Best Tough Movies & TV Shows

Charles and Lizzie Peterson have found the perfect way to foster their love of dogs — literally. The siblings take on the tough but rewarding task of fostering puppies and finding their forever homes. With every new pup, a new adventure begins.

Sons of Thunder is a television show that ran from March to April 1999 on CBS. It was a spin-off of Walker, Texas Ranger.

This action-comedy follows the adventures of four 10 year-olds protecting their town against alien invasion. Juggling school and top-secret monster busting can be tough, especially when your science teacher turns out to be an alien! Monster Buster Club, or 'MBC' as it is known, follows the exploits of Cathy and her friends on their mission to protect Singletown from troublesome aliens.

Based on true story of the wife of Ando Momofuku, the businessman who founded Nissin Food Products Co. Ltd. and the inventor of instant ramen, the 99th Asadora follows the life of Tachibana Fukuko, a young woman who tries to survive tough times in Osaka with her husband from before WWII to the rapid economic development era. Together they overcome various setbacks before they succeed in creating instant noodles. (Source: MDL)

The most explosive barehanded combat sequences ever filmed. An electrifying video of martial arts mastery and mayhem. This program takes a behind-the-scenes look at the weapons, the mystical eastern philosophy, and the incredible skills that have made martial arts films one of the most popular genres in the world today.

Working-class Americans are tested for their strength, endurance, agility and mental toughness in challenges that take place in the real world.

It's February 1974. Ted Heath's Conservative government has been ousted. But only just. In the hung Parliament, Labour manages to form a minority government by sending its whips out wheeling and dealing with the Liberals, Scottish Nationalists and Northern Irish politicians. But this fragile alliance lasts only until October, when another election is called. This time, Labour win with a tiny majority of just three. Now things get tougher as old cross-Party agreements break down and even sick and dying MPs are wheeled into the chamber to cast their votes! James Graham's acclaimed new play whisks us back to the days of the UK's previous hung Parliament, when politics got really dirty in the battle for power.

Based on the hit British reality TV Series SAS: Who Dares Wins, the Australian production has a mix of celebreties, sportspeople and convicted criminals trying to pass selection. SAS Australia sees Aussie celebrities take on a series of physical and psychological tests from the real SAS selection process. This is not a game. There is no winner; there is no prize. These star recruits will eat, sleep and train together in punishing conditions, with no allowances made for their celebrity status or gender. An elite team of ex-Special Forces soldiers will subject them to extreme physical endurance, sleep deprivation, interrogation and psychological testing, pushing the stars beyond their limits every step of the way. Some will break and withdraw. Who has what it takes to tough it out to the end? Completely unscripted.

Tough Aggie gives a street guy polish and a rich kid gumption.

Agent Melvin Purvis is placed in charge of running down notorious killer Machine Gun Kelly, and sets out to do just that.

One day, 14-year-old Yusuke Urameshi suddenly finds himself dead, having died pushing a child out of the way of oncoming traffic. Since he has such a bad personality, even the Spirit World was caught by surprise that he would sacrifice himself. Yusuke soon finds out he wasn't supposed to die and has a chance for resurrection and bringing his body back to life. After being resurrected, Yusuke becomes a Spirit Detective, along with his comrades, and one adventure after another happens, whether it be an investigation or a fighting tournament.

A tough, brilliant senior resident guides an idealistic young doctor through his first day, pulling back the curtain on what really happens, both good and bad, in modern-day medicine.

After the fall of the Galactic Empire, lawlessness has spread throughout the galaxy. A lone gunfighter makes his way through the outer reaches, earning his keep as a bounty hunter.

A great warrior is displaced to the distant future by the evil shape-shifting wizard Aku. The world has become a bleak place under the rule of Aku, segregated into fantastic tribes and ruled by Aku's evil robot warlords. Jack travels this foreign landscape in search of a time portal that can return him to his home time so he can "undo the future that is Aku!".

The story of Kevin Arnold facing the trials and tribulations of youth while growing up during the 1960s and 70s. Told through narration from an adult Kevin, Kevin faces the difficulties of maintaining relationships and friendships on his enthralling journey into adulthood.

In the year 2517, after the arrival of humans in a new star system, follow the adventures of the renegade crew of Serenity, a "Firefly-class" spaceship. The ensemble cast portrays the nine characters who live on Serenity.

The Teen Titans are five heroes under one roof. Robin, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy live in a large tower in the shape of a T that they call Titan Tower. No secret identities. No school. Just superheroes being superheroes. They must go up against their arch nemesis, Slade, and his evil minions. What he really plans to do is unknown but one thing's for sure... he's an evil madman.

Fifteen former I’m a Celebrity campmates return to take on South Africa, an even harder proposition that will push them to their limits and test them like never before in bigger and tougher challenges, and a harsher and more unforgiving environment as they compete against each other to become the first ever 'I'm A Celebrity Legend'.

Run by Sensei Rudy, the Bobby Wasabi Martial Arts Academy is the worst dojo in the nationwide Bobby Wasabi chain and is in danger of closing. But things change when Jack reluctantly joins the dojo and meets his new crew, including tough guy slacker Jerry and confident martial arts expert Kim. The crew teaches a group of neighborhood goofballs about life, karate, and how to "kick it." Jack and the gang quickly realize their newfound friendship will take them places they've never imagined and, united, they can become unstoppable.

Earth is decimated after intergalactic tyrant Darkseid has devastated the Justice League in a poorly executed war by the DC Super Heroes. Now the remaining bastions of good – the Justice League, Teen Titans, Suicide Squad and assorted others – must regroup, strategize and take the war to Darkseid in order to save the planet and its surviving inhabitants.

Avatar Korra, a headstrong, rebellious, feisty young woman who continually challenges and breaks with tradition, is on her quest to become a fully realized Avatar. In this story, the Avatar struggles to find balance within herself.

The origins of the world’s greatest hero–from Krypton refugee Kal-el’s arrival on Earth through his tumultuous teen years to Clark Kent’s final steps toward embracing his destiny as the Man of Steel.

A single-camera ensemble comedy following the lives of an eclectic group of detectives in a New York precinct, including one slacker who is forced to shape up when he gets a new boss.

Taking numbers instead of names, five extraordinary 10-year-olds form a covert team called the Kids Next Door with one dedicated mission: to free all children from the tyrannical rule of adults.

To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop curries favor with the mob kingpin, a career criminal rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there's a mole among them.

Will Hunting has a genius-level IQ but chooses to work as a janitor at MIT. When he solves a difficult graduate-level math problem, his talents are discovered by Professor Gerald Lambeau, who decides to help the misguided youth reach his potential. When Will is arrested for attacking a police officer, Professor Lambeau makes a deal to get leniency for him if he will get treatment from therapist Sean Maguire.

When Robert “Granddad” Freeman becomes legal guardian to his two grandsons, he moves from the tough south side of Chicago to the upscale neighborhood of Woodcrest (a.k.a. "The Boondocks") so he can enjoy his golden years in safety and comfort. But with Huey, a 10-year-old leftist revolutionary, and his eight-year-old misfit brother, Riley, suburbia is about to be shaken up.

During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.

A documentary on the life and career of Norwich's finest broadcaster, Alan Gordon Partridge. In the programme Alan is asked tough questions about his divorce, Toblerone addiction and his autobiography 'Bouncing Back' by formidable interviewer Ray Woollard. The documentary will show rare and previously unseen footage of Alan broadcasting on Radio Norwich, commentating on sport and reading extracts from his book. He also talks candidly about the state of television today, his hatred of London and his three rules for life.

After 12 years in prison, former high school football star Eddie Palmer returns home to put his life back together—and forms an unlikely bond with Sam, an outcast boy from a troubled home. But Eddie's past threatens to ruin his new life and family.

A card shark and his unwillingly-enlisted friends need to make a lot of cash quick after losing a sketchy poker match. To do this they decide to pull a heist on a small-time gang who happen to be operating out of the flat next door.

Jackie Chan teams up in this animé-style adventure with his 11-year-old niece, Jade, traveling the globe to locate a dozen magical talismans before the sinister Dark Hand does. Helping Jackie and Jade is Uncle, a cantankerous but wise antiquities expert. Though officially Jackie works as an archaeologist, in reality he also assists Captain Black, leader of the covert police squad Section 13.

The story of the early days of Deadwood, South Dakota; woven around actual historic events with most of the main characters based on real people. Deadwood starts as a gold mining camp and gradually turns from a lawless wild-west community into an organized wild-west civilized town. The story focuses on the real-life characters Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen.

Hutch Mansell, a suburban dad, overlooked husband, nothing neighbor — a "nobody." When two thieves break into his home one night, Hutch's unknown long-simmering rage is ignited and propels him on a brutal path that will uncover dark secrets he fought to leave behind.

Run's House is an American reality television series that debuted on October 13, 2005. The series chronicles the family life of former Run–D.M.C. rapper and hip-hop music pioneer Joseph Simmons. Its theme song and show name are from the Run-D.M.C. album Tougher Than Leather. Filming locations were at the Simmons family home in Saddle River, New Jersey, the Simmons offices in Manhattan, New York, and the apartment shared by Vanessa and Angela Simmons in Los Angeles, California.

Directed by Rene Villar Rios, this teen drama takes place at a tough love work camp for teens that is a cross between The Lord of the Flies and The Breakfast Club. As the cruel warden and brutal guards make their lives miserable, the ensemble of troubled teens confront each other and numerous problems facing their generation.

This is a documentary about unsung heroes of World War II. In 1943, a 24-year-old maths student and a GPO engineer combined to hack into Hitler's personal super-code machine - not Enigma but an even tougher system, which he called his 'secrets writer'. Their break turned the Battle of Kursk, powered the D-day landings and orchestrated the end of the conflict in Europe. But it was also to be used during the Cold War - which meant both men's achievements were hushed up and never officially recognized.

A teenager named Tom, whose friend Kaz constantly tells him of his adventures in Chaotic. Tom, who believes that Chaotic is only a card game, thinks that Kaz is making things up, until he entered a password he received from the game, transporting him to the world of Chaotic.

Bright and eager to hit the streets in search of bad guys, rookie cop Christine Paly is disappointed when she's instead assigned to process criminals. Under the supervision of a tough but likable mentor, Christine quickly learns that hers is like no other desk job in the world.

Robert McCall finds himself at home in Southern Italy but he discovers his friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends' protector by taking on the mafia.

Disgruntled Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, Thao Lor, a Hmong teenager who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: a 1972 Gran Torino.

The world may know them as Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Batgirl, but not-so-typical teenagers Diana, Kara and Barbara, alongside their Super Hero friends have much more to deal with than just protecting Metropolis from some of the most sinister school-aged Super-Villains. After all, being teens is tough enough, what with school, friends, family and the chaos that comes with managing a social life. But add super powers and a secret identity to the mix, and things can get a lot more complicated.

An assassin is shot by her ruthless employer, Bill, and other members of their assassination circle – but she lives to plot her vengeance.

Banshee is an American drama television series set in a small town in Pennsylvania Amish country and features an enigmatic ex-con posing as a murdered sheriff who imposes his own brand of justice while also cooking up plans that serve his own interests.

The New Batman Adventures is a continuation of the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series. Stories in this series tend to give more focus to Batman's supporting cast, which include fellow crimefighters Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl, among others. The show also features guest stars such as Supergirl, Etrigan, and The Creeper; characters who would later appear with Batman in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.

Perhaps their strikingly different personalities make the relationship between detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles so effective. Jane, the only female cop in Boston's homicide division, is tough, relentless and rarely lets her guard down, while the impeccably dressed Maura displays a sometimes icy temperament — she is, after all, more comfortable among the dead than the living. Together, the best friends have forged a quirky and supportive relationship; they drop the protective shield in each other's company, and combine their expertise to solve Boston's most complex cases.

Will, a street-smart teenager, moves from the tough streets of West Philly to posh Bel-Air to live with his Uncle Philip, Aunt Vivian, his cousins — spoiled Hilary, preppy Carlton and young Ashley — and their sophisticated British butler, Geoffrey. Though Will’s antics and upbringing contrast greatly with the upper-class lifestyle of his extended relatives, he soon finds himself right at home as a loved part of the family.

In the year 2029, the barriers of our world have been broken down by the net and by cybernetics, but this brings new vulnerability to humans in the form of brain-hacking. When a highly-wanted hacker known as 'The Puppetmaster' begins involving them in politics, Section 9, a group of cybernetically enhanced cops, are called in to investigate and stop the Puppetmaster.

To save her father from certain death in the army, a young woman secretly enlists in his place and becomes one of China's greatest heroines in the process.

William Munny is a retired, once-ruthless killer turned gentle widower and hog farmer. To help support his two motherless children, he accepts one last bounty-hunter mission to find the men who brutalized a prostitute. Joined by his former partner and a cocky greenhorn, he takes on a corrupt sheriff.