| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|
| 1978 | Baa Baa Black Sheep | Elizabeth | Episode: "A Little Bit of England" |
| A.E.S. Hudson Street | Nurse | Episode: "Shut Down" |
| Husbands, Wives & Lovers | Joelle | Episode: "Murray Gets Sacked and Paula Gets Hired" |
| Good Times | Vanessa Blake | Episode: "J.J and the Plumber's Helper" |
| The Krofft Comedy Hour | Various Characters | Television film [13] |
| 1979 | Wonder Woman | Bobbie | Episode: "The Starships Are Coming" |
| The Jeffersons | Jeanie | Episode: "Louise's Convention" |
| 1982 | The Neighborhood | Doris Campbell | Television film [14] |
| 1983 | The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon | Herself | Episode: "1983" |
| Search for Tomorrow | Laura McCarthy | Regular cast |
| 1984 | V: The Series | Glenna | Episode: "The Overload" |
| 1985 | Code Name: Foxfire | Maggie Bryan | Main cast [14] |
| 1986 | Hunter | Josie Clifford | Episode: "The Return of Typhoon Thompson" |
| Pros and Cons | Roberta | Television film |
| 1986–89 | It's a Living | Ginger St. James | Main cast (season 4-6) [14] |
| 1987 | Wordplay | Herself/Celebrity Panelist | Recurring guest |
| L.A. Law | Renee Quintana | Episode: "Beef Jerky" [5] |
| Amazing Stories | Show Singer | Episode: "Gershwin's Trunk" |
| Sister Margaret and the Saturday Night Ladies | Corelle | Television film [15] |
| 1988 | Family Feud | Herself/Celebrity Contestant | Episode: "All Star Special: Funny Women vs. Funny Men Game 1-3" [16] |
| 1990 | Falcon Crest | Mooshy Tucker | Recurring cast (season 9) |
| New Attitude | Vicki St. James | Main cast [1] |
| 1991 | The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw | Miss Rosalee | Television film |
| 1992 | An Evening at the Improv | Herself/Host | Episode: "Episode #9.6" |
| 1992–93 | Designing Women | Etienne Toussaint Bouvier | Recurring cast (season 7) |
| 1993 | No Child of Mine | Marjorie Duncan | Television film [17] |
| 1993–94 | George | Maggie Foster | Main cast [14] |
| 1994 | Witch Hunt | Hypolita Laveau Kropotkin | Television film [14] |
| 1994–96 | Soul Train | Herself/Guest Host | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Street Gear | Sarah Davis | Main cast |
| 1996–2001 | Moesha | Deidra "Dee" Mitchell (née Moss) | Main cast (season 1-5), recurring cast (season 6) |
| 1997 | Wild On! | Herself | Episode: "Wild on Jamaica" |
| 1997–2000 | Recess | Mrs. LaSalle (voice) | Guest cast (season 1 & 4) |
| 1998 | The Wild Thornberrys | Lioness #2 (voice) | Episode: "Flood Warning" [2] |
| 1999 | The Directors | Herself | Episode: "The Films of Norman Jewison" |
| Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Zsa Zsa Goowhiggie | Episode: "What Price Harvey?" |
| The Parkers | Dee Mitchell | Episode: "Daddy's Girl" |
| 1999–2001 | Hollywood Squares | Herself/Panelist | Recurring guest |
| 2000–01 | The District | Lt. Dee Banks | Recurring cast (season 1) |
| 2001 | The Test | Herself/Panelist | Episode: "The Stripper Test" |
| The Jennie Project | Dr. Pamela Prentiss | Television film [14] |
| 2002 | Justice League | Cheetah/Barbara Ann Minerva (voice) | Episode: "Injustice for All" [2] |
| The Proud Family | Diana Parker (voice) | Guest cast (season 1-2) |
| 2002–03 | Static Shock | Trina Jessup (voice) | Recurring cast (season 2) [2] |
| 2003 | Whoopi | Florence | Episode: "She Ain't Heavy, She's My Partner" |
| Las Vegas | Janet Ellis | Episode: "Luck Be a Lady" |
| 2004 | Justice League Unlimited | Cheetah/Barbara Ann Minerva (voice) | Episode: "Kids' Stuff" [2] |
| 2005 | Barbershop | Claire | Recurring cast |
| 2006 | Real Life Divas | Herself | Episode: "Sheryl Lee Ralph" |
| 7th Heaven | Nurse Yvonne Rockwell | Episode: "And Baby Makes Three" |
| ER | Gloria Gallant | Recurring cast (season 12) |
| 2007 | Exes and Ohs | Reverend Ruby | Episode: "There Must Be Rules..." |
| 2008 | Baisden After Dark | Herself | Episode: "Has Black Comedy Become a Hot Ghetto Mess?" |
| My Super Sweet 16 | Herself | Episode: "Etienne" |
| Hannah Montana | Clarice Johnson | Episode: "We're All on This Date Together" |
| 2009 | Beverly Hills Groomer | Herself | Episode: "Grooming Up" |
| 2010 | E! True Hollywood Story | Herself | Episode: "Usher" |
| Inside | Herself/Narrator | Episode: "Polygamy: Life in Bountiful" |
| Running Russell Simmons | Herself | Episode: "You Only Live Once" |
| Zevo-3 | Grams (voice) | Episode: "Control" |
| 2011, 2019 | Young Justice | Amanda Waller (voice) | 2 episodes [2] |
| 2011 | Tyler Perry's House of Payne | Felicia | Episode: "The Rich and Payneless" |
| 2012 | Celebrity Wife Swap | Herself | Episode: "Niecy Nash/Tina Yothers" |
| 2013 | Life After | Herself | Episode: "Sheryl Lee Ralph: Life After Dreamgirls" |
| Smash | Cynthia Moore | Episode: "The Song" |
| JD Lawrence's Community Service | Carolyn | Main cast |
| 2013–15 | Instant Mom | Maggie Turner | Main cast |
| 2013–20 | Ray Donovan | Claudette Boone | Recurring cast (season 1-2 & 7) |
| 2014 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself/Guest Judge | Episode: "Shade: The Rusical" |
| Oprah: Where Are They Now? | Herself | Episode: "Darva Conger, Brigitte Nielsen & Original Dreamgirl Sheryl Lee Ralph" |
| 2 Broke Girls | Genét Bromberg | Episode: "And the Not Broke Parents" |
| One Love | Carolyn Winters | Main cast [18] |
| See Dad Run | Vanessa Ralph | Guest cast (season 2-3) |
| Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn | Ms. Edin Dumont | Episode: "The Sad Tail of Gary-Chip-Tiny-Elvis-Squishy-Paws" |
| 2015 | Unsung | Herself | Episode: "Jennifer Holliday" |
| 2016 | Being | Herself | Episode: "Sheryl Lee Ralph" |
| Unsung Hollywood | Herself | Episode: "Sheryl Lee Ralph" |
| Criminal Minds | Hayden Montgomery | Recurring cast (season 11) |
| 2017 | Brunch with Tiffany | Herself | Episode: "Episode Two: Sheryl Lee Ralph" |
| One Mississippi | Felicia Hollingsworth | Recurring cast (season 2) |
| Christmas at Holly Lodge | Nadine | Television film |
| 2017–19 | MacGyver | Mama Emma Colton | Guest cast (season 1-3) |
| 2018 | We Are Washington | Herself | Episode: "The Wedding Experience & Groom and Grub" |
| The Quad | Ula Pettiway | Recurring cast (season 2) |
| Claws | Matilde Ruval | Recurring cast (season 2) |
| No Sleep 'Til Christmas | Mrs. Wright | Television film |
| 2019 | Diva Defined | Herself/Host | Main host |
| Fam | Rose | Main cast |
| A Black Lady Sketch Show | Asia's Mother | Episode: "3rd & Bonaparte Is Always in the Shade" [19] |
| Christmas Hotel | Marnie | Television film |
| 2020 | Fashionably Yours | Janet | Television film |
| Christmas Comes Twice | Miss Nelson | Television film |
| 2020–22 | Motherland: Fort Salem | President Kelly Wade | Recurring cast |
| 2021 | History of the Sitcom | Herself | Recurring guest |
| Christmas in My Heart | Ruthie Sampson | Television film [20] |
| 2021–present | Abbott Elementary | Barbara Howard | Main cast |
| 2022 | Soul of a Nation | Herself | Episode: "X / o n e r a t e d – The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice" |
| Celebrity Family Feud | Herself/Contestant | Episode: "Abbott Elementary vs. Hacks and Kal Penn vs. Erika Christensen" |
| How We Roll | Loretta | Episode: "The Big Secret" |
| 2023 | Celebrity Wheel of Fortune | Herself/Contestant | Episode: "Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Chris Perfetti" |
| Praise Petey | Boss (voice) | Episode: "Taxi to the South!" |
| Young Love | Additional voices | 2 episodes |
| Bob's Burgers | Esmeralda (voice) | Episode: "The Amazing Rudy" |
| 2025 | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Barbara Howard | Episode: "The Gang F****s Up Abbott Elementary" [21] |
| 2025 | Big City Greens | Suzette Blair | Episode: "Short Wait" (season 4) |