What makes a show underrated? It might be that critics unfairly reviewed the series, giving it unfavorable ratings while audience members enjoyed it. This can sometimes even catapult the series to cult classic status. In other cases, the show might have been marginally popular but didn’t garner the viewership it deserved back when it was on the air.
Often, the series has been forgotten. Underrated shows might also be lesser-known projects starring big-name actors whose talents overshadow plots that didn’t generate as much praise as more high-profile shows. There are three underrated shows on Amazon Prime Video you need to watch in September, and each one fits one (or more) of these reasons for not getting the credit they deserved.
New Worlds (2014)
Did you know that a decade ago, Jamie Dornan starred in a Channel 4 series set in 1600s England and America? As a sequel to the four-part series The Devil’s Whore, which starred Dominic West, Michael Fassbender, Peter Capaldi, and Andrea Riseborough, New Worlds is centered around characters in two places. There’s Angelica (Eve Best), Countess of Abingdon, who is doing her best to protect her daughter in England. Then there’s Hope (Alice Englert) and Ned (Joe Dempsie) acclimating to life in colonial Massachusetts.
New Worlds may not have lived up to the series for which it serves as a sequel, but the production design, acting, and action are all worth investing your time in the four episodes. Not surprisingly, Dornan is singled out by critics like David Hinckley of New York Daily News, who says both the Irish actor and his castmates play the historical drama “smoothly.” He adds: “Once we sort of figure out what’s going on, which takes some work, the action is lively.”
Stream New Worlds on Amazon Prime Video.
JAG (1995-2005)
If it weren’t for JAG, we would never have seen spinoff series NCIS, which has gone on to become one of the most successful police procedurals. But many forget about JAG, which didn’t receive the accolades and attention it deserved. The legal drama follows lawyers who work within the Navy and are known as judge advocates as they defend and prosecute criminal cases that fall under military justice jurisdiction. The series has a unique angle that isn’t typically covered in legal dramas and procedurals, and it features storylines inspired by real-life events during the time it originally aired.
JAG had a great 10-season run and even won a few Emmy Awards for editing and costumes. But the series has become overshadowed by NCIS and never gained the same attention as its successor continues to receive through its 21 seasons to date (and counting). If you’re looking for a solid procedural to watch with plenty of episodes, JAG is probably one you’ve never seen, but will thoroughly enjoy.
Stream JAG on Amazon Prime Video.
The Widow (2019)
The Widow stars Kate Beckinsale in one of her lesser-known roles as Georgia, a woman dealing with the loss of her husband in a plane crash. But three years late,r when she spots a man who resembles him in a news story covering civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she sets out on a journey to find the man she believes could be him.
The plot of this British drama is intriguing and has tremendous promise, but the reviews were polarizing. Some critics praised the cliffhanger endings in each episode, like Giles Smith of Times UK. Others like Markie Robson-Scott of The Arts Desk call the first few episodes “hollow and glib.” But even Robson-Scott suggests that The Widow has a “fine cast” led by Beckinsale. Tackling themes like violence and corruption through various parallel storylines, The Widow’s eight-episode run will leave you hitting play after each episode ends.
Stream The Widow on Amazon Prime Video.
