in each other amid the expansive metropolitan landscape. Friends: The Reunion, a reunion special for the television series, debuted in 2021.
7. The Wire (2002 – 2008)
The Wire, which airs alongside The Sopranos, provides a purposefully colder look at the world of organized crime. Instead of focusing on a single personal tale, The Wire focuses on Baltimore, with each season focused on a different institution and its attempts to solve the city’s various socioeconomic problems.
The series, directed by David Simon, investigates subjects such as the illegal drug trade, Baltimore’s crooked port system, the failing school system, and other noteworthy themes. The series features an ensemble cast that includes Dominic West, Michael K. Williams, Lance Reddick, Idris Elba, and others.
6. The Sopranos (1999 – 2007)
Undoubtedly, one of the most significant television programs ever produced is The Sopranos. The Sopranos, which is set in New Jersey, is the story of Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), the patriarch of the New Jersey mafia and the Soprano family.
Over the course of six seasons and 86 episodes, Tony battles obstacles on all fronts, including those related to his chosen career and personal issues, while making a concerted effort to better himself through multiple therapy sessions.
The show is renowned for being one of the most consistent instances of excellent HBO programming and for helping launch the acting careers of celebrities like Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico, and Edie Falco.
5. Planet Earth (2006)
Planet Earth, the first lengthy wildlife documentary shot in HD, is an excellent follow-up to Blue Planet. David Attenborough narrates a magnificent series of wildlife presentations, extending beyond the deep ocean to the Earth’s surface, depending on which version you see.
With breathtaking imagery distributed across 11 episodes, everything from the Earth’s poles and astounding mountaintops to damp tunnels and dry deserts is given time to shine. Each episode concludes with a short documentary that shows how that particular episode was created.
4. Seinfeld (1989 – 1998)
Seinfeld was one of the best sitcoms of the 1990s. The comedy, co-created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, has the latter playing a dramatically exaggerated version of himself while living on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
We follow Seinfeld on his various exploits throughout town, which frequently involve his buddies George Costanza (Jason Alexander), Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards).
The show was renowned for its interstitial stand-up comedy portions performed by Jerry Seinfeld, as well as its overarching focus on ordinary annoyances taken to humorous extremes.
3. The Office (2005 – 2013)
One of the most-seen TV series is definitely The Office. The Office, which is based in Scranton, Pennsylvania, chronicles the daily activities of the quirky Michael Scott-led Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The British sitcom of the same name served as the show’s original inspiration, but it eventually established itself as an endearing Americanized sitcom.
More than ten years after it concluded officially, The Office has spawned a podcast with former cast members Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, a tonne of board games, and even a special mobile game.
2. Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013)
Regarding Breaking Bad, what more needs to be said than has already been said? Breaking Bad, which costarred with Mad Men and The Walking Dead during AMC’s heyday, signalled a significant change in direction for lead actor Bryan Cranston. Rather than appearing in a corny comedy, Bryan Cranston plays Walter White in Breaking Bad.
Walter White is a cancer-stricken high school teacher who starts selling meth with one of his former students, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), in an attempt to support his family. But what comes next is a slow ascent to prominence that reveals Walter White’s real reasons for engaging in an illegal profession.
1. The Simpsons (1989 – Present)
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention The Simpsons, one of the longest-running animated shows. The Simpsons, which was first conceived by cartoonist Matt Groening for The Tracey Ullman Show, follows the various escapades of the Simpson family, who reside in the enigmatic city of Springfield.
Homer, the well-meaning but dim-witted breadwinner; Marge, the loving stay-at-home mother; Lisa, the intelligent and socially conscious daughter; Bart, the rebellious and immature son; and Maggie, the family’s youngest member.
Though the show began with a focus on each member of the Simpson family, it quickly expanded to include more and more of Springfield’s oddball people, resulting in a massive ensemble cast that continues to this day.
