10 Most Underappreciated TV Shows Of The Decade (So Far)
1. The Americans
The Americans might be one of the most critically lauded shows of the last several years, but like the master spies it depicts, it still seems to be flying well beneath most peoples' radars.
Like BrainDead, The Americans is extremely topical, despite its 1980s setting. The show follows two Russian spies who are sent into deep cover in the United States, and must pose as the perfect American couple in order to send vital information back to the homeland. To keep their cover airtight, they have two children, both of whom are completely oblivious to their parents’ origins, and even befriend a neighbouring FBI agent.
It’s an excruciatingly tense piece of television, and the craft – in terms of editing, acting, direction, production design, and photography – is pretty much unmatched by any other show currently being broadcast. Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell are revelatory as the eponymous ‘Americans’, with the former seeming somewhat comfortable with his new life as a capitalist father, and the latter remaining doggedly devoted to Mother Russia’s ultimate cause.
With tensions between Russia and the US mounting, and accusations abound regarding President Putin’s involvement in the US election, The Americans is the show the world needs right now, but it’s one everyone seems too frightened to watch. The show currently averages a 0.93 rating (shows like The Walking Dead can achieve up to fourteen-times that amount), and is regularly snubbed by both the Emmys and The Golden Globes.
Agree with this list? Which underappreciated TV shows do you want to shout about? Let us know in the comments.