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The Best Action TV Series Of All Time

Updated October 1, 2020 31.8k votes 4.3k voters 217.0k views104 items

List RulesOnly TV shows (or miniseries) that heavily feature action sequences in every episode.

The best action TV shows have been keeping us on the edge of our seat for years, and the race to determine the best action television shows is just as entertaining. From prison escapes to protecting the president, historical battles to superhero suspense, what are the best action shows? All of them? Probably. Certainly there have been a lot of great action shows in the past decade.

Looking for some good action TV shows to watch? You're in the right spot, my friend. It's time for a serious bro-down. This list of shows includes everything from 24 to Arrow to Vikings, and many other shows in-between that are nothing but full-throttle adrenaline forever! The very best action shows on television, ranked from best to worst.

This list answers the questions, "What is the best action show of all time?" and "What are the greatest action TV series?" Don't let your favorite action television programs in history get to the bottom of the list - be sure to vote them up so they have the chance to reach the top spot.

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24
Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub
Premiered: 2001
Network: Fox Broadcasting Company
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2
864
543
Prison Break
Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller
Premiered: 2005
Network: Fox Broadcasting Company
3
653
430
Daredevil
Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll
Premiered: 2015
Network: Netflix
If you like Daredevil, check out the other best action shows on Netflix.
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450
283
Band of Brothers
Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis
Premiered: 2001
Network: British Broadcasting Corporation, HBO
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5
423
266
Vikings
Travis Fimmel, Katheryn Winnick
Premiered: 2013
Network: History
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516
344
The Blacklist
James Spader, Megan Boone
Premiered: 2013
Network: NBC
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7
377
315
Burn Notice
Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar
Premiered: 2007
Network: USA Network
8
305
171
Banshee
Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic
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9
298
256
The A-Team
George Peppard, Mr. T
Premiered: 1983
Network: NBC
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10
818
761
Arrow
Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy
Premiered: 2012
Network: The CW Television Network
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11
276
112
Jack Ryan
John Krasinski, Abbie Cornish
Premiered: 2018
Network: Amazon Video
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12
380
314
Dexter
Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter
Premiered: 2006
Network: Showtime
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13
366
306
Sons of Anarchy
Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal
Premiered: 2008
Network: FX
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14
257
232
Justified
Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy
Premiered: 2010
Network: FX
15
437
150
The Punisher
Jon Bernthal, Ben Barnes
Premiered: 2017
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16
466
414
The Walking Dead
Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal
Premiered: 2010
Network: AMC
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17
150
133
Magnum, P.I.
Tom Selleck, John Hillerman
Premiered: 1980
Network: CBS
18
472
472
The Flash
Grant Gustin, Candice Patton
Premiered: 2014
Network: The CW
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19
277
308
Chuck
Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski
Premiered: 2007
Network: NBC
20
271
237
Strike Back
Sullivan Stapleton, Philip Winchester
Premiered: 2010
Network: Sky1
21
181
153
Hawaii Five-0
Leonard Freeman, Alex Kurtzman
Premiered: 2010
Network: CBS
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22
117
65
The Last Kingdom
Alexander Dreymon, David Dawson
Premiered: 2015
Network: BBC America
23
185
204
Star Trek: The Original Series
William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy
Premiered: 1966
Network: NBC
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24
215
240
Lost
Naveen Andrews, Emilie de Ravin
Premiered: 2004
Network: American Broadcasting Company
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25
214
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Firefly
Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres
Premiered: 2002
Network: Fox Broadcasting Company
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