35 Best TV Dramas of All Time, Ranked

It’s no secret that there’s an overwhelming number of great TV dramas out there. People often speak of a “golden age” of TV, though it’s sometimes up for debate when that period was. For some, it started as early as the 1990s and may have ended some 10 to 20 years later. Others might feel that TV is still in a golden age, with it being one that streaming services helped usher in during the 2010s. However, one thing that’s undeniable is that the past few decades have been rich with some of the greatest TV dramas of all time. The following shows demonstrate this well, with all being broadly definable as dramas – while often crossing into other genres, too – and providing excellent entertainment over multiple years.

While the following great TV shows don’t all fit into the category of “drama” and nothing else, they are all definable as dramas, and can be counted among the best shows of all time. Those looking for compelling, emotional, and relatable works of television ought to make it a priority to seek these out, considering they’re largely the best TV series of all time. Some may be imperfect, and some had their quality vary from season to season, yet all are undeniably impressive accomplishments and are ranked from great to greatest.

35 ‘Dexter’ (2006 – 2013)

Developed by James Manos Jr.

Look, Dexter starts strong and definitely doesn’t finish strong, but for what works, it’s worth celebrating. The show about a serial killer who kills other serial killers (and criminals) while hiding in plain sight as a forensic expert, working among other detectives, was fun for a while. The first four (of eight) seasons were pretty great, and the fourth season in particular was phenomenal.

Fast-forward to seasons 5 and 6… there was some drop-off. Season 7 was fun, and a return to form of sorts. Season 8… it’s better to pretend Season 8 of Dexter never happened. Dexter still has enough high-quality episodes and seasons to be considered a minor classic. It has the sort of in-your-face thrills, plot twists, and various shocking moments to make for good pulp TV… just bow out at the right time, and you’re all good.

34 ‘The Bear’ (2022 – )

Created by Christopher Storer

There’s been a little stumbling when it comes to The Bear and its three seasons so far, but certainly nothing as drastic as Dexter, and nothing that can’t be recovered from. It hit the ground running as a frequently tense and expertly written show about a chef (struggling with personal demons) trying to manage things at the sandwich shop that his deceased brother used to run.

Also, The Bear is sometimes considered a comedy/drama series, but its dramatic elements tend to be its most compelling, and it gets heavy and stressful enough at times that it’s possible to forget about the whole “comedy” part. Even with some humor, it’s got one foot – probably two – in the “dram” part of “dramedy,” and so far (it is still running, as of 2024), it’s generally been high-quality enough to feel like one of the biggest must-watch shows of the 2020s so far.

33 ’24’ (2001 – 2010)

Created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran

24 ran for eight seasons throughout almost the entire 2000s (and a little into the 2010s), and then received two follow-ups, the continuation of Jack Bauer’s story in 2014’s 24: Live Another Day, and a kind of mishandled reboot of sorts in the form of 24: Legacy. Live Another Day was decent, but the core eight seasons of 24 deliver the most, and generally represent the long-running series at its best.

Each of those first eight seasons takes place over 24 hours, with events playing out in real-time, each dealing with a series of dramatic events that tend to put Bauer’s loved ones in danger, or threaten the safety of the entire U.S., or sometimes even both. It’s high-stakes and always building in intensity, and for as bombastic as it could sometimes get, it nevertheless almost always managed to remain exciting and addictive television.

32 ‘Doctor Who’ (1963 – 1989, 2005 -)

Created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, and Donald Wilson

But for as long-running as 24 was, it has nothing on the likes of Doctor Who. Yes, this British series is technically science fiction, first and foremost, but “drama” has a broader definition when it comes to television, compared to movies. If something’s fictionalized, and it’s not broadly comedic or identifiable as a sitcom, it can be called a drama; that’s just the way it seems to be.

Anyway, Doctor Who is a series that’s maintained its longevity because the titular character is continually reborn in a different body, and played by a different actor, with each going on various adventures through time and space, usually accompanied by a companion (they change over time, too). It’s not always consistent, but the size and legacy of Doctor Who impresses, with the only real hiatus for the show being between 1989 and 2005 (and, even then, there was a TV movie in 1996).

31 ‘Oz’ (1997 – 2003)

Created by Tom Fontana

Without Oz, HBO might not be the powerhouse that it currently is in the TV world. This drama series was an early indication of what could be shown on HBO, and it’s honestly still quite gnarly and harrowing by today’s standards, following the inmates and staff members at a brutal maximum security prison. The world the show takes place in is hellish, filled with racism, rampant illicit drug use, and near-constant violence/death.

That’s all to say that Oz isn’t the most traditionally enjoyable show, but it is impressive and brilliantly acted. It wanes a little in its last couple of seasons, devolving into soap opera territory, to some extent, but when it was at its best, it was unlike anything else out there… even if some later HBO dramas did, admittedly, steal some of Oz’s thunder.

30 ‘Friday Night Lights’ (2006 – 2011)

Developed by Peter Berg

While it was a hit among critics, Friday Night Lights was never huge when it came to ratings, making it fortunate that it still managed to run for five seasons. It’s centered on a high school football team in West Texas but isn’t only concerned with sports, given Friday Night Lights has a large cast of characters who are explored while being depicted as dealing with ups and downs in their lives.

It was based on a book that was also adapted as a movie in 2004, shortly before the TV series began airing. With the added length that comes from long-form, years-spanning television, the show was able to explore more characters than an ordinary movie ever could, and became arguably more engaging and emotionally resonant as a result.

29 ‘The Leftovers’ (2014 – 2017)

Created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta

Several years after he concluded being a lead writer on another acclaimed drama series, Damon Lindelof co-created The Leftovers, which many would consider his best TV show so far. It’s a very grounded look at what happens to the world after a Rapture-like event which sees approximately 2% of humanity disappearing without a trace.

It’s not so much of a dramatic change to the world that things become post-apocalyptic, but the event causes enough of a disturbance to radically alter the lives of those left behind, which is where much of the drama in the show comes from. Watching it can make for a strange and sometimes exasperating experience, but there isn’t much else like it out there, making it a trip worth taking for anyone who finds the premise intriguing.

Watch on Max

28 ‘Battlestar Galactica’ (2004 – 2009)

Developed by Ronald D. Moore

Yes, Battlestar Galactica would technically qualify as a science-fiction show, but it can broadly be considered a drama series, too, and was considered a drama series for the purposes of the Emmys, for example. It ran for 76 episodes over four seasons between 2004 and 2009 and had a considerable cult following that gradually became big enough to call the show a mainstream success.

It was a reimagining of a 1970s series of the same name and had a story that takes place in a distant galaxy, following a crew on a military ship that’s searching for Planet Earth, given they’re at risk of being killed by an android race. It’s surprisingly epic and consistently engaging for a show of its kind, and though the show’s finale was controversial, it’s still an intergalactic trip worth taking for sci-fi fans.

Watch on Amazon Prime

27 ‘Ozark’ (2017 – 2022)

Created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams

Netflix is a company that’s really only been making TV shows for about a decade now, but has already risen up to become remarkably influential, and behind numerous popular shows. One of the company’s most critically acclaimed was Ozark, which is a bleak crime/drama series that had a total of four seasons released on the Netflix platform between 2017 and 2022.

Broadly speaking, it’s about a family that decides to become affiliated with a Mexican drug cartel by being money launderers, only to find that there are plenty of drastic consequences for engaging in such a dangerous line of work. It’s a constantly tense and riveting show, and also a great showcase for the range of its star Jason Bateman, who’s otherwise best known for his more comedic roles.

Watch on Netflix

26 ‘The Crown’ (2016 – 2023)

Created by Peter Morgan

Though not everyone is a fan of the Royal Family, it seems that a huge number of Netflix users are a fan of watching a somewhat historically accurate account of the British Monarchy’s behind-the-scenes drama from throughout the 20th century. The series about this drama, The Crown, focuses on Queen Elizabeth II, who admittedly has a remarkably long run as the United Kingdom’s Queen between 1952 and 2022.

Those who aren’t exactly into the lives of this family need not apply, but anyone who finds an interest in the UK’s Monarchy will likely find the performances and production design on offer here to be very impressive. Each season of The Crown takes place over a different period of time, meaning numerous actors have portrayed various characters at different stages in their lives, which is one of the more interesting aspects of the show.

Watch on Netflix

25 ‘The Shield’ (2002 – 2008)

Created by Shawn Ryan

The Shield began and ended the same year as another groundbreaking series revolving around police work and crime (more on that one much further down). It therefore helped usher in a new kind of cop drama; one that was grittier, more ferocious, and more morally complex than most that had come before, centering on a protagonist who was arguably too villainous to be considered an anti-hero.

That protagonist was Vic Mackey, a corrupt cop who’d brutally fight crime with his squad, technically helping their department while also doing things like profiting from illegal goods they confiscated, primarily drugs. Within its seven seasons, The Shield starts strong, sags a little in the middle, but then excels in its last couple of seasons, and delivers a series finale for the ages.

24 ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1997 – 2003)

Created by Joss Whedon

While Buffy the Vampire Slayer was technically a drama series, it also excelled at being an action-packed fantasy/romance show and could be very funny at times, too, largely thanks to Buffy‘s lovable and often hilarious main cast. It followed the titular character as she fulfilled her demon-fighting destiny while making friends, falling in and out of love, and trying to make it in high school (during Seasons 1 to 3) and then the adult world (in Seasons 4 to 7).

With close to 150 episodes over seven seasons, it’s natural that a few hours misfired here and there; this sometimes uneven quality technically makes it a flawed show. However, by and large, it was great TV, and when Buffy the Vampire Slayer was at its very best, few other shows could touch it when it came to quality.

23 ‘Lost’ (2004 – 2010)

Created by Jeffrey Lieber, J. J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelof

Well over a decade since it ended, and almost two decades after it started, Lost remains a somewhat divisive show. It began with a group of plane crash survivors trying to get by on a mysterious island, with things feeling grounded and only occasionally fantastical for a good chunk of its first season.

As it went on, the mysteries increased. Lost pivoted into a show that was about more than just survival, with the island having a complex backstory, and later seasons involving time travel and differing timelines and/or dimensions. The ride was a wild one, but if you let Lost do its own thing and just keep up as best you can – while accepting you might not receive a concrete answer for literally every mystery – it’s a fantastic, fun, and undeniably unique show.

22 ‘True Detective’ (2014 – )

Created by Nic Pizzolatto and Issa López

True Detective was a surprise hit back when its first season aired in 2014, and a show that seemingly everyone was talking about. It starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, following their characters – a pair of detectives – reopening a mysterious murder case many years after it took place, and making a series of disturbing revelations along the way.

The acting, writing, and overall storytelling felt unparalleled, with the show soon becoming an anthology series that followed different characters and different cases each season. These have proven to be more divisive than Season 1, though the show remains compelling and interesting TV, with an intriguing Season 4 – starring Jodie Foster – surprising everyone with its high quality and clever use of supernatural elements.

21 ‘Fargo’ (2014 – )

Created by Noah Hawley

Fargo began airing the same year as True Detective, similarly stands as an acclaimed anthology series. It’s based on the acclaimed 1996 crime movie of the same name, directed by the Coen Brothers, and aims to capture the tone and feel of that film with different stories each season.

Like True Detective, certain seasons seem to have a few more fans than others, though at least most will agree Seasons 1 and 2 of Fargo made for great TV. With a dark sense of humor, unpredictable storylines, and a willingness to experiment more and more as the seasons go on, Fargo is undoubtedly one of the best TV anthology series of all time.

20 ‘Hannibal’ (2013 – 2015)

Developed by Bryan Fuller

It’s a shame that Hannibal only lasted three seasons and never got to finish on its own terms, but what viewers got is still great overall. The show presents an interesting spin on the iconic Hannibal Lecter, following his uneasy (and unusual) relationship with a young – and very troubled – FBI criminal profile named Will Graham.

Hannibal is certainly a slow burn, and some viewers may wonder what all the fuss is about during the solid yet sometimes underwhelming first season. Things build satisfyingly, though, with Season 1 ending strong, and much of Season 2 making for particularly great television. Time will tell if it ever gets “un-canceled” and granted a Season 4, though it looks unlikely at this point.

19 ‘Stranger Things’ (2016 – )

Created by The Duffer Brothers

Before 2022’s fourth season aired, it might have been tempting to call Stranger Things the TV equivalent of a one-hit-wonder. 2016’s first season was a cultural phenomenon upon release, offering a nostalgic, funny, and emotional story set during the 1980s that followed various people in a small town working together to find a young boy after his mysterious disappearance.

Seasons 2 and 3 naturally broadened the scope, with the results sometimes being a good deal of fun, but sometimes feeling strained. Season 4 successfully managed to up the stakes, thankfully, and though the show still feels like it’s in the process of chewing the huge amount of stuff it bit off, the intense, genuinely creepy, and overall very impactful fourth season has got things back on track for a (hopefully) equally good fifth and final season.

18 ‘Justified’ (2010 – 2015)

Developed by Graham Yost

Elmore Leonard adaptations are more common in film rather than TV, but Justified shows his style works just as well in the format of a serialized TV show. Running for six seasons between 2010 and 2015, Justified follows a US Marshal returning to Harlan County – where he grew up – and enacting his own unique brand of justice there.

There’s an unending stream of crime/thriller shows out there, but Justified stands out from the crowd because of its great characters and extremely well-written dialogue. Each season generally follows a different storyline while retaining a main cast and numerous recurring characters, effectively making the show’s world feel believable and lived in. It’s also been given a reboot/revival of sorts with Justified: City Primeval.

17 ‘The X-Files’ (1993 – 2018)

Created by Chris Carter

Few TV shows from the 1990s are quite as iconic as The X-Files, which has endured in pop culture thanks to two seasons (in 2016 and 2018) that aired long after the show’s original run (1993-2002). It’s also had two theatrically released films: one in 1998 and one in 2008.

The show primarily revolves around two FBI agents – one who believes in alien and/or supernatural forces, and one who’s a skeptic – investigating various paranormal cases, uncovering surprising conspiracies in the process. It effectively combined overarching stories with single, “case-of-the-week” episodes, making for an iconic and addictive show that may have peaked in the 1990s but is still looked back upon fondly to this day.

16 ‘ER’ (1994 – 2009)

Created by Michael Crichton

Running for over 300 episodes and spanning 15 seasons, ER was a mammoth show and is widely considered one of the best medical dramas of all time. It had a huge cast of characters that came and went over the show’s run, all shown to struggle with their professional and romantic lives while working at Chicago’s County General Hospital.

It’s perhaps best known today for the famous actors who starred in it before they had their big movie breaks, the most notable of course being George Clooney, who was a member of the main cast for the show’s first five seasons. Did it run too long? Maybe. But it was a seminal series for TV, and a significant work within pop culture, enabling it to be counted among other greats within the realm of TV drama.