AI Ranks the Smartest TV Shows and the Ones That Cuss the Most

In the age of streaming, there’s no shortage of television shows, especially with the seemingly ever-growing number of platforms and services providing them. However, not all shows are created equal: some are more intelligent, while others can be more crass. 

To find out which shows are the smartest—and which ones cuss the most—Preply had artificial intelligence (AI) analyze scripts for the first seasons of 25 popular TV shows. The AI read through each script and assigned an “Intelligence Score” on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest possible score, based on five factors: vocabulary breadth, vocabulary sophistication, text readability, critical thinking, and contextual relevance. 

So, whether you’re looking for a smart show to watch or you’re in the mood for something a little more off-color, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our definitive ranking of some of the most popular shows you can stream now. 

The Top 5 Smartest Shows

According to Preply’s analysis, these five shows come out on top with the highest “Intelligence Scores.” 

1. Person of Interest. Though the show ended in 2016 after a five-season run, it remains popular and still ranks the highest in all five scoring categories. The premise of the show surrounds an ex-CIA agent and a wealthy programmer who uses surveillance to bust criminals, making it ripe for complex, intelligent subject matter. 
2. Wednesday. This show premiered in 2022 with a record-breaking first season. A spinoff of The Addams Family, it chronicles Wednesday Addams’ school years as she learns to adapt to her emerging psychic abilities. 
3. Criminal Minds. Coming in as the third-smartest on our list, this recently-rebooted show highlights a group of criminal profilers who use behavioral analysis to investigate crimes—and one of the main characters, Dr. Spencer Reid is a genius! 
4. Dexter. Dexter chronicles the life of a serial killer who not only commits crimes (and gets away with them) but also solves them, which requires pretty extreme forensic expertise. 
5. The Flash. This popular show is about a crime scene investigator-turned-superhero who gains the power of superhuman speed by getting caught in a particle accelerator explosion. 

The Top 5 Shows That Curse the Most

If you’re sensitive to cussing, you might want to avoid these five profanity-heavy shows: 

1. The Wire. A gritty crime drama about cops and criminals, it’s no wonder The Wire tops our list, especially since its showrunners are aiming for realism.
2. Breaking Bad. Our #2 entry follows Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who turns to making methamphetamine to provide for his family after he’s diagnosed with lung cancer. 
3. Dexter. Dexter cracks the top five of both lists, which demonstrates that shows can both involve a lot of cursing and still be intelligent—sometimes, the language just comes out of the situation or subject matter.
4. Yellowjackets. This survival epic chronicles the lives of a high school girls’ soccer team as they try to survive in the wilderness after a plane crash. 
5. Family Guy. Possibly the most “low-brow” example on the list, Family Guy is an adult animated comedy about the dysfunctional Griffin family, so the cussing here is mostly for laughs. 

Preply’s AI also looked for offensive language in shows—language that might earn a show a “mature audience-only” rating beyond just curse words. Here are the top five shows that use the most offensive language. 

1. The Wire. Topping our list again is The Wire, which is a pretty good indication to make sure the kids are well out of earshot if you want to tune in to this show! 
2. Succession. This drama follows the lives of the Roy family, owners of a global media empire. As the family patriarch declines in health, each of his children competes with each other to be the next in line at the helm of the business. 
3. Rick and Morty. This adult animated comedy follows an alcoholic scientist and his grandson in their misadventures through time and space. 
4. Stranger Things. Stranger Things surrounds a group of children who witness supernatural activity and secret government exploits in their otherwise unassuming Indiana town. 
5. Grey’s Anatomy. This medical drama follows the lives of a group of interns, residents, and attending physicians through their day-to-day work at a hospital. 

TV can provide endless hours of entertainment, and there’s nothing quite like settling down on the couch to watch your favorite show after a long day of work. With streaming services adding new content all the time, there’s something out there for every viewer. 

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The next time you’re flipping around and looking for something to watch, try mixing up your watch list with one of our picks.