The Best TV Shows on CBS

Every CBS Show Ranked From Best To Worst

With its programming history stretching from 1993 to 2026, CBS offers an impressive lineup of over 20 shows. Among CBS’s finest offerings are Late Show with David Letterman and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which debuted in 1993 and 2000, respectively. As of April 2026, our compilation of CBS’s top-rated series boasts over 20 unique shows.

  • Criminal Minds
    Criminal Minds (2005)8.3

    An elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU who returns to help the team solve new cases.

  • The Mentalist
    The Mentalist (2008)8.3

    Patrick Jane, a former celebrity psychic medium, uses his razor sharp skills of observation and expertise at "reading" people to solve serious crimes with the California Bureau of Investigation.

  • How I Met Your Mother
    How I Met Your Mother (2005)8.1

    A father recounts to his children - through a series of flashbacks - the journey he and his four best friends took leading up to him meeting their mother.

  • Person of Interest
    Person of Interest (2011)8.1

    John Reese, former CIA paramilitary operative, is presumed dead and teams up with reclusive billionaire Finch to prevent violent crimes in New York City by initiating their own type of justice. With the special training that Reese has had in Covert Operations and Finch's genius software inventing mind, the two are a perfect match for the job that they have to complete. With the help of surveillance equipment, they work "outside the law" and get the right criminal behind bars. 

  • S.W.A.T.
    S.W.A.T. (2017)8.0

    A Los Angeles S.W.A.T. sergeant is assigned to lead a highly skilled unit in the community where he grew up. Torn between loyalty to the streets, where the cops are sometimes the enemy, and allegiance to his brothers in blue, he strategically straddles the two worlds.

  • Young Sheldon
    Young Sheldon (2017)8.0

    The early life of child genius Sheldon Cooper, later seen in The Big Bang Theory.

  • FBI
    FBI (2018)7.9

    The New York office of the FBI brings to bear all their talents, intellect and technical expertise on major cases in order to keep their city and the country safe.

  • Blue Bloods
    Blue Bloods (2010)7.8

    A drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan is the New York Police Commissioner and heads both the police force and the Reagan brood. He runs his department as diplomatically as he runs his family, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry, during his stint as Chief.

  • CSI: Miami
    CSI: Miami (2002)7.7

    The show follows Crime Scene Investigators working for the Miami-Dade Police Department as they use physical evidence, similar to their Las Vegas counterparts, to solve grisly murders. The series mixes deduction, gritty subject matter, and character-driven drama in the same vein as the original series in the CSI franchise, except that the Miami CSIs are cops first, scientists second.

  • Hawaii Five-0
    Hawaii Five-0 (2010)7.7

    Steve McGarrett returns home to Oahu, in order to find his father's killer. The governor offers him the chance to run his own task force (Five-0). Steve's team is joined by Chin Ho Kelly, Danny "Danno" Williams, and Kono Kalakaua.

  • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
    CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000)7.6

    A Las Vegas team of forensic investigators are trained to solve criminal cases by scouring the crime scene, collecting irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that solve the mystery.

  • NCIS
    NCIS (2003)7.6

    From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has any connection to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position.

  • The Good Wife
    The Good Wife (2009)7.6

    Alicia Florrick boldly assumes full responsibility for her family and re-enters the workforce after her husband's very public sex and political corruption scandal lands him in jail.

  • NCIS: Los Angeles
    NCIS: Los Angeles (2009)7.5

    The exploits of the Los Angeles–based Office of Special Projects (OSP), an elite division of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service that specializes in undercover assignments.

  • Tracker
    Tracker (2024)7.5

    Lone-wolf survivalist Colter Shaw roams the country as a “reward seeker,” using his expert tracking skills to help private citizens and law enforcement solve all manner of mysteries while contending with his own fractured family.

  • Two and a Half Men
    Two and a Half Men (2003)7.4

    A hedonistic jingle writer's free-wheeling life comes to an abrupt halt when his brother and 10-year-old nephew move into his beach-front house.

  • Marshals
    Marshals (2026)7.1

    With the Yellowstone Ranch behind him, Kayce Dutton joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana, where he and his teammates must balance family, duty and the high psychological cost that comes with serving as the last line of defense in the region's war on violence.

  • Late Show with David Letterman
    Late Show with David Letterman (1993)6.4

    David Letterman uses mature humor to appeal to his audience in this weeknight series, which gets its music from a house band led by Paul Shaffer. Among the show's most-famous segments are the Top Ten List and Stupid Pet Tricks, the latter of which subsequently led to an additional recurring segment called Stupid Human Tricks.

  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015)6.1

    Stephen Colbert brings his signature satire and comedy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the #1 show in late night, where he talks with an eclectic mix of guests about what is new and relevant in the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, music, technology, and more. Featuring bandleader Jon Batiste with his band Stay Human, the Emmy Award-nominated show is broadcast from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater.

  • The Late Late Show with James Corden
    The Late Late Show with James Corden (2015)5.2

    Once Craig Ferguson retires, James Corden will be taking over The Late Late Show. The show is a late night talk show that interviews celebrities and has its own bits. And of course, it's all hosted by James Corden.