Only 10 TV Shows Nailed Perfection in the Last Decade—Ranked

From mind-bending sci-fi to gut-punch drama, razor-sharp comedy, and nightmare-fuel horror, these are the rare TV shows from 2016–2026 that nailed it episode after episode.

My Top 10 'Perfect' TV Series from the Past Decade

1. ‘The Pitt’ (2025–)
   Look, I've seen more medical dramas than my GP's waiting room, but The Pitt is a cut above. None of that soapy melodrama or nonsense plots you find in the usual fare. Every episode feels like a punch to the gut in the best possible way – it captures the raw panic of being in hospital, the heartbreak of loss, the ecstasy (and yes, the horror) of doing desperately important work. Every bit as clever as it is gut-wrenching, it's a flagship for what medical TV can be. Not only does The Pitt make every other show of the decade look a bit ordinary, it genuinely makes you think about what matters. It's on Max, if you want to check for yourself.
2. ‘The Good Place’ (2016–2020)
   If someone had told me a primetime American sitcom would have me contemplating the afterlife, ethical philosophy, and the meaning of friendship, I'd have assumed they'd eaten some questionable cheese. Yet here we are. The Good Place isn't just funny - it's sharp, moving, inventive, and somehow manages to sneak a bit of existential anxiety in between the gags. Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, Janet... the whole gang is brilliant, and the big twists actually land (for my money, only bettered by Paradise on Hulu). Not a single duff episode, and the guest stars – here's looking at you, Maya Rudolph as the not-so-impartial Judge – are pitch-perfect.
3. ‘Shōgun’ (2024–)
   If you didn't catch the Shōgun buzz, you missed one of the rare moments where critics and the public actually agreed. It’s got a 99% Rotten Tomatoes score if you care about those things. Set in 1600s feudal Japan, it’s an epic with actual weight. Cosmo Jarvis as the British bloke John Blackthorne washes up in Japan and gets very deeply in over his head with Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Lady Mariko (Anna Sawai). Gorgeously shot, relentless, and not scared to be devastating. HBO's already given it a green light for a second season after scooping the Emmy for Outstanding Drama. You couldn't ask for a better slice of historical TV — and that's saying something, given how tricky that genre usually is.
4. ‘Mindhunter’ (2017–2019)
   Netflix doesn't always get thrillers right, but Mindhunter's different. David Fincher directed enough episodes to give it that unsettling polish. It's set at the start of the FBI’s obsession with profiling serial killers, with Anna Torv joining Holt McCallany and Jonathan Groff as the clinical oddballs trying to work out what makes murderers tick. But, crucially, it never forgets about the victims, or how working in that world messes people up. Still hurts that they haven't made a series three, doesn't it?
5. ‘The Bear’ (2022–)
   I’ll say it - The Bear had the best debut in years. Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy is a head-chef who looks like he’s running purely on caffeine and angst, and every ounce of kitchen chaos feels lived-in. The first two series are as tense as anything on telly, and they genuinely hit those points about grief, obsession, and why decent food matters. It’s gone off the boil, though – series three was scattershot, series four didn’t give Ayo Edebiri’s Sydney enough to do. Still, even a flat episode here would be gold for any other drama.
6. ‘Severance’ (2022–)
   It's hard to remember anyone ever saying a bad word about Severance. Apple TV came out swinging with this one. You get the classic 'work-life balance' drama, but via a sci-fi lens so twisted it could only have come from a half-mad HR department. The whole 'innies' and 'outies' split is become the new shorthand for existential dread. 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, stylish as anything, and ending each episode with the sort of reveal that actually makes you shout at the screen. The only catch: the wait for series three, which is starting to feel like its own cruel experiment.
7. ‘Succession’ (2018–2023)
   Say what you like about the Roy family, Succession is impossible to look away from. It's a bit like sitting in on the world's most disastrous family reunion – they're awful, needy, but always watchable. Since Mad Men, few shows have made dysfunctional egos so compelling. It's not designed to make you feel good, but it is, without question, some of the best screenwriting HBO's put out in years. Not a hug in sight, unless you count a hostile takeover.
8. ‘Slow Horses’ (2022–2025)
   There are so many spy dramas these days it's hard to tell half of them apart, but Slow Horses is an easy standout. The setup: a bunch of rejects and failures land together in MI5 purgatory (Slough House), led by a superbly grumpy Gary Oldman. It’s clever, funny, and doesn't take itself so seriously that you want to roll your eyes. Based on the Mick Herron novels. Not quite as high drama as some on this list, but absolutely worth your attention.
9. ‘From’ (2022–)
   Not many horror/sci-fi shows manage to stay on track for long, but From pulls it off better than most. The premise is hardly new – mysterious town, no escape, things go bump in the night – but the execution is. Channeling some of the weird energy of Twin Peaks and Lost, From knows confusion is half the point. You have to be willing to go along for the ride (and horror’s not for everyone, but that’s your loss really).
10. ‘Reacher’ (2022–)
    'Perfect' here doesn’t mean high art – it just means utterly entertaining, and Reacher delivers. Alan Ritchson strolls around like he’s made of granite, cleaning up crooks and looking like he actually enjoys it. If you like your characters dependable, your action well-staged, and your release schedule brisk, it’s one of the best things Amazon’s come up with lately. There’s a reason it’s a massive hit, even if it’s nobody’s idea of comfort TV.