Some TV dramas are immortalized in pop culture as timeless classics while others are so lauded that they turn out to be "overrated" with time. And then, there are the forgotten ones that either stayed under the radar or were canceled early due to low ratings.
Regardless of whatever the reason behind their lack of popularity was, the increase in new-age TV reboots and revivals spells out hope for these underrated gems. Today, these shows might have their cult fanbases, but they still require more buzz to come back into popular memory.
Constantine (2014)
With a charming British accent and enough dry humor, Matt Ryan became a perfectly comic-accurate John Constantine in this short-lived horror series that only lasted for 13 episodes. Ryan still had his redemption playing the character in Legends of Tomorrow and Constantine show is much needed for loyal fans of the demon hunter.
With DC not shying away from darker film and TV content such as The Batman and Titans, a Constantine revival with Ryan in the lead would serve as a perfect vehicle to explore more of Neil Gaiman's iconic run on the surrealist and philosophical Hellblazer comic series.
Grand Army (2020)
A high-school drama exploring the lives of multiple characters from different backgrounds, Grand Army is bound to impress fans of gritty teen shows such as Skins and Euphoria. Despite a promising cast and a major cliffhanger, Netflix canned the series after just one season.
While there is no dearth in the teen genre on TV, Grand Army carried a distinct rawness in its approach that could be developed further if the show had more seasons. While Skins and Euphoria are also great at incorporating occasional meta-elements, Grand Army was the perfect pick when it came to hyper-realistic and socially-relevant coming-of-age shows.
Carnivàle (2003-2005)
An amusing work of dark fantasy, HBO's supernatural series Carnivàle received favorable reviews, but low viewership ratings caused HBO to cancel it at just the second season. Set in 1930s America, the show dealt with the lives of the of a traveling circus and how they are drawn into a mystical battle of good and evil. The period drama included plenty of elements drawing from Christian mythology and Masonic lore such as Judgment Day and the Knights Templar.
Given the various influences that it draws upon, it might just be a marketable option if revived well enough. Its tonal similarities with the critically-acclaimed neo-noir thriller Nightmare Alley and the Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Sandman can serve as other reasons for its potential success.
X-Men Evolution (2000-2003)
On the surface, the animated series X-Men Evolution might seem like just another superhero ensemble show or even a high school comedy. But its individual character-driven artists ended up exploring more drama than other X-Men shows. The 1992 series is an undeniable classic, but it was the more ambitiously over-the-top version of the vintage Marvel comics.
Evolution, on the other hand, explored more of the adolescent issues of characters like Cyclops and Rogue. Throughout its four-season run, the animated show relied on favorable creative liberties instead of extreme faithfulness to the source material. Unfortunately, today in the midst of the ever-expanding X-Men film franchise, Evolution still waits for a resurgence as it is fondly ed only by X-Men aficionados.
La Femme Nikita (1997-2001)
Based on the iconic French action thriller of the same name, La Femme Nikita dealt with the high-octane adventures of Nikita, an innocent woman who is turned into a skilled assassin by a secret organization. And by modern standards, the Canadian show might seem very over-the-top.
The CW already had a shockingly good interpretation of the Nikita franchise, but a modern-day reboot would help in creating a more serious female-driven action series. With movies such as Atomic Blonde and shows like Hana, it will be interesting to subvert the action genre further with a Nikita reboot. Of course, even the 90s campiness of the original can be stylistically used in a few scenes.
Aquarius (2015-2016)
David Duchovny has established himself in sci-fi with The X-Files and comedy with Californication. However, it is his venture into the crime drama Aquarius that totally went unnoticed by audiences.
Aquarius starred Duchovny as an LAPD detective who is hell-bent on investigating the infamous killed Charles Manson as he recruits vulnerable women into his cult-like organization. Fictionalizing true events, the show will be impressive for fans who are interested in the Manson murders, especially after the Netflix crime series Mindhunter and Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood regenerated interest in the killings.
Static Shock (2000-2004)
Showcasing the adventures of the DC superhero Static, Invincible gained traction, Static Shock was the closest thing on animated TV to explore the struggles of maintaining a superhero status and average high school life.
Static Shock was of paramount importance even in socio-political , for it was one of the few shows to feature a black superhero. Today, only those who grew up in the early 2000s might this forgotten classic, implying that it is high time for the electromagnetic metahuman to charge up TV screens yet again.
The Eddy (2020)
In the early months of the pandemic, the music drama miniseries The Eddy premiered on Netflix. Not only was there some hype due to its lead cast of La La Land and Whiplash director Damien Chazelle.
Set in Paris, the show dealt with a jazz pianist's struggles to protect his club from criminals. Despite its atmospheric chaos and a memorable soundtrack, The Eddy just faded into oblivion since its release. Given that jazz -enthusiast Damien Chazelle's past experiences with the music genre have had a good track record, The Eddy can maybe perform better if given a follow-up season or a new makeover.
The Exorcist (2016-2017)
Despite its iconic status in the horror genre, The Exorcist's sequels could never live up to the status of the original. Surprisingly, the short-lived TV series served as a deeply disturbing continuation of the horror franchise. Despite having new characters and settings, themes such as the crisis of faith and loss of innocence were still explored in the narrative.
So, while the horror genre is always destined to suffer from sequels and reboots, the next chapter of the TV series might be one of the exceptions. And the ever-lasting legacy of the original movie would mean that the story is still relevant.
Enlightened (2011-2013)
Laura Dern won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of a woman who attempts to restart her life after a major breakdown at work. And despite Dern's committed lead performance and showrunner Mike White's witty screenplay, Enlightened was canceled after a mere two-season run.
Since then, White has resurged with another heavily-acclaimed HBO original, The White Lotus. As it is in development for another season, White can use his marketability as leverage to revive Enlightened. After all, the story isn't completed yet and deserves a few more seasons to wrap up.
