It’s always disappointing when a great TV show doesn’t gain the viewership it deserves, but this can be made up for through a loyal and devoted cult following. While many of theseobscure TV showsnever hit it big with mainstream viewers, they connected deeply with a smaller subsection of the audience whose enthusiasm and love for the characters and stories made them cult classics. Although some series likeTwin Peaksare well-known by the general public, the truth is the viewership was not very large, and shows of such high quality deserve more than just cult status.
The best obscure TV shows range fromunderappreciated British sitcomsto intense dramas on lesser-known television networks. Sometimes, a show was just too weird to gain a mainstream audience, while in other instances, it was a poor promotion or a haphazard airing schedule that led to them being missed even by those who passionately wanted to watch them. Whatever the circumstances, all ofthese cult classic TV shows deserve a much bigger following.
10The IT Crowd (2006 - 2013)
4 series
Although viewers from the United Kingdom will be well aware of the comedy classic that isThe IT Crowd, this Channel 4 series never got the love it deserved from a global audience. As a sitcomcreated byFather Tedco-creator Graham Linehan, this hilarious series resolved around three IT workers in the basement of a fictional company. As the lowest rung on the company ladder, Roy (Chris O’Dowd), Moss (Richard Ayoade), and Jen (Katherine Parkinson) spend their days trying to get as little work done as possible while getting embroiled in truly absurd misadventures.
With episode concepts like a character believing they broke the internet because they typed Google into Google,The IT Crowdwas pure absurd fun mixed with the sardonic sensibilities of UK comedy. Although its actors have since gone on to major success, such as O’Dowd’s roles in movies likeBridesmaidsor the supporting actor Matt Berry reaching a global audience inWhat We Do in the Shadows, this series kickstarted their comedy careers. For those looking for non-stop jokes,The IT Crowdwill have viewers laughing harder than a 404 error just before a critical deadline.
The IT Crowd
Cast
The IT Crowd is a British sitcom that follows an Information Technology department led by a new manager that doesn’t know IT. The group works in the basement of the building and is typically ignored in every social gathering. The crew deals with clueless questions relatable to several IT situations and their awkwardness towards other people, something their manager strives to help them with.
9Freaks And Geeks (1999 - 2000)
1 season
While television obsessives will recognizeFreaks and Geeksas one of the greatest TV shows to be canceled after just one season, it still has not gained the attention it deserves from the casual audience member. As the starting point for countless comedy careers,Freaks and Geekswas co-created by Judd Apatow and featured early appearances from Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogen, and many more future stars. As a clever and heartfelt high school coming-of-age story,Freaks and Geeksticked all the right boxeswhile failing to gain the viewership it deserved.
The earlycancellation ofFreaks and Geekswas one of television’s greatest tragedies, as this series addressed issues around growing up, peer pressure, and finding purpose in one’s life better than any other teen show out there. The most heartbreaking thing about the early demise ofFreaks and Geekswas its haphazard airing schedule, which meant even those who were excited to watch it just couldn’t find it. In today’s era of television streaming, it’s likelyFreaks and Geekscould have found its audience before the network decided to pull the plug.
Freaks and Geeks
Judd Apatow’s Freaks and Geeks is a comedy-drama series centered around several now-popular stars in their first-ever appearances as outcast teenagers dealing with the “hilarious unfairness of teen life.” The friend groups are split into “freaks” and “geeks,” each with their own quirks that resonate with teens today as they try to find their place in the socially complex world of high school.
8The Armando Iannucci Shows (2001)
1 series
The British satirist Armando Iannucci has gained iconic status in the world of comedy for his early work as a co-creator of Alan Partridge and the creation of the acclaimed HBO seriesVeep. With countless beloved projects behind him, including directing movies such asThe Death of Stalin, Iannucci has a unique comedic voice that perfectly balances political relevance and more social, personal themes. However, it’s his most personal endeavor,The Armando Iannucci Shows, that has been mostly forgotten amid so much discussion around his better-known work.
This Channel 4 British sketch show aired eight episodes from August to October 2001. With a broadcast taking place during the September 11th attacks, it’s understandable that very few people were keen to tune into a surreal comedy about personal anxiety, human nature, and existentialism. The timing of this series was unfortunate, asThe Armando Iannucci Showsamounted to one of the satirist’s most accomplished works, and Iannucci himself said the series best represented his unique comedic outlook on life (viaMetro.)
7Summer Heights High (2007)
TheAustralian mockumentary sitcomSummer Heights Highwas a truly hilarious series written by and starring Chris Lilley. Set in a fictional school outside of Sydney,Summer Heights Highwas jam-packed with hilarious characters, recurring gags, and a unique sense of humor. Although it was a massive commercial and critical success in Australia, this classic series deserves to gain a much larger audience from viewers around the world.
The characters inSummer Heights Highwere so richly imagined that they even branched out to create their own franchise starring Lilley. Following its success, Lilley created two spin-off shows, the first calledJa’mie: Private School Girl, focused on the bratty, self-involved teenager first seen inSummer Heights High, and the second,Jonah from Tonga,expanded upon the Tongan-Australian student Jonah Takalua. While Lilley later gained further exposure due to his Netflix seriesLunatics, it was inSummer Heights Highthat he was at his funniest and was the show that gained him a cult following.
6Twin Peaks (1990 - 1991, 2017)
3 seasons
David Lynch and Mark Frost revolutionized television with the release of this incredible mystery series, and it’s baffling how manyTV series would not exist withoutTwin Peaks. The influence of this strange and surreal series cannot be understated as TV viewers during the 1990s tuned in to uncover who killed Laura Palmer, an ongoing narrative the likes of which had never been done before. With a mix of soap opera, supernatural, and truly absurd avant-garde influences,Twin Peakspushed contemporary audiences out of their comfort zones and signaled the dawning of a new age of television.
While it’s true that most TV viewers are aware ofTwin Peaksand its legacy as a cult classic, it’s shocking how many people have never actually watched it. The series deserves a much larger audience than it ever received, especially considering the long-awaited third season,Twin Peaks: The Return, which answered questions that audiences had been speculating about for more than 25 years. As a truly iconic series and one of the weirdest things ever broadcast on mainstream TV,Twin Peaksis a must-watch for fans of cult series and challenging television.
Twin Peaks
Conceived by Mark Frost and David Lynch in 1990, Twin Peaks is a supernatural mystery-drama series that brings FBI Agent Dale Cooper to the quiet town of Twin Peaks to investigate the murder of a young woman named Laura Palmer. As Dale continues his investigation of her death, he learns that Laura’s life wasn’t as she advertised it, and the town itself is hiding far more secrets than they let on. The show received a revival for a third and final season two decades later to resolve the cliffhanger left at the end of the second season.
5The OA (2016 - 2019)
2 seasons
This sci-fi mystery, created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, was truly one of the most unique and idiosyncratic series on Netflix before theycanceled it just as it was getting really interesting.The OAwas a cult TV show with an intensely committed followingof viewers who connected deeply with its story about a resurfaced young woman with a connection to another dimension. As a thematically rich and challenging series,The OAtook influence from shows likeTwin Peaksto create a deeply engaging series that deserved far more attention than it ever got.
Despite the second season ending on a fascinating cliffhanger that appeared to transport the characters onto a soundstage and into the real world,The OAnever got a chance to finish its story before Netflix prematurely called it a day. Despite several protest campaigns, petitions, and an audience outcry to bring back the show, it has yet to continue in any form. Perhaps if more viewers tuned in and let their desire for more be heard, lovers ofThe OAwill one day discover what was planned for Part III.
4Pen15 (2019 - 2021)
Pen15was a coming-of-age comedy with a twist, as its middle school main characters were played by fully grown adult women. Based on the childhood experiences, puberty, and awkward teenage experiences of co-creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, in a unique twist on autobiographical stories, the two 30-something women chose to play themselves as seventh-graders. This was actually a move of genius, and it allowed Maya and Anna to enact scenes that would not be possible with actual child actors.
However,Pen15featured the rest of Maya and Anna’s classmates portrayed by age-appropriate actors. While this may at first seem distracting, the duo got so lost in their roles that by the end of the first episode, they were truly believable as children. Packed with 2000s nostalgia and countless moments that will make millennial viewers cringe as they reminisce about their own school days,Pen15was released in the midst of the pandemicand never gained the viewership it deserved.
PEN15
Created for Hulu, PEN15 is a comedy series that follows Maya Ishii-Peters and Anna Konkle, two best friends in middle school (though as their thirty-something selves) who are outcasts trying to make their way through the pitfalls of adolescence. Maya and Anna explore the taboos of their youth while learning to stand up for themselves in an experience claimed to represent the 2000s middle school experience.
3Rectify (2013 - 2016)
4 seasons
As one of the greatest TV shows nobody was watching,Rectifywas an astounding original drama from SundanceTV. Created byDeadwoodactor Ray McKinnon and starring Aden Young as Daniel Holden, this insightful series explored the life of a man released from death row after 20 years. With new DNA evidence putting his conviction into question, Daniel has to return to his family home and rejoin a society that’s still not convinced of his innocence and has never stopped reeling from the after-effects of the young woman they believed he sexually assaulted and killed as a teenager.
Rectifywas a slow-moving series that valued characterization and emotional resonance over fast-paced actionor heart-racing thrills. Much of the appeal ofRectifywas watching as Daniel struggled to adapt to his newfound freedom, and viewers questioned the validity of innocence, of which even he does not seem fully sure. With strong writing, three-dimensional characters, and fantastic performances,Rectifyrewarded patient viewers with a truly original and engrossing story.
Rectify
Rectify follows Daniel Holden, who is released from death row after 19 years when new evidence casts doubt on his conviction. The series explores his reentry into society and the impact on his family and community. Created by Ray McKinnon, this SundanceTV drama delves into themes of redemption, guilt, and the complexities of the criminal justice system. Aden Young stars as Daniel, with standout performances by Abigail Spencer and J. Smith-Cameron.
2The Eric Andre Show (2012 - 2023)
6 seasons
Eric Andre’s parody of late-night talk shows,The Eric Andre Show,was a truly outrageous subversive sketch series that often pushed the boundaries of what could be said and done on mainstream TV. Along with his co-host Hannibal Buress (who was replaced by Blannibal played by James Hazley in later seasons), Andre brought out unsuspecting celebrity guests and subjected them to intense, hilarious, and downright vulgar interviews. Through a mix of surreal celebrity interviews, short sketches, candid camera footage, and non-sequiturs,The Eric Andre Showbuilt up a cult followingand was unlike anything else on television.
With strong nihilistic and post-ironic themes,The Eric Andre Showrevealed the absurdity of modern American celebrity culture, divisive politics, and an entertainment industry that’s dominated by conformity and the status quo. Through his strange and surreal series, Andre stood outside the norm and represented a different way of producing talk shows and comedy in general. While it may be too weird for some, for more adventurous viewers,The Eric Andre Showwas a truly hidden gem.
The Eric Andre Show
The Eric Andre Show was created by comedian and actor Eric Andre for release on the Adult Swim network and first aired in 2012. The show is created as a mixture of skits and talkshow segments and features a ton of surreal comedy elements.
1How To With John Wilson (2020 - 2023)
The HBO docuseriesHow To with John Wilsonhas received widespread critical acclaim, and all three seasons boast an impressive 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Created by the idiosyncratic documentarian John Wilson and produced byNathan for You,The Rehearsal, andThe Cursecreator Nathan Fielder, this woefully underrated series should be a far larger talking point than it ever became. As each 25-minute episode takes a side-eyed look at a unique topic, what’s often uncovered is the deep, personal, profound realizations of Wilson and the contributors.
Wilson’s awkward and conversational nature is paired with incredible footage and interviews as he explores everything from small talk to scaffolding to how to make risotto. As a thoughtful and often extremely strange series, it’s understandable thatHow To with John Wilsonnever became a mainstream hit, but its unique nature and propping search for meaning in a meaningless world will surely resonate with many viewers. For those looking for a cult series that is unlike anything else, check outHow To with John Wilson.
How to with John Wilson
How to with John Wilson is a docuseries that follows John Wilson as he navigates life in New York City, offering quirky and humorous observational commentary. Through his unique lens, Wilson addresses various topics, providing both practical advice and philosophical insights, while capturing the idiosyncrasies of everyday life.
