20 More TV Shows That Are Practically Flawless

More of the best of the small screen.

Succession TV
HBO

There are countless ingredients required to produce a great TV show. You need engaging writing, a strong hook with major narrative potential, compelling characters with committed actors bringing them to life, and consistency. You also need some luck, and to tap into the right market.

To put it simply, there are dozens of things that can go wrong when bringing a series to life, which is why relatively few TV shows get the chance to have a full run of things without being cancelled or completely given up on by their former fans.

Despite the hardships involved, though, every now and again a TV show will debut and get everything right; the consistent writing, the compelling characters, and the unique premise are all right there, working to make the show a hit with both critics and audiences alike.

Here at WhatCulture we've already tapped into the most flawless TV shows on offer. This list will take a look at twenty other near-perfect shows, with an added focus on underrated or divisive productions that perhaps deserve a reappraisal, and subtle gems that only became classics once they came to an end.

With that in mind, from meta sitcoms to anthology megahits and dystopian dramas, here are 20 more TV shows that are just about flawless.

20. Community

Succession TV
Sony Pictures Television

Dan Harmon's subversive and wonderfully meta sitcom Community follows the exploits of Joel McHale's disgraced lawyer Jeff Winger, who accidentally sets up a study group consisting of a gaggle of mismatched misfits, loons and outsiders who constantly get into a wide variety of surreal misadventures.

Paying homage to cinema and TV's most recognisable tropes and clichés, the six-season series made an hilarious artform out of pushing the boundaries and expectations of the sitcom formula. It would spoof Goodfellas one minute, analyse the merits of Nic Cage the next, and venture into alternate realities without issue.

As a whole, Community hit some snags around season four, when Harmon controversially left his role as showrunner, but even its less enticing second half the show was the most intelligent and witty sitcom on air, boosted to greatness by its inventive structure and wonderfully game cast.

In this post: 
succession
 
Posted On: 
Contributor

Aidan Whatman hasn't written a bio just yet, but if they had... it would appear here.