Just as the film industry has become oversaturated with superhero films, every year new superhero shows are flooding the market. Luckily, some of them aren't bad - especially DC's efforts (the same cannot be said for their recent films...). Here are ten recommended non-animated superhero shows.
10. Smallville (10 seasons, concluded) Undeniably cheesy, and featuring one of the worst theme songs ever created, Smallville still has the only well-done live-action portrayal of Lex Luthor. That, the cameos from people like Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, the usage of John Williams music, the perfect series finale, the unexpected formation of the Justice League halfway through make it a surprisingly fun show. 9. Arrow (4 seasons, ongoing) While the more recent seasons haven't been as good as the first few, Arrow is still not a bad show. It is essentially a Batman show for everyone who wishes Batman wore green instead of black. It successfully created a new DC universe (now with 3 other spinoff shows in the same universe) and features a variety of intriguing villains... who all took archery at summer camp. 8. Agent Carter (2 seasons, concluded) When it was announced that Agent Carter from the first Captain America movie was getting her own show the overwhelming response from everyone but the most die-hard Cap fans was "...who?" The lack of familiarity with the character likely the cause of the show's demise, which is a shame because it was a fun, innocent show with no prior knowledge of the universe needed, a very fun Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, and 1940's great sets and costumes. 7. Supergirl (1 season, ongoing) Admittedly, the one and only season that has aired so far was rather rocky and suffered from a lack of interesting conflict for the majority of the episodes. That being said, Melissa Benoist makes an absolutely perfect Supergirl. For that matter, almost everyone in it is well-cast. A crossover with the Flash, the inclusion of Martian Manhunter, and <spoilers> the episode where Supergirl goes insane and throws her boss off a building to prove a point </spoilers> helped solidify the show's place on this list. 6. Agents of SHIELD (3 seasons, ongoing) If Agents of SHIELD (or the annoyingly-extraneous-to-type full official title, "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.") had ended after only 1 season it would likely not be on this list, which would have been disappointing for a show Joss Whedon was involved with. The second and third season drastically improved though, introducing some more complete characters, better utilizing the existing ones, and <spoilers> turning Ward into an amazing villain </spoilers>. Plus, needing to work the plot around what occurs in the Marvel films cannot be an easy task, so bravo Agents... bravo. 5. Gotham (2 seasons, ongoing) Like SHIELD, the first season wasn't anything amazing. Jada Pinkett Smith's character was unbearable, as was young Bruce Wayne, but at some point the showrunners decided to completely throw caution to the wind - and it worked. They stopped caring about being canonical, had no qualms about killing anyone off, brought some perfectly cast, fan-favorite villains into the mix and had them be surprisingly violent and as a result built a show that is completely unpredictable in a very good way. 4. Preacher (1 season, ongoing) Once again, most people will admit to not knowing much about the subject material but the team behind This is the End, Sausage Party, and Knocked Up have ... yes, really, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg ... created a dark, twisted world where it is completely unclear who is good and who is evil, including <spoilers> God </spoilers>, in a weirdly addictive show with one of the best season finales. 3. The Flash (2 seasons, ongoing) The Flash is the highest rated DC show (as well as last light-hearted show) on this list almost entirely due to how much fun the actors seem to be having with it. Viewers can't help but imagine that once filming ends they spend the next 9 hours staying on set just laughing and having a good time. Just as arrow is about everyone and their grandmother knowing archery, The Flash is about everyone <sarcastic inclusion of a spoiler tag> being able to run really fast </yup>. A show about a lame hero that spun off of another show shouldn't be this much fun. 2. Daredevil (2 seasons, ongoing) Speaking of completely lame heroes... in a way, Daredevil couldn't really fail. It had to be better than Ben Affleck's butchering of the character a decade prior. Congrats, it is. But I don't think anyone expected it to be quite so good, dark, or violent. A show about a blind, red <spoiler> avocado </spoiler> who beats people up at night with sticks shouldn't be any good but it really, really is. With well-shot fight scenes (especially with the Punisher in season 2), slight nods to the events of the Marvel movies, an endearing friendship, an interesting, troublemaking Elektra, and a better than usual and more human and complete villain in the Kingpin it's an excellent show, even for people not normally fans of the character or the genre. 1. Jessica Jones (1 season, ongoing) But as fun as Kingpin, Electra, and Punisher are, the best character in that universe is in Jessica Jones' villain, expertly portrayed by the 10th Doctor after he stopped traveling through space and time and instead learned how to be a twisted psychopath. Aside from the villain, Jessica Jones also introduces us to Jessica herself and Luke Cage, two heroes with powers who are completely normal rather than how perfect so many heroes are. They're flawed, jaded, apathetic, and everything else refreshing to see in a superhero show that is finally not for kids.
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