The BEST CNN shows of all time
Every CNN show, ranked
We've compiled the average episode rating for every CNN show to compile this list of best shows!
#1 - Cold War
Cold War is an epic, 24-part documentary series that takes a sweeping look at the era known as The Cold War. A joint effort by Turner Original Productions in association with BBC News, the series combines historical footage with personal interviews. The series took over three years to be completed, with the production teams shooting more than 1,000 hours of original footage and screening 1,500 hours of film reference material. Cold War is noted as being the definitive record of this era of global history by the judges who awarded the series the Peabody Award.
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#2 - American Dynasties: The Kennedys
American Dynasties: The Kennedys is a six-part CNN Original Series that takes viewers behind the public image of America’s First Family, revealing how personal relationships within the Kennedy dynasty helped shape national and global events from the Cuban Missile Crisis to the struggle for civil rights legislation. The docuseries spans the lives of Joseph and Rose Kennedy and their children, uncovering how and why this one family so significantly impacted 20th century America.
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#3 - Race for the White House
From executive producers Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti, CNN Original Series "Race for the White House" captures the drama of how a high-stakes presidential election can turn on a single issue and so much more.
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#4 - Declassified: Untold Stories Of American Spies
Hosted by former U.S. Congressman Mike Rogers, also the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, each episode features a newly declassified mission told first-hand by the agents who lived it, providing viewers with unprecedented access to the riveting and secret world of espionage. Declassified covers missions set in fascinating locations and time periods from Cold War era Moscow to modern day Iran, from the streets of 1980s Cuba to today’s bustling Beijing. All 16 intelligence agencies from the CIA to the FBI are represented, revealing the unbelievable true stories of America’s covert operations in the United States and around the world.
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#5 - Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Bourdain traveled across the globe to uncover little-known areas of the world and celebrate diverse cultures by exploring food and dining rituals. Known for his curiosity, candor, and acerbic wit, Bourdain took viewers off the beaten path of tourist destinations – including some war-torn parts of the world – and met with a variety of local citizens to offer a window into their lifestyles, and occasionally communed with an internationally lauded chef on his journey. We can all hope to find ourselves to enjoy a life as amazing as Anthony Bourdain did. Rest in peace.
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#6 - United Shades of America
Follow comedian and political gadfly W. Kamau Bell as he explores the far corners of our country and its various groups and subcultures.
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#7 - This is Life with Lisa Ling
Lisa Ling's investigative documentary series goes behind the scenes to discover the secret societies within the American society.
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#8 - Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy
Stanley Tucci travels across Italy to discover the secrets and delights of the country’s regional cuisines.
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#9 - Morgan Spurlock: Inside Man
Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock is the inside man on this hourlong weekend series, which CNN says provides ``an intimate look into diverse sectors of American life and offers a deep-dive into pressing issues facing the U.S.'' Episodes include stories about migrant farm workers, the elder care industry, union workers, gun owners, education, bankruptcy, medical marijuana and drought conditions.
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#10 - The Eighties
The third installment from executive producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog, following in the footsteps of critically-acclaimed series "The Sixties" and "The Seventies," tackles 10 years shaped by exceptionalism and excess. Like its predecessors, "The Eighties" intersperses rare archival newsreel footage, interviews, and comments by historians, journalists, politicians, celebrities and others, painting a perspective-rich picture of a vibrant decade. Episodes examine the age of Reagan, the AIDS crisis, the end of the Cold War, Wall Street corruption, the evolving TV and music scene, and everything in between.
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#11 - The History of Comedy
How comedy has affected the social and political landscape throughout history.
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#12 - The Nineties
From executive producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, and Mark Herzog, in association with HBO, CNN's Original Series "The Nineties" explores the decade that gave us the Internet, DVDs, and other cultural and political milestones.
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#13 - Christiane Amanpour: Sex & Love Around the World
Christiane Amanpour travels the world covering global affairs but hadn't explored the love lives of strangers -- until now. Amanpour gets personal with women she meets in various corners of the globe by inquiring about their intimate lives. In the process, she shines a light on what sex and love look like around the world.
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#14 - The Seventies (2015)
Following in the footsteps of the top-rated, critically-acclaimed series "The Sixties," CNN looks back on this remarkable and controversial decade in American history. The Seventies examines the individuals and events that influenced and shaped a decade that had a profound impact on America. Through the use of raw and rarely seen archival footage, as well as interviews with journalists, historians, musicians and television artists who were eyewitnesses to history, The Seventies paints a vivid portrait of a period of lasting consequence. The Seventies takes a look at the decade that was just as dramatic as the 1960’s. The hour-long series delves into the impact of the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, the evolving music scene, the Iran Hostage Crisis, violent crimes in America, the sexual revolution, and the rise in terrorism at home and abroad.
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#15 - The Story of Late Night
A six-part docuseries that takes viewers on a journey through late-night television’s most memorable moments. Spanning a more than 60-year history of engaging with, adapting to and influencing our rapidly changing society, late-night television has grown into a thriving entertainment phenomenon and vitally important cultural institution.
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#16 - The Sixties
The space race, the cold war, "free love," civil rights and more: The decade of the 1960s shaped our history -- and changed the world. In collaboration with Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog, CNN explores perhaps the most transformative decade of the modern era in a 10-part documentary series and brings new insights into how those events shaped today.
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#17 - The 2000s
From Emmy Award-winning executive producers Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog comes The 2000s. The seven-part CNN Original Series explores the cultural and political milestones of the decade including technological triumphs like the iPhone and social media, President George W. Bush's war on terror and response to Hurricane Katrina, Barack Obama's presidential election and the financial crisis, hip-hop's rise to dominance and a creative renaissance in television.
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#18 - History of the Sitcom
This docuseries reunites audiences with the television friends, families, and co-workers they grew up with while introducing cutting-edge comedies that are sure to be your next binge-watch. Featuring over 180 original interviews with sitcom icons the series breaks down how sitcoms have helped generations of Americans navigate an ever-shifting cultural landscape.
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#19 - The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty
The series tells the incredible, dramatic and emotional tale of the British Royal Family known as The Windsors. Using stunning archive and interviews with insiders and experts, the series weaves together the true story of the Windsor dynasty.
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#20 - The Movies
Explore American cinema through the decades and the cultural, societal and political shifts that framed its evolution. Combining archival footage and interviews with leading actors, directors, producers, critics and historians, the series showcases the most pivotal moments in film that have stirred the imagination and influenced our culture.
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#21 - Crimes of the Century
Never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews offer a vitural scene-of-the-crime vantage point for history's most major news events.
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#22 - Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery
An investigation into the authenticity of six objects which could shed new light on Jesus.
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