25 Best Superhero TV Shows Of All Time

When the world needs heroes, the small screen has plenty of them...

Arrow Season 1
The CW

Superheroes have undoubtedly become a modern day institution, breaking box office records with their silver screen dominance while pulling off unbelievably ambitious crossovers on the small one. Though their current reign over Hollywood can certainly be traced back to the revolutionary big-budget adventures of Batman and Superman in the 1980s, they've been entertaining fans on television for a lot longer than that.

You might have the Arrowverse to thank for reminding audiences that heroes have a place on the small screen as The CW's shared universe of metahumans and archers did successfully help comic book vigilantes stage something of a comeback, but the truth is that small screen heroes have been part of the fabric of television for over half a century - the reason being that the television format lends itself nicely to our favorite superheroes.

Not only does TV allow for a deeper exploration of the hero's character arc (10 - 22 episodes allow for more development than a two-hour film), it also gives the powers-that-be a chance to introduce a lot more villains and obstacles for that respective hero to overcome.

But enough talking, let's take a look at the evidence, shall we?

Without further ado, fire up your Batmobiles and ready your super-speed as we reflect on the greatest superhero adventures to ever grace the small screen.

25. Heroes

Arrow Season 1
NBC

The inclusion of Heroes might come as something of a shock to you considering that it isn't based on a comic book, but the aptly-titled NBC series made its own original adventures, and that allowed it to soar... for a moment at least.

Based on a group of random people who suddenly discover that they have super-powers, the first season documents their journeys to becoming heroes and how these new abilities ultimately affect multiple aspects of their lives. A character study, if you will, it showcased the humanity of these rookie superheroes and how they struggled with becoming the ones tasked with stopping oncoming catastrophes.

The first season of Heroes is among the greatest that any genre has ever offered, but the subsequent three were among the worst, and for that reason alone, it can't rank any higher - and given how creative it once was, that's a darn shame.

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Michael Patterson is an experienced writer with an affinity for all things film and TV. He may or may not have spent his childhood obsessing over WWE.