The 10 Most Underrated TV Shows You Can Stream Right Now

With all the TV shows available to stream, only a small percentage are recognized via talk shows, red-carpet interviews, and awards ceremonies. This leaves many buzz-worthy productions in the dust.

There are dozens of TV shows beyond the select few that make it on Netflix’s Top 10 or what Amazon Prime might recommend based on popularity, but they haven’t gotten their time to shine. However, many shows are highly deserving of the spotlight, and they should be screamed about from the rooftops.

Here’s our way of doing just that, as we’ve compiled a list of the most under-the-radar TV series that merit more appreciation, and they’re all available to stream right now.

The Leftovers (2014-2017)

One TV show that doesn’t get enough praise is The Leftovers, which aired on HBO from June 2014 to June 2017. The supernatural drama tells the story of a New York community grappling with the aftermath of an unexplained tragedy where 140 million people suddenly disappeared.

The show stars Justin Theroux, Margaret Qualley, Carrie Coon, Amy Brenneman, and Chris Zylka, and the premise hit close to home for some people who said it felt all too familiar after the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, critics spoke highly of the series, as it garnered an 82 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Luckily for fans, all three seasons are streaming on Max.

The Middle (2009-2018)

The Middle aired for nearly 10 years before ABC canceled the sitcom in 2018. It documented a middle-class mother, Frankie Heck (Patricia Heaton), navigating her family through life’s mishaps in Orson, Ind. The comedy also stars Neil Flynn, Charlie McDermott, Eden Sher, and Atticus Shaffer.

Despite the success of the show, it eventually got the axe – a move that was fueled by the producers. “The decision for us to end the show was a personal decision,” executive producer Eileen Heisler revealed to TV Guide in 2017.

“We had all talked together as creators and cast. I kind of feel like that moment for us when we felt it was time was wanting to leave when people still wanted more of it rather than staying so long that people go, ‘Whatever, why did they stay for so long?'”

Fans can revisit the series on Amazon Prime, where all nine seasons are streaming.

Happy Endings (2011-2013)

Of all the TV shows that come and go, some stick with us, no matter how long they’re on the air. That was the case with the sitcom Happy Endings, which lasted for three seasons on ABC before getting the boot in 2013.

The series is about six young friends trying to figure out adulthood in Chicago and helping each other along the way. The romantic comedy stars many well-known names, including Eliza Coupe, Elisha Cuthbert, Zachary Knighton, Adam Pally, Damon Wayans Jr., and Casey Wilson.

In May 2024, Wilson revealed to People that the show might be getting a reboot.

“They are trying to make it happen,” the actress teased, though she said there’s been a snag in securing writers’ contracts to move forward. In the meantime, fans can relive the series on Hulu with a subscription.

Superstore (2015-2021)

Another comedic genius of a show is Superstore, which follows the daily lives of employees working at a box store. The series debuted in 2015 and wrapped in 2021, bringing to NBC six hilarious seasons and more than 100 episodes.

The cast includes Ben Feldman, Lauren Ash, Colton Dunn, Nico Santos, Mark McKinney, Nichole Sakura, Danny Gura, Jon Miyahara, and America Ferrera. Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin created the show, and they’re also behind NBC’s St. Denis Michael, which premiered in 2024.

Spitzer revealed to Us Weekly in November 2024 that he’s open to facilitating a crossover between the two shows; however, it’s unclear how that would work given Kaliko Kauahi and Josh Lawson, who star in Superstore, are a part of the cast of St. Denis Michael.

If you need a Superstore fix, you can rewatch all the episodes on Hulu or Peacock with a subscription.

The OA (2016-2019)

Netflix’s The OA was an immediate attention grabber when it premiered on the platform in 2016, though it somehow fell off the radar over the years. The show stars Britt Marling, one of the series’ creators, whose character vanishes for seven years and returns with strange new abilities.

The show also features Jason Isaacs, Ian Alexander, Patrick Gibson, Phyllis Smith, and others. Although the show got canned in 2019, fans hoped it would start up again after star Brandon Perea teased the idea to The Hollywood Reporter in July 2024.

“I’m one of those people that has a feeling it’s not over. I think they have a way to continue the story, which I have no idea about, but I’m down, and I’m willing to be a part of The OA whenever it’s time to come back around,” Perea told the outlet.

While there’s been no official word on whether a revival is in the cards, all 16 episodes of The OA are available to stream for Netflix subscribers.

The Fall (2013-2016)

For those obsessed with crime dramas, The Fall is probably right up your alley. The series stars Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan, and follows a passionate detective determined to catch a serial killer in Northern Ireland.

John Lynch, Aisling Franciosi, Niamh McGrady, and Bronagh Waugh comprise some of the cast of the psychological thriller, which initially premiered in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland on RTÉ One in 2013 before its cancellation in 2016.

In January 2023, Anderson suggested the possibility of reprising her role as the detective for a fourth season during an interview with the Belfast Telegraph.

“It’s in the air, something is being worked on. She’s somebody that one could go back to at any point. That’s nice to know, and I look forward to it,” she told the publication.

It’s unknown if a fourth season of The Fall is on the horizon, but the first three are available to Netflix subscribers.

BoJack Horseman (2014-2020)

While generally created for comedic relief, animated movies and television shows are also sought-after for the character’s familiar voices. There are many in the Netflix series BoJack Horseman. The show has a star-studded cast, including Will Arnett, Aaron Paul, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, and J.K. Simmons, and is a true laugh-out-loud comedy.

Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, the series is about Arnett’s character (BoJack Horseman), who is bothered by everything in life after no longer being the Hollywood TV star he once was. It ran from 2014 to 2020 and was Netflix’s first-ever adult animated original series.

“The idea was to do a show that is fun, wacky, and goofy like a cartoon but also is meditative, dark, and dramatically challenging like a live-action drama,” Bob-Waksberg told IndieWire in August 2024 in light of the show’s 10th anniversary.

“I think combining those aspirations in one package felt new at the time. People had maybe seen all the different pieces, but they hadn’t quite seen it assembled in this way,” he added.

All six seasons of the sitcom still live on Netflix for subscribers’ viewing pleasure.

Castle Rock (2018-2019)

Castle Rock left an impression on fans despite only lasting two seasons. The supernatural horror series was adapted from the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine, created by Stephen King. Both seasons acted as stand-alone stories with a fresh cast, with the first including André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Bill Skarsgård, Jane Levy, and Sissy Spacek.

Lizzy Caplan, Paul Sparks, Barkhad Abdi, Yusra Warsama, Elsie Fisher, Matthew Alan, and Tim Robbins joined for the second season, which was planned from the start to be the show’s last. Castle Rock premiered on Hulu in July 2018, and the streamer confirmed its end in November 2020.

All 20 episodes of the series are available to stream on Hulu.

The Passage (2019)

Another show deserving more applause than it received is The Passage, which dropped on Fox in January 2019. The thriller was canceled after one season, but it’s a riveting watch, as a group of death row inmates are turned into infectious vampires in a U.S. government experiment gone wrong.

The 10-episode series stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Jamie McShane, Saniyya Sidney, Brianne Howey, and Henry Ian Cusick. Fox announced its cancellation in May 2019, two months after its lackluster ratings for the two-hour season finale.

However, the show lives on on Apple TV for those interested in a good binge.

Banshee (2013-2016)

Banshee ran on Cinemax from 2013 to 2016, and the story is captivating, to say the least. It follows an ex-con who assumed the identity of a sheriff who was murdered in the small town of Banshee, Penn., and he resumes his criminal ways.

The series is led by Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, Ulrich Thomsen, Frankie Faison, Matt Servitto, Matthew Roach, and others. Banshee scored a whopping 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, clearly pleasing the masses despite its time on TV being cut short.

Nevertheless, fans can relish in the show’s four seasons, all available on Max with a subscription.