When Superman hit the scene in 1938, he was an instant sensation. The comics spawned toys, clothes, a radio show, animated shorts, a live-action serial that played in movie theaters, and even a balloon for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In 1952, the Man of Steel made his way onto TV, and for six seasons, fans watched the original superhero star on The Adventures of Superman.
In the 68 years that have passed since George Reeves first put on the cape, Superman, and a number of other DC characters, have made their way to the small screen. From Batman to Green Arrow and beyond, comic fans have been able to see some of their favorite heroes beat up the baddies week after week in live-action. These are the 10 best live-action DC TV series, according to IMDb.
10 The Adventures Of Superman - 7.7
The first DC TV series and still considered one of the best, The Adventures of Superman ran for six seasons and 104 episodes before ending with the tragic death of George Reeves, who played the titular character. While the show was lacking the famous Superman villains, it managed to capture the imagination of a generation of kids, some of whom would go on to create some of the greatest Superman stories that have been told.
For many, George Reeves' take on the character would forever cement who Superman is, and how he acts. Reeves played Superman as a caring man who rather enjoyed being Clark Kent, even using his reporter identity to handle much of the work in most of the episodes.
9 Human Target - 7.8
Airing for just two seasons of Fox back in 2010-2011, this was the second time Human Target was made into a series in ten years. The show starred Mark Valley as Christopher Chance, an ex-assassin turned security specialist/private contractor/mercenary-for-hire who took on cases, not for the money, but to help those in desperate need. Human Target was nominated for three Emmy Awards and the final three episodes to air saw the ratings going up, but it wasn't enough to save the show. After 25 episodes, the series was canceled.
8 Gotham - 7.8
The third DC show to air on Fox that shows up on this list, Gotham is set in the famous DC Comics city in the years before Bruce Wayne becomes Batman. Starring Ben McKenzie as James Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, and Robin Lord Taylor as Penguin, the show started off a little rough with Gordon and Bullock taking on characters like Balloon Man, but Lord Taylor's Penguin, and the story the writers had crafted for him, showed promise. For five seasons, fans got to see a pre-Batman Gotham go from a crime-infested city where Gordon is taking on the mafia to a super crime-infested city that will need help that the police can't provide, but Batman can.
7 Titans - 7.8
The first show created for the DC Universe streaming service, Titans shocked the pop culture world when fans got their first look at the show and were treated to Robin saying some not nice things about Batman. The series, which also features Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire, Donna Troy, Hawk and Dove, and - starting in the second season - Superboy, takes a very adult look at the teen team, not holding back on the violence or the cursing.
The show's second season, which introduced an older Bruce Wayne and a second Robin along with Superboy and Krypto, proved to be even more popular than the first. A third season was announced late last year and is set to air later this year.
6 The Flash (2014) - 7.8
The second live-action series for the Scarlet Speedster, The Flash also served as the second show in the DC/CW Universe of shows, spinning off from the success of Arrow and helping spawn Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, and Batwoman. Now that Arrow has come to an end, Flash serves as the leader of the CW shows, setting the course for the future.
The series follows Barry Allen, a CSI agent who gained superspeed after being struck by lightning and bathed in chemicals. Along with his team, Barry races the streets of Central City, keeping the world safe and sometimes altering the timeline without really thinking about the consequences. Fans of the series were recently shocked to see Ezra Miller, who played Flash in the Justice League movie and will be starring in a Flash movie sooner or later, show up during the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover.
5 Pennyworth - 8.0
Everyone knows Alfred Pennyworth, the always trustworthy butler of Batman. Famous for his cucumber sandwiches and dog training abilities, what most people aren't aware of is that before he started working for the Wayne family, Alfred was a member of the British SAS and had many a daring adventure of his own.
Pennyworth is about the life of comics' favorite manservant in the years before he moved to America and started wearing a tuxedo every day. With only ten episodes so far, fans have found a lot to love about Pennyworth, and the upcoming second season is sure to keep making them happy.
4 Preacher - 8.0
The shocking thing about Preacher isn't that people liked the series based on Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's Vertigo comic of the same name. What is shocking is that a show about a criminal turned man of God who travels the world with his girlfriend and vampire best buddy killing anyone who gets in their way and searching for God didn't seem to offend anyone. While the show makes a lot of changes from the comic, the basic plot is still there, as is the twisted humor and the occasional moments of honest emotion that made the story so popular in the first place.
3 Doom Patrol - 8.0
A somewhat strange choice to be the second live-action series to be made specifically for the DC Universe streaming service, Doom Patrol, like the comics that the show is based on, proved to be better than almost anyone could have expected. While the whole of the cast is great, Diane Guerrero and Brendan Fraser as Crazy Jane and Robotman handle most of the heavy lifting, while Alan Tudyk, who plays Mister Nobody, takes care of the comedy.
The IMDb critics aren't the only ones to notice how good Doom Patrol is. The series was picked up for a second season and will stream on both DC Universe and HBO Max. Warner Brothers appear to believe that this is a show that can find an audience outside of DC's most loyal fans.
2 Watchmen - 8.1
Set 34-years after the events of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's classic comic series, Watchmen centers on Angela Abar, a police detective in Tulsa, Oklahoma who finds herself trapped in the middle of the insane plans of a white supremacist group and a brilliant billionaire.
Developed by Damon Lindelof, best known for LOST and The Leftovers, Watchmen pulled off the near-impossible and told a new story that was respectful of what Moore and Gibbons had created while branching off to be its own thing. Hesitant fans quickly found themselves pulled in by the fantastic story and wonderful acting.
1 Lucifer - 8.2
Based on the comic that spawned out of Sandman, Lucifer follows, as if the title doesn't give it away, Lucifer Morningstar after he decides to abdicate the throne of Hell and move to Los Angeles and become a club owner. The series focuses on Lucifer as he teams up with Detective Chloe Decker to solve murders. Originally airing on Fox, the show moved to Netflix for what was planned as a fifth and final season, but there are rumors of a sixth season in the works. Based on how much the people who rate things on IMDb like Lucifer, a sixth season would surely make them happy.