Overrated and Underrated Television Shows

There is a whole lot of bad television programming out there. Worse, there's a whole lot of bad TV that gets unwarranted media coverage, attention and critic's praise for no good reason. Even worse still, the small majority of rather exceptional programming often gets overlooked and passed over. Let's put an end to all of this! Here is a listing of some of the most overrated and underrated TV shows, broken down into several categories.

Crime or Cop Shows

Overrated - The Sopranos - I understand this show is over and all I have to say is "Finally!" What better way to end a show that any honest-with-themselves-person will tell you has disappointed for at least the last three seasons, than to come up horribly, irreparably short in the finale. Meaningless, unfocused and overly extended story lines plagued the show during the last three or four years. Follow that up with an overly contrived and all-too-easy ending, that didn't tie anything together or show any conclusion. Yes, I got what they were hinting at. I wanted to see it.

Underrated - The Wire - The Wire delivers a gritty, well thought out look at the police/criminal world and all of the places in between. From the eyes of people on both side of the fence, learn about the politics of police work as well as the work that goes into setting up drug dealers for a big bust; while you also get to see the workings of an inner city crime organization. Watch the moral dilemmas facing kids, former criminals and desperate cops as they try to survive and find their place in the world or merely do their job. All of the stories intertwine excellently and the entire show is shot on location in the real life less than stellar sections of Baltimore.

What to watch?

Credit: Jake Emen

Copyright: Jake Emen