Shows I've seen ranked by quality
by oh_yeah | created - 01 Jul 2012 | updated - 16 Apr 2015 | PublicEmphasis on QUALITY and not preference. My favourite show is Buffy, but as seen below, I don't believe it's the best show I've ever seen.
Also, a HUGE deal to me when watching a show is honest character development. This will explain why some shows are rated higher than expected and others are rated lower e.g. Nip/Tuck. (It's a good thing American Horror Story is using new characters every year, because Ryan Murphy tends to suck in this department).
It's just a matter of opinion...
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1. 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: 2,138,573
2. Angel (1999–2004)
TV-14 | 44 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
The vampire Angel, cursed with a soul, moves to Los Angeles and aids people with supernatural-related problems while questing for his own redemption.
Stars: David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, Alexis Denisof, J. August Richards
Votes: 75,811
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
TV-14 | 44 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
A young woman, destined to slay vampires, demons and other infernal creatures, deals with her life fighting evil, with the help of her friends.
Stars: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Head
Votes: 159,834
4. 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: 406,135
5. 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: 149,524
6. 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: 1,088,805
7. 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: 595,617
8. Modern Family (2009–2020)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Three different, but related, families face trials and tribulations in their own uniquely comedic ways.
Stars: Ed O'Neill, Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell
Votes: 483,987
9. 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: 323,690
10. 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: 767,165
11. 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: 579,744
12. 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: 2,286,477
13. Gilmore Girls (2000–2007)
TV-PG | 44 min | Comedy, Drama
A dramedy centering around the relationship between a thirtysomething single mother and her teen daughter living in Stars Hollow, Connecticut.
Stars: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Keiko Agena, Scott Patterson
Votes: 148,212
14. The Good Wife (2009–2016)
TV-14 | 43 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Alicia Florrick has been a good wife to her husband, a former state's attorney. After a very humiliating sex and corruption scandal, he is behind bars. She must now provide for her family and returns to work as a litigator in a law firm.
Stars: Julianna Margulies, Chris Noth, Josh Charles, Matt Czuchry
Votes: 82,797
15. 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: 124,749
16. 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: 361,050
17. 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: 320,285
18. Scandal (2012–2018)
TV-14 | 43 min | Drama, Thriller
A former White House Communications Director starts her own crisis management firm only to realize her clients are not the only ones with secrets.
Stars: Kerry Washington, Darby Stanchfield, Katie Lowes, Guillermo Diaz
Votes: 79,738
19. 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: 342,045
20. Veronica Mars (2004–2019)
TV-14 | 44 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
After her best friend is murdered, and her father is removed as county Sheriff, Veronica Mars dedicates her life to cracking the toughest mysteries in the affluent town of Neptune.
Stars: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni, Percy Daggs III
Votes: 78,111
21. Supernatural (2005–2020)
TV-14 | 44 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Two brothers follow their father's footsteps as hunters, fighting evil supernatural beings of many kinds, including monsters, demons, and gods that roam the earth.
Stars: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Jim Beaver, Misha Collins
Votes: 483,468
22. Dead Like Me (2003–2004)
TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
After being hit on the head by a toilet seat that fell from Mir space station, a young temp clerk becomes a grim reaper in death.
Stars: Ellen Muth, Callum Blue, Jasmine Guy, Mandy Patinkin
Votes: 43,921
23. American Horror Story (2011– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
An anthology series centering on different characters and locations, showcasing different aspects of horror.
Stars: Lady Gaga, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson
Votes: 344,149
24. Ugly Betty (2006–2010)
TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Smart but wholesome Betty embraces her unique appearance and independent attitude in the cutthroat world of New York fashion.
Stars: America Ferrera, Eric Mabius, Tony Plana, Ana Ortiz
Votes: 47,883
25. Desperate Housewives (2004–2012)
TV-14 | 45 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Secrets and truths unfold through the lives of female friends in one suburban neighborhood after the mysterious suicide of a neighbor.
Stars: Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria
Votes: 139,838
26. 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: 46,890
27. Pushing Daisies (2007–2009)
TV-PG | 44 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A pastry chef with the power to bring dead people back to life solves murder mysteries with his resurrected childhood sweetheart, a cynical private investigator, and a lovesick waitress.
Stars: Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Jim Dale
Votes: 59,580
28. The O.C. (2003–2007)
TV-PG | 44 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A troubled youth becomes embroiled in the lives of a close-knit group of people in the wealthy, upper-class neighborhood of Newport Beach, Orange County, California.
Stars: Mischa Barton, Adam Brody, Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan
Votes: 96,206
29. Greek (2007–2011)
TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Freshman Rusty Cartwright arrives at college and decides he no longer wants to be the boring geek from high school. He decides to pledge a fraternity. He is offered 2 bids; one from his sister's boyfriend Evan's fraternity and one from Cappie, his sister's ex-boyfriend's fraternity. Rusty must learn to handle his new life, and his new relationship with his sister. His sister must decide if she ... See full summary »
Stars: Clark Duke, Scott Michael Foster, Spencer Grammer, Paul James
Votes: 25,155
One of the very few shows that was consistent to the end.
30. Entourage (2004–2011)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Drama
Film star, Vince Chase, navigates the vapid terrain of Los Angeles with a close circle of friends and his trusty agent.
Stars: Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara
Votes: 176,888
31. 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: 117,403
32. Sex and the City (1998–2004)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, 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.
Stars: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon
Votes: 143,078
33. Nip/Tuck (2003–2010)
TV-MA | 44 min | Drama
Two plastic surgeons--one a dedicated family man and one an unscrupulous playboy--strive to maintain their business whilst having to work their way through numerous hardships ranging from personal to clients with criminal connections.
Stars: Dylan Walsh, Julian McMahon, Joely Richardson, John Hensley
Votes: 58,683
34. Revenge (2011–2015)
TV-14 | 44 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
An emotionally troubled young woman sets out to exact revenge against the people who wronged her father.
Stars: Madeleine Stowe, Emily VanCamp, Gabriel Mann, Nick Wechsler
Votes: 125,131
35. Girls (2012–2017)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy, Drama
A comedy about the experiences of a group of girls in their early 20s.
Stars: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Adam Driver
Votes: 77,897
36. Arrow (2012–2020)
TV-14 | 42 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
Spoiled billionaire playboy Oliver Queen is missing and presumed dead when his yacht is lost at sea. He returns five years later a changed man, determined to clean up the city as a hooded vigilante armed with a bow.
Stars: Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey, Susanna Thompson
Votes: 446,141
37. Brothers & Sisters (2006–2011)
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama
The story of the drama surrounding a family's adult siblings.
Stars: Dave Annable, Calista Flockhart, Rachel Griffiths, Ron Rifkin
Votes: 25,570
38. Heroes (II) (2006–2010)
TV-14 | 45 min | Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Common people discover that they have super powers. Their lives intertwine as a devastating event must be prevented.
Stars: Jack Coleman, Hayden Panettiere, Milo Ventimiglia, Masi Oka
Votes: 251,696
39. Episodes (2011–2017)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy
A couple of British TV producers move to Hollywood to export their most popular series, and find it is not what they expected.
Stars: Matt LeBlanc, Stephen Mangan, Tamsin Greig, John Pankow
Votes: 36,572
40. Glee (2009–2015)
TV-PG | 44 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A group of ambitious misfits try to escape the harsh realities of high school by joining a glee club headed by a passionate Spanish teacher.
Stars: Lea Michele, Jane Lynch, Matthew Morrison, Cory Monteith
Votes: 155,503
41. One Tree Hill (2003–2012)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Romance, Sport
Half-brothers Lucas and Nathan Scott trade between kinship and rivalry both on the basketball court and in the hearts of their friends in the small, but not so quiet town of Tree Hill, North Carolina.
Stars: Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, Hilarie Burton Morgan, Bethany Joy Lenz
Votes: 87,224
Decided to put it higher due to the monologue writing (which is really awesome IMO), the fact that the show has characters you care about and can't help but be invested in and its heart. Of all the shows I have ever watched, I feel the 'heart' aspect is such a rarity and I kind of took it for granted. Yes, there were outlandish storylines and sometimes below par acting. Yes, it did drag on a bit. But I feel like I discredited the show and didn't really take the above things into account. Because when it comes down to it there is only one Tree Hill. And I'm really happy I grew up watching it.
42. The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017)
TV-14 | 43 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
The lives, loves, dangers and disasters in the town, Mystic Falls, Virginia. Creatures of unspeakable horror lurk beneath this town as a teenage girl is suddenly torn between two vampire brothers.
Stars: Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham
Votes: 349,999
The main reason this show is above True Blood: it has bigger balls.
43. True Blood (2008–2014)
TV-MA | 55 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse encounters a strange new supernatural world when she meets the mysterious Bill Compton, a southern Louisiana gentleman and vampire.
Stars: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten
Votes: 260,203
44. Private Practice (2007–2013)
TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A spin-off of the medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" centering on the life of neonatal surgeon Addison Montgomery.
Stars: Kate Walsh, Paul Adelstein, KaDee Strickland, Taye Diggs
Votes: 29,000
45. 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: 23,101
46. The Originals (2013–2018)
TV-14 | 45 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A family of power-hungry thousand-year-old vampires look to take back the city that they built and dominate all those who have done them wrong.
Stars: Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Claire Holt, Phoebe Tonkin
Votes: 147,939
47. Drop Dead Diva (2009–2014)
TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
A vapid aspiring model killed in a car crash gets brought back to life as an intelligent, overweight lawyer, hoping to find the meaning of inner beauty.
Stars: Brooke Elliott, Margaret Cho, Kate Levering, April Bowlby
Votes: 21,006
48. My Wife and Kids (2000–2005)
TV-PG | 30 min | Comedy, Family
Michael Kyle longs for a traditional life, but his day-trader wife Janet, gangsta rap-worshipping son Michael Jr., and brooding daughters Claire and Kady make his dream just that ... a dream.
Stars: Damon Wayans, Tisha Campbell, George Gore II, Parker McKenna Posey
Votes: 29,659
49. Joan of Arcadia (2003–2005)
TV-PG | 60 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A teenage girl is visited by God, disguised as everyday people, and is given assignments and tasks that eventually have a positive outcome on people's lives.
Stars: Amber Tamblyn, Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Ritter
Votes: 9,506
50. Charmed (1998–2006)
TV-14 | 42 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Three Halliwell sisters discover that they are descendants of a line of good female witches and are destined to fight against the forces of evil, using their combined power of witchcraft known as the "Power of Three".
Stars: Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano, Brian Krause, Rose McGowan
Votes: 91,597
51. Popular (1999–2001)
TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Two girls who despise each other because they're on opposite sides of the "popularity fence" are forced together when the father of one of them marries the other's mother.
Stars: Leslie Bibb, Carly Pope, Tamara Mello, Christopher Gorham
Votes: 6,852
52. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2020)
TV-PG | 45 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The missions of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.
Stars: Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Iain De Caestecker
Votes: 226,039
53. Gossip Girl (2007–2012)
TV-14 | 42 min | Drama, Romance
Privileged teens living on the Upper East Side of New York can hide no secret from the ruthless blogger who is always watching.
Stars: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Ed Westwick
Votes: 193,492
54. The New Normal (2012–2013)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy, Romance
A single mother's life after she accepts the offer to be a surrogate mother for a gay couple.
Stars: Justin Bartha, Andrew Rannells, Georgia King, Bebe Wood
Votes: 11,500
55. Pretty Little Liars (2010–2017)
TV-14 | 44 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
Four friends band together against an anonymous foe who threatens to reveal their darkest secrets, while also investigating the disappearance of their best friend.
Stars: Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell
Votes: 178,425
56. Tru Calling (2003–2005)
TV-14 | 43 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
A university graduate working in the city morgue is able to repeat the same day over again to prevent murders or other disasters.
Stars: Eliza Dushku, Shawn Reaves, Zach Galifianakis, A.J. Cook
Votes: 17,270
57. 90210 (2008–2013)
TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A Kansas family relocates to Beverly Hills, where their two children adapt to the infamous social drama of West Beverly Hills High.
Stars: Shenae Grimes-Beech, Tristan Mack Wilds, AnnaLynne McCord, Jessica Stroup
Votes: 46,184
58. Ravenswood (2013–2014)
TV-14 | 43 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Five strangers are connected by the curse that has plagued Ravenswood for generations.
Stars: Nicole Gale Anderson, Tyler Blackburn, Steven Cabral, Brett Dier
Votes: 9,300
59. The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008–2013)
TV-14 | 43 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
15 year old Amy ends up pregnant after one night at band camp, throwing her whole life upside down. It doesn't help that she's now going to school with that guy.
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Molly Ringwald, India Eisley, Mark Derwin
Votes: 20,922
Didn't think I'd ever see a show worse than 90210, but this program is appallingly awful. The fact that money goes towards making it should be a criminal and moral offence.
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