Some of the most popular television shows of 2023 – “Yellowstone,” “Succession,” and “The Crown” share a common thread: they explore the trials of running a family business. From dealing with backstabbing siblings, to living up to the expectations of elders, to uniting against external threats to power, the family business is a ripe backdrop for drama.
To determine the best TV shows about family businesses, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on audience reception from IMDb. Television shows were ranked based on IMDb user rating as of November 2023. In the case of a tie, the show with more user votes was ranked higher. Data on series run and cast information is also from IMDb.
Comedies on the list include the animated series “Bob’s Burgers,” comedian Danny McBride’s “The Righteous Gemstones,” and the Emmy award-winning absurdist comedy “Arrested Development.”
Most of the shows, however, are dramas, with a large array featuring criminal families including mobsters, drug dealers, and corrupt politicians. These include “Gangs of London,” “Ozark,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and “The Sopranos.” (These are the best crime shows of all time, according to data.)
25. Medici (2016-2019)
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb user votes: 21,296
- Series run: 3 seasons, 24 episodes
- Starring: Daniel Sharman, Alessandra Mastronardi, Synnove Karlsen, Sebastian De Souza
Set during the Italian Renaissance, this series chronicles the ascent of the powerful Medici family, a banking dynasty who rose to prominence in Florence when Giovanni de’ Medici established the Medici Bank. The series follows his descendants and their struggle to maintain political power.
24. The Borgias (2011-2013)
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb user votes: 53,038
- Series run: 3 seasons, 29 episodes
- Starring: Jeremy Irons, Francois Arnaud, Holliday Grainger, Peter Sullivan
This historical drama recounts the rise of the Borgias, a Spanish family that comes to power during the Italian Renaissance as patriarch Rodrigo bribes his way into becoming the new pope.
23. Weeds (2005-2012)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb user votes: 115,469
- Series run: 8 seasons, 102 episodes
- Starring: Mary-Louise Parker, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould, Kevin Nealon
When a widowed mother in Southern California starts dealing marijuana to make up for the loss of her late husband’s income, her family becomes ensnared in a web of illicit enterprises.
22. Gangs of London (2020-Present)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb user votes: 38,381
- Series run: 3 seasons, 28 episodes
- Starring: Joe Cole, Sope Dirisu, Michelle Fairley, Lucian Msamati
When the head of London’s most prominent crime family is killed, his son must fill his shoes amidst a power struggle between a host of dangerous international gangs.
21. The Righteous Gemstones (2019-Present)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb user votes: 44,500
- Series run: 4 seasons, 28 episodes
- Starring: John Goodman, Danny McBride, Adam Devine, Edi Patterson
This ongoing comedy series follows a rich, Southern family led by televangelist Eli Gemstone, whose past comes back to haunt him while his three spoiled children sabotage each other’s attempts at gaining their father’s favor and taking over the church.
20. The Tudors (2007-2010)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb user votes: 79,116
- Series run: 4 seasons, 38 episodes
- Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Anthony Brophy, James Frain
“The Tudors” chronicles the life and many marriages of King Henry VIII as he triggers the start of the English Reformation during a time of religious and political upheaval.
19. Bob’s Burgers (2011-Present)
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb user votes: 88,578
- Series run: 15 seasons, 266 episodes
- Starring: H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, John Roberts
An ongoing animated sitcom with over a dozen seasons, “Bob’s Burgers” follows New Jersey burger shack owners Bob and Linda, who struggle to keep their business viable, while their three quirky children provide distractions and chaos at every turn.
18. Money Heist (2017-2021)
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- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb user votes: 510,805
- Series run: 5 seasons, 41 episodes
- Starring: Ãlvaro Morte, Itziar Ituno, Pedro Alonso, Miguel Herran
This Spanish series details the elaborate heists organized by a mysterious mastermind and his terminally ill brother, a successful jewel thief. Their henchmen all possess one quality: a willingness to die for the chance to make it big.
17. The Originals (2013-2018)
- IMDb user rating: 8.3/10
- IMDb user votes: 143,976
- Series run: 5 seasons, 92 episodes
- Starring: Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Claire Holt, Phoebe Tonkin
A spin-off of the teen drama “The Vampire Diaries,” this New Orleans-based fantasy follows a family of vampires who vie for control of the French Quarter while protecting the city from other supernatural threats.
16. Banshee (2013-2016)
- IMDb user rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb user votes: 118,147
- Series run: 4 seasons, 38 episodes
- Starring: Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison
When the new sheriff in a quaint Pennsylvania town is killed on arrival, an ex-con on the run from a Ukrainian mob boss deftly takes his place and attempts to subdue the local kingpin while reuniting with his former lover, Ana – the mob boss’s daughter.
15. Kingdom (2014-2017)
- IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
- IMDb user votes: 19,204
- Series run: 3 seasons, 40 episodes
- Starring: Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Matt Lauria, Jonathan Tucker
Set in Venice, California, “Kingdom” is the story of struggling MMA gym owner Alvey Kulina, whose sons both battle personal issues as they attempt to train. When a former star fighter – and the ex-fiance of Alvey’s girlfriend – is released from prison, Alvey thinks he may be the gym’s last hope.
14. Ozark (2017-2022)
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- IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
- IMDb user votes: 334,336
- Series run: 4 seasons, 44 episodes
- Starring: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner
This crime drama surrounds a married couple in deep water who move their family from Chicago to a remote Missouri community to set up a money laundering operation for a Mexican drug cartel.
13. Vikings (2013-2020)
- IMDb user rating: 8.5/10
- IMDb user votes: 563,929
- Series run: 6 seasons, 93 episodes
- Starring: Katheryn Winnick, Gustaf Skarsgaard, Alexander Ludwig, Georgia Hirst
An epic historical drama, “Vikings” tells the tale of the legendary king Ragnar Lothbrok as he and his family rise to prominence by raiding England, unite their people against the Saxons, and eventually explore further lands across the seas.
12. Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014)
- IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
- IMDb user votes: 198,540
- Series run: 5 seasons, 57 episodes
- Starring: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham
Set in Atlantic City during Prohibition, this crime drama follows a corrupt politician as he controls bootlegging and other businesses in the area while rubbing elbows with gangsters, government agents, and adoring residents.
11. The Crown (2016-2023)
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
- IMDb user votes: 235,205
- Series run: 6 seasons, 60 episodes
- Starring: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Matt Smith
“The Crown” is a dramatization of Britain’s royal family that tells the story of Queen Elizabeth’s unparalleled reign through seven decades of political affairs and family scandals.
10. Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014)
- IMDb user rating: 8.6/10
- IMDb user votes: 314,202
- Series run: 7 seasons, 92 episodes
- Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Mark Boone Junior, Kim Coates
“Sons of Anarchy” follows a young father as he takes over a criminal motorcycle gang from his stepdad, while trying to live up to his birth father’s legacy.
9. Six Feet Under (2001-2005)
- IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
- IMDb user votes: 141,624
- Series run: 5 seasons, 63 episodes
- Starring: Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose
When a funeral director dies and wills his parlor to his two sons, the dysfunctional family, including his widow and daughter, must work together to keep the business going, amidst relationship trials and their own existential crises.
8. Rome (2005-2007)
- IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
- IMDb user votes: 180,492
- Series run: 2 seasons, 22 episodes
- Starring: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker, Kerry Condon
Set in the 1st century B.C., “Rome” tells the story of the autocratic ruler Julius Caesar and later of his heir Octavian as they transition Rome from a republic to an empire.
7. Yellowstone (2018-Present)
- IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
- IMDb user votes: 193,330
- Series run: 5 seasons, 53 episodes
- Starring: Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley
The most-watched scripted television show of 2023, “Yellowstone” follows a family of cutthroat Montana ranchers led by patriarch John Dutton, who will stop at nothing to defend the borders of his land from neighbors and developers.
6. Downton Abbey (2010-2015)
- IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
- IMDb user votes: 217,609
- Series run: 6 seasons, 52 episodes
- Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Brendan Coyle
A historical drama surrounding a British aristocratic family and their servants, “Downton Abbey” dives into 20th century events including the sinking of the Titanic, WWI, and the Spanish flu epidemic, and their effects on British society.
5. Arrested Development (2003-2019)
- IMDb user rating: 8.7/10
- IMDb user votes: 318,049
- Series run: 5 seasons, 84 episodes
- Starring: Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett
This absurdist sitcom reveals how the spoiled and dysfunctional Bluth family adjust to a sudden loss of wealth as their patriarch is arrested, their assets are frozen, and their real estate business is investigated by the SEC.
4. Narcos (2015-2017)
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 8.8/10
- IMDb user votes: 454,173
- Series run: 3 seasons, 30 episodes
- Starring: Pedro Pascal, Wagner Moura, Boyd Holbrook, Alberto Ammann
“Narcos” dramatizes the wild life and death of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and his Medellin Cartel as they distribute massive amounts of cocaine while tangling with Colombian authorities and American DEA agents.
3. Peaky Blinders (2013-2022)
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- IMDb user rating: 8.8/10
- IMDb user votes: 611,948
- Series run: 6 seasons, 36 episodes
- Starring: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle, Helen McCrory
Inspired by a turn of the century English gang, “Peaky Blinders” follows the sly gang leader Tommy Shelby and his brothers as they gain control of the city of Birmingham and set their sights on new territory.
2. Succession (2018-2023)
- IMDb user rating: 8.9/10
- IMDb user votes: 240,149
- Series run: 4 seasons, 39 episodes
- Starring: Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Peter Friedman
When the head of a huge media conglomerate suffers a stroke, his four power-hungry children vie for control of the company, surrounded by a cast of wickedly opportunistic characters.
1. The Sopranos (1999-2007)
- IMDb user rating: 9.2/10
- IMDb user votes: 443,049
- Series run: 6 seasons, 86 episodes
- Starring: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli
Widely regarded as the best television series ever written, this crime drama deftly humanizes a Jersey mob boss who develops panic attacks and seeks psychiatric counseling to deal with the stress brought on by his ruthless job and complicated family relations.