Secrets & lies TV Series

Hidden truths straining every relationship.

Ranked by how defining this tag is for each show · 985 series

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

Filter & sort

Genres

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

Action 117 Adult 0 Adventure 40 Animation 22 Biography 44 Comedy 65 Crime 470 Documentary 31 Drama 845 Family 5 Fantasy 44 Game-Show 6 History 49 Horror 46 Music 2 Musical 2 Mystery 374 News 0 Reality-TV 9 Romance 97 Sci-Fi 38 Short 2 Sport 5 Talk-Show 0 Thriller 252 War 6 Western 1

Decades

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

2020s 471 2010s 413 2000s 71 1990s 11 1980s 10 1970s 7 1960s 2 1950s 0 1940s 0 1930s 0 1920s 0 1900s 0

Specific year

2026 15 2025 76 2024 59 2023 81 2022 93 2021 76 2020 71 2019 77 2018 61 2017 62 2016 42 2015 49 2014 28 2013 35 2012 20 2011 26 2010 13 2009 11 2008 7 2007 22 2006 9 2005 5 2004 6 2003 4 2002 2 2001 5 1999 2 1998 1 1997 1 1996 1 1995 2 1993 1 1992 1 1990 2 1988 1 1987 1 1985 2 1984 1 1983 1 1982 1 1981 2 1980 1 1979 2 1978 1 1976 1 1973 1 1972 1 1970 1 1965 1 1963 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 17 Stuck the Landing 11 Grew the Beard 3 Rock Solid 7 Past Its Prime 1 Roller Coaster 1

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

Tone & mood

Bleak 40 Gritty 83 Dark tone 356 Feel-good 3 Cozy 1 Wholesome 1 Melancholic 39 Tense 465 Unsettling 97 Whimsical 0 Campy 9 Cynical 67 Hopeful 1 Sentimental 15 Nostalgic 5 Bittersweet 32 Chaotic energy 3 Deadpan cool 7

Pacing & structure

Slow burn 89 Fast-paced 25 Episodic 3 Serialized 462 Procedural 8 Mystery box 198 Anthology 15 Cliffhanger-driven 123 Sprawling saga 21 Tight limited run 275 Puzzle plot 73 Vignette style 0

Humor style

Dry humor 3 Absurdist 0 Satirical 7 Cringe comedy 2 Slapstick 0 Witty banter 9 Dark comedy 39 Warm humor 2 Raunchy 0 Parody 0 Ironic & meta 0

Themes & subject matter

Criminal underworld 116 Detective mystery 159 True crime 54 Heists & cons 15 Legal 35 Medical 7 Political intrigue 116 Espionage 71 War & military 12 Family saga 115 Coming of age 20 Workplace 13 School & campus 30 Love story 98 Friendship 8 Found family 4 Survival 5 Post-apocalyptic 2 Dystopia 10 Supernatural 35 Space & sci-fi 7 Near-future tech 10 Time travel 9 High fantasy 5 Urban fantasy 10 Monster horror 0 Psychological horror 19 Addiction & vice 6 Mental health 20 Faith & religion 23 Sports 6 Music scene 5 Food & cooking 0 Nature & science 1 Real history 45 Royalty & aristocracy 28 Small town 72 Big city life 7 Rural & frontier 5 Suburban underbelly 46 Class divide 48 Immigrant experience 4 Queer stories 16 Female perspective 119 Social commentary 62 Philosophical 9 Existential dread 9 Revenge 60 Redemption 3 Secrets & lies 985

Characters & perspective

Antihero lead 115 Morally gray 290 Villain's POV 5 Ensemble cast 121 Central duo 18 Strong female lead 165 Child's perspective 3 Outsider lead 15 Genius lead 14 Working class 10 Elites & privilege 90 Unreliable narrator 36 Character study 102 Banter chemistry 4

Emotional payoff

Tearjerker 21 Adrenaline 27 Intellectual challenge 17 Comfort rewatch 2 Romantic yearning 57 Cathartic 1 Wonder & awe 0 Mounting dread 10 Warm glow 0 Gut punch 40

Craft & style

Dialogue-driven 32 Visually striking 48 Stylized direction 37 Naturalistic 22 Big-budget spectacle 9 Lo-fi charm 0 Atmospheric 160 Distinctive score 11 Experimental 3 Deep worldbuilding 18 Tight writing 20

Format & audience

Sitcom 0 Adult animation 1 Anime 22 Kids & family 4 Young adult 40 Soap & telenovela 94 Event miniseries 83 Reality competition 6 Lifestyle reality 4 Docuseries 32 Sketch & variety 0 Game & quiz show 1 Talk & panel 0 Period piece 108 Contemporary life 3 Long-runner 19 Built to binge 18

Viewing-culture clusters