With a wide variety of TV shows all the time, it’s not uncommon for some to become forgotten, but some are near-perfect shows that are worth watching or revisiting. There are many reasons why a great TV show can fly under the radar, even if it should have made it to the list of best TV shows of all time.
It often happens that a great TV show has strong competition and airs at the same time as a similar show that, ultimately, gets all the attention. Others suffer the consequences of poor marketing campaigns, preventing them from finding their audience. In other cases, TV shows come out at the wrong time, thus not being appreciated during their initial release.
It has also happened that some great TV shows that no one remembers are very difficult to find on streaming or aren’t available at all, making them even more forgettable, but they are all worth a chance.
Dollhouse
2009-2010
Echo, Boyd, and Topher in Dollhouse
Dollhouse is a sci-fi TV series created by Joss Whedon, which premiered on Fox in 2009. Dollhouse is set in a world where a corporation runs several underground establishments around the world known as “Dollhouses.” These places program individuals they refer to as “Actives” or “Dolls” with temporary personalities and skills, and so wealthy clients hire Actives for a variety of purposes – from sexual encounters to assassinations.
Dollhouse follows Echo (Eliza Dushku), an Active on a journey to self-awareness as she remembers parts of her past after personality “wipes.” Dollhouse had a creative concept, through which it cleverly explored topics like identity, ethics, humanity, memory, and different philosophical branches, but, unfortunately, critics weren’t on board with it when it was released, leading to its early cancellation.
As Told By Ginger
2000-2006
As Told by Ginger’s main cast celebrates with a toast
As Told By Ginger is an animated preteen drama TV series created by Emily Kapnek. As Told By Ginger follows Ginger Foutley (voiced by Melissa Disney), a junior high school student navigating life and being a teen alongside her best friends Dodie, Maci, and Darren. Together, they go through the many ups and downs of teenagers, which range from family issues to dealing with popular girls and more.
As Told By Ginger follows Ginger and her friends all through junior and high school, with relatable situations that allow it to connect with its target audience. As Told By Ginger ran for six seasons, but it had strong competition at Nickelodeon that led to it being sidelined.
As Told By Ginger is a rare animated show as it saw its characters age, change clothes, and had ongoing story arcs that kept its audience engaged.
Merlin
2008-2012
A knight in armor and a man wearing medieval peasant clothes in Merlin.
Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure drama TV show loosely based on the Arthurian legends of Merlin and King Arthur. Merlin is more of a reimagining of the legends, and as such, it follows a young Merlin (Colin Morgan), who is sent to Camelot due to his “special gift.”
Merlin becomes the manservant of Prince Arthur (Bradley James) after saving his life, and learns that the reason for his gift is to protect Arthur. However, magic has been banned by Arthur’s father, and those caught practicing it are executed, so Merlin has to hide his powers.
Merlin was a hit with critics and general audiences, mostly thanks to the chemistry between its main characters, its mix of comedy and drama, character development, and world-building. What mostly led to Merlin not being widely remembered is its lower budget compared to other, similar fantasy shows.
Pepper Ann
1997-2001
Pepper Ann TV show
Pepper Ann is an animated sitcom created by Sue Rose, which premiered on ABC in 1997. Pepper Ann introduces the audience to the title character (voiced by Kathleen Wilhoite), a quirky 12-year-old whose emotions are represented through fantasies, with her conscience known as Alter-Ego giving her misguided advice.
Pepper Ann is one of the most relatable animated shows of its decade, and among its strengths are its strong characters (particularly Pepper Ann herself), their development, sense of humor, dialogue, and the themes it covers. Pepper Ann suffered the consequences of bad programming during its run, limited streaming availability, and the success of other Disney shows.
Being Human
2008-2013
Being Human
Being Human is a supernatural comedy-drama TV show created by Toby Whithouse, which aired on BBC Three for five seasons. Being Human follows John Mitchell (Aidan Turner) and George Sands (Russell Tovey), friends and colleagues, as well as a vampire and a werewolf, respectively.
Mitchell and George move into a new home, where they have an unexpected roommate: Annie Sawyer (Lenora Crichlow), a ghost, as she recently died there. Together, they do their best to live ordinary human lives as best as they can, as they all face different struggles due to their respective “conditions.”
Being Human is a clever blend of classic horror creatures (vampires, werewolves, and ghosts) in a modern setting, and with a perfectly balanced blend of comedy, horror, and drama. Being Human is a mostly forgotten TV show due to major cast changes after season 3, and the American remake being more popular and coming out while the original show was still running.
Castle Rock
2018-2019
Annie Wilkes holding a knife in Castle Rock season 2
Castle Rock is a supernatural horror TV series based on Stephen King’s fictional town of the same name and characters from his works, but it’s not an adaptation of a specific story. Season 1 of Castle Rock follows criminal attorney Henry Deaver (André Holland), who returns to town to attend the case of a mysterious inmate at Shawshank State Penitentiary known as The Kid (Bill Skarsgård).
The Kid had been imprisoned in an underground secret cell for 27 years and had not aged at all. Season 2 of Castle Rock introduced a young Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan) before the events of Misery, who gets stuck in Castle Rock with her daughter, Joy (Elsie Fisher).
Castle Rock is a different look at the world of Stephen King, with two stories full of mystery, horror, and twists. Despite great critical reception, high quality, and engaging stories, Castle Rock didn’t reach a wider audience due to poor marketing, strong competition, and some viewers being confused about its connection to the world of Stephen King.
Upload
2020-2025
Robbie Amell sitting in a wheelchair looking upset in Prime Video’s Upload (2020-2025)
Upload is a sci-fi comedy drama TV show created by Greg Daniels, which debuted on Prime Video in 2020. Upload takes the audience to 2033, where technology has advanced to the point where digital afterlives have been created. When a person dies, they can have a digital avatar of themselves created and uploaded to a digital afterlife, with some being more expensive and luxurious than others.
Upload follows Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), who, after dying in a car crash, is uploaded to the luxurious Lakeview by his controlling girlfriend, Ingrid (Allegra Edwards). There, he meets Nora (Andy Allo), his customer service rep or “angel”, with whom he quickly bonds and teams up to find out what happened to his memories and who’s behind the car crash.
Upload covers themes like death, grief, love, family, ethics, and more while firing shots at technology, society, and politics, all with a perfect mix of comedy and drama. What stopped Upload from reaching its full potential and a wider audience was poor marketing and The Good Place, which has a similar concept and was a huge success.
Related
7 Identical TV Shows That Aired At The Same Time
Some similar TV shows have overlapped and aired at the same time, but, at the end of the day, one turned out to be better and succeeded more.
My So-Called Life
1994-1995
Claire Danes and Jared Leto in My So-Called Life
My So-Called Life is a teen drama TV series created by Winnie Holzman that ran for only one season, airing from August 1994 to January 1995. My So-Called Life follows Angela Chase (Claire Danes), a 15-year-old high school student, as she navigates her teenage years the best way she can. Angela is accompanied by her rebellious new friends and her love interest, Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto).
My So-Called Life had low viewership that led to its quick cancellation, and though it has gained cult status over the years, it’s still a forgotten show. However, My So-Called Life is worth watching thanks to its realistic, honest, and empathetic portrayal of teenagers, which made it relatable, surprisingly deep, and groundbreaking.
Pushing Daisies
2007-2009
Ned and Chuck looking confused in Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies is a comedy-drama TV series created by Bryan Fuller, airing on ABC for two seasons. Pushing Daisies introduces viewers to Ned (Lee Pace), a piemaker with a unique power: he can bring dead things back to life with his touch, but if something is revived for more than one minute, a similar “life value” in the vicinity drops dead.
If Ned touches the revived person or animal again, they die for good. In addition to running his own restaurant, Ned works with Detective Emerson Cod (Chi McBride) solving murders by reviving the victims for less than a minute to obtain information. However, Ned’s life takes a turn when his childhood crush, Chuck (Anna Friel), dies, and he decides to revive her.
Pushing Daisies is praised for its originality, vibrant visuals, quirkiness, charm, production design, writing, and performances, but it was unfairly canceled after two seasons. Pushing Daisies’ unique style turned out to be too “niche” for the audience, and its early cancellation only made it easier for the audience to forget about it.
Spaced
1999-2001
Spaced cast
Spaced is a British sitcom created by Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson, and directed by Edgar Wright. Spaced follows Tim (Pegg) and Daisy (Stevenson), who casually meet in a café while flat-hunting, and despite not knowing each other, they agree to pose as a young couple so they can get an apartment.
What follows are their strange but funny adventures as they navigate their personal lives while continuing to pose as a couple. Spaced is praised for Wright’s signature style with fast-paced editing and more, its many pop culture references, the chemistry and comedic timing of its cast, and more.
Spaced isn’t widely remembered due to its short run, very specific cultural references, and not getting wide distribution outside the UK, but it’s one of those must-watch hidden and underrated gems.
Release Date
1999 – 2001-00-00
Network
Channel 4
