8 Best TV Shows That Passed You By In 2017
Underrated small-screen gems.
Nobody needed reminding when Game of Thrones was premiering its seventh season over the summer, and Marvel fans were given plenty of notice before The Defenders debuted on Netflix, but not all TV shows are backed by this level of fanfare.
The world's leading broadcasters and streaming providers have the resources to make sure their content lands with an almighty splash, though that doesn't necessarily mean it's worth watching. Indeed, some of the best stuff on the small screen isn't backed by the same marketing budget as the industry's heaviest hitters.
This is a shame because it means it's all too easy to let must-watch television shows pass you by, from classic series that quietly returned for a low-key season, to all-new gems released by the indie studios, only to become lost on the saturated airwaves and streaming services.
While celebrated programming like Game of Thrones is never far away from annual awards or 'best TV shows of the year' lists, there are countless series equally deserving of plaudits that slipped under most radars in 2017.
8. Back
Peep Show was a tough act to follow, and while David Mitchell and Robert Webb's latest offering Back never quite hit the awkward heights of its predecessor, it had a good go at matching them.
Back is a cuckoo-in-the-nest tale about a man named Stephen (Mitchel) who becomes deeply suspicious of his estranged foster brother Andrew (Webb) when he returns to his life on the day of 'their' father's funeral.
The Channel 4 sitcom treads a fine line between cringe-worthy comedy, deep paranoia and moments of genuinely touching drama. It took the two protagonists several episodes to step out of the shadows of Mark Corrigan and Jeremy Usbourne, but they grew over the course of season one and left viewers eager to see where their relationship heads next.
Back did more than enough to earn a second season, and fortunately it's got one. The cast and crew will begin filming six more episodes next summer and they're expected to air by the end of 2018.