We all love a good binge-worthy show. Or, at least I’d say that 98% of you read this do. There are so many amazing shows out there that are so beloved and deliciously entertaining. These are the shows that you see all over social media, the ones that people who have never even seen an episode, can summarize. If you are interested in some of my current favorite TV shows, you can check out a previous post here.
But, there are some shows that hold a massive piece of my heart that get little to no recognition. Today I’m going to share with you my top five underrated TV shows (and yes, they are totally binge-worthy!
TOP 5 UNDERRATED TV SHOWS!
SEASON(S): 2 (Season 2 just started last night! See, it’s the perfect time to catch up!)
SUMMARY: The Shannara Chronicles is an American fantasy-drama television series. It is an adaptation of the Shannara series of fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. The Shannara Chronicles roughly follows the storylines set out in The Elfstones of Shannara, set in the fictional Four Lands. As the series opens, demons start to return after being banished from this world to a place known as the Forbidding—locked by an ancient tree called the Ellcrys. The series chronicles the journey of Wil, Amberle and Eretria who, with the guidance of the last druid Allanon, must go on a quest to protect the Ellcrys from dying and releasing all the banished demons back into the Four Lands
CAST: Austin Butler (Wil Ohmsford), Poppy Drayton (Amberle Elessedil), Ivana Baquero (Eretria)
REVIEW/OPINION: I absolutely loved this show! It’s like a love-child of Game of Thrones and The 100. If you like either of those shows there is a strong chance you will enjoy The Shannara Chronicles! One of the first things I remember about this show was how amazed I was at the quality of the show. The aesthetics, sets, and “worlds” of this series are wonderfully crafted. There is so much mythology, lore, and world-building; it is an absolute delight! The show heavily features themes of friendship, romance, mentorship, family, betrayal, royalty and much, much more. I definitely recommend!
SEASON(S): 3
SUMMARY: Dance Academy is an Australian teen-oriented television drama. Dance Academy is narrated mainly from the perspective of Tara Webster, a newly accepted first-year student at the National Academy of Dance in Sydney, which also doubles as a Year 10-12 high school for the dancers. Throughout the series, she learns to better her ballet technique, as well as learn contemporary ballet and hip-hop dance; while creating lifelong friendships and experiencing many hardships.
CAST: Tara Webster (Xenia Goodwin), Kat (Alicia Banit), Ethan (Tim Pocock), Sammy (Tom Green), Abigal (Dena Kaplan), and Christian (Jordan Rodrigues).
REVIEW/OPINION: Dance Academy is one of those shows that once you watch it, you will never forget. I remember binge-watching this show for the first time during my first year of University. It was orientation week and I wasn’t making a lot of friends and I quickly found comfort in the characters and friendships in Dance Academy. Although dancing is a huge aspect of the show don’t let that turn you off! I get that dancing shows aren’t for everyone but there is so much more to this show. Friendship, loyalty, passion, and romance are definitely some of the driving themes of the show. It’s funny, light-hearted, quirky, motivating…but then it can also be sad, contemplative and absolutely gut-wrenching. You will definitely need tissues in the later seasons and that’s all I’m going to say. If you enjoy any Teen drama’s (Another Cinderella Story, Step Up, Raise Your Voice, etc) then you will love this show!
SEASON(S): 3
SUMMARY: Set in Stamford, Lincolnshire in the mid-1990s, My Mad Fat Diary follows the story of 16-year-old, 224 lb girl, Rae Earl, who has just left a psychiatric hospital, where she has spent four months. She begins to reconnect with her best friend, Chloe, who is unaware of Rae’s mental health and body image problems, believing she was in France for the past four months. Rae attempts to keep this information from her while also trying to impress Chloe’s friends Finn, Archie, Izzy and Chop.
CAST: Shannon Rooney (Rachel ‘Rae’ Earl), Ian Hart (Dr. Kester), Nico Mirallegro (Finn Nelson), Jodie Comer (Chloe Gemmel), Jordan Murphy (Arnold ‘Chop’ Peters), Ciara Baxendale (Izzy)
REVIEW/OPINION: Okay, so I’m guessing you are probably feeling a little hesitant towards this one, after all, it is set in 1996, so it could come across as totally out-dated and not worth the watch. I can’t blame you, I felt exactly the same way when my roommate in second year kept harassing me to watch it. Eventually, I caved and I am really happy that I did! My Mad Fat Diary is such a special show. It deals with a lot of controversial topics and issues (like: self-harm, mental illness, body image, sex, etc.) and I’m not claiming that all of the representation is perfect- like many shows I’m sure that there are things it could have done differently, but, for the most part, it seems like a great show. However, if you are someone who suffers from mental illness (specifically, self-harm) please be aware of the content in this show before watching it. Rae is painfully honest and as a fat person, I identified immensely with her. There were so many times when I would say, “omg, it’s not just me!” while I was watching this show. Definitely, give My Mad Fat Diary a chance!
SEASON(S): 4
SUMMARY: Hart of Dixie is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on The CW from 2011 to 2015. The series stars Rachel Bilson as Dr. Zoe Hart, a New Yorker who, after her dreams of becoming a heart surgeon fall apart, accepts an offer to work as a general practitioner in the fictional Gulf Coast town of Bluebell, Alabama. The first season mostly revolves around Zoe Hart adjusting to life in the small town of Bluebell, Alabama, and struggling to bring in 30% of the patients to her practice (a practice which she inherited from the father she never knew, who had an affair with Zoe’s mother while she was engaged to the man Zoe knew as her dad), a clause she needs to adhere to if she wishes to keep half from Brick Breeland. She finds this difficult, as she is at odds with most of the local residents due to her city persona.
CAST: Rachel Bilson (Zoe Hart), Scott Porter (George Tucker), Jaime King (Lemon Breeland), Cress Williams (Levon Hayes), Wilson Bethel (Wade Kinsella),
REVIEW/OPINION: Hart of Dixie is the perfect blend of southern comedy and drama. The characters are so beautifully woven into the story and they are definitely the main selling point. This show is the perfect match for fans of Gossip Girl, Gilmore Girls, Heartland, etc). Rachel Bilson is absolutely wonderful as the lead in this show and you should really watch it for that reason alone. Basically, if you enjoy shows about small-town life you will definitely love this show. Oh, and did I mention the romance and scandals? Cause there are definitely lots of those going around.
SEASON(S): 6
SUMMARY: The series revolves around vapid aspiring model, Deborah “Deb” Dobkins, who is killed in a car crash on the way to an audition. As her soul enters the gates of Heaven, she finds herself being judged by a gatekeeper named Fred. As a result of her shallowness, Fred declares her a “zero-zero,” since she has performed zero good deeds and zero bad deeds during her time on Earth. While he’s distracted, Deb presses the “return” key before Fred can stop her and is brought back to life in the body of a recently deceased lawyer named Jane Bingum, who died protecting her boss, Jay Parker.
Jane is the complete opposite of Deb; she is brilliant, hard-working, charitable, and plus size. Deb finds that Jane also works in the same law firm, Harrison-Parker, as Deb’s fiancé Grayson Kent. After immediately telling her best friend, Stacy Barrett, of her predicament, Deb prepares herself to tell Grayson the truth about her new body. However, Fred’s assignment as Deb’s guardian angel serves as punishment for letting her leave heaven. His purpose on Earth is to prevent Deb from telling Grayson the truth and insisting that no one else can know that it is really Deb in Jane’s body.
Deb struggles to learn more about her inherited life, learning lessons about self-esteem and personal acceptance.
CAST: Brooke Elliot (Jane Bingum [inhabited by Deb]), April Bowlby (Stacy Barret), Kate Levering (Kim Kaswell), Jackson Hurst (Grayson Kent), Ben Feldman (Fred)
REVIEW/OPINION: I love this show so freaking much. I was initially drawn in by the concept of the show but I quickly fell in love with the characters. Jane Bingum is absolutely fabulous and if you watch the show you will quickly fall in love with her, too! Drop Dead Diva is absolutely hilarious, but it can also be very sweet and very dark. Jane is a kick-ass lawyer and she is a huge icon for feminism and ‘GIRL POWER’, not to mention that she offers some wonderful fat representation. I definitely recommend this show for everyone, but especially if you enjoy: Suits, Jane the Virgin, and The Client List.
That is all I have for you this time!
I hope you enjoyed this list of 5 Underrated TV Shows That You Need to Binge!
Feel free to drop suggestions down below for future posts! I’d love to get some ideas.
‘Til next time,
Destiny
fablesandfae 
I loved Heart of Dixie!!
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Dance Academy is my favorite!! I’ve danced for 16 years and loved stumbling upon a show centered around my favorite sport 🙂
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It was so good! That’s awesome, I’ve always wanted to do dance but it was so expensive! I joined my university dance club though and it’s so much fun!
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