The Results Are In: These Are the 42 Sexiest TV Shows of All Time

If your favorite TV shows are rated TV-MA due to suggestive dialogue and sexual content, then you've come to the right place. TV shows continue to push the envelope when it comes to raunchiness, and with the invention of HBO, Starz, Netflix, and Hulu, censorship is basically a thing of the past. But they aren't the only ones churning out the sexy content — even networks like ABC and The CW manage to get some pretty saucy scenes past the FCC. From historical romances to modern comedies, here are just 42 of the sexiest series ever to grace our TV screens.

01
Orange Is the New Black
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Orange Is the New Black

When privileged New Yorker Piper Chapman is sent to a minimum-security prison due to her involvement with a drug runner 10 years earlier, she never imagines she'll run into the woman who got her involved in the first place — and who also happens to be her old girlfriend. Seriously, who knew a women's prison could be so sexy?

02
Insecure
Netflix

Insecure

Starring Awkward Black Girl creator Issa Rae, this series might be one of the realest shows on TV, revolving around the (occasionally awkward) sexcapades of Issa and her BFF, Molly. Warning: you'll never look at Chrissy Teigen's Cravings cookbook the same way again.

03
How to Get Away With Murder
ABC

How to Get Away With Murder

Viola Davis stars in this Shonda Rhimes-created series as a sharp and seductive law professor and criminal defense attorney with a seriously traumatic past. Annalise Keating and her carefully selected protégés work on some pretty shocking cases, but even more shocking are all the sexy scenes they're able to air on ABC.

04
Empire
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Empire

Revolving around a hip-hop entertainment company and the three sons who fight to take control when their father hands it off to them, this series is full of great music and epic guest stars — and tons of sex. Lucious, Hakeem, and Andre get plenty of action, but no one has quite as many spicy scenes as their mother, Cookie (played by Taraji P. Henson).

05
Californication
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Californication

In this series, David Duchovny plays an erratic, hedonistic NYC novelist with a drinking problem who still harbors feelings for his ex but instead drowns his sorrows in all the debauchery and sex that Los Angeles has to offer — and believe us, there's a lot of it. LA may not look super glamorous in Hank Moody's world, but it's definitely hot.

06
The Bodyguard
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The Bodyguard

Starring Game of Thrones' Richard Madden (otherwise known as the ill-fated Robb Stark), this new BBC drama is centered on a war veteran turned cop and special protection officer who is assigned to guard the home secretary from mysterious assassins. If you've been hoping to catch the sexy Scottish actor (Robb) Stark naked, then you're in for a treat.

07
She's Gotta Have It
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She's Gotta Have It

Based on the 1986 Spike Lee film of the same name, this series follows a Brooklyn-based artist who tries to juggle her friends and her job with her overactive love life — which is pretty tricky when you're seeing three equally hot guys at once. She's Gotta Have It also deserves a round of applause for having a queer sex scene between two black women that lasts for a full two-and-a-half minutes, which is pretty much unheard of.

08
Shameless
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Shameless

Starring Emmy Rossum and William H. Macy, this incredibly raunchy and hilarious series follows a woman attempting to keep her life, her relationships, and her five younger siblings together in Chicago's South Side, while her bumbling alcoholic father continuously wreaks havoc on them all. The best part: Fiona Gallagher is able to maintain an impressively active sex life, despite having to constantly do damage control for her family.

09
Tales of a City
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Tales of a City

Based on the book series by Armistead Maupin, this miniseries stars Laura Linney as Mary Ann Singleton, a woman who returns home to reunite with her family and the sex-loving residents of 28 Barbary Lane in San Francisco, 20 years after leaving behind her daughter (played by Ellen Page) and ex-husband to pursue her career. Expect to see a lot of colorful characters and just as many ship-worthy same-sex relationships.

10
The L Word
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The L Word

This show is Sex and the City with hot LA lesbians, but even better, following the relationships and affairs of a group of lesbians and bisexuals questioning their sexualities, hiding their identities, discovering their desires, and sleeping around — oftentimes with each other. Need we say more?

11
Masters of Sex
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Masters of Sex

Set in the 1950s through the late 1960s, this series revolves around real-life sexperts Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson, two pioneering researchers of human sexuality played by Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan. If you've been dying to see some vintage dildos and vibrators, then this is the show for you.

12
Sex and the City
HBO

Sex and the City

This iconic series follows four modern besties — Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha — as they explore NYC's nightlife and dating scene together, while always prioritizing their friendships and their careers above committed relationships. We're not sure how Carrie was able to afford that apartment of hers as a sex columnist, but this show is so hot, you'll be willing to suspend disbelief.

13
Grey's Anatomy
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Grey's Anatomy

You may not think of hospitals as a hotbed for sex, but given that all of the doctors at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital happen to be ridiculously good-looking, it's no wonder they spend as much time handling medical emergencies as they do getting to know one another's anatomy. Seriously, Shonda Rhimes, how do you convince ABC to let you make your shows so raunchy?

14
Pose
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Pose

Created by Ryan Murphy, Pose takes on the underground ball culture world of 1980s New York City, and the series has made history by featuring the largest cast of transgender actors in series regular roles ever. Set against the background of the AIDS crisis, Pose manages to feel like a sexy queer fever dream without ever losing touch with the very real things happening outside the club.

15
Now Apocalypse
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Now Apocalypse

Set in LA, Now Apocalypse is all about hookups, dating apps, and a guy who isn't sure whether he's having dark, premonitory dreams or smoking bad weed. This sexy Starz series only lasted for one season, but once you watch it, you'll wish we were getting more.

16
Scandal
ABC

Scandal

When Olivia Pope — a former media consultant turned crisis management guru played by Kerry Washington — finds herself romantically entangled with the (very married) president of the United States, things are bound to get heated (especially when you throw the insanely sexy leader of a covert government agency into the mix). You've done it again, Shonda.

17
The Tudors
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The Tudors

Period pieces may not be your thing, but this Showtime drama (which takes place during the early years of King Henry VIII's reign) delves into the young and lustful monarch's tumultuous relationships with Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. If you like hot-and-heavy romances, then we guarantee you'll be a fan of this one.

18
Vida
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Vida

This Showtime drama revolves around two Mexican-American sisters from East LA who couldn't be more different but who are brought back together after their mom passes away. Even though the series opens with an orgy scene, it only gets raunchier from there, if you can believe it.

19
The Affair
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The Affair

This series follows the forbidden romance between young diner waitress Alison and an aspiring novelist, telling the story from each of their perspectives (and eventually from the perspectives of their spouses) and showing how memory bias results in very different tellings of how the affair came to be. To say this series offers a lot of gratuitous nudity would be an understatement.

20
Outlander
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Outlander

Based on Diana Gabaldon's bestselling series, Outlander tells the story of a former World War II combat nurse, her MI6 officer husband, and the time-travel incident that lands her in 18th-century Scotland (and in the arms of a sexy Scottish Highland warrior). Traditional romantic tropes are tossed out the window with this one, and choosing between two men has never been more difficult.

21
The Borgias
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The Borgias

This historical-fiction drama tells the story of the titular Borgias, a family of outsiders from Spain who try to take control of 16th-century Renaissance-era Italy through the use of any means possible, including bribery, extortion, torture, and even murder. Think Game of Thrones, but perhaps even more sex, if that's possible.

22
Easy
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Easy

With a stacked cast that includes Zazie Beetz, Dave Franco, Orlando Bloom, Jake Johnson, and Emily Ratajkowski, among many others, this series revolves around beautiful people living in Chicago and navigating the complicated trappings of modern romance. With plenty of role playing, threesomes, and BDSM parties, this one constantly pushes the envelope.

23
Weeds
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Weeds

In this dark comedy, Nancy Botwin is a widowed mother of two trying to make some extra money by selling weed in her suburban neighborhood while simultaneously navigating an endless parade of problematic men. Here's what makes Mary-Louise Parker's character so great: she loves sex, and she's not sorry about it.

24
Girls
HBO

Girls

Girls is basically Sex and the City set in Brooklyn, revolving around four privileged 20-somethings and their attempts to secure adult jobs and adult relationships. Spoiler alert: it's going to take a lot of weird and wild sexual encounters before they get there.

25
True Blood
HBO

True Blood

Based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries novels by Charlaine Harris, this steamy series stars Anna Paquin as Sookie, the town oddball who doesn't help her reputation when she falls for a sexy 173-year-old vampire. Edward and Bella truly have nothing on these two.

26
Game of Thrones
HBO

Game of Thrones

Based on George R.R. Martin's bestselling fantasy novels, this epic series follows several powerful families as they fight for the Iron Throne and control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Sound sexy? Probably not. But this series is packed with hot-and-heavy scenes (even if one of its hottest relationships is between two people who don't know they're aunt and nephew).

27
Harlots
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Harlots

Set in 18th-century London, this scandalous Hulu original follows a war between a brothel owner and a ruthless madam who wants to take control of the city's most profitable service: sex. This definitely isn't your average English period drama.

28
Gypsy
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Gypsy

Naomi Watts stars in this psychological thriller series as Jean, who appears to be just your run-of-the-mill NYC therapist — but secretly, she has a habit of developing illicit relationships with the people in her patients' lives, and as you can expect, things get more than a little unprofessional. Netflix, remind us again why we only got one season of this sexy show?

29
Queer as Folk
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Queer as Folk

This sex-filled series follows the lives of gay men and women in Pittsburgh as they traverse their careers, family dramas, ambitions, and — of course — complicated love lives. Wondering what US TV series portrayed the first simulated sex scene between two men? That's right — thank you, Queer as Folk.

30
Sense8
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Sense8

What happens when eight strangers around the globe find themselves inexplicably connected both emotionally and physically? Those eight sensates get pretty hot and bothered for one another. We don't know about you, but we've never seen a Christmas special that features an orgy before watching this series.

31
Versailles
BBC

Versailles

Though this Franco-Canadian historical-fiction series is far more sexy than action-packed, there's still plenty of drama as the French nobility rise up against the monarchy during the construction of King Louis XIV's massive Palace of Versailles. If you're looking for betrayal, power wars, and shocking sex scenes, then this one's for you.

32
Reign
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Reign

Reign follows the fictitious exploits of Mary, Queen of Scots, against the backdrop of the rising religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants and the threat of the rival House of Bourbon for the throne of France. How this CW historical drama got so many shocking scenes past the network censors is still a mysterious to us.

33
Being Mary Jane
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Being Mary Jane

Gabrielle Union stars in this series as a successful cable-news anchor whose life is seemingly perfect — save for her totally tumultuous romantic relationships. Mary Jane is unapologetically independent and confidently sexual, and if you've ever wanted to watch an erotic sex scene involving a woman in her third trimester of pregnancy, then you'll want to check out this one.

34
Spartacus
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Spartacus

Inspired by the historical figure Spartacus, a Thracian gladiator who led a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic, this historical series has all the sex and violence you would expect — plus a ton of hunky shirtless men. We would have paid more attention in history class if it had looked like this.

35
Ingobernable
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Ingobernable

What happens when the first lady of Mexico, a woman of honor and ideals, starts to lose faith in her president husband? That's exactly what happens in this Spanish-language crime drama, which follows Emilia Urquiza as she attempts to improve the conditions of her country and uncover some dark truths — even if that means going behind her husband's back (or having hot sex on her desk) to do it.

36
Secret Diary of a Call Girl
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Secret Diary of a Call Girl

Based on the blog and books by the pseudonymous Belle de Jour, this naughty drama revolves around a 27-year-old college graduate whose parents think she's a legal secretary, but in reality, she's a high-end London escort who goes by the name Belle. As it turns out, having a secret makes everything sexier.

37
Black Sails
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Black Sails

Set on New Providence Island in the early 1700s, this historical series serves as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island, following the power struggle between pirates and the British Empire. While there's plenty of violence and adventure, there may be even more wildly graphic sex scenes.

38
Dynasty
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Dynasty

This reboot of the primetime '80s soap of the same name revolves around two rival families in Atlanta, the Carringtons and the Colbys, and the tension between heiress Fallon Carrington and her billionaire father's new wife, Cristal Flores, whom she doesn't trust. Despite being blue bloods, this crew isn't afraid to fight dirty — as well as get down and dirty.

39
The Girlfriend Experience
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The Girlfriend Experience

Inspired by Steven Soderbergh's 2009 movie of the same name, this provocative show is all about a struggling law-school student who leads a double life as a high-end escort — though she provides way more than just sex. The second season gets even hotter when it shifts focus to the relationship between a female political fundraiser and another well-trained escort.

40
Lost Girl
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Lost Girl

In this supernatural drama, a young woman discovers she has superhuman abilities — though unfortunately, she doesn't figure out those powers until after she accidentally kills her boyfriend during sex. After that, Bo quickly learns that being a bisexual succubus who can seduce and manipulate anyone with the touch of your hand makes you pretty damn powerful.

41
The Deuce
HBO

The Deuce

Revolving around the NYC Times Square sex-trade industry in the early 1970s, this series includes a cast of bartenders, prostitutes, pimps, clients, and police officers as they struggle for power and money. The Golden Age of Porn may not be glamorous, but it's definitely raunchy.

42
The House of Flowers
Netflix

The House of Flowers

This dark comedy follows the lives of a wealthy and dysfunctional Mexican family who own a flower shop and the matriarch's attempts to save face after her husband's affair (as well as all of the family's secrets) comes to light. This series has served as a major turning point for modern-day Mexican television, as it features not only atypical families but also characters with a diverse range of sexual preferences and some amazingly kinky scenes.