From 'Boy Meets World' to 'Black-ish' and Back, These Are the 55 Best Shows To Watch as a Family

There are so many shows streaming and on cable that it’s hard to determine which ones are appropriate for family viewing. There are shows that give insight to blended families, divorce and the ups and downs of teenage angst. or maybe you prefer shows with a dose of magic or that are set in the Star Wars universe and take you on a journey to faraway galaxies.

Regardless of whether you're in the mood to laugh, cry, rejoice or cheer on a superhero, there’s a show on this list that you can watch as a family. Here are 55 of the best family TV shows ever, including family shows from the '90s and current family-friendly fare, shows that are appropriate for kids but still entertaining for adults.

Best Family TV shows

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

It’s been 30 years since a kid from West Philly ended up at a mansion in Bel Air. The theme song to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air tells the story of how Will Smith got into some neighborhood beef and his mom sends him to California to live with their rich family members. The show depicted an upper-class Black family that was still in touch with the realities of the culture in America.

Bel-Air

A reinvention of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Bel-Air takes a more serious turn as a family drama tackling social issues and racial justice. Bel-Air is a Peacock original starring newcomer Jabari Banks as Will Smith.

Related: Everything to Know About Bel-Air

The Simpsons

From predicting the future to criticizing corruption (we're looking at you, Mr. Burns!), The Simpsons is as heartfelt as it is hilarious. There's a reason it's been on TV basically forever (or nearly 34 years, but who's counting?)!

Related: The Ultimate Simpsons Fan Quiz

The Good Witch

This Hallmark Channel drama fantasy follows the residents of Middleton, including Cassie Nightingale (Catherine Bell) and her daughter and the next-door neighbors. It’s an ongoing mystery surrounding Cassie’s family lineage and how she can magically make things happen while running her store and the local bed and breakfast. It’s a feel-good show that the entire family can enjoy because it emphasizes the importance of empathy, responsibility and being kind.

The Great British Baking Show

Do you and your kids love baking together? This show is for you. It’s filmed in the U.K. but it touches hearts and stomachs around the world. This competition series seeks to find the best of the best baker. Amateur bakers of all ages and walks of life don their aprons to compete by baking challenging pastries, cakes, breads and desserts.

Nailed It!

Imagine The Great British Baking Show if the contestants were American and the worst bakers imaginable. Then have them make really intricate and complicated desserts, and you have Nailed It!. It's a recipe for disaster, but in the best and most hilarious possible way.

Malcolm In the Middle

Before The Middle, there was Malcolm In the Middle. The series is a hilarious depiction of adolescence in a lower-middle-class family that's somehow both very of its time and timeless. Plus, you cannot possibly go wrong with Bryan Cranston.

Related: The 40 Best Bob's Burgers Episodes

Bob's Burgers

Adults and kids alike will adore the absurdity that is Bob's Burgers, albeit for different reasons. From financial struggles to getting stuck in a cardboard fort on Halloween, the show mixes food, humor and music like no other—but what makes it the most meaty is its wholesomeness.

Related: Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Bob's Burgers

Heartland

This multi-generational family show is set in the foothills of the Rockies. The series is centered around the Heartland horse ranch as Amy Fleming (Amber Marshall), her older sister Lou (Michelle Morgan) and their grandfather Jack (Shaun Johnston) juggle the challenges of running the family business. The family drama is based on the middle school novel series, Heartland, by Lauren Brooke.

The Nanny

After cosmetics saleswoman Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) is fired from her job and dumped by her boyfriend, she unexpectedly gets a job as the nanny to the three children of a wealthy widower. Fran’s no-nonsense honesty and sharp wit bring logic and new perspective to the Sheffield family. The entire series can now be seen on HBO Max.

Black-ish

Black-ish premiered in 2014 and introduced a new Black family to television, the Johnsons. Dre Johnson (Anthony Anderson) is an advertising executive with a sneaker fetish and is grappling with the fact his five spoiled kids are growing up in a world he doesn’t understand. His wife, Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross) is a doctor that wants the kids to be able to express themselves and be free. The show has themes of several personal and sociopolitical issues mixed in with humor. Once you're caught up with this series, you can turn to its spinoffs, Grown-ish, following the Johnsons' eldest daughter to college, and Mixed-ish, a prequel that chronicles Rainbow's childhood with her activist parents.

Anne with An E

Based on the book Anne of Green Gables, this series follows a 13-year-old orphan named Anne (Amybeth McNulty) in Avonlea in the late 19th century. It’s a heartwarming tale of her journey after she finds an unlikely home and family with a spinster and her soft-spoken bachelor brother. The series aired its last episodes in early 2020, and all three seasons are available on Netflix now.

Related: The 100 Best Shows to Binge-Watch on Netflix 

The Andy Griffith Show

This family comedy is a throwback because of the 249 episodes, half are in black and white. Widower Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) and his son Opie (Ron Howard) live with Andy’s Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) in Mayberry, North Carolina. The show is centered around the small town and its colorful characters including Andy’s bumbling cousin Deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts).

Life By Ella

Life By Ella reminds viewers that cancer isn't always a death sentence—and that there is plenty of life after cancer for young survivors who don't want their illness to define them.

Country Comfort

This Netflix family comedy stars Katharine McPhee as an aspiring country singer whose career comes to a halt. But she finds the band of her dreams when she takes a job as a nanny for a widower (Eddie Cibrian) and his five children.

Gilmore Girls

Single mom Lorelai (Lauren Graham) raises gifted, Ivy League-bound daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) in this classic series. The show follows three generations of Gilmores, and family members of various ages can relate to the storylines of falling in love for the first time, figuring out parenting or trying to get along with family members with different viewpoints. The series streams on Netflix.

Mighty Ducks: Game Changers

The inspiring hockey movie gets adapted into a TV series starring Lauren Graham. You don't need to know a thing about pucks or sticks to get sucked into this heartwarming Disney+ series.

Big Shot

The more John Stamos, the merrier. In Big Shot, the ageless hunk stars as a former big shot basketball coach who's relegated to teaching a high school girls' team—and learns a lot of humility along the way.

Related: Why John Stamos Loves Playing a 'Jackass' In Big Shot

Amber Brown

Carsyn Rose stars as the imaginative titular Amber Brown. The heartwarming Apple TV+ series follows Amber as she navigates life amidst her parents' divorce and her best friend moving away.

Related: Carsyn Rose Talks Amber Brown and Being Confident

Best Foot Forward

In addition to being warm and hilarious, Best Foot Forward on Apple TV+ provides sorely needed representation for differently abled kids. It's informative and never preachy, and it will help instill confidence and kindness in every kid (and adult!) who watches.

Related: Logan Marmino on Best Foot Forward and Rising to Life's Challenges

Paper Girls

Paper Girls has mystery, supernatural elements and growing pains—but nothing gory or nightmare-inducing like, say, Stranger Things. That said, you'll want to tune into this Prime Video series with kids 7 and up to be safe.

The Proud Family

The Proud Family was Disney Channel’s first original animated series about the life of a young Black girl, 14-year-old Penny Proud. The cartoon’s theme song even tapped into pop culture with vocals by Solange Knowles and Destiny’s Child. The show is about Penny’s relationship with her parents, Oscar and Trudy, and her desire to make them happy; her siblings; and her hardcore grandma Suga Mama. A revival of the cartoon is expected to air on Disney+ in 2022.

All About the Washingtons

Whose house? Run’s house! Except this time Rev Run of Run DMC fame stars in this Netflix family comedy as hip hop icon MC Joe Speed. He retires from the spotlight and has to find a new rhythm balancing business, romance and family.

One Day at a Time

This series is a reimagining of the '80s television classic, with a newly single Latina mother (Justina Machado) raising her teen daughter and tween son with the help of her more traditional mom (Rita Moreno). Storylines include veteran PTSD, racism, immigration and the everyday ups and downs of living together as a family. One Day at a Time may help start conversations with older kids.

Boy Meets World

This sitcom follows sixth-grader Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) alongside his brother and best friend trying to make sense of the world. As he grows up, he even falls for his classmate Topanga (Danielle Fishel). It’s a welcome throwback for parents and timeless fun for kids.

Fuller House

If you were an avid viewer of the TGIF lineup on ABC growing up, then Fuller House is the perfect nostalgia-fueled show to share with your kids. It’s a continuation of the sitcom Full House, and it catches up with the Tanner family as they come together to help D.J. (Candace Cameron Bure) raise her kids after her husband dies. The majority of the original cast reprises their roles in this family comedy.

Family Matters

Another TGIF lineup fave is the spinoff of Perfect Strangers, Family Matters. The series is centered around the Winslow family, a middle-class African American family living in Chicago dealing with pesky nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White). Urkel is the breakout character and sure to have your family laughing and saying the catchphrase, “did I do that?”

Dinosaurs

Save for the finale, which is one of the most depressing (if poignant) things to ever air on television, Dinosaurs is hilarious and moving, with a working-class dad dinosaur, two teenage kids, a kindhearted mom, and the brattiest, cutest baby of the Jurassic era.

Facts of Life

This spinoff of the show Different Strokes focuses on Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae), the Drummonds' housekeeper that goes on to become a housemother at an all-girls boarding school. The girls in her care included spoiled rich girl Blair; young, gossipy Tootie; impressionable Natalie; and tomboy Jo. You’ll also spot a young George Clooney on the show. This show is for older children and touches on topics like cerebral palsy, eating disorders and peer pressure.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Lemony Snicket’s set of novels about the three Baudelaire orphans and the circumstances they find themselves in was adapted into this funny creative series that audiences of all ages can enjoy. Neil Patrick Harris stars as the evil Count Olaf, who uses different guardians of disguise while chasing after the children’s fortune.

Related: 16 Best Witch TV Shows

Family Reunion

When the McKellan family moves from Seattle to small-town Georgia, life down South and traditional grandparents challenge their big-city ways. Tia Mowry and Loretta DeVine star in this family comedy. The show tackles heavy topics such as religion, fitting in and race relations.

The Wonder Years

Another nostalgic throwback, now an adult, Kevin Arnold looks back on his childhood in the late 60’s. Real-life historic events like the Vietnam War serve as the backdrop for Kevin’s (Fred Savage) journey growing up, from his first kiss with his crush to his first job.

The Wonder Years

A reboot of The Wonder Years showcases a Black family in the same era as Kevin, with the show taking place in Alabama. Civil rights and racial justice are seen in a much more focused lens than in the original, but with the same heart, charm and humor that made the nostalgic series so beloved. Don Cheadle provides the voiceover, which is just an added bonus.

Sister, Sister

Tia and Tamera Mowry's beloved '90s sitcom followed a similar plot as the classic film The Parent Trap. It’s about twin sisters, Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell, who were separated at birth, one raised by a single mother, the other by a single father, who reunite as teenagers and move in together with their parents to live under the same roof.

Everybody Hates Chris

Comedian Chris Rock brought his childhood in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood to television with this series. Set during the 1980s, Everybody Hates Chris chronicled Rock's painful and often awkward fight for respect, a battle that was rooted in his own home. On the show, he’s always in the shadow of his little brother Drew, his parents are tough on him, his little sister even gives him grief. He’s bullied in his neighborhood and at school. The show tackled race and class in America through comedy.

That’s So Raven

This family comedy features a teenage girl (Raven Symone) that has brief psychic visions of the future. Trying to make the visions come true often results in a world of trouble and hilarious situations for her and her friends. After you watch the original series, catch the reboot Raven’s Home.

Raven’s Home

This is the spinoff of That’s So Raven. Raven Symone reprises her role as an adult Raven Baxter. She's a single mother of twins who can also see into the future. When visions collide, it creates a fun family affair. Her best friend Chelsea and her son Levi also move in with Raven and her family. The show is funny and something both parents and their kids can enjoy.

The Bernie Mac Show

From Bernie Mac’s standup in The Original Kings of Comedy to television, Mac joked about taking in his sister’s kids after she entered rehab. This show featured Mac and his wife Wanda (Kellita Smith) adjusting to parenthood and raising his sister's three kids: Jordan, Vanessa and Bryana. The weekly sitcom’s signature was breaking down the fourth wall where Bernie would talk to “America” about what he was really thinking during certain moments of the show.

Related: 30 Best Reality TV Shows of All Time

Little Big Shots

It’s a talent show for kids that will entertain everyone in the house. The show features inspiring content with some family-friendly laughs, especially the interviews with the young contestants. The talent acts are also memorable but this isn’t a cutthroat competition, it’s a show that showcases little people with big talent.

Glee

This musical comedy-drama aired from 2009 to 2015 and centered around the glee club. The club competes as a show choir, but there are plenty of issues to be worked out including race, relationships and teamwork. Plus, who doesn’t love show tunes? That said, hold this one until the kids are in high school.

Fresh Off the Boat

The best-selling memoir by Eddie Huang is what this family-friendly sitcom is based on. Tweens are the best audience to view this show since the content includes racial identity, cultural background via the experiences of a Chinese American boy and his family members that are struggling to fit in after relocating to a new city.

The Baby-Sitters Club

Say hello to your friends because Ann M. Martin’s beloved book series got a modern update in this Netflix series. The Baby-Sitters Club follows Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, Stacey McGill, Dawn Schafer, Jessie Ramsey and Mallory Pike as the middle-schoolers start their babysitting business in the town of Stony Brook, Connecticut. It’s a show all ages can enjoy.

The Mandalorian

This Disney+ series is set in the Star Wars universe but years before the Star Wars movies. There’s a lot of conflict and battling, but without blood and gore. “Baby Yoda” is the emerging star of this sci-fi adventure series. This one is probably best viewed by tweens and up.

The Middle

The Middle is a sitcom that follows a lower-middle-class Midwestern family. Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn played Frankie and Mike Heck. They have three children Axl (Charlie McDermott), Sue (Eden Sher) and Brick (Atticus Shaffer). The Middle is a wholesome comedy that relies on the eccentricities of the Heck family to bring the big laughs. This is a show parents can watch with kids of all ages.

Little House on the Prairie

This historical drama is an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s best-selling book series. It’s about a family living on a farm in the 1800s in Minnesota. The show explored many different themes like adoption, faith and racism over the course of its nine seasons.

Just Add Magic

If you love fantasy with your family viewing, then this Amazon Prime show is for you. It’s a mystery adventure about two friends who discover an enchanted recipe book and start cooking up magic. It’s a show that young kids can even watch because it’s full of positive themes like friendship and compassion.

Growing Pains

Dr. Jason Seaver (Alan Thicke) has his hands full as a psychiatrist and father of a rambunctious group of kids. The family comedy tackled topics like drugs, suicide and peer pressure, but it was the child actors who took center stage. The series stared Candace Cameron Bure's brother Kirk Cameron.

The Hardy Boys

The Hardy Boys is an action-packed mystery series based on the classic books of the same name. This modern-day reboot on Hulu follows two brothers, Frank and Joe Hardy, alongside their friends and father, trying to disclose the truth about something sinister happening in their town. This is a family-friendly show packed with serious nostalgia.

The Brady Bunch

This series revolved around a large blended family with not just a couple children, but six. Mike Brady (Robert Reed) has three sons and he marries Carol (Florence Henderson), who has three daughters, add in the live-in housekeeper and chaos ensues with adjustments on everyone’s part. This classic family show can be viewed with kids of any age.

Sweet Magnolias

This Netflix series is as sweet as sweet tea. Lifelong friends Maddie, Helen and Dana Sue are there for each other as they juggle relationships, breakups and careers in the small southern town of Serenity. You’ll recognize two familiar faces in Joanna Garcia Swisher, Heather Headley and Jamie Lynn Spears. This show is for older teens and is based on the Sherry Woods book series. A second season is on the way!

Party of Five

The reboot of this popular '90s teen drama follows the five Acosta children as they navigate life after their parents are deported back to Mexico. Lots of drama ensues as they try to figure out how to get their parents back into the country all while dealing with the ups and downs of growing up. This version only has one season, but it's a good watch for the whole family, if the kids are a bit older.

Modern Family

This award-winning show is centered around the blended Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker family. It’s a hilarious mockumentary that gives an honest look into a twisted modern family. Consisting of 11 seasons of comically based situations that real families face in everyday life, the show is perfect to watch with the entire family.

Rugrats

While you probably watched these babies as a kid, it's time to pay closer attention to the parents. And your little ones will love these little ones in the reboot of Rugrats on Paramount +. Just like the 1990s original series, Rugrats focuses on the experiences of an adventurous one-year-old baby named Tommy Pickles and his group of playmates.

Happy Days

Sock hops, jukeboxes and an old diner! Taking a trip to the past is always a fun family experience. This classic show revolves around teenager Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) and his family and friends, notably, the infamous Fonzie (Henry Winkler), the epitome of cool. The eleven seasons of the show track the years from 1955 to 1965. It’s a trip down memory lane for grandparents and parents, and introduces the kids to the way things used to be in this family sitcom.

The Goldbergs

If your child has ever wondered what it’s like growing up in the '80s, then this is the show to watch with them. Three siblings navigate growing up in the colorful yet loving Goldberg family in Pennsylvania. The youngest child Adam (Sean Giambrone) documents his family life with his video camera. This sitcom also references pop culture events throughout the era, so it’s a great trip down memory lane. The show was just renewed for a ninth season on ABC.

Looking for more kid-friendly content? Check out this list of the best streaming kids shows.