Summary
- Military TV shows honor courage, intelligence, and efficiency in combat while featuring authentic details and riveting storylines.
- Top military shows pay tribute to fallen soldiers and explore themes of sacrifice, heroism, and the grim realities of war.
- These series offer a mix of heroics, teamwork, and sacrifice, shedding light on both the exciting and dark aspects of military life.
These military TV shows serve as examples of the intense, emotional, and exciting stories that have long been centered on the armed forces. Most military shows feature authentic depictions of soldiers and combat, and in some cases reenact significant war events throughout history. Outstanding military shows also typically include riveting storylines, intense action, authentic apparel and weapons, and meticulous attention to detail. All military shows share the theme of honoring courage in combat, intelligence in strategy, and efficiency in tactics.
The best military television shows, like great military movies, also demonstrate great respect for fallen soldiers and establish a deep sense of teamwork and trust from an early stage. The greatest examples of the genre tell stories of honor and sacrifice, and sometimes inspire thought-provoking discourse about the senselessness of physical and psychological violence in war. The best military television shows tell timeless tales of heroism, duty, and the grim realities of combat.
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15 JAG (1995-2005)
10 Seasons, 227 Episodes
JAG impressively aired 227 episodes over 10 seasons between 1995 and 2005. The long-standing legal and military show follows the lives of several members of the JAG (Judge Advocate General) Corps and their handling of military-related law cases. The series is unlike most military shows in the way it centers on various legal proceedings (ranging from war crimes to acts of terrorism), rather than the more front-line duties of the military.
JAG is a quintessential military television classic that was highly popular and culturally relevant when it aired on CBS during the ’90s and 2000s. The series managed to mix the heroics and excitement of the military world with a police procedural setup, following a case-of-the-week format. While it didn’t break any new ground in terms of its depiction of the military, it was a rare glimpse inside their own policing and the unique cases that offered.
14 The Last Ship (2014-2018)
5 Seasons, 56 Episodes
The Last Ship combines elements of sci-fi, action, and mystery to create an intriguing military drama series. While the stakes of the plot are not typically what viewers would expect from other military shows that focus on realism, The Last Ship is eerily pertinent to a pandemic-stricken world and the urgency to develop a vaccine.
The four seasons of The Last Ship ran from 2014 to 2018 but failed to garner significant critical acclaim during that time. Equal parts straightforward and far-fetched, The Last Ship proves to be an interesting and engaging watch. However, with its bigger scale than other military shows at the time, The Last Ship was also able to deliver some big, blockbuster-like action sequences. It is the perfect military show for fans of mystery shows like Lost with more to dive into than just the typical military missions.
13 Six (2017-2018)
2 Seasons, 18 Episodes
Six is a great show about the balance of military and family life for the elite members of Navy SEAL Team Six. The first season of the show deals with the team going on a mission in an attempt to rescue one of their former teammates, played by Walton Goggins. With Goggins’ character of Rip, the show is able to explore the complicated lives of these soldiers and how they are sometimes pushed to do things decidedly unheroic.
Well-made and riveting throughout its 19 episodes, season 2 becomes somewhat convoluted by an overly complicated plot that received mixed reactions. While there are certainly better military shows than Six, it is still worth a watch thanks to a handful of standout action sequences and plot. What Six lacks in an original story, it makes up for in its precise portrayal of Navy SEAL tactics. It is also compelling to see the lives of characters like this beyond their missions and addressing the struggles at home.
Joe Manganiello was originally cast as Rip.
12 The Brave (2017-2018)
1 Season, 13 Episodes
The Brave is an extremely fast-paced and thrilling military show that highlights the tactical warfare elements of modern combat in entertaining ways. The show focuses on an elite covert operations team of the Defense Intelligence Agency as they plan out top-secret and highly dangerous missions to ensure lives are saved and objectives are accomplished.
While The Brave might not focus on attention to detail, the plot is compelling enough to quell the inaccuracies. The cast has outstanding chemistry that brings to light the necessity of trust and camaraderie in intense, life-threatening situations. The Brave succeeds in delivering high-octane action on a globe-trotting scale and leaving out melodrama. Like Six, it is also another look at the lives of these people and the sacrifices they make, putting a human face on the soldiers in these stories.
11 Das Boot (2018)
4 Seasons, 32 Episodes
Das Boot is a television adaptation of the original 1981 film of the same name, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest military movies ever made. While some fans of the original film have criticized the series as unnecessary, the series is a thrilling interpretation of an inexperienced German U-boat crew on a secret mission during the middle of World War II.
Das Boot excels in modernizing and expanding upon the plot of the original movie and features great performances as well as realistic, suspenseful narratives. Like the movie, the series deals with the growing disillusionment among the German soldiers who are risking their lives in WWII for Adolf Hitler’s vision that they no longer see as the best course for Germany. The show earned several German TV awards and was praised for its grounded and unglamorous look at sea warfare.
10 The Terminal List (2022-)
1 Season, 8 Episodes
The Terminal List (starring Chris Pratt) proved controversial among critics, but that doesn’t make it any less riveting. The intense show follows a former Navy SEAL officer and explores dark, but accurate themes of the traumas inflicted by combat. Pratt plays James Reece, a SEAL who returns home following a disastrous mission only for his wife and child to be murdered. Discovering that he was the true target as part of the larger cover-up, he puts together a list of targets and goes on a relentless mission of revenge.
The Terminal List fearlessly tackles heavy issues involving veterans and mental health. While the conspiracy elements of the series are a little farfetched and take the show into more popcorn entertainment territory, Pratt is effective as the stoic and determined lead. The series was a huge success for Prime Video, already spawning a franchise of its own with The Terminal List season 2, as well as a spinoff on the way.
The character of James Reece was created by author Jack Carr.
9 SEAL Team (2017)
6 Seasons, 104 Episodes
SEAL Team is a surprisingly easy-to-watch military show about the lives of a group of Navy SEALs. The show examines the training, preparation, and execution of their dangerous mission around the world as well as the bond they all share back home. Like many of the other series that focus on elite soldiers like this, SEAL Team also examines how this way of life affects their home lives.
The compelling show holds up in terms of entertainment value while potentially cutting a few corners in the fields of accuracy and realism for the sake of network television. Much like many network procedurals that focus on police, this show is more focused on making these soldiers out to be the best of the best and the kind of heroes who are easy to root for rather than well-rounded characters. While it may not be the most insightful series of its kind, SEAL Team does allow the audience to get caught up in the camaraderie of these characters.
8 Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (2018-)
4 Seasons, 30 Episodes
Famed military writer Tom Clancy created the Jack Ryan character who initially appeared in The Hunt For Red October as a CIA analyst. After the likes of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, and Ben Affleck have stepped into the role, John Krasinski is the latest actor to play Jack Ryan on screen. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan depicts the character as a field agent who is tasked with handling highly classified and high-risk missions involving espionage, terrorism, and a variety of geopolitical conflicts.
The show expertly combines components of military action and intelligence that make it equally entertaining and relevant. It has received some criticism about its lack of dealing with the darker and more problematic aspects of the CIA’s foreign operations, but that is a common complaint among shows like this. Krasinski fits nicely into the lead role, playing the intelligent hero. Though the series ended with its fourth season, a spinoff series starring Michael Peña is in the works.
7 Strike Back (2010-2020)
8 Seasons, 76 Episodes
Strike Back is an adrenaline-pumping and authentic depiction of military combat by a top-secret group of British intelligence soldiers. The members of Section 20 conduct secret missions around the globe, with the show’s cast changing regularly with new characters taking over the story. Walking Dead‘s Andrew Lincoln was one of the original stars, but the show has seen the likes of Charles Dance, Liam Cunningham, and Oscar-winning Michelle Yeoh playing roles in the story,
The series is particularly celebrated for its intense and riveting action sequences that consistently create compelling stakes during high-risk counter-terrorism missions. While the show did get into the more complex political details of this world at times and offered some more grounded military aspects, it could simply be enjoyed as a wild and energetic action series for fans of the genre. Strike Back ran for eight seasons and maintained its impressive quality through all of its 77 episodes.
6 Tour Of Duty (1987-1990)
3 Seasons, 58 Episodes
Tour of Duty was a significant part of television history when it aired in 1987. It was one of the first series to depict a realistic interpretation of military events that transpired during the controversial Vietnam War. Few shows at that point maintained a constant wartime setting for the series and none were as gritty as Tour of Duty. Throughout its run, the series saw actors like Carl Weathers, Kyle Chandler, and Lee Majors become part of the ensemble.
The show revolutionized conversations at the time about the overall impact of the Vietnam War. It was celebrated for its authentic portrayal of a U.S. Army platoon and its factual rendition of real-life events that occurred during the Vietnam War, including the raid on Son Tay Prison. The show is also known for its era-specific soundtrack, including its theme song “Paint it Black” by The Rolling Stones.
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5 The Unit (2006-2009)
4 Seasons, 69 Episodes
The Unit is one of the best military TV shows that offers an unparalleled inner perspective into the top-secret world of a covert Special Forces unit. The show is modeled on several real-life military units of this kind, adding authenticity to the world and to the missions that they find themselves on. The show is further elevated by its solid ensemble that includes Dennis Haysbert and Robert Patrick. The show also has some heavy hitters behind the scenes with The Shield‘s Shawn Ryan and acclaimed writer David Mamet among the creators.
The Unit focuses on the elite and realistic strategic and combat experiences of the Special Forces throughout the entire world while also adding elements of behind-the-scenes household drama. These qualities combine to help maintain the show’s intrigue throughout its 70 episodes. With several episodes and the missions the team goes on drawing inspiration from real-life events, there is a sense of the audience being thrown into the real life-and-death world of these soldiers.
4 The Pacific (2010)
1 Season, 10 Episodes
The Pacific is an extraordinary portrayal of World War II that is a companion piece and an extension of Band of Brothers. The show focuses intensely on the psychological effects of war on its characters, a group of U.S. Marines during World War II. The Pacific was inspired by real-life events and soldier accounts of what it was like to fight in the Pacific Theater.
The Pacific depicts the brutality and gruesome horrors of war in relentless detail, which can make for sometimes difficult viewing, but it’s gripping from start to finish. The show specifically draws on three real-life soldiers who fought in these battles, Robert Leckie, Eugene Sledge, and John Basilone. Like Band of Brothers using the experiences of its subjects, the actual anecdotes of these men bring the story to life in a very real and powerful way.
The Pacific
features future stars like Rami Malek and Jon Bernthal in its ensemble.
3 Generation Kill (2008)
1 Season, 7 Episodes
Generation Kill is celebrated for its incredibly accurate feel and stark attention to detail. Few other military television shows have been able to capture the realism of modern warfare achieved by the show. The conceit of the show follows a journalist who is embedded with the US Marine Corps’ 1st Reconnaissance Battalion during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It comes from the acclaimed creators behind HBO’s The Wire.
The outstanding characters look, speak, and operate like real-life Marines, a sign of the intelligence that went into the production. Other than the show’s undeniable authenticity, Generation Kill follows a fascinating narrative that was based on a true story. It aired while the War in Iraq was still very active and extremely relevant to American culture. It served as a commentary on the new generation of soldiers and how their mindset differs from those who came before while also looking at the mental toll the new approach to war takes on the average soldier.
2 M*A*S*H (1972-1983)
11 Seasons, 256 Episodes
M*A*S*H is an exceptional military TV show that aired for 11 seasons from 1972 to 1983. The show expertly combines elements of comedy and drama to offer relief from the brutal conditions of warfare and create introspective views of life as a soldier. M*A*S*H features great classic characters, including Hawkeye Pierce, Colonel Potter, Radar O’Reilly, and Trapper John McIntyre. The show takes place during the Korean War but touches on war’s difficulties and ethical issues throughout generations.
M*A*S*H is one of the most culturally significant network TV shows ever made. While it might not be as authentic to the military experience as other movies, with the sitcom hijinks sometimes taking over, some of the show’s most memorable moments come from the reminders of the horrors of war. M*A*S*H was nominated for over 100 Emmy Awards during its 11 seasons, winning 14 and its finale in 1983 was the most-watched television program of all time, a record it held onto until 2010.
1 Band of Brothers (2001)
1 Season, 10 Episodes
Band of Brothers is the critically acclaimed show famous for its horrific realism and expertly accurate depiction of culture and combat in World War II. The show was produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, two legends behind the remarkable war movie Saving Private Ryan. It follows the real-life member of Easy Company during the European campaign of World War II, from basic training to parachuting into the battlefield on D-Day to the most relentless battles of the war to their final victory.
With a strong narrative, admirable characters, and outstanding cinematography and production value, Band of Brothers changed TV forever. Its massive scale rivaled anything in movies, showing the kind of big storytelling that could be achieved. Decades after its release, its impact is still felt, regarded as one of the greatest depictions of WWII. The show also helped launch the careers of several future stars, including Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, and Tom Hardy.
