What to Watch
Underrated Shows from the 2010s: Recent Gems
By Jordan A. · · 3 min read
The 2010s were confusing for television. Everyone was obsessed with Game of Thrones and binge-watching, but in all that chaos, some genuinely brilliant underrated 2010s shows got lost. These are the ones that deserved way more attention than they got, and they're still worth your time.
Streaming killed the appointment television model but created something weird where tons of shows premiered to zero fanfare. Some got cancelled after one season despite being brilliant. Others got buried because they came out at the wrong time or didn't fit the algorithm. These are the shows we need to talk about more.
The Underrated Masterworks
The Leftovers - A show about 2% of the world's population vanishing overnight. It was emotionally devastating, philosophically ambitious, and made you feel things every episode.
Hannibal - A prequel about the relationship between Hannibal Lecter and FBI profiler Will Graham. It was art-house horror on network television, visually stunning and deeply disturbing.
Rectify - A man released from death row tries to rebuild his life. Slow-burn storytelling that focused on character rather than plot. Devastatingly good.
Treme - David Simon's post-Katrina New Orleans series. It was a love letter to culture and community, not a typical plot-driven drama.
The Knick - Steven Soderbergh's series about a hospital in 1900s New York. Visually innovative, medically intense, and darkly funny.
Penny Dreadful - A gothic horror show that brought classic literary characters together. It was weird, dark, and visually gorgeous.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine - A police sitcom that somehow managed to be funny, heartfelt, and actually progressive about representation.
The Newsroom - Aaron Sorkin's love letter to journalism and the news. Love it or hate it, the dialogue was incredible and the ambition was undeniable.
Halt and Catch Fire - A show about the computer revolution in the 1980s and 90s. It started as one thing and evolved into something way more ambitious and character-focused.
Bojack Horseman - An animated series about a washed-up actor that somehow became the most emotionally intelligent show on television. Comedy and tragedy in perfect balance.
Attack on Titan - An anime about humans fighting giant monsters. Started as action spectacle but became surprisingly thoughtful about war, freedom, and sacrifice.
Westworld - A science fiction show about a theme park where you can live out fantasies with robot hosts. The second season got weird, but the first was conceptually brilliant.
The Man in the High Castle - Alternate history where the Nazis won WWII. Dark, thoughtful, and surprisingly not preachy despite the subject matter.
Better Call Saul - Breaking Bad prequel that somehow became better than its predecessor. Character development at its finest with cinematography that told stories.
Fargo - An anthology series that captured the spirit of the Coen Brothers film. Each season was its own perfect crime story.
Mindhunter - A show about the birth of criminal psychology and the FBI's first profilers. Methodical, intelligent, and deeply engaging.
Godless - A Western set in a town run by women. Beautiful cinematography, great performances, and a fresh take on the genre.
Master of None - Aziz Ansari's incredibly specific show about relationships, food, and identity. Each episode was a love letter to something.
Schitt's Creek - A wealthy family loses everything and has to start over in a small town. It was genuinely heartfelt and funny without being mean.
Russian Doll - A woman keeps dying and reliving the same night. Dark comedy meets existential crisis in a 25-minute format.
The 2010s left us with a lot of hidden treasures. Start exploring what you missed by heading to our full recommendations for the decade.
Not everything that got cancelled or overlooked was bad. Some of the best television of the decade is sitting there waiting for someone to discover it. Maybe that's you.
Topics covered: underrated, 2010s, streaming-era, hidden-gems, recent
About the author
Jordan A., Founder, BingeNext
Jordan A. is the founder of BingeNext and writes every guide on this site. He built the recommendation engine after one too many nights lost to the streaming menu, and he still tests every pick the hard way: by watching it.