The Best and Most Underappreciated TV Shows in Their Category

Partial list

Jul 03, 2022

As a follow up to Best and Most Underappreciated Movies in Their Category, I present the following. As with the movie list, you can read "most underappreciated" to mean anywhere from "could be considered the best" to "widely but inappropriately ignored" to "broke the mold and started something new". As an example of that last description, consider the two underappreciated game shows below, Double Dare and The Dating Game. These both were pathbreaking precursors to many future iterations in this genre.

Same disclaimer: This list is not at all definitive; nor do I stand prepared to die on any of these hills. It is my first approximations made and refined with just a bit of supportive research. I will absolutely reserve the right to amend or disclaim any of this as I have only mild confidence that it stands up to more in-depth scrutiny. That said, I'm right on all this, and you know it.

Category - Best | Most Underappreciated

Sitcom (all time) - Seinfeld | Everybody Loves Raymond

Sitcom (pre Seinfeld) - M.A.S.H. | ALF

Sitcom (post Seinfeld) - The Office | New Girl

Sitcom (cartoon) - The Simpsons | (tie) Futurama and Beavis and Butt-Head

Sketch Comedy - Saturday Night Live | In Living Color

Saturday Morning Cartoon - The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show | The Smurfs

After-School Cartoon (comedy)* - (tie) DuckTales and Phineas and Ferb | The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show

After-School Cartoon (drama)* - (tie) G.I. Joe and The Transformers | He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

After-School Show (non cartoon) - You Can't Do That On Television | Fraggle Rock

Cartoon (foreign) - Speed Racer | Danger Mouse

Drama - Mad Men | Magnum, P.I.