The Most Underrated TV Shows of 2017

"SMILF is a hilarious and brutally honest Showtime series that premiered earlier this year. I think you can figure out what the acronym stands for, but this isn't about a seductive single mom. It's about Bridgette Bird (Frankie Shaw), a single mother to a little boy named Larry (yep, like Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird) who is totally still trying to figure her life out while also trying to potty-train her son and avoid parking tickets like the plague. Although she spends time tutoring a wealthy family and dealing with the ridiculousness that comes with the job, she's unfulfilled with her life in South Boston, and her acting career is far from blossoming. Plus, her mom and babysitter, 'Tutu,' played by Rosie O'Donnell, brings some baggage of her own. The show confronts the struggle of addiction, parenting, and poverty, juxtaposed between late-night hookups, psychedelic mushrooms, and a lot of snacks, and it's a dose of raw humor I really appreciate." — Perri Konecky, assistant editor, Trending and Viral Features

"Pamela Adlon's series has started making noise with nominations, but this show hasn't truly gotten its due yet. Drawing inspiration from her own life as a single working mom, the series feels very real in its portrayal of the relationships between a loving but acerbic mother and her three equally sharp daughters. If you're not watching it yet, add it to your queue immediately." — Shannon Vestal Robson, director, Celebrity and Entertainment

"White Famous is the modernized version of Californication. Take away the David Duchovny sexcapades, swap the writing career for an acting career, add the complex conversation about race in Hollywood, and you've got yourself the new Showtime series. Jay Pharoah plays Floyd Mooney, who is loosely based on Jamie Foxx (Foxx is an executive producer on the show and also appears in some episodes). Mooney is an up-and-coming comedian dealing with a sex tape, an agent trying to convince him to become 'white famous,' and the craziness that is the industry, all while trying to be there for his adorable son, Trevor, played by Lonnie Chavis from This Is Us. Luckily, Mooney has his lovable roommate and best friend Balls as a voice of reason through all the madness." — PK

"Truly original in concept, Easy hooked me in the first season even though each episode follows different characters, and thus it's a little hard to get invested. Despite that, I rushed to season two to see where my favorite storyline — the brewery brothers (starring Dave Franco, Zazie Beetz, and Aya Cash) — had gone. With a mix of characters from season one and some new faces, the only thread that really connects the episodes is that it's set in Chicago and that the stories all cover complicated relationship issues." — SVR

"While The Bold Type does go down a path that's been well-trodden by other stilettoed feet, the Freeform show remains fresh, smart, and completely charming. With each episode, it admirably bucks the tired tropes we've seen in stories like this before with ease: the dragon-like HBIC, backstabbing female coworkers, worn-out love triangles. In their place is a relatable story about three young women and best friends — Kat, Sutton, and Jane — who are doing their damn best, despite making one monumental mistake after another. I'm counting my blessings that it's already been renewed." — Quinn Keaney, assistant editor, Entertainment

"Although Netflix's Godless didn't exactly end up being the feminist Western that it marketed itself to be, it's still a damn good show. The compelling performances of both Merritt Wever and Michelle Dockery are standouts, and Jeff Daniels's chilling take on villain Frank Griffin left me floored." — QK

"This is a love-it-or-hate-it series, and I absolutely love it. Judd Apatow knows how to create witty, hilarious, dramatic, and realistic stories, and I think Love is one of his best productions yet. The show offers a refreshing approach to the realities of dating in your 20s, and you get sucked into Mickey and Gus's intense relationship from the very beginning. Some people argue that Mickey (played perfectly by Gillian Jacobs) is an unlikable character and Gus is frustrating to watch, but those details and emotional connections are part of what makes the show stand out to me." — Erin Cullum, assistant editor, Trending and Viral Features

"Jason Bateman struck out this year with his own Breaking Bad, a Netflix series around now-well-worn territory: guy has to preserve his family and life by taking desperate measures. But the deliberate, foreboding, drawn-out pace set it apart, as did the presence of the show's breakout star: Julia Garner, whom I expect we'll be seeing a lot of in the future." — SVR

"Netflix's coming-of-age cartoon is outrageous and off-the-wall but also heartfelt and painfully relatable at just the right moments. The Jessi and Hormone Monster characters ended up being my favorites, but honestly everyone who pops up during season one's hilariously graphic journey through early puberty deserves so much more praise than they're getting. Bring on season two." — QK

"The fact Red Oaks aired its last season this year fills me with profound sorrow, because this little-known Amazon comedy is such a genuinely funny, engaging joy to watch. It might be over, but I highly recommend checking out its beautiful three seasons if you have a soft spot for '80s music, John Hughes films, and Craig Roberts." — QK

"I'm still surprised that more Breaking Bad fans haven't gotten on the Better Call Saul bandwagon. Maybe it's a stigma against spinoffs, but this show is excellent in its own right. While the cinematography echoes Breaking Bad's, the show itself stands out as distinct and doesn't resort to cheap thrills for BB fans. It's fascinating to explore the backstories of Saul (FKA Jimmy), Gus, and Mike, but the series has also introduced several highly compelling characters, including Jimmy's 'it's complicated' girlfriend, Kim, and his mentally unwell brother, Chuck. Season three, which aired this year, contained two moments so shocking, they could go head to head against some of Breaking Bad's most jaw-dropping scenes." — Nancy Einhart, executive editor

"If you've been mourning the loss of Battlestar Galactica for the last decade . . . well, you're probably already watching The Expanse. But if not, Syfy's Hugo Award-winning drama takes you into a similarly bleak world of colonized space and confusing intergalactic politics. It also benefits from huge leaps in CGI; this show looks incredible. The Expanse takes in multiple events across the solar system, with notable performances from a brooding Thomas Jane and a badass Dominique Tipper. This year's second season introduced yet more newbies, as interplanetary war threatens everyone's survival." — Gemma Cartwright, senior editor, UK

"Kamikaze bats, earthquake-causing sloths, and a giant invisible snake: if you're not already convinced that you need to binge-watch Zoo, there is no hope for you. This batsh*t crazy 'drama,' based (loosely) on the James Patterson novel of the same name, is the kind of hate-watch we all need in our lives. Sadly, 2017 was the year CBS finally pulled the plug on Zoo, and though it was a long time coming, the final season was a suitably insane goodbye to a show that's given us oh so many 'did that really just happen?' moments. Someone give Billy Burke an Emmy just for seeing this one out till the end." — GC

"A comedian playing a comedian is hardly a new concept, but Pete Holmes is not a typical comedian. In this semiautobiographical HBO series, produced by Judd Apatow, Pete plays a wholesome evangelical Christian whose wife has just left him as he tries to make it in the not-at-all-wholesome world of New York comedy. Without a permanent place to live, he finds himself crashing in the homes of various comedians, so the series has a revolving door of guest stars like Sarah Silverman and Artie Lange playing themselves. If, like me, you wish you did stand-up comedy just so you could hang out with comedians, then you'll love this show. Holmes is also one of those people who manages to make just about anything funny." — NE

"Though Hulu canceled this show this year after three seasons, Difficult People is just waiting patiently for you to binge-watch it. If you're a fan of cynical humor like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Veep, I highly recommend this Hulu series. Comedians Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner play struggling, deeply misanthropic comedians and best friends in this incredibly joke-dense series. Difficult People also benefits from an outstanding supporting cast, including comedy treasure Andrea Martin as Julie's narcissist mom." — NE

"Though Fox has promoted the heck of out this show, I rarely hear anyone talk about it, which is a shame, because The Mick is way more hilarious than the ads suggest. The dark sitcom (on its second season) centers on degenerate aunt Mickey (played by Kaitlin Olson of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), who is forced to take care of her sister's three wealthy and entitled children when their parents are accused of a white-collar crime. Over-the-top barely begins to describe this outrageous and often gross comedy, but if you liked It's Always Sunny, you'll like this too. Bonus: it has one of the cutest and funniest child actors I've ever seen portraying Ben, whose siblings can't remember how old he is and thus declare him 7." — NE

"At Home With Amy Sedaris is the zany reprieve from reality 2017 demanded. Each episode features a willfully strange hodgepodge of entertaining tips and questionable psychological advice, all delivered via Sedaris's upliftingly skewed worldview. Whether she's demonstrating how to properly apply fake nails with Scotch tape or sharing her wisdom on single-dom — 'It's been said one is the loneliest number. I've said it, and then I've agreed with myself!' — Sedaris delivers a sucker punch of joy in a year that was too often filled with dread." — Lindsay Miller, director, News and Culture