Submitted by undercover_apple t3_z37s2e in television
I conciously chose not to use the word "underrated" - for me it has to be The Shield (2002) and Deadwood (2004). I genuinely feel that The Shield is better than The Wire especially when it comes to pacing and Deadwood has the best written TV character of all time - Al Swearengen.
What are some TV shows that are highly rated/ extremely good but are not so well known when you mention them?
Awesome show, plus it has Dewey Crowe
Bosch is massively ignored; it's great
It's sequel is too so far.
I'd add The Closer and Criminal minds for a more humorous take on police. It isn't completely outlandish jokey as B99 but is just fun.
The Closer is awesome. Kyra Sedgwick plays a CIA-trained interrogator who is hired by the LAPD because of her reputation for closing cases: she notices things other people don’t even realize they’re revealing. But when she isn’t solving a case, she’s navigating being a perennial outsider at the LAPD and her personal relationships with as little aplomb as the rest of us.
the dialogue is irritating
Halt and Catch Fire
Rectify
Detectorists
Just discovered Halt and Catch Fire. I’m in the middle of season 3. It starts as a good show that adapts and grows into something special. They could have done a 5 season show about building the Giant but the shift to online startups, game development, internet security…it’s not perfect but it’s great!
Rectify is a real hidden gem that not a lot of people know about.
Almost every episode of Rectify made me cry.
I came here to mention those three shows + Dickinson, Utopia UK and Tales from the Loop.
Dickinson is the best dramedy I've ever watched. Tales from the Loop is a much slower and more melancholic version of Black Mirror.
And Utopia UK had potential to be praised as one of the greatest shows of all time alongside BrBa/BCS, The Wire and The Sopranos imo, but it was cancelled after two seasons.
There is a small collection of us out there online, but not enough people in the "regular" world know the genius of Better Off Ted.
I recommend this to everyone I can, easily the best sitcom ever. So disappointed it got canceled.
Oh that show is bloody genius.
Jabberwocky
Everybody Hates Chris. It never got the recognition it deserved. It was such a great show.
Terry Crews’s character Julius is one of my all time favorite TV dads.
Julius: "Unplug that clock, boy. You can't tell time while you sleep. That's two cents an hour"
Me and my friends grew up watching it in Australia. It was shown a lot after school and lots of kids saw it.
You're the worst
They just asked a question, sheesh.
The Get Shorty series on EPIX was so damn good, and it seemed like maybe 55 people total saw it. Probably the deadest subreddit I’ve ever seen for a TV series.
Anybody who likes Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul/Fargo/Barry would find it right up their alley.
I really liked it, but then again, I like pretty much anything with Chris O'Dowd, so...
Loved it. Darkly funny but also pretty dark. Was pretty gutted when that ended
The percussive soundtrack by Antonio Sánchez is both unique and effective.
The Magicians is a blast
They really did the ensemble cast thing so well, pairing them off in different combos, making amazing call backs to one off characters from previous seasons, pacing each season out nicely. This definitely fits the OP's bill..
Strikes a perfect balance of action, drama, comedy, thriller, and fantasy while having just enough meta self awareness to avoid being cheesy.
No small feat.
Also: /r/BrakeBills
My favorite fantasy show. It's just so fun
Let me tell you about a hidden gem no one talks about called Andor...
Barney Miller is one of the most under appreciated shows I’ve come across. Consistently funny.
I agree Barney Miller is under-appreciated, even though it is very highly appreciated.
Archer. Very rarely do I mention Archer and have someone actually know what I'm talking about
The first few seasons are absolute gold. Some of the middle seasons aren't as good but it's still worth watching.
I mean I 100% disagree, but to each their own. Seasons 4-6 are peak archer for me. And I loved the Dreamland seasons, even if they were short.
Idk, I loved the show. But that jungle season was complete ass imo. I've struggled to watch it since.
Is it worth trying to get back into?
I mean personally I loved the jungle season and absolutely believe it is worth it, but that's my opinion lol and I might be quite biased
Ok I'll give it a shot. I loved everything until after dreamland.
Rectify without question. Should have a ton of awards and way more well known by the common fan.
Nip / Tuck isn't remembered like it should be.
That was a wild show, for sure. I will never forget the paper bag episode! And when Christian is marking Kimber with lipstick to show her how she can go from being an 8 to 10 with plastic surgery. Ooo, and The Carver. "Beauty is a curse on the world." God, I forgot all about that show and now all of these are coming back to me. Lol Unfortunately it was typical Ryan Murphy: Started out fantastic and ultimately took a nose dive into complete garbage. But man, when that show was good, it was GOOD.
I discovered one of my favorite songs from the Carver season: All I Know by Art Garfunkel. Remember that one?
That show more than jumped the shark in later seasons.
💯💯💯💯💯yessssssssss
I think White Collar fits here, it can be a tad campy at times, but it's a really good show that is very well written and Matt Bomer is the perfect gentleman con man.
Carnivale' was another great HBO show that didn't get its due (2 seasons, just like Deadwood)
I came here to write Deadwood. And then I saw what you wrote. The Shield is incredible, no doubt. Deadwood is on a level that no film or TV show comes close to
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Rectify, Legion, Utopia(uk), Manhunt, and more but thats my off the top my head
Kings, which retold the biblical story of King David in a modern setting; it was very short-lived and had some issues, but Ian McShane was tremendous and I think the premise had a lot of potential.
The Riches, another show that only got a couple of seasons. It was about a family of Irish Travellers and starred Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver.
Babylon 5, a really unique sci-fi show that, while it had a dedicated fan base (and still does), never got the credit it deserved for helping to usher in a new generation of genre shows with a polished, pre-conceived narrative arc that stretched over several seasons.
Rome, a show that definitely isn't underrated, but I think fits the bill of being underappreciated by the general public. The writing, casting, set/costume design, cinematography and music are all top-notch, but the acting is really something else: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Indira Varma, Ciaran Hinds, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, James Purefoy and Polly Walker all give tremendous performances. Without it, Game of Thrones would have never existed.
I'll agree with you on Deadwood as well. I think the dialogue and the slow-burn pacing makes it a bit of an acquired taste, so I can see why it's not as massively appreciated as it should be, but it's Milch's magnum opus. The writing is just so good, and Ian McShane is simply next-level.
As a slightly silly honorable mention I'll also add The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. A whacky steampunk western show starring Bruce Campbell that was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. It wasn't the best show of all time or anything but I never see anyone talk about it at all. Kind of a shame, it was a lot of fun.
the riches was the cancellation post-writers' strike that year that hurt the most - i loved that show.
rectify... people who had watched it appreciated it enough actually but not enough people watching it makes it undereappreciated for me. a beautiful drama about "dealing with life after taking a long unintended break" thats all i can say about the plot without giving away anything spoilery.
Babylon Berlin. It's a neo-noir psychological thriller series set at the tail end of the Weimar Republic. It deals with the looming emergence of Nazis and the breakdown of Weimar democracy. Art Deco, Gangsters, Dance choreography and decadence
The advertising for it to Americans is shocking. S4 isn't even legally available there yet.
I've had this show on my Netflix list for like 3 years now and I see they keep making new seasons. Now I really need to start it.
Trial & Error, The Grinder, Rectify, The Capture, The North Water, Chance, Jett, Condor, Norsemen, Selfie, Quarry, Paper Girls
>The Grinder
But what if it wasn't?
Black Sails for me, one of my all time favorite shows that very few people i know irl have watched
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Goliath with Billy Bob Thornton
I would have laughed my head off if you snuck "Andor" in there.
Legends of Tomorrow
Two of the best sitcoms in recent years were Detroiters and Champaign Ill, both have Sam Richardson co-starring (with Tim Robinson and Adam Pally respectively), and both are fantastic.
Detroiters got 2 seasons. Champaign Ill only 1. Truly underrated.
Richardson is such a fucking star. In one year he killed in both Werewolves Within and The Afterparty.
It is nice seeing Champaign Ill on Hulu now after previously being a YouTube Red/Premium exclusive.
Detroiters was so strange and hilarious. The constant dancing at the party was hilarious.
the comeback... people who had watched it appreciated it enough actually but not enough people watching it makes it undereappreciated for me. its a comedrama about an old tv star trying to comeback with a new show but to boost up her olden popularity they planning to air a reality show about her. it has some cringiest moments but her dealing with everything new around her, realisng she is old news, trying to save face for documentary, trying so hard to be relevant again. it feels so genuine to me. i cant describe it well enough so dont take my word for it just give it a try at lesast a couple of episodes. watching lisa kudrow acting flawlessly is bonus!!
The Deuce is one of the best shows ever and no one seems to have watched it
I watched the first series and only found out they'd made more a few weeks ago. Need to catch up. Really enjoyed it.
Threshold.... with names like David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga as producers, was cancelled because of inconsistent scheduling. Was just as good as shows like Fringe and X-Files, it was definately underrated and deserves a comeback on streaming tv....
Did you know they had a 3 season plan, and part of it was changing the title yearly? S2 was gonna be "Foothold" and 3 "Stranglehold"
The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Almost every main actor went on to their own shows. Valerie Harper, Cloris Leechman, Ed Asner, not to forget Betty White, Gavin McLeod, Ted Knight, and John Amos.
You have spelled out the weakness. Why, with that kind of cast (and I'd add the direction was also consistently very good plus the content was perfect for its time), was the MTM show not near the top of the top tier?
I think you have to come to the conclusion that the scripts, despite multitudes of great moments, didn't consistently rise to the occasion. The much celebrated funeral episode was typical of this: great moments but overall not all that great.
Dead Like Me
Teenage Bounty Hunters, that show was great and Netflix took it from us after only one season! The twist in the last episode never got to play out
Early Edition on CBS 1996-2000
Rubicon, Terrier’s, Justified
Galavant
Kingdom or other smaller shows that just don't get marketing visibility in terms of the general audience.
In terms of the sub basically any popular show tbh. This sub rips apart any good show above a popularity threshold to be edgy.
I think Terra Nova was just hitting its stride when it was cancelled. It was a little campy, but I loved it.
I think its IMDB score would beg to differ.
I didn't realize it was that high. I literally never hear anyone talk about the show. Ever.
The Outlaws was great.
Brassic
Psych and Monk. I know Psych gets quoted here a lot but it's not so well known when I ask people if they've seen it.
Bates Motel
Wonder Falls 2003. It’s only a dozen episodes but it’s a brilliant run that ends perfectly. From Bryan Fuller (Hannibal and Pushing Daisies) it’s about a Niagra Falls gift shop clerk, college drop out, who gets cryptic messages when the stuffed animals start talking to her. She ends up helping strangers with their problems. It’s charming! Also has Lee Pace.
Not to be that guy, but those two shows are pretty unanimously loved. Deadwood is a little under-watched tho.
I'd say 'Industry.' Fantastic show with great writing and performances. Really deserves a lot more praise than it's getting
Seriously. “Does anyone remember two of the most critically acclaimed and popular shows of the last 20 years?”
12 Monkeys
the lazarus project, mr mercedes, station 11
Animal Kingdom was pretty underrated imo probably because it was on TNT. All six seasons are streaming on prime.
I watched all of it but the movie is so much better. I woulda never watched the show if I knew how good the movie was.
I absolutely loved Witches of East End but no one seems to have heard of it.
I’m usually not a fan of police procedurals, but Grimm was fun!
Also, Republic of Doyle, a little known canadian gem. Ngl, I started watching it purely for the accent and curiosity about Newfoundland. I still can’t believe they managed to get Russel Crowe to guest star
anne with an e... its about an orphan girl who never get any love from anyone in her life. she is adopted by an old farmer couple. intended to having a boy to help around but mistakes happens and anne becomes their new daughter. she has so much love and energy in her to be enough for every person in town.
Farscape
The Last Kingdom, Doom Patrol, The Leftovers
Justified.
Lots of good ones already mentioned, and I'll add Quarry, The Knick, Luck, Treme, Patriot, 12 Monkeys, Party Down, and Review.
Enlightened
The Guardian with Simon Baker. Never hear it talked about.
Travelers
White Collar is so under appreciated and such a good show.
Man Seeking Woman
Review With Forrest McNeil
Preacher
Legion
Bob❤️Abishola. Great concept. Funny. Real. It's the closest thing on air right now to Seinfeld or Fraser and it gets no love whatsoever.
Rome. Sure it was popular in its day but these days no one talks about it.
The production quality and recreation of history are just incredible. The first season is peak hbo.
US: The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
UK: Colin's Sandwich
Ah, Maynard G Krebs. One of my favorite side characters of all time. I still shout out "work?!" from time to time, but nobody ever knows why.
Ahhh, Thalia!
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The Amazon version of The Tick was just hitting its stride in season 2 when it was canceled. Drastically underappreciated..
Marion and Geoff. Barely ever gets a mention.
Trial and Error
Banshee... I always recommend it, good action show.
Andor, Better Call Saul, The Expanse, Mr. Robot
I feel like 12 Monkeys would fit here. Best time travel show I've seen
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South side on HBO max
Avenue 5, The Great, The Deuce
starsky1984 t1_ixkfjsn wrote
Mr Inbetween - Australian show about criminals that is criminally underrated!