Best TV Series of the 1940s

159 series that started in the 1940s, ranked by popularity

The Lone Ranger

★ 7.7
3K 221 1949–1957
Action · Western

Batman and Robin

★ 5.9
2K 15 1949–present
Action · Adventure · Family

The Ed Sullivan Show

★ 7.9
2K 1075 1948–1971
Music · Talk-Show

Meet the Press

★ 5.4
779 1238 1947–present
News · Talk-Show

Suspense

★ 7.4
392 262 1949–1954
Drama · Horror · Mystery

Casper

★ 6.5
384 39 1949–present
Animation · Fantasy

Studio One

★ 7.5
359 467 1948–1958
Drama

The Howdy Doody Show

★ 7.5
302 301 1947–1960
Family

MotoGP

★ 8.7
268 416 1949–present
Sport

Kraft Theatre

★ 7.8
247 587 1947–1958
Drama

The Goldbergs

★ 7.6
240 93 1949–1957
Comedy

Lights Out

★ 6.9
235 160 1946–1952
Horror · Mystery · Sci-Fi

CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite

★ 6.7
210 2404 1941–2025
News

Mama

★ 8.3
199 336 1949–1957
Comedy · Drama · Family

The Milton Berle Show

★ 7.5
187 263 1948–1956
Comedy · Family

The CBS Evening News

★ 4.3
170 1477 1941–present
News

Candid Camera

★ 6.9
166 14 1948–1952
Comedy · Family · Reality-TV

Kukla, Fran and Ollie

★ 7.8
161 104 1947–1957
Comedy · Family

Captain Video and His Video Rangers

★ 6.5
155 172 1949–1955
Action · Adventure · Family

Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1

★ 8.6
155 2 1946–1946
Animation

The Life of Riley

★ 7.0
150 27 1948–1950
Comedy

The Philco Television Playhouse

★ 7.5
146 270 1948–1956
Drama

The Perry Como Show

★ 7.6
134 1021 1948–1967
Music

Man Against Crime

★ 7.2
121 130 1949–1954
Action · Crime · Drama