10 Most Underrated Sci-Fi Horror TV Shows Of All Time
9. Counterpart
Judging a TV show based on the leading actor can often be a recipe for disaster. There's very little way to assess the quality of a series purely on its casting choices. Still, despite this, you can often feel safe in the decisions of J.K. Simmons, and this show is a testament to that.
Counterpart is a compelling thriller that follows Howard Silk (J.K. Simmons), a low-ranking bureaucrat working for the mysterious Office of Interchange. His life soon gets flipped upside down as he discovers the true purpose behind his work; that the OI is connected to a parallel universe. Wow, and you thought your 9-5 was stressful.
This series manages to be subtle in its scares, thanks to the corporate setting and the high concept. Still, it's an effortlessly tense experience with great writing, strong direction and an utterly killer performance from Simmons.
The show was unfortunately cancelled for a, let's say, curious reason. Starz COO Jeffrey Hirsch claimed that the series was "too male" and thus, didn't fit the female-centric direction they intended to take the channel in. It's a real shame, as Counterpart was something special.