What are some criminally underappreciated TV shows?

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?

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anasui1 t1_ixkeysg wrote

Bosch is massively ignored; it's great

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Bree7702 t1_ixkf633 wrote

Everybody Hates Chris. It never got the recognition it deserved. It was such a great show.

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starsky1984 t1_ixkfjsn wrote

Mr Inbetween - Australian show about criminals that is criminally underrated!

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tits_the_artist t1_ixkflnt wrote

Archer. Very rarely do I mention Archer and have someone actually know what I'm talking about

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tinoynk t1_ixkfxp5 wrote

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.

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Try_Another_Please t1_ixkgf61 wrote

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.

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MinnesotaNoire t1_ixkgkch wrote

Let me tell you about a hidden gem no one talks about called Andor...

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Skavau t1_ixkhdqx wrote

Babylon Berlin

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.

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Mu-Relay t1_ixkhefv wrote

I think Terra Nova was just hitting its stride when it was cancelled. It was a little campy, but I loved it.

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Uranus_Hz t1_ixkhij5 wrote

The Magicians is a blast

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facebook57 t1_ixkhin4 wrote

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

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hirasmas t1_ixkhjzb wrote

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.

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mobyhead1 t1_ixkhkky wrote

Replying to MitsyEyedMourning (#643,232)

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.

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LeeF1179 t1_ixkho8w wrote

Nip / Tuck isn't remembered like it should be.

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epixzone t1_ixkhzy5 wrote

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....

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Whatmeworry4 t1_ixkiaop wrote

Barney Miller is one of the most under appreciated shows I’ve come across. Consistently funny.

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Whatmeworry4 t1_ixkiy9i wrote

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.

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devilinthedetails t1_ixkjev2 wrote

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)

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BranWafr t1_ixklqvr wrote

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.

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TheBlackSwarm t1_ixko6ua wrote

Animal Kingdom was pretty underrated imo probably because it was on TNT. All six seasons are streaming on prime.

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Heynony t1_ixkrysc wrote

Replying to Whatmeworry4 (#643,573)

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.

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saiaf t1_ixkshzy wrote

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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pondercp t1_ixkt170 wrote

Rectify, Legion, Utopia(uk), Manhunt, and more but thats my off the top my head

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AleroRatking t1_ixktilh wrote

Rectify without question. Should have a ton of awards and way more well known by the common fan.

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catnapspirit t1_ixkvucu wrote

Replying to Uranus_Hz (#643,416)

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..

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catnapspirit t1_ixkw8xm wrote

The Amazon version of The Tick was just hitting its stride in season 2 when it was canceled. Drastically underappreciated..

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calledhimdaddy t1_ixl1w1k wrote

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

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bitca57 t1_ixl56p8 wrote

Replying to LeeF1179 (#643,439)

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.

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mprop t1_ixl6n5n wrote

Trial & Error, The Grinder, Rectify, The Capture, The North Water, Chance, Jett, Condor, Norsemen, Selfie, Quarry, Paper Girls

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PDV87 t1_ixl9276 wrote

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.

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Uranus_Hz t1_ixl97eg wrote

Replying to catnapspirit (#645,000)

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

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ozgun1414 t1_ixlb8t3 wrote

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.

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ozgun1414 t1_ixlc5s5 wrote

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!!

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ozgun1414 t1_ixlfis0 wrote

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.

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Fat-Villante t1_ixlp0tr wrote

The Deuce is one of the best shows ever and no one seems to have watched it

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unlikedemon t1_ixls2im wrote

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.

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cocogbay75 t1_ixlsor3 wrote

Rubicon, Terrier’s, Justified

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Evil_Morty_C131 t1_ixmhadj wrote

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.

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Evil_Morty_C131 t1_ixmj8hi wrote

Replying to ThisRiverIsWild_ (#645,823)

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!

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Czarcasm21 t1_ixmkb64 wrote

Lots of good ones already mentioned, and I'll add Quarry, The Knick, Luck, Treme, Patriot, 12 Monkeys, Party Down, and Review.

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RunawayReptar94 t1_ixmkm12 wrote

Black Sails for me, one of my all time favorite shows that very few people i know irl have watched

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TheSessionMan t1_ixmm2zc wrote

I would have laughed my head off if you snuck "Andor" in there.

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eerok79 t1_ixmt3d9 wrote

Andor, Better Call Saul, The Expanse, Mr. Robot

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Da_Foxxxxx t1_ixmyjfv wrote

I feel like 12 Monkeys would fit here. Best time travel show I've seen

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altroutes83 t1_ixno87a wrote

The Guardian with Simon Baker. Never hear it talked about.

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CreateTheRush t1_ixo6a69 wrote

White Collar is so under appreciated and such a good show.

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thefullpython t1_ixofjhu wrote

Man Seeking Woman

Review With Forrest McNeil

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schleddit t1_ixp5evq wrote

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

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Adalovedvan t1_ixphisw wrote

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.

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Oikkuli t1_ixqk0c4 wrote

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.

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Feast_5 t1_ixte17z wrote

South side on HBO max

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sergiocamposnt t1_ixzu25n wrote

Replying to ThisRiverIsWild_ (#645,823)

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.

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TheTrotters t1_iy100oj wrote

Avenue 5, The Great, The Deuce

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