5 Best Zombie TV Shows Ever Made, Ranked

Plenty of iconic horror monsters have made their way onto television, but the one unholy beastie that's dominated primetime more than most has been the moaning, groaning menace that is the zombie. Think about it: they can take an entire episode to march across the screen, they can spark deceit within the ranks if someone discovers bite marks, and if there's more than one of the shuffling meat munchers, you're guaranteed to see a gross-out snack scene or two. It's because of this that we've compiled a gruesome and often gooey checklist that has led to some of the best television in recent years, thanks to an army of the undead at its core.

From coma-stricken sheriffs to highly-strung high-schoolers, a number of exceptional bits of television have dropped audiences into a post-apocalyptic world where the dead and buried are up and about. This leads to terror, tears, and favorite cast members you've followed for multiple seasons, biting the dust or someone else. The worst part is that it isn't always a zombie bite that takes them down, but rather villains who have adapted to this new world in the worst possible way. Should you have a hankering for a band of motley humans running for their lives, then check out what we've deemed the best zombie television shows ever made below and be glad that no brains were eaten in this compilation. Well, not ours anyway.

If you want a one-and-done battle with zombies, then "Dead Set" is a great pick and undoubtedly one of the smartest zombie shows to ever hit screens. The surprising amount of brains behind the story is understandable, given that this limited series was created by "Black Mirror" maker Charlie Brooker and follows a zombie outbreak during eviction night on "Big Brother U.K." With the contestants and some of the behind-the-scenes crew fighting for survival, very soon the Diary Room is being doused in blood and guts as everyone goes from biting, bitchy comments to just plain bitey.

Released in 2008, there's no doubt that, among the entries on this list, "Dead Set" might have aged a little, with some cameos and references going over the heads of any audience members outside the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, given that the zombie genre depends on survivors holding out in an isolated location, turning the Big Brother house into the fort of choice, and eventually into a bloodbath, is a genius move. However, it's this kind of play that audiences have become accustomed to with the super sharp mind of Brooker. Before "Black Mirror" highlights like Bandersnatch and "The National Anthem," viewers had "Big Brother" contestants facing something far worse than getting booted out of a house.

The first and immensely compelling Korean zombie drama on this list is "All Of Us Are Dead," which landed on Netflix in 2022 and quickly became a critically acclaimed, binge-worthy series packed with tension and flesh-tearing terror. Spanning 12 episodes and based on the Webtoon of the same name, the show follows one of those pesky zombie viruses as it finds its way into a high school. As if teenage life wasn't difficult enough, soon the number of the living begins to dwindle in place of limb-munching monsters that need more than playground insults to be taken down.

Another bold zombie story, "All Of Us Are Dead" pumps an impressive amount of life into its undead ordeal, drawing on the tropes now ingrained in the brains of horror fans the world over and playing with them in just the right amount. Born from a nasty bite of a science class lab rat, the epidemic stretches beyond the school gates and out into the city, making sure that the show doesn't get stale during class time. In doing so, it delivers a bunch of compelling characters, both good and bad, that you don't want to see turn a little pale and make a beeline for anyone with a pulse. The good news is that you'll also be reuniting with some of them, given that a second season is also on the way soon.

One of the best zombie shows on this army of recommended rotters is unfortunately one that also got abruptly canceled. Landing on Netflix and earning a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes for its troubles, "Santa Clarita Diet" was a gross but gloriously funny comedy series that featured Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant in what might be the funniest they've ever been. Together, the two play a happily married pair of real estate agents who find themselves turning to macabre activities after Sheila (Barrymore) dies and returns to life with a hankering for human flesh.

From there, her loving husband Joel (Olyphant) and their daughter Abby (Liv Hewson) try to find out what curse has befallen their household and just how many bodies they'll have to carve up to keep their secret quiet. Carrying the whip-smart energy of shows like "The Good Place" and "My Name Is Earl," "Santa Clarita Diet" is a great bit of comedy for those who aren't too squeamish or have a dark sense of humor.

Barrymore brings her signature charm, but it's Olyphant who is the surprisingly funny straight man and loving husband. After appearing in the likes of "Deadwood" and "Justified," it's great to see him play a Phil Dunphy type who has to buy a good supply of body bags. Ignore the fact that the show ends on a cliffhanger and just enjoy a killer comedy that met its end far too soon.

Historical epics are good enough as they are, but historical epics with zombies bump them up to a whole other level. That's the kind of treat that's in store with Netflix's two-season scarefest, "Kingdom." Released in 2019 and based on the webcomic series "The Kingdom of the Gods," originally written and adapted for the screen by Kim Eun-hee, "Kingdom" is set during the Joseon Dynasty, and follows yet another virus turning people into monsters, this time infecting the king.

From here, the crown prince of the House of Yi, Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) travels the land trying to find the origins of the virus, unaware that it's already spreading across the land and turning the locals into contorting, relentless monsters. Villagers are doing the best they can to hold back the army of the undead, but that proves to be difficult when they're revealed to be not your typical zombies.

Besides dropping the undead into a compelling era to mix things up a bit, "Kingdom" also does a great job in playing with the origins of these creatures and transforming these particular gnawing nightmares into a different kind of monster. Add in compelling political struggles, along with immense amounts of tension and great set pieces involving the undead, and "Kingdom" could be the zombie series you didn't know existed and soon won't be able to live without. Also, once you're done after two seasons, there's a great little spin-off movie, "Kingdom: Ashin of the North," that's also worth a watch.

There was really no other zombie show taking the top spot other than the one that had Andrew Lincoln crying for half of it and mercilessly gunning down a variety of monsters that weren't just undead ones. "The Walking Dead" debuted in 2010, ran for 11 seasons, and featured an impressive cast that would go on to become megastars in their own right. The adaptation of Robert Kirkman's beloved comic series was a platform for Norman Reedus, Jon Bernthal, Steven Yeun, Danai Gurira, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, to name a few.

Say what you will about the direction it took after Glenn went up to bat, but there's no denying that for a time, "The Walking Dead" held as much sway over television as shows like "Lost" and "Game of Thrones," and understandably so. Just like the comic book pages it was pulling from, "The Walking Dead" was more than just a brainless zombie show, but one that gave audiences one of the most (ahem) fleshed-out post-apocalyptic worlds ever put on television. 

Zombies were one thing, but poor Rick Grimes and the rest of his caravan of cadavers-in-the-making were going up against monsters like The Governor (David Morrissey), Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and eventually Alpha (Samantha Morton). The spin-offs tried to recapture the drama and horror that ran through the veins of the original ("The Ones Who Live" being a great sequel series), but nothing could top the original or the power it had over prime-time television for a long time. Nothing probably ever will.