Having so many TV options is amazing, and we thank our lucky stars someone invented Netflix and Amazon Video. But sometimes, having so much on offer makes it far too easy to miss great shows. Most of us will take a stab at the newest most-hyped show and keep our fingers crossed it's worthy of our valuable binge time, but what about the shows that fewer people are talking about? With so much on offer, it's easy to miss exciting new shows, or even dismiss things that have been on air for a few years, completely under the radar. We want to help you find more great shows to watch, so we're sharing some of our favourite discoveries of 2018 that may have slipped under your radar. These are the TV underdogs that we think are worthy of your attention.
Underrated TV Shows in 2018
15 TV Shows That Should Have Gotten More Hype This Year
How far would you go to help your family? That's the question that three suburban best friends ask themselves in Good Girls. After life knocks them down one too many times, they decide that actually, they are willing to go pretty far, so they rob a local supermarket. As with all good TV shows, their plan doesn't exactly work the way it was meant to, and they become immersed in a world which none of them know how to get out of. This truly amazing show goes equal on the comedy and drama. Filled with spectacular performances from the three lead women, the show has so much warmth and heart to it as well as real laugh-out-loud moments. The show originally aired in February of this year.
A compelling original idea from Netflix, Westside is a reality docuseries that follows nine American performers who are bringing a new show to the One Oak nightclub in LA. The series chronicles the group writing and arranging all the music for the show but mostly focuses on the stories behind the music. It delves deep into the lives of the main cast for some very real and dramatic scenes. This isn't exactly the jazz hands musical experience you might have expected from its bio; it deals with abuse and addiction amongst many other things. It's an intense but great show that's well worth your time.
Finally made available to watch in the UK early this Summer, Kim's Convenience is about the Korean-Canadian Kim family who run a store in Toronto. This half-hour comedy is funny and really sweet. The family dynamics work great, and Appa, played by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, is the absolute star of the show with his classic comedy timing.
A family comedy that went from strength to strength with season two in 2018, this is often forgotten thanks to competition from the likes of Fuller House . . . but we think it's much better. A single mum, two teenagers, and her mother all live together in this old-school-style sitcom. The show deals with modern-day problems and situations in a really refreshing way, not shying away from anything controversial but still keeping it light and filled with laughs. The primarily Latinx cast brings much-needed diversity to the sitcom genre, too.
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The Rose family had it all, until their accountant ran away with all their money and they had nothing left other than a little country town that was bought as a joke called Schitt's Creek. The family's forced to take up residence in the town and live in the local motel together, and the show chronicles the ups and downs of the Roses learning to live with their new life and each other. The latest season, released in early 2018, has some of the best TV moments of the year in it (David's rendition of "Simply the Best" is just one). However, for some reason, UK viewers don't seem to be as into this as much as they should be. If we could urge you to watch only one show, it would be this.
February saw the release of Sky Atlantic's original series Save Me, a gritty drama that follows the trials and tribulations of Nelly and Claire when their 13-year-old daughter disappears. This six-part drama stars queen of British drama Suranne Jones alongside Lennie James, who not only stars in the show but is also its creator. This is slicker than your average British production and will appeal to anyone who loves a good modern mystery.
Watch it on Sky Atlantic or Amazon Prime.
Atypical is the coming-of-age story of 18-year-old Sam Gardner, who is on the autism spectrum. This gentle comedy drama is led by Keir Gilchrist, who plays Sam perfectly. The balance of drama and subtle comedy makes this a must watch, and one that deserves more attention. Autumn saw the release of season two, and it's just been announced that season three has been given the green light as well.
In Vida, two American-Mexican sisters who have long since fled their deprived East LA neighbourhood are forced to return when their mother passes away. Emma and Lyn are left having to stay in Boyle Heights to sort out their inheritance, and in doing so, they are faced with some home truths and discoveries about their lives and their mums. If you have a Girls-shaped hole in your life, then Vida is the show to fill it. The show was written with a full team of Latinx writers, which gives an authentic and needed voice of the Latinx generation finally brought to our screens.
Jane, Kat, and Sutton work for Scarlet, a global and iconic women's magazine based in New York City. The Bold Type really made its mark on 2018 with season two's arrival in the Summer. This might look and sound like it would be a show that doesn't have much substance to it, but you'd be wrong. In the three main leads, you've got strong, complicated, and hopeful characters, each with their own story and set of modern-day problems that we can all identify with. It's a real female empowerment show that isn't afraid of embracing its edge.
Just when you think you've watched every type of hospital drama possible, a new one comes along and breaks the mould. Set in Atlanta, The Resident follows the doctors at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital who save lives and look great doing it. The focus is wholly on the doctors, with a secondary plot line centred on the business side of running a private hospital, showing how corruption happens just about anywhere. This is edge-of-your-seat TV drama; it feels fresh and very current. For anyone who wants a hospital drama without (too much) gore, this is for you. If you need another reason to watch, Matt Czuchry, aka Logan from Gilmore Girls, has a leading role, and let's just say he's pretty easy on the eyes.
For two weeks, four couples swapped partners and flew to Thailand to live with their new "husband or wife" in this experiment, which aimed to see if relationship problems could be fixed by learning from other couples. This reality show is as chaotic as it sounds, but in the best possible way. Expect arguments, tantrums, so many tears, and, quite honestly, some really touching moments. Seven Year Switch doesn't just exist in the UK; it has some jaw-dropping versions in the USA and Australia, too; both are also worth a watch.
This feels like the show that will be rewatched in years to come by future generations of teenagers in the same way that My So-Called Life still lives on today. On My Block is about a group of lifelong friends from a rough neighbourhood in LA who are all about to start high school. Between life on the streets of LA and the highs and lows of high school, the group's friendship is put to the test. At times gritty, tender, and funny, it's TV gold.
This docuseries follows comedian Jack Whitehall and his father, Michael, travelling around various parts of the world. Coming from very different perspectives and generations, Jack's naive charm plays off perfectly to Michael's upper-crust views, which makes for some really funny moments. Released in October this year, season two feels even better than the first.
Known as Scrotal Recall in its past life at Channel 4, the powers at Netflix saw the potential in this comedy and gave it a little more gloss and a brand-new (and much more appealing) name, and Lovesick was born. The comedy centres around Dylan and his two best friends, Evie and Luke. When Dylan finds out he has contracted chlamydia, the act of contacting all his previous sexual partners prompts Dylan to reflect over his life and where everything went wrong. This might not sound like a heartwarming show, or a funny one, but we can assure you it's both. This year saw the release of season three, which we think is the best one yet.
This show needs so much more hype! If you're a reality show fan, this is everything your dreams are made of. A crazy premise, contestants marry someone who "experts" have found for them, who they've never met or seen before the big day. The couple are then filmed for the next six weeks, so we get to witness how these people cope with getting to know the strangers they're now in a legally binding relationship with. It's an unexpectedly hopeful show that really is interesting and definitely eye opening.