Best TV Shows You’ve Never Heard of (But Should Check ASAP)

Here’s a hand-picked batch of lesser-known series across crime, sci-fi, comedy, and drama that quietly built passionate followings. You’ll find single-season gems next to slow-burn masterpieces, with stories spanning Tokyo to Texas and Berlin to the Arctic. Expect creators with distinctive voices, striking settings, and carefully built ensembles. Dip in anywhere and you’ll discover compact seasons that are easy to finish but rich enough to stay with you long after the credits roll.

‘Patriot’ (2015–2018)

This offbeat espionage drama follows an intelligence operative whose cover is a Midwestern industrial piping salesman. It blends spycraft with corporate travel, folk songs, and bureaucratic hurdles. The series was created by Steven Conrad and filmed across locations including Luxembourg, Prague, and Chicago. Its two seasons track a covert plan to influence an Iranian election while workplace mishaps spiral into international consequences.

‘Lodge 49’ (2018–2019)

Set in Long Beach, this show centers on a drifting ex-surfer who stumbles into a fraternal lodge that becomes a hub for odd jobs, lost alchemists, and neighborhood myths. The series uses the lodge as a backdrop for interconnected stories about work, debt, and community. Wyatt Russell leads an ensemble that includes Brent Jennings and Sonya Cassidy. Across two seasons it weaves blue-collar realities with hints of esoteric lore.

‘Counterpart’ (2017–2019)

A Berlin-set thriller imagines a hidden parallel world accessible through a guarded checkpoint. J. K. Simmons plays two versions of the same man from opposite sides of the divide, highlighting espionage and identity puzzles. The show films extensively in Berlin’s government districts and repurposed Cold War architecture. Its two seasons build an international conspiracy rooted in a decades-old incident that split the worlds apart.

‘Rectify’ (2013–2016)

This Southern drama follows a man released from death row after nearly two decades when new DNA evidence emerges. The series examines how his return affects his family, his small town, and an unresolved case. Created by Ray McKinnon, it was produced by AMC Studios for SundanceTV. Over four seasons it traces legal battles, therapy, and community conflict with patient, chronological detail.

‘Utopia’ (2013–2014)

This UK conspiracy thriller revolves around a group of strangers who acquire a cult graphic novel manuscript connected to engineered pandemics. The show is known for its striking color design, precise framing, and electronic score by Cristobal Tapia de Veer. It filmed primarily in London and Manchester. Across two seasons it pits grassroots resistance against a clandestine organization with a chilling plan.

‘Giri/Haji’ (2019)

This limited series moves between Tokyo and London as a Japanese detective tracks his missing brother tied to a yakuza dispute. It mixes crime procedural elements with family drama, animation inserts, and bilingual dialogue. Created by Joe Barton, it aired on BBC Two and Netflix internationally. Its single season intercuts perspectives from police, gang figures, and expatriates to map a cross-continental feud.

‘Quarry’ (2016)

Set in 1972 Memphis, this period crime drama follows a Marine sniper who returns from Vietnam and is drawn into a contract-killing ring. The production recreates riverside neighborhoods, vintage cars, and regional music scenes. Based on novels by Max Allan Collins, it stars Logan Marshall-Green and Jodi Balfour. The eight-episode season charts the protagonist’s attempts to leave the criminal network while facing federal scrutiny.

‘Perpetual Grace LTD’ (2019)

This Southwestern noir features a con-man targeting a powerful pastor and his wife, only to find the couple dangerously resourceful. Created by Steven Conrad and Bruce Terris, it films across New Mexico and showcases desert towns and roadside churches. The cast includes Ben Kingsley, Jimmi Simpson, and Jackie Weaver. Its ten episodes build intersecting schemes involving identity theft, missing persons, and small-county law enforcement.

‘Undone’ (2019–2022)

A rotoscoped dramedy uses performance-capture animation to explore time perception after a near-fatal car crash. Created by Kate Purdy and Raphael Bob-Waksberg, it blends family history with quantum possibilities. The production records live-action performances before animators trace over each frame. Two seasons examine mental health, intergenerational secrets, and shifting timelines through intimate character scenes.

‘Deutschland 83’ (2015)

This Cold War thriller follows an East German soldier coerced into spying in West Germany at the height of nuclear tensions. The series uses period props, music, and military settings to depict 1980s Europe. Created by Anna Winger and Joerg Winger, it aired in German with English subtitles and later spawned sequels. Its eight episodes track the agent’s handler network, NATO exercises, and escalating risks at the inner-German border.

‘The Bureau’ (2015–2020)

A French intelligence drama details day-to-day operations of the DGSE, emphasizing cover identities and long-term sources. Created by Eric Rochant, it is filmed in Paris with international arcs in the Middle East, Russia, and North Africa. The show focuses on tradecraft, internal oversight, and the personal strain of deep-cover work. Its multi-season structure follows a case officer whose decisions reverberate across missions and years.

‘Detectorists’ (2014–2022)

This gentle comedy follows two friends in rural England who spend their free time metal detecting in fields around a small town. Created by Mackenzie Crook, it highlights local history digs, club rivalries, and archaeological surveys. The series uses real countryside locations in Essex and Suffolk. Across multiple seasons and specials it documents relationships, seasonal fairs, and the patience required for significant finds.

‘Mr Inbetween’ (2018–2021)

An Australian series about a working-class fixer who balances freelance enforcement with parenting and friendships. Created by and starring Scott Ryan, it expands the world of a prior indie film while staying grounded in suburban Sydney. The show uses short half-hour episodes to track jobs, therapy sessions, and family obligations. Its production favors practical locations, sparse dialogue, and precise fight choreography.

‘ZeroZeroZero’ (2020)

This global thriller follows a single cocaine shipment from production to distribution, tracing the roles of cartels, brokers, and mafia clans. It films across Mexico, Italy, Morocco, and New Orleans, using multiple languages and parallel timelines. Based on a book by Roberto Saviano, the series examines financing, shipping routes, and port operations. Its eight episodes present how market pressures reshape alliances and logistics on every continent.

‘The River’ (2012)

A found-footage adventure series documents a rescue expedition into the Amazon after a famous TV explorer disappears. The production mixes handheld footage with in-world cameras to maintain the documentary conceit. Created by Oren Peli and Michael R. Perry, it incorporates local folklore, river travel, and remote base-camp setups. The single season unfolds through recovered tapes and satellite transmissions as the crew navigates hostile terrain and mysterious phenomena.

‘Terriers’ (2010)

This California-set crime series follows two unlicensed private investigators operating around Ocean Beach in San Diego. Created by Ted Griffin with Shawn Ryan as an executive producer, it ran for a single season of 13 episodes on FX. The story tracks Hank Dolworth and Britt Pollack as they juggle small-time cases with a larger local conspiracy. Production uses real neighborhoods and coastal spots to ground its cases in everyday settings.

‘Fortitude’ (2015–2018)

Set in a remote Arctic town, this thriller explores a community rattled by unusual crimes and environmental discoveries. The series was produced for Sky Atlantic and filmed largely in Iceland and the UK. Its ensemble includes Richard Dormer, Sofie Gråbøl, and Stanley Tucci in the first season. Across three seasons it weaves forensic investigations with scientific fieldwork in extreme conditions.

‘Halt and Catch Fire’ (2014–2017)

This period drama traces the rise of personal computing and the web through a rotating team of engineers and entrepreneurs. Created by Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers, it aired on AMC for four seasons. The story begins in Texas hardware labs before shifting to California startups. It tracks product launches, code sprints, and venture decisions across successive tech cycles.

‘Banshee’ (2013–2016)

Set in a Pennsylvania town with Amish and criminal communities, this series follows a former thief who assumes the identity of the local sheriff. Created by Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler for Cinemax, it ran for four seasons. The plot covers heists, witness protection complications, and turf conflicts. Practical stunt work and tightly staged set pieces anchor the show’s action sequences.

‘Patria’ (2020)

Based on the novel by Fernando Aramburu, this Spanish miniseries examines two Basque families divided by decades of political violence. It premiered on HBO Europe and consists of eight episodes. The story spans multiple timelines to show the long-term effects of an ETA killing. Location work in the Basque Country supports its focus on local schools, businesses, and civic spaces.

‘The Knick’ (2014–2015)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this medical drama is set at a New York hospital in the early twentieth century. Clive Owen leads a cast portraying surgeons, nurses, and administrators confronting rapid advances in medicine. The production uses period sets and practical effects for surgical procedures. Two seasons depict hospital funding battles, public health crises, and experimental techniques.

‘Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace’ (2004)

This British parody presents a fictional 1980s horror series and its behind-the-scenes commentary. Created by Matthew Holness and Richard Ayoade, it aired on Channel 4 in six episodes. The show recreates low-budget production styles with deliberate continuity errors and in-universe interviews. Its hospital setting in Romford anchors episodic plots about monsters, portals, and cursed objects.

‘Trapped’ (2015–2021)

Known in Icelandic as ‘Ófærð’, this series opens with a murder investigation in a coastal town isolated by heavy snow. Created by Baltasar Kormákur, it features location filming in North and East Iceland. Police resources, search operations, and ferry schedules shape the investigation’s timeline. Multiple seasons expand the focus to smuggling routes, political pressures, and regional rescue logistics.

‘Occupied’ (2015–2020)

This Norwegian political thriller imagines a foreign-backed energy crisis that places Norway under gradual outside control. Inspired by an idea from Jo Nesbø, it aired for three seasons. Government briefings, EU negotiations, and media coverage drive the episodes. The plot tracks cabinet decisions, resistance cells, and security services as policy disputes turn into a national standoff.

‘Kingdom’ (2019–2020)

Set in the Joseon era, this Korean series combines palace intrigue with an outbreak investigated by the crown prince. Created by Kim Eun-hee, it streams globally on Netflix in two seasons and a feature-length special. Filming uses reconstructed historical villages and mountainous terrain. The story follows supply lines, medical clues, and regional militias as the infection spreads.

‘Warrior’ (2019–2023)

Based on writings attributed to Bruce Lee, this period action drama takes place in San Francisco during the Tong Wars. Developed by Jonathan Tropper, it premiered on Cinemax and later moved to Max. Production is based in Cape Town with detailed sets for Chinatown streets and municipal offices. Three seasons cover labor disputes, municipal elections, and rival associations competing for control.

‘Travelers’ (2016–2018)

This Canadian sci-fi series follows operatives sent from the future who take over the bodies of present-day individuals. Created by Brad Wright, it ran for three seasons with Netflix as a co-producer. Missions are coordinated through encoded messages, with each team member assigned a specialized role. The show tracks protocol breaches, host complications, and inter-team governance.

‘Dark Matter’ (2015–2017)

Adapted from a comic by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, this space series begins with six people waking on a ship with their memories wiped. Produced for Syfy in Canada, it ran for three seasons. Episodes focus on shipboard systems, mercenary contracts, and identity records slowly recovered from corporate databases. Storylines explore station diplomacy, android upgrades, and the consequences of past crimes.

‘Olive Kitteridge’ (2014)

This four-part miniseries adapts Elizabeth Strout’s Pulitzer-winning novel about a retired schoolteacher in a coastal Maine town. Directed by Lisa Cholodenko for HBO, it stars Frances McDormand and Richard Jenkins. The production emphasizes seasonal changes and domestic interiors to follow decades of family life. Each part centers on specific events drawn from interlinked short stories.

‘Taboo’ (2017– )

Created by Steven Knight with Tom Hardy and Chips Hardy, this historical drama follows a trader returning to London after years abroad. Produced by BBC One and FX, its first season comprises eight episodes. The plot involves shipping rights, the East India Company, and contested land concessions. Period costuming and dockside sets support storylines about smuggling routes, legal maneuvers, and diplomatic leverage.

‘The Shadow Line’ (2011)

This British miniseries follows police and criminals investigating the same murder from opposite sides of the law. It was created and written by Hugo Blick and filmed around London. The story uses interlinked inquiries to map money laundering routes and informant networks. Its seven episodes focus on procedural steps, internal oversight, and the shifting control of a heroin supply chain.

‘The Returned’ (2012–2015)

This French series is set in a mountain town where several people who died return without explanation. Episodes detail power grid issues, reservoir levels, and municipal responses as the community adjusts. The production filmed around Haute-Savoie to capture dams, forests, and alpine roads. It tracks school closures, forensic exhumations, and the logistics of reissuing documents to the returned.

‘The Bridge’ (2011–2018)

A body found on the Øresund Bridge triggers a joint investigation between Danish and Swedish police. The show uses bilingual teams, cross-border warrants, and shared databases to drive each case. Filming includes Copenhagen, Malmö, and the bridge itself. Across multiple seasons it explores cybercrime, political targets, and the coordination challenges of two legal systems.

‘The Honourable Woman’ (2014)

This political thriller centers on a businesswoman managing a telecommunications project that spans sensitive borders. Created by Hugo Blick, it traces procurement contracts, development tenders, and NGO partnerships. Filming took place in the United Kingdom and Morocco to stand in for various locations. Eight episodes follow parliamentary scrutiny, security briefings, and media fallout from past events.

‘Tokyo Vice’ (2022– )

Set within Tokyo’s crime and media worlds, this series follows a foreign reporter working a police beat. Production films on location in Japan with scenes in newsrooms, hostess districts, and corporate offices. Episodes detail sourcing methods, police press clubs, and organized crime business practices. The plot examines money flows, real estate fronts, and editorial pressures at a daily paper.

‘Paatal Lok’ (2020– )

This Indian crime drama opens with an attempted assassination that pulls a Delhi police officer into a wider conspiracy. The show tracks custody transfers, charge sheets, and jurisdictional conflicts. It maps connections through call records, fund trails, and local political offices. Location work includes neighborhoods, bus depots, and small-town districts that shape each lead.

‘No Man’s Land’ (2020)

This international miniseries follows a man searching for his sister across conflict zones. The production spans multiple countries and languages while focusing on border checkpoints, aid corridors, and militia structures. Episodes track satellite phone intercepts, refugee flows, and covert training sites. It uses timelines that show recruitment pipelines and shifting alliances.

‘The Last Panthers’ (2015)

A diamond heist links Balkan thieves with corporate and insurance interests in Western Europe. The story moves among Marseille, London, and Belgrade, highlighting customs controls and maritime shipment points. It details underwriting decisions, security audits, and recovery teams. The miniseries uses multilingual dialogue and real port infrastructure to follow the stolen goods.

‘McMafia’ (2018)

This drama follows a London-based financier pulled into transnational organized crime. Episodes cover shell companies, sanctions evasion, and trade in commodities like pharmaceuticals and energy. The production films across several countries to depict banking hubs and trafficking routes. Its season maps agreements between syndicates, brokers, and private security operatives.

‘The Miracle’ (2018)

Set in Italy, this miniseries revolves around a statue that inexplicably begins to weep blood during a political transition. Government offices manage secrecy protocols while scientists conduct repeated testing. The story follows a prime minister, clergy, and investigators handling chain-of-custody issues. Locations include laboratories, parish archives, and official residences tied to the inquiry.

‘Dead Set’ (2008)

A sudden outbreak traps reality show contestants inside a television studio complex. Production uses the actual set layout to manage food stores, barricades, and broadcast equipment. Episodes depict evacuation attempts, access control to soundstages, and communications breakdowns. The narrative follows security decisions and resource planning under pressure.

‘Babylon’ (2014)

This series explores a city police force as it reorganizes communications and public image. Created by Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong with Danny Boyle directing the pilot, it features crisis management teams and social media units. Episodes focus on briefing rooms, protest policing plans, and oversight committees. It examines how incident footage, press lines, and internal metrics shape strategy.

‘The Virtues’ (2019)

A man returns to his childhood country to reconnect with family after a major life change. The story handles travel arrangements, care responsibilities, and employment searches. It uses housing estates, job sites, and social services offices to anchor each step. Four episodes map paperwork, appointments, and the gradual reconstruction of daily routines.

‘Cardinal’ (2017–2020)

This Canadian crime series adapts novels set in a northern city where winters constrain investigations. It details ground searches, evidence storage in cold temperatures, and seasonal patrol patterns. Filming includes small-town streets, lakes, and industrial yards. Each season follows a separate case with procedures that highlight forensics and inter-agency cooperation.

‘Hinterland’ (2013–2016)

Set in rural Wales, this bilingual detective series uses coastal farms and isolated estates as primary locations. Investigations rely on limited local resources, long drives between scenes, and close coordination with regional labs. The production shoots alternate Welsh and English dialogue tracks. Cases often involve land records, family businesses, and historical disputes that surface during interviews.

Tell us the underrated shows you swear by in the comments so everyone can find their next binge.