Best TV Shows You’ve Never Seen

There are so many quality series that slipped past the spotlight, often because they lived on niche channels or had short runs that made them easy to miss. This list pulls together distinctive shows from different countries and genres, with details on creators, casts, and what each one is about. You will find thrillers, comedies, and offbeat dramas that built passionate followings after the fact. If you are hunting for something new to queue up, these picks give you clear starting points.

‘Patriot’ (2015–2018)

This dark espionage comedy comes from creator Steven Conrad and stars Michael Dorman, Kurtwood Smith, and Terry O’Quinn. It follows intelligence officer John Tavner, who works undercover at an industrial piping firm to stop an arms deal. The show blends original folk songs with covert operations and workplace mishaps. It ran for two seasons with 18 episodes on a streaming platform known for original series.

‘Rectify’ (2013–2016)

Created by Ray McKinnon for SundanceTV, this drama centers on Daniel Holden after his release from death row due to new DNA evidence. Aden Young leads the cast alongside Abigail Spencer, J. Smith-Cameron, and Clayne Crawford. The story explores the impact of incarceration and sudden freedom on Daniel, his family, and a small Georgia town. The series spans four seasons and 30 episodes.

‘Counterpart’ (2017–2019)

Justin Marks created this sci fi thriller for Starz with J. K. Simmons in dual roles, joined by Olivia Williams and Nazanin Boniadi. The plot revolves around a top secret checkpoint between parallel worlds that emerged during a Cold War era experiment. Berlin serves as a central location for the show’s espionage and identity twists. It runs two seasons for a total of 20 episodes.

‘Lodge 49’ (2018–2019)

Based on stories by Jim Gavin, this AMC series stars Wyatt Russell and Sonya Cassidy. A down on his luck surfer stumbles into a fraternal lodge in Long Beach and finds a community steeped in odd rituals and unexpected connections. The show mixes light mysticism with working class adventures and local lore. It lasted two seasons with 20 episodes.

‘Banshee’ (2013–2016)

From creators Jonathan Tropper and David Schickler for Cinemax, this action drama stars Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, and Ulrich Thomsen. An ex convict assumes the identity of a small town sheriff while settling old scores with a powerful crime boss. The series is known for tightly choreographed fights and a vivid Pennsylvania setting. It spans four seasons and 38 episodes.

‘Utopia’ (2013–2014)

Dennis Kelly created this British conspiracy thriller for Channel 4 with a cast that includes Fiona O’Shaughnessy and Adeel Akhtar. A group of strangers discovers a manuscript tied to a shadowy organization with plans linked to population control. The visual style uses striking color palettes and stark violence to build tension. The original UK run totals two seasons and 12 episodes.

‘Giri/Haji’ (2019)

This crime drama from writer Joe Barton aired on BBC Two with international distribution through a major streamer. Takehiro Hira plays a Tokyo detective who travels to London to find his missing brother, a yakuza member. The cast also features Kelly Macdonald and Will Sharpe, and the show blends English and Japanese dialogue. It is a single season limited series with eight episodes.

‘Fortitude’ (2015–2018)

Created by Simon Donald for Sky Atlantic, this Arctic thriller stars Richard Dormer and Sofie Gråbøl. The story takes place in a remote polar community where a violent crime triggers scientific and political fallout. Extreme weather and wildlife hazards play into the investigations and the town’s survival. The series has three seasons and 26 episodes.

‘Terriers’ (2010)

This FX series from creator Ted Griffin, with Shawn Ryan as an executive producer, stars Donal Logue and Michael Raymond James. Two unlicensed private investigators operate in San Diego while juggling personal troubles and local corruption. The show combines case of the week stories with a larger conspiracy arc. It ran for one season with 13 episodes.

‘Perpetual Grace LTD’ (2019)

Steven Conrad and Bruce Terris created this neo noir drama for Epix with Ben Kingsley, Jimmi Simpson, and Luis Guzmán. A small time grifter tries to take down a dangerous pastor and his wife, and the plot expands across the American Southwest. The show features offbeat dialogue, tense cons, and shifting loyalties. It is a single season with 10 episodes.

‘Detectorists’ (2014–2022)

Mackenzie Crook created and stars in this British comedy alongside Toby Jones. Two friends in a small Essex club spend their free time metal detecting in fields while balancing relationships and work. The series emphasizes gentle humor, countryside locations, and a warm ensemble. It includes three series and a later special.

‘In the Flesh’ (2013–2014)

Dominic Mitchell’s BBC Three drama stars Luke Newberry as a teenager who returns home after a program that rehabilitates the undead. The show explores medical treatment, stigma, and family dynamics in a town still grieving past attacks. Political groups and community meetings shape how the recovered are accepted. The run covers two seasons and nine episodes.

‘Please Like Me’ (2013–2016)

Created by Josh Thomas, who also stars, this Australian dramedy began on ABC2 and later aired in the United States. The series follows Josh as he navigates coming out, friendships, and mental health in Melbourne. It balances awkward humor with sensitive storylines involving family and relationships. The show spans four seasons and 32 episodes.

‘Kingdom’ (2014–2017)

Byron Balasco created this MMA focused drama for the Audience Network with Frank Grillo, Jonathan Tucker, and Nick Jonas. The plot centers on a family run gym in Southern California and the physical and emotional demands of the sport. Fight choreography and training camps anchor many episodes. The series runs three seasons and 40 episodes.

‘Review’ (2014–2017)

This Comedy Central show is an American adaptation of an Australian format and stars Andy Daly. A critic reviews life experiences instead of films, taking assignments from viewers that range from ordinary to disastrous. Each review receives a score that often carries consequences into later episodes. The series totals three seasons and 22 episodes.

If you have a hidden gem that deserves attention, share your picks in the comments so everyone can discover something new.

‘Quarry’ (2016)

This Cinemax drama follows a Marine sniper who returns from Vietnam to Memphis in 1972 and is recruited into a criminal network. Logan Marshall Green leads the cast, with Damon Herriman and Jodi Balfour in key roles. The series uses period music and Gulf Coast locations to track contract killings and fallout at home. It ran as a single season with a closed arc built from the source novels by Max Allan Collins.

‘Hap and Leonard’ (2016–2018)

Based on Joe R. Lansdale’s novels, this SundanceTV series pairs James Purefoy and Michael K. Williams as best friends pulled into heists and small town crime in East Texas. Each season adapts a different book with stories set in the late 1980s. Christina Hendricks, Bill Sage, and Tiffany Mack appear across the rotating ensembles. The show mixes capers, civil rights history, and Southern noir across three seasons.

‘The Shadow Line’ (2011)

Created and written by Hugo Blick for BBC Two, this limited series stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as a detective recovering from amnesia after a shooting. The investigation into a murdered crime boss draws in Christopher Eccleston and Stephen Rea on opposing sides of the law. The story examines corruption inside police and political circles with a contained seven episode structure. London locations and long dialogue scenes anchor the slow burn plotting.

‘Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace’ (2004)

This Channel 4 cult comedy is presented as a lost 1980s hospital horror show with new cast interviews. Matthew Holness plays the egotistical author star, joined by Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, and Alice Lowe. Lo fi effects, purposely clumsy edits, and melodramatic narration build the parody format. It aired for six episodes and later returned in stage tours and reunion projects from the creators.

‘The Returned’ (2012–2015)

Known in France as ‘Les Revenants’, this Canal+ drama is set in a mountain town where people who died years earlier come back without explanation. Fabrice Gobert created the series, which features Clotilde Hesme, Guillaume Gouix, and Pierre Perrier. The plot intertwines family secrets, a reservoir, and incidents that mirror past tragedies. Two seasons tell a supernatural mystery with a prominent score by the band Mogwai.

‘The Kettering Incident’ (2016)

Set in Tasmania and produced for Australia’s Showcase, this mystery stars Elizabeth Debicki as a doctor whose childhood friend vanished years earlier. A new disappearance pulls her back into a logging town divided by environmental protests and local lore. The story uses forests, caves, and coastal locations to build an eerie atmosphere. It plays as an eight episode limited run with science and folklore threads.

‘The Bureau’ (2015–2020)

This French espionage series for Canal+ follows DGSE case officers running legends and deep cover operations worldwide. Creator Eric Rochant centers the story on an agent returning from years in Damascus who struggles to reenter normal life. Mathieu Kassovitz leads a large ensemble that portrays tradecraft, surveillance, and diplomatic pressure with granular detail. Multiple seasons build serialized arcs set in the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe.

‘The Booth at the End’ (2010–2012)

Xander Berkeley stars as a man in a diner who grants people’s deepest desires in exchange for specific tasks. Each episode is staged as conversations at the booth as deals unfold and cross over among characters. The moral puzzles escalate while never leaving the single location structure. Two short seasons present contained stories that spiral into a larger web.

‘ZeroZeroZero’ (2020)

Adapted from Roberto Saviano’s nonfiction, this series tracks a single cocaine shipment from producers in Mexico to buyers in Calabria with brokers in between. Andrea Riseborough, Dane DeHaan, and Gabriel Byrne play a family shipping company managing the logistics. The show films across multiple countries to show cartel infighting, ‘Ndrangheta clans, and financial maneuvers. It is a self contained season with parallel timelines and chaptered episodes.

‘Banished’ (2015)

Created by Jimmy McGovern for BBC Two, this historical drama is set in 1788 at the first British penal colony in New South Wales. The plot follows prisoners, soldiers, and settlers working under harsh rules and scarce supplies. Russell Tovey, MyAnna Buring, and David Wenham are among the principal cast. The series tells a complete story across seven episodes.

‘McMafia’ (2018)

Co produced by BBC One and AMC, this crime series stars James Norton as a London based banker drawn into international organized crime. The story spans Russia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and South Asia while charting money flows and front companies. Hossein Amini and James Watkins developed the show from Misha Glenny’s book. It presents a season long arc about family ties and global finance.

‘Deutschland 83’ (2015)

Anna Winger and Jörg Winger created this Cold War spy drama about an East German soldier sent undercover to West Germany. Jonas Nay stars as the reluctant operative navigating military bases, pop culture, and surveillance. The series originally aired on RTL and later reached international audiences with subtitles. Follow up installments ‘Deutschland 86’ and ‘Deutschland 89’ continue the storyline with new settings.

‘Flowers’ (2016–2018)

Will Sharpe’s Channel 4 series stars Olivia Colman and Julian Barratt as members of an eccentric family dealing with mental health and creative blocks. The show uses a rural home setting, stop motion inserts, and music cues to shape its tone. Sophia Di Martino and Will Sharpe round out the household and work collaborators. Two series tell connected stories with seasonal time jumps.

‘Black Spot’ (2017–2019)

Known in France as ‘Zone Blanche’, this thriller is set in a heavily forested town with a high crime rate and little cell reception. Suliane Brahim plays the police chief investigating disappearances and ritual sites in the woods. The series combines rural policing with folklore and environmental themes. Two seasons expand the town’s history and a casebook of strange incidents.

‘Taboo’ (2017)

Created by Steven Knight with Tom Hardy and Chips Hardy, this period drama follows a returning adventurer in 1814 London who clashes with the East India Company. The plot centers on shipping rights, secret treaties, and a contested piece of land on the Pacific coast. Jessie Buckley, Oona Chaplin, and Jonathan Pryce appear among the ensemble. The first season tells a complete story with room left for continuation.

‘Rubicon’ (2010)

This AMC conspiracy thriller follows analysts at a private think tank that feeds intelligence to the government. James Badge Dale leads a cast that includes Jessica Collins, Lauren Hodges, and Arliss Howard. Creator Jason Horwitch builds puzzles around codes, dead drops, and pattern analysis inside a buttoned up office. It tells a complete story in one season with 13 episodes.

‘Boss’ (2011–2012)

Starz presents a political drama about a powerful Chicago mayor who hides a degenerative illness while managing allies and enemies. Kelsey Grammer headlines with Connie Nielsen, Hannah Ware, and Kathleen Robertson in key roles. Creators Farhad Safinia and Gus Van Sant frame city contracts, party machines, and family fallout. The series runs two seasons and totals 18 episodes.

‘The Hour’ (2011–2012)

BBC Two’s newsroom thriller follows a scrappy current affairs program that chases sensitive stories while battling censors and competitors. Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai, and Dominic West anchor the ensemble. Creator Abi Morgan weaves investigations, office politics, and espionage threads around a live broadcast. Two seasons add up to 12 episodes.

‘Strange Angel’ (2018–2019)

This period drama on CBS All Access adapts George Pendle’s book about rocket pioneer Jack Parsons and his pull between science and occult circles. Jack Reynor stars with Bella Heathcote and Rupert Friend. The show depicts early rocketry labs, secret lodges, and the rise of defense contracts in Southern California. It runs for two seasons with 17 episodes.

‘Carnivàle’ (2003–2005)

HBO’s dust bowl fantasy follows a traveling carnival and a small town preacher whose paths converge as powers awaken. Nick Stahl, Clancy Brown, and Amy Madigan lead the troupe and the congregation. The show blends American folklore, faith healing, and itinerant life with elaborate production design. It spans two seasons and 24 episodes.

‘Berlin Station’ (2016–2019)

Epix tracks a CIA field office in Germany as officers handle leaks, moles, and shifting alliances. Richard Armitage, Rhys Ifans, and Michelle Forbes star across rotating missions. The series focuses on surveillance tradecraft, diplomatic pressure, and the politics of host nations. Three seasons deliver 29 episodes.

‘Spiral’ (2005–2020)

Known in France as ‘Engrenages’, this Canal+ police and legal drama follows detectives, prosecutors, and judges inside Paris institutions. Caroline Proust, Audrey Fleurot, and Grégory Fitoussi appear across long form cases that test procedure and ethics. The show is noted for realistic interrogation rooms, complex indictments, and rival offices. It runs eight seasons with dozens of episodes.

‘Ripper Street’ (2012–2016)

This period crime series begins after the Whitechapel murders and follows a police division dealing with new technology and organized crime. Matthew Macfadyen, Jerome Flynn, and Adam Rothenberg lead investigations through docks, factories, and music halls. The production uses Dublin locations to recreate Victorian London with detailed sets. Five seasons total 37 episodes.

‘The Knick’ (2014–2015)

Cinemax tells the story of a New York hospital where surgeons push the limits of medicine while funding and prejudice shape outcomes. Clive Owen stars with André Holland, Eve Hewson, and Juliet Rylance. Director Steven Soderbergh delivers clinical procedures, early anesthesia, and hospital politics in a kinetic style. Two seasons comprise 20 episodes.

‘The Last Panthers’ (2015)

Sky Atlantic and Canal+ follow a jewel heist that links insurance investigators, gang veterans, and European officials. Samantha Morton, Tahar Rahim, and John Hurt headline a story that crosses several countries. Creator Jack Thorne uses financial fraud and post conflict networks to widen the case. It plays as a single season with six episodes.

‘Glitch’ (2015–2019)

This Australian series begins when several people crawl out of their graves in a small town with no memory of their deaths. Patrick Brammall and Genevieve O’Reilly lead the cast as police and medical staff confront impossible events. The show balances character backstories with rules for why the return happened. Three seasons total 18 episodes.

‘Briarpatch’ (2020)

USA Network adapts Ross Thomas’s novel about a federal investigator who returns to her Texas hometown after her sister’s death. Rosario Dawson stars with Jay R. Ferguson and Edi Gathegi. The show mixes corruption, eccentric locals, and corporate schemes under a sun baked noir tone. It completes its story in one season with 10 episodes.

‘The Missing’ (2014–2016)

This anthology on BBC One and Starz focuses on families and detectives dealing with disappearances that span borders. Tchéky Karyo appears as a recurring investigator with different casts for each case. The structure uses parallel timelines to show how leads evolve and how grief changes people. Two seasons deliver 16 episodes.

‘Witnesses’ (2015–2017)

Known in France as ‘Les Témoins’, this thriller follows a detective who uncovers staged crime scenes that pull in figures from her past. Marie Dompnier leads the investigations with Jan Hammenecker and Thierry Lhermitte. Northern coastal settings and minimalist dialogue shape the mood. Two seasons contain 16 episodes.

‘Guerrilla’ (2017)

This limited series on Sky Atlantic and Showtime follows activists who escalate their tactics amid police surveillance of minority communities in London. Freida Pinto, Babou Ceesay, and Idris Elba appear across intersecting cells and informant networks. Creator John Ridley explores movement building, undercover units, and media battles. The story is complete in six episodes.

Tell us which overlooked shows you would add to the list in the comments so everyone can find their next favorite.