10 Highest-Rated TV Shows on IMDb, Ranked

The Big Picture

• Explore diverse genres with IMDb’s top 10 TV shows list, from animated adventures to gritty crime dramas.
• Rick and Morty, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Game of Thrones are must-see series for television lovers.
• Breaking Bad is hailed as one of the greatest TV shows ever created, with a perfect blend of suspense and emotion.

There aren’t many things more fun than binging a good TV show in one sitting. But then, what arises is the problem of what to watch next. There are several ways of figuring that out, but what many television fans will turn to is IMDb. The website has a handy list of the 250 highest-rated shows on the platform, and the top 10 are all a must-see for those who love the medium.

Thankfully, for those who like to keep their television-watching diverse, there’s a surprisingly wide variety of shows on IMDb’s top 10 TV shows list. From kid-friendly animated series like Avatar: The Last Airbender to revolutionary crime dramas like The Sopranos, these are shows whose quality is backed up by the incredibly high ratings they have received from users on IMDb.

10 ‘Rick and Morty’ (2013 – )

IMDb Rating: 9.1/10

It has somewhat gone down in quality as time has passed, but Rick and Morty is evidently still one of the animated shows that are held in the highest regard by general audiences. It’s the story of the title characters, one of the most iconic duos in animation. One is a nihilistic mad scientist, the other is his anxious grandson. Together, they go on a number of intergalactic and interdimensional misadventures that often involve their dysfunctional family.

With its particular brand of intellectual humor and clever meta-commentary on the sci-fi genre and the televisual medium as a whole, Rick and Morty has a loyal fanbase that prides itself on appreciating the fact that it’s much smarter than your typical adult animated show. Full of hilarious episodes and highly creative stories, it may no longer quite be what it used to be, but it still has plenty of gas left in the tank.

IMDb Rating: 9.1/10

With its awesome steampunk aesthetic and some of the highest-rated episodes on IMDb, it’s no wonder why Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is by a significant margin the most acclaimed anime series on the platform. It’s about two brothers searching for a Philosopher’s Stone after an attempt to revive their deceased mother goes awry and leaves them in a damaged condition.

Even those who don’t typically like anime series — or even those who have never even gotten into the art form — will find that Brotherhood is nevertheless the kind of show that they would love. After all, who could say no to an addictive and commendably well-written narrative? To a stacked ensemble of fascinating characters? To some of the best animation on IMDb’s top 250? Chances are, not many TV fans.

8 ‘Game of Thrones’ (2011 – 2019)

IMDb Rating: 9.2/10

Universally panned final season notwithstanding, HBO created in Game of Thrones (an adaptation of George R.R. Martin‘s seminal work) what might just be the most acclaimed adult fantasy show in the history of television. It’s an epic about nine noble families fighting over control of the land of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns from a millennia-long slumber.

With its iconic characters, legendary action scenes, and wide variety of awesome dragons, Game of Thrones is a masterclass in TV fantasy done right, even in spite of its nosedive in quality toward its end. Its technical aspects are of the most elite quality, its story is a gripping drama of betrayals and alliances, and its triumphantly epic tone is the kind of thing that fans of the genre would never want to miss.

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7 ‘The Sopranos’ (1999 – 2007)

IMDb Rating: 9.2/10

In more ways than one, The Sopranos gave birth to prestige television as audiences know it today. This drama, about a New Jersey mob boss dealing with personal and professional issues in his home and business, proved that the medium could push the envelope in ways never seen before. It could look and sound just like the highest-quality Hollywood films, it could tell complex stories full of moral ambiguity, it could show violence and sex in ways that had only been considered taboo before. In other words, there’s TV before The Sopranos and after The Sopranos.

The characters are complex and layered; often despicable, but never any less fascinating to follow as a result. The stories are gripping, subtle, powerful. The series holds some of the highest-rated seasons on IMDb, and even after just watching a little bit of a Sopranos episode, it’s abundantly easy to see why. There has never been a show like this one since, and there probably never will be.

6 ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005 – 2008)

IMDb Rating: 9.3/10

Seeing as it’s the highest-rated animated TV show on IMDb, it’s clear that Avatar: The Last Airbender has more than earned its quintessential place as a pillar of the genre in modern pop culture. Set in a war-torn world of elemental powers, this globetrotting adventure is about a young boy who reawakens to undertake a mystic quest to fulfill his identity as the Avatar, the one meant to bring peace to the world.

The show has eye-popping animation, deeply compelling characters with complex arcs, and one of the best series finales in the history of television. This is far more than just a children’s show about magical martial arts. It’s an epic story with philosophical themes and life lessons that are valuable even for adults, with some of the most fun action scenes, storylines, and characters that audiences can find.

5 ‘The Wire’ (2002 – 2008)

IMDb Rating: 9.3/10

Another prestige HBO show that left an indelible impact on television as a whole, The Wire is easily one of the best TV drama shows of all time. It’s a cop drama that puts a spotlight on the Baltimore drug scene, seeing it through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement. Dark, mature, and with a rivetingly layered portrait of the city that it’s set in, it’s without a doubt one of the best shows HBO has ever made.

For those who enjoy gritty police procedurals, The Wire is a must-see. For those who don’t, The Wire is still a must-see. There aren’t many shows with writing and directing as impeccable as the one found here, paying close attention to even the slightest details and expanding on even the most tertiary characters in ways that work surprisingly well.

4 ‘Chernobyl’ (2019)

IMDb Rating: 9.3/10

Gut-wrenching but an obligatory watch, the docudrama miniseries Chernobyl is about the Soviet Union’s titular city and the atrocious disaster that it suffered in 1986, labeled as the worst nuclear disaster in the history of mankind. The show follows the many heroes who put their lives on the line in the following months, anchored by a star-studded cast featuring the likes of Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgård.

Chernobyl was very highly praised at the time that it came out, and five years later, it’s still considered one of the best thriller miniseries ever made. It’s not for the faint of heart, but its accurate and devastating retelling of the events of this infamous moment in humanity’s history is admirably well executed. It’s not long at all, either, leaving no excuses for anyone to not watch this impeccable show.

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3 ‘Bluey’ (2008 – )

IMDb Rating: 9.4/10

With its growing popularity even (perhaps especially) among adults, it’s clear that Bluey is the kind of truly special children’s show that only comes along once in a generation. It follows the slice-of-life adventures of an Australian Blue Heeler Cattle puppy as she has fun with her family and friends in all sorts of everyday situations. It’s not often that shows aimed at little kids get such a high rating on IMDb, which is how one can tell that there’s something different about Bluey.

Of course, it’s perhaps the best show for the little ones currently airing on television, full of valuable lessons, good role models, and colorful animation and humor. The reasons why it also resonates so much with the older IMDb users, though, are too many to mention. Perhaps it’s the nuanced and well-developed characters, or the subtle treatment of adult themes like miscarriages and aging, or the surprisingly smart humor; but the fact is that this is one of the website’s most praised shows for a reason.

2 ‘Band of Brothers’ (2001)

IMDb Rating: 9.4/10

Created by none other than Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers has for many years been the highest-rated miniseries on IMDb. King among TV war dramas, the show follows the history of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division’s Easy Company and their mission in World War II, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.

The show won a whopping six Emmys, and not one of them was undeserved. Its stacked cast plays a number of enthralling characters, paying loving respect to Easy Company. Those who aren’t history buffs and don’t care about historical accuracy in their WWII dramas as long as they’re gripping, though, will also be fully satisfied. Band of Brothers is virtually flawless, displaying the strength of TV as a medium to tell powerful war stories that resonate with audiences even decades later.

1 ‘Breaking Bad’ (2008 – 2013)

IMDb Rating: 9.5/10

Nothing can be said about Vince Gilligan‘s Breaking Bad that hasn’t been said before. No amount of praise for its actors, its writing, its directing, or its visuals could ever live up to the amount of admiration that they truly deserve. This masterful show tells the story of a chemistry teacher who, after receiving a deadly diagnosis, turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine to secure his family’s financial future.

Ever since it ended over a decade ago, Breaking Bad has been considered by many as the single greatest TV show ever created. Its IMDb numbers certainly vouch for that. With its many fascinating characters, its suspenseful and highly dramatic stories, and its very emotional series finale, it’s about as close as TV dramas come to perfection.

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