73 Underrated TV Shows That Nobody Talks About, As Shared By People In This Online Thread
Have you ever finished watching a TV show and thought, "How is no one talking about this?" or "How is this not viral yet?" Well, sometimes even the brightest of diamonds get lost in the myriad of rhinestones. Still, even if a TV show doesn't make it to the "trending now" section, that doesn't mean it's any less awesome. In fact, for one reason or another, many underrated TV shows don't make it to the trending page.
However, they are never forgotten by their devoted fans. Thanks to Reddit user OpulentOwl, many of these most underrated TV shows got their fifteen minutes of fame and at least the tiny bit of recognition they deserve. A member of the AskReddit community asked, "What's a great TV show that nobody talks about?" and fellow Redditors hopped on the thread to share their favorite TV shows that never ranked among other popular TV shows at the time when they totally should have. Ranging from The Detectorists, with a weighted average vote of 8.6 on IMDB, to the animated comedy series Mission Hill, with a high rating of 7.8, these are some of the underrated TV series that Redditors believe more people need to see.
Below, we've compiled some of the top picks from the thread, sharing some of the most underrated TV shows that never got the recognition they deserved despite being incredibly good and even highly acclaimed by the critics. Have you seen any of these underrated shows from the list? Do they deserve to rank among the best TV shows ever made? Share your opinions in the comments and make sure to give the most underrated shows an upvote!
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"Good Omens"
"I love a feel good British comedy."
SheriffComey replied:
"Crowley driving through the wall of fire and driving by the police in a flaming car waving is still may favorite scene in that entire show."
I always prefer British humour over American... subtle. maybe coz i grew up on quite a few British shows, films and literature
"Psych"
"Is one of the most underrated TV shows that I know of. I’ve watched through it countless times and still will watch random episodes whenever I need a mood lightener!"
It's this underrated? Everyone I know that's seen it loves this show. It's one of my all time favs.
"Warehouse 13"
"Derry Girls"
"I think it's funnier than half the stuff popular right now."
Straycat43 replied:
"It’s been getting a lot of traction. They have an episode on the British bake off: holiday S3 e2."
"Pushing Daisies"
"I was so upset when it was cancelled."
TheBeardedMann replied:
"I remember 'Pushing Daises' on my first HD TV. It was incredible."
"Taskmaster"
"It's the best show on television."
Absolutely hysterically entertaining. Full seasons are available on YouTube. Do yourself a favorite and find the task with Fern Brady and the word "helicopter." Or Chris Ramsey and the cement mixer. Or Daisy Cooper drawing a hippo. Or Joe Wilkinson and the potato. I could go on and on and on!! Such a funny show!
"Dead Like Me"
CaptainZ0S0 replied: "'Dead Like Me' was so underrated as a show. No one I know has even heard of it."
User No 2 replied: "I’ve heard of it and oh my God the episode where she finds out someone in her family is going to die… and the number of times she tried to get them to see her. That show broke me in the best ways and I was so sad to see it go."
"Are You Being Served?"
"Old series but absolutely hilarious if you’re a fan of British comedy. So many episodes that are just as funny if not funnier after watching it again."
"Superstore"
yippy-ki-yay-m-f replied:
"Super comfy. Glad they got to do an ending and it was pretty solid. Look forward to rewatches."
I loved this show to watch it once, but some moments were rough to get through, so I haven't watched it since. Still worth a shot for people with higher cringe tolerances than me.
"Black Books"
Thedaulilamahimself replied:
"Look at him, look at this bastard. Look at em! What does he want from me? He wants to buy a book. Yeah but why does he come to me? Why me? Well you sell books. Yeah I know…"
"I've got to get a girlfriend, just for the summer, until this wears off. She'll be a summery girl. She'll have hair. She'll have summery friends who know how to be outside. She'll play tennis and wear dresses and have bare feet, and in the autumn, I'll ditch her, because she's my summer girl!"
"The Librarians"
CanYouFeelSora replied:
"The Librarians is one of my favorites of all time, sometimes things just hit the mark!"
"Russian Doll"
"Nobody in my life talks about that show. Loved it. I love everything about the show, but because I don't feel like it's promoted, I'm always afraid Netflix is going to cancel it."
"Ghosts"
SignificantBoot7180 replied:
"It is so damn good. I got a few other people hooked on it. The characters are just fantastic. So many hilarious lines!"
"Fringe"
"I will never stop recommending that show!"
My husband and I loved this show. it got weird at a later time, but I still liked it.
"Northern Exposure"
NathanForJew replied:
"I bought the DVD set a few years ago. Not the original music, but still well worth the watch for someone who’d never seen the show before."
"Farscape"
"Sci-fi space opera with muppets (not for children)."
This was a favourite of my older brother's when I was a kid. Never saw it until recently. I really wanted to like it, especially as it had a great cast, but I just couldn't get into it.
"The Great"
"It's... great! Hilarious and charming and occasionally a true story."
"The Middle"
"Was a hilarious comedy you can watch with your kids (middle school and up). That's not true of most shows these days."
"Kim's Convenience"
"Canadian show about a Korean family in Toronto."
piratedogD replied:
"Love it. Except the last season."
"Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency"
"Hidden gem!"
Butagami replied:
"'Did I make some mistakes? Yes. Did I only make mistakes? Yes. But did it all work out? Kind of!' Such a great show."
Check out the original English version of Dirk Gently from 2012, starring Stephen Mangan (Green Wing, Extras). Much funnier, quirkier and closer to the Dirk Gently in the books.
"Happy!"
"It's on Netflix but apparently got cancelled after two seasons. Funny, dark and very bizarre."
"Spaced"
"A sitcom created, written and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes and is directed by Edgar Wright, all of which went on to work on 'Shaun of the Dead', 'Hot Fuzz' and 'The World’s End'. Nick Frost also has a role in 'Spaced'. Shame it only had 2 seasons but every episode is great."
"Miracle Workers"
"All seasons of it Every person I’ve put on to this show, loves it."
ich_habe_keine_kase replied:
"Love this show. Such a delightfully random cast (put Lolly Adefope in more stuff!) and high-concept but lighthearted humor executed perfectly."
"Orphan Black"
"The acting of Tatiana Maslany alone is worth the watch. Hard to believe all those characters are the same actress."
"Justified"
"I feel like 'Justified' has not received the attention/recognition that it deserves. That show was solid all the way through."
Annhl8rX replied:
"I recommend 'Justified' to people all the time. My description is always, “It might not be the best show you’ve watched, but it’ll probably be the most fun”. It was a pretty ridiculous show, but I enjoyed every minute of it."
"Barry"
avwitcher replied:
"Has the best gun shooting scene I've seen in media honestly. When Barry unloads on the guys in the car in the beginning it's absolutely flawless, puts 3-4 shots into each guy in a couple seconds and just walks away. All of the shooting scenes are fantastic."
LOVE this show, the casting is so perfect for every character. Surprisingly great action scenes, too; it's not over the top with hollywood explosions/etc, it's pretty realistic. Hader is a really good actor, not a one trick pony at all, and the NoHo Hank character is freakin hilarious 😂
"Better Off Ted"
"It was unceremoniously killed before its time, with ABC citing a lack of viewers."
This is an the annual watch list. It makes my husband laugh out loud. I love it.
"Altered Carbon"
Gionanni replied:
"Season one is one of the best shows I've ever seen. Season 2 is meh."
Season 2 was set up in a way that could have redeemed the show in Season 3. Netflix cancelled what would have been great because greed, and sadly, maybe racism, there was a rumor that the asian star wasn't famous enough to be the lead star. He's just the main character, and imho the best actor portrayal of said character. BUT Nooooo! We don't want to gamble on that, let's renew Emily in Paris instead
"The Detectorists"
"Extremely dry and very British, but a really heartfelt and lovely comedy about some metal detectorists in Essex."
anathemal replied:
"Such an underrated gem. The theme song is one of my favorites."
"Sliders"
"Is a show that was supposedly popular in the mid-90s yet is sadly forgotten. The first 3 seasons were awesome."
PhatBallllzAtHotmail replied:
"Sliders was awesome! I'll never forget the episode where he finally gets back to his timeline and left because the gate didn't squeak. Then a repairman comes out and says, "I fixed that squeaky gate for you" to his mom. Thanks for the flashback!!"
"Future Man"
"Had me crying laughing multiple times across its 3 seasons. Seth Rogen is a genius."
"Last Man On Earth"
mulans_goat replied:
"Canceled on the most tantalizing cliffhanger at that!"
"Party Down"
johnnyutah30 replied:
"I met Ken Marino when I was an extra on Eastbound and Down and he was the nicest guy in the world. I told him I loved him in Wet Hot American Summer and Party Down. He got a huge smile and said thank you so much. He wasn’t even working that day he was just on set to say what’s up and mess around."
"Travelers"
Waitress-in-mn replied:
"I absolutely love this show. It is one of my favorites. I've watched it twice already and debating watching it a 3rd time."
HBO’s "Carnivale"
"Extremely other worldly and atmospheric."
ice1972 replied:
"When they cancelled it was so depressing. Great show very original. They could not let us enjoy it."
"Norsemen"
"Vikings-themed, as dark as 'Game of Thrones' (the very first 5 minutes is old people jumping to their deaths), but tons of deadpan gallows humor jokes about the diverse situations they are in."
"The Original 'The Tick' Cartoon"
spytez replied:
"Isn't sanity really just a one-trick pony anyway? I mean all you get is one trick, rational thinking, but when you're good and crazy, oooh, oooh, oooh, the sky is the limit."
Unicron1982 replied:
"It was sooo good! I think it was just a little ahead of its time. It would have a better chance nowadays."
"Counterpart"
"Great cast and acting, cool story, two solid seasons."
canuck47 replied:
"I want to go back and rewatch it - the other side had a global pandemic that killed millions. As a result they don't gather in groups in public, they wear masks, they have UV hand sanitizers everywhere. And all this predates covid by a few years."
"Spartacus"
"First couple of episodes are terribly bad but then it somehow turn into one of the best piece of drama, treason and action you could ever wish for. A friend begged me to try it out saying it was amazing and I was really turned off at first but it somehow goes from complete garbage to absolute must watch in the span of its first season."
"Rome"
"It was so good but it was on HBO and didn't get much traction until after it was canceled and the set was destroyed. Two amazing seasons that end on a cliffhanger so you will wonder about it for decades (like I have)."
"The Americans"
james7003 replied: "When I was in college, one of my favorite professors was a former operations officer in the CIA. The classes I took were mostly about the interaction between intelligence groups and political ones, but I remember talking to him about TV shows once and he said that the Americans is a surprisingly authentic telling of actual programs and operations the Russians did. That got me into the show, and despite dramatization and exaggerated situations, he was completely right. And it was entertaining as hell."
"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"
"It was better than it had any business being. Netflix kept suggesting it to me and I was like “ew no please stop” but then one day I was really stoned and was like “f**k it, show me what you’ve got” and boy howdy I’m so glad I did. It’s funny, smart, a little soapy which I appreciate when you want action that doesn’t feel life or death, and then boom huge amazing depictions of mental health struggles and toxic parenting. I have literally discussed the song “Maybe she’s not such a heinous b***h after all” with my therapist on multiple occasions. Is it cheesy? Yes. Is it good? Yes. Should you give it a try? Yes."
"Kingdom"
"Set in ancient Korea (so a period piece) but it also has zombies. Phenomenal acting, makeup/special effects, cinematography, character development… etc. I’m obsessed with it."
"The Leftovers"
"Is really amazing yet I almost never come across anyone who has seen the show."
"Halt And Catch Fire"
equipped_metalblade replied:
"I loved this show, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone mention it. Lee Pace and Mackenzie Davis are both great in it as well. Really interesting topics as they go on in seasons as well."
"Maniac"
"Might be my favorite show of all time. Absolutely star studded cast, crazy good production design, and the plot is a lot to wrap your head around but it’s such an ambitious project it’s hard not to obsess over."
"Wilfred"
"Such a great show."
MissAdikia replied:
"This one was shockingly heartbreaking and wonderful."
"Wellington Paranormal"
distributerofcoin replied:
"I stumbled onto it on HBO Max and YouTube. Minogue's facial expressions alone make this show worth watching."
"How To With John Wilson"
clycloptopus replied:
"My favorite. HBO Max. For any fans of 'Nathan For You' or 'I Think You Should Leave', check this out."
"Nathan For You"
"I will always contest that Nathan For You is absolute peak TV comedy. The combination of satire, the dramatic tension from all the unsuspecting participants, Nathan's amazing deadpan delivery and improvisational skills, and some truly genius level schemes played out on a grand scale all lead to some of the most memorable and side splitting moments I've ever had watching any kind of entertainment."
Watching him backpedal after getting into that poor "child actors" head with the terrible mom was irl cringey and might've put me off the guy forever.
"You're The Worst"
"10/10 in my book. It's hilarious and every episode hits. The writing is incredible and it is perfectly cast. Whole series is on Hulu."
HiJane72 replied: "Great show. Their coverage of depression was very real."
"The Terror"
"Season 1 is amazing."
MattTheFlash replied:
"Yes. The level of detail about the ship etc was incredible. They recently discovered the shipwreck, prompting this to be written. The voyage, minus the details, really happened and they really got stuck and had to take off on foot and really did leave that message at the caern."
"The Venture Bros"
"Not only one of the funniest, but one of the best written superhero shows of all time. Surprisingly airtight continuity, Amazing voice acting, Ingenious character design, and not to mention some of the funniest parodic characters ever (I.E: A Colonel who acts and looks like Hunter S Thompson named Hunter Gathers, or a cross between Andy Warhol and Lex Luthor named "Wes Warhammer" who leads a group of Post-Modern villains called the "Doom Factory." Its brilliant!"
"Banshee"
"It's such a well-written, acted, and all around amazing show and yet I've literally never met anyone who has seen it. Definitely deserves more recognition."
"Happy Endings"
GoodChives replied:
"It’s by far one of my favorite shows. The entire cast had great chemistry and it was absolutely hilarious."
"Mythic Quest"
"If you're a fan of 'Always Sunny in Philadelphia' and video games, you'll probably enjoy it."
The first season was f*****g awesome and I'd totally recommend, but the second one is disappointing
"Peep Show"
"It’s pretty popular in the UK but no one I’ve talked to in the US seems to know or appreciate how good that show is."
"I'm Sorry"
"Is a hilarious show that I never hear anybody talking about. 2 seasons are on HBO Max."
"The Increasingly Poor Decisions Of Todd Margaret"
"I think “The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret” was absolutely hilarious, but I've never met anyone else who knows what it is."
"The Knick"
CCMacReddit replied: "'The Knick' had such an incredible cast. One of those shows for which I actively searched out the actors once it wrapped. I’ll watch André Holland and Jeremy Bobb in anything! Chris Sullivan was sooo good with Cara Seymour."
Only recently I wondered whether there were more seasons, but unfortunately not :(
"Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace"
I'm assuming this was posted by my brother who is constantly trying to make me watch this
"Milo Murphy's Law"
Lorgoth1812 replied:
"One of the best tine travel arcs ever done on TV. That and the Llama incident are gold."
"Terriers"
yippy-ki-yay-m-f replied:
"I was one of the twelve people who watched in its original run! It was great! Would love desperately to have it on blu-ray."
"Patriot"
"Amazing show that got like no buzz even when it was released. Steven Conrad makes great shows. For that matter Perpetual Grace Limited is another good one made by him as well. Couple of my favorite shows. They've just got a certain flair that is hard to explain."
"Wonderfalls"
isupposeineedname replied:
"Such a great show. I'm glad someone else remembers it!"
"Toast Of London"
urko37 replied:
"Matt Berry did an audiobook called Toast on Toast which is nearly four hours of him telling insane rambling anecdotes in character. Amazing. Love his work and his new music collection ("Gather Up") is fab as well."
"Frisky Dingo"
Infenso replied:
"This show was created by the same people who now do Archer, but it was on Adult Swim so they didn't have FX to tell them to behave. So they didn't. At all."
"Nirvanna The Band The Show"
"Started as a web series but made its way onto Viceland as an actual TV Series. Its really worth a watch but its really hard to find a place to watch it due to licensing rights."
"Love"
eltedioso replied:
"This is one of those shows that suffers from a terrible, generic name. Whenever I bring that show up, I have to explain what it is to my friends, because there’s just nothing to make them remember what show I’m talking about. But also, my friends are selfish stoners who don’t really listen when I talk."
maybe not as underrated as others but community has got to be my favorite/comfort show and hardly anyone I know has even heard about it
Some shows I never really hear alot of people talk about and I love are The Owl House, The Blacklist, iZombie, She-Ra and The Princess of Power (I watch it for Catra), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, The Flash (CW, but seasons 2-5), Legends of Tomorrow (Seasons 1-4). There are others but I cant think of them.
Carnival Row with Orlando Bloom and Cara Delavigne, seriously good show with complex characters and incredible world building. It's so sad it's being axed with season 2, which always happens to shows with original ideas (I'm gonna guess because of the LOTR stuff Amazon is doing because they'd rather just cater for the masses 🙄).
I’m the dark is an amazing show I binged and I highly recommend if you are into crime and comedy
Infinity Train. Trust me, do yourself a favor and look it up. Unfortunately it got cancelled, and the fourth season was a dissapointment. But seasons 1 through 3 are funny, heartbreaking, powerful, and just incredibly well written. There is a teaser trailer as well from before the show got greenlit.
In India in not so recent past, Sony TV Channel had a spate of shows produced by YRF, a leading film producing company. One of the shows was Powder which was on the drug mafia in Mumbai led by a don and a cop trying all he can to bring him down. One of the best and real looking shows with good storyline, great acting and good direction. Unfortunately it was not the typical shows and so got low ratings. got packed fast. Some great actors were part of this show..
maybe not as underrated as others but community has got to be my favorite/comfort show and hardly anyone I know has even heard about it
Some shows I never really hear alot of people talk about and I love are The Owl House, The Blacklist, iZombie, She-Ra and The Princess of Power (I watch it for Catra), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, The Flash (CW, but seasons 2-5), Legends of Tomorrow (Seasons 1-4). There are others but I cant think of them.
Carnival Row with Orlando Bloom and Cara Delavigne, seriously good show with complex characters and incredible world building. It's so sad it's being axed with season 2, which always happens to shows with original ideas (I'm gonna guess because of the LOTR stuff Amazon is doing because they'd rather just cater for the masses 🙄).
I’m the dark is an amazing show I binged and I highly recommend if you are into crime and comedy
Infinity Train. Trust me, do yourself a favor and look it up. Unfortunately it got cancelled, and the fourth season was a dissapointment. But seasons 1 through 3 are funny, heartbreaking, powerful, and just incredibly well written. There is a teaser trailer as well from before the show got greenlit.
In India in not so recent past, Sony TV Channel had a spate of shows produced by YRF, a leading film producing company. One of the shows was Powder which was on the drug mafia in Mumbai led by a don and a cop trying all he can to bring him down. One of the best and real looking shows with good storyline, great acting and good direction. Unfortunately it was not the typical shows and so got low ratings. got packed fast. Some great actors were part of this show..
