Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
There’s been a lot of great television this year. However, for every Game of Thrones and Mr. Robot, there are at least three television gems that haven’t received the mainstream or critical attention they deserve. Behold the treasure trove that is underrated 2016 television.
To celebrate some of our favorite snubbed shows, we at Decider have compiled a list of our favorite shows no one talks about. From epic space dramas to sweet and pot-filled explorations of humanity, there should be something new for everyone to watch. Load up your queues and bring in the new year by streaming some of the ignored high points of 2016.
This Freeform gem is the perfect transition for millennials who are yearning for the days of TGIF but can't get enough of modern comedy. It's a delightful grab-bag that every viewer can appreciate.
Danny McBride's new HBO series isn't for the faint of heart. However, if you're able to get past the show's intentionally horrible protagonists, the vulgar comedy is one of the smartest explorations of race out there. HBO
Judd Apatow's rom-com about two of the worst people to ever date was inconsistent at times, but when it found its mark, it was weirdly one of the sweetest and sharpest series on TV.
During this year's sci-fi-packed line up, Syfy's mystery series set against the backdrop of a war between Earth and Mars still stood out.
Pamela Adlon and Louis C.K.'s humanizing dramedy about one overwhelmed mother was incredible in its own right even though it swept under the rug by FX's other programming.
Vulgar, filthy, and hilarious, this British comedy about a single lady in London is exactly the sort of underrated sex comedy that's missing from your life.
The freshman NBC drama follows the lives of several strangers who all share the same birthday. It's a smart series in the narrative vein of anthology series that's well worth the binge.
Maria Bamford's brightly-lit comedy isn't for everyone. However, if you take a chance on its pug-filled first season, you'll be treated to one of the best explorations of mental illness to ever hit television.
Starring Aaron Paul, Michelle Monaghan, and Hugh Dancy, Hulu's drama about cult life will make you a convert. Photo: Hulu
Zach Galifianakis' comedy about French clowning is a lot of things -- weird, ugly, petty, dwelling -- but that confusing combination made for one of the most sincere shows on television.
For the second year in a row, this Amazon Original set in the '80s proved it was the perfect light-hearted binge.
Seeso has had a lot of surprise hits this year, but few were better than this absurd, heart-warming, and critically-acclaimed gem.
One of the biggest pop culture injustices was the cancellation of this Rob Lowe and Fred Savage masterpiece. The Grinder was the perfectly charming and meta gem we will miss in 2017.
This HBO Original took everything that was great about the original beloved web series and elevated it to a higher level. Really, it is a dope watch.
'Young & Hungry'
Young & Hungry is a sitcom on the Freeform channel, and it’s one of the most important shows you’re not watching. Starring Emily Osment and Jonathan Sadowski, the show is a perfect transition for millennials from the days of TGIF on ABC to the comedies we can’t get enough of today like Broad City or Atlanta. The show covers modern concerns such as getting tested for STDs, coming down with a case of the munchies, and handling financial woes as a young person. Whether it’s work life, personal life, or a mix of both, this show is effortlessly uncovering so much that viewers will find both relatable and hilarious. — Lea Palmieri
'Voltron: Legendary Defender'
If this is one of the golden ages of television, then it’s the platinum age of animation. There are so many truly breathtaking animated series that have become so much more than children’s cartoons. Volton is one of those series even though it quietly came onto the scene without anyone talking about it. A reboot of the classic ‘80s series, Voltron: Legendary Defender follows a group of teenagers from Earth who pilot robotic lions during an intergalactic war. It’s a beautifully animated show with fully developed characters, but it’s the series’ underlying LGBT themes that make it remarkable.
'Vice Principals'
Danny McBride’s high school comedy may be one of the most polarizing shows HBO has released in years. However, if you were able to embrace the pointed cruelty and vulgarity of the show’s protagonists, McBride and Walton Goggins, Vice Principals watched as one of the most scathing takedowns of white privilege to ever hit television. The protagonists of Vice Principals weren’t antiheroes and they certainly weren’t heroes. They were undeniably the villains of this surprisingly ambitious and human comedy.
'Love'
Paul Rust and Judd Apatow’s rom-com about two people who can’t figure out love was never a consistent series. However, when the show hit its perfect balance of harnessing Gillian Jacobs’ self-loathing, Rust’s secret scumminess, and Claudia O’Doherty’s quirky bubbliness, it was truly a thing of beauty. Love may have been the year’s most self-aware and underrated love story. Plus it had one of the best soundtracks on television to boot.
'The Expanse'
2016 has been an exceptionally great year for sci-fi. Even in this environment, Syfy’s futuristic series about a colonized solar system stood out. The Expanse told the story of an impending intergalactic war, one which pitted Earth against the militaristic Mars. It’s against this backdrop that the show’s central missing woman mystery took place. It’s a haunting and complicated drama unafraid to dive into sci-fi oddity.
'Better Things'
Pamela Adlon’s dry comedy suffered from the short end of the critically-praised powerhouse that is FX. While everyone was singing Atlanta’s praises and celebrating the return of American Horror Story, the Louis C.K.-produced sad-com was pushed to the side despite its evident merit. Staring Adlon is a role that finally showcases her many talents, the dry series follows Sam, a single mother of three trying to balance her family, career, and love life. Better Things mixed the humanizing weirdness of Louie with the sweetness of Casual and Transparent.
'Fleabag'
If you wish Sex and the City was a bit darker and more twisted, give Fleabag a chance. The British comedy hit Prime Video this year and stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge as a single lady in London, sorting out her relationships with men, her family, and most of all, herself. It’s silly, and unique and deserved a lot more attention than it garnered this year. — Lea Palmieri
'This Is Us'
NBC’s freshman drama was a surprise on a variety of levels, but mostly because of how undeniably great it was. Starring Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, and a long list of talented actors, This Is Us follows a group of people who all share the same birthday, exploring their similarities and differences as well as how all of their lives have changed over the years. It’s a beautiful, critically-acclaimed series that anyone can connect to.
'Lady Dynamite'
Anyone familiar with Maria Bamford’s work shouldn’t be surprised that a show from the comedian would present a nuanced view of mental illness. Even then, I don’t think anyone was prepared for the humbling and terrifying portrayal of bipolar disorder Bamford hid in her laugh-out-loud comedy. Lady Dynamite is an undeniably weird watch. Within the first few minutes of watching, you should know if you’ll love or hate the show’s piercingly bright tone. However, if you binged its first season, you were treated to one of the most hilariously honest looks into mental illness ever to hit television.
'Search Party'
Who knew that a Millennial mystery series would bring us so much joy? Created by Michael Showalter and starring Alia Shawkat and John Early, Search Party follows four self-absorbed 20-somethings who have to overcome their own egos to solve the mystery of their missing college acquaintance. The series smartly jumps between on-point satire, genuine drama, and ridiculous comedy. If you need a new series obsession, this 10-episode series is it.
'The Path'
Aaron Paul’s foray into the realm of cults probably didn’t make as much of a prestige drama impact as Hulu intended. However, it’s certainly worth the stream if you missed it. The Path combined the top-notch performances of Paul, Michelle Monaghan, and Hugh Dancy with its painfully human plot — the story of one man trying to escape a cult without losing his family in the process. The Path is a nuanced look into love, religion, power, and humanity that makes for a great binge.
'Baskets'
Louie Anderson’s Emmy win for this series about clowning may have taken many viewers by surprise. However, if you had watched the first season of Zach Galifianakis’ bizarre series, you would have known an award win was coming. There’s no way around it — Baskets is weird. When the comedy isn’t exploring the devastating effects of failed dreams, it gleefully dives into the oddities of normal life in middle America.
'Red Oaks'
Craig Roberts and Paul Reiser’s series about country club drama doesn’t break television grounds, but it does make for the perfect binge. Set in New York in the ‘80s, Red Oaks masterfully plays with nostalgia without basking in it as it pits its wide-eyed tennis pro protagonist against the demanding country club president. Much like John Hughes movies, Red Oaks perfectly channels the frustratingly aimless uncertainty that comes with life in your teenage years and 20s.
'Flowers'
British TV has basically been cranking out “sad comedies” since the beginning of time, which is why they completely perfected it this year with Seeso’s Flowers. The show follows a family and their miscellaneous pals, each going through their own troubles which manifests into six half-hour episodes that are endlessly devastating, absurd, and heart-warming. It is without a doubt one of the year’s most surprisingly brilliant shows, and one that stays with you for much longer than it takes you to watch it. — Lea Palmieri
'The Grinder'
Oh, The Grinder. The Fox comedy was wrongfully cancelled after one season, a season that charmed critics and viewers alike. Rob Lowe and Fred Savage star as brothers in this sharp, meta, sitcom that boasted a phenomenal cast and slew of guest stars. The good news is that the full season can be found on Netflix now and is very much worth a bittersweet watch. — Lea Palmieri
'High Maintenance'
Perhaps the crowning gem of underrated television in 2016 is this web series adaptation. HBO’s take on Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld’s show about life in New York took everything that was great about the original and elevated it to new levels. Through the series’ pointedly dwelling vignettes, High Maintenance portrayed the complexities of humanity in its own truthful and light-heartedly refreshing way.
