DC's television output has often provided some of the small screen's finest moments, as fearless heroes such as Superman and Flash protect the public from grave danger. With the Arrowverse coming to a close and James Gunn preparing to start the new DCU - including new unannounced DC TV shows, fans are reminiscing about some of their favorite live-action DC programs.

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These truly astonishing dramas have delighted many audiences over the years, who are amazed to see some of DC's most iconic characters accomplish some remarkable feats. Thanks to IMDb, fans can get an idea of which shows based on DC Comics properties have been the most loved, and there are some surprising inclusions.

10 Sweet Tooth Is A Deeply Surreal Experience

7.8 IMDb Score

The main cast of Sweet Tooth.

Based on the Vertigo Comics series by Jeff Lemire, audiences did not know what to expect from Sweet Tooth when its TV adaptation aired in 2021. Known for its somewhat bizarre content, Sweet Tooth nevertheless impressed viewers, who fell in love with human/deer hybrid Gus's desperate search for his mother across an apocalyptic world.

Executive produced by Robert Downey Jr, Sweet Tooth is a deeply surreal experience, as viewers are introduced to several unusual animal hybrids. Perhaps most endearing is the sweet friendship between Gus and the lonely traveler Big Man, with the pair's relationship helping to create one of TV's most charming duos.

9 iZombie Is A Truly Unique Series

7.8 IMDb Score

Promotional art for iZombie with Liv Moore holding up a bloody finger with helicopters in the sky

Considered one of the best CW Shows, iZombie is a thrilling affair, providing viewers with many shocks and surprises across its five seasons. Based on the comic by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, the series follows a young medical student named Liv, who assists the police with their investigations after becoming a zombie. Its lightly comic tone ensures that there is a never dull moment throughout its many episodes.

Combining the horror and crime genres, iZombie is a truly unique series. Liv's strange abilities, which let her obtain the memories and personality traits of others after eating their brains, brings a fresh new slant to the zombie concept. Rose McIver plays the part of Liv extremely well, delivering a fun and quirky performance as the zombie police consultant.

8 Doom Patrol Is An Utterly Hilarious Program

7.8 IMDb Score

Doom Patrol has Cliff releasing the Were-Butt

Originally airing on the DC Universe streaming service before moving to HBO Max, Doom Patrol has built a dedicated fanbase over four seasons. This madcap series follows the misadventures of a dysfunctional team of heroes created by Dr. Niles Caulder. Its darkly comedic approach to the DC Comics mythos, along with some truly heartbreaking moments, has impressed viewers since its release.

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Doom Patrol is an utterly hilarious program, delivering some of the funniest quotes. Brendan Fraser gives a scene-stealing performance as Cliff Steele, whose potty mouth generates many of the show's biggest laughs. Sadly, the series is coming to an end with the fourth season.

7 Superman And Lois Adds More Personal Stakes To Kent Family's Adventures

7.8 IMDb Score

Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and their sons Jonathan and Jordan in Superman & Lois TV show

Branching off from Supergirl, Superman and Lois does an excellent job at bringing the world's first superhero's grand exploits to the small screen. This sweet and wholesome take on the Man of Steel features Clark Kent and Lois Lane attempting to raise their twin sons in Smallville while facing a series of otherworldly threats.

Superman and Lois offers a version of the famous characters never seen before on TV, presenting the Man of Steel as a family man trying to juggle his superhero lifestyle with his fatherly duties. Adding more personal stakes to Clark's bold adventures helps to add some gripping dramatic tension to the series, as the former Daily Planet reporter works to keep both the world and his family safe.

6 Gotham Looks At DC's Most Dangerous City

7.8 IMDb Score

The cast of Gotham posing for a promotional image

Developed by screenwriter Bruno Heller, Gotham is among DC's most impressive output. Charting the early beginnings of Bruce Wayne, Gotham offers viewers a typically grim and brooding prequel to the Caped Crusader's crime-fighting exploits. Ben McKenzie stars as determined police detective James Gordon, who investigates various callous crimes with the GCPD.

Gotham brings audiences several dark and complex iterations of famous Batman villains, as characters including the Penguin and the Riddler strike fear in the heart of Bruce's home city. Perhaps the greatest standout aspect of this series is, however, Sean Pertwee's portrayal of Alfred Pennyworth. The Musketeers star delivers a suave and sophisticated take on Batman's loyal butler, with Pertwee's tough and no-nonsense demeanor helping to create some of the show's best action sequences.

5 Preacher Provides Viewers With A Darkly Comic Tale

7.9 IMDb Score

Dominic Cooper and Ruth Negga as Jesse Custer and Tulip on Preacher

Based on the 1995 comics series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, Preacher served viewers with a deeply compelling supernatural adventure series that offered plenty of dark humor. The show follows the troubled preacher Jesse Custer, who unexpectedly becomes the host of a being called Genesis, allowing him the preacher to control others. With his best friend, a vampire named Cassidy, and his girlfriend Tulip, Jesse sets off on a journey to find God.

Although some believe the original comic went too far, Preacher's transition to television has managed to avoid such complaints, providing viewers with a darkly comic tale. The series also features some of DC's most creative action scenes, such as the motel fight in the episode "Sundowner," effectively capturing the feel of a comic-book story.

4 Pennyworth Makes For Powerful Viewing

7.9 IMDb Score

Alfred Pennyworth walking out of car while undoing a button on his blazer

Debuting in 2019, Pennyworth dives deeper into the life of Batman's butler Alfred than any comic or show has before. Taking place years before Bruce Wayne is born, the prequel show delivers a tense and action-packed depiction of the trusted butler's origins as he sets up his own security company and fights the villainous Raven Society.

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Pennyworth's portrayal of Alfred's backstory makes for powerful viewing, giving viewers a dramatic and harrowing take on the butler's PTSD from his time as a soldier. Additionally, the show rewards Batman fans with the most detailed depiction of Thomas and Martha Wayne to date, as Alfred forms a close friendship with Bruce's parents in 1960s London.

3 Lucifer Is A Deeply Entertaining Watch

8.1 IMDb Score

Lucifer and Chloe on the promotional poster for Lucifer

Nominated for multiple Emmys, Lucifer is arguably DC's most successful live-action project. This incredible series, based on the Lucifer comics by Mike Carey and a variety of artists, follows the titular character as he becomes disenchanted with his life in Hell and tries to start a new life on Earth.

Featuring one of TV's most sarcastic characters, Lucifer is a deeply entertaining watch, as the titular devil pokes fun at some of humanity's greatest flaws. The fantasy program adds a fun and mischievous spin to the police procedural genre as Lucifer assists the police in solving various crimes.

2 Watchmen Is A Topical Take On The Superhero Genre

8.2 IMDb Score

watchmen

Acting as a sequel to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's seminal work, HBO's Watchmen is set 34 years after the comic and follows police detective Angela Abar and her team of masked cops as they investigate the murder of a fellow officer at the hands of the white supremacist group Seventh Kavalry.

Watchmen is a topical take on the superhero genre, exploring such hard-hitting topics as racism and police brutality. Its complex approach to morality makes it truly stand out alongside its rivals, providing a deep and complicated view of the vigilante lifestyle, where the heroes are just as problematic as their villainous counterparts.

1 Peacemaker Is A Brilliantly Amusing Spin-Off

8.3 IMDb Score

Peacemaker and the Argus team in Peacemaker (2022)

Spinning off from The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker perfectly recreates the magic of cinema on television. Created by James Gunn, this truly larger-than-life series sees the titular anti-hero recruited for a black-ops team and tasked with stopping an invasion of abhorrent alien butterflies.

A deeply comical series with some seriously touching moments, Peacemaker is James Gunn being given free rein to do what he wants, and with John Cena as the ultra-violent chrome-helmeted Christopher Smith, the series is sure to make fans laugh and feel grossed out, often in the same scene. The superhero spin-off also includes one of the best title sequences, as the cast engages in a hilariously extravagant dance sequence to "Do Ya Wanna Taste It" by Wig Wam, capturing James Gunn's often absurd sense of humor.

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