The Best TV Shows on CCTV-4

Every CCTV-4 Show Ranked From Best To Worst

Stay up-to-date with over 20 of CCTV-4’s elite series, with our list refreshed for May 2026. CMG Spring Festival Gala and 中国文艺 represent the pinnacle of CCTV-4’s programming, launching in 1983 and 1996. A broadcaster of distinction, CCTV-4 has aired more than 20 shows between 1983 and 2025.

  • Resist U.S. aggressors and aid Korea to defend the motherland
    Resist U.S. aggressors and aid Korea to defend the motherland (2020)9.5

  • Road of Millennia Bodhi
    Road of Millennia Bodhi (2010)9.0

    After Buddhism was introduced to China during the Eastern Han Dynasty 2,000 years ago, it not only made up for the shortcomings of Confucianism in terms of ultimate concern for human beings, but also continuously collided and merged with Chinese local culture.

  • 沿海行
    沿海行 (2011)9.0

  • 一带一路
    一带一路 (2017)9.0

  • Roof of the World
    Roof of the World (2015)8.2

    The Third Pole (Roof of the World) shows us how Tibetan people live in harmony with nature in an extreme environment, immersing us in the unique charms of Tibet. What we are trying to depict for you are here is the relationship between people living in Tibetan Plateau and nature. We will focus on the incredible and unique nature state, continuous and erect snow mountains, rich and productive land steps, cyclical and round streams, soil and nature, animals, plants, and men coexisting and surviving together on earth.

  • CMG Spring Festival Gala
    CMG Spring Festival Gala (1983)5.8

    The CMG Spring Festival Gala (formerly known as the CCTV New Year's Gala; commonly abbreviated in Chinese as Chunwan or 春晚) is a Chinese New Year special gala produced by China Media Group (CMG). The Gala is a live variety show featuring music, dance, and comedy performances alongside official messaging, held annually on Chinese New Year's Eve since it was first aired in February 1983. It was recognized by Guinness World Records as the most watched national network TV broadcast in 2012 and is widely recognized as the world's most watched television program.

  • 中国文艺
    中国文艺 (1996)N/A

  • 上将许世友
    上将许世友 (2006)N/A

  • 我的祖国——万里海疆印象
    我的祖国——万里海疆印象 (2009)N/A

  • CCTV Traveling Along the Border
    CCTV Traveling Along the Border (2011)N/A

  • 北纬30°中国行
    北纬30°中国行 (2012)N/A

  • 百山百川行
    百山百川行 (2013)N/A

  • 长城内外
    长城内外 (2015)N/A

  • 国家记忆
    国家记忆 (2016)N/A

  • 平凡匠心
    平凡匠心 (2019)N/A

  • Chinese Geographical Name Congress
    Chinese Geographical Name Congress (2019)N/A

    It is a cultural program originally produced by CCTV.

  • 遇鉴文明
    遇鉴文明 (2022)N/A

  • 远方的家·旅行加速度
    远方的家·旅行加速度 (2023)N/A

  • 一带一路上的中国名片
    一带一路上的中国名片 (2023)N/A

  • 远方的家
    远方的家 (2025)N/A