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Philosophical

Philosophical TV Series

Big questions of meaning, ethics and existence.

Ranked by how defining this tag is for each show · 116 series

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

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

Rating patterns

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

Tone & mood
Pacing & structure
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Characters & perspective
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116 series Taste tags cover the 5,000 most-rated shows.

The Good Place

★ 8.2
222K 50 2016–2020
Philosophical · Redemption
10/10

Devs

★ 7.6
58K 8 2020–2020
Philosophical · Existential dread
10/10

Dekalog

★ 8.9
35K 10 1989–1990
Philosophical · Character study
10/10

The Midnight Gospel

★ 8.2
30K 8 2020–2020
Philosophical · Adult animation
10/10

Midnight Mass

★ 7.7
171K 7 2021–2021
Faith & religion
9/10

Undone

★ 8.2
27K 16 2019–2022
Mental health · Philosophical
9/10

Pantheon

★ 8.5
23K 16 2022–2023
Near-future tech · Philosophical
9/10

Ergo Proxy

★ 7.8
19K 23 2006–2006
Anime · Dystopia · Philosophical
9/10

Merlí

★ 8.6
11K 40 2015–2018
School & campus · Philosophical
9/10

World on a Wire

★ 7.7
7K 2 1973–1973
Existential dread · Philosophical
9/10

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth

★ 8.4
7K 25 2024–2025
Faith & religion · Philosophical
9/10

Kino's Journey

★ 8.3
4K 14 2003–2003
Philosophical · Episodic
9/10

Westworld

★ 8.4
559K 36 2016–2022
Big-budget spectacle · Puzzle plot
8/10

Dark

★ 8.7
551K 26 2017–2020
Time travel · Puzzle plot
8/10

Battlestar Galactica

★ 8.7
187K 74 2004–2009
Morally gray · Serialized · Tense
8/10

Pluribus

★ 7.9
161K 10 2025–present
Existential dread · Philosophical
8/10

Star Trek: The Next Generation

★ 8.7
150K 176 1987–1994
Space & sci-fi · Hopeful
8/10

Vinland Saga

★ 8.9
143K 48 2019–2023
Anime · Revenge · Graphic violence
8/10

The Leftovers

★ 8.3
132K 28 2014–2017
Melancholic · Emotionally heavy
8/10

The OA

★ 7.8
128K 16 2016–2019
Experimental · Mystery box
8/10

Foundation

★ 7.6
127K 34 2021–present
Space & sci-fi · Sprawling saga
8/10

Neon Genesis Evangelion

★ 8.5
112K 26 1995–1996
Existential dread · Anime
8/10

The Twilight Zone

★ 9.0
109K 156 1959–1964
Anthology · Episodic
8/10

Star Trek

★ 8.4
101K 80 1966–1969
Space & sci-fi · Episodic
8/10