Netflix is a remarkable thing when you step back and think about it. For many people, the streaming service has almost entirely replaced cable, offering an almost limitless array of shows that are worth checking out.
If you find that that sea of choices is a bit more difficult to navigate than anticipated, you might be looking for some underrated titles that are worth considering. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with these underrated shows, each of which is great and very different from the others:
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new shows to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Amazon Prime Video, the best shows on Max, and the best shows on Disney+.
Blue Eye Samurai (2023-)
One of the best-animated series in the history of Netflix, Blue Eye Samurai tells the story of a female samurai who hides her gender while seeking revenge in Edo-era Japan. The show, which is set in a period in Japanese history when Westerners were strictly forbidden, is all about its central character’s attempt to kill the man she suspects is her father.
In addition to some incredibly inventive and gory action, Blue Eye Samurai is a show with a compelling and unconventional roster of central characters. Few shows are as confident or intricate as this show, and even fewer manage to stick the landing this well.
You can watch Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix.
Derry Girls (2018-2022)
A hilarious, deeply endearing series about a group of Irish teenagers who are growing up against the backdrop of the Troubles in the 1990s, Derry Girls is another show that comes out of the gate with remarkable confidence. Its central quartet of young women are all offbeat, and crucially, each of them seems like they could really be an Irish teenager.
Derry Girls has its share of small-scale dramas, but mostly, it’s a show about how mundane life can be even when history is unfolding all around you. While you might want to turn subtitles on, Derry Girls is also a show jam-packed with genuinely excellent jokes.
You can watch Derry Girls on Netflix.
Supergirl (2015-2021)
Supergirl existed in an era saturated with superhero content. Yet this show and its CW compatriots often felt like the closest to capturing the spirit of the comic books. The show starts as Kara Zor-El is just coming into her own and takes innumerable twists and turns over the course of its run.
Thanks to the central performance of Melissa Benoist, the show managed to be exactly the right level of fun through much of its run. If you’re hankering for Superman content ahead of the new movie, Supergirl might be the perfect show to binge.
You can watch Supergirl on Netflix.
