20 Best Streaming TV Shows Of All Time, Ranked

The advent of streaming platforms has caused a major shake-up in the film and television industry for years. Following the lead of Netflix, the number of streaming services has grown considerably over the past several years, with many offering their own blend of original and licensed programming. Given the global reach of these streamers, these exclusive shows boast millions of viewers worldwide, fueling the platforms' success. More and more all-star creative talent bring these projects to life, while streaming shows have dominated award season achievements regularly.

We've assembled the greatest original streaming shows produced for these platforms in the United States, drawing from libraries on everything from Netflix and Prime Video to Disney+ and Apple TV. To clarify, we're focusing on television programming and projects that were produced specifically for streaming services, rather merely being available as licensed content. 

Defining what this new age of television is all about, these are the 20 best streaming TV shows of all time, ranked.

No one likely expected a revival series based on "The Karate Kid" to be as entertaining as it was, but like a true underdog, "Cobra Kai" delivered. Originally premiering on the now-defunct YouTube Red for its first two seasons before moving to Netflix, the show centers on the original "Karate Kid" antagonist Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). Dreaming of his high school glory days, Johnny agrees to mentor his teenage neighbor Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña) in karate. This reignites Johnny's rivalry with Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), with conflict spreading to the new generation.

"Cobra Kai" somehow stands better than "The Karate Kid" movies, bringing a self-aware humor to the premise. At the same time, the series delivers plenty of martial arts action, including memorable set pieces concluding each season. The show is particularly rewarding for "Karate Kid" fans, weaving in classic elements that makes the series feel like a natural continuation. Breathing new life into the franchise by making its feuds generational, "Cobra Kai" is an action dramedy reveling in its celebration of the '80s.

If there was ever a feel-good sports show for the streaming era, it's "Ted Lasso." The 2020 Apple TV series follows American college football coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis), who accepts an offer to coach a British soccer team. While secretly hired to tank the team's athletic prospects, Ted's wholesome demeanor and empathetic nature quickly wins over the organization. Ted coaches his players and the staff with life lessons, inspiring them.

"Ted Lasso" certainly gets things right and wrong about soccer, but the show's real emphasis is on its life-affirming eponymous protagonist and his positive effect on those around him. There is an earnestness to the series, like its protagonist, designed to thoroughly deflate cynicism and, on that score, it usually succeeds. That said, the show also doesn't pull its emotional punches, careful not to overdo its own schmaltz. Arguably the first must-watch original on Apple TV, "Ted Lasso" is the sentimental hit that stands out through its genuine heart.

If "Ted Lasso" is an appeal to the better angels of our nature, "The Bear" revels in the chaos of dysfunction. The show is named for its titular Chicago beef sandwich eatery, headed by Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White). Carmy decides to reposition the restaurant into a fine dining establishment, strictly running the kitchen to the chagrin of his co-workers. As the show progresses, the contentious history of Carmy, his family, and friends is explored.

"The Bear" is a show where there are no heroes, just people trying to overcome their respective hang-ups to do the best they can. Initially starting out as a dramedy, the show has steadily leaned more into intense drama as Carmy and the other main characters confront their inner demons. Though these characters strive for something greater, they are each messes in their own ways, bringing a knowing verisimilitude to the stakes. "The Bear" is an emotional feast that never gives its characters the easy way out, upping the tension each season.

The classic age of swashbuckling piracy gets a loving send-up with the HBO Max original series "Our Flag Means Death." Set in the early 18th century, Caribbean aristocrat Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) ditches his unhappy home life to become a pirate. After acquiring a ship and crew, Bonnet moves to gain a reputation as the gentleman pirate of the high seas. When Bonnet crosses paths with infamous pirate captain Edward Teach (Taika Waititi), the two strike up a romance as they help each other find themselves.

"Our Flag Means Death" is an anti-queerbaiting blast, fueled by the undeniable charm and chemistry between Darby and Waititi. The show pokes good-natured fun at the pirate genre, but its farcical stakes don't compromise its abundant amount of heart. The swashbuckling are still present front and center, imbuing additional dimensions to the comedy and romance that unfolds. A cult classic that deserved more than the two seasons that it got, "Our Flag Means Death" is an enjoyable ride.

Among the Apple TV originals that debuted when the platform launched was the workplace drama "The Morning Show." The series centers on a popular morning news show, with longtime anchor Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) being exposed in a sexual misconduct scandal. After Kessler's ousting, he is replaced by Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon), joining Kessler's co-anchor Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston). As the news team reports on current events, they handle constant changes in the cutthroat television industry.

"The Morning Show" is a stirring reflection of the world we live in while exploring the mercurial dynamics between its main cast. Rivals can turn into close allies or vice versa within the span of a handful of episodes while outside players complicate matters. The series boasts one of the finest ensemble casts of any Apple TV program and stands as one of Reese Witherspoon's best shows. Offering some of the most emotionally nuanced work that its cast has ever done, "The Morning Show" challenges its characters through the lens of news media today.

Across Taylor Sheridan's modern crime dramas dominating television these days, the one that stays the course is "Mayor of Kingstown." The 2021 Paramount+ series stars Jeremy Renner as Mike McLusky, whose family has served as the in their Michigan town. Kingstown's community revolves around its local prison system, with Mike stepping in between it and various criminal organizations. With Mike inheriting the role as the primary mediator, he finds his work cut out for him as he's frequently placed in harrowing circumstances.

"Mayor of Kingstown" was a decade in the making for co-creators Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, with both men growing up in separate towns with corrupt prison systems. That helps ground what is admittedly a very bleak premise and setting, keeping it from being overly off-putting. What keeps viewers coming back for more is McLusky's fiery tenacity, with the appeal in seeing how he survives time after time. A crime drama with a real well-pronounced grit to it, "Mayor of Kingstown" improves upon each season as it constantly ups the ante.

Speaking of antes, the best Peacock original series is the mystery comedy "Poker Face," created by filmmaker Rian Johnson. The show's protagonist is Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne), a woman with the uncanny ability to detect when people are lying. After becoming implicated in a murderous scandal involving her casino boss, Charlie flees to go cross-country. On the road, Charlie puts her unique set of skills to good use, solving murder mysteries that she happens to stumble into throughout her travels.

"Poker Face" is an entertaining showcase for Lyonne's talents, bringing a more lighthearted approach than her past work in "Russian Doll." The show brings in a steady rotation of impressive guest stars and recurring actors that play well off of Lyonne. "Poker Face" was, unfortunately, canceled after two seasons, but there remains hope for a return. In the meantime, Johnson's strong work celebrating and lightly subverting whodunit expectations in his "Knives Out" movies and "Poker Face" remains a highlight in his career.

In 2019, the project with the most positive buzz from "Star Wars" fans wasn't "The Rise of Skywalker" but the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian." Set five years after the events of "Return of the Jedi," the armored bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) takes jobs along the galaxy's lawless Outer Rim. When Din decides to spare a Force-sensitive child, Grogu, he becomes a target for the remnants of the Galactic Empire. As Din keeps Grogu safe and continues completing bounties, he encounters other pivotal figures in the galaxy.

"The Mandalorian" brought a more grounded and gritty take on the "Star Wars" universe that the sequel and prequel film trilogies lacked. "The Mandalorian" gave "Star Wars" a future on television, which Lucasfilm has steadily expanded upon, while proving the viability of Disney+ as a streaming platform overall. As beautifully crafted as "Andor" is, it doesn't have the sheer accessibility and fun factor that "The Mandalorian" used to keep the franchise alive.

Another standout Apple TV original that has been a fixture on the platform since its launch is "For All Mankind." The 2019 series posits a Space Race where the Soviet Union successfully lands a person on the moon before the United States. President Nixon orders that NASA not only continue the Space Race but escalate. Each season jumps the timeline forward roughly by a decade as humanity expands its space presence.

"For All Mankind" provides a sweeping vision of what humanity's future in outer space could've been, growing more ambitious with each season. Though obviously diverging from our timeline considerably, there is still a sharp attention to detail to the series that's earned NASA astronauts' approval in its authenticity. But for all the Cold War intrigue and spacefaring peril, the real appeal is the deep level of emotional investment in the characters and their complicated dynamics. An alternate history show that doesn't get overly concerned with the minutiae of its timeline, "For All Mankind" is Apple TV at its best.

Prolific comic book creator Robert Kirkman wrote "Invincible" and "The Walking Dead" at the same time for 15 years, garnering best-selling success for both. While "The Walking Dead" was adapted into cable television, "Invincible" became a Prime Video original animated series debuting in 2021. The show opens with teenager Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) developing superpowers like his extraterrestrial father Omni Man (J.K. Simmons), following in his footsteps to become a superhero. However, as Mark becomes increasingly involved in the world of superheroics, he learns the dark truth about his father.

"Invincible" stands as one of the best superhero shows ever, packing its story with an all-star cast and stylized set pieces in every episode. Though there are differences from the comic book source material, the broad strokes of the story are maintained, with Kirkman serving as showrunner alongside Simon Racioppa. Taking advantage of the greater creative freedom on its platform, the show also brings the gory fury. "Invincible" is a self-aware celebration of common superhero tropes with a fierce intensity.

Night City, the futuristic dystopian introduced by the 2020 video game "Cyberpunk 2077," also serves as the setting for the 2022 anime show "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners." A standalone prequel to the game's story, the series follows teenager David Martinez. Cybernetically enhanced after a tragic incident, David is joined by a young thief named Lucy. The duo's gang pulls off increasingly daring heists around the sprawling metropolis, eventually targeting the sinister Arasaka Corporation.

Echoing its video game source material, "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners" is a hyper-violent visual marvel, providing an even more stylish take on Night City than the game. The show really excels at capturing the desperation and hopelessness of taking on the world's powerful villains, providing the story with its emotional core. At the same time, the action set pieces are absolutely eye-popping, capturing the visceral intensity that comes with its neon-lit dystopia. The best Netflix original anime series, "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners" is an accessible thrill ride, even to those who have never played the game.

After helming 2021's "The Suicide Squad," filmmaker James Gunn created a spin-off centered on its breakout antihero Chris Smith (John Cena) in "Peacemaker." The 2022 HBO Max series has the gun-toting vigilante take on parasitic aliens possessing humans. The second season has Peacemaker and his misfit friends tackle their trauma in their own individual ways. This is complicated by Smith discovering a parallel universe resembling his own with its own evils.

Of all the blockbuster superhero projects that Gunn has brought to audiences, "Peacemaker" is a full showcase for his creative sensibilities. Moving away from more family-friendly fare in his Marvel Studios work, Gunn earns his TV-MA rating through gratuitous sex and violence. The show features some of the most riotous and ribald jokes Gunn has ever told but with a wounded heart under the surface that isn't afraid to get raw. A superhero send-up that retains its earnestness, Gunn and Cena prove to be creative simpaticos bringing out the best in each other.

Filmmaker Taylor Sheridan has become an absolute creative powerhouse in the television industry over the past decade. The crown jewel in the shows that Sheridan created is "Yellowstone," detailing the saga of the Dutton family. The origins of the Duttons settling in Montana and founding their ranch is explored in the Paramount+ prequel "1883." The series follows the Duttons as they travel to the Montana Territory as part of a wagon train led by grizzled veteran Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott).

"1883" is the highest-ranked Sheridan show in IMDb's Top 250, exceeding even "Yellowstone" in its acclaimed placement. This lofty status is well-deserved, with the 2021 miniseries stripping away the usual over-the-top melodrama and stakes "Yellowstone" is known for. Instead, the prequel is a grim and gritty Western story about desperate survival along the untamed frontier. Sheridan at his most hard-bitten and powered by a commanding performance from Elliott, "1883" stands as the best Paramount+ original.

Margaret Atwood's dystopian 1985 novel "The Handmaid's Tale" was adapted into a Hulu original series in 2017. The show takes place in a world where, after a second American Civil War, the country's government has been replaced by a theonomic dictatorship. In the former United States, renamed Gilead, women are child-bearing slaves, known as handmaids. The show opens with June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) trying to flee to Canada, but she's captured and made into a handmaid before leading a revolution.

"The Handmaid's Tale" has always had an eerie relevance to its themes and narrative, paralleling volatile politics in the United States and rights for women. The show maintains an unrelenting intensity for much of its run as June faces increasingly crueler misanthropes running Gilead. Grounding it all is a career-best performance from Moss, but also from co-stars Yvonne Strahovski and Alexis Bledel. Best watched in doses to recover between episodes, "The Handmaid's Tale" is a searing reminder never to bend the knee to tyranny.

The dark underbelly of Hollywood and the entertainment industry is explored with anthropomorphic animals in the Netflix original animated series "BoJack Horseman." Premiering in 2014, the show's titular protagonist (Will Arnett) is a washed-up former sitcom star who happens to be a talking horse. As BoJack tries to get his life and career back in order, he contends with new figures in his life. However, BoJack's attempts at a comeback are derailed by his multitude of vices and deteriorating mental health.

Across six seasons, "BoJack Horseman" transformed from a talking animal comedy to an emotionally devastating series and one of Netflix's best. The jokes come in fast and furious but subtly and gradually builds a messy emotional core. Towards the back half of the show, though the comedy is still there, the story packs a heartbreaking wallop whenever it gets serious. Masterfully alternating between tones, at once hilarious and heart-rending, "BoJack Horseman" is one of the greatest American animated series of all time.

When it comes to psychological crime thrillers, whether it be broadcast television or streaming, few shows did it better than "Mindhunter." Originally set up at HBO before coming to Netflix, the 2017 series takes place during the rise of criminal profiling. The show centers on FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) as they interview incarcerated serial killers to better understand their psychology. Based on these conversations, the two agents investigate active serial killer cases throughout the United States.

With filmmaker David Fincher taking point as showrunner, executive producer, and director for seven of the show's 19 episodes, "Mindhunter" has a cinematic quality to its presentation. The series maintains Fincher's meticulous attention to detail as Ford and Tench delve deeper into truly monstrous psyches. More than just being a conversationally driven show, the series packs some genuine thrills and memorably tense moments to keep viewers on edge. Someday, "Mindhunter" may return but, in the meantime, the two seasons we did get make for truly spectacular crime thriller television.

South Korean television, or K-dramas, had already been making headway in the United States before "Squid Game," but the 2021 series saw their international audiences explode. The Netflix original has gambler Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) accept an invitation to join a competition with a massive cash prize. Taken to a remote island, Gi-hun discovers the contest is a series of games with lethal consequences for losers. After surviving an initial round of games, Gi-hun returns for a chance to stop the organizers from claiming more victims.

Netflix had quietly been curating its own impressive library of K-dramas, but "Squid Game" took it to the next level. With its grueling war of attrition among its contestants and the constant level of interpersonal betrayal, the 2021 series took viewers on an intense ride and didn't let them go. Beyond the gamified chaos, the show carried universal themes of the growing wealth divide and increased desperation for those outside the 1%. A dystopian thriller, "Squid Game" is a must-see K-drama that deserves all the acclaim it received.

"Invincible" and "Peacemaker" aren't the only subversive superhero shows during the streaming era, with "The Boys" predating both. Based on the comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the 2019 Prime Video show takes place in a world where superheroes are treated like celebrities. Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) joins a misfit group led by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) keeping super-powered individuals accountable. This places them at odds with the country's premier super-team and its deranged leader Homelander (Antony Starr).

"The Boys" brings a punk rock energy to the superhero genre, depicting beloved archetypes as sociopathic figures. The show revels in the extremes, often revealing the raw carnage that super-powered people are capable of and the tempting vice of celebrity. In between the gory mayhem, the series proves superhero satire not just to its own genre warning of the danger of oligarchs and corporate malfeasance. A riotously fun series, though not for the faint of heart, "The Boys" is Prime Video's first can't-miss original.

Filmmaker Mike Flanagan has created plenty of excellent horror series on Netflix, but his best by a country mile still is "The Haunting of Hill House." Loosely based on Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel, the story is divided across two time periods. In 1992, the Crains move into Hill house to restore and flip it only for tragedy to strike. 26 years later, the Crains reconvene to address their unfinished business with Hill House.

"The Haunting of Hill House" stands as the best adaptation of Shirley Jackson's work to date, with Flanagan bringing a fresh perspective to the story. At its core, the story is a family drama, tracing how the Crains fell apart and the lingering fallout. But the series weaves in plenty of scares right from its breakneck opening scene and keeps the ghostly frights coming. A full showcase for Flanagan's storytelling talents, "The Haunting of Hill House" is the best ghost story in the streaming era.

When it comes to shows that originated on streaming platforms, no other series lit the world up at the same level as "Stranger Things." Set in the town of Hawkins, Indiana during the '80s, the show has a top-secret government experiment open a portal to another dimension. As escaped monsters threaten the community, a powerful telekinetic girl known simply as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) takes refuge with a close-knit group of friends. The ensemble must not only stop the monsters but avoid the government's attempt.

Originally conceived as a miniseries, "Stranger Things" became event television every time a new season premiered. The show masterfully incorporated '80s nostalgia while weaving its own distinct story, blending sci-fi and horror elements. Powering so much of the series' appeal was an engaging and earnest young ensemble cast, playing off of each other well. Setting a high bar of expectation and achievement yet to be matched in the streaming age, "Stranger Things" is a modern marvel.