10 Great TV Shows That Critics Thought Were Average

Many of the best TV shows of all time were ahead of their time, especially in the eyes of critics. For decades, prospective viewers have anxiously checked review sites like Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes to gauge the critical response to new titles before they tune in. Nevertheless, there are plenty of cases where critics and fans report drastically different experiences.

Granted, there are series that critics may claim are underrated shows that simply don’t resonate with viewers, but the disconnect typically lies in the opposite, wherein fan-favorite titles are panned by critics. A poor critical response can turn a promising premise into a TV show no one remembers, but the right fandom can typically counteract even the most severe criticism.

Glee

A Midwestern High School Choir’s Rise To Infamy

Glee is arguably one of the most well-known shows of the 2010s, but that doesn’t mean it was equally beloved by critics. The Fox musical dramedy was one of a kind— which, according to many critics, wasn’t necessarily a compliment. Throughout Glee‘s six seasons, there were countless negative reviews that slammed the characters, writing, and overall trajectory of the central storylines.

Nevertheless, Glee‘s popularity has only increased since it ended, with the jukebox musical fondly regarded as a wild but whimsical cult classic. The series is camp personified, from moments like Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) marrying herself to the constant flash mob mashups of 80s rock and musical theater hits. Plus, 17 years after its series premiere, Glee remains a not-so-guilty pleasure.

The Orville

A Genius Parody Of One Of Sci-Fi’s Biggest Franchises

When The Orville‘s series premiere dropped, it was instantly a hot topic— for better and for worse. Seth MacFarlane’s Star Trek homage was clearly born from a place of love, but many saw the Fox drama as more of a rip-off than a well-intentioned pastiche. The first season especially was bombarded with negative reviews, with most critics doubting the show’s long-term viability.

From the start, however, The Orville clicked with its key demographic: sci-fi fans. The series slowly garnered more positive reviews with its second and third seasons, but there were always staunch defenders of MacFarlane’s original vision. Almost a decade after its divisive premiere, there are now hordes of fans and critics alike who are eagerly awaiting The Orville season 4.

Ghost Whisperer

A Masterclass In Camp That Was Ahead Of Its Time

Long before Jennifer Love Hewitt was Kate Callahan on Criminal Minds or Maddie Buckley on 9-1-1, she was Melinda Gordon on the supernatural drama Ghost Whisperer. The iconic actress played the kindhearted owner of a local antique store, who felt compelled to guide lost souls into the afterlife. Sadly, like many other popular procedurals, critics found Ghost Whisperer lacking.​​​​​​​

Rotten Tomatoes gave Ghost Whisperer season 1 a 16% rating, while the show’s audience-scored “Popcornmeter” rests at 87%.

The quirky fantasy series was never meant to be the height of dramatic acting, but it still served an important purpose by exploring themes of grief and unresolved trauma with the comfort that Melinda would always shepherd the ghosts home. Retrospectively, Ghost Whisperer is considered one of Jennifer Love Hewitt’s best projects, even if many critics still don’t properly appreciate it.

Hand of God

A Delightfully Dark And Cynical Psychological Thriller

​​​​​​​Nowadays, there’s a long list of Prime Video shows that rake in millions of viewers each season, but Hand of God was one of Amazon’s earliest— and most controversial— productions. Helmed by Ron Perlman as Pernell Harris, Hand of God followed a listless Judge Harris, who finds himself at the center of a dangerous cult after abandoning the justice system.

Hand of God suffered from its own originality, as many critics were unused to the now ubiquitous focus on dark and downright disturbing themes. Had Hand of God premiered in 2024 rather than 2014, it could have been a smash hit. Unfortunately, it joins a crowded league of shows that were punished for being ahead of their time.

American Dad

A Chronically Misunderstood But Widely Beloved Adult Animation Series

​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​Without question, there are a few animated sitcoms that everybody knows about, even if they hate the genre or have never seen a full episode. Titles like The Simpsons and Family Guy have built impenetrable legacies and shaped the humor of numerous generations. In contrast, American Dad had to work twice as hard to not be seen as a lackluster copycat.​​​​​​​

Despite its crew of famed creative masterminds, American Dad was originally viewed as an impostor among established favorites. Regardless, the adult animation had its own unique strengths that set it apart from modern sensations like Bob’s Burgers and Rick and Morty. Critics eventually warmed up to Seth MacFarlane’s satire, but not before American Dad was put through the critical wringer.

Entourage

A Satirical Snapshot Of The Y2K Entertainment Industry

​​​​​​​Inspired by the real-life experiences of Mark Wahlberg, Entourage was a clever dissection of the entertainment industry, told via the budding career of Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier). Throughout eight seasons, Vincent and the eponymous entourage that supported him navigated the good, the bad, and the ugly of chasing fame in the City of Angels.

Given the dramedy is rife with satire, Entourage is a show that’s even better upon rewatch. Nonetheless, it was rarely given the praise it deserved, often awarded middling scores that implied mediocrity. Viewers had much stronger opinions, lauding Entourage as one of the most memorable series of the early 2000s.

The Black Donnellys

A Classic Crime Drama With An Unapologetically Irish Twist

​​​​​​​Based on the Irish crime family of the same name, The Black Donnellys was created as an ode to Irish-American culture, namely in Hell’s Kitchen, New York. In a Shameless-adjacent set-up, the overlooked crime drama centers on the dysfunctional Donnelly family, composed of four brothers who resort to organized crime.

Past the green river of Irish clichés, The Black Donnellys had a fascinating central conflict…

Critics had many fair complaints about the series, including its heavy-handed use of mob story tropes, but it was still far more entertaining than most gave it credit for. Past the green river of Irish clichés, The Black Donnellys had a fascinating central conflict between two of the biggest immigrant groups in US history, adding true cultural depth to a classic drama.

Insatiable

A Social Outcast Transforms Into A Vengeful Beauty Queen

​​​​​​​In a crowd of Stranger Things and Bridgerton-level successes, Insatiable stood out for all the wrong reasons— initially, at least. The wildly controversial Netflix show follows Patty Bladell (Debby Ryan), a Southern teen who goes on a vanity-driven revenge tour to defeat her former bullies in a beauty pageant.​​​​​​​

Insatiable was lambasted by critics and even members of the public, but its problematic plot points were fairly realistic reflections of diet culture, fatphobia, and the toll beauty standards take on adolescent girls day after day. Viewers who loved Insatiable loved it loudly, but they were often drowned out nonetheless by ongoing critical backlash.

Disjointed

Potentially Kathy Bates’ Most Underrated TV Role Of All Time

​​​​​​​Kathy Bates may be currently riding a career-high as the female lead of CBS’ hit Matlock reboot, but her illustrious filmography also includes deep cuts like Disjointed. Created by Chuck Lorre for Netflix, the sitcom centered on Bates as Ruth Whitefeather Feldman, proud owner of an LA-based cannabis dispensary.

Critics almost instantly wrote the comedy off, but there was true emotional depth to its storytelling. When Disjointed prioritized its lesson over its laughs by exploring marijuana’s lesser-known benefits like treating PTSD and other chronic illnesses, the sitcom hit the highest of highs. Sadly, most critics refused to partake.

Battlestar Galactica

A Now Ubiquitous Title That Was Originally Written Off

​​​​​​​Today, Battlestar Galactica is remembered as one of the best sci-fi shows of all time, but its 1978 premiere was anything but smooth sailing. Critics, studio heads, and director George Lucas all bashed the new franchise as a blatant copycat of the sci-fi IP that came before it, with Star Wars emerging as its most pressing alleged victim.

When Battlestar Galactica was canceled after a single season, however, its ardent fans came out of the woodwork to protest. Over the decades, Battlestar Galactica became exponentially more popular and accepted by the sci-fi community, earning its own reputation as one of the greats. As such, TV shows can be critical flops but still easily attract devoted followings.​​​​​​