10 Best TV Shows of the 2020s (So Far), Ranked

Another modern marvel of sci-fi television, Severance has enchanted millions of viewers the world over with its high-concept premise that marries the intrigue of the genre with resonant commentary on working life in today’s world. It revolves around a company that has surgically divided its employees’ work memories and personal lives, splitting them between “inside” and “outside” selves. When "outside" Mark (Adam Scott) has a weird encounter with a former colleague, he embarks on a dangerous endeavor to discover the true nature of Lumon Industries.

Absorbing with its cerebral thematic ideas, unique narrative, and psychological suspense, Severance has become a cultural phenomenon, even becoming the most-watched series on Apple TV+ in 2025 with just its second season. As emotionally resonant as it is intellectually stimulating, the hit series looms large as the greatest television triumph of the decade, especially with the series being renewed for a third season.

While the past decade has been exceptionally rough for Star Wars fans, Disney’s handling of the franchise has at least produced one cherished gem, with Andor emerging as one of the most dashing and daring projects to have ever graced the cinematic saga. With a grittier approach, the two-season series showcases the might and menace of the Galactic Empire as it follows Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a skilled thief who becomes a key figure in the Rebel Alliance.

Combining rich and layered world-building with a mature storytelling sense, complex characters, and a masterful grasp on cinematic suspense, Andor excels at encompassing the wonder of the Star Wars universe while still feeling like a fresh expansion on what it has offered before. It is the best Star Wars story to have been released for some decades, a stunning triumph of sci-fi television, and a defining highlight of small-screen drama in the 2020s.

A stunning feat of epic-scale television enriched by its dazzling production design, which immerses viewers in 1600s Japan, Shōgun burst onto the scene in 2024 as one of the most enchanting shows to have ever graced the small screen. Based on James Clavell’s 1975 novel—which had previously been adapted into a similarly exceptional miniseries in 1980—it follows the convergence of fates between John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), an English sailor who finds himself shipwrecked in Japan, and Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), a daimyo engulfed in war as he wrestles with political rivals.

Weaving elaborate and engaging storytelling with cultural and historical authenticity, Shōgun deserves celebration not only as a triumph of television spectacle but as a respectful depiction of Japanese culture as well. The integration of multiple languages imbues the series with a compelling diversity, while its adherence to Clavell’s novel is worthy of admiration as well. The immediate success of the series has seen FX and Hulu greenlight a further two seasons.

Establishing itself as a must-see series from its first episode, The Pitt brings an intense and realistic edge to medical drama television with its real-time approach, examination of life for medical staff in a post-pandemic world, and its accuracy, which has been lauded by the medical community. Each of its 15 episodes covers roughly an hour in a grueling shift at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, following the experiences of frontline doctors and medical staff, highlighting the hardships they face with understaffing and the psychological toll of their work.

Sidestepping the cliché melodrama of other medical series, The Pitt immerses viewers with its grounded authenticity, tackling such issues as the effects of addiction, disparities in the healthcare system, and the line medical practitioners must walk between adhering to their regulations and underfunded budgets and providing the best care for their patients. Grim, gripping, and eye-opening, its first season was a huge success that has left many fans eagerly awaiting Season 2’s release early in 2026.

Coming from the creative team behind The Wire, We Own This City offers another grueling, all-encompassing plunge into police corruption and its effects in Baltimore City. Based on Justin Fenton’s non-fiction book of the same name, the six-part miniseries offers a confronting look at the operations of the BPD’s Gun Trace Task Force, covering the journey of Sgt. Wayne Jenkins (Jon Bernthal) went from being a new inductee to the unit to his arrest and conviction in the late 2010s.

Framed through the FBI’s investigation into police corruption, We Own This City runs with a non-linear story, which can be unforgiving on those not willing to invest in its complexities, but the HBO miniseries delivers a piercing analysis of systemic police corruption and how such criminality is able to flourish in law enforcement environments. Defined by its gritty realism and its timely urgency, We Own This City thrives as an unflinching look at law enforcement—and political structures and social institutions—that is both viscerally confronting and commanding.

Few genres define the modern age of entertainment quite like superhero spectacle, with everything from blockbuster cinema to intense television drama exploring the intricacies and appeal of the genre, which has become a worldwide phenomenon. With its immense and enduring popularity, dark subversions of the genre have emerged, with few matching the compelling complexity and visceral punch of Amazon Prime Video’s hit animated series, Invincible.

Based on the comic book series of the same name, it follows the teenage son of Earth’s most powerful hero, as, after his 17th birthday, he begins to develop his own superhuman abilities. As he learns how to wield his newfound powers, he must also face the burden of responsibility, especially as he learns his father isn’t quite as noble as he appears. An engrossing and richly stylized examination of power, morality, and violence, Invincible is a surgical deconstruction of the superhero genre, a psychologically skewering analysis of heroism and brutality that stands as one of the best and most contemplative examples of the genre to have graced the screen.

Profoundly uplifting, Ted Lasso has promptly established itself as a sports series that anyone can enjoy thanks to its winning sense of optimism, its emphatic attitude of goodwill and belief, and Jason Sudeikis’ triumphant lead performance. He stars as the titular Ted Lasso, an American football coach hired to manage a struggling English Premier League team, in part, as an act of sabotage by one of its co-owners. Despite his inexperience in the sport, however, Lasso makes a significant impact on the organization with his kindness, compassion, and enthusiasm.

In a modern era where so much of film and television is defined by an air of pessimism and world-weariness, Ted Lasso has successfully broken the mold with its blend of heartfelt humor and emotional tenderness, conjuring what the ultimate feel-good watch of the decade so far. Backed by sharp writing and a litany of strong performances, the series champions idealism, human connection, and friendship, making for one of the most affecting and rewarding series not only of the 2020s but possibly of all time.

Marking one of the most prolific series of the decade so far, Slow Horses has already amassed five seasons since launching in 2022, all of which have earned widespread critical acclaim and growing audience interest as it subverts spy thriller tropes with grit and sharp wit. Based on Mick Herron’s novel series “Slough House,” the series follows an MI5 outfit of disgraced operatives consigned to inconsequential work after failing in the field. Under the command of Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), the unit finds themselves embroiled in terrorist schemes and espionage conspiracies that threaten peace in England.

Bolstered by Oldman’s sublime performance that marries grim realism with an acidic edge of black comedy, Slow Horses soars with its grounded intrigue and its deeply flawed characters, concocting an air of gripping suspense through its authenticity. The hit Apple TV+ series has already been renewed for two more seasons, ensuring that it is likely to distinguish itself as one of the most defining series of the decade at large, and stamping itself as a must-see title for any television lover who hasn’t jumped aboard already.

Blending dark humor with rich psychological depth and an authentic and confronting story of sexual abuse trauma, I May Destroy You is one of the defining miniseries of the decade so far. Written by and starring Michaela Coel, it follows a young author and successful social media influencer in the fragmented aftermath of a night of hard partying that led to her being sexually assaulted. As she navigates her hazy memory of the night, the series branches out to explore ideas of victim blaming, trauma recovery, consent, and the intricate complexities of sexual dynamics in the digital age of dating.

Inspired by Coel’s own experiences, I May Destroy You presents a painful yet powerful tale of resilience and reason, giving tremendous weight to the impact of the assault, yet never limiting Arabella’s journey as a whole to pity and helplessness. It is one of the most mature, nuanced, and thought-provoking stories about such a crime to have been released in recent years, one that is astute at using its grueling story to examine pressing social ideas and misunderstandings about rape with both ferocious conviction and impressive deftness.

Finding poignancy in comedy, Reservation Dogs is one of the more emotionally-charged and urgent series of the decade so far. Following four indigenous youths in rural Oklahoma as they resort to thievery and crime to earn money to move to California, all while still reeling from the death of their friend a year earlier. Wrestling with their dreams of life on the West Coast, the teenagers rely on humor and juvenile fun as they confront the issues of adulthood and responsibility.

Reservation Dogs’ ability to marry heartfelt and grounded comedy with deep emotional resonance is only buoyed by the series’ subversion of cultural stereotypes, defining its determination to illustrate an authentic and nuanced exploration of life for Native American youths in the modern day through the lens of a powerful coming-of-age story. The series ended after three seasons in 2023, but its impact and urgency remain firmly intact, making the complex comedy-drama one of the more essential series of the decade so far.