Underrated TV Shows of 2025: Every year, we talk about the big shows, the loud releases, the franchise monsters, the ones that dominate timelines for weeks. But 2025 quietly delivered something better too: shows that didn’t scream for attention, yet stayed with you long after the credits rolled.
I watched a lot this year. Some hit instantly. Others took their time, and those are the ones I’m still thinking about. So this list isn’t about hype. It’s about quality that slipped under the radar.
Let’s break it down. These are the 10 most underrated TV shows of 2025, and every single one deserves a second look.
10. Black Rabbit
Release Date: September 18, 2025
Directors: Zach Baylin, Kate Susman
Cast: Jude Law, Jason Bateman, Cleopatra Coleman, Sope Dirisu, Troy Kotsur
IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 7.3 / 67%
Where to Watch: Netflix
Slow. Moody. Patient.
Black Rabbit is the kind of show that doesn’t try to impress you in the first episode, and that’s exactly why many people skipped it. Big mistake.
This is a character-first crime drama about two brothers who couldn’t be more different. One tried to build a clean life in New York. The other never really escaped his past. When that past catches up, the show turns into something quietly intense, part crime story, part psychological breakdown.
No flashy twists. No dramatic music cues telling you how to feel. Just tension that creeps in and refuses to leave. If you like shows that trust your attention span, this one’s worth it.
9. Common Side Effects
Release Date: February 2, 2025
Directors: Joe Bennett, Steve Hely
Cast (Voices): Dave King, Emily Pendergast, Mike Judge, Martha Kelly
IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 8.5 / 100%
Where to Watch: Adult Swim
This isn’t your usual Adult Swim experience, and that’s why it confused people.
Common Side Effects is animated, yes. Funny at times, yes. But it’s also unsettling, thoughtful, and weirdly grounded. The story follows a researcher who discovers a blue mushroom capable of curing deadly diseases. Sounds hopeful, until Big Pharma gets involved.
What makes this show special is how restrained it is. It lets ideas breathe. It doesn’t rush to punchlines. And it treats its audience like adults. If you went in expecting Rick and Morty chaos, you probably bounced. If you stayed, you know how smart this show really is.
8. Dept. Q
Release Date: March 29, 2025
Director: Scott Frank
Cast: Matthew Goode, Kelly Macdonald, Chloe Pirrie, Mark Bonnar
IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 8.2 / 88%
Where to Watch: Netflix
Dept. Q is proof that slow-burn crime dramas are still alive; they just don’t trend anymore.
This show isn’t about chases or shock value. It’s about guilt, trauma, and broken investigators doing messy work in forgotten corners of the system. Matthew Goode’s performance alone makes it worth watching.
It takes patience. It asks you to sit with uncomfortable emotions. And when it clicks, it really clicks. Not for everyone. Absolutely perfect for the right viewer.
7. Mobland
Release Date: March 30, 2025
Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Paddy Considine
IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 8.3 / 76%
Where to Watch: Paramount+
On paper, Mobland should’ve been massive.
Guy Ritchie directing. Tom Hardy is leading. Pierce Brosnan is in the mix. And yet, it quietly slipped past most people. Why? Because it didn’t go viral.
Mobland is classic gangster storytelling, power plays, family feuds, moral rot, delivered with restraint instead of noise. Hardy plays a fixer who cleans up the worst messes, and watching him navigate two warring crime families is deeply satisfying. If this had dropped ten years ago, it would’ve been everywhere.
6. Task
Release Date: September 7, 2025
Director: Brad Ingelsby
Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, Thuso Mbedu
IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 8.0 / 96%
Where to Watch: HBO / Prime Video
This one fooled a lot of people, including me.
The trailers made Task look like another routine crime drama. What it actually is… is much heavier. Mark Ruffalo plays a former priest turned FBI agent who’s lost his sense of purpose.
The case he’s assigned to isn’t just criminal, it’s personal, emotional, and morally messy. The show dives into grief, faith, and the cost of doing “the right thing.” It’s layered. It’s thoughtful. And it deserved better marketing.
5. Overcompensating
Release Date: May 15, 2025
Director: Benito Skinner
Cast: Benito Skinner, Wally Baram, Adam DiMarco, Rish Shah
IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 7.7 / 93%
Where to Watch: Prime Video
A comedy that sneaks up on you.
Overcompensating looks like a light college sitcom at first glance, but it’s smarter and more honest than it lets on. The show explores identity, insecurity, and the exhausting performance people put on just to belong.
Benito Skinner’s writing feels personal, not performative. The humor lands because it’s rooted in truth, not punchlines. It earned its high ratings. It just didn’t get the audience it deserved.
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4. The Lowdown
Release Date: September 23, 2025
Director: Sterlin Harjo
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Keith David
IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 7.3 / 98%
Where to Watch: FX / Prime Video
This is one of those shows you randomly start… and then binge without realizing it.
Ethan Hawke plays a Tulsa bookstore owner who’s secretly one of the most dangerous truth-seekers in town. The show blends neo-noir vibes with dark comedy and social commentary, without ever feeling preachy.
It’s stylish but grounded. Clever but emotional. And filled with performances that stick with you. Criminally underwatched.
3. The Rainmaker
Release Date: August 15, 2025
Directors: Michael Seitzman, Jason Richman
Cast: Milo Callaghan, Lana Parrilla, John Slattery
IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 7.1 / 54%
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Legal dramas are hard to pull off now; most feel recycled. The Rainmaker didn’t.
Based on John Grisham’s novel, this series focuses on underdog lawyers fighting cases that big firms ignore. It’s personal, grounded, and refreshingly human.
What stood out for me was how the show treated failure. The lead character doesn’t win easily. He struggles. He doubts himself. And that makes the victories matter. If you skipped this thinking it’d be generic courtroom TV, you missed something solid.
2. Chad Powers
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Directors: Glen Powell, Michael Waldron
Cast: Glen Powell, Perry Mattfeld, Steve Zahn
IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 7.5 / 57%
Where to Watch: ESPN
This one surprised everyone.
Chad Powers started as a comedy sketch and somehow turned into one of the most watchable sports dramas of the year. Glen Powell disappears into the role and proves he’s far more versatile than people give him credit for.
It’s funny, yes. But it’s also about ego, redemption, and starting over when you’ve already blown your shot. Most people walked in with low expectations. Almost everyone walked out impressed.
1. North of North
Release Date: January 7, 2025
Directors: Stacey Aglok MacDonald, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril
Cast: Anna Lambe, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Tanya Tagaq
IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes: 7.5 / 100%
Where to Watch: Netflix
This is the show I keep recommending to people, and almost nobody’s seen it.
North of North is warm, funny, emotional, and deeply human. It follows an Inuit woman who leaves an unhappy marriage and tries to rebuild her life with her daughter in a close-knit community that loves to gossip.
It’s not loud. It doesn’t chase trends. It just tells a beautiful story with heart. By the time it ends, you don’t just like the characters, you care about them. And that’s rare. If there’s one underrated TV show from 2025 that truly deserves more love, it’s this one.
Final Thoughts On Underrated TV Shows
Not every great show explodes online. Some quietly find their people. Others wait years to be rediscovered. If you’re tired of chasing hype and want stories that actually respect your intelligence, start here.
These shows didn’t shout, they spoke softly and meant every word. And honestly? That’s where the real magic usually is.
