Explore the top 100 television series that premiered in 1997. From viral hits to award-winning dramas.
Top 100 Best TV Series of 1997
Relive the greatest moments in television and cinema history. Our definitive guide ranks the top-rated and most influential titles released in television during this year.
Explore the live-updated list below to find the masterpieces that defined the era.
The Definitive Collection
Our proprietary algorithm analyzed thousands of titles to bring you this definitive, real-time updated ranking.
South Park
Follow the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.
Pokémon
Join Ash accompanied by his partner Pikachu, as he travels through many regions, meets new friends and faces new challenges on his quest to become a Pokémon Master.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Into every generation a slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer.
Stargate SG-1
The story of Stargate SG-1 begins about a year after the events of the feature film, when the United States government learns that an ancient alien device called the Stargate can access a network of such devices on a multitude of planets. SG-1 is an elite Air Force special operations team, one of more than two dozen teams from Earth who explore the galaxy and defend against alien threats such as the Goa'uld, Replicators, and the Ori.
Oz
The daily lives of prisoners in Emerald City, an experimental unit of the Oswald Maximum Security Prison where ingroups - Muslims, Latinos, Italians, Aryans - stick close to their mutual friends and terrorize their mutual enemies.
The Odyssey
Warrior Odysseus leaves his idyllic life in the kingdom of Ithaca to fight in the Trojan War. Following victory, he now must endure a lengthy, decade-long return journey, and with all his wits, overcome deadly monsters, powerful forces of nature, seductive enchantresses, and even journey into the bowels of the Underworld.
Berserk
Guts, a wandering mercenary, joins the Band of the Hawk after being defeated in a duel by Griffith, the group's leader and founder. Together, they dominate every battle, but something menacing lurks in the shadows.
Daria
After moving to a new town with her stressed-out parents and relentlessly popular little sister, Daria uses her acerbic wit and keen powers of observation to contend with the mind-numbingly ridiculous world of Lawndale High.
King of the Hill
Set in Texas, this animated series follows the life of propane salesman Hank Hill, who lives with his overly confident substitute Spanish teacher wife Peggy, wannabe comedian son Bobby, and naive niece Luanne. Hank has conservative views about God, family, and country, but his values and ethics are often challenged by the situations he, his family, and his beer-drinking neighbors/buddies find themselves in.

Johnny Bravo
Johnny Bravo tells the story of a biceps-bulging, karate-chopping free spirit who believes he is a gift from God to the women of the earth. Unfortunately for Johnny, everyone else sees him as a narcissistic Mama's boy with big muscles and even bigger hair. In short, he is the quintessential guy who 'just doesn't get it.' No matter what he does, or where he finds himself, he always winds up being his own worst enemy.


Recess
Join a group of six fourth-grade best friends at Third Street Elementary School on their fun-filled adventures in their school playground. Through the ups-and-downs of adolescence, they must wrestle with authority, avoid the school snitch, and try their best to win at kick-ball.

Cow and Chicken
Follows the surreal adventures of a cow, named Cow, and her chicken brother, named Chicken. They are often antagonized by "The Red Guy", who poses as various characters to scam them.

The New Batman Adventures
After a long hiatus -- The Caped Crusader is back and cooler then ever, in the animated action-packed series -- The New Batman-Superman Adventures. Picking up years after Batman: The Animated Series, the series highlights Batman and his crimefighting cadre of Nightwing, Robin and Batgirl, as they join forces to battle Gotham City's classic super-villains.


Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal is a young lawyer working at the Boston law firm Cage and Fish. Ally's lives and loves are eccentric, humorous, dramatic with an incredibly overactive imagination that's working overtime!




Midsomer Murders
The peacefulness of the Midsomer community is shattered by violent crimes, suspects are placed under suspicion, and it is up to a veteran DCI and his young sergeant to calmly and diligently eliminate the innocent and ruthlessly pursue the guilty.

The Shining
A new caretaker moves with his family into the mysterious Overlook Hotel for the winter.



Spawn
Todd McFarlane's Spawn is an animated television series which aired on HBO from 1997 through 1999. It is also released on DVD as a film series. It is based on the Spawn comic series from Image Comics, and was nominated for and won an Emmy in 1999 for Outstanding Animation Program. An unrelated series titled Spawn: The Animation is in production since 2009, with Keith David reprising his role as the titular character. Like the comic book, the series features graphic violence, sexual scenes, and extensive use of profanity. Todd McFarlane's Spawn was ranked 5th on IGN's list of The Greatest Comic Book Cartoons Of All Time.


María Isabel
Native American girl Maria Isabel makes friends with Graciela, a rich white girl, despite Graciela's father's opposition; their friendship lasts into their adulthood.

Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002. It stars Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who got married on their first date despite being complete opposites. The series is co-produced by Chuck Lorre Productions, More-Medavoy Productions and 4 to 6 Foot Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The show's theme song was written and performed by composer Dennis C. Brown. Created by executive producers Dottie Dartland and Chuck Lorre, the comedy took much of its inspiration from so-called culture-clash "fish out of water" situations. The show earned eight Golden Globe nominations, six Emmy Award nominations, and six Satellite Awards nominations. Elfman earned a Golden Globe in 1999 for Best Actress.

La Femme Nikita
Nikita is a drug-addicted juvenile delinquent who was accused of killing a police officer in cold blood during an attempted robbery of a pharmacy. She is later arrested and sentenced to death by lethal injection, upon which she was secretly drugged by the government, faking her death. Nikita is then "recruited" by a secret government organization and transformed into a highly skilled assassin who cannot be traced.

The Angry Beavers
Daggett and Norbert Beaver are two young beaver brothers who have left their home to become bachelors in the forest near Wayouttatown, Oregon.

I Am Weasel
The adventures of the noble, generous, intelligent and good-at-everything I.M. Weasel, who must compete once again with his arch-enemy, the bumbling, brainless and utterly talentless I.R. Baboon.

AIKa
Aika Sumeragi works as a salvager for hire, but gets caught up in a plot for world domination.

Men in Black: The Series
A secret government organization made up of men provide intergalactic immigration services for Earth-bound aliens.

Just Shoot Me!
See the inner workings of a high-style magazine owned by Jack Gallo, who has hired his quick-tempered but talented daughter, Maya, to write for the publication. Challenging her at every turn is Nina, a vain and superficial former model. Then there's photographer Elliot, a man who is very popular with his portrait subjects as well as other women. completing the core staff is her father's assistant, Dennis, a glorified secretary who is generally disrespectful to one and all.

I'm Alan Partridge
The fortunes of a former chat show host who is reduced to a lowly slot on Radio Norwich. Alan Partridge is divorced, living in a travel tavern, and desperate for a return to television.

Teletubbies
Pre-school fun, fantasy and education with colourful rotund characters Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po in a magical land called Teletubbyland.

Cebollitas

Lexx
A Time Prophet predicted that Kai would be the one to destroy the divine order in the league of the 20,000 planets, someday that will happen, but not today. Today a cowardly security guard, an undead assassin, a female with a body designed for sex and a robot head madly in love with her all make up the crew of the spaceship Lexx, the most powerful weapon in the two universes.

Las Juanas
Las Juanas is a Colombian telenovela. It first aired in 1997 on the Colombian Network RCN. The show was written by Bernardo Romero Pereira, and was his most successful telenovela after the globally distributed series Café and Yo Soy Betty, La Fea.

Mi Pequeña Traviesa

Franklin
Franklin is an Canadian educational animated television series, based on the Franklin the Turtle books by Brenda Clark and Paulette Bourgeois. The television series was named after its main character, Franklin the Turtle. It was produced by PolyGram Television, Alphanim, LuxAnimation, Nelvana, Neurones Enterprises, Reader's Digest for Young Families, TF1, Funbag Animation Studios, Europool, Mini TFO, and Family Channel, and syndicated by Summit Entertainment.

The Practice
A provocative legal drama focused on young associates at a bare-bones Boston firm and their scrappy boss, Bobby Donnell. The show's forte is its storylines about “people who walk a moral tightrope.”

The View
ABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro discussing the most exciting events of the day. Hot topics in the news, the best experts in their field, celebrity interviews and general entertainment are all part of The View.

Bear in the Big Blue House
The series provides children with valuable tools for growth in key areas of music, social skill development, and cognitive learning through integrated programs combining music, movement, and exploration. With Bear and all his friends, learn about cooperation, teamwork and more.

Brass Eye
Investigative reporter Chris Morris puts modern Britain under the spotlight, and smacks the issues of the day till they bleed. He tackles weighty issues including animals, drugs, sex and skewered celebrities and politicians alike - and in a later episode in 2001, paedophiles.

Earth: Final Conflict
Years ago, the Taelons came to Earth, offering friendship and technology to humanity. But there are those who believe the Taelons have more sinister motives.

101 Dalmatians Series
After foiling Cruella DeVil's plot to make a fur coat with the puppies' skins, the Dearly Family (Roger and Anita Dearly, Nanny, Pongo, Perdita, their 15 birth puppies and 84 adopted puppies) move to a new farm home in the country. Join Pongo and Perdy's pups, brave Lucky, tubby Rolly and Cadpig the runt, together with their chicken friend Spot, as they defend their new home from Cruella DeVil (Anita's boss and now new neighbor), continually get in and out of trouble, sneak into Grutely, and have all sorts of crazy adventures around the farm. Also along for the fun is Tripod, Patch, Two-Tone, Wizzer, Dipstick, Mooch, and the rest of their barnyard friends.

Caillou
Follow Caillou, the lovable 4-year-old with a big imagination, as he and his friends go on adventures and experience all the wonders of being a child.

Jonathan Creek
Working from his home in a converted windmill, Jonathan Creek is a magician with a natural ability for solving puzzles. He soon puts this ability to the use of solving impossible crimes and mysterious murders.

Extreme Ghostbusters
Based on the blockbuster films, this action-packed animated series starts a decade after the original Ghostbusters saved New York City from ghosts, goblins and ghouls. All the guys have left town, except Egon, now teaching a Paranormal Studies class at the local university. But Zuul, the all-powerful demon, has awakened from hibernation to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting masses. Desperate to recruit a new team, Egon and the plucky Janine turn to four of his teenage students: Kylie, a genius with an encyclopedic knowledge of the occult; Eduardo, a hip slacker with a crush on Kylie; Garrett, a wheelchair-bound athlete with a hot temper; and Roland, a “gentle giant” mechanical whiz. It's only a matter of time before Egon, Janine, old pal Slimer and the “kids” band together to rid the city of the evildoers.

Team Knight Rider
Team Knight Rider is a syndicated television series that was adapted from the Knight Rider franchise and ran between 1997 and 1998. TKR was created by writer/producers Rick Copp and David A. Goodman, based on the original series created by Glen A. Larson, who was an executive producer. TKR was produced by Gil Wadsworth and Scott McAboy and was distributed by Universal Domestic Television and ran only a single season of 22 one-hour episodes before it was canceled due to poor ratings. The story is about a new team of high-tech crime fighters assembled by the Foundation for Law and Government who follow in the tracks of the legendary Michael Knight and his supercar KITT. Instead of "one man making a difference", there are now five team members who each has a computerized talking vehicle counterpart. Like the original duo, TKR goes after notorious criminals who operate "above the law" – from spies and assassins, to terrorists and drug dealers. The final episode of the season, and series, featured the reappearance of Michael Knight, seen only from behind, at the very end.

Revolutionary Girl Utena
"Never lose that strength or nobility, even when you grow up." When Utena was just a child and in the depths of sorrow, she found salvation in those words. They were the words of a prince, who bestowed upon her both a ring and the promise that it would lead her to him again. She never forgot the encounter. Now a teenager, Utena attends the prestigious Ohtori Academy; however, her strong sense of chivalry soon places her at odds with the student council and thrusts her into a series of mysterious and dangerous duels against its members.

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
Can you tell the difference between fact and fiction? Several stories of strange, mysterious and incredible occurrences are chronicled during each episode. It is up to the viewer to decide which stories actually happened and which were completely fabricated by the show’s writers. The answer is revealed by Jonathan Frakes at the conclusion of each episode.

The Last Don
Spanning decades, a powerful Italian crime family battles internal strife when a ruthless grandson seeks control after a violent wedding sparks unintended chaos, testing loyalties as lines blur between family and criminal enterprise. Best selling author of Mario 'The Godfather' Puzo's blockbuster new novel comes to life in this epic saga of America's most powerful crime family.

Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation
Everyone's favorite teenage mutants are back in live action to fight crime with help from a new ninja turtle -- a female named Venus De Milo.

Pataclaun

The Hunger
The Hunger is a British/Canadian television horror anthology series, co-produced by Scott Free Productions, Telescene Film Group Productions and the Canadian pay-TV channel The Movie Network. Though it shares a title with the feature film The Hunger the series has no direct plot or character connection to the film, and was created by Jeff Fazio. Originally shown on the Sci Fi Channel in the UK, The Movie Network in Canada and Showtime in the US, the series was broadcast from 1997 to 2000, and is internally organized into two seasons. Each episode was based around an independent story introduced by the host; Terence Stamp hosted each episode for the first season, and was replaced in the second season by David Bowie. Stories tended to focus on themes of self-destructive desire and obsession, with a strong component of soft-core erotica; popular tropes for the stories included cannibalism, vampires, sex, and poison.

Pepper Ann
The quirky adventures of Pepper Ann, a 12-year-old girl trying to get through life with her family and friends.

True Women
A story of love, friendship, survival and triumph spanning five decades from the Texas Revolution through the Civil War, Reconstruction and beyond.

Smart Guy
T.J. is a boy genius who gets bumped up from the fourth grade to high school. T.J. tries to adjust to his new life, but he shares some classes with his 14 year-old brother Marcus, the school jock, and his clueless and self-absorbed 16 year-old sister Yvette.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show
The adventures of brilliant but befuddled scientist Wayne Szalinski, whose often-misguided projects wreak havoc on his family and friends.

La mujer del presidente
Carlos Alberto Buendia is an ordinary man, good husband and worker whose life changes to be seduced by Susana de Acero, wife of the president of the company where he works. When the woman dies under mysterious circumstances Carlos Alberto is blamed for the death of the woman and is taken to prison twice. Carlos Alberto therefore must prove his innocence and try to escape the hell of Colombian jails and the corrupt justice.

Tenacious D
Follow the exploits of Jack Black and Kyle Gass, the two halves of Tenacious D, the self-proclaimed "greatest band on earth." Their music is heavy on power chords and lyrics about sex, Satan, and why they are the greatest band on Earth.

La mujer en el espejo
After being humiliated and mistreated, Ana Soler discovers who her father is and the pact he has made with the devil, and agrees with him to become a beautiful woman named Mariana Ferrer to recover her son and take revenge on those who destroyed her life.

Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach is an American television soap opera that aired on NBC from January 6, 1997 to December 31, 1999. The show follows the loves and lives of the people living in the Orange County coastal area named Sunset Beach, on the coast of California. Although there is a town in California called Sunset Beach, the show's beach scenes were shot on nearby Seal Beach. The show was co-produced by NBC and Spelling Television. Sunset Beach won two Daytime Emmy Awards and was nominated another eleven times. The show also received twenty-two nominations for various other awards.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
New England, 1886: a creature of unknown origin is destroying ships at sea. It is the job of Professor Pierre Aronnax, a marine expert, and Ned Land, the iron willed sailor, to learn the truth about the monster roaming the seas. In their search, they come across the sophisticated submarine Nautilus, secretly cruising under the ocean, and its charismatic captain Nemo.

Mummies Alive!
Mummies Alive follows the exploits of four Egyptian warriors brought back to life to protect and serve the reborn spirit of a young Pharaoh, but fitting into our modern world proves to be just as challenging!

The Crocodile Hunter
Australian host Steve Irwin and his wife Terri run a wildlife refuge. Their shared passion is educating the world about wildlife, including the much feared crocodile and numerous venomous snakes. Steve's specialty is the capture and relocation of crocodiles. No animal appears too threatening to Steve, his true respect for animals is the foundation for everything he does.

Conan the Adventurer
Conan: The Adventurer is an American television series created, developed, financed, distributed and produced by Max A. Keller and Micheline Keller from 1997 to 1998 and loosely based on the fantasy hero Conan the Barbarian. The TV show premiered on September 22, 1997, and ran for 22 episodes. The series has been broadcast in over 150 countries throughout the world. Keller Entertainment Group continues to market and distribute the series worldwide and the series has longevity among international broadcasters and dvd aggregators. The series will soon be available on the internet. This live-action series stars Ralf Möller as Conan of Cimmeria and Danny Woodburn as his sidekick Otli. The storyline is quite different from the Conan lore created in the original Conan novels and short stories by Robert E. Howard, as well as that of the Conan earlier depicted in the various Conan comic book series by Marvel Comics. The TV character is based on the version in the 1980s films, but there is no continuity between the films and TV series.

Joséphine, Guardian Angel
Josephine Delamarre is a guardian angel that Heaven sends to earth. With her psychological insight, ability of persuasion and magical powers, she manages to help people who have problems. She appears at the beginning of each mission; when the mission is completed, she disappears with a click of her fingers.

The Wonderful World of Disney
Walt Disney Productions (later The Walt Disney Company) has produced an anthology television series under several different titles since 1954. The original version of the series premiered on ABC in 1954. The show was broadcast weekly on one of the Big Three television networks until 1990, a 36-year span with only a two-year hiatus in 1984-85. The series was broadcast on Sunday for 25 of those years. From 1991 until 1997, the series aired infrequently. The program resumed a regular schedule in 1997 on the ABC fall schedule, coinciding with Disney's recent purchase of the network. From 1997 until 2008, the program aired regularly on ABC. Subsequently, ABC continued the series as an occasional special presentation.

The Nazis: A Warning from History
Documentary film series that examines Adolf Hitler and the Nazis' rise to power, their zenith, their decline and fall, and the consequences of their reign featuring archive footage and interviews with eyewitnesses.

Police Academy: The Series
Police Academy: The Series is a syndicated 1997 television series spin-off from the Police Academy series of films. Michael Winslow was the only actor from the Police Academy films to have a recurring role on the show, although several of the film's cast made occasional guest appearances. The series was written by Paul Maslansky and produced by James Margellos and Gary M. Goodman. Music by Ari Wise and Jim Guttridge

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Pippi Longstocking
With tons of optimism, and strength to match, fun-loving 9-year-old Pippi Longstocking resides at rustic Villa Villekulla with her pet monkey and horse, sailing into adventures with her friends Tommy and Annika. Based on the books by Astrid Lindgren.

The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils
The story deals with several separate yet intertwining story lines, revolving around the protagonists Kiu Fung, Duen Yu and Hui Juk.

Cooking Master Boy
After the death of his mother, a young boy travels to China and become a master chef, in his attempt to become head chef of his late mother's restaurant

Roar
Roar is an American television show that originally aired on the Fox network in July 1997. In the year AD 400, a young Irish man, Conor, sets out to rid his land of the invading Romans, but in order to accomplish this, he must unite the Celtic clans.

Kindaichi Case Files
Kindaichi Hajime may look dumb, but he is one of the smartest you will ever see. He encounters mysteries after mysteries with his good friend, Miyuki, and he swears to solve them in the name of his grandfather, which was a great detective.

Rough Riders
Explores the journey of the cavalry group led by Theodore Roosevelt in a charge up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.

Invasion
Small rocks fall from the sky which, when touched, trigger a latent virus that has always existed in humans and begins mutating them into an alien species. Taking advantage of its hive mentality, the aliens are absolutely dedicated to transforming every human on Earth and do so with alarming swiftness. Only a small group of humans remain who have the medical knowledge to devise antibodies to reverse the effects of the virus.

Anything for Love
Helena is an independendent woman with strong emotions. More than a dedicated mother, she is also a friend to her daughter. Her daughter is experiencing difficulties in her marriage with Marcelo because of his renewed interest in a formoe girlfriend. Marcelo‘s mother deslikes Helena and would like nothing better to see her son‘s marriage destroyed. Helena starts her life over again when she falls in love at first sight with Atilio, whom she marries. Although of poor health, her daughter wants to have a baby, believing that by fulfiling her husband‘s dream, she can save her marriage. As fate would have it, mother and daughter fall pregnant at the same time, each giving birth to a boy.

Space Goofs
Five peculiar monsters from a distant galaxy crash land on Earth. Quickly, realizing that if discovered by the government they will end up as laboratory experiments, they hide in the attic of an empty house. But the house is for rent! Our alien friends have a hard and hilarious time getting rid of each new tenant, as they discover that this world of "strange earthlings" is even more bizarre than the world they left behind.

Spicy City
In a neo-noir future, nightclub hostess and classy femme fatale Raven presents various stories that either involve some of her guests or even herself. Some are sleazy, some violent, some about love, and some about loneliness, some darkly humorous, and some bittersweet and tragic, some are gritty cyberpunk thrillers and some are more fantastical and lighthearted, but they are all spicy and original.

The Secret World of Santa Claus
The Secret World of Santa Claus is a children's animated television show that originates from France. It is syndicated to several countries worldwide, including Teletoon in Canada, and is generally seen every December during the holiday season. On December 25, 1999, Christmas Day, The Secret World of Santa Claus marathon took place from 6:00am to 7:00pm. The show has been put back on air and will be showed every Christmas season on Teletoon.

The Wacky World of Tex Avery
A series of belly-laugh-funny short segments each starring different characters including the Roman centurion Pompeii Pete, an inept conqueror and the little princess he cannot conquer, the lamest super hero on 4 legs, the world's first inventor, the ultra pesky Freddie the Fly and the wackiest hero in the old West, Tex Avery himself.

Antiques Roadshow
Based on the popular BBC series running since 1979, the PBS Antiques Roadshow combines history with discovery. Each year, the show visits a handful of cities to appraise items brought in by viewers. Are these items worth a lot of money, more than the visitors expect?

Full Circle with Michael Palin
Michael Palin travels to 18 countries around the rim of the Pacific Ocean.
Our Methodology
This list represents a fusion of massive scale TMDB audience data and expert editorial oversight. We track global engagement, critical reception, and historical significance across over 10,000 data points to ensure every entry is verified for accuracy.
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