12 Very Underrated TV Shows That Deserve Your Attention

Warren Zevon. A comfortable hoodie-sweatpant combo. Ricotta cheese on pizza. All things that are underrated.

But what about underrated TV shows? What are some of those?

1. Severance

Severance Patricia Arquette, Tramell Tillman
Image Credit: Apple TV+.

Severance documents workers whose memories have been neurologically divided between their work lives and personal lives. When they're engaged in one, they can't access knowledge of the other.

Though those who have seen Severance marvel at the supremely original concept and cutting-edge visuals, not nearly enough people have seen Severance. The single show is worth the cost of an Apple+ subscription.

2. Orphan Black

Orphan Black Tatiana Maslany
Image Credit: Netflix.

Critics loved BBC America's Orphan Black, an Emmy-winning series about a female street hustler falling deeper into a homicidal conspiracy. Despite being in the upper echelon of IMdB ratings, Orphan Black has not achieved the name recognition it deserves.

3. Happy!

Happy! Christopher Fitzgerald
Image Credit: Syfy.

A wise-cracking, cynical former cop turns to a life of serving hits. Only, he's got his daughter's imaginary unicorn friend along for the ride, and that unicorn has Patton Oswalt's voice.

Weird? You bet. Great? The critics say so.

4. The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret Will Arnett, Jack McBrayer, Craig Whittaker
Image Credit: IFC.

Think: Larry David's propensity for making foot-in-mouth comments, except with actual decisions. David Cross plays Todd Margaret, who can't get out of his way as he tries to navigate London as an American executive.

5. Kim's Convenience

Kim's Convenience Paul Sun-Hyung Lee
Image Credit: CBC Television.

Rank this selection even higher if you happen to be Korean. While Kim's Convenience appeals to anyone with a heart and a funny bone, it is about a Korean-Canadian family. The writers leaned hard (but not too hard) into cultural tropes.

Hit your local convenience store for snacks and a drink, then plop yourself down and binge all five seasons of Kim's Convenience.

6. Dark

Dark Louis Hofmann
Image Credit: Netflix.

This German murder mystery is among the highest-rated Netflix series ever, but have you seen it? Or even heard of it? That's the point—and what a shame of a point it is.

7. Reservation Dogs

Reservation Dogs D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Paulina Alexis, Lane Factor, Devery Jacobs
Image Credit: FX on Hulu.

FX has earned a reputation for high-floor shows, and everyone should know better than to write off Reservation Dogs. The comedic portrait of four Native American teenagers living on an Oklahoman reservation is not as niche as it might seem.

8. The IT Crowd

The IT Crowd Noel Fielding, Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson
Image Credit: Channel 4.

Ever wonder what The Big Bang Theory would be like if it were good? It might look something like The IT Crowd.

9. Detectorists

Detectorists Mackenzie Crook, Toby Jones
Image Credit: BBC Four.

How is a show about two British metal detectorists this funny?

Mackenzie Crook (the original Dwight from The Office) and Toby Jones form a potent on-two punch, unearthing comedy gold out of a hilariously tedious hobby.

10. Better Off Ted

Better Off Ted Malcolm Barrett
Image Credit: ABC.

When a network comedy turns out to be actually goodit's not long for the airwaves. Arrested Development proved it once, and Better Off Ted removed all doubt. Even so, the two seasons of Better Off Ted, a comedic twist on corporate politics, are worth the rental or subscription cost.

11. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency!

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency! Samuel Barnett
Image Credit: Netflix.

The thing about underrated shows is there's a reason why more people should have watched them. In the case of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency!, that reason might be the name Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency!

Get over the name, and you're in for a bizarro blend of the supernatural, psychological, and Elijah Wood-ial.

12. Wilfred

Wilfred Elijah Wood, Jason Gann
Image Credit: FX.

Apparently, after starring as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, Elijah Wood made it his mission to make criminally underrated TV shows. Wilfred is an outrageous comedy about a man who sees a neighbor's dog as a full-grown man in a dog suit.

It's a man doing the things a dog does. Simply genius.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

Sam Mire is a freelance writer who has manned a variety of beats over nearly a decade in the literary biz. He has spent weeks in the Alaskan wildlands, immersed himself in the world of Florida's homeless population, covered live sporting events, and served as a linchpin for media outlets in the legal, tech, and entertainment spaces. Sam has been published in Fast Company, Forbes, Entrepreneur, AP News, Fox News, and, most notably, Wealth of Geeks. In his free time, he enjoys boxing, woodwork, petting his dog, and reveling in good company.