Streaming services have made it easier to find a variety ofTV shows, but with such an extensive variety, many good shows get lost. Streaming platforms not only house long lists of movies and TV shows, but most of them also make their own original content, offering a wider variety of content.
Platforms likeNetflixandHBO Maxhave stood out for their original content, but not all of their titles have gotten the attention they deserve. Buried in the depths of the catalogs of every streaming platform are some hidden gems that deserve a chance and, in some cases, to find their audience, and they could be someone’s next TV obsession.
For those looking for a dose of supernatural elements with drama and bits of comedy,Being Humanis a great option. Created by Toby Whithouse,Being Humantakes the audience to Bristol to follow George (Russell Tovey) and John Mitchell (Aidan Turner), who struggle with their respective supernatural conditions:George is a werewolf, and Mitchell is a vampire.
George and Mitchell move into a new house that turns out to be inhabited by Annie (Lenora Crichlow), a young woman who recently died there and became a ghost. Together, they do their best to deal with their respective conditions and challenges, while also becoming very close to each other.
The characters are complex, and the show has a great balance between horror, drama, and comedy.
Being Humangives a look at a world where werewolves, vampires, and ghosts coexist, and does so in a grounded and realistic way. The characters are complex, and the show has a great balance between horror, drama, and comedy.Being Humanran for five seasons, and though it got an American remake, the British version stands as the best.
For horror fans looking for something with a more old-school vibe, there’sHysteria!Created by Michael Scott Kane,Hysteria!is set in 1989, right during Satanic Panic. When a popular varsity quarterback disappears, rumors emerge about occult practices and Satanic influence in town. While this causes panic among many, others see it as an opportunity.
Outcasts Dylan (Emkay Anthony), Jordy (Chiara Aurelia), and Spud (Kezii Curtis), who have their own metal band, capitalize on the current interest in the occult and rebrand themselves as a Satanic metal band. However, when a strange series of murders, kidnappings, and supernatural activity begin to happen, the band becomes the target of the town’s witch hunt.
Hysteria!is reminiscent of horror classics from the 1980s (with Bruce Campbell included)and has a good mix of scares, a sense of humor, and it’s a visual delight. Despite being positively received by critics,Hysteria!was canceled after one season, which, on the brighter side, makes it bingeable.
In 2018, viewers were taken back to the 1990s and to Derry, Northern Ireland, to meet a peculiar group of friends. Created by Lisa McGee,Derry Girlstakes place during the final years of the Troubles, and it follows cousins Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) and Orla (Louisa Harland), and their friends Clare (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), and Michelle’s cousin, James (Dylan Llewellyn).
Derry Girlsfollows their adventures at their Catholic school as well as how they live their teenage years during the end of the Troubles.What makesDerry Girlsso entertaining are the many absurd situationsthe friends often find themselves in, and the often over-the-top performances of the main cast make it difficult to stop watching.
Derry Girlsran for three seasons and was praised by critics and general audiences, currently holding a 99% score onRotten Tomatoes.Derry Girlshas gotten lost among Netflix’s extensive TV catalog, but it’s a fun hidden gem worth giving a shot.
Speaking of more comedic recommendations, there’s alsoDon’t Trust The B—- In Apartment 23. Created by Nahnatchka Khan,Don’t Trust The B—- In Apartment 23is set in New York City, and it follows June Colburn (Dreama Walker), who moves into the city from Richmond, Indiana, after losing her job and apartment.
June moves in with Chloe (Krysten Ritter), a wild and irresponsible party girl who keeps her apartment by looking for roommates, asking for rent up front, and then behaving outrageously until they leave. However, June isn’t scared, and she and Chloe end up forming an unlikely friendship. It’s a simple premise, but it works wonderfully.
The charm ofDon’t Trust The B—- In Apartment 23is in the performances and chemistry between Walker and Ritter, along with their dialogue and sense of humor, in general. Unfortunately, and despite its success with critics and general audiences,Don’t Trust The B—- In Apartment 23ran for only two seasons, becoming one of the most underrated sitcomsof the decade.
In 2015, the 2011 sci-fi thrillerLimitlessgot a sequel TV series with some changes. Developed by Craig Sweeny, theLimitlessTV show follows Brian Finch (Jake McDorman), a 28-year-old struggling writer who is offered a pill of NZT,a drug that gives whoever takes it access to every neuron in their brain. However, when the effect is over, NZT has painful side effects.
Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper), now a US Senator, learns of Brian’s use of the drug and provides him with an immunity shot to counteract the side effects of NZT. This is under the condition that he won’t tell the FBI, whileBrian begins to work with the FBI under the influence of NZTto help them solve crimes.
TheLimitlessTV show was funnier and faster-paced than the movie, and Finch was much more relatable and funny than Eddie Morra was.Limitlesshas a great combination of comedy, drama, and action, and just like other entries on this list, it was canceled too soon after just one season, but it’s worth every minute.
If you’re looking for a non-English TV show with a heavy dose of drama and suspense,Quicksandis a great option. Developed by Pontus Edgren and Martina Håkansson,Quicksandis based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Malin Persson Giolito.Quicksandbegins with a school shooting at Djursholm senior high school, after which 18-year-old Maja (Hanna Ardéhn) is arrested.
Despite what it might seem,Quicksandisn’t based on a specific real-life event.
Dead at the scene is Maja’s ex-boyfriend, Sebastian (Felix Sandman), and Maja admits to the murder but not the school shooting. What follows are flashbacks asMaja explains the events that led to the shooting, beginning with how she met Sebastianthe previous summer.
Quicksandis a miniseries with six episodes, so you’ll get a complete story and all the answers you will need throughout the show by the end of it.Quicksandcovers serious topics that might be difficult to watch for some viewers, such as gun violence and sexual assault, but it’s very well-written and worth checking out.
Netflix has various animated TV shows for adults, most notablyBig MouthandBoJack Horseman, but there’s a hidden gem buried underneath all of them. In 2020, Netflix releasedThe Midnight Gospel, created by Pendleton Ward and Duncan Trussell and based on the latter’s podcastThe Duncan Trussell Family Hour.
Set in a dimension known as the Chromatic Ribbon,The Midnight Gospelfollows spacecaster Clancy Gilroy (voiced by Trussell), who owns an unlicensed multiverse simulator.This simulator allows Clancy to travel through different and bizarre worlds on the verge of disaster, and he interviews some of their residents. At the end of each episode, Clancy returns to his planet.
Clancy ends up talking about topics like philosophy, love, magic, death, spirituality, life, and more.
The interviews on each episode are based on those from Trussell’s podcast, so Clancy ends up talking about topics like philosophy, love, magic, death, spirituality, life, forgiveness, existentialism, and more with the different creatures he encounters on his journeys.
The trippy animation, along with the topics addressed in every episode (which are often supported by the animation), makeThe Midnight Gospelone of Netflix’s best animated shows, aseach episode is an immersive experience that will leave you thinking about certain topics.
