Entertainment

895 voters

The Best Drama Shows About Families, Ranked

Updated March 26, 2021 4.0k votes 895 voters 55.8k views85 items

List RulesVote up the top dramatic TV series that center around a single family.

Backstabbing, lies, and cheating - there's nothing quite like family. These issues, and more, are at the heart of good dramatic TV series about family. This is a list of the greatest TV dramas about families including everything from Sons of Anarchy to Six Feet Under to Shameless.

What acclaimed shows will you find on this list of the best drama shows about families? The critically-acclaimed HBO drama The Sopranos followed the Soprano family, an average American household with ties to the mob. Lead actor James Gandolfini took home three Emmy awards during the series's run. The Wonder Years is another fantastic TV drama about a family. The Lannisters and the Starks are just two of the families battling for control of the seven kingdoms on Game of Thrones. Other good dramas featured here include Downton Abby and Parenthood.

Which family drama is your favorite? Vote your personal picks up to the top of the list and please add any great series that are missing.

Photo:

...more

1
316
86
Parenthood
Peter Krause, Lauren Graham
Premiered: 2010
Parenthood (NBC, 2010) is an American television drama series created by Jason Katims. Four... more
More Parenthood
The Best Seasons of Parenthood#249 of 397 The Best TV Shows to Rewatch
2
330
99
This Is Us
Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore
Premiered: 2016
This Is Us (NBC, 2016) is an American television series created by Dan Fogelman. Follows a... more
More This Is Us
The Best Characters on This Is Us, Ranked#18 of 121 The Best Shows Currently On The Air
3
206
63
Gilmore Girls
Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel
Premiered: 2000
Gilmore Girls (The WB, 2000) is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy... more
More Gilmore Girls
'Gilmore Girls' Memes That Give Us All The Feels And Make Us Want To Binge Watch AgainAll of the Love Interests on Gilmore Girls, Ranked
4
194
70
The Fosters
Teri Polo, Sherri Saum
Premiered: 2013
The Fosters (Freeform, 2013) is an American drama television series created by Bradley... more
More The Fosters
#82 of 223 The Greatest TV Shows for Women#307 of 631 The Best TV Shows To Binge Watch
5
161
55
Brothers and Sisters
Mary Crosby, William Windom
Premiered: 1979
Brothers and Sisters is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from January to April 1979. The... more
More Brothers and Sisters
#377 of 538 TV Shows Canceled Before Their Time#10 of 98 The All-Time Best Primetime Soap Operas
6
140
67
Shameless
Emmy Rossum, William H. Macy
Premiered: 2011
Shameless (Showtime, 2011) is an American comedy-drama television series developed by John... more
More Shameless
Every Season of 'Shameless', Ranked Best to Worst#3 of 48 The Best Showtime Shows of All Time, Ranked
7
111
50
Downton Abbey
Hugh Bonneville, Phyllis Logan
Premiered: 2010
Downton Abbey (ITV, 2010) is a British historical drama television series created by Julian... more
More Downton Abbey
The Best Downton Abbey Actors#56 of 270 The Best Cult TV Shows of All Time
8
68
20
A Million Little Things
David Giuntoli, Ron Livingston
Premiered: 2018
A Million Little Things (ABC, 2018) is an American family drama television series created by... more
More A Million Little Things
The Best Episodes of 'A Million Little Things'#145 of 285 The Best TV Shows Returning In 2021
9
67
20
The Wonder Years
Fred Savage, Dan Lauria
Premiered: 1988
The Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Neal Marlens and Carol... more
More The Wonder Years
#7 of 79 The Best ABC Shows of All Time#10 of 89 The Best 1980s Primetime TV Shows
10
86
38
Six Feet Under
Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall
Premiered: 2001
Six Feet Under (HBO, 2001) is an American drama television series created and produced by Alan... more
More Six Feet Under
#37 of 102 The Best Dramedy TV Series#79 of 119 The Best Shows About Families
11
92
44
Switched at Birth
Vanessa Marano, Katie Leclerc
Premiered: 2011
Switched at Birth (ABC Family, 2011) is an American teen and family drama television series... more
More Switched at Birth
The Best Seasons of Switched at Birth#148 of 291 The Best Female-Led TV Shows
12
73
30
Party of Five
Matthew Fox, Scott Wolf
Premiered: 1994
Party of Five (Fox, 1994) is an American television teen and family drama created by... more
More Party of Five
#78 of 149 The Best TV Spinoffs#56 of 124 TV Shows with the Hottest Casts
13
72
29
Little House on the Prairie
Cameron Bancroft, Erin Cottrell
Premiered: 2005
Little House on the Prairie, also known as Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie,... more
More Little House on the Prairie
#43 of 305 The Greatest TV Dramas of All Time#54 of 94 TV Shows You Wish You Were A Character On

14
49
13
Heartland
Amber Marshall, Graham Wardle
Premiered: 2007
Heartland (CBC, 2007) is a Canadian family drama television series created by Lauren Brooke,... more
More Heartland
#130 of 150 The Best TV Dramas On Netflix To Watch Now#11 of 65 The Greatest TV Shows About Small Towns
15
39
5
Little Fires Everywhere
Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington
Premiered: 2020
Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu, 2020) is an American TV mini-series based on Celeste Ng's novel... more
More Little Fires Everywhere
The Best Episodes of 'Little Fires Everywhere'#213 of 253 The Best TV Shows Streaming On Hulu
16
60
27
7th Heaven
Stephen Collins, Catherine Hicks
Premiered: 1996
7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda... more
More 7th Heaven
#805 of 1,313 The Best Guilty Pleasure TV Shows#67 of 191 The Greatest Shows of the 1990s, Ranked
17
48
16
Succession
Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong
Premiered: 2018
Succession (HBO, 2018) is an American television drama series created by Jesse Armstrong. When... more
More Succession
The Best Characters On HBO's 'Succession'#7 of 66 The Best New HBO Shows of the Last Few Years
18
50
21
The Waltons
Jon Walmsley, Mary Beth McDonough
Premiered: 1972
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book... more
More The Waltons
#182 of 290 The Greatest Sitcoms in Television History#201 of 277 The Most Overrated TV Shows Of All Time
19
74
46
Jane the Virgin
Gina Rodriguez, Andrea Navedo
Premiered: 2014
Jane the Virgin (The CW, 2014) is an American satirical romantic comedy-drama telenovela... more
More Jane the Virgin
Ranking the Best Seasons of 'Jane The Virgin'#11 of 15 Current TV Shows with the Best Costumes
20
47
19
The Haunting of Hill House
Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino
Premiered: 2018
The Haunting of Hill House is the first season of the Netflix supernatural anthology... more
More The Haunting of Hill House
Hidden Details And Behind-The-Scenes Tricks That Add Meaning To 'The Haunting of Hill House'#18 of 74 Sci-Fi Shows You Should Be Watching Now
21
58
31
The Sopranos
James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco
Premiered: 1999
The Sopranos (HBO, 1999) is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase.... more
More The Sopranos
12 Gangster Movie Homages On The Sopranos Most People Totally Missed#14 of 140 The Worst TV Series Finales Ever
22
47
29
Sons of Anarchy
Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal
Premiered: 2008
Sons of Anarchy (FX, 2008) is an American crime neo-Western television series created by Kurt... more
More Sons of Anarchy
Here Are All The Things That Sons Of Anarchy Got Totally Wrong About California Motorcycle Gangs#114 of 201 The TV Shows with the Best Writing
23
40
25
Weeds
Mary-Louise Parker, Hunter Parrish
Premiered: 2005
Weeds (Showtime, 2005) is an American dark comedy-drama television series created by Jenji... more
More Weeds
The Best Seasons of Weeds#120 of 340 The Best TV Shows of The Last 20 Years

24
27
20
Sisters
Swoosie Kurtz, Patricia Kalember
Premiered: 1991
Sisters is a television drama which aired on NBC for six seasons, from 1991 to 1996. The... more
More Sisters
#40 of 43 The Best '90s TV Dramas#36 of 47 The Best 1990s NBC Shows
25
15
7
Locke & Key
Darby Stanchfield, Connor Jessup
Premiered: 2020
Locke & Key (Netflix, 2020) is an American drama television series based on the comic book... more
More Locke & Key
#17 of 726 The Best Original Streaming Shows of the Last Few Years#10 of 54 The Best New TV Shows With Gay Characters of the Last Few Years