01 A stylish, underrated action series that built real momentum before its cancellation.
12 Best Action TV Series
By Vlad Zakh · August 25, 2026
24 basically invented the modern real-time action-thriller structure for television, and Banshee and Strike Back show how far that same energy could be pushed on cable. The Last of Us proves the genre still has real emotional depth left to mine.
01 
02 Leans fully into pulpy, physical action in a way few modern shows commit to.
03 A fast-paced conspiracy thriller built for pure binge momentum.
04 Turned a decades-old movie franchise into a genuinely great ongoing action series.
05 Some of the best choreographed fight sequences ever put on American television.
06 Martial-arts action set in 1870s San Francisco, sharper than its short run suggests.
07 Subverts the entire superhero-action genre while still delivering real spectacle.
08 A grounded spy-action series built on real geopolitical stakes.
09 Proved a prestige drama and a genuine action series could exist in the same show.
10 Relentless, mission-driven action with real scale for a cable budget.
11 Brutal, stylish, and consistently underrated as one of the best pure action shows on TV.
12 Real-time structure that made every single episode feel like it mattered.