10 Best Nathan Fillion TV Shows, Ranked

Nathan Fillion is a beloved actor with more than 115 acting credits under his belt. Fillion has truly done it all, from blockbuster movies like Superman to numerous television series and even animated movies and TV. He's even lent his voice-acting talents to major video games, such as Cayde-6 in Bungie's Destiny series. Nathan Fillion is the type of actor who, no matter how small the role he's given, steals the show every time. However, a number of appearances and series stand out in Fillion's extensive career. These include guest appearances and shows in which Fillion is not the main character, because even his smallest roles are spectacular. Image via Fox Drive is a 2007 Fox series that focuses on an illegal cross-country race. The show itself focuses on the competitors of this illegal race, some of whom want to be there, and some who are being forced to compete. Nathan Fillion plays the protagonist, Alex Tully, a competitor in the race partnered with Corinna Wiles. Together, they drive a 1972 Ford F-100 and a 1972 Dodge Challenger. Sadly, Fox ordered only one season of Drive , which had six episodes. Only the first four episodes actually aired on Fox, and the final two weren't available until digital distribution. Many Fillion fans complain about Firefly's short-lived run and botched release, but it isn't a one-time folly. Drive is another example of a charming Fillion-led show with great potential that was never given a chance to grow. Fillion Steals the Show in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog might be a bit of a cheat to add to this list because, technically, it's not a television show. This musical comedy-drama miniseries was released in 2008 in three parts, or "acts," on its own official website. Later that same year, it became available on platforms like iTunes before receiving wider distribution. That said, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog deserves to be here because it's a perfect example of Nathan Fillion's undeniable chemistry with Neil Patrick Harris. Fillion portrays Captain Hammer, the superhero who routinely thwarts Harris' Dr. Horrible's evil plans. Captain Hammer is not your stereotypical hero, because he's rude, full of himself, and the kind of guy no one wants to be friends with. Somehow, Fillion manages to make Captain Hammer a lovable jerk that the audience hates to love. Fillion's rendition of Guy Gardner in the latest Superman movie felt very reminiscent of this incredible performance. Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is also a musical, so what's not to love? Nathan Fillion Is the Saving Grace of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 7 Image via The WB / UPN Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the best shows of the late '90s/early 2000s, but by the time Season 7 rolled around, most critics and fans felt that the series had already reached its peak. Season 7 is generally considered to be one of the weakest seasons in an otherwise incredible show, but it does have at least one saving grace. Nathan Fillion's portrayal of Caleb may not have saved Season 7 entirely, but it did elevate the season. Caleb only appears in the last five episodes of the season, but Fillion brings a grounding presence that the series finale needed. Caleb is also a full-blown villain, which is something Fillion rarely does. Sure, plenty of his characters are snarky or rude, but they're rarely actual villains. Caleb, however, is a serial killer priest with one horrific goal in mind: wipe out every Slayer he can so that the First Evil can take over the world. Caleb helped make the First Evil feel like an actual threat, and he proved his acting chops by being a terrifying villain. Two Guys and a Girl Is an Incredible, but Often Overlooked Sitcom Image via ABC Two Guys and a Girl , also known as Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place for the first two seasons, is a sitcom that ran from 1998 to 2001. Two Guys and a Girl stars Ryan Reynolds and Richard Ruccolo as Berg and Pete, respectively, and Traylor Howard as Sharon, the titular characters. Nathan Fillion plays Johnny Donnelly, who is introduced in Season 2 and becomes Sharon's main love interest. Johnny and Sharon even get married in the Season 3 finale. Fillion appeared in 60 episodes of Two Guys and a Girl , making it one of the longer runs of his career. Johnny stands out as one of Fillion's best characters because he's just a down-to-Earth guy who genuinely fills the nice guy role. His kindness and charm aren't fake, though, making him a lovable man with a few flaws, just trying to make it through life with the girl he loves. Johnny also has phenomenal chemistry with the rest of the cast, which helped him fit right in even though he didn't join the show until Season 2. Gravity Falls Is One of Fillion's Best Animated TV Appearances Image via Disney Nathan Fillion has provided his voice for many animated roles over the years, from Nate on Big Mouth to Sterling in Cars 3 . A lot of his animated projects could have ended up on this list, but an absolute standout has to go to Gravity Falls . Gravity Falls is an incredible 2-season mystery series that's shocking and frightening for the Disney Channel. Fillion voices Preston Northwest, Pacifica's father, and he truly is a deplorable character. As a wealthy resident of Gravity Falls, Preston genuinely believes that he is above the rest of the town. He passed his poor attitude onto his daughter, but even Pacifica isn't anywhere near as bad as her father. Fillion manages to bring that jerk flair to Preston that he does so well, with a smugness that makes the audience want to punch him in the cartoon face. His infamous quote, "I would just like to say that as a rich capitalist I welcome your tyrannical rule," sums up exactly what makes this character so good, though. The social commentary is pure perfection. Con Man Is Loosely Based on Firefly's Behind the Scenes Con Man is another minor cheat because it's a comedy web series and never aired on television. That said, this 2015 series is a perfect example of Fillion's acting chops and goes so much deeper. Alan Tudyk, one of Fillion's co-stars in the infamous sci-fi series, Firefly , created, wrote, directed, and starred in Con Man . Fillion co-produced the series and co-starred alongside Tudyk. Con Man is loosely based on Tudyk's experiences on the set of Firefly and all the behind-the-scenes events that caused the show to fall apart. Tudyk portrays a struggling actor, Wray Nerely, who takes on the role of a starship pilot in " Spectrum ." Spectrum is short-lived and quickly canceled, but goes on to become a cult classic, just like Firefly did. Fillion fills the role of the ship's captain, Jack Moore, who went on to become a huge star. Wray experiences extreme jealousy over Jack's success, but over the course of the series, he learns to be thankful for the fans who love him. A Series of Unfortunate Events Reunited Fillion & NPH Image via Eike Schroter / Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection A Series of Unfortunate Events is a Netflix original series based on Lemony Snicket's 13-novel series of the same name. This series has three seasons to cover the events of 13 books, so it doesn't waste any time. In fact, A Series of Unfortunate Events will hook viewers immediately, and that's mostly thanks to Neil Patrick Harris' villainous and over-the-top portrayal of Count Olaf. Fillion is introduced in Season 2 as Jacques Snicket, Lemony Snicket's heroic brother. Lemony acts as the narrator of the show, but Jacques is an active character who enters as a hero, saving Larry's life. Jacques attempts to stop Count Olaf's evil plans for the children, but eventually, Count Olaf succeeds in killing him. Jacques may not be around for long, but he makes a big impact as a hero who feels like he might stand a chance to bring Count Olaf to justice. The Rookie Is a Fresh Take on a Police Procedural Image via Mike Taing / ©ABC/Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection The Rookie started in 2018, and it is still ongoing today, making it the freshest Fillion series on this list. Currently, The Rookie is a police procedural with eight seasons, and it has been renewed for Season 9. Fillion plays John Nolan, a man in his 40s who accidentally gets involved in helping the police stop a bank robbery in his hometown. After going through a divorce and helping the police, John decides to completely change the trajectory of his life. He moves to Los Angeles and throws his hat in the ring to become a police officer. John goes through the police academy and becomes the youngest rookie in the LAPD. The Rookie has all the important elements of a police procedural, but it adds an underdog element that makes the series charming and lovable in a way most procedurals simply aren't. Firefly Has Cemented Itself as a Cult Classic FIREFLY, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Ron Glass, Sean Maher, Morena Baccarin, Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Summer Glau Image via 20th Century Fox Film Corp, Courtesy: Everett Collection Firefly is an infamous sci-fi show, so much so that we've already mentioned it a couple of times on this list. Firefly is notorious for only having a single season and being canceled far too soon. The series was created for Fox, which, like Drive , botched the first season's release and ultimately canceled the series before the entire season even aired. Despite the early cancellation, Firefly went on to become a cult classic that fans still rave about today. Firefly is a near-perfect sci-fi series that can easily be binged in a single day. Fortunately, Firefly did get a follow-up movie and other content over the years, but that's only softened the blow of losing this incredible series. Fillion isn't the only reason this show succeeded, but he is a major part of the charm. As the captain of the starship Serenity , Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds, Fillion offers a grounding performance that the rest of the cast easily builds upon. The only reason Firefly isn't number one on this list is because of how short-lived it was. Sadly, it was canceled before it could reach its full potential. Castle Is Another Unique Police Procedural Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) on the street in Castle Image via ABC Castle premiered in 2009 and ran for eight seasons, totaling 173 episodes. Currently, Castle has more episodes than The Rookie , making it the longest series that Nathan Fillion has starred in, but The Rookie might overtake it as the series continues. Castle , like The Rookie , is another police procedural, but with a twist. This mystery show is told from the perspective of Nathan Fillion's Richard Castle, a famous mystery author. Castle finds himself pulled into a police investigation when a copycat murderer begins killing people in the same way Castle describes murders in his books. There, Castle meets and befriends Detective Kate Beckett, who he ultimately bases a new character on. Castle ends up working closely with the police, as he offers useful and unique insight as a writer who has over-researched criminal activity, and he also gets inspiration that can, hopefully, pull him out of his ongoing writer's block.