‘South Park’ Is Cemented Atop of Paramount+’s Most-Watched Shows List and It’s Going Nowhere: Here Is the Rest of the Top 10

Paramount+ has a little bit of everything right now—from animated satire and kids’ classics to long-running procedurals and comfort-food sitcoms. This week’s viewing trends skew toward familiar favorites and buzzy originals, with several series that first aired on broadcast or cable now finding fresh life on streaming.

Below is a simple countdown, based on what people are actually tuning into on the platform. It’s a mix of brand-new originals and legacy hits whose full episode libraries are available to stream, so whether you’re sampling a season premiere or binging from episode one, you’re covered.

10. ‘The King of Queens’ (1998–2007)

Created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, ‘The King of Queens’ stars Kevin James and Leah Remini as Doug and Carrie Heffernan, a married couple in Queens whose basement-dwelling father, played by Jerry Stiller, keeps the household lively. The CBS sitcom ran for nine seasons and 207 episodes in a traditional multi-camera format.

Episodes follow Doug’s delivery-driver misadventures and Carrie’s legal-secretary work, with recurring roles for Victor Williams, Patton Oswalt and Gary Valentine; frequent director and executive producer Rob Schiller helped shape the show’s house style. The series shares a universe with ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’, with occasional crossovers between the two comedies.

9. ‘Survivor’ (2000– )

Produced by Mark Burnett and hosted—and executive-produced—by Jeff Probst, ‘Survivor’ strands contestants in remote locations where they form tribes, compete in challenges and vote each other out until a sole winner remains. Since debuting in 2000, the show has produced dozens of seasons and adopted a numbers-only naming convention starting with season 41.

Jeff Probst has helmed the franchise since its U.S. launch, and recent seasons continue to draw attention for high-stakes twists and real-world medical protocols that sometimes become part of the narrative. The show’s format typically spans 13–16 episodes per season, with production crews scaling up significantly over the years.

8. ‘Frasier’ (1993–2004)

A spinoff of ‘Cheers’, ‘Frasier’ was created by David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee and follows psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane, played by Kelsey Grammer, as he returns to Seattle to host a radio advice show. The ensemble includes David Hyde Pierce as Niles, John Mahoney as Martin, Jane Leeves as Daphne and Peri Gilpin as Roz; the series ran 11 seasons and amassed 264 episodes.

The sitcom is notable for its record-setting Primetime Emmy haul during its run, its multi-camera stagecraft, and its memorable closing theme “Tossed Salads & Scrambled Eggs,” sung by Grammer. Paramount Television produced the show alongside Grub Street Productions and Grammnet.

7. ‘Dexter’ (2006–2013)

Developed for television by James Manos Jr. from Jeff Lindsay’s novels, ‘Dexter’ stars Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan, a Miami Metro blood-spatter analyst who moonlights as a vigilante serial killer guided by a strict code. The original run spanned eight seasons on Showtime with key creative leadership from showrunners including Clyde Phillips and Scott Buck.

The series’ ensemble features Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, James Remar and others, with music by Rolfe Kent (theme) and Daniel Licht (score). The franchise later expanded with follow-ups headlined again by Hall, underscoring continued audience interest in the character’s world.

6. ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ (1996–2005)

Created by Philip (Phil) Rosenthal with star Ray Romano, ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ centers on sportswriter Ray Barone, his wife Debra and their extended family across the street—leading to constant comic boundary-testing. The show ran for nine seasons and 210 episodes, produced by Where’s Lunch and Worldwide Pants in association with HBO Independent Productions.

Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle rounded out the principal cast, and the series used a multi-camera setup before a live audience, emphasizing family dynamics and domestic misunderstandings that became its signature.

5. ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ (1999– )

Created by marine-biologist-turned-animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon, ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ follows its optimistic title character and friends in the undersea town of Bikini Bottom. Early development traced back to Hillenburg’s educational comic ‘The Intertidal Zone’ and a 1997 pilot that led to the long-running series.

Across its seasons, the show has featured voice performances by Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass and Clancy Brown, among others, and has generated multiple films and spinoffs while remaining a foundational kids’ title on streaming.

4. ‘Criminal Minds’ (2005– )

Created by Jeff Davis, ‘Criminal Minds’ follows FBI profilers in the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) as they analyze offenders and solve complex cases. The procedural premiered on CBS in 2005 and evolved over many seasons, with a core team that has included Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness and others.

Episodes typically track case-of-the-week investigations alongside ongoing character arcs, a structure that has supported revivals and extensions of the brand while keeping the BAU at the center of each story.

3. ‘NCIS’ (2003– )

From creators Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill, ‘NCIS’ chronicles the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Major Case Response Team and has become one of television’s most enduring procedurals. The series counts more than twenty seasons, with longtime stars including Mark Harmon and Sean Murray and a sizable producing roster led in recent years by Steven D. Binder.

Spun out of ‘JAG’, the franchise has generated multiple offshoots and prequels, while new entries continue to debut on CBS and stream on Paramount+. Related projects such as ‘NCIS: Origins’ keep expanding the timeline around Leroy Jethro Gibbs’s early career.

2. ‘Tulsa King’ (2022– )

Created by Taylor Sheridan, ‘Tulsa King’ stars Sylvester Stallone as Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a New York mafia capo who builds a new crew in Tulsa after a long prison stint. The series premiered on Paramount+ in 2022, with ensemble players including Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Jay Will, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, Garrett Hedlund and Dana Delany.

Following a successful debut, the show returned with additional seasons and broadened its release strategy, including special linear airings to reach new viewers before streaming on Paramount+. Sheridan’s quick-turn pilot writing and executive-producer team—including Stallone—were central to the show’s development.

1. ‘South Park’ (1997– )

Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, ‘South Park’ began as two ‘The Spirit of Christmas’ shorts before becoming the long-running Comedy Central series about four boys in a satirical, animated Colorado town. The pilot used cutout animation, while subsequent episodes adopted computer animation that emulates that original style.

Paramount Global recently extended its ‘South Park’ pact, securing new seasons and consolidating streaming availability—including next-day streaming—on Paramount+, underscoring why the library and fresh episodes are drawing sustained viewership.

Got a favorite episode or season from this week’s picks? Drop your thoughts—and your must-watch recommendations—in the comments.