Summary

• In the era of streaming, it's becoming harder to make well-informed picks among the abundance of content, but there are quality shows that deserve more attention.
• Apple TV+ has three underrated shows worth checking out: Silo, a dystopian drama, The Buccaneers, a historical feminist tale, and Shrinking, a dramatic story of a grieving therapist.
• Prime Video offers The Horror of Dolores Roach, a dark comedy horror with a cliffhanger ending, and I'm a Virgo, a beautifully absurd series that breaks the mold of traditional sitcoms.

In 2023, streaming services and television networks have produced plenty of new content to watch, but, unfortunately, most shows stay relatively hidden from the sight of general audiences. While series like Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher have received lots of exposure thanks to their big-budget marketing, other titles, such as Apple TV+'s Silo, remain in the shadows, despite being innovative masterpieces in their respective genres. For anyone who is struggling to get out of the endless Friends on a loop, it is high time to freshen up the watch list with more amazing shows.

In the era of streaming, platforms like Netflix, Apple TV+, and Disney+ have to battle for viewership through the means of increasing the units of content produced, making bold creative choices, and listening to what audiences want while ensuring that the quality only goes up. It used to be the norm to wait for shows patiently and watch them episode by episode, season by season. Now, things are different — streaming services are making so much content and releasing it so closely together that it is becoming hard to make well-informed picks. Still, there are quite a few quality novelties that deserve more attention.

10 Silo

Where To Watch: Apple TV+

Graham Yost's Silo, based on the book series of the same name by Hugh Howey, is well on its way to reviving the dystopian genre if only more people find out about the show. It follows Rebecca Ferguson's Juliette Nichols, a brave engineer who is trying to uncover the secrets of the Silo, inhabited by 10,000 people in the distant murky future. Silo is the perfect mix of drama and mystery that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats throughout all ten episodes. Followed by the show's outstanding performance on the platform and positive reviews from critics, Apple TV+ has greenlit Silo season 2.

9 The Horror Of Dolores Roach

Where To Watch: Prime Video

Prime Video is a treasure trove of underrated gems, and its 2023 dark comedy horror series, starring Justina Machado, is one of them. The Horror of Dolores Roach revolves around its titular character, a woman whose 16-year-long unjust prison sentence has ended, and she comes back to her neighborhood and tries to find some stability in her life. Dolores' old friend, Luis, offers her to stay with him and work as a massage therapist in the basement of his empanada shop, but things quickly start going sideways. Despite The Horror of Dolores Roach season 1 ending on a huge cliffhanger, Prime Video has yet to renew the show for season 2.

8 Unstable

Where To Watch: Netflix

Parks and Recreation alum Rob Lowe has tried his hand at the workplace comedy genre once more, and this time, his son, John Owen Lowe, has ed him in this successful endeavor. Unstable centers on the eccentric tech billionaire Ellis and his son, shy flautist Jackson, as they attempt to mend their relationship, move past their grief over the tragic ing of their loved one, and save the company all at the same time. With its quirky wit and heartfelt bond between the Lowes, Unstable stretches outside the sitcom genre, promising its viewers an in-depth look into familial hardships over the course of eight episodes.

7 The Buccaneers

Where To Watch: Apple TV+

Katherine Jakeways' The Buccaneers, based on the unfinished novel of the same name by Edith Wharton, is the period drama to watch while waiting for Bridgerton season 3's release. According to the premise of the show, a group of American women find themselves in 1870s London, and their arrival causes a big cultural shock for everyone involved. Even though only three episodes are out at the moment, The Buccaneers already fulfills its promise as a historical feminist tale that tackles serious issues of both 19th-century women and the women of today. With five more episodes to go, the show might be the next big obsession for historical fiction fans.

6 Poker Face

Where To Watch: Peacock

In Rian Johnson's Poker Face, Charlie Cale, a waitress with a superskill to detect when people are lying, flees after a mysterious death stirs tensions at the casino she works at. Charlie meets all sorts of people on her countrywide travels and solves murders along the way. Natasha Lyonne's charm has made this murder mystery show utterly compelling, and the case-of-the-week structure combined with the quirky wit of the characters has only added to the eerie atmosphere of the crime comedy. Peacock renewed Poker Face for season 2 shortly after its initial premiere, although the release date is still unknown.

5 Extraordinary

Where To Watch: Disney+, Hulu & Star+

Emma Moran's Extraordinary is a hilarious take on the superhero genre that reverses the polarities and makes the ordinary person the oddball. 25-year-old Jen's existence couldn't be any worse: her love life is a disaster, she isn't happy at her job, and on top of that, Jen's superpowers are still dormant, even though everyone else's reveal themselves at the tender age of 18. In a world where tough superhero content has become prevalent, Extraordinary is extraordinarily heartwarming and unpredictable. Ahead of the eight-episode wild ride, season 2 was already confirmed and is currently on its way.

4 Beef

Where To Watch: Netflix

Lee Sung Jin's Beef, starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong in the lead roles, doesn't go in any of the anticipated directions, not once in its ten episodes. This black comedy drama show stems from a road rage incident between Danny Cho and Amy Lau and tells the story of their escalated feud that knows no bounds. Beef has quickly become the critics' darling for its surprising narrative and brilliant storytelling, earning a whopping 13 nominations at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. Creator Lee Sung Jin's comments on Beef season 2 give hope that the series might still live to see another day.

3 I’m A Virgo

Where To Watch: Prime Video

Boots Riley's beautifully absurd I'm a Virgo is a must-watch for anyone who is exhausted by an endless string of sitcoms that all feel like one and the same. It centers on 13-foot-tall Cootie who gets accidentally discovered by teenage political activists and is quickly forced to come to with reality. I'm a Virgo combines the best elements of a coming-of-age story, a superhero action thriller, and a political drama and wraps it all in a surreal, satirical package that makes the plot twists that much more surprising. With I'm a Virgo season 1 ending on a cliffhanger, Prime Video seems to be in no rush to give hopeful viewers a season 2 update.

2 A Small Light

Where To Watch: Disney+ & Hulu

Joan Rater and Tony Phelan's biographical drama A Small Light, set during World War II, offers a fresh perspective on Anne Frank's heartbreaking life story. Secretary Miep Gies risks everything to hide her Jewish employer Otto Frank and his family, along with other refugees, amidst the German invasion of the Netherlands. While the series still showcases the horrors of the Holocaust and the bravery of the ordinary people who dared to stand up against the Nazis, it manages to pay tribute to the suffering of Jewish people in a gripping yet soft way that makes A Small Light stand out as a family show.

1 Shrinking

Where To Watch: Apple TV+

Shrinking is an incredible series that has reopened How I Met Your Mother star Jason Segel in a dramatic role to the world. Therapist Jimmy Laird has just lost his wife Tia in a tragic car accident. Unable to deal with his grief appropriately, Jimmy starts to unravel at work, blurring ethical barriers between a doctor and a patient and unwillingly bringing about huge changes in his patients' lives. Shrinking has been quite popular with critics, even receiving several nominations at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, and yet not enough viewers have taken advantage of it. Thankfully, they will get a chance to do so, as Apple TV+ has renewed Shrinking for season 2.