There are many great horrorTV shows that have found mainstream success, but some of the best have been unfairly overlooked or forgotten about. These underrated TV series deserve more attention, and they aren't just lesser-known titles. Even shows based on successful horror franchises were canceled way too soon, despite showcasing great potential. For example, The Exorcist and The Purge dug deeper into their terrifying worlds, and they could have gone further had they gotten more attention and praise.
Other amazing horror TV shows have also flown under the radar, from series based on Stephen King's works to smaller projects with unique concepts. These series had great plots, performances, and themes, but that didn't help them reach the heights of other projects within the horror genre. Such underrated shows remain worth watching, but it's a shame how quickly they were canceled or forgotten about, even with some of them receiving generally positive responses from viewers.
10
The Exorcist (2016-2018)
2 Seasons
The Exorcist TV show, released in 2016 on Fox, ran for two seasons and was an immediate hit with viewers, receiving impressive Rotten Tomatoes scores from critics and audiences alike. Set in the same universe as 1973's horror classic, The Exorcist series takes place after the original film, following a mother who suspects there's something evil in her house. She enlists a couple of priests to help rid her family of the dark presence, and what follows is as creepy and suspenseful as the movie.
The series deserved to grow into a classic like the film, as it was an enticing drama with character arcs that were easy to get invested in and some truly frightening moments.
And the series deserved to grow into a classic like the film, as it was an enticing drama with character arcs that were easy to get invested in and some truly frightening moments. Given the franchise's loyal fan base, this should have been enough to secure its future and land it among the most lauded horror shows. Unfortunately, The Exorcist was still canceled due to low ratings, so now it will be remembered as one of the most underrated modern horror releases.
Castle Rock isn't cited as one of the best anthology shows of the 2010s nearly as much as it should be, as the Stephen King-inspired horror series is well-crafted and generally well-reviewed. Although the series isn't based directly on King's books, it feels like an expansion of them, capturing the moody atmosphere and themes of his works. The first season is about an attorney who returns to his hometown and sets out to help a kid, played by Bill Skarsgård, who is found locked in a cage in Shawshank Prison.
Hulu's Castle Rock only referenced two major Stephen King stories in detail. While both seasons have easter eggs, Castle Rock missed out on a lot.
Castle Rock season 2 is about Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan), reimagining the character from Misery but in a different narrative. Both seasons of Castle Rock are grim, imaginative tales. Despite this — and in spite of a positive reception — Castle Rock was canceled by Hulu after season 2. The show never accumulated enough of a following, despite being one of the best horror offerings at the time. Fortunately, its two existing seasons will go down as great horror television, even if they aren't as recognized as they should be.
Directors
David Grossman, James Whitmore Jr., Peter Lauer, Kevin Dowling, Robert Duncan McNeill, Sarah Pia Anderson, Brad Turner, David Straiton, Helen Shaver, James Marshall, Jeff Woolnough, Michael Fresco, Milan Cheylov
Christine Willes
Delores Herbig
Claudette Mink
Jeannie Bead
Dead Like Me is another horror TV show that was canceled too soon. While the series only lasted two seasons, it’s a standout horror comedy because of its dry humor and intriguing premise. Dead Like Me is about a young woman with a difficult life who suddenly dies and is brought back as a grim reaper. When she comes back, her appearance is different from her previous body. Her job is to mark other people for death as she struggles to cope with her own death.
Ellen Muth, who plays George, is an amazing grim reaper, and her character is the reason the show is entertaining.
Ellen Muth, who plays George, is an amazing grim reaper, and her character is the reason the show is so entertaining. Her narrative resembles a coming-of-age story, as she has to figure out how to push through the darkness after her life is cut short. Dead Like Me's premise and take on death feels unlike any other TV show, and the series deserved more praise for being ahead of its time. It's a shame it didn't continue past its second season, but Dead Like Me remains a worthy watch.
Directors
Charles Beeson, Chris Grismer, David Boyd, David Nutter, Janice Cooke, Lance Anderson, Elliott Lester
Writers
Julie Plec, Marguerite MacIntyre, Chris Ord, Matt Corman, Jeff Stetson, Ariella Blejer, Dawn Kamoche, Elizabeth Peterson
Kristen Gutoskie
Katie Frank
Christina Moses
Jana Mayfield
Containment flew under the radar and only lasted one season. To be fair, it was released the same year as several other great horror TV shows, including Stranger Things and The Exorcist. The CW show is about a deadly virus that breaks out in Atlanta, forcing the residents into quarantine. Kristen Gutoskie is known for her roles in The Handmaid's Tale and Chicago Fire, but her role as Katie in Containment is one of the reasons the show is an underrated standout.
The creator of Containment, Julie Plec, told EW that she wanted to continue the story by finding a cure and giving people a sense of hope. However, the show was canceled.
On top of conveying a nightmarish situation impressively, Containment does an excellent job of getting viewers to care about its characters. For a show with only one season, it manages this effectively in just 13 episodes. Containment also features extreme gore, murders, and gruesome virus deaths. It's a must-watch TV show for any horror fan or anyone who enjoys virus epidemic shows — even if it isn't as well-known as some other series that cover the topic.
The Stand is a Stephen King adaption about a plague that kills most of the population, leaving the survivors to band together and confront good and evil. While many post-apocalyptic TV shows focus on the widespread loss that accompanies a world-shattering event, The Stand highlights the aftermath. This is what makes the narrative so fascinating, even if the show isn't as faithful to the book as many fans would have liked.
The philosophical dilemmas the characters face raise interesting conversations, and they feel realistic in a world where rules have largely eroded.
The lack of faithfulness to the source material might be partly responsible for The Stand being so underrated, but viewed on its own, it isn't as bad as its reputation suggests. The philosophical dilemmas the characters face raise interesting conversations, and they feel realistic in a world where rules have largely eroded. The larger ideologies seen in The Stand make it gripping and memorable, though it won't be remembered as one of the genre's greatest hits.
Santa Clarita Diet was one of those TV shows that never had a bad season, and that's partly due to its entertaining premise. In the show, Sheila (Drew Barrymore) and her husband are realtors in Santa Clarita, and their world is turned upside down when Sheila becomes a zombie and craves human flesh. The show resembles a family sitcom, and the zombie plot makes it a campy and entertaining show. Perhaps this is why it gets less attention than other horror series, despite also falling into the horror category.
Netflix has canceled Santa Clarita Diet, but we've still got some burning questions about the show!
Santa Clarita Diet is a fresh take on the zombie TV genre, since at the center of the show is a loving family trying to support Sheila. Meanwhile, Sheila is trying to find the balance between being a good mom, wife, and controlling her new taste for flesh. Santa Clarita Diet is one of the most underrated horror TV shows because of its humorous and unconventional approach to not only becoming a zombie, but also the implications of zombie life as a full-time working mom. The family themes, humor, and bloodshed make this one of the best zombie TV shows.
Writers
Glen Morgan, Tyler Hisel, David Chiu, Patrick Wall, Marilyn Osborn, Jeff Eckerle, David Coggeshall
Lore is based on the popular podcast created by Aaron Mahnke. Lore is a horror anthology TV show, and each episode is about a legend or piece of folklore rooted in real events. The TV show had episodes about popular tales many people have heard before, including the inspiration for Dracula, werewolves, cursed dolls, and the plague. While Lore isn’t the first horror anthology about folklore, it brought vivid visualizations to historical tales, as the first season sees Mahnke narrating the origins of each story as it plays out on-screen.
Season 2 removed the narration from Lore and kept the storytelling the same, which was a questionable choice. The TV show struggled to find its right audience, since most people knew Mahnke from the podcast and not in the TV space. However, the show was still compelling because of the reenactment of the creepy tales. Unfortunately, season 2's shortcomings overshadowed the greatness of season 1, andLore was canceled too soon.
3
The Purge (2018-2019)
2 Seasons
The Purge brings the horror franchise to the small screen, following different people's journeysduring the 12-hour window when all crime is legal on Purge night. Season 1 and season 2 take place during different years of the Purge and feature different casts. All the characters are radically different from one another, with the series offering a wide array of perspectives, from a marine and politicians to murderers.
This underrated series only lasted two seasons, but they both proved worthwhile expansions of this deadly world.
Sometimes, when movies expand into TV shows, they tonally change or stray from what made the movie good in the first place. The Purge TV series didn't do this, maintaining everything that made the movies great and capturing the same feeling. The many different viewpoints and perspectives kept the show just as exciting as The Purge movies, where the universe felt both real and terrifying. Sadly, this underrated series only lasted two seasons, but they both proved worthwhile expansions of this deadly world.
2
Alice in Borderland (2020-Present)
2 Seasons (& A 3rd On The Way)
Released in 2020, Alice in Borderland is a Japanese TV show based onHaro Aso's manga of the same name, and it blends horror with the thriller and sci-fi genres. It has had two successful seasons, and Alice in Borderland season 3 is already confirmed. The series is about a group of people who are trapped in an abandoned Tokyo and forced to play deadly games to survive. Despite this gripping setup,Alice in Borderland has sadly not reached the heights of similar dystopian stories.
Since Squid Game and Alice in Borderland are both great shows in the same genre, it is hard not to wonder why one is far more popular than the other.
Even so, the high-stakes games and personal relationships between the characters make Alice in Borderland a great addition to the horror genre. Like many shows with tragic character deaths, viewers are constantly rooting for their favorites, and it's heartbreaking when they end up dying. The show isn’t afraid to kill its beloved characters, either, and the realistic nature of the dystopian world they live in adds another layer of dread, making it one of the best underrated horror TV shows.
1
Servant (2019-2023)
4 Seasons
Servant is one of Apple+'s best TV shows and ran for four seasons. Servant is about a couple who experience a tragedy in their home that creates a domino effect for supernatural events to come into their lives. The series is executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan, and the dark and cryptic world in the show definitely feels reflective of his work. Servant is about grief, what it does to a person’s psyche, and how it affects those around them. Its take on the topic is refreshing, and that's not all the series has going for it.
The mysteries behind the characters and their actions make Servant especially compelling, and whether the show is going to take an ominous supernatural turn is left unanswered for the first season. This keeps the story interesting, pushing viewers to continue watching for answers. Servant's slower pacing and heavy themes may not be for everyone, but it's one of the best horror TV shows to come out in recent years — and sadly, it's extremely underrated, even after four seasons.
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