The 12 Best TV Shows On Paramount Plus

Paramount+, formerly known as CBS All Access, is neither the most popular streaming service nor the one with the most must-watch original shows (that is, unless you're looking for the most "Star Trek" and "Yellowstone" spinoffs, in which case they offer a seemingly endless supply). What it does have is an impressive collection of TV favorites from across the various Paramount/Viacom networks, including CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, and (on the service's more expensive tier) Showtime.

Paramount+'s hilarious 2024 Super Bowl commercial is representative of the state of the streamer itself in ways that might not have been intended: pop culture icons ranging from Patrick Stewart and Peppa Pig (Amelie Bea Smith) to Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) and Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba) all working together while stranded on a mountain, slowly freezing to death as they hope to either scale its peak and/or await rescue from whatever becomes of the company's merger plans. 

Whatever happens to Paramount+ in the future, subscribers for now get to enjoy several of the best TV shows of all time. In alphabetical order, here are the must-watch shows currently available on Paramount+.

Most people associate "Avatar: The Last Airbender" with Netflix, due to both the original cartoon's exceptional streaming viewership there and the live-action adaptation being a Netflix exclusive. But Paramount+ hosts "The Last Airbender" and its good — if not quite as good — sequel series "The Legend of Korra" amongst its extensive Nickelodeon line-up. The more places audiences can stream and enjoy the adventures of Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen) and his quest to master the elements and defeat the Fire Nation, the better.

"Avatar: The Last Airbender" has earned its reputation as one of the best cartoons of all time thanks to its epic storytelling, well-developed characters, clever fantasy world-building, and beautiful anime-inspired animation. The series works for kids and adults equally well, hooking younger viewers with cool action scenes and silly humor while impressing older ones with its anti-imperialist political themes and gut-punches of emotion. The show holds up to repeated viewings, and fans might just want to watch it again ahead of the release of the upcoming third "Avatar" animated series, titled "Seven Havens."

• Starring: Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Dante Basco
• Creator: Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko
• Year: 2005-2008
• Runtime: 62 episodes
• Rating: TV-Y7

Fans of Comedy Central's satirical news program "The Daily Show" have reason to be annoyed with Paramount+. The Comedy Central website used to contain clips of every single "Daily Show" episode since Jon Stewart took over as host from Craig Kilborn in 1999, but Paramount deleted the site in 2024 to push the focus to their subscription streaming platform, which only hosts the most recent seasons.

Still, if you need some laughter to process the horrors of current events (and who doesn't?), the latest episodes of "The Daily Show" are worth keeping up with on Paramount+. Stewart, who hosted the show from 1999 through 2015, returned in 2024 to host on Monday nights. His own legacy has given him a lot to live up to, and he doesn't nail his analysis every single week, but when he's on, his voice of sanity and frustration remains a balm in troubled times. The team of correspondents, including Jordan Klepper, Ronny Chieng, Desi Lydic, and Michael Kosta, alternate between hosting duties for the rest of the week, each offering their own humorous takes on the news.

• Starring: Jon Stewart, Jordan Klepper, Ronny Chieng
• Creator: Madeleine Smithberg, Lizz Winstead
• Year: 1996-present
• Runtime: 3873+ episodes (only the three most recent seasons available streaming)
• Rating: TV-14

Showtime has a long history of producing programming focused on the LGBTQ+ community, going back to the first American version of "Queer as Folk" and "The L Word." Those who subscribe to the Paramount+ tier that includes Showtime and are looking for great queer stories are especially advised to check out "Fellow Travelers." Based on the book by Thomas Mallon and created by Ron Nyswaner, the Oscar-nominated writer of "Philadephia," this miniseries follows the secret romance between two government workers, spanning Joseph McCarthy's Red Scare in the 1950s to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

Conservative war vet Hawk Fuller (Matt Bomer) stays in the closet throughout the decades, whereas the more idealistic Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey) ends up quitting his job in government and getting involved in radical activism. The chemistry between Bomer and Bailey is off the charts, and their steamy sex scenes are a highlight. Be sure to have tissues on hand when you reach the finale.

• Starring: Matt Bomer, Jonathan Bailey, Jelani lladin
• Creator: Ron Nyswaner
• Year: 2023
• Runtime: 8 episodes
• Rating: TV-MA

"Freaks and Geeks" only lasted one season, but this cult hit's legacy has far surpassed many series with much higher episode counts. Pretty much everyone in the cast and the writers' room went on to find massive popular success — just not for this particular critical and cult favorite. You probably knew this was one of Judd Apatow's first major projects, but did you remember it was also an early writing assignment for future "The White Lotus" creator Mike White?

The hour-long dramedy follows parallel coming-of-age stories of the Weir siblings: Lindsay (Linda Cardelini), a former mathlete who befriends the stoner "freaks" following a crisis of faith, and Sam (John Francis Daley), who struggles with his "geek" image and longs for respect from the popular kids. Set in 1980, with period-appropriate music and pop culture references, its characters' emotional struggles are timelessly relatable to current and former high schoolers of any era. "Freaks and Geeks" is easily one of the best shows about going through high school ever made.

• Starring: Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco
• Creator: Paul Feig
• Year: 1999-2000
• Runtime: 18 episodes
• Rating: TV-14

"I Love Lucy" wasn't the first American TV sitcom (that honor goes to "Mary Kay and Johnny," which ran from 1947-1950), but it was the show that defined the form and became its first true classic. For four of its six seasons, it was the highest rated show on television, and one of the rare series to conclude while still at the height of its popularity. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz continued to play Lucy and Ricky Ricardo while changing the format for the 1957-1960 follow-up series, "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour," which is not available on streaming.

Lucy Ricardo's wacky schemes to break into show business were regularly undone by her lack of talent — something that could not be said of the immensely talented comedic actress playing the character. Ball and Arnaz brought elements of their real life into the show, becoming TV's first interracial couple and turning Ball's actual pregnancy into the basis of a groundbreaking storyline. Not many TV shows from the 1950s are still popular today, but "I Love Lucy" is capable of making viewers laugh over 70 years since it first premiered.

• Starring: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance
• Creator: Bob Carroll Jr., Madelyn Davis, Jess Oppenheimer
• Year: 1951-1957
• Runtime: 180 episodes
• Rating: TV-G

As he states in his show's intro, Nathan Fielder "graduated from one of Canada's top business schools with really good grades," and uses his knowledge "to help struggling small business owners make it in this competitive world." Anyone who watches "Nathan For You," however, knows his ideas of helping small business are a little ... unorthodox. Some of them include selling poo-flavored frozen yogurt, stretching the limits of fair use law by turning a regular coffee shop into a "Dumb Starbucks," or reclassifying smoke detectors as musical instruments.

Fielder never breaks character from his extremely awkward deadpan persona, resulting in cringe comedy that might be too extreme for some viewers but has built a significant cult following. In his character's struggles to connect with other people, the show even finds some sweetness amidst the discomfort. Documentary filmmaker Errol Morris declared the series finale, "Finding Frances," his "new favorite love story." Since ending "Nathan For You," Fielder has pushed the pseudo-reality social experiments even further in "The Rehearsal" (streaming on Max), while also translating his cringe comedy sensibility to drama in "The Curse" (available on Paramount+'s Showtime tier).

• Starring: Nathan Fielder
• Creator: Nathan Fielder, Michael Koman
• Year: 2013-2017
• Runtime: 32 episodes
• Rating: TV-14

Premiering on the LGBTQ+ network Logo TV before moving to VH1 in Season 9 and later MTV in Season 15, "RuPaul's Drag Race" has become an unstoppable institution and a powerful force in popularizing queer culture. The drag competition reality show has won a whopping 29 Emmys out of 71 nominations. Watch parties at gay bars attract crowds like sporting events do at straight bars. It's spawned a gazillion spin-off series around the world (of these, "Untucked," "All Stars," "Global All Stars," "All Stars Untucked," "Secret Celebrity Drag Race," and the "Holi-Slay Spectacular" special are also available on Paramount+), and has its own annual DragCon conventions on both coasts.

"RuPaul's Drag Race" has served as a launching pad for too many fabulous, funny, and fierce queens to list them all out here. As a host, RuPaul hasn't been without problematic controversies, but over the years, the show has made improvements in terms of accepting transgender contestants and speaking out against racist behavior in the fandom.

• Starring: RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Ross Matthews
• Creator: RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Merle Ginsberg
• Year: 2009-present
• Runtime: 243+ episodes
• Rating: TV-14

Disney has Mickey Mouse, Warner Bros. has Bugs Bunny, and Nickelodeon/Paramount has SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny). The absorbent yellow porous fry cook is as recognizable and beloved around the world as any classic cartoon character. We'd say you'd have to be living under a rock to not know SpongeBob, but his best friend Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke) does live under a rock, so even that wouldn't apply. After more than a quarter of a century on the air, "SpongeBob SquarePants" shows no signs of slowing down, and will continue to delight children, parents, stoners, meme-makers, and animation geeks for a long time to come.

The brilliance of "SpongeBob SquarePants," particularly in its first three seasons run by creator Stephen Hillenberg, lies in its good-natured absurdity. The show can do anything for a laugh — silly puns, wacky non-sequiturs, physics-defying cartoon gags, extreme exaggerations — but at its best, it does all this without becoming mean-spirited or losing the central appeal of its ever-optimistic protagonist. Paramount+ is also streaming two spin-off series: "The Patrick Star Show" (this one's pretty good) and "Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years" (you can skip that one unless you have very young kids).

• Starring: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass
• Creator: Stephen Hillenberg
• Year: 1999-present
• Runtime: 334+ episodes
• Rating: TV-Y7

Paramount+ was "the Star Trek streaming service" even before it was called Paramount+. "Star Trek: Discovery" was the big launch show for CBS All Access, and since then, we've seen the debuts of "Next Generation" sequel "Star Trek: Picard," the adult animated comedy "Star Trek: Lower Decks," and the original series prequel "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." All of the classic series, including "The Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine," "Voyager," and "Enterprise," as well as all of the movies, are streaming on Paramount+. The only major "Trek" not streaming there, the kid-friendly "Star Trek: Prodigy," debuted on Paramount+ but has since moved to Netflix.

Trekkies can debate which of these series is the best, but to keep this list from become completely overwhelmed with "Star Trek," we're sticking to one entry for the franchise and that's the original series. Why? For one thing, you enjoy it right from the beginning and don't have to worry about a mediocre first season — an issue that's been one of the worst things about the rest of the franchise. 

Then there's its historical significance: Between breaking new ground for racial and gender equality on television, offering inspiration through its hopeful view of the future, and shaping modern science fiction fandom, Gene Roddenberry's "'Wagon Train' to the stars" might be one of the rare TV shows to actively make the world a better place.

• Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols
• Creator: Gene Roddenberry
• Year: 1966-1969
• Runtime: 79 episodes
• Rating: TV-PG

In order to talk about real social problems despite network censorship in the 1950s, Rod Serling turned to science fiction. With the cover of fantastical allegory, "The Twilight Zone" anthology series was able to deliver progressive messages you couldn't find anywhere else on TV at the time. Episodes could deal with heavy issues like racism, beauty standards, nuclear war, and the Holocaust — or hone in on less weighty universal truths such as "kids are creepy" or "it would suck if aliens tried to cook us."

Not every "Twilight Zone" episode has aged well, but for the most part, the series still holds up in both genre thrills and moral conscience. There's additional fun in noticing how many big name actors, from Burt Reynolds to William Shatner, starred in episodes of the show before they became famous. And any horror writer who loves their twist endings likely owes some debt to "The Twilight Zone" — without Rod Serling, there is no M. Night Shyamalan. 

The series has had three different revivals over the decades, but only the original classic is streaming on Paramount+ (the most recent revival in 2019, from producer Jordan Peele, premiered as a CBS All Access exclusive but has since been pulled from Paramount+).

• Starring: Rod Serling
• Creator: Rod Serling
• Year: 1959-1964
• Runtime: 156 episodes
• Rating: TV-PG

The original two-season run of "Twin Peaks" changed TV forever. Pairing "Blue Velvet" director David Lynch with "Hill Street Blues" writer Mark Frost resulted in the perfect middle ground between the avant-garde and the mainstream (at first, anyway). The mystery of who killed Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) built a compelling framework for an unnerving nightmare, a surreal soap opera with enough humor and charm to make its dive into darkness palatable.

As the spirit of Laura Palmer promised Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) in the original series finale, we would see them again in 25 years, in what would sadly be Lynch's swan song as a director. 2017's "Twin Peaks: The Return" was named the "best film of the decade" by the prestigious Cahiers du Cinema, despite being 18 episodes of television and not a movie. The actual "Twin Peaks" movie, 1992's "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me," is streaming on Max and The Criterion Channel and best watched between the original and "The Return."

• Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick
• Creator: David Lynch, Mark Frost
• Year: 1990-2017
• Runtime: 48 episodes
• Rating: TV-MA

"Yellowjackets," streaming on the Showtime section of Paramount+, splits its attention between two different timeframes. In 1996, the Yellowjackets high school girls' soccer team gets stranded in the wilderness following a plane crash, with their ensuing struggle turning part "Lord of the Flies" and part Donner Party. 25 years later, the team's survivors are doing all they can to protect their darkest secrets from the past.

This memorably twisted thriller excels in many areas, including the characterization and casting for both the teen and adult versions of the Yellowjackets, the intense sequences of grotesque horror, and the clever and nostalgic use of music. The second and third seasons have been a bit more divisive than the first as the pace has slowed down, but when a show starts from the heights of that incredible first season, even a slight decline still makes for some great TV. If you have the stomach for it, "Yellowjackets" could be your next streaming binge addiction.

• Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Sophie Nélisse
• Creator: Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson
• Year: 2021-present
• Runtime: 29+ episodes
• Rating: TV-MA