7 Underrated Long-Running TV Shows That Were Great Until the End
These shows will keep you glued to the screen from start to finish.
It is not so easy to find a long-running series that keeps the production and writing quality at a consistent level — we all remember the fan sentiments about Lost or Supernatural.
With that in mind, here are seven excellent series that have kept audiences and critics enthralled over the years.
7. Justified
Release date: March 16, 2010
Number of seasons: 6
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Where to watch: Hulu
The story of no-nonsense Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) has managed to maintain consistent ratings and reviews from critics and audiences throughout its six seasons on the air. Justified begins as a generic procedural, but by the second half of Season 1, the plot is in full swing, impressing with its drama and emphasis on the ensemble cast.
6. Foyle's War
Release date: October 27, 2002
Number of seasons: 8
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96% (audience)
Where to watch: Spectrum, Hoopla, Acorn TV
Foyle's War follows Detective Christopher Foyle (Michael Kitchen) as he strives to maintain civil peace and fight for justice in London during WWII. Each season of this British series consists of three to four one-and-a-half hour episodes, and each one features incredibly intriguing murder mysteries in a war setting.
5. Schitt's Creek
Release date: January 13, 2015
Number of seasons: 6
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Where to watch: Hulu, Freevee
While many sitcoms lose their audience over the years (The Big Bang Theory is a case in point), Schitt's Creek has only gotten better with each season. It has provided no small amount of growth and reflection for its main characters. The show is about a broke family forced to start their life anew in the backwater town of Schitt's Creek.
4. Monk
Release date: July 12, 2002
Number of seasons: 8
Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%
Monk is about a former police detective who suffers from phobias and OCD, but his skills make him indispensable in investigating the coldest cases. While it may seem that the show has only one gimmick, and that is the title character himself, all eight seasons have proven to be incredibly entertaining, offering original and funny plots that put the protagonist in uncomfortable situations.
3. Six Feet Under
Release date: June 3, 2001
Number of seasons: 5
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
Where to watch: Max, Netflix, Prime Video
Six Feet Under is a cleverly written, character-driven dramedy about a family in the funeral business. The series finale is considered one of the best in TV history, as the writers were bold enough to tell when and under what circumstances each of the characters' lives ended. What's more, one of the most memorable moments of the finale was Sia's song Breathe Me.
2. Snowfall
Release date: July 5, 2017
Number of seasons: 6
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Where to watch: Hulu
Set in LA in the mid-80s, Snowfall centers on a young dealer from South Central who finds himself at the center of a DEA and CIA standoff with drug traffickers from Israel, Mexico and Colombia. Be warned, the series features one of the most brutal endings of any scripted show, but it is incredibly fitting in this frank and cynical story.
1. The Americans
Release date: January 30, 2013
Number of seasons: 6
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Where to watch: Hulu
The Americans is a gripping historical drama that follows the confrontation between the FBI and the KGB during the Cold War, with a seemingly ordinary American family caught in the middle. Except the married couple living their American dream are Soviet spies. The Americans offers an unbiased view of each side, which is what makes the story so compelling, and the finale will prove to be incredibly heartbreaking.