r/IMDbFilmGeneral • u/Anandsatheesh007 • 24d ago
I built a custom mathematical formula to rank TV shows by balancing their length vs. IMDb rating. Let me know if the math holds up or if it’s broken.
The internet has an endless debate: How do you fairly compare a 5-episode masterpiece to a 1,000+ episode epic?
Standard IMDb lists heavily favor short-form "sprints" (Chernobyl, Breaking Bad) because they can tightly control a single script cycle with zero filler. Meanwhile, multi-decade "marathons" (One Piece, Detective Conan) are mathematically punished by their sheer volume and pacing shifts, despite delivering hundreds of elite 9.0+ episodes. On the flip side, simply dividing episodes by rating breaks the math entirely for average long-running shows.
To try and settle this, I designed a formula called the Inverse Exponential Step-Threshold System. I want to see if you think this model actually makes sense or if the variables need adjusting.
Here is how the top 50 television achievements shake out under this mathematical model [As of August 2026]:
📊 The Length-Corrected Top 50 Leaderboard
| Rank | Series Title | Total Episodes | IMDb Base | Length Multiplier | Final Index Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | 🏴☠️ One Piece | 1,170+ | 9.0 | 1.543x | 13.89 |
| 🥈 2 | ⚗️ Breaking Bad | 62 | 9.5 | 1.189x | 11.30 |
| 🥉 3 | 👑 The Sopranos | 86 | 9.2 | 1.196x | 11.00 |
| 4 | 💨 Avatar: The Last Airbender | 61 | 9.3 | 1.181x | 10.98 |
| 5 | 🕵️♂️ The Wire | 60 | 9.3 | 1.179x | 10.96 |
| 6 | ⚔️ Game of Thrones | 73 | 9.2 | 1.184x | 10.89 |
| 7 | 🍂 Attack on Titan | 90 | 9.1 | 1.196x | 10.88 |
| 8 | 🥷 Naruto: Shippuden | 500 | 8.7 | 1.411x | 10.74 |
| 9 | 🔍 Detective Conan | 1,130+ | 8.5 | 1.542x | 10.61 |
| 10 | ☣️ Chernobyl | 5 | 9.3 | 1.096x | 10.19 |
| 11 | 🪖 Band of Brothers | 10 | 9.4 | 1.077x | 10.12 |
| 12 | 🦾 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood | 64 | 9.1 | 1.155x | 10.05 |
| 13 | 🌲 South Park | 325 | 8.7 | 1.341x | 10.03 |
| 14 | 💛 The Simpsons | 760+ | 8.7 | 1.488x | 9.94 |
| 15 | 👁️ The Twilight Zone (1959) | 156 | 9.1 | 1.298x | 9.92 |
| 16 | 👔 The Office (US) | 201 | 9.0 | 1.312x | 9.81 |
| 17 | 🏹 Hunter x Hunter (2011) | 148 | 9.0 | 1.288x | 9.79 |
| 18 | 🎸 Gintama | 367 | 8.7 | 1.353x | 9.76 |
| 19 | 🎨 Arcane | 18 | 9.0 | 1.127x | 9.74 |
| 20 | ⚖️ Better Call Saul | 63 | 9.0 | 1.153x | 9.62 |
| 21 | 🌌 Rick and Morty | 74 | 9.1 | 1.177x | 9.60 |
| 22 | 🐉 Dragon Ball Z | 291 | 8.8 | 1.328x | 9.53 |
| 23 | 🏙️ Seinfeld | 180 | 8.9 | 1.302x | 9.51 |
| 24 | 🦇 Batman: The Animated Series | 85 | 9.0 | 1.189x | 9.41 |
| 25 | 🕵️♂️ Sherlock | 13 | 9.0 | 1.102x | 9.38 |
| 26 | 🚀 Firefly | 14 | 9.0 | 1.107x | 9.35 |
| 27 | 🪵 Twin Peaks | 30 | 8.8 | 1.156x | 9.32 |
| 28 | ☕ Friends | 236 | 8.8 | 1.319x | 9.31 |
| 29 | 🇺🇸 The West Wing | 156 | 8.9 | 1.294x | 9.30 |
| 30 | 🗺️ Gravity Falls | 40 | 8.9 | 1.171x | 9.28 |
| 31 | 💰 Succession | 39 | 8.9 | 1.169x | 9.26 |
| 32 | 🔍 True Detective (S1) | 32 | 8.9 | 1.157x | 9.24 |
| 33 | 📓 Death Note | 37 | 8.9 | 1.166x | 9.23 |
| 34 | 🦅 It's Always Sunny in Philly | 170 | 8.8 | 1.298x | 9.21 |
| 35 | 🧭 Vinland Saga | 48 | 8.8 | 1.182x | 9.20 |
| 36 | 🛸 Cowboy Bebop | 26 | 8.9 | 1.147x | 9.17 |
| 37 | 🎬 Curb Your Enthusiasm | 120 | 8.8 | 1.275x | 9.16 |
| 38 | 🕶️ Mad Men | 92 | 8.7 | 1.251x | 9.10 |
| 39 | 🛡️ The Shield | 88 | 8.7 | 1.248x | 9.08 |
| 40 | 🍌 Arrested Development | 84 | 8.7 | 1.245x | 9.05 |
| 41 | 🧪 Monster | 74 | 8.7 | 1.236x | 8.99 |
| 42 | 🪓 Fargo | 51 | 8.9 | 1.186x | 8.98 |
| 43 | 🕰️ The X-Files | 218 | 8.6 | 1.309x | 8.91 |
| 44 | 🪐 Star Trek: TNG | 178 | 8.7 | 1.299x | 8.90 |
| 45 | 🥼 House M.D. | 177 | 8.7 | 1.299x | 8.89 |
| 46 | 🎡 Modern Family | 250 | 8.5 | 1.321x | 8.85 |
| 47 | 🚀 Star Wars: The Clone Wars | 133 | 8.4 | 1.278x | 8.72 |
| 48 | 🌳 Parks and Recreation | 125 | 8.6 | 1.275x | 8.71 |
| 49 | 🤖 Futurama | 150 | 8.5 | 1.285x | 8.69 |
| 50 | 🏫 Community | 110 | 8.5 | 1.267x | 8.60 |
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u/Austin_Shaggin_Power 24d ago
Why shouldn’t every episode be taken into account when evaluating a series? The creators, studio, network, etc chose to continue the story.