With its unique brand of reality television, TLC knows its audience better than any other network, but the best TLC shows of all time are the ones that appeal to everyone. As the era of streaming services marches onwards, more and more shows are designed to be binge-watched in a single sitting, offering audiences a new way to experience a familiar form of storytelling. However, even with this progress, some networks stick to what they know best. This has worked extremely well for The Learning Channel (TLC), as it continues to make its place in the reality entertainment industry known.
With its varied catalog of different reality shows, TLC doesn’t exactly have the same consistency of quality programming as networks like HBO. However, the network has definitely aced how to keep its viewers intrigues, and that’s with heartfelt and emotional series about people with vastly different and unique lives, and some of them are unforgettable. Between popular shows that have been running for close to 10 years with no end in sight, and one-season series that explore more niche concepts, the best TLC shows of all time are the ones that actually offer something to teach its audience.
10 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? (2016 – Present)
TLC’s most popular show, 90 Day Fiancé, follows couples who have 90 days to decide if their marriage is worth pursuing. What makes the couples’ love problems unique is that one of them is an immigrant who applied for a Visa, hence the 90-day time limit. However, 90 Day Fiancé hasn’t changed much, and being the most popular show doesn’t always mean it’s the best. Instead, the spin-off show, Happily Ever After?, is more amusing than the original series. The spin-off revisits couples that ended up staying together. Now married and knowing their partners much better than they could have within 90 days, it makes for some more entertaining drama.
9 Coach Charming (2015)
Hosted by Bill Alverson, Coach Charming follows the attorney and father of three who’s best known for his unlikely profession as being the country’s most sought-after beauty pageant coach. As crude as some viewers might find beauty pageantry, that doesn’t mean Coach Charming isn’t hilarious. The series is extremely insightful into the world of beauty pageantry, but Alverson is what makes it one of the best TLC shows of all time. The eccentric host gives the televised beauty pageant a new perspective. He’s so well-versed and passionate about the world of beauty competitions — something unexpected of a man in his line of work — also adds to its charm.
8 Outrageous 911 (2013 – 2014)
Outrageous 911 chronicles the strangest 911 calls that operators have ever received. The calls range from the most unbelievably absurd situations to some of the most petty and most pathetic stories ever documented. Outrageous 911 casts an unexpectedly humorous light on the world of the dispatchers, and for the type of show that it is, the TLC series surprisingly provides some levity as opposed to being expectedly emotionally exhausting. Some noteworthy emergencies include a man calling about the theft of his blow-up sex doll, a woman reporting the officer who pulled her over, and a trucker who saw Bigfoot.
7 Suddenly Royal (2015)
When David Drew Howe discovers that he could actually be of noble descent, he packs up his bags and takes his wife and daughter to the British Isle of Man to claim the throne as his — and the results are about as far from the actual royalty seen in shows like The Crown as could possibly be. For better or worse, Suddenly Royal could be viewed as TLC’s unofficial reality TV remake of The Princess Diaries. The Howes’ hijinks and struggles to prove their royalty is outright ridiculous. Suddenly Royal is arguably the most cringeworthy TLC show, which is saying a lot, but like a car crash, it’s hard to look away from how culturally insensitive David and his family can be.
6 7 Little Johnstons (2015 – Present)
It’s hard to believe that 7 Little Johnstons is now 13 seasons in and one of the longest-running shows on TLC. Like any other reality TV show, 7 Little Johnstons documents the mundane everyday life of an American family, but there’s one catch: all of the Johnstons were born with dwarfism. Unlike most reality TV stars, the Johnstons use their fame not to secure a big payday but to hopefully gain acceptance and normalize little people’s presence in society. 7 Little Johnstons is one of the rare wholesome reality TV shows, and it’s mostly free of any controversy, unlike most other reality series.
5 Final Cut (2012)
Hollywood isn’t all glitz and glamor, and that couldn’t be more obvious than in the dark stories featured in the investigative documentary series Final Cut. The show uncovers the seedier side of the filmmaking capital by exposing the stories of hopeful newcomers and industry veterans who met a grim yet mysterious fate. Noteworthy cases include the death of The Killing Fields star Haing Ngor and Merlin Santana of The Cosby Show fame, and the storm of controversy surrounding fashion designer and sex offender Anand Jon. As the best TLC shows of all time are totally easy-going, Final Cut stands out from TLC’s other programming.
4 Hair Goddess (2017)
Set in the heart of Manhattan, Hair Goddess chronicles Christina Olivia’s rise from small-time business owner to becoming the full-fledged CEO of a budding hair and styling empire. Though the show’s execution and trappings feel a bit dated (especially since it aired in 2017), Hair Goddess is still uplifting, easy to watch, and oozes positive energy. Hair Goddess is inspiring and educational too, as it explores the intricacies of a potential business empire’s founding. And as Olivia is such a likable host and easy to understand, the 2017 TLC show is almost like a free Master Class.
3 A Baby Story (1998 – 2007)
One of TLC’s longest-running shows is also one of its simplest, as A Baby Story documents how couples deal with a pregnancy before and after the baby is born by just placing a camera in front of them. The series shows how excited yet anxious the expecting parents are and how the rest of their family reacts to the big news. A Baby Story is both relatable and somewhat educational for new parents that the TLC show needs to make a comeback. However, while many TLC series operate at a highly sentimental level, A Baby Story is the most sentimental of them all, but it’s still heartwarming and absolutely endearing.
2 Pappyland (1996 – 2003)
Long before TLC became synonymous with reality entertainment, the channel lived up to its name by airing edutainment and documentaries. One of its most revered, if somewhat forgotten, gems from the ‘90s is Pappyland — an art show that encouraged kids to be as creative as possible. Starring cartoonist Michael Carigilo as Pappy Drew-It (the creator and owner of the titular place) Pappyland taught children how to draw, color, and appreciate art. As time went on, Pappy Drew-It’s adventures were overshadowed by larger edutainment shows but, but his fun and colorful lessons are timeless and just as soothing as Bob Ross’.
1 The Healer (2017)
The Healer follows the everyday life and work of Charlie Goldsmith, who claims that he can heal people by harnessing energies from his body and surroundings. Charlie works his magic on grateful patients while struggling to prove his legitimacy to the scientific community and skeptics. The show explores a divisive subject, but it’s convincing, fascinating, and heartwarming. Regardless of where viewers stand on the idea of Goldsmith’s profession, it’s impossible not to side with him. The uplifting show might not be as popular as some series that have been running for decades, but The Healer is more passionate and engaging, and it’s the best TLC show of all time.
