The Best TV Shows of All Time – and Where to Watch Them All Online

The Best TV Shows of All Time – and Where to Watch Them All Online

Harry Burnview
Harry Burnview

Published on August 16, 2023

Updated on June 03, 2024

While hundreds of thousands of TV shows are produced every year, only a few succeed in captivating a large audience while gaining critical appreciation. Even fewer shows go on to make a permanent mark that keeps them in the hearts and memories of audiences for years to come, and even fewer than that succeed in paving a path in a new creative direction that fundamentally changes the way stories are told on TV. Those landmark shows are the best TV shows of all time, and regardless of when they were first released or how many times you’ve watched them, the originality and freshness of the content remain timeless. This guide will highlight some of the most elite of the genre and also provide you with information on where you can stream them using such popular services as Netflix, Max, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Disney+ and so much more!

While many of the shows listed below are great dramas such as The Wire, The Sopranos, and Mad Men, there are also some incredible comedies like 30 Rock, The Office, and The Simpsons. Some of these shows have survived for decades, morphing into new iterations with the changing times such as Doctor Who, while others stand alone as shows that provided culture-defining moments like Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, or Lost. Still others succeeded in changing the way that stories are told, such as Twin Peaks with its abstract visual style and lingering depictions of grief, which have gone on to influence many of the other shows on this list such as Atlanta, Mr. Robot, Fargo, and The Leftovers.

Where can I watch the best TV shows of all time online?

With the incredibly diverse options offered on television today, there is a top TV show for everyone; whether it be the most serious of prestige drama or pure stupid comedy. Scroll down to check out the best TV shows of all time and find out where you can stream them.

01

The Wire
The Wire

The Wire

2002

Told from the points of view of both the Baltimore homicide and narcotics detectives and their targets, the series captures a universe in which the national war on drugs has become a permanent, self-sustaining bureaucracy, and distinctions between good and evil are routinely obliterated.

02

Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks

1990

The body of Laura Palmer is washed up on a beach near the small Washington state town of Twin Peaks. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate her strange demise only to uncover a web of mystery that ultimately leads him deep into the heart of the surrounding woodland and his very own soul.

03

The Sopranos
The story of New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. Those difficulties are often highlighted through his ongoing professional relationship with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. The show features Tony's family members and Mafia associates in prominent roles and story arcs, most notably his wife Carmela and his cousin and protégé Christopher Moltisanti.

04

Breaking Bad
Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family's financial future at any cost as he enters the dangerous world of drugs and crime.

05

The Simpsons
Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since the beginning, the series has been a pop culture icon, attracting hundreds of celebrities to guest star. The show has also made name for itself in its fearless satirical take on politics, media and American life in general.

06

True Detective
An American anthology police detective series utilizing multiple timelines in which investigations seem to unearth personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within or outside the law.

07

Fargo
Fargo

Fargo

2014

A close-knit anthology series dealing with stories involving malice, violence and murder based in and around Minnesota.

08

Fleabag
Fleabag

Fleabag

2016

A portrait into the mind of a dry-witted, sexual, angry, porn-watching, grief-riddled woman, trying to make sense of the world. As she hurls herself headlong at modern living, Fleabag is thrown roughly up against the walls of contemporary London, with all its frenetic energy, late nights, and bright lights.

09

Chernobyl
Chernobyl

Chernobyl

2019

The true story of one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history: the catastrophic nuclear accident at Chernobyl. A tale of the brave men and women who sacrificed to save Europe from unimaginable disaster.

10

The Leftovers
When 2% of the world's population abruptly disappears without explanation, the world struggles to understand just what they're supposed to do about it. This is the story of the people who didn't make the cut.

About this list

Titles

30

Total Watch Cost

$327.52

Total Watch Time

1705h 8min

Genres

Drama, Crime, Mystery & Thriller

Where can I watch this list online?

Find out which streaming services have the most titles from this list below.

There are 30 titles in this list and you can watch 17 of them on YouTube TV. 38 other streaming services also have titles available to stream today.

  1. 17 titles YouTube TV
  2. 13 titles HBO Max Amazon Channel
  3. 13 titles HBO Max
  4. 7 titles Hulu
  5. 5 titles Spectrum On Demand