10 Great TV Show Performances (No One Ever Talks About)

Though he tends to be more widely known for his EE British mobile network exploits in modern times than his often under-appreciated work in front of the camera both on the big and small screen, it never hurts to remind yourself just how damn captivating Kevin Bacon can be when given the right material to chew on.

Said material most definitely came into existence when the star got the chance to lead FOX's mid-2010's crime thriller The Following as FBI agent Ryan Hardy.

During this three season run, Bacon would make a habit out of elevating a frequently graphic show that sometimes veered too closely towards the cliches within the "hunting for a serial-killer sub-genre". But playing such a battered and beaten character once again highlighted the chops Bacon isn't nearly given enough chances to show off on the big stage, with the actor expertly bringing the tortured life of this once-retired FBI into existence and even picking up a Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television for his work.

But even with that gong in the cabinet, it wasn't long before The Following was itself mercilessly killed off, with a turn many would class as one Bacon's finest being largely forgotten in the years since its cancellation in 2015.