TV Series Worth Watching

by darrenfava | created - 15 Apr 2011 | updated - 15 Apr 2011 | Public

my top 50 series in random order

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1. 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: 579,078

2. 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: 106,626

3. Hung (2009–2011)

TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama

A former high school sports legend, turned middle-aged high school basketball coach, finds a way to benefit from his biggest asset.

Stars: Thomas Jane, Jane Adams, Charlie Saxton, Sianoa Smit-McPhee

Votes: 23,093

4. 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: 765,401

5. Flashforward (2009–2010)

TV-14 | 42 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

A special task force in the FBI investigates after every person on Earth simultaneously blacks out and awakens with a short vision of their future.

Stars: Courtney B. Vance, Joseph Fiennes, Jack Davenport, Zachary Knighton

Votes: 62,089

6. The 4400 (2004–2007)

TV-14 | 43 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

As the reappearance of 4,400 missing persons on a single day confounds the global community, federal agents on the case slowly discover the ways in which the victims have been changed.

Stars: Jacqueline McKenzie, Joel Gretsch, Patrick John Flueger, Conchita Campbell

Votes: 46,871

7. Criminal Minds (2005– )

TV-14 | 42 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

A group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) using behavioral analysis and profiling to help investigate crimes and find the suspect known as the unsub.

Stars: Kirsten Vangsness, Matthew Gray Gubler, A.J. Cook, Joe Mantegna

Votes: 218,586

8. Reaper (2007–2009)

TV-14 | 45 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama

On his 21st birthday, Sam discovers his parents sold his soul to the devil before birth and he must now be a bounty hunter for the devil until he dies.

Stars: Bret Harrison, Tyler Labine, Rick Gonzalez, Missy Peregrym

Votes: 25,077

9. 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: 377,208

10. Chuck (2007–2012)

TV-14 | 43 min | Action, Comedy, Drama

When a computer geek inadvertently downloads critical government secrets into his brain, both the CIA and the NSA assign an agent to protect him and exploit his newfound skills.

Stars: Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Vik Sahay

Votes: 146,797

11. Two and a Half Men (2003–2015)

TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, Romance

A hedonistic jingle writer's free-wheeling life comes to an abrupt halt when his brother and 10-year-old nephew move into his beach-front house.

Stars: Jon Cryer, Ashton Kutcher, Angus T. Jones, Conchata Ferrell

Votes: 280,459

12. My Name Is Earl (2005–2009)

TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy

A ne'er do well wins $100,000 in the lottery and decides to right all the wrongs from his past with his newfound realization!

Stars: Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Jaime Pressly, Nadine Velazquez

Votes: 109,572

13. Mad Men (2007–2015)

TV-MA | 45 min | Drama

A drama about one of New York's most prestigious ad agencies at the beginning of the 1960s, focusing on one of the firm's most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.

Stars: Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones

Votes: 260,416

14. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000–2015)

TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

In Las Vegas, a squad of forensic investigators are trained to solve crimes by meticulously examining the evidence. They employ advanced technology and their rationality to detect the perpetrators.

Stars: William Petersen, Laurence Fishburne, Ted Danson, George Eads

Votes: 89,079

15. CSI: Miami (2002–2012)

TV-14 | 43 min | Action, Crime, Drama

An elite unit, led by an ex-homicide cop, which is linked to the Miami-Dade Police Department, uses all possible resources and skills at their disposal to solve complex crimes in cross-cultural Miami.

Stars: David Caruso, Emily Procter, Adam Rodriguez, Rex Linn

Votes: 61,179

16. CSI: NY (2004–2013)

TV-14 | 43 min | Action, Crime, Drama

Forensic scientists and investigators of the New York City Police Department unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths.

Stars: Gary Sinise, Carmine Giovinazzo, Hill Harper, Eddie Cahill

Votes: 49,575

17. 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: 513,001

18. The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019)

TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Romance

A woman who moves into an apartment across the hall from two brilliant but socially awkward physicists shows them how little they know about life outside of the laboratory.

Stars: Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg

Votes: 867,372

19. Spartacus (2010–2013)

TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Biography

The life of Spartacus, the gladiator who lead a rebellion against the Romans. From his time as an ally of the Romans, to his betrayal and becoming a gladiator, to the rebellion he leads and its ultimate outcome.

Stars: Andy Whitfield, Lucy Lawless, Manu Bennett, Daniel Feuerriegel

Votes: 256,885

20. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011)

TV-MA | 55 min | Action, Adventure, Biography

In the time before the arrival of Spartacus, the House of Batiatus faces many challenges from competitors, and within its own household.

Stars: John Hannah, Manu Bennett, Peter Mensah, Dustin Clare

Votes: 145,334

21. Sleeper Cell (2005–2006)

TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

An American undercover FBI agent is assigned to infiltrate a terrorist sleeper cell that is planning an attack in Los Angeles.

Stars: Michael Ealy, Oded Fehr, Henri Lubatti, Melissa Sagemiller

Votes: 6,720

22. Brotherhood (2006–2008)

TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama

Set in an Irish neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island, the series revolves around two brothers on opposite sides of the law: one a gangster (Jason Isaacs) and the other a state politician (Jason Clarke).

Stars: Jason Isaacs, Jason Clarke, Annabeth Gish, Kevin Chapman

Votes: 8,103

23. 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: 188,378

24. South Park (1997– )

TV-MA | 22 min | Animation, Comedy

Follows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.

Stars: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Isaac Hayes, Mona Marshall

Votes: 405,788

25. 24 (2001–2010)

TV-14 | 44 min | Action, Crime, Drama

Counter Terrorism Agent Jack Bauer races against the clock to subvert terrorist plots and save his nation from ultimate disaster.

Stars: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Carlos Bernard, Dennis Haysbert

Votes: 196,979

26. The Tudors (2007–2010)

TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance

A dramatic series about the reign and marriages of King Henry VIII.

Stars: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Anthony Brophy, James Frain

Votes: 81,163

27. The Pillars of the Earth (2010)

TV-MA | 59 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller

Set against a backdrop of war, religious strife and power struggles which tears lives and families apart.

Stars: Ian McShane, Matthew Macfadyen, Eddie Redmayne, Hayley Atwell

Votes: 33,106

28. 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: 203,078

29. 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: 470,732

30. 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: 1,087,572

31. How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014)

TV-14 | 4,576 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

A father recounts to his children - through a series of flashbacks - the journey he and his four best friends took leading up to him meeting their mother.

Stars: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris

Votes: 728,213

32. Doctor Who (2005–2022)

TV-PG | 45 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

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

Stars: Jodie Whittaker, Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Matt Smith

Votes: 246,435

33. Ashes to Ashes (2008–2010)

TV-MA | 1,320 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy

After being shot in 2008 while investigating DCI Sam Tyler, DI Alex Drake wakes up in 1981.

Stars: Philip Glenister, Keeley Hawes, Dean Andrews, Marshall Lancaster

Votes: 11,060

34. Life on Mars (2006–2007)

TV-14 | 959 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

After a near-fatal car accident, smart, savvy, sharp-suited detective Sam is mysteriously transported back to 1973. Confused by his new surroundings, Sam tries to return to the present, but the police force of long ago needs his help.

Stars: John Simm, Philip Glenister, Liz White, Dean Andrews

Votes: 32,351

35. Taxi (1978–1983)

TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy

The staff of a New York City taxicab company go about their job while they dream of greater things.

Stars: Judd Hirsch, Jeff Conaway, Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner

Votes: 15,817

36. That '70s Show (1998–2006)

TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

A comedy revolving around a group of teenage friends, their mishaps, and their coming of age, set in 1970s Wisconsin.

Stars: Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, Danny Masterson

Votes: 189,274

37. Las Vegas (2003–2008)

TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama

Welcome to the Montecito Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, where you can do anything you want, but Ed Deline and his crack surveillance team will be watching. Just remember: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Stars: Josh Duhamel, James Caan, James Lesure, Vanessa Marcil

Votes: 29,958

38. 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: 257,410

39. Eli Stone (2008–2009)

TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

San Francisco lawyer Eli Stone begins to see things, which leads him to discover a brain aneurysm. But his visions lead him to accept cases with little monetary gain but a lot of moral goodness.

Stars: Jonny Lee Miller, Natasha Henstridge, Loretta Devine, Matt Letscher

Votes: 10,899

40. 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: 1,081,334

41. The Nine (2006–2007)

45 min | Crime, Drama

Nine surviving hostages from a spectacular bank hold-up meet regularly. The memories keep haunting them, in flashbacks that slowly reveal the story. Two surviving perpetrators in jail, who ... See full summary »

Stars: Lourdes Benedicto, John Billingsley, Jessica Ann Collins, Tim Daly

Votes: 1,501

42. Damages (2007–2012)

TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

A law school graduate becomes the protégée of a successful high-stakes litigator.

Stars: Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, Tate Donovan, Zachary Booth

Votes: 31,593

43. Hustle (2004–2012)

TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

A motley group of London con artists pulls off a series of daring and intricate stings.

Stars: Robert Glenister, Robert Vaughn, Rob Jarvis, Adrian Lester

Votes: 23,546

44. Men of a Certain Age (2009–2011)

TV-14 | 942 min | Comedy, Drama

A group of college buddies in the throes of middle age keep their friendship going long after they've graduated.

Stars: Ray Romano, Scott Bakula, Andre Braugher, LisaGay Hamilton

Votes: 4,587

45. Bones (2005–2017)

TV-14 | 40 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

F.B.I. Special Agent Seeley Booth teams up with the Jeffersonian's top anthropologist, Dr. Temperance Brennan, to investigate cases where all that's left of the victims are their bones.

Stars: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Michaela Conlin, T.J. Thyne

Votes: 176,142

46. Grey's Anatomy (2005– )

TV-14 | 41 min | Drama, Romance

A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors.

Stars: Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, James Pickens Jr., Justin Chambers

Votes: 341,558

47. Weeds (2005–2012)

TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama

When a suburban mother turns to dealing marijuana in order to maintain her privileged lifestyle after her husband dies, she finds out just how addicted her entire neighborhood already is.

Stars: Mary-Louise Parker, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould, Kevin Nealon

Votes: 117,337

48. Lie to Me (2009–2011)

TV-14 | 43 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

About Cal Lightman, the world's leading deception expert who studies facial expressions and involuntary body language to expose the truth behind the lies.

Stars: Tim Roth, Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines, Monica Raymund

Votes: 127,808

49. Numb3rs (2005–2010)

TV-PG | 43 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

Working for the F.B.I., a mathematician uses equations to help solve various crimes.

Stars: Rob Morrow, David Krumholtz, Judd Hirsch, Alimi Ballard

Votes: 45,733

50. Scrubs (2001–2010)

TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy, Drama

In the unreal world of Sacred Heart Hospital, intern John "J.D." Dorian learns the ways of medicine, friendship and life.

Stars: Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, John C. McGinley

Votes: 270,575



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