The Best and Worst Superhero TV Shows: A Walk on the Wild Side

In the world of television, superheroes have had a rollercoaster ride of success and failure. From the sublime to the ridiculous, TV has given us some amazing and some truly terrible superhero shows. Let’s take a journey through the best and worst of them.

Table of Contents

The Best Superhero TV Shows

Watchmen (2019)

Watchmen is a masterpiece. This 10-part miniseries is a sequel to the 2009 film, set 34 years after the original in the same alternate universe. It features a raft of original costumed heroes, led by Angela Abar (Regina King), a Black detective whose alter ego is called Sister Night. The Watchmen face white supremacy group the Seventh Kavalry, whose origins lie in the infamous 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. This show is a must-watch for any superhero fan.

The Greatest American Hero (1981-83)

This engaging blend of comedy-drama starred William Katt as substitute teacher Ralph Hinckley, who receives a suit from aliens that endows him with Superman-like powers. Unfortunately, Ralph loses the instruction booklet before he has a chance to master them and spends a lot of time crashing into things. Despite its flaws, this show is still entertaining and nostalgic.

Batman: The Animated Series (1992-95)

This landmark animated series is the definitive television incarnation of the Caped Crusader. The beautiful, Art Deco-influenced animation, sophisticated scripts, and commanding voice acting by Kevin Conroy as Batman made it a crossover hit with all generations.

Misfits (2009-13)

E4’s comedy-drama about five delinquents doing community service who acquire superpowers after being zapped in an electrical storm was bold, clever, and very funny. It managed to hold onto its audience through five seasons, despite the original stars gradually moving on.

Daredevil (2015-19)

After the middling 2004 film starring Ben Affleck as the blind crimefighter whose other senses are hyper-developed, Marvel comics’ most down-to-earth character got the faithful adaptation he deserved in this gritty, punchy series. Kin star Charlie Cox returns next year in the Disney+ miniseries Daredevil: Born Again.

The Worst Superhero TV Shows

The Amazing Spider-Man (1977-79)

A dire, cheap-as-chips travesty. Nicholas Hammond played Peter Parker, but the feeble in-costume action scenes were handled by a silent stuntman who had a completely different build to the chunky actor. The low budget meant Spidey spent his time jumping instead of swinging around the city, foiling bog standard bad guys rather than the familiar supervillains.

The Incredible Hulk (1977-82)

Let’s be honest: The Incredible Hulk, starring Bill Bixby as scientist David Banner, who turns big, green, and mean when he’s angry, really wasn’t very good. Thanks to a 70 TV-sized budget, this gave us tall bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno in green body paint and a fright wig, lobbing polystyrene rocks around.

My Hero (2000-06)

Ardal O’Hanlon starred in this dreadful BBC sitcom as alien superhero Thermoman. We can only assume the money was good because the scripts were awful. Somebody must have liked it, though; it lasted six seasons (the final one after O’Hanlon left with James Dreyfus). Then again, some people like broccoli.

Manimal (1983)

One of the worst TV series ever made. Simon MacCorkindale plays a suave doctor who can transform into any animal. The special effects budget only stretched to showing him turning into a hawk and a black panther, so the other transformations all took place off-screen.

Flash Gordon (2007)

Alex Raymond’s comic-strip hero inspired 1930s serials, the gloriously camp 1980 film and various cartoon series. “Inspired” is not the word for this dreary, short-lived series that sucked all the fun out of a great character.

Conclusion

Superhero TV shows have had their share of triumphs and failures over the years. From Watchmen to Manimal, there have been some amazing and some truly terrible shows. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of superheroes or just looking for something new to watch, there’s something here for everyone.

Here are five more best and worst superhero TV shows:

The Tick (2001): A quirky and offbeat show about a blue-skinned hero with superhuman strength.
Heroes (2006): A high-concept series about ordinary people with extraordinary abilities.
No Ordinary Family (2010): A family drama with superpowers.
The Cape (2011): A superhero drama about a former cop who becomes a hero after being framed for murder.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (2013): A Marvel Cinematic Universe spin-off about Nick Fury’s agents fighting against various supervillains.

These shows may not be perfect, but they’re definitely worth watching for their unique takes on superheroes and their storylines.