The Best TV Shows on ABC

Every ABC Show Ranked From Best To Worst

Icons of ABC, Columbo and The Love Boat made their debut in 1971 and 1977, setting industry standards. From 1971 through to 2024, ABC has accumulated a diverse collection of over 20 television shows. Explore our list of the top rated shows up to date from May 2026 that includes over 20 unique series.

  • The Good Doctor
    The Good Doctor (2017)8.5

    Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, relocates from a quiet country life to join a prestigious hospital's surgical unit. Unable to personally connect with those around him, Shaun uses his extraordinary medical gifts to save lives and challenge the skepticism of his colleagues.

  • The Rookie
    The Rookie (2018)8.5

    Starting over isn't easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being an LAPD officer. As the force's oldest rookie, he's met with skepticism from some higher-ups who see him as just a walking midlife crisis.

  • Twin Peaks
    Twin Peaks (1990)8.4

    The body of Laura Palmer is washed up on a beach near the small Washington state town of Twin Peaks. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate her strange demise only to uncover a web of mystery that ultimately leads him deep into the heart of the surrounding woodland and his very own soul.

  • Scrubs
    Scrubs (2001)8.2

    In the unreal world of Sacred Heart Hospital, John "J.D." Dorian learns the ways of medicine, friendship and life.

  • Grey's Anatomy
    Grey's Anatomy (2005)8.2

    Follows the personal and professional lives of a group of doctors at Seattle's Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

  • 9-1-1
    9-1-1 (2018)8.2

    Explore the high-pressure experiences of police officers, paramedics and firefighters who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking and heart-stopping situations. These emergency responders must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in their own lives.

  • Columbo
    Columbo (1971)8.1

    Columbo is a friendly, verbose, disheveled-looking police detective who is consistently underestimated by his suspects. Despite his unprepossessing appearance and apparent absentmindedness, he shrewdly solves all of his cases and secures all evidence needed for indictment. His formidable eye for detail and meticulously dedicated approach often become clear to the killer only late in the storyline.

  • Lost
    Lost (2004)8.0

    Stripped of everything, the survivors of a horrific plane crash must work together to stay alive. But the island holds many secrets.

  • Castle
    Castle (2009)8.0

    After a serial killer imitates the plots of his novels, successful mystery novelist Richard "Rick" Castle receives permission from the Mayor of New York City to tag along with an NYPD homicide investigation team for research purposes.

  • High Potential
    High Potential (2024)8.0

    Morgan is a single mom with an exceptional mind, whose unconventional knack for solving crimes leads to an unusual and unstoppable partnership with a by-the-book seasoned detective.

  • Desperate Housewives
    Desperate Housewives (2004)7.9

    Looking down on her friends and family isn't a way of life for Mary Alice Young... it's a way of death. One day, in her perfect house, in the loveliest of suburbs, Mary Alice ended it all. Now she's taking us into the lives of her family, friends and neighbors, commenting from her elevated P.O.V.

  • Modern Family
    Modern Family (2009)7.9

    The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan is a wonderfully large and blended family. They give us an honest and often hilarious look into the sometimes warm, sometimes twisted, embrace of the modern family.

  • MacGyver
    MacGyver (1985)7.7

    He's everyone's favorite action hero... but he's a hero with a difference. Angus MacGyver is a secret agent whose wits are his deadliest weapon. Armed with only a knapsack filled with everyday items he picks up along the way, he improvises his way out of every peril the bad guys throw at him. Making a bomb out of chewing gum? Fixing a speeding car's breaks... while he's riding in it? Using soda pop to cook up tear gas? That's all in a day's adventures for MacGyver. He's part Boy Scout, part genius. And all hero.

  • The Middle
    The Middle (2009)7.6

    The daily mishaps of a married woman and her semi-dysfunctional family and their attempts to survive life in general in the city of Orson, Indiana.

  • Private Practice
    Private Practice (2007)7.5

    Having left behind Seattle Grace Hospital, renowned surgeon Addison Forbes Montgomery moves to Los Angeles for sunnier weather and happier possibilities. She reunites with her friends from medical school, joining them at their chic, co-op, Oceanside Wellness Center in Santa Monica.

  • Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
    Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013)7.5

    Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) puts together a team of agents to investigate the new, the strange and the unknown around the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary.

  • Once Upon a Time
    Once Upon a Time (2011)7.4

    There is a town in Maine where every story book character you've ever known is trapped between two worlds, victims of a powerful curse. Only one knows the truth and only one can break the spell.

  • Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
    Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993)7.0

    A much more lavish version of the popular Superman television series which had first aired forty years earlier, Lois & Clark focused more on the Man of Steel's early adult years in Metropolis. With the unknowing help of Lois Lane, Clark Kent created Superman there in Metropolis after finding work at the world-famous Daily Planet newspaper, where he meets fellow reporter Lois Lane.

  • The Love Boat
    The Love Boat (1977)6.3

    Passengers who search for romantic nights aboard a beautiful ship travelling to tropical or mysterious countries, decide to pass their vacation aboard the "Love Boat", where Gopher, Dr. Bricker, Isaac, Julie, and Captain Stubing try their best to please them, and sometimes help them fall in love. Things are not always so easy, but in the end, love wins.

  • Dancing with the Stars
    Dancing with the Stars (2005)6.1

    The competition sees celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which are judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts and voted on by viewers. Enjoy sizzling salsas, sambas and spray-tans as they vie for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.