The Best TV Shows on CNN+

Every CNN+ Show Ranked From Best To Worst

A broadcaster of distinction, CNN+ has aired more than 20 shows between 1985 and 2024. For top-tier entertainment, CNN+ delivered Larry King Live and Mark Twain Prize in 1985 and 1999. Discover the best of CNN+ with our list of over 20 series, meticulously updated for October 2025.

  • Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
    Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2013)7.7

    Bourdain travels across the globe to uncover little-known areas of the world and celebrate diverse cultures by exploring food and dining rituals. Known for his curiosity, candor, and acerbic wit, Bourdain takes viewers off the beaten path of tourist destinations – including some war-torn parts of the world – and meets with a variety of local citizens to offer a window into their lifestyles, and occasionally communes with an internationally lauded chef on his journeys.

  • The Eighties
    The Eighties (2016)7.6

    The third installment from executive producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog, following in the footsteps of critically-acclaimed series THE SIXTIES and THE SEVENTIES, tackles 10 years shaped by exceptionalism and excess. Like its predecessors, THE EIGHTIES intersperses rare archival newsreel footage, interviews, and comments by historians, journalists, politicians, celebrities and others, painting a perspective-rich picture of a vibrant decade. Episodes examine the age of Reagan, the AIDS crisis, the end of the Cold War, Wall Street corruption, the evolving TV and music scene, and everything in between.

  • Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy
    Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (2021)7.5

    Stanley Tucci travels across Italy to discover the secrets and delights of the country’s regional cuisines.

  • The Sixties
    The Sixties (2014)7.4

    The space race, the cold war, "free love," civil rights and more: The decade of the 1960s shaped our history -- and changed the world. In collaboration with Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog, CNN explores perhaps the most transformative decade of the modern era in a 10-part documentary series and brings new insights into how those events shaped today.

  • The Seventies
    The Seventies (2015)7.3

    A documentary series focusing on the ongoing Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, evolving music industry, the Iran Hostage Crisis, the sexual revolution, and the rise of foreign and domestic terrorism.

  • How It Really Happened
    How It Really Happened (2017)7.2

    Jesse L. Martin takes an in-depth look at some of the most notorious crimes, mysteries, trials and celebrity tragedies of our time.

  • The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty
    The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty (2020)7.2

    From the producers of "The Kennedys," this six-part miniseries tells the incredible, dramatic and emotional tale of the British Royal Family known as The Windsors. Using stunning archive and interviews with insiders and experts, the series weaves together the true story of the Windsor dynasty.

  • The Nineties
    The Nineties (2017)6.9

    Hit rewind and explore the most iconic moments and influential people of The Nineties, the decade that gave us the Internet, DVDs, and other cultural and political milestones.

  • The History of Comedy
    The History of Comedy (2017)6.6

    Explore what makes us laugh, why, and how that's influenced our social and political landscape throughout history.

  • The Story of Late Night
    The Story of Late Night (2021)6.6

    A six-part docuseries that takes viewers on a journey through late-night television’s most memorable moments. Spanning a more than 60-year history of engaging with, adapting to and influencing our rapidly changing society, late-night television has grown into a thriving entertainment phenomenon and vitally important cultural institution.

  • The 2000s
    The 2000s (2018)6.3

    Explore the cultural and political milestones of the 2000s decade, including technological triumphs like the iPhone and social media, President George W. Bush’s war on terror and response to Hurricane Katrina, Barack Obama’s presidential election and the financial crisis, hip-hop’s rise to dominance and a creative renaissance in television.

  • Real Time with Bill Maher
    Real Time with Bill Maher (2003)6.0

    Each week Bill Maher surrounds himself with a panel of guests which include politicians, actors, comedians, musicians and the like to discuss what's going on in the world.

  • First Ladies
    First Ladies (2020)5.8

    Blending in-depth interviews, rare archival footage, and cinematic recreations, this docuseries on the lives of America's most iconic First Ladies is a bold revision of each woman's traditional portrayal, revealing how they were impacted during their time in the White House, and how their achievements fundamentally shaped American and global history.

  • Have I Got News for You
    Have I Got News for You (2024)5.5

    Host Roy Wood Jr. and team captains Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black serve up a smart take on the news of the week and guide guests through comic games and panels that test their knowledge of current events.

  • Anderson Cooper 360°
    Anderson Cooper 360° (2003)5.1

    Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news.

  • At This Hour with Kate Bolduan
    At This Hour with Kate Bolduan (2014)5.0

    Weekday news and discussion airing at 11am Eastern.

  • Larry King Live
    Larry King Live (1985)4.8

    Larry King Live is an American talk show that was hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly.

  • Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?
    Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? (2022)3.7

    CNN anchor Chris Wallace, one of the most highly-respected journalists of our time, moves outside of politics to explore his wide range of interests across the spectrum of news, sports, entertainment, art and culture through candid conversations that are smart, sensible, and in-depth, guided by one of the best interviewers in the business. He seeks light, not heat.

  • The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer
    The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer (2005)3.0

    The command center for breaking news, politics and extraordinary reports from around the world. Patterned after the concept of the White House Situation Room, CNN's lead political anchor Wolf Blitzer hosts newsmakers and experts to discuss and analyze the stories that are driving today's news.

  • Mark Twain Prize
    Mark Twain Prize (1999)N/A

    Honoring the best in American comedy annually since 1998, the recipients of the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor have included the likes of Billy Crystal, George Carlin, Carol Burnett, Bob Newhart, Steve Martin, Ellen DeGeneres, Eddie Murphy, and Tina Fey.