TAGGED AS: romance, sexy, streaming, television, TV

(Photo by Starz)
62 of TV’s Sexiest Shows
New Starz series Dangerous Liaisons offers a new look at the characters in Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ ridicule of pre-French Revolution Parisian aristocracy, Les Liaisons dangereuses. The show is an origin story to the characters made famous to modern audiences through the 1988 film adaptation of the book or the campy 1999 teen-focused Cruel Intentions. And this bodice-ripping period drama wouldn’t live up to its predecessors if it didn’t have some steamy scenes beneath the sheets.
It’s the latest example of a show that requires intimacy coordinators, creative camera angles, and pasties.
We’ve compiled a list of shows past and present, TV and streaming that turn up the heat. Some, like Hulu’s Normal People or Apple TV+’s Dickinson were infamous for their sensual sex scenes. Others, like Netflix’s Bridgerton and HBO’s Game of Thrones, walked the line between sexy sex scenes and more controversial ones (while Kit Harington’s Jon Snow did know at least one thing, not every character on that show was a compassionate lover). There are also series — like classic broadcast fare Moonlighting or teen-targeted Riverdale — that are sexy thanks to the on-screen energy of their characters even if the actual love-making isn’t explicit (or there at all).
We’ll update this list as more series become available. In the meantime, if you’re hot and bothered that your favorite isn’t on our list, recommend your picks in the comments section.
85%
77%
Synopsis: "The Affair" explores the emotional/psychological effects of two affairs. Young diner waitress Alison and her husband, rancher Cole, are struggling -- personally and financially --... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, Maura Tierney, Joshua Jackson
85%
85%
Synopsis: The Borgias, led by patriarch Rodrigo, are a family of outsiders from Spain who try to take over control of Renaissance-era Italy. Through the use... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jeremy Irons, François Arnaud, David Oakes, Holliday Grainger
81%
84%
Synopsis: A prequel to the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novel "Treasure Island," "Black Sails" is a pirate adventure that centers on the tales of Captain Flint,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Toby Stephens, Hannah New, Luke Arnold, Jessica Parker Kennedy
82%
72%
Synopsis: Bridgerton follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest daughter of the powerful Bridgerton family as she makes her debut onto Regency London’s competitive marriage market.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie, Luke Thompson
57%
77%
Synopsis: David Duchovny returns to series television in this adult sitcom as Hank Moody, an alcoholic, womanizing novelist struggling to help raise his precocious daughter, Becca,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: David Duchovny, Natascha McElhone, Madeleine Martin, Evan Handler
82%
72%
Synopsis: This adaptation of the "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" tale is a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror and the occult. In the reimagined origin... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kiernan Shipka, Ross Lynch, Lucy Davis, Chance Perdomo
61%
63%
Synopsis: Two Dublin college students, Frances and Bobbi, and the strange and unexpected connection they forge with married couple, Melissa and Nick.
Starring: Alison Oliver, Joe Alwyn, Sasha Lane, Jemima Kirke
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78%
Synopsis: In 1720 Madrid, a talented cook catches the eye of a widowed duke just as he returns to aristocratic society.
Starring: Michelle Jenner, Roberto Enríquez, Hugo Silva, Maxi Iglesias
47%
77%
Synopsis: Origin story and early years of narcissistic rivals and ex-lovers, Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, who use seduction to control and exploit... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Nicholas Denton, Lesley Manville, Alice Englert, Kosar Ali
60%
87%
Synopsis: A married woman spends a fateful weekend away from home that ignites passion but ends in tragedy, causing her to question the truth about those... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Maite Perroni, Alejandro Speitzer, Erik Hayser, María Fernanda Yepes
75%
81%
Synopsis: Eventually he becomes the most famous artist of all time -- a mythic figure in history -- but the path that forged Leonardo da Vinci's... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tom Riley, Laura Haddock, Elliot Cowan, Lara Pulver
72%
88%
Synopsis: Behind the facade of a postcard-perfect subdivision live four women whose lives are anything but idyllic. Klutzy Susan is divorced and the mother of teenage... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria
92%
92%
Synopsis: Emily Dickinson, poet, daughter, and total rebel; in this coming-of-age story, Emily is determined to become the world's greatest poet.
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Toby Huss, Jane Krakowski, Adrian Enscoe
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- -
Synopsis: One of the quintessential 1980s prime-time soaps, "Dynasty" follows the gloriously over-the-top trials and tribulations of the fabulously wealthy and none-to-nice Carrington and Colby clans.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: John Forsythe, Linda Evans, Joan Collins, Heather Locklear
90%
85%
Synopsis: From director and creator Joe Swanberg, this Netflix-original comedy anthology series explores diverse Chicago characters, modern romance technology and culture. Scenarios include a married couple... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Zazie Beetz, Mauricio Ochmann, Aislinn Derbez, Elizabeth Reaser
73%
64%
Synopsis: When three working-class teens enroll in an exclusive private school in Spain, the clash between them and the wealthy students leads to murder.
Starring: André Lamoglia, Valentina Zenere, Omar Ayuso, Carmen Arrufat
95%
85%
Synopsis: Hundreds of years in the future, things are different than what humanity is used to after humans have colonized the solar system and Mars has... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Steven Strait, Dominique Tipper, Wes Chatham, Shohreh Aghdashloo
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67%
Synopsis: In a luxury apartment building, six women in unhappy marriages end up crossing the line into infidelity.
Starring: Ryôko Shinohara, Takanori Iwata, Masanobu Andô
100%
92%
Synopsis: A dry-witted woman, known only as Fleabag, has no filter as she navigates life and love in London while trying to cope with tragedy. The... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Ben Aldridge, Sian Clifford, Bill Paterson
89%
85%
Synopsis: George R.R. Martin's best-selling book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" is brought to the screen as HBO sinks its considerable storytelling teeth into... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke
84%
79%
Synopsis: High school is over for the privileged former students at an exclusive prep school on Manhattan's Upper East Side, but Gossip Girl still shares text-messaged... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford
96%
84%
Synopsis: A genre-bending, anti-historical ride through 18th-century Russia following the wildly comedic rise of Catherine the Nothing to Catherine the Great.
Starring: Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley
97%
90%
Synopsis: In this drama set in 18th century London, Samantha Morton stars as Margaret Wells, a brothel owner and mother to two daughters, Charlotte and Lucy.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Samantha Morton, Lesley Manville, Jessica Brown Findlay, Liv Tyler
87%
77%
Synopsis: The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to popular HBO series "Game of Thrones;" based on George R.R. Martin's "Fire & Blood," "House... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy
87%
72%
Synopsis: Set in a colorful academic community in Texas, this series follows a frustrated filmmaker named Chris and a writer, Sylvere, who are in a troubled... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Hahn, Griffin Dunne, Roberta Colindrez
91%
70%
Synopsis: Graduates from all walks of life compete for a limited number of available full-time employment opportunities at Pierpoint, a top investment bank in London; the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Myha'la Herrold, Marisa Abela, Harry Lawtey, David Jonsson
99%
78%
Synopsis: In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac lives in Dubai and seeks to tell the story of his life or afterlife... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Delainey Hayles, Eric Bogosian
79%
73%
Synopsis: Eve's life as a spy is not adding up to what she had hoped it would be when she started. She is a bored, very... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, Fiona Shaw, Kim Bodnia
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Synopsis: Following the interwoven love lives of three gay women living in Glasgow.
Starring: Laura Fraser, Ruta Gedmintas, Fiona Button
78%
74%
Synopsis: In this neo-noir, Alice is a middle-aged film director who feels lost since raising her family; But a chance meeting with Sophie, a femme-fatale screenwriter,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ayelet Zurer, Lihi Kornowski, Gal Toren, Shai Avivi
90%
92%
Synopsis: Three best friends living in San Francisco share the nuances and complexities of contemporary gay relationships as they explore a variety of options, both in... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jonathan Groff, Frankie J. Alvarez, Murray Bartlett, Lauren Weedman
57%
78%
Synopsis: This long-running Showtime series features intertwined stories about the lives and loves of a group of lesbians and bisexuals in Los Angeles. The characters date,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jennifer Beals, Laurel Holloman, Mia Kirshner, Katherine Moennig
94%
95%
Synopsis: In 1960s New York, alpha male Don Draper struggles to stay on top of the heap in the high-pressure world of Madison Avenue advertising firms.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Vincent Kartheiser, January Jones
84%
85%
Synopsis: William Masters and Virginia Johnson are known as pioneers of the science of human sexuality. Their research shoots them to fame on a trajectory that... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michael Sheen, Lizzy Caplan, Caitlin FitzGerald, Annaleigh Ashford
60%
30%
Synopsis: This update of the popular 1992 soap features a new group of diverse 20-somethings living in an elegant Spanish-style apartment complex. The landlady of the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Katie Cassidy, Stephanie Jacobsen, Jessica Lucas, Michael Rady
89%
91%
Synopsis: After being cleaned out by her no-good manager, model Maddie Hayes is about to sell one of her few remaining assets, the Blue Moon Detective... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Cybill Shepherd, Bruce Willis, Allyce Beasley, Curtis Armstrong
82%
76%
Synopsis: A divorced woman jumpstarts her love life by adopting a sexy new persona and discovers that her world is full of unexpected and sometimes complicated... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kathryn Hahn, Jackson White, Casey Wilson, Owen Teague
74%
83%
Synopsis: This often campy series centers on the office of Dr. Sean McNamara and Dr. Christian Troy, longtime friends who practice surgery (and live life) in... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Dylan Walsh, Julian McMahon, John Hensley, Joely Richardson
91%
92%
Synopsis: Marianne and Connell come from different backgrounds but the same small town in Ireland, weaving in and out of each other's romantic lives.
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Paul Mescal, Eliot Salt, India Mullen
90%
82%
Synopsis: Piper Chapman is a public relations executive with a career and a fiance when her past suddenly catches up to her. In her mid-30s she... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Taylor Schilling, Natasha Lyonne, Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks
84%
72%
Synopsis: Klaus, the original vampire/werewolf hybrid, returns to New Orleans -- which his family helped build -- to investigate rumors of a plot against him, in... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, Phoebe Tonkin, Charles Michael Davis
90%
85%
Synopsis: After serving as a British Army nurse in World War II, Claire Randall is enjoying a second honeymoon in Scotland with husband Frank, an MI6... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin
91%
90%
Synopsis: Many people are familiar with classic literary characters like Dr. Frankenstein and Dorian Gray. "Penny Dreadful" brings those and other characters into a new light... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Eva Green, Josh Hartnett, Reeve Carney
95%
94%
Synopsis: The Pynk is a popular strip club in Mississippi, where intrigue abounds when the mysterious Autumn is welcomed by Mercedes, the dancer, and Uncle Clifford,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Brandee Evans, Nicco Annan, Shannon Thornton, Elarica Johnson
100%
87%
Synopsis: The lives of three gay men living in Manchester, England.
Starring: Aidan Gillen, Craig Kelly, Charlie Hunnam, Denise Black
94%
71%
Synopsis: "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rhimes is the creative mind behind this ABC drama. Olivia Pope, a former media consultant to the president, is ready to... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kerry Washington, Guillermo Díaz, Darby Stanchfield, Katie Lowes
86%
84%
Synopsis: Eight strangers around the globe find themselves connected -- first by a violent vision, then by their shared ability to connect with one another's thoughts... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Brian J. Smith, Tuppence Middleton, Jamie Clayton, Miguel Ángel Silvestre
70%
80%
Synopsis: A sex columnist, Carrie Bradshaw, and her three friends -- Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda -- explore Manhattan's dating scene, chronicling the mating habits of single... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon
93%
77%
Synopsis: Socially awkward high school student Otis may not have much experience in the lovemaking department, but he gets good guidance on the topic in his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, Aimee Lou Wood
40%
52%
Synopsis: A suburban wife and mother takes a fantasy-charged trip down memory lane that sets her present on a collision course with her wild-child past.
Starring: Sarah Shahi, Mike Vogel, Adam Demos, Margaret Odette
73%
78%
Synopsis: Four roommates must learn how to navigate their new freedom on the well-known campus of Essex College.
Starring: Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, Reneé Rapp, Alyah Chanelle Scott
78%
57%
Synopsis: Iconic filmmaker Spike Lee revisits his first feature film with this Netflix original series of the same name. Brooklyn-based artist Nola Darling struggles to stay... View Full Synopsis
Starring: DeWanda Wise, Cleo Anthony, Lyriq Bent, Anthony Ramos
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67%
Synopsis: The lives of a group of teenagers in Bristol, England, are followed through two years of sixth form, with the story line of this critically... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kaya Scodelario, Jack O'Connell, Hannah Murray, Alexander Arnold
53%
49%
Synopsis: After an attack brings down the star student at a ballet school, her replacement enters a world of lies, betrayal and cutthroat competition.
Starring: Jess Salgueiro, Lauren Holly, Kylie Jefferson, Casimere Jollette
68%
73%
Synopsis: Small-town Louisiana waitress Sookie Stackhouse already is viewed as an oddball by her friends and neighbors, since she can read the minds of those around... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten
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65%
Synopsis: While going through a marital crisis, a writer finds solace in her three friends.
Starring: Diana Gómez, Paula Malia, Silma López, Maxi Iglesias
86%
73%
Synopsis: This supernatural drama, based on the series of novels by L.J. Smith, details the lives of two brothers, Damon and Stefan Salvatore, who have been... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev, Kat Graham
100%
84%
Synopsis: "Vida" is a drama series about two Mexican-American siblings from East Los Angeles. Party girl Lyn lives a carefree life in the Bay Area. She... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Maria-Elena Laas
93%
88%
Synopsis: Viking Ragnar Lothbrok is a young farmer and family man who is frustrated by the policies of Earl Haraldson, his local chieftain who sends his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Katheryn Winnick, Moe Dunford, Josefin Asplund, Alexander Ludwig
96%
62%
Synopsis: The adventures of famous Vikings as they blaze new paths in an ever-changing Europe.
Starring: Sam Corlett, Leo Suter, Frida Gustavsson, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson
70%
80%
Synopsis: Widowed suburbanite Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) starts growing and selling marijuana to make enough money to support her family after her husband's unexpected death leaves... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mary-Louise Parker, Kevin Nealon, Justin Kirk, Alexander Gould
75%
46%
Synopsis: The Witcher Geralt, a mutated monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world in which people often prove more wicked than beasts.
Starring: Liam Hemsworth, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan, Joey Batey
