The Best 2020s TV Shows You Probably Didn’t Watch

The 2020s have been packed with series that flew under the radar while delivering distinctive settings, inventive structures, and meticulous craft. This list pulls together twenty-five titles from across the world and across genres—limited dramas, animated originals, crime sagas, and more.

For quick scanning, each entry notes what it covers, who created it, core cast, where it streams or aired, episode counts, production notes like languages and filming locations, and any clear release or status details such as renewals, cancellations, or awards.

‘Station Eleven’ (2021–2022)

Adapted from Emily St. John Mandel’s novel, ‘Station Eleven’ follows intersecting survivors before and after a global flu, with a traveling Shakespeare troupe, a prophet figure, and a graphic novel linking timelines. It was developed by Patrick Somerville and features Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, and Matilda Lawler across 10 episodes on HBO Max.

The production shot in and around Chicago and Toronto, used multiple directors including Hiro Murai, and employed a dual-timeline structure that alternates pre- and post-pandemic arcs. It received awards recognition and appears in English with occasional on-screen text drawn from in-story comics.

‘The English’ (2022)

‘The English’ is a six-episode Western created, written, and directed by Hugo Blick, co-produced by the BBC and Prime Video. Emily Blunt plays an English aristocrat who joins ex-Cavalry scout Eli Whipp, played by Chaske Spencer, on a revenge-driven trek across the American frontier.

Although set in the Great Plains, principal photography took place in Spain and England. The series highlights period costuming and frontier weaponry, uses English and Indigenous languages in select scenes, and features an ensemble that includes Stephen Rea and Rafe Spall.

‘This Is Going to Hurt’ (2022)

Based on Adam Kay’s memoir, ‘This Is Going to Hurt’ depicts a junior doctor working in obstetrics and gynaecology within the UK’s National Health Service. The seven-episode drama stars Ben Whishaw and Ambika Mod and was produced by the BBC with AMC as a U.S. partner.

The series blends hospital procedures with administrative and ethical pressures specific to maternity care. It was filmed largely in London, runs roughly 45 minutes per episode, and earned multiple industry awards and nominations.

‘It’s a Sin’ (2021)

‘It’s a Sin’ is a five-part Channel 4 drama created by Russell T Davies that follows a group of friends in London as the AIDS crisis unfolds. The cast includes Olly Alexander, Lydia West, and Callum Scott Howells, with episodes later available on HBO Max in the U.S.

Filmed primarily in Manchester and other UK locations, the production recreates clubs, flats, and hospitals with period detail. The series drove significant streaming figures for Channel 4 and received numerous nominations across major British awards bodies.

‘Dopesick’ (2021)

‘Dopesick’ is an eight-episode limited series created by Danny Strong and released on Hulu, charting the origins and impact of the U.S. opioid crisis from corporate, regulatory, medical, and community perspectives. The cast features Michael Keaton, Kaitlyn Dever, Rosario Dawson, and Peter Sarsgaard.

Episodes intercut depositions, sales strategies, clinical practices, and law-enforcement efforts, with courtroom and small-town storylines running in parallel. The production filmed across multiple U.S. states and earned major awards, including acting honors.

‘Black Bird’ (2022)

‘Black Bird’ on Apple TV+ adapts James Keene’s memoir about a prisoner recruited to transfer into a maximum-security facility to befriend a suspected serial killer. The six-episode series was developed by Dennis Lehane and stars Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ray Liotta.

The episodes run close to an hour and focus on interview protocols, prison logistics, and investigative coordination between agencies. Performances received awards recognition, with the series noted for detailed depictions of interrogation tactics and plea arrangements.

‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ (2022)

‘Under the Banner of Heaven’ adapts Jon Krakauer’s nonfiction account and follows a homicide investigation that intersects with religious history and offshoot movements. The seven-episode limited series was released under the FX on Hulu banner and stars Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones.

Production filmed in Alberta to stand in for Utah settings, and the narrative alternates between a present-day police case and historical flashbacks. The series examines community structures, record-keeping, and church-state interactions relevant to the case.

‘Bodies’ (2023)

‘Bodies’ is an eight-episode Netflix miniseries based on Si Spencer’s graphic novel, following four detectives in different eras who discover the same body in the same London location. The adaptation was created by Paul Tomalin and stars Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Shira Haas, Kyle Soller, and Amaka Okafor.

The show uses a repeating evidence chain across timelines, with forensics, surveillance methods, and policing practices changing by era. Filming took place in Yorkshire and other UK sites, with production design differentiating each period’s streetscapes and technology.

‘1899’ (2022)

‘1899’ is an eight-episode Netflix mystery from Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, set aboard a migrant steamship headed from Europe to New York that encounters a missing sister vessel. The multilingual cast includes Emily Beecham and Andreas Pietschmann.

The production used virtual-production LED stages at Studio Babelsberg for ocean and deck sequences, mixing German, Spanish, French, Polish, Danish, Portuguese, and English dialogue. Storylines revolve around passenger registries, medical logs, and immigration documents.

‘ZeroZeroZero’ (2020)

‘ZeroZeroZero’ adapts Roberto Saviano’s book to track a single cocaine shipment across suppliers, brokers, and buyers. The eight-episode international co-production stars Andrea Riseborough, Dane DeHaan, and Gabriel Byrne and streamed on Prime Video in many territories.

Filming spanned Italy, Mexico, the United States, Senegal, and Morocco, with sequences covering port operations, shipping insurance, and financial routing. The series alternates between cartel dynamics, logistics companies, and family-run brokerage operations.

‘Brand New Cherry Flavor’ (2021)

‘Brand New Cherry Flavor’ is an eight-episode Netflix limited series developed by Nick Antosca and Lenore Zion from Todd Grimson’s novel. It follows a filmmaker in Los Angeles who becomes entangled with an enigmatic producer and occult transactions.

Episodes were shot in and around Vancouver standing in for Southern California, with practical effects, puppetry elements, and period-accurate props. The cast includes Rosa Salazar, Catherine Keener, and Eric Lange, and the soundtrack leans on early-’90s cues tied to the setting.

‘Devs’ (2020)

‘Devs’ is an FX on Hulu techno-thriller created by Alex Garland about a quantum computing division whose predictive project draws scrutiny after an employee’s disappearance. The eight-episode series stars Sonoya Mizuno, Nick Offerman, and Jin Ha.

The production built the fictional Amaya campus with large-scale set pieces and extensive VFX, including a magnetically suspended, sound-isolated cube. The show integrates cryptography, determinism debates, and software security procedures into its plot mechanics.

‘The Third Day’ (2020)

‘The Third Day’ is a Sky and HBO collaboration created by Dennis Kelly and Felix Barrett, set on Osea Island off the Essex coast. Structured in two halves, the six-episode drama also included a one-off live event titled ‘The Third Day: Autumn’ presented as a continuous broadcast.

The cast features Jude Law, Naomie Harris, and Katherine Waterston, and the series uses tidal causeways, island festivals, and local governance as key plot devices. Location work centered on Osea Island, with additional studio builds for interiors.

‘The Plot Against America’ (2020)

‘The Plot Against America’ is a six-episode HBO limited series created by David Simon and Ed Burns from the novel by Philip Roth, set in an alternate United States seen through a Jewish family in Newark. The cast includes Winona Ryder, Zoe Kazan, and John Turturro.

The production shot in New Jersey and New York, with art departments recreating residential streets, campaign paraphernalia, and radio newsrooms. Themes include civil aviation policy, isolationism, and community defense organizations depicted at neighborhood scale.

‘Unorthodox’ (2020)

‘Unorthodox’ is a four-episode Netflix miniseries created by Anna Winger and Alexa Karolinski, following a young woman who leaves an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community and relocates to Berlin. Shira Haas leads the cast, with dialogue in Yiddish, German, and English.

Filming split between Berlin and New York, with costume design informed by specific community dress codes. The series won a Primetime Emmy for directing and includes conservatory and music-school settings central to the lead character’s storyline.

‘The Underground Railroad’ (2021)

‘The Underground Railroad’ is a ten-episode Prime Video adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel, developed and directed by Barry Jenkins. It follows Cora Randall’s escape from a Georgia plantation via a literalized subterranean rail network.

The production filmed across several counties in Georgia and uses detailed period sets, locomotives, and town reconstructions. The cast includes Thuso Mbedu, Joel Edgerton, and Aaron Pierre, and the series received major awards recognition including a Peabody.

‘Shining Girls’ (2022)

‘Shining Girls’ is an Apple TV+ limited series developed by showrunner Silka Luisa from Lauren Beukes’s novel, centering on a Chicago newspaper researcher whose life is linked to a cold-case predator. The eight-episode cast features Elisabeth Moss, Wagner Moura, and Jamie Bell.

Location work leveraged Chicago neighborhoods, newsroom sets, and library archives. Episodes focus on investigative workflows, archival clipping systems, and evidence chains mapped across city departments.

‘The Long Shadow’ (2023)

‘The Long Shadow’ is a seven-part ITV true-crime drama written by George Kay and directed by Lewis Arnold, depicting the multiyear hunt for a serial killer in northern England. The ensemble includes Toby Jones, David Morrissey, and Katherine Kelly.

The series reconstructs police briefings, incident room procedures, and victim timelines, with filming across Yorkshire. Production design reproduces period vehicles, signage, and interior layouts for CID offices.

‘The Serpent’ (2021)

‘The Serpent’ is an eight-episode BBC and Netflix co-production about serial fraudster and killer Charles Sobhraj and his move through the Southeast Asia backpacker circuit. Tahar Rahim and Jenna Coleman lead the cast.

The show filmed in Thailand and the UK, recreating embassies, border posts, and hostels, and it intercuts police cooperation between Dutch diplomats and Thai authorities. Costume and props departments reproduce passports, tickets, and period currency for investigative detail.

‘Time’ (2021–2023)

‘Time’ is a BBC prison drama created by Jimmy McGovern structured as an anthology across two three-episode runs. The first story centers on a teacher adapting to a Category B men’s prison; the second transfers to a women’s facility with a different cast.

Filming took place in northwest England with access to decommissioned facilities for authenticity. The casts include Sean Bean and Stephen Graham in the first run and Jodie Whittaker, Tamara Lawrance, and Bella Ramsey in the second.

‘Maid’ (2021)

‘Maid’ is a ten-episode Netflix limited series created by Molly Smith Metzler, adapted from Stephanie Land’s memoir about low-wage domestic work and the social-services system. Margaret Qualley stars alongside Andie MacDowell, Nick Robinson, and Anika Noni Rose.

Set in Washington State and filmed largely around Greater Victoria in British Columbia, the production shows intake interviews, housing applications, and client scheduling. Episodes run close to an hour and track income, expenses, and custody documentation.

‘The Eddy’ (2020)

‘The Eddy’ is an eight-episode Netflix drama set in a Paris jazz club, created by Jack Thorne with early episodes directed by Damien Chazelle. André Holland and Joanna Kulig lead the ensemble, with dialogue in French, English, Arabic, and other languages.

Music producer Glen Ballard co-wrote original songs performed on screen, and the show was filmed on location in Paris neighborhoods. Storylines center on venue licensing, touring logistics, and artist-management contracts.

‘ODDTAXI’ (2021)

‘Odd Taxi’ is a 13-episode original anime produced by OLM and P.I.C.S. that follows a taciturn taxi driver in Tokyo whose fares connect to a missing-person case. The series blends slice-of-life rides with police work, idol management, and small-time crime.

Its script threads clues across radio chatter, dash-cam views, and passenger conversations, encouraging re-assembly of timelines and alibis. A compilation film, ‘Odd Taxi: In the Woods’, later re-edits and expands the TV storyline.

‘Sonny Boy’ (2021)

‘Sonny Boy’ is a 12-episode original anime from director Shingo Natsume and studio Madhouse in which a group of students drift into parallel dimensions with shifting rules. Each episode explores a distinct world with its own physics and social systems.

Visual design emphasizes minimal backgrounds and stark color fields, and narrative devices include school rules, class elections, and barter economies adapted to new environments. The series uses an eclectic soundtrack and a largely youthful Japanese voice cast.

‘Scavengers Reign’ (2023)

‘Scavengers Reign’ is an adult animated sci-fi series created by Joe Bennett and Charles Huettner that follows a crash-scattered crew surviving on an alien planet with intricate ecosystems. Season one comprises 12 episodes and originally streamed on Max.

Animation highlights include biome design with predator-prey interdependencies, non-human symbiosis, and diegetic sound cues to signal threats. The production later licensed to additional platforms and features a voice cast anchored by Wunmi Mosaku, Sunita Mani, and Ted Travelstead.

Share the under-the-radar series you’d add to this list in the comments!