Tarantino's Ultimate TV List: 7 Shows He's Absolutely Obsessed With

We all know Tarantino as a genius director. But even filmmakers need to unwind sometimes, and nothing says “relaxation” quite like settling in for a good TV series. So if you're a die-hard Tarantino fan who's devoured all his work, you're in luck! We have 7 shows that the maestro himself absolutely loves.

1. ‘How I Met Your Mother’ (2005-2014)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, How I Met Your Mother has 84% from critics and 85% from the audience.
• On IMDb, How I Met Your Mother is rated 8.3/10.

Surprising absolutely everyone, Tarantino's ride-or-die TV show is the beloved sitcom about friends dealing with life and love in New York City. The series follows Ted Mosby's epic (and wonderfully complicated) story he tells his children about how he met their mother.

“Hands down, my favorite show is How I Met Your Mother. I’ve been watching that since the very first episode, so that’s the one show that I always keep watching,” Tarantino said to MTV News. (via SheKnows)

Available on: Netflix, Hulu.

2. ‘Star Trek’ (1966-1969)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Star Trek has 80% from critics and 89% from the audience.
• On IMDb, Star Trek is rated 8.4/10.

When it comes to sci-fi, Tarantino is all aboard the Enterprise. Unlike most sci-fi fans who debate Star Trek vs. Star Wars, Tarantino's choice is crystal clear (and it all comes down to one man). In an interview to Deadline, he said:

“I’m a big fan of the show Star Trek. I really like it a lot, but my portal into that show is William Shatner. I love William Shatner on Star Trek. I love his performance as James T. Kirk. That is my connection. That is my umbilical cord. It’s why I like Star Trek more than Star Wars.”

Available on Paramount+.

3. ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ (2018)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, The Haunting of Hill House has 93% from critics and 91% from the audience.
• On IMDb, The Haunting of Hill House is rated 8.5/10.

When Tarantino wants to get spooked, he turns to Mike Flanagan's terrifying Netflix series. This modern ghost story follows the Crain family as they confront the literal and figurative ghosts of their past.

“My favorite series, with no competition, is The Haunting of Hill House,” Tarantino said to The Jerusalem Post.

Available on Netflix.

4. ‘The Newsroom’ (2012-2014)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, The Newsroom has 91% from the audience.
• On IMDb, The Newsroom is rated 8.6/10.

Aaron Sorkin's drama caught Tarantino's eye in a big way. This HBO series follows the lives of staff at the fictional channel as they fight to deliver news in a world of corporate interests and political agendas.

“The HBO show I loved was Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom. That was the only show that I literally watched three times. I would watch it at seven o’clock on Sunday, when the new one would come on. Then after it was over, I’d watch it all over again,” Tarantino revealed to Vulture.

Available on Max.

5. ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ (2020)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, The Queen’s Gambit has 96% from critics and 94% from the audience.
• On IMDb, The Queen’s Gambit is rated 8.5/10.

This Netflix hit had Tarantino completely hooked. The miniseries follows Beth Harmon, an orphaned chess prodigy going through the male-dominated world of competitive chess while battling addiction. In The Rewatchables podcast, Tarantino compared the show to a 7-hour film.

Available on Netflix.

6. ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ (2000-2015)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has 80% from the audience.
• On IMDb, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is rated 7.7/10.

Tarantino actually stepped behind the camera to direct the two-part fifth season finale “Grave Danger,” bringing his distinct vision to the format. When asked by Los Angeles Times if that was challenging, he said:

“It wasn’t a challenge in that regard because I like the show. I just wanted to do my episode of it. So the format was all the stuff I embrace. I just wanted it to be bigger, to feel in someway like a CSI movie.”

Available on: Hulu, Paramount+.

7. ‘Battlestar Galactica’ (2004-2009)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Battlestar Galactica has 95% from critics and 94% from the audience.
• On IMDb, Battlestar Galactica is rated 8.7/10.

The series picks up as humanity faces extinction following a devastating attack by their own creations, the Cylons.

“You know, I'm not that really drawn to science fiction as far as spaceship kinda stuff is concerned. Even though actually right now my favorite show on television is Battlestar Galactica. I think that show is awesome,” Tarantino shared to The Quentin Tarantino Archives.

Available on: Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Apple TV.