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Even with all of the programming available for streaming on Amazon Prime, there invariably will come a time – perhaps even this very moment – when you find yourself asking, “Is it possible that I have watched every TV series on Amazon Prime?” We can appreciate that you may believe this to be so, but the odds are very slim that this is the case, if only because programming lineups change on streaming services…and, yes, we regret to inform you that this even happens on Amazon Prime!
Fortunately for you, it’s our job here at Decider to make sure we know what’s available for your viewing enjoyment, and once we’ve determined what’s there, then we send our finest TV critics into a cage match to determine which 50 shows are the best of the best on Amazon Prime. Oh, sure, not everyone’s ego comes out unscathed, but we’ve determined that it’s in the best interest for you, our devoted readers. As such, no matter what your preference may be — whether it’s comedy, drama, talk show, sci-fi, western, or rom-com — we’ve got something in the mix for your viewing enjoyment.
RELATED: NEW ON AMAZON PRIME: MARCH 2021
'Sealab 2021' (2000)
CREATOR: Adam Reed & Matt Thompson
CAST: Harry Goz, Michael Goz, Bill Lobley, Kate Miller, Erik Estrada, Brett Butler
RATING: 13+
There’s no more appropriate way to start off this list than by spotlighting a series which features this very year in its title. Creators Adam Reed and Matt Thompson utilized footage from the 1972 Hanna-Barbera series Sealab 2020 and added new dialogue, putting the characters in surreal, often downright nonsensical situations. To say that they take these adventurers into directions you’d never see on Saturday mornings is an understatement, but the end result is hilarity.
'Orphan Black' (2013)
CREATOR: Graeme Manson & John Fawcett
CAST: Tatiana Maslany, Dylan Bruce, Jordan Gavaris, Kevin Hanchard, Michael Mando
RATING: TV-MA
Tatiana Maslany went from a virtual unknown to a superstar in the span of the first season of this series, which revolves around Sarah (Maslany), an orphan who witnesses the suicide of a woman who looks just like her, only to discover that she’s a clone…and she’s not alone. Maslany’s performance in the series is, in and of itself, enough to watch it from start to finish, but the twists and turns make it even easier to stay tuned.
'Mad Dogs' (2014)
CREATOR: Cris Cole
CAST: Billy Zane, Ben Chaplin, Steve Zahn, Romany Malco, Michael Imperioli
RATING: TV-MA
Mad Dogs is about four forty-something besties who reunite in Belize to celebrate their old friend’s early retirement. Their friend is bizarrely wealthy and cagey about how he made all his money. The rich one makes an ominous declaration that he’s leaving the four of them his opulent home. Then, a dead goat is left in the pool, they steal a yacht, and then during a tense night of drinks, a man in a cat mask comes in with a gun threatening to kill them if the yacht isn’t returned. There’s also sex and blood and violence. So, you know, it’s not exactly a feel-good family fun time show, but a worthy one nonetheless.—Meghan O’Keefe
'Life in Pieces' (2015)
CREATOR: Justin Adler
CAST: Colin Hanks, Betsy Brandt, James Brolin, Dianne Wiest, Dan Bakkedahl, Zoe Lister-Jones
RATING: TV-14
If there’s a particular reason the family within Life in Pieces has the last name “Short,” it’s probably because each episode of this sitcom features four short stories. There’s usually one about the grandparents, one about the parents, one about the kids, and then a finale that ties them all together. As a single-cam comedy, it was always the odd man out on CBS, but taken on its own, you can see just how solid – and how funny – it is.
'Patriot' (2015)
CREATOR: Steven Conrad
CAST: Michael Dorman, Kurtwood Smith, Kathleen Munroe, Terry O’Quinn, Debra Winger
RATING: 18+
On its surface, Patriot seems to be just another action thriller, focusing on a CIA operative who takes on various missions for the good of national security, but when The Ringer described the series as “really, incredibly, ecstatically messed up,” they were not entirely wrong. It’s a show that considers the repercussions of a spy’s actions when he has to react to situations in the moment rather than follow a plan, and the directions it goes aren’t always where you expect. Just give it a shot and you’ll see: it’s definitely not just another action thriller.
'Red Oaks' (2014)
CREATOR: Gregory Jacobs & Joe Gangemi
CAST: Craig Roberts, Jennifer Grey, Richard Kind, Ennis Esmer, Josh Meyers, Gina Gershon
RATING: 18+
This single-camera comedy might be set in the ’80s, but if you’re expecting another Goldbergs, you’d best look elsewhere. The series follows David (Craig Roberts), who works at a Jewish country club during his summer break, where he ends up learning a great deal about life, love, and even a little bit about tennis. With Jennifer Grey and Richard Kind as his parents, the storylines aren’t all about adolescent shenanigans, but let’s be honest: the best ones are.
'Peep Show' (2003)
CREATOR: Andrew O’Connor, Jesse Armstrong & Sam Bain
CAST: David Mitchell, Robert Webb
RATING: 16+
Mark Corrigan (David Mitchell) and Jeremy “Jez” Usborne (Robert Webb) share a flat in London, and two more disparate individuals you’d be hard pressed to find: Mark’s a socially-awkward cynic who works as a loan manager, while Jeremy’s an unemployed slacker who’s basically coasting through life. Over the course of nine seasons, their general personalities may not change a great deal, but they definitely endure plenty of misadventures together.
'Yancy Derringer' (1958)
CREATOR: Mary Loos & Richard Sale
CAST: Jock Mahoney, X Brands, Frances Bergen, Kevin Hagen
RATING: 13+
There aren’t a ton of westerns available on Amazon Prime at the moment, but this late ’50s series is a perfect example of an underrated series that deserves this chance in the spotlight. Jock Mahoney plays the titular character, a former captain in the Confederate Army who’s now returned to his home turf of New Orleans to live his life as an adventurer and gambler. Mahoney’s charismatic performance makes the show a must-watch…so much so, in fact, that you’ll likely find yourself wishing it had lasted longer.
'Tenspeed And Brown Shoe' (1980)
CREATOR: Stephen J. Cannell
CAST: Ben Vereen, Jeff Goldblum
RATING: TV-14
E.L. Turner (Ben Vereen), known as “Tenspeed” to his friends, is a hustler and ex-con who’s taken on a gig as a detective to fulfill his parole requirements. Lionel “Brownshoe” Whitney (Jeff Goldblum) is an account who always wanted to be a private eye, and he’s living out his dream by teaming up with Tenspeed. Although this series only lasted for 14 episodes, it’s prime Stephen J. Cannell action-comedy, with both Vereen and Goldblum delivering wonderful comic turns throughout.
'The Boys' (2019)
CREATOR: Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson / Eric Kripke
CAST: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott
RATING: 18+
HBO’s Watchmen got a lot of the “dark superhero saga” glory last year, but lest you forget, The Boys mines similar territory, and unlike Watchmen, it’s still a going concern. The series follows The Seven, the predominant superhero team of the corporation Vought International, and the Boys, the vigilante superheroes who are out to stop Vought. It’s a jarring series at times, but believe the hype: it’s full of solid sci-fi action.
'Mad About You' (1992)
CREATOR: Paul Reiser & Danny Jacobson
CAST: Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt, Anne Ramsay, Leila Kenzie, John Pankow, Richard Kind
RATING: TV-PG
Paul Buchman (Paul Reiser) is a documentary filmmaker, Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt) is a P.R. specialist, but when it comes right down to it, Mad About You isn’t really about what Paul and Jamie do for a living, it’s about how they are as a couple, with their relationship highs and lows coming across as more than a little bit relatable to the average viewer. For the record, not only is the original run of the series on Amazon, but so is the revival season that debuted a year or so ago, so you get the full Buchman saga.
'Roseanne' (1988)
CREATOR: Matt Williams, Roseanne Barr, Marcy Carsey & Tom Werner
CAST: Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson, Sarah Chalke
RATING: TV-PG
Although its reputation was damaged by the absolutely excruciating way in which the original series ended, it can’t be forgotten that the first several seasons of Roseanne served as one of the most accurate portrayals of a low-income family in American TV history. The marriage of Roseanne and Dan Connor felt more real than any husband and wife in many years, dealing with dysfunctional families, money problems, and unemployment in a way that countless viewers could relate. You just have to pretend that the season where they won the lottery never happened. (We do…and trust us, it works.)
'ZeroZeroZero' (2020)
CREATOR: Stefano Solima, Leonardo Fasoli & Mauricio Katz
CAST: Andrea Riseborough, Dane DeHaan, Gabriel Byrne, Diego Catano, Noe Hernandez
RATING: 18+
It’s a simple premise: follow the journey of a cocaine shipment from production to delivery, including what goes on with the sellers, the brokers, and the buyers. The complexity of the resulting series, however, is remarkable. Filmed in America, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, and Senegal, it’s a different side of the drug trade than any series up to this point, and it’s positively enthralling. Not always upbeat, mind you, but enthralling nonetheless.
'A Different World' (1987)
CREATOR: William H. Cosby, Jr., Ed. D.
CAST: Lisa Bonet, Marisa Tomei, Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Dawnn Lewis, Darryl Bell
RATING: TV-PG
Yes, it started life as a spinoff of The Cosby Show, following Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) as she went off to attend her parents’ alma mater, Hillman College, but while Bill might’ve done irreparable damage to his own series, there’s no reason you can’t continue to enjoy the exploits of Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison), Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy), Ron (Darryl Bell), Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis), and the rest of the gang as they make their way through school and venture into the real world.
'The Affair' (2014)
CREATOR: Sarah Treem
CAST: Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, Maura Tierney, Joshua Jackson
RATING: TV-MA
First of all, let’s get this out of the way: “soap” is not an insult. The Affair is a show about marriage, divorce, infidelity, love, lust, men and women, rich and poor, parenthood, mental illness, birth, and death—y’know, all the stuff that both soap operas and actual real life are made of. If that makes it soapy, then soap us right down. A phenomenal cast anchored by Ruth Wilson, Dominic West, Maura Tierney, and Joshua Jackson help tell the story of two couples rocked by an affair (duh), as the consequences slowly spiral outward. Meanwhile, a unique point-of-view device presents competing versions of the same events, depending on the character’s perspective.—Sean T. Collins
'The Weird Al Show' (1997)
CREATOR: “Weird Al” Yankovic
CAST: “Weird Al” Yankovic, Brian Haley, Gary LeRoi Gray, Judy Tenuta, Paul Jai Parker
RATING: TV-PG
Make no mistake: this is a very silly show. It’s also a very smart show, however, and one might reasonably argue that it was too smart for Saturday mornings, which is why it ultimately ended up being canceled after only a single season. Truth be told, the best way to enjoy the show is on DVD, because the audio commentaries are arguably better than the episodes themselves, as they detail the behind-the-scenes saga of the show, but if you’re a “Weird Al” fan, you’ll be won over before the insidiously catchy theme song is even finished playing.
'Monk' (2002)
CREATOR: Andy Breckman
CAST: Tony Shalhoub, Bitty Schram, Jason Gray-Stanford, Ted Levine, Traylor Howard
RATING: TV-PG
Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) used to be one of the best detectives in the San Francisco Police Department, but when his wife Trudy was killed in a parking garage bombing, he had a nervous breakdown, one which led him to become a recluse. With the help of his assistant Sharona (Bitty Schram), he finally leaves his house and reenters the work force as a private detective, albeit one with more quirks and phobias than you can imagine. This might make him infuriating to his former cop buddies like Captain Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), but it leads to a lot of laughs and some fascinating cases.
'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' (1993)
CREATOR: Rick Berman & Michael Piller
CAST: Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman, Nana Visitor, Alexander Siddig
RATING: TV-PG
After two Star Trek series set on starships named Enterprise, Deep Space Nine was a definite departure for the franchise, focusing instead on a space station built by the Cardassian Empire which is now in the hands of Starfleet Command. There’s a considerable amount of political drama on the series, which was definitely something different for the Star Trek universe, but it worked remarkably well, thanks in no small part to the diversity of characters in the mix. (Also notable is the fact that it was the darkest of the Trek series up to that point, but one might reasonably argue that Discovery has since taken its crown.)
'The Bernie Mac Show' (2001)
CREATOR: Larry Wilmore
CAST: Bernie Mac, Kellita Smith, Jeremy Suarez, Dee Dee Davis, Camille Winbush
RATING: TV-PG
After becoming a success as a stand-up, Bernie Mac took to the small screen for this series, which found him taking in his sister’s children when she wisely opts to enter rehab. The storylines are relatable, and the kids are great, but there’s no question: the funniest part of the series involves Bernie talking directly into the camera, addressing “America” as if we’re his best friend and he’s just got to vent about what’s been going on in his house. It might make you miss him even more than you probably already do, but it also makes the goings-on in the series more personal, which is why so many people fell in love with it.
'Gavin & Stacey' (2007)
CREATOR: James Corden & Ruth Jones
CAST: Matthew Horne, Joanna Page, James Corden, Ruth Jones, Rob Brydon, Alison Steadman
RATING: 16+
If you missed this Britcom the first time around, then your first reaction is likely to be, “Holy crap, is that James Corden?” Indeed, it is: Corden co-created this rom-com with Ruth Jones, and he even had the good sense to avoid casting himself as the lead. Gavin (Matthew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page) are a couple who’ve met as a result of trading phone calls from different branches of their company, but having become smitten with each other, they finally decide to meet, and a romance begins. Attempts were made to do an Americanized version of the series, but stick with the original: it’s sweet, it’s funny, and transferring the setting to the U.S. is absolutely unnecessary.
'Chuck' (2007)
CREATOR: Josh Schwartz & Chris Fedak
CAST: Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Sarah Lancaster, Adam Baldwin
RATING: TV-14
Chuck (Zachary Levi) is not a cool guy. Not even remotely. Frankly, he’s just a computer geek who works as a member of the Nerd Herd at a big-box electronics store and lives with his big sister. But his life gets turned upside-down when he accidentally ends up having an entire database of government secrets uploaded into his brain, turning him into a human weapon and – in turn – making him an invaluable resource for the C.I.A. and the N.S.A…provided they can successfully teach him how to utilize his abilities before he gets himself killed.
'30 Rock' (2006)
CREATOR: Tina Fey
CAST: Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Alec Baldwi
RATING: TV-14
Some have said that this series is one of the most “inside baseball” comedies ever, offering a look inside the making of a network television comedy that only someone who works in television could truly appreciate. Those people are… Well, they’re not completely wrong, but they’re missing the fact that this Tina Fey creation is easily one of the smartest series even to make it onto network television. Indeed, it’s so smart that even now we can’t believe they managed to get away with some of the jokes they got away with. But that’s Tina Fey for you.
'Transparent' (2014)
CREATOR: Joey Soloway
CAST: Jeffrey Tambor, Gaby Hoffmann, Jay Duplass, Amy Landecker, Judith Light, Kathryn Hahn
RATING: 18+
When Transparent first debuted in February 2014, the idea of a series revolving around a family dealing with a parent – played by Jeffrey Tambor – coming out as a trans woman was positively groundbreaking, and while we’ve come a long way as a society since then, it still feels just as profound now as it did then. While the conclusion of the series was somewhat tarnished by Tambor’s departure in the wake of sexual harassment allegations, it hasn’t tarnished the overall impact in the slightest.
'Farscape' (1999)
CREATOR: Rockne S. O’Bannon
CAST: Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Virginia Hey, Anthony Simcoe, Gigi Edgley, Paul Goddard
RATING: TV-14
One of the best original sci-fi series of the last 25 years, Farscape kicks off with astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder) blasting off from Earth, being sucked into a wormhole and dropped into a distant part of the Milky Way, and finding himself in the middle of an escape attempt by a ragtag bunch of aliens. Although his ultimate goal is to get back home, Crichton ends up teaming with this motley crew as they evade the so-called Peacekeepers and learns more about the galaxy that he ever imagined possible.
'Psych' (2006)
CREATOR: Steve Franks
CAST: James Roday, Dule Hill, Timothy Omundson, Anne Dudek, Corbin Bernsen
RATING: TV-PG
As the son of a police officer, Shawn Spencer is trained from a young age to be as observant as possible, reaching a point where his skills are so good that people think he has psychic powers. Given his tendency toward being a wise guy, Shawn sees an opportunity to have some fun, and he drags his friend Gus (Dule Hill) into starting a psychic detective agency. If you think it sounds like a fun show already, just wait until you see all the guest stars and movie and TV homages they manage to work into the proceedings, and you’ll understand why this show has such a tremendous cult following.
'A Bit of Fry and Laurie' (1987)
CREATOR: Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie
CAST: Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie
RATING: TV-PG
Nowadays more people know Hugh Laurie for his dramatic work on House than they do his comedic work (although Veep certainly helped on that front), whereas Stephen Fry is arguably better known as a presenter of various quiz shows and other programs. Once upon a time, however, the twosome were masters of sketch comedy in the UK, and their prowess in that field is on full display in this show.
'The Andy Griffith Show' (1960)
CREATOR: Sheldon Leonard
CAST: Andy Griffith, Ron Howard, Don Knotts, Frances Bavier, Jim Nabors, George Lindsey
RATING: NR
Sheriff Andy Taylor isn’t the only lawman in the sleepy town of Mayberry, North Carolina – no, sir, he’s also got a deputy by the name of Barney Fife, who carries a bullet in his shirt pocket just in case he might need it one day – but Andy’s the one who helps keep Mayberry in check. This look at small-town life is simple enough, with most of the stories involving Andy, his son Opie (played by future director Ron Howard), his aunt Bea, and the incredibly minor problems of the other townsfolk. Darned if they don’t still make you laugh, though.
'Catastrophe' (2015)
CREATOR: Rob Delaney & Sharon Horgan
CAST: Sharon Horgan , Rob Delaney, Ashley Jensen, Mark Bonnar, Carrie Fisher
RATING: 18+
When Sharon, an Irish school teacher who lives in London, meets Rob, an American ad exec on a business trip to the UK, it’s lust at first sight, resulting in a several-day fling that concludes when he returns home to Boston. It’s not terribly long after that when she discovers that she’s pregnant, and when she calls Rob to inform him of such, he immediately decides to do the right thing, and in a big way: he moves to London, and they become a couple. That said, their relationship didn’t exactly start out in a traditional fashion, so it takes a bit of effort before they can truly find out what works between them.
'Star Trek: The Next Generation' (1987)
CREATOR: Gene Roddenberry
CAST: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton
RATING: NR
At the time this series debuted, there was considerable skepticism that anyone could step into the shoes of William Shatner as the captain of the Enterprise, but by fast-forwarding the better part of a century and putting someone with zero resemblance to Kirk in the command chair – Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) – Star Trek: The Next Generation defied the skeptics and really did kick off a brand new generation of the Trek franchise, one that continues to expand even now.
'Bosch' (2014)
CREATOR: Michael Connelly / Eric Overmyer
CAST: Titus Welliver, Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino, Lance Reddick, Sarah Clarke
RATING: 18+
After years of writing the adventures of detective Harry Bosch without allowing him to make the jump from the printed page, author Michael Connelly finally relented, letting well-respected character actor Titus Welliver tackle the role. The combination of Welliver’s delivery and Eric Overmyer’s adaptation of Connelly’s books has resulted in one of the best mainstream detective dramas in many moons.
'Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis' (2008)
CREATOR: Scott Aukerman & B.J. Porter
CAST: Zach Galifianakis
RATING: TV-14
The idea of a mock talk show is far from a new concept, but there’s something particularly entertaining about Between Two Ferns, and that something is clearly Zach Galifianakis, who channels the awkwardness of a local cable-access host, the rudeness of an insult comic, and the cluelessness of pretty much every movie character he’s ever played, then he’s pitted against the celebrity guest du jour, which can be anyone from Brad Pitt to Barack Obama. It’s always ridiculous, but that’s what makes it so funny, and it’s why it stays funny each and every time, no matter who the guest may be.
Watch Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis on Amazon Prime
'The Dick Cavett Show' (1968)
CREATOR: Dick Cavett
CAST: Dick Cavett
RATING: 7+
For all the good-natured ribbing that Dick Cavett has endured over the years about his shows perpetually being canceled and his numerous anecdotes about Groucho Marx, Woody Allen, and other celebrities, the fact of the matter is that he remains one of the most witty and intelligent interviewers in the history of talk shows, and his list of past guests is arguably only second to Johnny Carson. Even at that, though, Johnny’s guests were never anywhere near as hip as Dick’s, as you’ll see from folks like John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Muhammad Ali, and so on.
'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' (1981)
CREATOR: Douglas Adams
CAST: Simon Jones, David Dixon, Mark Wing-Davey, Sandra Dickinson, Peter Jones
RATING: 13+
While there are those who prefer the movie version of this Douglas Adams sci-fi comedy classic (and even more who prefer the radio version), this TV version from the early ’80s is still the best visual representation of Adams’ novels thus far. The story, for those who’ve never seen any version, involves a terribly average Englishman named Arthur Dent (Simon Jones) who gets a last-second save from the destruction of the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, who – to Arthur’s surprise – is actually an alien who’s also a contributing writer for an intergalactic travel book called the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Granted, the special effects are tremendously dated, but the incorporation of info from the Guide is done just right.
'Community' (2009)
CREATOR: Dan Harmon
CAST: Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Ken Jeong, Chevy Chase, Jim Rash
RATING: TV-PG
It would not be wrong to say that this is a series about a disbarred attorney who, in the wake of his law firm discovering that he lied about his bachelor’s degree, is forced to attend Greendale Community College in order to earn a legitimate diploma. It also wouldn’t give you any real idea about the genius of this series, which features homages to a number of films and TV series, numerous guest stars, and a whole lot of heart. It’s also wildly eccentric, which is probably why fans only got five seasons rather than the six seasons and a movie that they truly deserved.
'Suits' (2011)
CREATOR: Aaron Korsh
CAST: Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle, Sarah Rafferty, Gina Torres
RATING: TV-14
Suits has one of those premises that’s so easy to explain that it’s no wonder USA snapped it up in a heartbeat: Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) doesn’t have a law degree, but he knows so much about the law that he can pass for a lawyer, doing so in such successful fashion that he’s hired as an associate for Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht). The two work so well together that Harvey decides to keep Mike’s secret, but what if it gets out? Ah, therein lies the drama…
'Jim Henson's The Storyteller' (1987)
CREATOR: Jim Henson
CAST: John Hurt, Brian Henson, Michael Gambon
RATING: TV-PG
Not that Jim Henson doesn’t deserve every bit of acclaim he’s ever gotten for the Muppets, but it’s a shame he didn’t receive more for The Storyteller, a series which features John Hurt (under considerable makeup) as the titular character, spinning classic folktales which feature a blend of human actors and characters from the Creature Shop. An underrated chapter of Henson’s career, it’s one that you should check out if you’ve never experienced it before.
'Angel' (1999)
CREATOR: Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt
CAST: David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, Alexis Denisof, J. August Richards, Amy Acker
RATING: TV-14
During the early seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, David Boreanaz made goth girls swoon as Angel, the vampire with a soul. Given a chance to shine in his own series, Angel opened a detective agency and promptly embarked on his own adventures, many of which resulted in storylines that rivaled the series that spawned it. If there’s anything disappointing about Angel, it’s that its final season is its strongest, bringing fellow vampire Spike (James Marsters) into the mix, but there’s plenty of action, comedy, and even puppets in the mix during the five seasons that exist, so no complaints here.
'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' (2017)
CREATOR: Amy Sherman-Palladino
CAST: Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Bornstein, Michael Zegen, Tony Shalhoub, Kevin Pollak
RATING: 16+
Who would’ve thought that a series about a Jewish-American housewife turned stand-up comedian would prove to be such a mainstream success? You can attribute that partially to creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, who’s always had a way with witty dialogue and emotion-packed storylines (it was pretty well-honed after her work on Gilmore Girls), but the heaviest lifting is done by the show’s star, Rachel Brosnahan, who – as Midge Maisel – is simply wonderful.
'Mr. Robot' (2015)
CREATOR: Sam Esmail
CAST: Rami Malek, Carly Chaikin, Portia Doubleday, Martin Wallstrom, Christian Slater
RATING: TV-MA
Viewers and critics alike were enthralled by this USA Network series when it premiered, with Rami Malek’s performance as Elliot, a cybersecurity engineer by day and a vigilante hacker by night, turning him into a star. In addition, however, it helped revive Christian Slater’s career, with everyone wondering about his character – the eponymous Mr. Robot – and trying to figure out exactly what his deal was. It’s a cyberthriller that works wonderfully throughout its run, ending before even remotely running out of steam.
'Black Adder' (1983)
CREATOR: Richard Curtis, Rowan Atkinson
CAST: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Tim McInnerny, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry
RATING: 13+
What started out as the comedic exploits of The Duke of Edinburgh, a.k.a. The Black Adder (Rowan Atkinson), soon turned into a time-jumping tale of various other incarnations of Blackadder throughout British history, with the series eventually making its way up to World War I before coming to its surprisingly poignant conclusion.
'House' (2004)
CREATOR: David Shore
CAST: Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein, Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Jennifer Morrison, Jesse Spencer
RATING: TV-14
It’s rare for a series revolving around an anti-hero to become a huge success on a broadcast network, but it’s hard to describe Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) as anything else. Yes, he’s a physician, and he’s solving medical mysteries and saving lives left and right as the leader of a team of diagnosticians at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, but he’s also a raging prick, the type of character you both hate to love and love to hate. Oh, wait, maybe that’s why it ran so long…
'The Americans' (2013)
CREATOR: Joe Weisberg
CAST: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Maximilliano Hernandez, Holly Taylor, Noah Emmerich
RATING: TV-MA
Remember the ’80s, when the Cold War was raging and every American was led to believe that the Russians were out to get us? Well, this series would have you believe that you were spot on about that, since it stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as a pair of Soviet KGB officers posing as an American couple in the DC suburbs. Oh, and their neighbor, played by Noah Emmerich, is an FBI agent, so that’s awesome. The acclaim heaped on this drama by the critics was in no way hyperbole, and since it’s a period piece anyway, it’s never too late to jump on board and join the fandom!
'Fleabag' (2016)
CREATOR: Phoebe Waller-Bridge
CAST: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sian Clifford, Olivia Coleman, Bill Paterson, Brett Gelman
RATING: 18+
Phoebe Waller-Bridge plays the titular character, as well she should, given that she also created the show. (After all, who would know how to play her better?) Regularly breaking the fourth wall, Waller-Bridge plays a woman who’s intelligent but often acts reckless, as if she’s the only one in the world who matters and can’t understand why everyone else in world always seems to be out to get her. Also, she enjoys sex quite a lot, yet her tendency toward chaos leads her more toward one-night stands than relationships. In short, it’s more relatable than you’d like to think.
'The Honeymooners' (1955)
CREATOR: Jackie Gleason
CAST: Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Audrey Meadows, Joyce Randolph
RATING: TV-G
It’s one of the great templates in sitcom history: Jackie Gleason plays Ralph Kramden, a loud-mouthed bus driver who’s also a henpecked husband, Art Carney plays Ralph’s quirky best buddy, sewer employee Ed Norton, and the two of them are constantly trying to strike it rich while consistently failing miserably in their endeavors. It didn’t just inspire The Flintstones, it inspired just about every buddy-comedy sitcom ever, and thanks to the performances of Gleason and Carney, it’s still hysterically funny.
'The Thick of It' (2005)
CREATOR: Armando Iannucci
CAST: Peter Capaldi, Chris Addison, Chris Langham, Joanna Scanlan, James Smith
RATING: TV-MA
There are those who would say that the ridiculousness of the reality of the previous four years has made any political comedies from prior to the Trump era seem far less implausible than they once were, and those people are not wrong. But this series from Armando Ianucci, the creator of Veep, still remains one of the funniest political comedies of all time, and given that Ianucci himself once described it as “Yes, Minister meets Larry Sanders,” you can see why it would be.
'Scrubs' (2001)
CREATOR: Bill Lawrence
CAST: Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, Neil Flynn, Ken Jenkins, John C. McGinley, Judy Reyes
RATING: TV-14
When this series first kicked off, it was predominantly about J.D. (Zach Braff), an intern at Sacred Heart Hospital, his buddy Turk (Donald Faison), and Elliott Sarah Chalke), a fellow intern with whom J.D. was smitten. Over time, the storylines expanded to focus on other doctors and hospital employees, and the comedy veered into semi-surreal territory on occasion, but few medical sitcoms have been as successful when it comes to making you laugh and cry within the same episode.
'Star Trek' (1966)
CREATOR: Gene Roddenberry
CAST: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelley, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan, Walter Koenig
RATING: TV-PG
Space may or not still be the final frontier, but this is still the sci-fi series to beat, given that it set the stage for all of the Star Trek series to follow. See Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Uhura, Chekov, and the rest of the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise in all their glory as they embark on their five-year mission – well, three years of it, anyway – to go where no man has gone before. Some of the special effects may be cheesy, and there may be some chewing of scenery, but the impact made by this show is damned near unparalleled.
'The Office' (BBC Version) (2001)
CREATOR: Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant
CAST: Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook, Lucy Davis, Stirling Gallacher
RATING: TV-14
Once upon a time, people scoffed at the idea that NBC could ever successfully adapt this Britcom about a paper company and make it palatable for American audiences. Nowadays, there are people who worship at the altar of Dunder-Mifflin without knowing anything about David Brent (Ricky Gervais), the U.K. equivalent of Michael Scott, let alone Gareth, Tim, and Dawn, whose characters inspired Dwight, Jim, and Pam. You can’t in good conscience call yourself a fan of The Office until you’ve visited this office.
'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1997)
CREATOR: Joss Whedon
CAST: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon, Anthony Stewart Head, James Marsters, Michelle Trachtenberg
RATING: TV-14
It might’ve started out as a weirdly-premised horror-comedy starring Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry, but with Joss Whedon at the helm, Buffy the Vampire Slayer turned into one of the funniest, creepiest, and most emotional TV sagas of the 2000s, taking the titular character through high school, into college, and on a rollercoaster ride that found her slaying vampires and protecting Sunnydale from whatever evil beasties might be drawn to the so-called Hellmouth. Stop scoffing at the title and embrace the awesomeness (so long as you can get past Whedon’s off-screen awfulness).
'The Carol Burnett Show' (1967)
CREATOR: Carol Burnett
CAST: Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Tim Conway, Lyle Waggoner
RATING: 13+
Not every sketch-comedy series can claim to be timeless, but even with sporadic pop culture references, Carol Burnett and her regular ensemble of players – including the eternal trifecta of Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, and Vicki Lawrence – has aged better than virtually any other program within the genre. Whether it’s Conway playing dentist or Burnett offering her best Scarlett O’Hara, it’s still laugh-until-you-cry comedy, and it’s always good for what ails you.
