While you may be familiar with shows like Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, and The Walking Dead due to their critical acclaim in the media, there are countless hidden gems that have been flying under the radar. Check out this list of the top ten series you can start streaming tonight.
10 Hidden Gem TV Shows
StartUp (2016–2018)
Genre: Crime/Thriller
Cast: Adam Brody, Edi Gathegi, Ron Perlman, and Martin Freeman
Streaming On: Sony Crackle
StartUp is a three season series that follows the emergence of GenCoin, a controversial tech idea centered on digital currency created by Izzy Morales (Otmara Marrero) and two other entrepreneurs. The project is funded by Nick Talman (Adam Brody) and his father’s dirty money — which ends up landing them on the radar of the crooked FBI Agent Phil Rask (Martin Freeman).
Fortitude (2015 – 2018)
Genre: Mystery
Cast: Richard Dormer, Sienna Guillory, and Sofie Gråbøl
Streaming On: Amazon Prime
When a research scientist is killed in the tight-knit community of Fortitude, the arctic town is shaken to its core. The conditions of the murder prompts police officers to suspect each other of the crime, while members of the community struggles with the fear that has been unleashed by the crime. But that’s not all — as above-average temperatures begin to melt the ice around the Arctic town, secrets are revealed beneath Fortitude’s frozen landscape. Over the course of twenty-eight episodes the mysteries of Fortitude are uncovered.
Animal Kingdom (2016 –)
Genre: Crime
Cast: Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, and Jake Weary
Streaming On: FuboTV
After his mother’s death, Joshua Cody (Finn Cole) moves to Southern California to live with his estranged relatives. Josh soon learns why he has been kept away from the matriarch of the Cody family, Janine “Smurf” Cody (Ellen Barkin). Smurf makes a living by orchestrating armed robberies and other criminal activities. In order to stay alive, Josh joins in on the criminality of his family, under his grandmother’s watchful eye.
American Gods (2017–)
Genre: Drama
Cast: Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning, and Ian McShane
Streaming On: STARZ
Based on Neil Gaiman’s novel, American Gods follows Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle), a man serving three years in prison after he is given an early release. Shadow Moon is hired as a bodyguard for Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane). But nothing is as simple as it seems. The series is about the war brewing between the old gods and the new gods, as the old gods feel that their influence is being threatened by the technology and media of the new gods.
Bodyguard (2018–)
Genre: Drama
Cast: Richard Madden and Keeley Hawes
Streaming On: Netflix
Bodyguard centers around Police Sergeant David Budd (Richard Madden), a British Army war veteran who is now working for the Royalty and Specialist Protection Branch of London's Metropolitan Police Service. He is assigned as the principal protection officer for the ambitious Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), whose politics he despises. The series delves into hot-button topics such as PTSD, government monitoring, and other relevant issues.
The Expanse (2015 –)
Genre: Sci-Fi
Cast: Thomas Jane, Steven Strait, Cas Anvar, and Dominique Tipper
Streaming On: Amazon Prime
Based on James S. A. Corey’s book series, The Expanse is set two hundred years in the future where humanity has colonized the Solar System. It centers around the case of a missing young woman, which brings An unexpected conspiracy that threatens the system’s fragile balance brings together an unlikely cast of characters. United Nations Security Council member Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo), police detective Josephus Miller (Thomas Jane), ship's officer James Holden (Steven Strait) and his crew – as they unwittingly find themselves at the center of a plot to protect the future of humanity.
The Sinner (2017 – )
Genre: Crime/Drama
Cast: Bill Pullman, Jessica Biel, and Dohn Norwood
Streaming On: Netflix
The Sinner is an anthology series based on the novel by German crime writer Petra Hammesfahr. Each of the three seasons is focused on a new crime as it is investigated by Detective Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman). It was hailed as an intelligent whodunit series, filled with twists and turns.
Santa Clarita Diet (2017 – 2019)
Genre: Comedy/Horror
Cast: Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant
Streaming On: Netflix
The lives of real estate agent couple Joel (Timothy Olyphant) and Sheila Hammond (Drew Barrymore) change forever when Shelie transforms into a zombie after an unfortunate encounter with bad clams. As Joel and the family try to help Sheila through her metamorphosis, they have to deal with neighbors, cultural norms, and have to unravel a potential mythological mystery. It’s fast-paced, quirky, and wonderfully macabre.
The Alienist (2018 – )
Genre: Crime
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Luke Evans, and Daniel Brühl
Streaming On: Netflix
The series is based on Caleb Carr’s novel The Alienist. Set in 1896, as a series of gruesome murders of street children grips New York City. Newly appointed police commissioner Teddy Roosevelt (Brian Geraghty) calls upon criminal psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Daniel Brühl) and newspaper illustrator John Moore (Luke Evans) to conduct the investigation in secret. Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning), the police commissioner’s headstrong secretary, also joins them on the case.
Humans (2015-2018)
Genre: Sci-Fi
Cast: Gemma Chan, Colin Morgan, and Emily Berrington
Streaming On: Amazon Prime
Based on the Swedish science fiction drama Real Humans, the series is set in a parallel universe where nearly every family has their very own highly-developed robotic servant called a Synth. Joe Hawkins (Tom Goodman-Hill) decides to buy a Synth to take care of household responsibilities to help his wife, Laura (Katherine Parkinson). Laura is enraged that her husband purchased a Synth without consulting her and grows paranoid around the Synth, Anita (Gemma Chan) as her family grows attached to her presence. As the series continues, it becomes clear that sharing life with a machine has far-reaching and chilling consequences.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a quick series to binge, rather than getting hooked on one of the series mentioned above, be sure to check out our article about some of the best mini-series. Shows like The Night Manager or London Spy are available for streaming today.