5 TV Dramas You Probably Haven’t Watched Yet
This year, fall TV looks a little different. All this week, we’re creating our own must-watch lineups from under-the-radar shows available on streaming sites, so that one thing you won’t have to worry about in 2020 is running out of TV to watch.
Fall TV usually means the return of many prestige dramas. While you can expect some to return a little later than usual (“This Is Us” on Nov. 10 on NBC, “Law & Order: SVU” on NBC on Nov. 12, and “The Crown” on Nov. 15 on Netflix) some fan-favorite shows are delayed for now, thanks to the pandemic. (You’re definitely missed, “Succession”.)
But fear not: there are actually plenty of gems tucked away on streaming sites you just haven’t discovered yet. Want an intense miniseries or cancelled-too-soon favorite? Check out these dramatic series that run under the radar.
1. If you want to see some women start a revolution
Watch: “Good Girls Revolt“. One season, available on Amazon Prime Video
Inspired by the 2013 book that told the story of the lawsuit female employees of Newsweek brought against their employer in the late 60’s, “Good Girls Revolt” looks back at the changing wave in journalism that happened when women demanded a piece of the pie. Keep your eyes open for influential roles like Grace Gummer as a young Nora Ephron and “Pitch Perfect” queen Anna Camp standing on a balcony screaming “I’m a career girl!”
2. If you love troubled leading ladies who don’t take any crap
Watch: “Marvel’s Jessica Jones“. Three seasons, available on Netflix
If you’re not one for superheroes, stop right there. “Jessica Jones” is so much more. Krysten Ritter, who shot to stardom for her roles in “Breaking Bad” and “Don’t Trust the B- in Apartment 23”, plays the lead as a no-nonsense former superhero who runs her own detective agency while battling her own traumatic history in the meantime. In season one, David Tennant plays Kilgrave, the haunting villain from Jessica’s past that resurfaces.
3. If you will watch basically anything that has to do with cults
Watch: “Waco“. One season, available on Netflix
If you think you know the story of David Koresh and the standoff that took place at the Brand Davidian compound in 1993, get ready to learn a whole lot more. The miniseries examines the tragedy from every point of view, challenging your perspective while forcing you to consider everyone else’s. “Friday Night Lights” alum Taylor Kitsch will knock your socks off as the complicated and doomed Koresh.
4. If you worship at the altar of David Simon
Watch: “Show Me A Hero“. One season, available on HBO/HBO Max
If you’ve devoured David Simon’s series like “The Wire” and “The Deuce”, then you’ll be fascinated by “Show Me a Hero”, the 2015 miniseries about what happened in Yonkers when a mostly-white neighborhood resisted the construction of a public housing project. Oscar Isaac stars as Mayor Nick Wasicsko, and hey—it’d be entertaining to watch Winona Ryder paint a wall and then let it dry.
5. If you love international stories
Watch “Giri/Haji“. One season, available on Netflix
Japanese for “Duty/Shame,””Giri/Haji” is a British series that tells the story of what happens when a Tokyo detective discovers his missing brother is alive, and accused of a major crime. The story will take you from Britain to Japan and back again as it looks at the dark underworld of the Yakuza and the lengths we’ll go to in order to help our family.