Ensemble cast TV Series

Many characters carrying equal weight.

Ranked by how defining this tag is for each show · 779 series

10/10 means the show is a defining example. Shows scoring below 7/10 don't make the list.

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Genres

Genres as assigned by IMDb. Selecting several means a show must match all of them.

Action 173 Adult 0 Adventure 138 Animation 103 Biography 20 Comedy 310 Crime 137 Documentary 1 Drama 522 Family 19 Fantasy 43 Game-Show 4 History 36 Horror 19 Music 16 Musical 5 Mystery 85 News 0 Reality-TV 7 Romance 91 Sci-Fi 38 Short 1 Sport 16 Talk-Show 1 Thriller 48 War 20 Western 4

Decades

By first-air year. Several selections widen the range; a specific year narrows within its decade.

2020s 214 2010s 298 2000s 153 1990s 52 1980s 34 1970s 19 1960s 9 1950s 0 1940s 0 1930s 0 1920s 0 1900s 0

Specific year

2026 6 2025 22 2024 26 2023 31 2022 45 2021 41 2020 43 2019 41 2018 30 2017 34 2016 31 2015 44 2014 26 2013 23 2012 19 2011 24 2010 26 2009 22 2008 16 2007 21 2006 16 2005 18 2004 22 2003 12 2002 6 2001 12 2000 8 1999 11 1998 2 1997 6 1996 1 1995 8 1994 8 1993 7 1992 4 1991 1 1990 4 1989 3 1988 6 1987 5 1986 4 1985 4 1984 3 1983 3 1982 4 1981 2 1979 1 1978 4 1977 2 1976 3 1975 2 1973 1 1972 3 1971 1 1970 2 1968 1 1966 2 1965 2 1964 1 1963 1 1962 1 1960 1

Tags

Rating patterns, computed from IMDb episode-rating trajectories. Deliberately strict: only shows with an unmistakable pattern carry one, so expect small numbers.

Rating patterns

Fumbled the Finale 18 Stuck the Landing 28 Grew the Beard 17 Rock Solid 16 Past Its Prime 1 Roller Coaster 3

Taste tags, judged by our AI taste model. They cover the 5,000 most-rated shows.

Tone & mood

Bleak 32 Gritty 85 Dark tone 106 Feel-good 51 Cozy 6 Wholesome 31 Melancholic 26 Tense 120 Unsettling 19 Whimsical 20 Campy 34 Cynical 46 Hopeful 29 Sentimental 28 Nostalgic 40 Bittersweet 44 Chaotic energy 51 Deadpan cool 12

Pacing & structure

Slow burn 26 Fast-paced 32 Episodic 82 Serialized 195 Procedural 18 Mystery box 42 Anthology 9 Cliffhanger-driven 49 Sprawling saga 53 Tight limited run 65 Puzzle plot 17 Vignette style 1

Humor style

Dry humor 43 Absurdist 37 Satirical 52 Cringe comedy 12 Slapstick 9 Witty banter 123 Dark comedy 62 Warm humor 124 Raunchy 18 Parody 17 Ironic & meta 15

Themes & subject matter

Criminal underworld 48 Detective mystery 31 True crime 3 Heists & cons 15 Legal 17 Medical 24 Political intrigue 41 Espionage 6 War & military 48 Family saga 78 Coming of age 70 Workplace 110 School & campus 49 Love story 55 Friendship 105 Found family 94 Survival 43 Post-apocalyptic 12 Dystopia 12 Supernatural 29 Space & sci-fi 34 Near-future tech 8 Time travel 7 High fantasy 22 Urban fantasy 14 Monster horror 10 Psychological horror 6 Addiction & vice 7 Mental health 15 Faith & religion 10 Sports 18 Music scene 18 Food & cooking 4 Nature & science 4 Real history 65 Royalty & aristocracy 11 Small town 37 Big city life 21 Rural & frontier 12 Suburban underbelly 11 Class divide 49 Immigrant experience 2 Queer stories 27 Female perspective 76 Social commentary 80 Philosophical 28 Existential dread 16 Revenge 10 Redemption 10 Secrets & lies 121

Characters & perspective

Antihero lead 35 Morally gray 118 Villain's POV 2 Ensemble cast 779 Central duo 1 Strong female lead 59 Child's perspective 4 Outsider lead 8 Genius lead 8 Working class 45 Elites & privilege 43 Unreliable narrator 1 Character study 61 Banter chemistry 28

Emotional payoff

Tearjerker 35 Adrenaline 62 Intellectual challenge 13 Comfort rewatch 62 Romantic yearning 21 Cathartic 1 Wonder & awe 18 Mounting dread 7 Warm glow 15 Gut punch 39

Craft & style

Dialogue-driven 60 Visually striking 70 Stylized direction 44 Naturalistic 41 Big-budget spectacle 32 Lo-fi charm 2 Atmospheric 56 Distinctive score 20 Experimental 3 Deep worldbuilding 58 Tight writing 28

Format & audience

Sitcom 78 Adult animation 17 Anime 55 Kids & family 21 Young adult 33 Soap & telenovela 45 Event miniseries 40 Reality competition 6 Lifestyle reality 3 Docuseries 1 Sketch & variety 2 Game & quiz show 2 Talk & panel 0 Period piece 127 Contemporary life 31 Long-runner 52 Built to binge 6

Viewing-culture clusters