Favourite Shows and Series
by lrczlnsk | created - 30 Nov 2017 | updated - 3 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Black Books (2000–2004)
TV-PG | 25 min | Comedy
Bernard Black runs a book shop, though his customer service skills leave something to be desired. He hires Manny as an employee. Fran runs the shop next door. Between the three of them many adventures ensue.
Stars: Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey, Tamsin Greig, Paul Beech
Votes: 61,882
Grouchy bookstoreowner Bernard and his clueless assistant Manny are one of the most iconic pairs that British TV ever came up with! Their antics will leave you in stitches. This show is unbelievably funny, a true comedic masterpiece.
2. Spaced (1999–2001)
TV-14 | 25 min | Comedy
Friends Tim and Daisy, 20-something North Londoners with uncertain futures, must pretend to be a couple to live in the only apartment they can afford.
Stars: Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes, Julia Deakin, Nick Frost
Votes: 57,613
Edgar Wright's Spaced has gained a cult following since its short run on TV. With only 2 seasons this show will leave you wanting! One of the most enjoyable things on TV ever.
3. Blackadder the Third (1987)
TV-PG | 180 min | Comedy
In the Regency era, Mr E. Blackadder serves as butler to the foppish numskull Prince George amidst the fads and crazes of the time.
Stars: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Hugh Laurie, Helen Atkinson Wood
Votes: 47,042
This historical comedy stars a gloriously malicious Rowan Atkison as Blackadder, who insults and schemes his way through different eras of British history. Witty, intelligent and a joy for anglophiles, historybuffs and anyone who likes to have a good laugh.
4. The IT Crowd (2006–2013)
TV-14 | 25 min | Comedy
The comedic misadventures of Roy, Moss and their grifting supervisor Jen, a rag-tag team of IT support workers at a large corporation headed by a hotheaded yuppie.
Stars: Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson, Matt Berry
Votes: 164,194
IT crowd is everything The Big Bang Theory tries and continually fails to be. Funny, satirical without the mean streak, nerdy.
5. Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (2004)
TV-MA | 24 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
This parody series is an unearthed 80s horror/drama, complete with poor production values, awful dialogue and hilarious violence. The series is set in a Hospital in Romford, which is situated over the gates of Hell.
Stars: Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, Matthew Holness, Alice Lowe
Votes: 20,124
The Darkplace Hospital lies above the gate to Hell, which leads to Scottish ghosts infesting the place and patients frequently turning into broccoli. Unbelievably ludicrous and utterly bonkers, this show is still an intelligent satire of campy 80s TV.
6. Fresh Meat (2011–2016)
TV-MA | 50 min | Comedy, Drama
A comedy that follows a group of six students about to embark on the most exciting period of their lives so far, university.
Stars: Zawe Ashton, Greg McHugh, Kimberley Nixon, Charlotte Ritchie
Votes: 19,477
A show about 6 students who deal with sharing their living space and their social life. These characters have nothing in common at first, which makes their journey to becoming fast friends so enjoyable. Captures the fears of university life authentically.
7. Stranger Things (2016–2025)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one strange little girl.
Stars: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, David Harbour
Votes: 1,333,345
Stranger Things is everywhere and its success is well-deserved. The 80s nostalgia and the very likeable cast truly hit home. An instant classic.
8. Peaky Blinders (2013–2022)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
A gangster family epic set in 1900s England, centering on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby.
Stars: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle, Helen McCrory
Votes: 647,973
Highly stylized and distinctly cool looking, this show just swaggers over your screen with its well-dressed gangsters and crooks. Binge-watching worthy.
9. 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: 270,453
Scrubs bests all the other hospital shows by toning down the drama and going for the laughs. Visually inventive and amazingly cast, this is a feel-good show, if ever there was one. All the emotional moments are earned and believable, a true feat!
10. Malcolm in the Middle (2000–2006)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Family
A gifted young teen tries to survive life with his dimwitted, dysfunctional family.
Stars: Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Justin Berfield, Erik Per Sullivan
Votes: 142,386
The most dysfunctional family on TV and they don't even have a name! Lois and Hal raise their chaotic sons in a sort of anarchic and well-intentioned tyranny. This show is outrageously funny, hard not to love.
11. 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: 147,827
You will wish to live in the idealised town of the Gilmore Girls, where every season has a colourful celebration and all the citizens are loveably quirky. This show manages to be whimsical and too-good-to-be-true, but still delivers highly emotional and character driven moments.
12. 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: 1,086,718
This show has accompanied and inspired a whole generation. Influential. Iconic.
13. Alias (2001–2006)
TV-14 | 42 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
Sydney Bristow is an international spy recruited out of college, trained for espionage and self-defense.
Stars: Jennifer Garner, Ron Rifkin, Carl Lumbly, Kevin Weisman
Votes: 54,701
While this show dropped in quality in later seasons, I loved the beginning, where college student Sydney has to hide her secret life as a double agent for the CIA. So suspenseful! You will route for the good guys, bite your nails, what more do you want?
14. State of Play (2003)
TV-14 | 52 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Journalists uncover a government conspiracy when a young politician's assistant and mistress is killed.
Stars: John Simm, David Morrissey, Kelly Macdonald, Bill Nighy
Votes: 10,514
A show about investigative journalism and political corruption. I couldn't stop watching this highly strung political thriller. Superbly acted and perfectly written series that is very satisfying to watch through.
15. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009–2010)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Two brothers search for a Philosopher's Stone after an attempt to revive their deceased mother goes awry and leaves them in damaged physical forms.
Stars: Kent Williams, Iemasa Kayumi, Matthew Leonhart, Vic Mignogna
Votes: 197,021
Arguably one of the best-written animes ever, FMAB is a wild ride from start to finish. The amazing characters and the incredible journeys they go on will lure you in to the point where you will probably not know what to do with yourself after you finish this.
16. Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995–1996)
TV-MA | 24 min | Animation, Action, Drama
A teenage boy finds himself recruited as a member of an elite team of pilots by his father.
Stars: Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara, Kotono Mitsuishi, Spike Spencer
Votes: 84,975
The 26 episodes of NGE are a chore to go through, make no mistake. This is not always enjoyable, you will not feel good about this or yourself while watching it. But you will have never seen anything like it before and will probably not ever see anything like it again.
17. Broadchurch (2013–2017)
TV-MA | 1,143 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart.
Stars: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan
Votes: 127,025
This small town crime show is as much an intimate character portrait as it is a classically told whodunit. Shot beautifully at the Dorset coast and acted to perfection by David Tennant and Olivia Coleman, Broadchurch is an excellent watch.
18. River (2015)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
John River is a brilliant police inspector whose genius lies side-by-side with the fragility of his mind. He is a man haunted by the murder victims whose cases he must lay to rest.
Stars: Stellan Skarsgård, Nicola Walker, Adeel Akhtar, Lesley Manville
Votes: 27,205
This miniseries about a London detective who tries to solve the murder of his partner came as a surprise to me. On paper the story might not sound special, but Stellan Skarsgard's portrayal of the tormented detective is nothing short of heartbreaking perfection.
19. Hannibal (2013–2015)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
Explores the early relationship between renowned psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter and a young FBI criminal profiler who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers.
Stars: Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas, Laurence Fishburne
Votes: 276,243
Seldom has there been a more alluring and glossy-looking show about a serial killer. The cinematography of Hannibal is a work of art and Mads Mikkelsen knocks it out of the park as suave and dangerous Dr. Lecter.
20. Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008)
TV-Y7-FV | 23 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
In a war-torn world of elemental powers, a young boy reawakens to undertake a dangerous mystic quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar, and bring peace to the world.
Stars: Dee Bradley Baker, Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Jack De Sena
Votes: 371,537
This brilliantly told cartoon is as much a fun adventure as it is a profoundly humanist tale about family, friendship, belonging and war. One of the most intelligent and sophisticated cartoons ever produced.
21. The Legend of Korra (2012–2014)
TV-PG | 23 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Avatar Korra fights to keep Republic City safe from the evil forces of both the physical and spiritual worlds.
Stars: Janet Varney, P.J. Byrne, David Faustino, J.K. Simmons
Votes: 137,658
As a sequel to Avatar, Korra could have easily been a disaster. But this more grown up and faster paced follow-up delivers almost throughout its whole run. Great characters and intelligent plotlines will keep viewers in their seats until the end.
22. 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: 246,252
I myself am a fan of the Russel T Davies era, with the great, great David Tennant as the Doctor. I still enjoyed the later seasons, but not as much.
23. Firefly (2002–2003)
TV-14 | 45 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Five hundred years in the future, a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the unknown parts of the galaxy and evade warring factions as well as authority agents out to get them.
Stars: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin
Votes: 281,444
24. Gravity Falls (2012–2016)
TV-Y7 | 23 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Twin siblings Dipper and Mabel Pines spend the summer at their great-uncle's tourist trap in the enigmatic Gravity Falls, Oregon.
Stars: Jason Ritter, Alex Hirsch, Kristen Schaal, Linda Cardellini
Votes: 135,004
A colourful take on fairytale, fantasy and mystery tropes. Extremely funny and likeable characters. The design and animation style of Gravity Falls is just amazing.
25. Over the Garden Wall (2014)
TV-PG | 11 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
Two brothers find themselves lost in a mysterious land and try to find their way home.
Stars: Elijah Wood, Collin Dean, Melanie Lynskey, Christopher Lloyd
Votes: 70,250
A deeply melancholic and philosophical tale about two brothers, lost in the woods. This show has a very distinct look and plays with fairytale imagery. Best watched in one go and then thought about for several hours.
26. The Amazing World of Gumball (2011–2019)
TV-Y7-FV | 11 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
The life of a twelve-year-old boy who happens to be a blue cat as he lives with his family and other strange creatures.
Stars: Dan Russell, Teresa Gallagher, Kerry Shale, Kyla Rae Kowalewski
Votes: 40,959
Oh man, this show is the mad genius of cartoons. It's as much for kids as for adults, who will laugh their asses off at the many pop culture references and ambiguous jokes. But TAWOG can also be very sweet and innocent, which is a feat.
27. The Crown (2016–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Biography, 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.
Stars: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Matt Smith
Votes: 256,327
A superbly acted historical drama, that elegantly skirts around the camp and achieves a polished tatsefulness throughout its run.
28. Rick and Morty (2013– )
TV-MA | 23 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The fractured domestic lives of a nihilistic mad scientist and his anxious grandson are further complicated by their inter-dimensional misadventures.
Stars: Chris Parnell, Spencer Grammer, Sarah Chalke, Justin Roiland
Votes: 600,307
Cynical, hilarious, inventive. Rick is the mad professor archetype - but crazier than you ever imagined him to be.
29. 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: 405,546
Iconic. I remember secretly watching South Park as a kid, because my parents hated it. I wonder how many of its viewers this show gained like that.
30. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014– )
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, News, Talk-Show
Former Daily Show host and correspondent John Oliver brings his persona to this weekly news satire program.
Stars: John Oliver, David Kaye, Ryan Barger, Noel MacNeal
Votes: 95,657
Highly informed and intelligent. I feel I learned more from John Oliver than in school. I also laughed a lot more.
31. Sherlock (2010–2017)
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The quirky spin on Conan Doyle's iconic sleuth pitches him as a "high-functioning sociopath" in modern-day London. Assisting him in his investigations: Afghanistan War vet John Watson, who's introduced to Holmes by a mutual acquaintance.
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs, Rupert Graves
Votes: 996,550
This show has an amazing cast, witty and intelligent dialogue and a really fresh and inventive look. The later seasons do not hold up as well as the first two, but are still enjoyable.
32. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (2012–2015)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, History
A female sleuth sashays through the back lanes and jazz clubs of Melbourne in the late 1920s, fighting injustice with her pearl-handled pistol and her dagger-sharp wit.
Stars: Essie Davis, Nathan Page, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Ashleigh Cummings
Votes: 17,695
Yes, its campy. Yes, its sometimes predictable. BUT: This series' characters are all just so damn likeable. The costumes are divine. Also, Miss Fisher is the most accomplished, most self-assured and badass female character I can think of. Take note of her, Hollywood.
33. Doctor's Diary (2008–2011)
Comedy
After being left at the altar, a doctor gets a job at her father's hospital, where she is reunited with a bully from school--but also a crush from school.
Stars: Diana Amft, Peter Prager, Ursela Monn, Florian David Fitz
Votes: 1,732
A very kitschy, romantic German comedy series about a doctor who has weight issues and is in love with her boss. Completely hilarious. This is my guilty pleasure.
34. And Then There Were None (2015)
TV-14 | 57 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Ten strangers are invited to an island by a mysterious host, and start to get killed one by one. Could one of them be the killer?
Stars: Maeve Dermody, Charles Dance, Toby Stephens, Burn Gorman
Votes: 43,794
Beautifully shot and staffed with a great cast. As murder mysteries go, this is top-notch.
35. Toast of London (2012–2020)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy
Steven Toast, an eccentric middle-aged actor with a chequered past, spends more time dealing with his problems off stage than performing on stage.
Stars: Matt Berry, Robert Bathurst, Doon Mackichan, Shazad Latif
Votes: 10,583
An absurdist British comedy about egocentric actor Steven Toast (Matt Berry at his best). Not all jokes hit home, but if they do? Boy, do they.
36. Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969–1974)
TV-14 | 30 min | Comedy
The original surreal sketch comedy showcase for the Monty Python troupe.
Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle
Votes: 78,716
It gets pretty silly, there is too much (full frontal) nudity and the actors miss their cues all the time. I do not know what the fuss is about, who likes that sort of thing, anyways?
37. American Crime Story (2016– )
TV-MA | 42 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An anthology series centered around America's most notorious crimes and criminals.
Stars: Sarah Paulson, Annaleigh Ashford, Sterling K. Brown, Kenneth Choi
Votes: 98,827
Amazing cast. Edge-of-your-seat-suspenseful even if you know the story.
38. Mushi-Shi: Next Passage (2014–2015)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Drama, Fantasy
They are creatures only known as 'Mushi'. While their existence are unknown to the humans, there are a few like Ginko who is a 'Mushi-shi' that travels around to investigate and find out more about the 'Mushi.'
Stars: Yûto Nakano, Mika Doi, Tomomi Saito, Kôki Uchiyama
Votes: 3,206
Almost hypnotizing in its pondering pace and ethereal visuals. Beautiful and deeply humanist. A definite must watch anime.
39. The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
TV-MA | 57 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Flashing between past and present, a fractured family confronts haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it.
Stars: Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Elizabeth Reaser
Votes: 287,764
Crazy scary ghost story and a touching family drama in one. Couldn't sleep for days.
40. Spinning Out (2020)
TV-MA | 48 min | Drama, Sport
A figure skating Olympic hopeful's struggle to balance love, family and fragile mental health as her dream of winning takes a dizzying hold.
Stars: Kaya Scodelario, January Jones, Willow Shields, Evan Roderick
Votes: 17,076
Extremely entertaining soap opera. Addictive.
41. Sex Education (2019–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A teenage boy with a sex therapist mother teams up with a high school classmate to set up an underground sex therapy clinic at school.
Stars: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey
Votes: 350,636
Cool characters, feelgood stuff
42. 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: 159,532
Iconic. Nostalgic. Badass.
43. Derry Girls (2018–2022)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy
The personal exploits of a 16-year-old girl and her family and friends during the Troubles in the early 1990s in Northern Ireland.
Stars: Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, Tara Lynne O'Neill, Kathy Kiera Clarke
Votes: 58,005
Hilarious and uplifting. I cried tears of mirth.
44. The Great (2020–2023)
TV-MA | 1,594 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A royal woman living in rural Russia during the 18th century is forced to choose between her own personal happiness and the future of Russia, when she marries an Emperor.
Stars: Elle Fanning, Phoebe Fox, Gwilym Lee, Adam Godley
Votes: 54,301
Raunchy historical satire from the writer of ‘The Favourite’
45. Midnight Mass (2021)
TV-MA | 64 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
An isolated island community experiences miraculous events - and frightening omens - after the arrival of a charismatic, mysterious young priest.
Stars: Kate Siegel, Zach Gilford, Kristin Lehman, Samantha Sloyan
Votes: 144,224
Atmospheric, slow and deliciously creepy. Great commentary on religious fanaticism.
46. Cowboy Bebop (1998–1999)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The futuristic misadventures and tragedies of an easygoing bounty hunter and his partners.
Stars: Kôichi Yamadera, Unshô Ishizuka, Megumi Hayashibara, Steve Blum
Votes: 138,542
Stylish, Melancholic, Unique and Cool As Hell
47. The Witcher (2019– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts.
Stars: Freya Allan, Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Eamon Farren
Votes: 569,072
48. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022– )
TV-PG | 52 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, the show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike.
Stars: Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Christina Chong, Melissa Navia
Votes: 58,652
49. House of the Dragon (2022– )
TV-MA | 50 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
An internal succession war within House Targaryen at the height of its power, 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen.
Stars: Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans
Votes: 374,032
50. Bad Sisters (2022– )
TV-MA | 53 min | Comedy, Drama, Thriller
The Garvey sisters are bound together by their parents' deaths and a promise to always protect one another.
Stars: Sharon Horgan, Claes Bang, Eve Hewson, Sarah Greene
Votes: 34,516
51. Frayed (2019–2021)
TV-MA | 46 min | Comedy, Drama
A wealthy London housewife is forced to return to her hometown in Australia, where she's forced to confront her past and the reasons that caused her to leave years ago.
Stars: Sarah Kendall, Kerry Armstrong, Frazer Hadfield, George Houvardas
Votes: 3,030
52. Upright (2019– )
Not Rated | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
Two misfits, thrown together by chance in the middle of the Australian desert, forge bonds in a quest to transport a precious piano from one side of the country to the other.
Stars: Tim Minchin, Milly Alcock, Ella Scott Lynch, Heather Mitchell
Votes: 6,473
53. A Small Light (2023)
TV-14 | 50 min | Biography, Drama, History
Follows the remarkable story of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman who risked her life to shelter Anne Frank's family from the Nazis for more than two years during World War II.
Stars: Bel Powley, Joe Cole, Amira Casar, Billie Boullet
Votes: 12,055
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