Certain
shows on TV are sometimes overlooked, missed or just forgotten before people
have the chance to even experience it. Some shows might be new and struggling
to get off the ground or a few seasons in that still lie under the radar.
Well I say
it’s always worth to double-check that radar and find yourself a new show that’s
so unique and brilliant that you’ll want to tell everyone else about it!
So here’s a list
of my top 5 most underrated shows currently on our TV screens in no particular
order:
Sleepy Hollow
 |
| The Headless horsemen gets a modern day take in this show |
The American
supernatural-police drama TV series that’s on FOX (urgh… FOX…) is a “modern-day
retelling” of the 1820 short story The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.
The show
follows Ichabod Crane, a soldier in the Colonial Army of 1781, who was risen
from his grave over 230 years later into the modern world to fight (for use of
a better word) the four horsemen of the apocalypse (including of course, the infamous headless horseman) from rising up and taking
over the world. Ichabod is aided by police officer Abbie Mills and other
companions throughout the first season.
Coming back
for an extended second season of 18 episodes in the fall, Sleepy Hollow is an incredibly well-crafted show that grounds
supernatural events well into the real world. Aided with brilliant chemistry between
its leads and supporting cast, Sleepy Hollow enhances its story with an emotive
understanding of these characters in an overlying story arc that now spells
trouble leading into the second season.
You’ll have
to wait until this fall to find out about those cliff-hangers that the first
season left us with, sleepyheads!
Once Upon a Time
 |
| Who doesn't like fairy tales?! |
Once Upon a Time is an American fairy tale drama series that takes
place in the fictional seaside town of Storybrooke, Maine, whose residents are
actually characters from various fairy tales transported to the “real world”
town and robbed of their real memories by a powerful curse. Episodes typically
feature a primary storyline in Storybrooke, as well as a secondary storyline
usually from another point in a character’s life before the curse was enacted.
A show that
really brings your childhood into a modern setting with an adult feel to the
show is a rather winning combination itself but aided with brilliant casting
and interesting story arcs, it makes this a show worth looking into.
With its
fourth season coming this fall, there’s plenty to tie you over and delve into
if you’re a fan of fairy tales.
The Americans
 |
| You never know what people are hiding... |
Set during
the Cold War period in the 1980s, The Americans is the story of Elizabeth
and Philip Jennings, two Soviet KGB officers posing as an American married
couple living in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. with their
unsuspecting children and their neighbour, Stan Beeman, an FBI
counterintelligence agent.
The series
focuses on the personal and professional lives of the Jenningses, sometimes
incorporating real-life events into the narrative. The show’s creator has
described the series as being ultimately about a marriage. The show is packed with
great characters and story arcs that are balanced with action and emotion
throughout.
Recently
wrapping up its second season, The
Americans is a show on FX that’s defining the period drama series and
setting the bar high. Definitely worth checking out, with plenty of time before
its third season hits at the start of 2015.
The 100
 |
| Earth does not look the same in the future |
The post-apocalyptic
drama series is set 97 years after a devastating nuclear war wiped out almost
all life on Earth. The only survivors are the residents of twelve space
stations in Earth’s orbit prior to the war, and the descendants of the people
on earth who survived the war, called “grounders” by the 100.
The space
stations banded together to form a single massive station named “The Ark”,
where about 2,400 people live. Resources are scarce and all crimes no matter
their nature or severity are punishable by death unless the perpetrator is
under 18 years of age. After the Ark’s life support systems are found to be
critically failing, one hundred juvenile prisoners are declared “expendable”
and sent to the surface in a last ditch attempt to determine if Earth is
habitable again.
Airing on
The CW – a network that is really starting to bring some great programmes to
our screens – this show delves deep into a survivalist instinct in a similar
way that Lost did all those years ago.
The 100 is definitely a show to look into if
you’re a fan of under the radar shows with its first season coming to an end in
less than two weeks.
Good job it’s
been renewed is all I can say!
24: Live Another Day
 |
| Jack is Back.... |
A show that
is arguably not unknown or too much under the radar, but still a show that a
lot of people seem to pass up on… And they shouldn’t.
Set four
years after the events of season 8, it loosely adheres to the real time concept
that 24 is renowned for; it still
covers the events of a 24 hour period, with each episode corresponding to an
hour. Jack Bauer remains a federal fugitive, and has evaded capture with the
aid of Chloe O’Brian. Meanwhile, amid growing concerns over the use of US
military unmanned aerial drones in combat, President James Heller pays a
historic visit to London to negotiate a treaty to continue their basing on
British soil.
Having heard
rumours of an imminent attack against Heller, Bauer resurfaces in the city and
realises that the complexity of the plot extends beyond a presidential
assassination, and that the consequences of a successful attack will alter the
course of history. With the help of a disgraced CIA agent and a hacker, he must
confront an unseen enemy whose personal vendetta threatens to push the world to
the brink of war.
Season 9 of 24 is possibly one of the better –definitely
refreshed – seasons of the show to date with another outstanding performance by
Kiefer Sutherland as the thrilling Jack Bauer, this is definitely a season
worth looking into if you’re a fan of action, drama, espionage and loyalty in
your TV shows…
Honorable mentions of other underrated shows past and present include:
- Community
- Freaks & Geeks
- Intelligence
- Helix
- Episodes
That's it for me today. Let me know if you have any shows that you think are underrated and should be watched. Find me on Twitter @Miarls or on Google+ +Alex Miarli for me happenings and shinanigans.
