Last updated March 2024
Want to watch Best cynical Tv Shows that live up to the hype? Here are 30 of the Best cynical Tv Shows available for your immediate viewing pleasure. Loved by IMDB critics and everyday viewers like yourself, these highly rated Best cynical Tv Shows represent the cream of the crop. Help other fans find new favorites by voting for the titles you enjoy most. We appreciate members of our community pitching in to spotlight the finest Best cynical Tv Shows!
Breaking Bad (2008)
Plot Summary:
When Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live, he becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family's financial future at any cost as he enters the dangerous world of drugs and crime
Duration: 3030 min
IMDB Rating: 9.5/10
IMDB Votes: 21000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: criminal, cancer, peril, life turned upside down, drug dealing, drug cartel, unlikely partners, drug lord, master criminal, family problems, life is a bitch, drug, ambition, meth lab, desperation, double life, success, anti hero, hidden identity, lifestyle change, cartel, methamphetamine, chemistry, drug dealer, outlaw
The Wire (2002)
Plot Summary:
Told from the points of view of both the Baltimore homicide and narcotics detectives and their targets, the series captures a universe in which the national war on drugs has become a permanent, self-sustaining bureaucracy, and distinctions between good and evil are routinely obliterated
Duration: 59 min
IMDB Rating: 9.3/10
IMDB Votes: 367000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: organized crime, corruption, police detective, police, urban ghetto life, life is a bitch, working undercover, fighting crime, drug dealing, surveillance, shooting, police investigation, gang, urban decay, drug lord, murder, cop, black, wiretap, team, politics, criminal, journalism, legal, dirty cop
The Sopranos (1999)
Plot Summary:
The Sopranos is an American television drama created by David Chase. The series revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. Those difficulties are often highlighted through his ongoing professional relationship with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. The show features Tony's family members and Mafia associates in prominent roles and story arcs, most notably his wife Carmela and his cousin and protégé Christopher Moltisanti
Duration: 55 min
IMDB Rating: 9.2/10
IMDB Votes: 450000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: organized crime, mafia, killings, dark humor, mob boss, criminal heroes, gangster, family life, violence, dysfunctional family, family relations, ambition, cosa nostra, parents and children, introspection, psychiatrist, criminal, death, crime boss, mobster, italian gangster, racial slur, mob hit, rise to the top, midlife crisis
Rick and Morty (2013)
Plot Summary:
An animated series that follows the exploits of a super scientist and his not-so-bright grandson
Duration: 23 min
IMDB Rating: 9.1/10
IMDB Votes: 582000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: mad scientist, time travel, scientist, dark humor, prodigy, graphic violence, relatives, grandfather grandson relationship, family relations, youth, satire, imaginary, adolescence, grandparent and grandchild, social satire, inventor, escapades, monster, disorder, young kid, self involved, nihilism, adult humor, mature, outer space
BoJack Horseman (2014)
Plot Summary:
Meet the most beloved sitcom horse of the 90s - 20 years later. BoJack Horseman was the star of the hit TV show "Horsin' Around," but today he's washed up, living in Hollywood, complaining about everything, and wearing colorful sweaters
Duration: 1982 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 181000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: existentialism, depression, cynicism, down on your luck, sadness, anthropomorphism, hollywood, addiction, anthropomorphic animal, talking animal, mature, showbiz, satire, adult humor, nothing goes right, life is a bitch, mental illness, life philosophy, asexual, lesbian, serial killer, psychology, women, illness, moving
The Shield (2002)
Plot Summary:
The story of an inner-city Los Angeles police precinct where some of the cops aren't above breaking the rules or working against their associates to both keep the streets safe and their self-interests intact
Duration: 47 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 86000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: law enforcement, police corruption, police detective, corrupt cop, dirty cop, cop, police brutality, cruelty, dishonesty, murder, tough law enforcer, peril, victim, machismo, corrupt law enforcer, crime investigation, police, racism, honest law enforcer, police protagonist, investigator, officer, policewoman, robbery, partner
South Park (1997)
Plot Summary:
Follows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado
Duration: 22 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 399000
Genere: Animation, Comedy
Country: USA
Plot tags: gross out humor, social satire, satire, racial slur, elementary school, gay slur, mischievous children, young kid, young heroes, vicious, death, adult humor, friends, political humor, social criticism, social relations, selfishness, dysfunctional society, childhood, small town, stupidity, absurdism, killings, profanity, swearing
Black Mirror (2011)
Plot Summary:
A contemporary British re-working of The Twilight Zone with stories that tap into the collective unease about our modern world. Over the last ten years, technology has transformed almost every aspect of our lives before we've had time to stop and question it. In every home; on every desk; in every palm - a plasma screen; a monitor; a smartphone - a black mirror of our 21st Century existence
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 622000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: technology, dystopia, twists and turns, human nature, satire, alternate reality, society, social decay, computers and web, media satire, dystopian future, media, dark humor, distopia, technology gone awry, gadget, media coverage, mind control, storytelling, chaos, loneliness, serial killer, social satire, cyberpunk, dehumanization
House (2004)
Plot Summary:
Dr. Gregory House, a drug-addicted, unconventional, misanthropic medical genius, leads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey
Duration: 7788 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 497000
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Plot tags: medicine, doctor, hospital, talented, mastermind, prodigy, loner, patient, expert, human nature, surgery, unconventional method, peril, insubordination, antisocial behavior, doctors and patients, teamwork, dark humor, hotshot, danger, riddles and clues, rebelliousness, medical, medical profession, team
POSE (2018)
Plot Summary:
A dance musical that explores the juxtaposition of several segments of 1980s life and society in New York: the ball culture world, the rise of the luxury Trump-era universe and the downtown social and literary scene
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 32000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: lgbt, gay, lgbtq, female impersonator, transsexual, transgender, lgbtqi, desire for fame, dance school, success, socialite, showgirl, fashion, aids, dance, black, black history, black lives matter, social differences, society, cultural difference, lifestyle, social relations, sex, lesbian
Atlanta (2016)
Plot Summary:
Two cousins, with different views on art versus commerce, on their way up through the Atlanta rap scene; Earnest 'Earn' Marks, an ambitious college dropout and his estranged cousin, who suddenly becomes a star
Duration: 30 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 85000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Plot tags: rapper, cousin cousin relationship, hip hop culture, african american, hip hop, black, starlet, satire, opposites attract, misfit, brother brother relationship, social satire, ambition, pop star, poor family, black history, black sitcom, city, glory, music business, teenage daughter, black family, business, drug lord, black cast
Archer (2009)
Plot Summary:
Sterling Archer is the world's most daunting spy. He works for ISIS, a spy agency run by his mother. In between dealing with his boss and his co-workers - one of whom is his ex-girlfriend - Archer manages to annoy or seduce everyone that crosses his path. His antics are only excusable because at the end of the day, he still somehow always manages to thwart whatever crises was threatening mankind
Duration: 22 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 163000
Genere: Animation, Action, Comedy
Country: USA
Plot tags: spy, espionage, workplace, danger, womanizer, sarcasm, cia, government agency, spy spoof, secret agent, hotshot hero, chase, domineering mother, shooting, lifestyle, escapades, james bond spoof, undercover, chases and races, dimwit, silly humor, peril, hotshot, violence, female boss
I'm Alan Partridge (1997)
Plot Summary:
I'm Alan Partridge is a BBC situation comedy starring Steve Coogan, of which two series of six episodes each were produced — the first in 1997 and the second in 2002. The series followed the titular Alan Partridge, a failed television presenter whose previous exploits had featured in the chat-show parody Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge, and who is now presenting a programme on local radio in Norwich. Both series were written by Peter Baynham, Coogan and Armando Iannucci; supporting Coogan were Felicity Montagu as his faithful, mouse-like personal assistant, Lynn Benfield; Simon Greenall as Geordie Travel Tavern handyman/BP garage attendant Michael; and Phil Cornwell as disc jockey Dave Clifton. It has been well received by both critics and fans, and was nominated for three BAFTAs, two British Comedy Award, and a Royal Television Society award
Duration: 29 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK
Plot tags: satire, radio, humour, everyday life, sketch, sketch show, friendship, friends, career, hotel, showbiz, media, ambition, down on your luck, comeback, humiliation, guest, assistant, fan, lifestyle, wannabe, layoff, nothing goes right, disorder, socially awkward
House of Cards (2013)
Plot Summary:
Set in present day Washington, D.C., House of Cards is the story of Frank Underwood, a ruthless and cunning politician, and his wife Claire who will stop at nothing to conquer everything. This wicked political drama penetrates the shadowy world of greed, sex and corruption in modern D.C. House of Cards is an adaptation of a previous BBC miniseries of the same name, which is based on the novel by Michael Dobbs
Duration: 3804 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 524000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: politics, political intrigue, political corruption, manipulation, state affairs, intrigue, blind ambition, strategy, u.s. president, lobbyist, journalism, journalist, media, media manipulation, breaking the fourth wall, usa politics, ambitious, politician, revenge, u.s. congress, marriage, dishonesty, power relations, husband wife relationship, political conflict
The Venture Bros. (2003)
Plot Summary:
Hank and Dean Venture, with their father Doctor Venture and faithful bodyguard Brock Samson, go on wild adventures facing megalomaniacs, zombies, and suspicious ninjas, all for the glory of adventure. Or something like that
Duration: 22 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 28000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: superhero, scientist, henchman, brutality, heroes, twins, mission, goofy hero, save the day, robot, sibling relationship, nemesis, secret agent, sexual humor, androids and robots, rescue, protector, escapades, rivalry, imaginary, dimwit, disorder, siblings relations, silly humor, mad scientist
Yes, Prime Minister (1986)
Plot Summary:
James Hacker MP the Government's bumbling minister for Administrative Affairs is propelled along the corridors of power to the very pinnacle of politics - No. 10. Could this have possibly have been managed by his trusted Permanent Private Secretary, the formidably political Sir Humphrey Appleby who must move to the “Top Job” in Downing Street to support him, together with his much put upon PPS Bernard Wolley. What could possibly go wrong?
Duration: 30 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Comedy
Country: UK
Plot tags: satire, lawyer, psychology, humour, government, british prime minister, political satire, international relations, economist, political humor, secretary, responsibility, dimwit, head of state, staff, workplace, government official, dishonesty, state affairs, boss and employee, power relations, bureaucracy, political party, british politics, british government
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (2004)
Plot Summary:
In the 1980s horror writer Garth Marenghi wrote, produced, directed and starred in Darkplace, a groundbreaking series set in a hospital and exploring the depths of the author's imagination. At least that's what Marenghi and his publicist/co-star, Dean Learner, claim in modern-day interviews which both bookend and interrupt the episodes. In fact the show is cheap, clichéd, full of gaping plot holes and startlingly misogynist. Garth Marenghi is a creation of comedian Matthew Holness, who won a Perrier award with the character at the 2001 Edinburgh festival
Duration: 30 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 20000
Genere: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Country: UK
Plot tags: supernatural, hospital, evil, interview, good versus evil, rivalry, dark humor, satire, television, heaven and hell, monster, halloween, stoner, creature, underdog, novelist, sketch, behind the scenes, sketch show, writers, actor, supernatural ability, director, veteran, actress
Futurama (1999)
Plot Summary:
The adventures of a late-20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J. Fry, who, after being unwittingly cryogenically frozen for one thousand years, finds employment at Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery company in the retro-futuristic 31st century
Duration: 22 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 257000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: space travel, robot, scientist, mad scientist, social satire, alien, goofy hero, cyclops, adult humor, captain, clone, space and aliens, time travel, partner, doctor, androids and robots, mature, robot human relationship, pizza delivery boy, escapades, benign alien, female alien, anti hero, artificial intelligence, inventor
Silicon Valley (2014)
Plot Summary:
In the high-tech gold rush of modern Silicon Valley, the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success. Partially inspired by Mike Judge’s own experiences as a Silicon Valley engineer in the late ‘80s, Silicon Valley is an American sitcom that centers around six programmers who are living together and trying to make it big in the Silicon Valley
Duration: 28 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 162000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Plot tags: computer, geek, programmer, ambition, computers and web, computer genius, workplace, workplace situations, startup, businessman, computer system, ambitious, materialism, greed, millionaire, young man, money raising, computer nerd, hacker, inventions and discoveries, business rivalry, entrepreneurship, friends, business, silicon valley
M*A*S*H (1972)
Plot Summary:
The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable
Duration: 25 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 62000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, War
Country: USA
Plot tags: medical, doctor, military hospital, korean war, military life, hospital, friendship, surgery, medicine, doctors and patients, anti war, combat casualty, sergeant, workplace, love, christmas, army, villain, team, conflict, american history, fandom, colleague, new year's eve, paramedic
Veep (2012)
Plot Summary:
A look into American politics, revolving around former Senator Selina Meyer who finds being Vice President of the United States is nothing like she expected and everything everyone ever warned her about
Duration: 28 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 62000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA
Plot tags: politics, american politics, vice president, political satire, female protagonist, ambitious woman, mother daughter relationship, white house, politician, usa politics, u.s. president, president, political scandal, presidential election, incompetence, plot twist, boss, reporter, assistant, satire, senator, ambitious, government official, boss and employee, workplace situations
Doc Martin (2004)
Plot Summary:
Doc Martin is a British television comedy drama series starring Martin Clunes in the title role. It was created by Dominic Minghella after the character of Dr. Martin Bamford in the 2000 comedy film Saving Grace. The show is set in the fictional seaside village of Portwenn and filmed on location in the village of Port Isaac, Cornwall, England, with most interior scenes shot in a converted local barn. Five series aired between 2004 and 2011, together with a feature-length special that aired on Christmas Day 2006. Series 6 began airing on ITV on 2 September 2013
Duration: 46 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Plot tags: doctor, village life, social relations, doctors and patients, treatment, medicine, teacher, hospital, surgery, responsibility, manners, antisocial behavior, seaside, alienation, boss, workplace, estrangement, anti conformity, patronizing, verbal byplay, unhappy, power relations, secretary, uptight character, loner
Extras (2005)
Plot Summary:
Andy Millman gave up his day job five years ago in the hope of achieving the big time, but he’s yet to land a speaking part, let alone saunter down the red carpet to pick up an Oscar. He remains optimistic however, as rubbing shoulders with the A-list on-set only serves to reinforce his belief that the big time is just a job or two away
Duration: 30 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 60000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: actor, workplace, aspiring actor, actor's life, satire, desire for fame, celebrity, friendship, best friend, popularity, lifestyle, nothing goes right, artists and showbiz, celebrity culture, unsuccessful, comedy team, humour, atheism, filmmaking, working class, colleague, sketch, mood swing, sketch show, movie star
Snowfall (2017)
Plot Summary:
Los Angeles. 1983. A storm is coming and it's name is crack. Set against the infancy of the crack cocaine epidemic and its ultimate radical impact on the culture as we know it, the story follows numerous characters on a violent collision course
Duration: 44 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: drug dealer, dea, african american, ghetto, illegal drugs, drug, urban, u.s. government, drug crime, black, latinx lead, gangster, spy, cia, obsession, criminal, addiction, mossad, black cast, couples, coming of age, drug abuse, urban decay, cocaine, accomplice
Californication (2007)
Plot Summary:
A self-loathing, alcoholic writer attempts to repair his damaged relationships with his daughter and her mother while combating sex addiction, a budding drug problem, and the seeming inability to avoid making bad decisions
Duration: 28 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 187000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: womanizer, lifestyle, writers, writer's life, lust, dark humor, sexual relations, family life, couples, sexual activity, strong sexual content, addiction, female nudity, nudity, creative block, family problems, alcoholism, sex addict, hollywood, sex, perversion, father daughter relationship, family relations, erotica, badass
Misfits (2009)
Plot Summary:
When five young outsiders on Community Service get caught in a strange storm, they discover that they have developed superpowers
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 106000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: UK
Plot tags: supernatural, supernatural ability, youth, time travel, superhero, friendship, supernatural power, teenage life, swearing, friends, danger, superhuman powers, juvenile delinquent, imaginary, heroes, super powers, community service, psychic, misfit, twentysomething life, superpower, telepathy, young adult, immortal, teenager
Family Guy (1999)
Plot Summary:
Sick, twisted, politically incorrect and Freakin' Sweet animated series featuring the adventures of the dysfunctional Griffin family. Bumbling Peter and long-suffering Lois have three kids. Stewie (a brilliant but sadistic baby bent on killing his mother and taking over the world), Meg (the oldest, and is the most unpopular girl in town) and Chris (the middle kid, he's not very bright but has a passion for movies). The final member of the family is Brian - a talking dog and much more than a pet, he keeps Stewie in check whilst sipping Martinis and sorting through his own life issues
Duration: 22 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 359000
Genere: Animation, Comedy
Country: USA
Plot tags: dark humor, family relations, social satire, dysfunctional family, dog, bullying, goofy hero, eccentric family, family life, parents and children, sexual innuendo, cheerleader, small town, couple relations, siblings relations, mature, anthropomorphism, moving, atheism, teenager, teenage girl, best friend, married couple, satire, love
Skins (2007)
Plot Summary:
Irreverent comedy drama which follows the messy lives, loves, delirious highs and inevitable lows of a group of raucous teenage friends in Bristol
Duration: 46 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 91000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Plot tags: youth, teenage life, high school, sexual relations, friendship, high school life, friends, underage drinking, homosexual, looking for sex, party, gay, crush, drug, lgbtq, college, young adult, lifestyle, classmate, lesbian, teenage sexuality, sex, teenage boy, siblings relations, coming of age
Party Down (2009)
Plot Summary:
Party Down is an American comedy television series that follows a Los Angeles, California, catering team for the titular company. The sextet of aspiring Hollywood actors and writers, as well as drifting lost souls, work small-time catering gigs while hoping for their break or some positive change in their lives
Duration: 30 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: party, comedian, workplace, actor, ambition, desire for fame, friendship, workplace situations, team, partner, disorder, hollywood, staff, food industry, deadend life, relationships, food, depression, stoner, nerd, satire, colleague, bittersweet, bartender, aspiring actor
The Morning Show (2019)
Plot Summary:
A behind-the-scenes look at the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning, exploring the unique challenges faced by the men and women who carry out this daily televised ritual
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 123000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: women, television, career woman, journalist, scandal, job, protest, journalism, feminism, co worker co worker relationship, workplace situations, female protagonist, lifestyle, employer employee relationship, news report, betrayal, society, nothing goes right, workplace, talk show host, lesbian, stephen king, lgbt, power, lesbian teen