Top 20 Best CW Shows Of All Time

An ensemble cast led by a female doctor sounds very “Grey’s Anatomy.” However, “Hart of Dixie” leans more into relationship dynamics, appealing to The CW’s slightly younger demographic. Along with audience-favorite elements like love triangles and a coming-of-age story, we have the very likable protagonist Zoe at its center. Zoe’s struggles in her career and personal life are easily relatable. While it can get heavy, the show frequently sprinkles heartwarming moments to balance things out. At its core, Zoe and her friends are there to remind us to stick close to the people who matter. A comfort watch for many, “Hart of Dixie’s” wholesome portrayal of real-life issues lets us know that things will always look up one way or another.

Before “Bridgerton” took the TV landscape by storm, The CW already had “Reign” to keep viewers busy. Focusing on the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, “Reign” tackles important subjects like the issue of power and standing up against class conflicts. It may not be one for history buffs looking for accuracy, but few shows are as aesthetically pleasing. Thematically rich and brimming with romantic overtones, the show keeps fans hooked by going deeper than many of the network’s other offerings. With a proper beginning and end to the story, the characters evolve in wonderfully complex ways. Whether you’re in for that gorgeous set and costume design, or you’re a sucker for all that sweet-sweet period romance, this show will have you by the reins in more ways than one.

Remakes can be hit-and-miss. This adaptation of Luc Besson’s 1990 film proves doubters wrong and then some. Although it retains the general outline, the CW series dares to be different. Thanks to a solid blend of standalone and story-heavy episodes, the show remains endless in its replay value. Maggie Q’s electric performance makes her character’s adventures as thrilling as can be. The heroine’s vendetta-fuelled mission is just the catalyst for more adventures to follow. Rather than a standard revenge series, “Nikita” takes us along a sprawling ride with dozens of twists and turns. With the host of characters’ sense of style and snappy dialogue, fans have all the edge-of-the-seat entertainment they need from this sexy spy thriller.

When it comes to tenacious characters with a strong sense of justice, Veronica Mars’ name is pretty high up. It’s not every day you see a high school student moonlight as a private detective, but Veronica owns her role. Future A-lister Kristen Bell displayed her acting chops to a wider audience, as the protagonist solves crimes with all the snark you could want from a high schooler. The show’s noir style serves as a throwback to classic detective comics, keeping fans guessing about what’s to come. With a case-of-the-week format interwoven with a larger mystery at play, it has its foot on the throttle and never lets go. Among The CW’s most critically successful series, “Veronica Mars” went a long way toward proving that a teen show can appeal to adults, too.

The Arrowverse’s expansion unveiled a world of possibilities. “Legends of Tomorrow” is like a marriage between this version of the DC universe’s best elements. Along with its time travel premise, we get a large roster of entertaining characters each with distinct quirks and personalities. It never undercuts its crossover potential either, with plenty of other Arrowverse characters arriving to shake things up. Even with its grand scope, “Legends of Tomorrow” has the best entertainment value for casual viewers. After the first season, the show rarely takes itself too seriously and embraces its meta sense of humor – no matter how absurd. Watching the characters navigate different points in history never loses its novelty, giving us a fun, lighthearted romp through time.

At a time when The CW became synonymous with superhero and fantasy genres, “All-American” took the network back to its roots. This sports drama follows Spencer James, whose wildly different upbringing clashes with his new team. Running at a slower, character-driven pace, the show tackles thought-provoking themes with a gentle touch. The level of diversity in “All American” wonderfully connects its cast to its fanbase, enabling many different viewers to see themselves in the characters. From culture shock to peer pressure, the show rings true for depicting struggles so many resonate with.

An incredibly superpowered alien sounds hard to relate to. And yet, Kara Danvers feels just like one of us. “Supergirl” humanizes its heroine by showing Kara facing everyday challenges, from navigating romance to climbing the career ladder. Still, it doesn’t skimp on any of the superhero butt-kicking sequences either. Frequent Arrowverse tie-ins ensure we’re not too far away from the DC universe. But, what sets “Supergirl” apart is how the show portrays heroes and villains as people rather than larger-than-life individuals. If you’re looking for a viewing experience that hits almost as hard as Kara’s punches, then get ready to fly high with everyone’s favorite girl from Krypton.

Is it a rom-com, satire, or a musical? Well, why not all three? Rachel Bloom exploded onto the scene carrying this critical darling squarely on her back. With mainstream award-show recognition, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” validated The CW as more than just a landscape for young-adult shows. Rebecca Bunch’s decision to pursue an ex-boyfriend across the country begins as hilariously as you’d imagine. However, the show swerves into a complex look into the main character’s emotional frailties, peeling back the mask Rebecca uses to hide her sense of isolation. It’s an incredible use of humor as a framing device for deeper material. Through Rebecca’s antics, we learn that finding happiness at any cost isn’t healthy – and acknowledging our problems is part of what makes us human.

Klaus Mikaelson showed us how being bad can be so good in “The Vampire Diaries.” “The Originals” retains his core personality, but transforms him from villain to anti-hero. The spin-off has all the ingredients that made “The Vampire Diaries” a success. However, told from the monsters’ perspective this time around, this show becomes uniquely its own. As insightful as it is brutal, “The Originals” is unflinching in illustrating its backdrop. With its stylistic presentation and penchant for one-liners, “The Originals” is among the coolest shows ever made on The CW. Fans of the franchise also get their deep dive into the universe’s lore, as Klaus and his gang uncover secrets untold. And, let’s face it, who doesn’t love hot vampires doing hot vampire things?

At its peak, the Arrowverse represented the best that TV superhero shows had to offer. We have “Arrow” to thank for starting it all. Oliver Queen and his team’s battle against the forces of evil is one for the ages. Its initial street-level presentation inspires the hero in all of us before going big and beyond. Few shows carry world-building as perfectly as “Arrow,” which oh-so smoothly eases viewers into this iteration of the DC universe. Everything from season-long arcs, character dynamics, and even costume design set the template for future successes like “The Flash” and “Supergirl” to follow. As it wove between linear and non-linear storytelling and small to grand-scale threats, calling “Arrow” a narrative masterclass would still be putting it lightly.

If you’re looking for a zombie themed show that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still has all the flesh-eating madness of “The Walking Dead”, then “iZombie” is for you. It is loosely based on a comic book series of the same name and stars Rose Mclver as Olivia “Liv” Moore, which is a bit of a misnomer considering she’s an undead zombie who works at the morgue to feed her insatiable need for brains. Oh, and each brain she eats allows her to see how that particular person died. Hooked yet?

Nearly a century after a nuclear catastrophe, a hundred juvenile detainees are sent to a ravaged earth. It all goes as well as you’d think. With several twists in the making, “The 100” is as captivating as it is intense. Although the show sucks you in from its opening moments, maintaining this energy throughout its run is its winning quality. Over-the-top and subtle in equal measures, there’s no telling what might happen until a massive bombshell stares at us in the face. Spread across its impressively stacked cast, it paints a tapestry of themes like betrayal, power, and faith. Things go completely off the rails the further it goes, but the series never fails to deliver the intended shock value.

“The Flash” is a superhero drama based on one of DC Comics’ most popular and enduring characters: Barry Allen a.k.a. Flash. In this version, Allen is a crime scene investigator operating in fictional Central City, who gains superhuman speed after being struck by lightning. With his newfound powers, Allen becomes the superhero known as Flash and uses his skills to fight crime. The show was an instant hit with fans and critics alike, with the pilot episode garnering the second most views of any premiere in CW history. If you’re a superhero junkie, then this show is definitely for you!

Set in the fictional town of Tree Hill, this show began as a straightforward teen drama, but as the characters aged it began to deal with more complex and mature storylines. Stacked from top to bottom with a cast of talented, not to mention attractive stars, the show would endure for nine seasons. Like many of the shows on this list, “One Tree Hill” joined The CW when The WB and UPN merged back in 2006. It would go on to become one of the network’s most popular and longest running series. It was also nominated for many Teen Choice Awards during its run, and took home the statue for “Choice Throwback TV Show” in 2017.

One of the first and longest running superhero dramas on television, “Smallville” burst onto the scene in 2001 and stuck around for an impressive 10 seasons. The show focused on a teenage Clark Kent as he struggled to come to terms with his superhuman powers while growing up in the not-so-quiet town of Smallville, Kansas. Throughout its run, the show averaged approximately 4.34 million viewers per episode and took home a number of awards, including three Emmys. It was so well received that even former Superman Christopher Reeve agreed to make a couple of guest appearances!

Hold onto your hats, because the plot of this CW show is straight up bonkers. A religious young woman who’s vowed to remain a virgin until marriage has her life turned upside-down when her doctor artificially inseminates her by mistake during a gynecologist appointment. The show turned out to be a massive critical and commercial success, thanks in large part to lead actress Gina Rodriguez’s performance, something that earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress in 2015. The show’s first two seasons actually have perfect scores on Rotten Tomatoes as of October 2024. Now that’s impressive!

For seven seasons, fans watched as single mother Lorelai Gilmore did her best to raise her daughter Rory in the fictional small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. The show was widely praised for its seamless blend of drama and comedy as well as for its sharp dialogue and numerous pop culture references. While “Gilmore Girls” may have only appeared on The CW for one season, that’s good enough for us. Nowadays, the show is considered one of the best of the 2000s and, in 2016, fans got to return to Stars Hollow thanks to a four part miniseries released on Netflix.

“Gossip Girls”’ ratings might not have blown anyone away during its six-season run, but its cultural influence cannot be denied. The show, which followed a group of wealthy Manhattan teens whose lives are constantly being scrutinized by a mysterious blogger known only as “Gossip Girl”, influenced dozens of films and TV shows and is often credited with helping popularize mobile communication. From a fan standpoint, “Gossip Girl” was an overwhelming success, taking home 18 Teen Choice Awards during its run. You can’t bring up the CW without mentioning this iconic teen drama.

The CW knew it had a hit on its hands from the moment the pilot episode of “The Vampire Diaries” hit the airwaves. The show’s first episode was the largest premier for a CW show in network history, with the first season ultimately averaging 3.6 million viewers per episode. “The Vampire Diaries” focused on the exploits of Elena Gilbert, a teenager who enters into a love triangle with two immortal vampires. The show took home numerous awards during its run and sparked one of the biggest questions in TV history: are you Team Damon or Team Stefan?

“Supernatural” was – and honestly still is – one of The CW’s flagship shows, and for good reason. The series follows Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers who travel from town to town hunting evil supernatural creatures. “Supernatural” is the longest running live-action fantasy series in American TV history with a whopping 15 seasons under its belt, making it all the more surprising that there was a time when it was at risk of being canceled. The show has won numerous awards during its run and has spawned multiple spin-offs, a testament to its indelible nature.

Which CW series will always hold a special place in your heart? Let us know in the comments.