13 Shows That Were Criminally Underrated This Year

"Since I'd only seen a handful of seasons of The Good Wife, I didn't feel particularly compelled to check out its spinoff, The Good Fight, Diane Lockhart's spectacular suits aside. 'What more can it possibly offer me?' I naively wondered. 'And does it really merit shelling out for a CBS All Access subscription?!' Well, dear reader, the answer to that first query is an insanely talented core cast of female characters — Diane (Christine Baranski), Maia (Rose Leslie), and Lucca (Cush Jumbo) — and the smartest, boldest anti-Trump politics any TV series can offer (as well as the smartest, boldest storylines of any legal procedural currently on the air, in general). The answer to that second question? Yes, paying for a month of CBS's on-demand service so I could binge all three seasons of The Good Fight was more than worth it." — Quinn Keaney, editor, Entertainment

"When whispers of the Charmed reboot became an actual show, people had their opinions. I never let other people keep me from watching a show I might truly enjoy, so I went into watching the series with an open mind — and I'm glad I did. Though at first a little clunky and wooden in the way that only freshman series can be, Charmed has matured into a delightful watch that I find myself actually invested in. The sisters are slowly growing into their relationship, but their fledgling bond is endearing and realistic. Each sister becomes more fleshed out with each episode, and their individual personalities work in tandem to make them stronger witches and sisters. It's also really fun to have some witches kicking ass on TV again!" — Mekishana Pierre, assistant editor, Entertainment

"I am so happy that my Netflix browsing gave me Kim's Convenience. The series follows a Korean Canadian family who run a convenience store in Toronto. 'Appa' (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) and 'Umma' (Jean Yoon) (Korean for 'Dad' and 'Mom,' respectively) run their store and meddle in the lives of their children, Janet (Andrea Bang) and Jung (Simu Liu). With such a simple concept, Kim's Convenience manages to tackle so many intricate ideas with a natural flow that doesn't make a single line feel forced. The Kim's convenience store feels like my neighborhood bodega, and the characters like neighbors I would greet every morning while actually meaning it. The cast's dynamic is so natural, it's almost as if they are actually a family, and their drama has just the right amount of tension that it never feels overdrawn or excessive — it almost always strikes the perfect tone. Anyone looking for a heartwarming family story that makes you laugh, cry from laughing, and badly want to journey to Canada just to see if it's real, this is for you. Did I also mention that Simu Liu is hot like burning? Just saying." — MP

"Whoever said money can't buy happiness never had three crushing mortgages to pay, a looming custody battle to fund, or a little girl with an expensive, life-threatening respiratory illness. The mothers in Good Girls — Ruby, Annie, and Beth, played respectively by Retta, Mae Whitman, and Christina Hendricks — have all of those problems . . . and then some. NBC's hilarious, unexpectedly moving, and fast-paced show is packed with plenty of twists, hilarious one-liners, and a deeply moving dramatic performance from Retta as struggling mom Ruby. Sure, the conceit of an average, everyday person turning to a life of crime to save their family already played out on Breaking Bad, with which Good Girls shares a few definite similarities, but the show's initial grocery store robbery has far more complications for the three heroines than you might think, offering the characters room to grow in season two." — QK

"American Housewife continues to be a simple delight that gets more endearing every season. The Otto family is ridiculous, devious, and prone to making the worst decisions in every possible situation, but that's exactly how I love them. Katy Mixon and Diedrich Bader's Katie and Greg are so perfectly matched as a couple, it makes all their shenanigans worth it just to watch them share a sweet moment of marital bliss. Their love, and the ragtag, star-studded group of neighbors they have around them (including comedic genius Ali Wong and, once, Nathan Fillion) pack each episode with cutting lines and outlandish antics that I sincerely hope rich adults regularly get into. If not, what is even the point of having money?" — MP

"The Penn Badgley from You is the only Penn Badgley I wholeheartedly believe could have been Gossip Girl. Period. The series itself is so perfectly creepy, I almost threw out my phone midwatch. The drama manages to create such an intense horror story that forcibly makes you question how far is too far in the age of social media. In a time when almost no one goes anywhere with anyone without a little bit of social stalking, when do we step in and say, 'no more'? Obviously, Badgley's Joe goes further than most people would, but it's so easy, you have to wonder. You twists the idea of a perfect romance into every woman's nightmare, and it does so with such ease, it's unnerving. I can't wait to see what they'll do with season two on Netflix." — MP

"Yes, Netflix's Elite got some buzz on the internet after debuting its first season, but the Spanish-language series hasn't gotten nearly enough buzz for my liking. Although the premise might make it seem like a run-of-the-mill teen soap at first — the story flips between flashbacks at a ritzy private school in Spain (where three underprivileged teens have been given a scholarship to attend) and the present (where a student has been murdered by an unknown killer) — the show stands out even while being reminiscent of Gossip Girl and Skins. Elite tackles issues like racism and discrimination, as well as its characters' struggles with sexuality, drug use, classism, and HIV. The camera also doesn't pan away when things get heated; there's quite a bit of nudity during graphic sex scenes, and the partners are diverse. From an interracial gay couple to a throuple — yes, a throuple — the series makes the most of its place off of network TV." — QK

"Santa Clarita Diet continues to be the funniest damn show with each and every season. I always wonder how they're going to keep the story going, and they continue to let me know that they got this! Drew Barrymore is literally at her best, and I have never been more attracted to Timothy Olyphant than when Joel got caught for writing a bad Yelp review. A man who isn't afraid to tell the truth about bad service? A king! Liv Hewson and Skyler Gisondo round out a main cast that is dynamic, hilarious, and constantly keeping me on my toes. They can be as graphic as they want to be, as long as they keep the seasons coming!" — MP

"Look, Ryan Murphy knows what the world needs, and he keeps giving it to us. Season two of Fox's 9-1-1 went beyond telling us the everyday stories of our first responders and began fleshing out each character by giving insights into why they are the way they are. Watching the growth of Bobby (Peter Krause) and Athena's (Angela Bassett) relationship, learning how Hen (Aisha Hinds) began her journey and battled her first station leader's bigotry, meeting Eddie (Ryan Guzman) and his son, Christopher (Gavin McHugh) — it all made each character come to life in significant ways. Even alongside the wild situations that the first responders found themselves dealing with, nothing felt extravagant or too much. Murphy isn't afraid to have any of his shows tackle issues like racism and discrimination, and that makes 9-1-1 feel more real despite the outlandish emergencies." — MP

"This delightfully psychotic British series, which premiered on Netflix back in January, features one of my favorite performances of the year: Jessica Barden's Alyssa. The character is moody and wild and insecure and full of enough existential angst to power no less than three shows on The CW. As Alyssa, Barden grounds the plot by boldly exploring the messy, gritty aspects of life that young women endure day in and day out, from the uncomfortably funny (getting their periods at the worst possible moments) to making expert points about consent." — QK

"OK, just hear me out, guys. I know some of you might be side-eyeing this selection like, "Another superhero show? Aren't there enough?" Well, no, and let me tell you why. Titans is absolutely worth the DC Universe purchase. It takes the fantastic world of comic-book heroes and gives them the gritty edge that you won't see on network TV. Titans doesn't just show us Robin, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy teaming up to kick ass and save the day; it introduces us to the wholly flawed and falling-apart Dick Grayson, who finds himself caring for Rachel Roth, who is looking for a home as much as she's searching for answers about her powers. When they meet the mysterious badass that is Kory, who has no memory of who she is or what she's doing, and pick up Gar Logan along the way, they become some semblance of a family — albeit a family with a lot of anger issues that regularly leaves a wake of destruction behind.

"Titans is more than just a superhero show, but it doesn't ignore its comic-book origins. We dive into the lives and backstories of the caped crusaders who surround the Titans, and through them, the Titans become more fully realized as we understand their methods and motives. It's really good and has the potential to be great. Even the racist cowards who can't handle their fictional fap fantasy being depicted by a black woman aren't going to ruin my enjoyment of the series. Stay mad." — MP

"At first, I didn't think ABC's Single Parents was going to work for me. An ensemble cast about hot-mess parents isn't usually my jam — but it got me. The formula is simple and pretty familiar: an outsider meets a group of people who are wiser, but a little bit weird too, and they rally around to help the outsider get their life together. Will Cooper (Taran Killam) is the outsider in Single Parents, and when we first meet him, he's a little too much for my blood. He takes hover parenting to a whole new level of 'please just stop.' But once it gets into a rhythm, Single Parents quickly reveals itself to be a heartwarming comedy that highlights how finding your tribe makes everything a little better, including parental struggles. Also, Leighton Meester freaking shines in a comedic role! Blair Waldorf whomst? (No, JK — Blair is still queen, even though she has horrible taste in husbands.)" — MP

"Schitt's Creek is one of those rare shows that just keeps getting better season after season. Every member of the Rose family has deepened as characters and become more fully realized, all while remaining funny as f*ck. Season four was a favorite in particular for me, thanks to the unbelievably pure romance between David (cocreator Dan Levy) and his boyfriend/human cinnamon roll, Patrick (Noah Reid). With the world being a massive garbage fire at all times these days, it's nice to know I can always count on Schitt's Creek for a laugh (and some happy tears — let's be real)." — QK