Must-Watch TV Series
by bjarnihalldor | created - 12 Jul 2020 | updated - 21 Jul 2022 | PublicTV Series Rated 8-9/10 (no particular order)
Honorable mention - Good TV series that didn't quite make the list:
Sneaky Pete, Bosch, Mindhunter, Trailer Park Boys, Peep Show
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1. Chernobyl (2019)
TV-MA | 41 min | Drama, History, Thriller
In April 1986, the city of Chernobyl in the Soviet Union suffers one of the worst nuclear disasters in the history of mankind. Consequently, many heroes put their lives on the line in the following days, weeks and months.
Stars: Jessie Buckley, Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Adam Nagaitis
Votes: 866,275
2. 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: 2,286,426
3. 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: 377,820
4. True Detective (2014– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Anthology series in which police investigations unearth the personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within and outside the law.
Stars: Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch
Votes: 656,997
5. Westworld (2016–2022)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
At the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, waits a world in which every human appetite can be indulged without consequence.
Stars: Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, Thandiwe Newton
Votes: 533,162
6. 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: 767,134
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: 1,337,534
8. 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: 276,785
9. House of Cards (2013–2018)
TV-MA | 50 min | Drama
A Congressman works with his equally conniving wife to exact revenge on the people who betrayed him.
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Michel Gill, Robin Wright, Kate Mara
Votes: 531,075
10. 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: 570,391
11. 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: 323,683
12. 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: 203,224
13. 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: 2,138,527
14. BoJack Horseman (2014–2020)
TV-MA | 25 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
BoJack Horseman was the star of the hit television show "Horsin' Around" in the '80s and '90s, but now he's washed up, living in Hollywood, complaining about everything, and wearing colorful sweaters.
Stars: Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Aaron Paul
Votes: 188,873
15. Arrested Development (2003–2019)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
Level-headed son Michael Bluth takes over family affairs after his father is imprisoned. But the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family are making his job unbearable.
Stars: Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett
Votes: 324,344
16. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005– )
TV-MA | 22 min | Comedy
Five friends with big egos and small brains are the proprietors of an Irish pub in Philadelphia.
Stars: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson
Votes: 252,033
17. 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: 288,528
18. Nathan for You (2013–2017)
TV-14 | 30 min | Documentary, Comedy
Nathan Fielder uses his business degree and life experiences to help real small businesses turn a profit. But because of his unorthodox approach, Nathan's genuine efforts to do good often draw real people into an experience far beyond what they signed up for.
Stars: Nathan Fielder, Anthony Filosa, Salomon Flores, William Heath
Votes: 38,509
19. Succession (2018–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy, Drama
The Roy family is known for controlling the biggest media and entertainment company in the world. However, their world changes when their father steps down from the company.
Stars: Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Peter Friedman
Votes: 273,507
20. Ozark (2017–2022)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A financial advisor drags his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where he must launder money to appease a drug boss.
Stars: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner
Votes: 347,077
21. Taboo (2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Adventurer James Keziah Delaney returns to London during the War of 1812 to rebuild his late father's shipping empire. However, both the government and his biggest competitor want his inheritance at any cost--even murder.
Stars: Tom Hardy, David Hayman, Jonathan Pryce, Oona Chaplin
Votes: 149,115
22. The Office (2005–2013)
TV-14 | 22 min | Comedy
A mockumentary on a group of typical office workers, where the workday consists of ego clashes, inappropriate behavior, and tedium.
Stars: Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson
Votes: 712,554
23. Band of Brothers (2001)
TV-MA | 59 min | Drama, History, War
The story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.
Stars: Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Shane Taylor
Votes: 527,722
24. Narcos (2015–2017)
TV-MA | 50 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A chronicled look at the criminal exploits of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, as well as the many other drug kingpins who plagued the country through the years.
Stars: Pedro Pascal, Wagner Moura, Boyd Holbrook, Alberto Ammann
Votes: 470,656
25. 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: 471,873
26. 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: 106,729
27. The Mandalorian (2019– )
TV-14 | 40 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The travels of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.
Stars: Pedro Pascal, Chris Bartlett, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers
Votes: 587,434
28. Dark (2017–2020)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A family saga with a supernatural twist, set in a German town where the disappearance of two young children exposes the relationships among four families.
Stars: Louis Hofmann, Karoline Eichhorn, Lisa Vicari, Maja Schöne
Votes: 444,726
29. Fargo (2014–2024)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Various chronicles of deception, intrigue, and murder in and around frozen Minnesota. All of these tales mysteriously lead back one way or another to Fargo, North Dakota.
Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks
Votes: 422,215
30. 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: 650,454
31. The Pacific (2010)
TV-MA | 53 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The Pacific Theatre of World War II, as seen through the eyes of several young Marines.
Stars: James Badge Dale, Joseph Mazzello, Jon Seda, Ashton Holmes
Votes: 130,162
32. Twin Peaks (1990–1991)
TV-MA | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks.
Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook
Votes: 215,555
33. Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000)
TV-14 | 45 min | Comedy, Drama
A high school mathlete starts hanging out with a group of burnouts while her younger brother navigates his freshman year.
Stars: Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Samm Levine
Votes: 153,313
34. 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: 281,806
35. The Boys (2019– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A group of vigilantes set out to take down corrupt superheroes who abuse their superpowers.
Stars: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty
Votes: 652,147
36. Justified (2010–2015)
TV-MA | 45 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Enforcing his own brand of justice, U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, a strong-willed, quiet law-man haunted by his past, returns to his native town to see that justice is served to those in need.
Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts
Votes: 118,823
37. Show Me a Hero (2015)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History
Nick Wasicsko takes office as mayor of Yonkers in 1987 and has to face the issue of building public housing in the white, middle-class side of town.
Stars: Oscar Isaac, Natalie Paul, Carla Quevedo, Peter Riegert
Votes: 12,049
38. The Last Kingdom (2015–2023)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Drama, History
As Alfred the Great defends his kingdom from Norse invaders, Uhtred--born a Saxon but raised by Vikings--seeks to claim his ancestral birthright.
Stars: Alexander Dreymon, Eliza Butterworth, Arnas Fedaravicius, Mark Rowley
Votes: 165,856
39. Watchmen (2019)
TV-MA | 59 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Set in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws, Watchmen embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name, while attempting to break new ground of its own.
Stars: Regina King, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tom Mison, Sara Vickers
Votes: 134,362
40. The Kominsky Method (2018–2021)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
An aging actor, who long ago enjoyed a brush with fame, makes his living as an acting coach.
Stars: Michael Douglas, Sarah Baker, Graham Rogers, Melissa Tang
Votes: 44,129
41. The Queen's Gambit (2020)
TV-MA | 57 min | Drama
Orphaned at the tender age of nine, prodigious introvert Beth Harmon discovers and masters the game of chess in 1960s USA. But child stardom comes at a price.
Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chloe Pirrie, Bill Camp, Marcin Dorocinski
Votes: 554,235
42. Vikings (2013–2020)
TV-MA | 45 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Vikings transports us to the brutal and mysterious world of Ragnar Lothbrok, a Viking warrior and farmer who yearns to explore--and raid--the distant shores across the ocean.
Stars: Katheryn Winnick, Gustaf Skarsgård, Alexander Ludwig, Georgia Hirst
Votes: 583,357
43. Money Heist (2017–2021)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An unusual group of robbers attempt to carry out the most perfect robbery in Spanish history - stealing 2.4 billion euros from the Royal Mint of Spain.
Stars: Úrsula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Itziar Ituño, Pedro Alonso
Votes: 532,548
44. 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: 256,895
45. The Good Place (2016–2020)
TV-PG | 1,303 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Four people and their otherworldly frienemy struggle in the afterlife to define what it means to be good.
Stars: Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, D'Arcy Carden
Votes: 189,541
46. Ted Lasso (2020–2023)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
American college football coach Ted Lasso heads to London to manage AFC Richmond, a struggling English Premier League soccer team.
Stars: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Jeremy Swift, Phil Dunster
Votes: 348,881
47. Better Call Saul (2015–2022)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama
The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill in the years leading up to his fateful run-in with Walter White and Jesse Pinkman.
Stars: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Patrick Fabian
Votes: 648,246
48. Luther (2010–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
John Luther is a brilliant homicide detective with a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers. Unfortunately, his unconventional methods and personal demons put him at odds with his team.
Stars: Idris Elba, Dermot Crowley, Michael Smiley, Warren Brown
Votes: 154,407
49. You (2018–2024)
TV-MA | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A dangerously charming, intensely obsessive young man goes to extreme measures to insert himself into the lives of those he is transfixed by.
Stars: Penn Badgley, Victoria Pedretti, Tati Gabrielle, Ambyr Childers
Votes: 300,034
50. Mindhunter (2017–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In the late 1970s, two FBI agents broaden the realm of criminal science by investigating the psychology behind murder and end up getting too close to real-life monsters.
Stars: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv, Hannah Gross
Votes: 336,326
51. Vikingane (2016–2020)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, History
Viking life at the close of the 8th century.
Stars: Kåre Conradi, Nils Jørgen Kaalstad, Jon Øigarden, Bjørn Myrene
Votes: 21,537
52. World War II in Colour (2009)
TV-MA | 51 min | Documentary, History, War
Recounts the events of world War II in color.
Stars: Robert Powell, Swaylee Loughnane
Votes: 7,484
53. 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: 320,279
54. Dead to Me (2019–2022)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A series about a powerful friendship that blossoms between a tightly wound widow and a free spirit with a shocking secret.
Stars: Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini, Sam McCarthy, Luke Roessler
Votes: 100,054
55. Greatest Events of WWII in Colour (2019)
50 min | Documentary, History, War
A series of colorized archive footage of important events during World War II.
Stars: Derek Jacobi, Geoffrey Wawro, James Holland, Saul David
Votes: 10,736
56. The Punisher (2017–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After his revenge on those who murdered his family, aimless Marine veteran Frank Castle finds a new meaning in life as a vigilante known as "The Punisher".
Stars: Jon Bernthal, Amber Rose Revah, Ben Barnes, Jason R. Moore
Votes: 265,186
57. Outlander (2014– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Claire Beauchamp Randall, a nurse in World War II, mysteriously goes back in time to Scotland in 1743. There, she meets a dashing Highland warrior and gets drawn into an epic rebellion.
Stars: Caitríona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin
Votes: 179,176
58. Manhunt (II) (2017–2020)
TV-14 | 817 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An in-depth look at how an FBI profiler helped track down the terrorist Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber.
Stars: Gethin Anthony, Arliss Howard, Kelly Jenrette, Cameron Britton
Votes: 63,846
59. 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: 257,139
60. Rome (2005–2007)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Drama, Romance
A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.
Stars: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker, Kerry Condon
Votes: 185,484
61. 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: 145,473
62. Narcos: Mexico (2018–2021)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama
The rise of the Guadalajara Cartel as an American DEA agent learns the danger of targeting narcos in Mexico.
Stars: Scoot McNairy, José María Yazpik, Alejandro Edda, Alfonso Dosal
Votes: 92,937
63. Maid (2021)
TV-MA | 55 min | Drama
After fleeing an abusive relationship, a young mother finds a job cleaning houses as she fights to provide for her child and build them a better future.
Stars: Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, Rylea Nevaeh Whittet, Andie MacDowell
Votes: 100,700
64. Yellowstone (2018– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Western
A ranching family in Montana faces off against others encroaching on their land.
Stars: Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley
Votes: 221,005
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