CrimeDocumentaryNBC

The Best Seasons of Dateline

Every season of Dateline ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best seasons of Dateline!

Top season
Season 28
7.6avg
Best episode
S15E23 Body of Evidence (a.k.a. Bigamy Murder)
8.6162 votes
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes
#1

Season 28

65 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2019

7.6/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE2 · Haunted 8.3
#2

Season 2

1 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 1993

7.6/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE5 · Behind the Badge 7.6
#3

Season 35

8 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2026

7.6/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE1 · The Family Plot 7.6

Other Seasons

#4

Season 27

55 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2018

7.5/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE27 · Evil Was Watching 8.1
#5

Season 26

69 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2017

7.5/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE54 · The Threat 8.6
#6

Season 31

37 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2022

7.5/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE15 · The Bad Man 8.1
#7

Season 29

53 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2020

7.5/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE43 · The Fight for America's Soul 8.6
#8

Season 30

31 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2021

7.4/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE4 · The Ascension of Mother God 8.2
#9

Season 34

35 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2025

7.4/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE8 · Running Man 7.9
#10

Season 32

44 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2023

7.4/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE29 · True Confession 8.5
#11

Season 25

51 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2016

7.3/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE8 · The Man Who Knew Too Much 8.5
#12

Season 24

53 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2015

7.2/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE27 · A Place on the Sand 8.0
#13

Season 33

34 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2024

7.1/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE11 · A Little Patch of Perfect 7.5
#14

Season 15

94 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2006

7.1/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE23 · Body of Evidence (a.k.a. Bigamy Murder) 8.6
#15

Season 23

71 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2014

7.1/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE36 · A Perfect Spot 8.0
#16

Season 20

66 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2011

7.0/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE64 · Written in Blood (2012) 7.9
#17

Season 22

52 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2013

6.9/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE25 · Capsized 8.0
#18

Season 19

81 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 2010

6.9/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE3 · Taken 8.0
#19

Season 18

82 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2009

6.8/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE32 · Rescue on the High Seas 7.1
#20

Season 17

77 Episodes

First Aired: Jul 2008

6.7/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE39 · SU1741 7.8
#21

Season 16

25 Episodes

First Aired: Dec 2007

6.7/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE44 · Mystery at Bootlegger's Cove 8.0
#22

Season 21

72 Episodes

First Aired: May 2011

6.6/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE26 · What Happened to the Beauty Queen? 7.5
#23

Season 14

47 Episodes

First Aired: Nov 2005

6.5/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE24 · Cruise Control: Scientology to Katie 7.8
#24

Season 3

1 Episodes

First Aired: Jul 1995

6.4/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE47 · Segment Lucky 13: The Astronaut's Story 6.4
#25

Season 1

2 Episodes

First Aired: Mar 1992

6.1/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE1 · Prescription for Disaster/Older People's Money/Great Expectations 6.9
#26

Season 12

8 Episodes

First Aired: Feb 2004

4.3/ 10
Average Rating
Best episodeE3 · Friends Interviews 4.3
#27

Season 4

1 Episodes

First Aired: Jun 1997

N/A/ 10
Average Rating
#28

Season 11

3 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 2003

N/A/ 10
Average Rating
#29

Season 13

9 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 2006

N/A/ 10
Average Rating

Keep going

Top-rated Dateline episodes

  1. #1Body of Evidence (a.k.a. Bigamy Murder) S15E238.6
  2. #2The Threat S26E548.6
  3. #3The Fight for America's Soul S29E438.6
  4. #4To Catch a Predator - Behind the Scenes S15E408.6
  5. #5True Confession S32E298.5

Browse Dateline by season

If you like Dateline