10 Best Paramount Plus Shows Of All Time, Ranked

For the past several years, Paramount Pictures has scaled back on blockbusters to focus on streaming, and these efforts have been paying off. Paramount Plus, or Paramount+ as it’s branded, has built up a strong library of exclusive titles ever since it initially launched as CBS All Access in 2014. This ranges from revivals of legacy franchises like “Star Trek” to reality television and limited series as the premium streaming service has grown. With a robust library of movies and shows, there is something for everyone available to stream on Paramount’s digital platform.

As with any streaming service with an extensive catalog of titles to choose from, we’re providing our recommendations for the greatest series to stream through Paramount+. These shows stand among some of the best television being produced today, for any platform, streaming or otherwise. For the purposes of this list, we’re keeping entrants to titles that were specifically produced for Paramount+, at least for parts of their respective runs. 

These are the 10 best Paramount Plus shows of all time ranked, boasting the top exclusives for the streaming service.

After “24” and “Designated Survivor,” whenever Kiefer Sutherland stars in a television action thriller, he’s got our attention. This extends to the 2023 series “Rabbit Hole,” with Sutherland starring as corporate spy John Weir as he prepares for his last job. However, Weir finds himself doubled-crossed by his employers and framed for murder, placing him on the run. Joined by a mysterious sidekick named Hailey Winton (Meta Golding), Weir tries to get to the bottom of who betrayed him and survive in one piece.

“Rabbit Hole” is an ambitious spy thriller that never should’ve been cancelled, unfortunately only lasting a single season. The show offers a lot of interesting territory to cover, with its corporate espionage and backroom double-dealing ripe for further stories. But with the eight episodes that we did get, the show was crackling with intrigue and clandestine energy, powered by Sutherland, Golding, and Charles Dance playing Weir’s estranged father. Packed with plenty of plot twists that come hand-in-hand with the premise, “Rabbit Hole” is another fantastic thriller with Sutherland in the spotlight.

“Star Trek” has seen a resurgence on Paramount+ since the premiere of “Star Trek: Discovery” in 2017, under the platform’s previous branding. The first animated series as part of this new wave of programming was 2020’s “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” the first cartoon in the franchise since 1974. The show centers on the USS Cerritos, a starship that handles the more menial Starfleet tasks around the galaxy. Within that under-appreciated crew, the series focuses on the ship’s junior officers, primarily Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) and Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid).

“Star Trek: Lower Decks” isn’t just great comedy but also great “Star Trek,” quietly one of the best shows in the franchise’s current wave. The show lovingly calls out and parodies elements of the property for laughs but also while celebrating them in its own kooky way. This penchant for parody subtly gives way to audiences genuinely getting invested in the Cerritos crew, including the side characters, as it ups the story’s stakes. “Lower Decks” led a wave of other animated series in the franchise, but it remains the best animated “Star Trek” show of them all.

Though the neo-Western series “Joe Pickett” began on Spectrum, it moved to Paramount+ for its second and final season. The show is named for its game warden protagonist, who relocates with his family to Wyoming to help tend Yellowstone National Park and its surrounding area. Joe’s life is changed forever when he discovers a murdered poacher on his property, prompting him to launch an investigation. This leads Joe to discover the killing is linked to one of the most powerful families in the region while, oddly, tied to Joe’s wildlife protection duties.

“Joe Pickett” is a refreshing counterpoint to the spat of more self-serious television neo-Westerns led by shows like “Yellowstone.” The stakes are very real in “Joe Pickett,” but the show definitely has a sense of humor about itself and its protagonist. The series also has a strong focus on family, and not a constantly soap operatic one like the modern era Duttons. An enjoyable neo-Western with a strong performance from lead actor Michael Dorman, “Joe Pickett” is perfect to binge over a long weekend.

Before Taylor Sheridan left Paramount for NBCUniversal, he created some of Paramount’s best and most popular original television programming. Among these is the period piece Western limited series “1883,” a prequel to Sheridan’s juggernaut broadcast television neo-Western series “Yellowstone.” The show reveals the origins of the Dutton family relocating from Tennessee to put down roots in Montana, founding what would become their enduring ranching empire. Leading the wagon train across the grueling cross-country journey is Civil War veteran Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott), who lost his family to disease shortly before hitting the trail.

“1883” is arguably the most grounded entry in the “Yellowstone” franchise to date, leaning more into hardships along the frontier and emotional stakes than overt spectacle. A lot of that effective pathos comes from a masterclass performance by Elliott, reliably good as Brennan, maintaining a brave face despite suffering such a tragic loss. It’s apparent that Sheridan felt good about working with Elliott on “1883,” giving the grizzled actor some of the best material of his distinguished career. A stellar Western limited series about the perils of the frontier trail, “1883” feels like “Yellowstone” at its most restrained while still bringing the genre thrills.

“Star Trek” and “Yellowstone” aren’t the only television properties that have been building up their presence on Paramount+, with the crime thriller “Dexter” joining the mix. The platform has received the 2025 sequel series “Dexter: Resurrection” and the short-lived 2024 prequel series “Dexter: Original Sin.” Of the two, “Resurrection” is considerably better, revealing that serial killer Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) survived the events of the preceding series, “Dexter: New Blood.” Tracking his son to New York City, Dexter becomes entangled with a secret society of fellow serial killers headed by billionaire Leon Prater (Peter Dinklage).

Paramount had huge plans for “Dexter” before cancelling “Original Sin,” opting to focus on “Resurrection” instead of the prequel. Given how much unhinged fun “Resurrection” is, that’s probably for the best, with Hall playing opposite an impressive cast, including Dinklage, Uma Thurman, and Krysten Ritter. Hall, in particular, hasn’t lost a step in his portrayal of the fan-favorite murderer, not letting something like his character’s apparent death slow him down. A bloody shot in the arm for the long-running and increasingly expansive thriller franchise, “Dexter: Resurrection” leans into the ridiculously entertaining possibilities of its premise.

“Mayor of Kingstown” was a decade in the making for creators Hugh Dillon and Taylor Sheridan, drawing from both of their pasts in towns with prominent prison systems. The show is set in a fictional Michigan town where the community’s primary industry is its corrupt prison system. Maintaining the fragile balance between the local gangs and crime syndicates with the prison officials is the McLusky family. Heading the family throughout the series is Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner), whose role places him in a constantly precarious position with crooks and authorities alike.

Taylor Sheridan and Jeremy Renner have struck a strong creative simpatico since “Wind River,” with “Mayor of Kingstown” giving Renner one of the best roles of his career. Given its subject matter, the show is on the bleaker side of Sheridan’s shows, but the dramatic storytelling remains top-notch. This is a show where every major decision carries its own palpable consequences and the thrill is in seeing how that plays out as the pressure builds each season. Among the best of Sheridan’s non-period piece stories, “Mayor of Kingstown” is a crime drama that only gets better as it goes.

The long-running legal drama “The Good Wife” has quietly spawned its own television empire, starting with the spin-off series “The Good Fight.” Premiering in 2017, this series focuses on legal mastermind Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) who loses her prestigious job and life savings from a devastating scam. Joined by her protege and goddaughter Maia Rindell (Rose Leslie), Diane joins another law firm in the Chicago area to rebuild her life. Reflecting the times, many of the show’s cases stem from turbulent issues prevalent during the Trump Administration, testing Diane’s mettle.

One of the best things about “The Good Fight,” and its own subsequent spin-off “Elsbeth,” is that they all function as wonderfully self-contained series. For “The Good Fight” in particular, this is a show that doesn’t shy away from social commentary but embraces it without making each episode feel like a thinly veiled sermon. True to its title and premise, there is a real anger about unchecked injustice that fuels the show and it doesn’t lose steam over its six seasons. One of the best original legal dramas on any streaming service, “The Good Fight” feels vital without losing sight of its characters.

One last Taylor Sheridan show is included on this list, and it’s another prequel spin-off as part of his expansive “Yellowstone” franchise. The two-season limited series “1923” chronicles the Dutton family’s struggles as Montana is beset by financial and social upheaval. The ancestral ranch is targeted by sadistic businessman Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton), clashing with Cara (Helen Mirren) and Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford). The Duttons are pushed to their breaking point as they rally against Donald’s calculated schemes to retake what’s rightfully theirs.

With an additional season to breathe compared to “1883,” “1923” provides a more sweeping historical tale within the ongoing Dutton family saga. Mirren and Ford expertly bring all due gravitas to their roles, matched by Dalton playing the most villainous character in the veteran actor’s career. But Brandon Sklenar gives an absolutely star-making performance as the heroic Spencer Dutton, positioned as the family’s savior from enemies on all sides. One of the most star-studded television Westerns around, “1923” stands as the pinnacle of the “Yellowstone” franchise to date.

We love a good monster-of-the-week show and the 2019 series “Evil” certainly satisfies that supernatural horror itch. Starting on CBS for its inaugural season before moving to Paramount+ for the remainder of its four-season run, the show centers on three paranormal investigators. Brought together by the Catholic Church, forensic psychologist Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), priest David Acosta (Mike Colter), and skeptical tech expert Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) delve into the disturbingly demonic. This uncovers devilish secret societies and threats that strike close to home for the team, particularly Kristen as she grieves the loss of her family.

“Evil” is the type of cross-genre procedural that doesn’t really get made much anymore, blending crime-solving with paranormal scares. The show benefited tremendously from making the leap to Paramount+, getting weirder and more intense with the additional creative freedom on streaming compared to broadcast television. But between all the self-contained demonic investigations, the show really leans into its core cast well, elevated by its emotional character arcs. Counting Stephen King among its most prominent fans, “Evil” is the most underrated Paramount+ original.

Though other live-action “Star Trek” shows on Paramount+ had their bright spots, “Strange New Worlds” made the legendary sci-fi franchise no longer feel lost in space. Spinning out of the events of “Star Trek: Discovery” Season 2, the show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). As the starship explores the cosmos, Pike is joined by several familiar faces from throughout the franchise’s history, including Spock (Ethan Peck) and James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley). Beyond uncovering the unknown, the crew faces threats like the resurgent Gorn and the otherworldly Vezda.

Shortly after its premiere in 2022, “Strange New Worlds” became the top-rated “Star Trek” series on Rotten Tomatoes, a distinction well-earned. The show strikes the right balance between one-off stories and overarching narratives, bolstered by a likable cast carrying the series. Moreover, the show remembers that, at its core, “Star Trek” can and should be fun, while also regularly delivering more serious and thoughtful tales too. The ultimate realization of the classic “Star Trek” potential in the streaming era, “Strange New Worlds” stands at the top of the class.