Written and Ranked By: C. A. Ponch
As a reminder – To qualify for the list I followed these basic guidelines:
- I watched at least three to five episodes of each show from my list of TV shows. Finishing most first seasons of every series on this list. Some shows were so bad that it was not worth watching more than three to five episodes. I gave them a chance. For the majority of the series, I have seen every episode.
- Each from the list of TV shows could not have more than 30 episodes a season. That eliminated all late-night shows like “The Tonight Show”, variety of programs like “Sports Center”, and singing competitions like “American Idol” and “The Voice”. Also, I didn’t include morning shows like “The Today Show”, etc. If it were a series that aired more than once a week, it was unfortunately just too much content for me to review.
- Each series had to have at least three episodes air/stream per season to qualify. This eliminated event TV and made for TV movies but did include some great mini-series.
- No reality competitions or junk reality TV. That is not acting, and they show no real craftsmanship to judge. Those series are almost impossible to review. Variety shows with actual writers like SNL were included.
- Documentaries were accepted, but only if they were season-long documentaries with more than three episodes. I decided the difference between what qualified as a documentary series and a reality series. Reality series generally create situations and observe those situations for the entertainment of the viewer in an on-going manner much like life itself. A documentary series attempts to educate the viewer by presenting facts through a series of observations that are a full product having a beginning, middle, and end. It’s a fine line, but documentaries tend to inform or educate while entertaining.
- Each from the list of TV shows had to have at least three episodes air during the past decade (2010-2019) that I actually saw, but I ranked TV shows from their full body of work of which that I have seen since their inception. This eliminated anything that didn’t have an episode air after 2009 but it also eliminated a few shows like “The Simpsons”, and “NCIS” which although I have seen more than three episodes of; I haven’t seen enough episodes of those shows in the past ten years. In fact, a few series on this list would have been ranked higher, had they just ended earlier before the quality of the show deteriorated.
- Lastly, there is one exception on this list of TV shows I have watched this decade but can’t rank: “Sesame Street”. It’s still one of the greatest children’s top TV shows of all time. If you have young children, “Sesame Street” should be #1 on this list, if you don’t have young children, why are you watching “Sesame Street”? That’s strange and you may want to seek help.
Don’t see your favorite show below? Check out our Binge Watch – 400 Best and Worst TV shows 400-51
Top 50 List Countdown
50. Sneaky Pete (Amazon – 2015 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.2/10 – RT 96% – Metacritic 76%
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Subscription
49. Daredevil (Netflix – 2015 to 2018): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.6/10 – RT 92% – Metacritic 72%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
48. Rectify (Sundance – 2013 to 2016): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.3/10 – RT 95% – Metacritic 88%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
47. Silicon Valley (HBO – 2014 to 2019): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.5/10 – RT 94% – Metacritic 84%
Streaming On: HBO Now/Go/Max Subscription
46. The Mandalorian (Disney + – 2019 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.7/10 – RT 93% – Metacritic 70%
Streaming On: Disney + Subscription
45. American Vandal (Netflix – 2017 to 2018): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.2/10 – RT 98% – Metacritic 76%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
44. 24 (Fox – 2001 to 2014): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.3/10 – RT 86% – Metacritic 79%
Streaming On: Hulu Subscription
43. The Defiant Ones (HBO – 2017): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.6/10 – RT 100% – Metacritic 76%
Streaming On: HBO Now/Go/Max Subscription
42. The Good Place (NBC – 2016 to 2020): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.2/10 – RT 97% – Metacritic 82%
Streaming On: NBC On-Demand, NBC Peacock, Netflix Subscription, Hulu Subscription
41. True Detective (HBO – 2014 to 2019): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 9.1/10 – RT 78% – Metacritic 73%
Streaming On: HBO Now/Go/Max Subscription
40. Parks and Recreation (NBC – 2009 to 2015): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.6/10 – RT 92% – Metacritic NA%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription, Hulu Subscription
39. House of Cards (Netflix – 2013 to 2018): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.8/10 – RT 84% – Metacritic 73%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
38. Arrested Development (Fox/Netflix – 2003 to 2019): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.8/10 – RT 75% – Metacritic 78%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
37. The Crown (Netflix – 2016 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.7/10 – RT 89% – Metacritic 84%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
36. American Crime Story (FX – 2016 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.4/10 – RT 93% – Metacritic 82%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
35. BoJack Horseman (Netflix – 2014 to 2020): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.7/10 – RT 93% – Metacritic 85%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
34. Better Call Saul (AMC – 2015 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.7/10 – RT 97% – Metacritic 85%
Streaming On: AMC On-Demand, Netflix Subscription
33. The Affair (Showtime – 2014 to 2019): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8/10 – RT 86% – Metacritic 81%
Streaming On: Showtime Subscription
32. Sherlock (PBS/BBC – 2010 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 9.1/10 – RT 78% – Metacritic 88%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
31. The Office (NBC – 2005 to 2012): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.9/10 – RT 81% – Metacritic NA%
Streaming On: NNetflix Subscription
30. South Park (Comedy Central – 1997 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.7/10 – RT 81% – Metacritic NA%
Streaming On: Hulu Subscription
29. Fleabag (Amazon/BBC – 2016 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.7/10 – RT 100% – 92% Metacritic
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Subscription
28. Boardwalk Empire (HBO – 2010 to 2014): Ponch 10/10
IMDB 8.5/10 – RT 92% – Metacritic 83%
Streaming On: HBO Now/Go/Max Subscription, Amazon Prime Subscription
27. Modern Family (ABC -2009 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.4/10 – RT 89% – Metacritic 87%
Streaming On: NBC Peacock, Amazon Prime Subscription, Hulu Subscription
26. Friday Night Lights (NBC – 2006 to 2011): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.7/10 – RT 97% – Metacritic 83%
Streaming On: NBC Peacock, Amazon Prime Subscription, Hulu Subscription
25. Broadchurch (BBC – 2013 to 2017): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.4/10 – RT 92% – Metacritic 84%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
24. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon – 2017 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.7/10 – RT 89% – Metacritic 80%
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Subscription
23. Girls (HBO – 2012 to 2017): Ponch: 10/10 –
IMDB 7.4/10 – RT 89% – Metacritic 80%
Streaming On: HBO Now/Go/Max Subscription, Amazon Prime Subscription
22. Master of None (Netflix – 2015 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.3 – RT 99% – Metacritic 91%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
21. Peaky Blinders (BBC/Netflix – 2013 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.8/10 – RT 92% – Metacritic NA%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
20. The Good Wife (CBS – 2009 to 2016): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.3/10 – RT 97% – Metacritic 85%
Streaming On: CBS All Access, Amazon Prime Subscription, Hulu Subscription
19. Stranger Things (Netflix – 2016 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.8/10 – RT 93% – Metacritic 75%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
18. Mr. Robot (USA – 2015 to 2019): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.5/10 – RT 94% – Metacritic 81%
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Subscription
17. The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu – 2017 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.5/10 – RT 88% – Metacritic 86%
Streaming On: Hulu Subscription
16. The Leftovers (HBO – 2014 to 2017): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.3/10 – RT 91% – Metacritic 81%
Streaming On: HBO Now/Go/Max Subscription
15. The Night Of (HBO – 2016): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.5/10 – RT 94% – Metacritic 90%
Streaming On: HBO Now/Go/Max Subscription
14. Barry (HBO – 2018 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.3/10– RT 99% – Metacritic 85%
Streaming On: HBO Now/Go/Max Subscription
13. When They See Us (Netflix – 2019): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 9/10 – RT 96% – Metacritic 86%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
12. Atlanta (FX – 2016 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.6/10 – RT 97% – Metacritic 93%
Streaming On: FX On-Demand, Hulu Subscription
11. Killing Eve (AMC/BBC – 2018 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.4/10– RT 94% – Metacritic 85%
Streaming On: Showtime: AMC On-Demand, Hulu Subscription
10. Justified (FX – 2010 to 2015): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.6/10 – RT 97% – Metacritic 86%
Streaming On: Hulu Subscription
9. Lost (ABC – 2004 to 2010): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.3/10 – RT 85% – Metacritic 84%
Streaming On: Hulu Subscription
8. Catastrophe (Amazon Prime – 2015 to 2019): Ponch: 10/10
8.2/10 IMDB – 98% RT – 89% Metacritic
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Subscription
7. Homeland (Showtime – 2011 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.3/10 – RT 85% – Metacritic 81%
Streaming On: Showtime Subscription, Hulu Subscription
6. Mad Men (AMC – 2007 to 2015): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.6/10 – RT 94% – Metacritic 87%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
5. Watchmen (HBO – 2019 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.1/10 – RT 95% – Metacritic 85%
Streaming On: HBO Now/Go/Max Subscription
4. Veep (HBO – 2012 to 2019): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.3/10 – RT 93% – Metacritic 83%
Streaming On: HBO Now/Go/Max Subscription, Amazon Prime Subscription
3. The Americans (FX – 2013 to 2018): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.4/10 – RT 96% – Metacritic 89%
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Subscription
2. 30 for 30 including OJ: Made In America (ESPN – 2009 to Present): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 8.9/10 – RT 100% – Metacritic NA%
Streaming On: ESPN On-Demand, ESPN+ Subscription
1b. Breaking Bad (AMC – 2008 to 2013): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 9.5/10 – RT 96% – Metacritic 88%
Streaming On: Netflix Subscription
1a. Game of Thrones (HBO – 2011 to 2019): Ponch: 10/10
IMDB 9.3/10 – RT 90% – Metacritic 86%
Streaming On: HBO Now/Go/Max Subscription
