Entertainment site TVLine has published two new rankings highlighting the best animated TV shows and alternate history series of all time. The lists, released on January 6 and 7, 2026, celebrate influential programs that span decades and genres, from childhood classics to dystopian thrillers. These compilations underscore animation's evolution and the allure of reimagined historical narratives.
TVLine's latest features delve into television's rich history, starting with a ranking of 15 best animated TV shows. Published on January 7, the list begins with 'Avatar: The Last Airbender,' a three-season Nickelodeon series from 2005 that unfolds in an Asian-inspired fantasy world, addressing themes of war, racism, and trauma through the journey of Aang, a divine airbender. It notes the show's outsized pop culture influence, leading to the sequel 'The Legend of Korra' in 2012. Other top entries include the 1983 syndicated 'He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,' born from Mattel's toys to capitalize on 'Star Wars' popularity amid relaxed FCC rules, and the raunchy 1994 USA Network series 'Duckman,' voiced by Jason Alexander as a misanthropic detective.
Modern favorites like Adult Swim's 'Rick and Morty,' which premiered in 2013 as a 'Back to the Future' parody before evolving into existential sci-fi, and Nickelodeon's enduring 'SpongeBob SquarePants' from 1999, praised for its marine biology jokes and psychedelic appeal, also rank highly. Classics such as 'Batman: The Animated Series' (1992-1995), featuring definitive voices by Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, and 'The Simpsons' (over 30 years on Fox since 1989), a satire from Matt Groening's 'Life in Hell,' round out the selection, emphasizing animation's shift from Saturday morning fare to prime-time staple.
On January 6, TVLine ranked 10 best alternate history TV shows, topping with Apple TV+'s 'For All Mankind' (2019), which imagines a prolonged Space Race after the Soviets land on the Moon first in 1969, blending character-driven drama with geopolitical intrigue across decades. HBO's 'Watchmen' (2019) follows as a sequel to the comic, exploring a superhero-altered 20th century with Regina King as officer Angela Abar amid white supremacist threats. Other standouts include Prime Video's 'The Man in the High Castle' (2015-2019), adapting Philip K. Dick's novel of an Axis-victory world, and HBO's 'The Plot Against America' (2020), where Charles Lindbergh's 1940 presidency fosters fascism, as seen through a Jewish family's eyes. These series highlight subtle timeline tweaks to radical divergences, often warning of fascism and societal shifts.
