Entertainment

64 voters

The Best Shows Starring Movie Stars on TV in 2020

Updated October 20, 2020 887 votes 64 voters46 items

List RulesVote up the best shows on television in 2020 that star movie stars.

Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, and Jude Law are among the biggest film stars in the world. They are all also on 2020 TV shows starring movie stars. It used to be unheard of that a major movie star in the prime of their career would take a role on the small screen. However, thanks to what has been labeled, “The Golden Age of Television,” it is no longer taboo for movie stars to appear on TV.

Thanks to streaming services like Netflix and Amazon, the best movie star-led TVseries break the mold of traditional storytelling. Television dramas today can explore characters and experiment with narrative style. The modern television landscape is filled with flawed protagonists and stories that are able to develop over the course of an entire season, not just unravel over two standard hours.

What are the best series starring movie stars? Vote up your favorites.

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7
The Morning Show
Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon
Premiered: 2019
Genres (Tv): Drama
Movie Stars: Reese Witherspoon (Wild, Legally Blonde), Jennifer Aniston (Cake, Horrible Bosses), Steve Carell (Beautiful Boy, Anchorman)

The Morning Show (Apple TV+, 2019) is an American drama web television series. The show... more
2
35
1
Ozark
Jason Bateman, Laura Linney
Premiered: 2017
Genres (Tv): Crime drama, Thriller
Movie Stars: Jason Bateman (Game Night, Horrible Bosses), Laura Linney (Primal Fear, You Can Count On Me)

Ozark (Netflix, 2017) is an American crime drama series created by Bill Dubuque. Financial... more
3
41
10
Homecoming
Janelle Monáe, Julia Roberts
Premiered: 2018
Genres (Tv): Psychological thriller
Movie Star: Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich)

Homecoming (Amazon Video, 2018) is a psychological thriller web television series created by... more
4
41
15
Fargo
Chris Rock, Timothy Olyphant
Premiered: 2014
Genres (Tv): Comedy, Drama, Crime
Movie Star: Chris Rock (Top Five, Grown Ups)

Fargo (FX, 2014) is an American black comedy drama anthology television series created by Noah... more
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34
14
The Crown
Claire Foy, Matt Smith
Premiered: 2016
Genres (Tv): Historical drama
Movie Stars in Season 4: Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club, Ocean's Eight)

The Crown (Netflix, 2016) is an American-British biographical drama series created by Peter... more
6
38
20
Billions
Damian Lewis, Paul Giamatti
Premiered: 2016
Genres (Tv): Drama
Movie Star: Paul Giamatti (Sideways, Saving Mr. Banks)

Billions (Showtime, 2016) is an American television drama series created by Brian Koppelman,... more
7
27
10
The Politician
Bob Balaban, Benjamin Barrett
Premiered: 2019
Genres (Tv): Comedy, Musical
Movie Stars: Gwyneth Paltrow (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Seven, The Royal Tenenbaums), Ben Platt (Pitch Perfect)

The Politician (Netflix, 2019) is an American musical comedy television series created by Ryan... more
8
31
15
The New Pope
Jude Law, John Malkovich
Premiered: 2019
Genres (Tv): Drama
Movie Stars: Jude Law (Closer, Sherlock Holmes), John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich, Dangerous Liaisons)

The New Pope (Sky Atlantic/HBO, 2020) is an Italian and Spanish drama television miniseries... more
9
24
10
Homeland
Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin
Premiered: 2011
Genres (Tv): Suspense, Drama, Thriller
Movie Star: Claire Danes (Romeo + Juliet, The Family Stone)

Homeland (Showtime, 2011) is an American political drama thriller series developed by Howard... more
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21
8
Shameless
Emmy Rossum, William H. Macy
Premiered: 2011
Genres (Tv): Comedy, Drama
Movie Star: William H. Macy (Fargo, Wild Hogs)

Shameless (Showtime, 2011) is an American comedy-drama television series developed by John... more
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15
4
Westworld
Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton
Premiered: 2016
Genres (Tv): Sci-fi, Drama, Western
Movie Stars: Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen), Thandie Newton (Crash), James Marsden (Enchanted)

Westworld (HBO, 2016) is an American science fiction western thriller television series... more
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21
11
Stranger Things
Winona Ryder, David Harbour
Premiered: 2016
Genres (Tv): Sci-fi, Horror, Supernatural, Period drama
Movie Star: Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands)

Stranger Things (Netflix, 2016) is an American science fiction-horror web television series... more
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30
22
The Umbrella Academy
Elliot Page, Tom Hopper
Premiered: 2019
Genres (Tv): Superhero, Action
Movie Star: Ellen Page (Juno, Inception)

The Umbrella Academy (Netflix, 2019) is an American television series developed by Steve... more

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11
0
Peaky Blinders
Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory
Premiered: 2013
Genres (Tv): Action, Drama, Period Drama
Movie Star: Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Batman Begins)

Peaky Blinders (BBC Two, 2013) is a British television action drama created by Steven Knight,... more
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18
10
Dead to Me
Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini
Premiered: 2019
Genres (Tv): Black comedy, Tragicomedy
Movie Stars: Christina Applegate (Anchorman), James Marsden (Enchanted)

Dead to Me (Netflix, 2019) is an American dark comedy web television series created by Liz... more
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22
17
Grace and Frankie
Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin
Premiered: 2015
Genres (Tv): Comedy
Movie Stars: Jane Fonda (Klute, Barbarella) Lily Tomin (Nashville, I Heart Huckabees)

Grace and Frankie (Netflix, 2015) is an American comedy-drama web television series created by... more
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12
4
Gary Busey: Pet Judge
Gary Busey, Mike E. Winfield
Premiered: 2020
Genres (Tv): Comedy
Movie Stars: Gary Busey (Point Break, Lethal Weapon)

Gary Busey: Pet Judge (Amazon Video, 2020) is a comedy television series hosted by Gary Busey... more
18
17
10
City on a Hill
Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge
Premiered: 2019
Genres (Tv): Crime drama
Movie Star: Kevin Bacon (Tremors, Footloose, JFK)

City on a Hill (Showtime, 2019) is an American television series created by Chuck MacLean.... more
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11
2
The Sinner
Jessica Biel, Bill Pullman
Premiered: 2017
Genres (Tv): Drama, Anthology
Movie Stars: Jessica Biel (Blade: Trinity, The Illusionist), Bill Pullman (Independence Day) Matt Bomer (Magic Mike)

The Sinner (USA, 2017) is an American anthology drama TV series developed by Derek Simonds,... more
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14
10
The Righteous Gemstones
Danny McBride, John Goodman
Premiered: 2019
Genres (Tv): Comedy
Movie Star: John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane, O Brother Where Art Thou?, The Lebowski)

The Righteous Gemstones (HBO, 2019) is an American comedy television series created by Danny... more
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7
1
Carnival Row
Orlando Bloom, Cara Delevingne
Premiered: 2019
Genres (Tv): Fantasy, Neo-noir
Movie Star: Orlando Bloom (Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean franchise)

Carnival Row (Amazon Video, 2019) is an American neo-noir fantasy web television series... more
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4
1
The Alienist
Daniel Brühl, Luke Evans
Premiered: 2018
Genres (Tv): Crime, Drama
Movie Star: Dakota Fanning (Man on Fire, War of the Worlds)

The Alienist (TNT, 2018) is an American television period drama event series created by Cary... more
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7
1
Altered Carbon
Joel Kinnaman, Renée Elise Goldsberry
Premiered: 2018
Genres (Tv): Sci-fi, Mystery, Action
Movie Stars: Joel Kinnaman (RoboCop, Suicide Squad), Anthony Mackie (8 Mile, Avengers: Age of Ultron)

Altered Carbon is an American science fiction television series created by Laeta Kalogridis,... more

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4
1
Away
Hillary Swank, Josh Charles
Premiered: 2020
Genres (Tv): Sci-Fi, Drama
Movie Stars: Hilary Swank (Million-Dollar Baby, Logan Lucky, I Am Mother)

Away (Netflix, 2020) is an American sci-fi television series created by Jessica Goldberg and... more
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2
0
The Undoing
Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant
Premiered: 2020
Genres (Tv): Drama
Movie Stars: Nicole Kidman (Bombshell, The Others), Hugh Grant (The Gentlemen, Love, Actually)

The Undoing (HBO, 2020) is an American drama miniseries created by David E. Kelley, based on... more