It’s always disappointing when a great TV show doesn’t gain the viewership it deserves, but this can be made up for through a loyal and devoted cult following. While many of these obscure TV shows never hit it big with mainstream viewers, they connected deeply with a smaller subsection of the audience whose enthusiasm and love for the characters and stories made them cult classics. Although some series like Twin Peaks are well-known by the general public, the truth is the viewership was not very large, and shows of such high quality deserve more than just cult status.

The best obscure TV shows range from underappreciated British sitcoms to intense dramas on lesser-known television networks. Sometimes, a show was just too weird to gain a mainstream audience, while in other instances, it was a poor promotion or a haphazard airing schedule that led to them being missed even by those who ionately wanted to watch them. Whatever the circumstances, all of these cult classic TV shows deserve a much bigger following.

10 The IT Crowd (2006 - 2013)

4 series

Although viewers from the United Kingdom will be well aware of the comedy classic that is The IT Crowd, this Channel 4 series never got the love it deserved from a global audience. As a sitcom created by Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan, this hilarious series resolved around three IT workers in the basement of a fictional company. As the lowest rung on the company ladder, Roy (Chris O’Dowd), Moss (Richard Ayoade), and Jen (Katherine Parkinson) spend their days trying to get as little work done as possible while getting embroiled in truly absurd misadventures.

With episode concepts like a character believing they broke the internet because they typed Google into Google, The IT Crowd was pure absurd fun mixed with the sardonic sensibilities of UK comedy. Although its actors have since gone on to major success, such as O’Dowd’s roles in movies like Bridesmaids or the ing actor Matt Berry reaching a global audience in What We Do in the Shadows, this series kickstarted their comedy careers. For those looking for non-stop jokes, The IT Crowd will have viewers laughing harder than a 404 error just before a critical deadline.

9 Freaks And Geeks (1999 - 2000)

1 season

While television obsessives will recognize Freaks and Geeks as one of the greatest TV shows to be canceled after just one season, it still has not gained the attention it deserves from the casual audience member. As the starting point for countless comedy careers, Freaks and Geeks was co-created by Judd Apatow and featured early appearances from Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogen, and many more future stars. As a clever and heartfelt high school coming-of-age story, Freaks and Geeks ticked all the right boxes while failing to gain the viewership it deserved.

The early cancellation of Freaks and Geeks was one of television's greatest tragedies, as this series addressed issues around growing up, peer pressure, and finding purpose in one’s life better than any other teen show out there. The most heartbreaking thing about the early demise of Freaks and Geeks was its haphazard airing schedule, which meant even those who were excited to watch it just couldn't find it. In today’s era of television streaming, it’s likely Freaks and Geeks could have found its audience before the network decided to pull the plug.

8 The Armando Iannucci Shows (2001)

1 series

The British satirist Armando Iannucci has gained iconic status in the world of comedy for his early work as a co-creator of Alan Partridge and the creation of the acclaimed HBO series Veep. With countless beloved projects behind him, including directing movies such as The Death of Stalin, Iannucci has a unique comedic voice that perfectly balances political relevance and more social, personal themes. However, it’s his most personal endeavor, The Armando Iannucci Shows, that has been mostly forgotten amid so much discussion around his better-known work.

This Channel 4 British sketch show aired eight episodes from August to October 2001. With a broadcast taking place during the September 11th attacks, it’s understandable that very few people were keen to tune into a surreal comedy about personal anxiety, human nature, and existentialism. The timing of this series was unfortunate, as The Armando Iannucci Shows amounted to one of the satirist's most accomplished works, and Iannucci himself said the series best represented his unique comedic outlook on life (via Metro.)

7 Summer Heights High (2007)

1 season

The Australian mockumentary sitcom Summer Heights High was a truly hilarious series written by and starring Chris Lilley. Set in a fictional school outside of Sydney, Summer Heights High was jam-packed with hilarious characters, recurring gags, and a unique sense of humor. Although it was a massive commercial and critical success in Australia, this classic series deserves to gain a much larger audience from viewers around the world.

The characters in Summer Heights High were so richly imagined that they even branched out to create their own franchise starring Lilley. Following its success, Lilley created two spin-off shows, the first called Ja'mie: Private School Girl, focused on the bratty, self-involved teenager first seen in Summer Heights High, and the second, Jonah from Tonga, expanded upon the Tongan-Australian student Jonah Takalua. While Lilley later gained further exposure due to his Netflix series Lunatics, it was in Summer Heights High that he was at his funniest and was the show that gained him a cult following.

6 Twin Peaks (1990 - 1991, 2017)

3 seasons

David Lynch and Mark Frost revolutionized television with the release of this incredible mystery series, and it’s baffling how many TV series would not exist without Twin Peaks. The influence of this strange and surreal series cannot be understated as TV viewers during the 1990s tuned in to uncover who killed Laura Palmer, an ongoing narrative the likes of which had never been done before. With a mix of soap opera, supernatural, and truly absurd avant-garde influences, Twin Peaks pushed contemporary audiences out of their comfort zones and signaled the dawning of a new age of television.

While it’s true that most TV viewers are aware of Twin Peaks and its legacy as a cult classic, it’s shocking how many people have never actually watched it. The series deserves a much larger audience than it ever received, especially considering the long-awaited third season, Twin Peaks: The Return, which answered questions that audiences had been speculating about for more than 25 years. As a truly iconic series and one of the weirdest things ever broadcast on mainstream TV, Twin Peaks is a must-watch for fans of cult series and challenging television.

5 The OA (2016 - 2019)

2 seasons

This sci-fi mystery, created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, was truly one of the most unique and idiosyncratic series on Netflix before they canceled it just as it was getting really interesting. The OA was a cult TV show with an intensely committed following of viewers who connected deeply with its story about a resurfaced young woman with a connection to another dimension. As a thematically rich and challenging series, The OA took influence from shows like Twin Peaks to create a deeply engaging series that deserved far more attention than it ever got.

Despite the second season ending on a fascinating cliffhanger that appeared to transport the characters onto a soundstage and into the real world, The OA never got a chance to finish its story before Netflix prematurely called it a day. Despite several protest campaigns, petitions, and an audience outcry to bring back the show, it has yet to continue in any form. Perhaps if more viewers tuned in and let their desire for more be heard, lovers of The OA will one day discover what was planned for Part III.

4 Pen15 (2019 - 2021)

2 seasons

Pen15 was a coming-of-age comedy with a twist, as its middle school main characters were played by fully grown adult women. Based on the childhood experiences, puberty, and awkward teenage experiences of co-creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, in a unique twist on autobiographical stories, the two 30-something women chose to play themselves as seventh-graders. This was actually a move of genius, and it allowed Maya and Anna to enact scenes that would not be possible with actual child actors.

However, Pen15 featured the rest of Maya and Anna’s classmates portrayed by age-appropriate actors. While this may at first seem distracting, the duo got so lost in their roles that by the end of the first episode, they were truly believable as children. Packed with 2000s nostalgia and countless moments that will make millennial viewers cringe as they reminisce about their own school days, Pen15 was released in the midst of the pandemic and never gained the viewership it deserved.

3 Rectify (2013 - 2016)

4 seasons

As one of the greatest TV shows nobody was watching, Rectify was an astounding original drama from SundanceTV. Created by Deadwood actor Ray McKinnon and starring Aden Young as Daniel Holden, this insightful series explored the life of a man released from death row after 20 years. With new DNA evidence putting his conviction into question, Daniel has to return to his family home and re a society that’s still not convinced of his innocence and has never stopped reeling from the after-effects of the young woman they believed he sexually assaulted and killed as a teenager.

Rectify was a slow-moving series that valued characterization and emotional resonance over fast-paced action or heart-racing thrills. Much of the appeal of Rectify was watching as Daniel struggled to adapt to his newfound freedom, and viewers questioned the validity of innocence, of which even he does not seem fully sure. With strong writing, three-dimensional characters, and fantastic performances, Rectify rewarded patient viewers with a truly original and engrossing story.

2 The Eric Andre Show (2012 - 2023)

6 seasons

Eric Andre’s parody of late-night talk shows, The Eric Andre Show, was a truly outrageous subversive sketch series that often pushed the boundaries of what could be said and done on mainstream TV. Along with his co-host Hannibal Buress (who was replaced by Blannibal played by James Hazley in later seasons), Andre brought out unsuspecting celebrity guests and subjected them to intense, hilarious, and downright vulgar interviews. Through a mix of surreal celebrity interviews, short sketches, candid camera footage, and non-sequiturs, The Eric Andre Show built up a cult following and was unlike anything else on television.

With strong nihilistic and post-ironic themes, The Eric Andre Show revealed the absurdity of modern American celebrity culture, divisive politics, and an entertainment industry that’s dominated by conformity and the status quo. Through his strange and surreal series, Andre stood outside the norm and represented a different way of producing talk shows and comedy in general. While it may be too weird for some, for more adventurous viewers, The Eric Andre Show was a truly hidden gem.

1 How To With John Wilson (2020 - 2023)

3 seasons

The HBO docies How To with John Wilson has received widespread critical acclaim, and all three seasons boast an impressive 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Created by the idiosyncratic documentarian John Wilson and produced by Nathan for You, The Rehearsal, and The Curse creator Nathan Fielder, this woefully underrated series should be a far larger talking point than it ever became. As each 25-minute episode takes a side-eyed look at a unique topic, what’s often uncovered is the deep, personal, profound realizations of Wilson and the contributors.

Wilson’s awkward and conversational nature is paired with incredible footage and interviews as he explores everything from small talk to scaffolding to how to make risotto. As a thoughtful and often extremely strange series, it’s understandable that How To with John Wilson never became a mainstream hit, but its unique nature and propping search for meaning in a meaningless world will surely resonate with many viewers. For those looking for a cult series that is unlike anything else, check out How To with John Wilson.

Source: Metro