10 TV Shows That Are Better Than ‘Game of Thrones’

The release of Game of Thrones was certainly one of the most significant popular culture events of the 21st century, as HBO succeeded in adapting the highly dense source material from George R.R. Martin’s novels and using it tell an epic fantasy adventure. While there had been popular shows before, Game of Thrones felt like television’s blockbuster event, as the budget and conversation surrounding its release were unlike anything before it. Based on the success of its spinoff series House of the Dragon, it doesn’t appear that the Game of Thrones phenomenon is going away anytime soon.

It can often be challenging for television fans if they don’t enjoy a popular show that everyone seems to be talking about. Game of Thrones may be a massive hit that ended up winning many Primetime Emmy Awards, but it is hardly the only great drama series released in the past few decades. Here are the great television shows to watch if you don’t like Game of Thrones.

10 ‘The Americans’ (2013-2018)

6 seasons

One of the issues that some viewers have had with Game of Thrones is keeping up with the extensive lore, which requires knowledge of the various kingdoms, civilizations, characters, religions, and history of Westeros. However, the brilliant FX drama series The Americanstook a mature look at history by examining the Cold War era of the 1980s from a different perspective. The series starred Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell as Soviet Union spies that live undercover in the United States as a married couple.

Although Game of Thrones was heavily criticized for what was perceived to be a disappointing finale, The Americans was consistently high quality throughout its run without ever having a truly bad season. In fact, the show’s final episode “-START-” managed to wrap up all the main character arcs in a way that was very emotionally satisfying.

Watch on Hulu

9 ‘The Leftovers’ (2014-2017)

3 seasons

Game of Thrones was largely reliant on action sequences in order to gauge the viewers’ attention, but the characters truly began to feel secondary in the later seasons that focused heavily on the return of the White Walkers. Comparatively, the stunning HBO drama series The Leftoverswas an entirely character focused drama that examined existentialist themes about mortality, loss, and faith. It’s a series that manages to sufficiently balance its incredible ensemble of talented actors.

While both shows were based on books, The Leftovers continued after the point in which the original novel ended and still managed to find a satisfying conclusion that respected what came before. Game of Thrones was accused of wrapping up its story a little too neatly, but The Leftovers presented an ambiguous conclusion that still has viewers debating what it really means in the many years since its release.

Watch on Max

8 ‘Better Call Saul’ (2015-2022)

6 seasons

A major issue that some skeptics have had about both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon is that the characters are inherently unlikable and unnecessarily cruel. While there are obvious villains like Cersei (Lena Heady) and Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance), even heroic characters like Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) are capable of doing terrible things. However, Better Call Saulis a show that acknowledges that its titular character is a narcissistic villain who takes advantage of those that give him assistance.

Better Call Saul is well-paced, building up to its critical moments of character development instead of trying to shock the viewers with moments like “The Red Wedding.” It’s a show that managed to balance its ensemble of characters without ever diluting its focus, and reached a haunting conclusion that felt like a perfect tragedy.

Watch on Netflix

7 ‘Breaking Bad’ (2008-2013)

5 seasons

Like Game of Thrones, Breaking Badwas a massive popular culture event that succeeded in even getting “casual” television viewers engaged in the show’s discourse. While Game of Thrones ended up catering to fans that were already familiar with Martin’s original source material, Breaking Bad was a completely original story from the brilliant mind of showrunner Vince Gilligan. Although comparisons can be made between the series and the tragic plays of William Shakespeare, the best twists in Breaking Bad were the ones that no one saw coming.

The quality of performances on Breaking Bad was simply unparalleled, as Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Giancarlo Esposito, and Anna Gunn all did the best work of their respective careers. While Game of Thrones had some slower segments, all five of Breaking Bad’s seasons are among the best in the history of dramatic television.

Watch on Netflix

6 ‘The Sopranos’ (1999-2007)

6 seasons

Game of Thrones may have been the biggest ratings success in the history of HBO, but The Sopranoswas truly the series that proved that television was capable of becoming a medium that was equal to film. The budget may not have been as high as the one for Game of Thrones, but The Sopranos served as a creative way to reimagine the mafia genre in a manner that felt fresh compared to Goodfellas or The Godfather. The performance by James Gandolfini is one of the best within the history of screen acting.

While there were many moments in Game of Thrones that were very confusing, especially for non-book readers, The Sopranos was tightly written without any major logic gaps. Nonetheless, the show also left many elements purposefully ambiguous, which has made fans want to revisit the entire series so that they can share their interpretations of what really happened.

Watch on Max

5 ‘The Wire’ (2002-2008)

5 seasons

Viewers may have been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of characters in Game of Thrones, as it can be very challenging to invest in so many different protagonists when they aren’t given an adequate amount of screen time. However, the groundbreaking HBO drama series The Wireboasted one of the greatest ensemble casts in the history of television, and managed to devote adequate time to each of its actors throughout the course of its five excellent seasons.

While Game of Thrones is grounded within a fantasy world, The Wire is very realistic, and has even been praised by real law enforcement officers and politicians for the accurate depiction of drug trading. Considering that The Wire addresses important issues like police brutality, governmental corruption, the failings of the public school network, drug addiction, and journalistic malpractice, those who watch it are likely to be more informed citizens.

Watch on Max

4 ‘Mad Men’ (2007-2015)

7 seasons

Game of Thrones began to lose the arc of its story within its final seasons; while at first the show seemed entirely focused on which character or House would claim ownership of The Iron Throne, the series ended up dedicating far too much time focusing on the threat of the White Walkers. Compartivaley, Mad Menwas able to use real historical events to track the radical social, economic, political, and ethical changes in America throughout the 1960s. It frequently changed directions in order to reflect what actually happened.

Although both shows could be accused of having a cynical outlook of humanity, Mad Men is a very balanced show that has just enough humor and pathos to justify its darker moments. Keeping up with Game of Thrones was occasionally a chore, but watching Mad Men was never anything less than a joyful experience.

Watch on AMC+

3 ‘Mr. Robot’ (2015-2019)

4 seasons

One of the biggest failings of Game of Thrones, particularly in its final season, was that many of the characters did not reach satisfying conclusions. Considering how much investment that fans of the show had in heroes like Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and Jaime Lanniseter (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), it was disappointing to see them given such poorly handled final episodes. Comparatively, Mr. Robotsucceeded in creating one of the greatest protagonists in the history of television with Rami Malek’s Emmy award winning performance as the enigmatic hacker Elliot Alderson.

Mr. Robot frequently broke its own rules by changing up formulas and making experimental episodes. The consistency of vision that creator Sam Esmail had for the series ended up being very beneficial when the show pulled off its shocking plot twists about Elliot’s past, and why he shares a connection with the fellow hacker Mr. Robot (Christian Slater).

Watch on Prime Video

2 ‘Succession’ (2018-2023)

4 seasons

Game of Thrones certainly inspired a strong viewer base, but Successionis one of the most highly acclaimed shows in the history of HBO, as it won the Best Drama Series trophy award at the Primetime Emmys three different times. It’s easy to see why; Succession is an epic tragedy about a family splintering apart that made timely observations about the changing nature of news media, interpersonal relationships, political oversight, and corporate malpractice. If Game of Thrones often stretched its believability, Succession was almost spookily prescient of real world events.

While Game of Thrones cratered in quality as it continued, Succession only got dramatically richer and more anxiety inducing as it continued, with four seasons that are almost equal in quality. No amount of elaborate action sequences or beautifully rendered dragons on Game of Thrones could match the excellent writing that made Succession such an instant all-time classic show.

Watch on Max

1 ‘Twin Peaks’ (1990-2017)

3 seasons

Game of Thrones may have been based on Martin’s series of novels, but it was still heavily inspired by other works of fantasy, including Arthurian mythology and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, Twin Peakswas a surrealist exercise that was unlike anything else in television history. David Lynch created a “whodunit” mystery show that questioned the inherent appeal of crime fiction, and gradually grew more horrific and existential as it continued.

Twin Peaks crafted a depiction of the battle between good and evil that was far more compelling than Game of Thrones, as it included one of the single most terrifying villains in any form of media. With memorable characters, shocking twists, beautiful music, and a challenging ending that forced viewers to think for themselves, Twin Peaks is simply as good as television can get.

Watch on Paramount Plus

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