Fans have long debated which show has been the saddest ever made. For some, like me, they run far away from tragic plots. Others are instantly hooked and enjoy a good cry. Now, that debate rages on and, via a recent thread of messages, many fans are throwing out the most obvious titles, with Chernobyl being one, while others are picking more niche shows, such as a David Tennant series. (And no, it’s not Doctor Who.) Regardless, fans are making good points.

While every Whovian knows Who has tragic moments that often feel cruel, it’s David Tennant’s detective series, Broadchurch, that fans say is particularly sad. That was just one of the answers shared after fans were recently asked for their opinions on Reddit. TV devotees also listed The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror and even their local news as the most depressing pieces of content they’ve ever seen. All in all, the fans didn't disappoint with their answers, some of which can be seen below:

• cancelthis2077: Black Mirror (well the early seasons).
• pugilist12: Oz is a safe bet for most depressing show I’ve seen. I don’t think a single genuinely good thing happens to anyone the entire run, and the majority of what does happen is horrific.
• Maddie-Moo: I just started watching The Pacific for the first time and that is a 60-minute depression sesh.
• LaosLegend: Bojack Horseman was pretty depressing to me.
• Softrockstarr: Broadchurch is up there.
• No_Tamanegi: Dark. The more you realize about what's happening, the worse it gets.

Black Mirror, in particular, is called out in the thread multiple times. Honestly, fans aren’t wrong for including the Netflix series, which is known for having dark twists, like in the episode "Hotel Reverie". This episode has one of the most haunting and heartbreaking endings in the anthology franchise's history. For those who enjoy dark shows, they can enjoy this series and more with a Netflix subscription who enjoy dark shows should probably check out the series, but it may not be for those who prefer brighter fare.

Elsewhere, several other users find shows based on real events more depressing. For this reason, many listed Chernobyl. Admittedly, I have not seen the show, but I'm aware of the historical context, and therefore have stayed away. The most upsetting part of the series is “the standalone dog episode,” according to KTOWNTHROWAWAY9001. This episode apparently left a lasting impression on fans, such as TheArtfulLlama, who said:

There are some fans who've bowed out after just watching the pilot of a show, which I can understand. I went into A Million Little Things with high hopes as it had David Giuntoli, James Roday Rodriguez and Grace Park. I’m a fan of each of those actors but, because the pilot was so depressing for me, I never made it further.

Similar feelings are true for user CrissBliss, as they had bow out of Handmaid’s Tale, saying, “I had to stop watching because every week was just one depressing thing after the next.” The Bruce Miller-created show portrays a horrific future that some feel hits a little too close to home. However, the franchise has thrived and continues with the well received spin-off, The Testaments.

Other titles mentioned include Mr. Robot with Rami Malek, Skins, Six Feet Under, Shameless and The Wire. Although these are series that have seemingly scarred fans in one way or another, some of these are also shows that have immediately hooked viewers, and some are considered to be amongst the best shows of all time. So, while these titles and others may be downers, it's hard to deny their cultural impact.

Anyone who's seeking out darker shows should look over the 2026 TV schedule to see what's coming up throughout the rest of the year.

What makes TV crime dramas so alluring? It could be the simple thrill of the action or the satisfaction of seeing evil brought to justice, but, for me, it's the twists and revelations that shake up the story. Let’s revisit some of the most mindblowing moments from some of the best crime TV shows, and make sure to keep our SPOILER WARNING in mind.

Omar's Murder (The Wire)

Creator David Simon's The Wire delivered a shocking death that illustrates how even the most imposing and legendary individuals can expire in an unremarkable fashion. Fans of the acclaimed HBO drama anticipated that Baltimore thief Omar Little (Michael K. Williams) might go down in a showdown against Marlo Stanfield (Jamie Hector), but, instead, was fatally shot by Kenard (Thuliso Dingwall ), a kid who worked for the gangster.

Adrian Solves Trudy’s Murder (Monk)

In the series finale of Monk, Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub's obsessive-compulsive detective, Adrian Monk, finally gets to the bottom of the case that has haunted him for years: the murder of his wife, Trudy (Melora Hardin). The car bomb that killed her was planted by renowned Judge Ethan Rickover (Craig T. Nelson) in order to prevent her from coming clean about their affair from years earlier, which resulted in a pregnancy.

Walt Poisons Brock (Breaking Bad)

One of the best episodes of Breaking Bad sees Walter White (Bryan Cranston) resorting to abhorrent measures in order to take down his most fearsome adversary, Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). Jesse's (Aaron Paul) new girlfriend's son, Brock, winds up in the hospital, leading him to suspect the boy was poisoned by Walt, who insists that the poisoning was a manipulation tactic by Gus. Indeed, it was a tactic, but orchestrated by Walt, who is revealed to have poisoned Brock so he could pin it on Gus and get Jesse to help him kill the ruthless criminal.

Junior Shoots Tony (The Sopranos)

In the Season 6 premiere of The Sopranos, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) shows up at the home of his uncle, Junior (Dominic Chianese), who is suffering from dementia and immediately mistakes his nephew for a dead mobster who robbed him years earlier named Gennaro Malanga. Junior reacts by pulling out a pistol and shooting Tony, who passes out before he can call 911, but luckily, he is rushed to the hospital, where he is put in a coma.

Moriarty Takes His Own Life (Sherlock)

Early on in BBC's modernized reimagining of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's revered mystery stories, Sherlock, fans were introduced to Holmes' (Benedict Cumberbatch) arch nemesis, Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott). However, in only the second season finale, their quarrel of wits came to an end when the master criminal ended his life right in front of the detective.

Love Is A Killer Too (You)

In Netflix's hit crime TV show, You, serial stalker and killer Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) believes he has found someone who can help tame his dark side in Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti). However, he comes to discover that his seemingly sweet and innocent new lover has homicidal tendencies of her own.

Bones' Parents Have A Criminal History (Bones)

Emily Deschanel's eponymous forensic anthropologist from Bones, Temperance "Bones" Brennan, was abandoned by her parents when she was a teenager. Years later, she would find her mother's remains and, through subsequent investigation, discover that she and Brennan's father were career criminals.

Kristin Shepard Shot J.R. (Dallas)

One of the most iconic cliffhangers in TV history had America wondering who shot J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) in the Season 3 finale of Dallas. The mystery prompted an astonishing phenomenon that lasted the entire summer of 1980 before the primetime soap opera returned for its fourth season premiere, in which it was revealed that Kristin Shepard (Mary Crosby) attempted to kill the notorious oil baron.

Vic Kills Terry (The Shield)

Creator Shawn Ryan's intense, FX original police drama The Shield wasted no time in preparing audiences for what sort of startling twists and turns it had in store. The very first episode ends with the corrupt Det. Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) murdering federal informant Terry Crowley (Reed Diamond) in cold blood.

The Trinity Killer Murders Rita (Dexter)

Most fans of Dexter would agree that the most wicked adversary Michael C. Hall's homicidal vigilante ever faced is Arthur Mitchell (John Lithgow), a.k.a. The Trinity Killer, especially for his final kill. Dexter manages to take out the sadistic murderer, but not soon enough to prevent him from killing his wife, Rita (Julie Benz), whom he finds in a blood-filled bathtub with his infant son, Harrison, sitting on the floor nearby.

Dana Lewis Is A Murderer (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)

Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden appeared on multiple episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Dana Lewis, an FBI agent who strikes up a strong bond with Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). However, their friendship would come to an end when Lewis is arrested for murdering a woman her ex-boyfriend cheated on her with.

The Yellow King’s Identity (True Detective)

The first season of HBO's hit, anthological mystery drama, True Detective, follows Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson) and Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) as they investigate the murders of a killer known only as The Yellow King. Ultimately, the criminal is revealed to be Errol Childress (Glenn Fleshler), who is the nephew of one of the case's prime suspects, Reverend Tuttle.

Opie Sacrifices Himself (Sons Of Anarchy)

One of the most heartbreaking moments from Sons of Anarchy comes when the imprisoned Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam), Chibs Telford (Tommy Flanagan), Tig Trager (Kim Coates), and Opie Winston (Ryan Hurst) are forced to decide which of them will face four other inmates in a brawl to the death so that Jax and Chibs can be released as part of an agreement with Damon Pope (Harold Perrineau). Opie volunteers himself and, after uttering his final words, "I got this," bids his brothers farewell before suffering a brutal end.

Cooper Is Replaced With An Evil Clone (Twin Peaks)

While all David Lynch movies are known for raising many perplexing questions, the original CBS run of the filmmaker's hit TV series, Twin Peaks, especially left audiences with a lot to ponder in the Season 2 finale, which reveals that Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle McLachlan) has not returned from The Black Lodge, but has been replaced with a demented doppelgänger. More than two decades later, fans were finally treated to a continuation of the story with Showtime's 2017 revival.

The Reaper Is George Foyet (Criminal Minds)

One of the most notorious criminals that the Criminal Minds cast ever took on was an elusive killer known as "The Reaper," whose only surviving victim was a man named George Foyet (C. Thomas Howell). However, the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit comes to discover that Foyet is The Reaper after all.

Beaver Assaulted Veronica (Veronica Mars)

The season 2 finale of Veronica Mars solves the long-gestating mystery behind the young, titular amateur investigator's (Kristen Bell) traumatic assault. The perpetrator is revealed to be Cassidy "Beaver" Casablancas (Kyle Gallner), who is himself a victim of assault, which has led him to become a violent person, causing even more destruction than what Veronica had suffered.

Elliott Has Been In Prison The Entire Time (Mr. Robot)

Creator Sam Esmail's USA drama Mr. Robot is the kind of series that always keeps you guessing, thanks to central character Elliott Alderson (Rami Malek) being an unreliable narrator. In fact, the seventh episode of its second season reveals that the hacker's entire life up to that point has been a delusion, and he has really been serving a jail sentence during this time.

President Logan Is Corrupt (24)

Corruption in the White House is a horrifying concept, which Fox's 24 boldly touched on with one of its most shocking twists. At the end of the 16th episode of Season 5, President Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin) is seen having a phone conversation with Christopher Henderson (Peter Weller) that reveals he was behind the deaths of David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) and Michelle Dessler (Reiko Aylesworth).

Helen Is Killed (Ozark)

Few Netflix original TV shows have been as subversive as Ozark, which concluded its third season in an intense way. While it seemed that Marty Byrd (Jason Bateman) was doomed to suffer a grisly fate at the hands of Omar Navarro (Felix Solis), the cartel leader instead orders Nelson (Nelson Bonilla) to take out his lawyer, Helen Pierce (Janet McTeer), who attempted to frame Marty as an FBI informant.

Hank Realizes Heisenberg's True Identity (Breaking Bad)

The first half of Breaking Bad's fifth and final season came to a jaw-dropping end when DEA agent Hank Schrader (Dean Norris) arrived at a startling, long-awaited conclusion. He is sitting on Walt's toilet when he grabs a copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, signed to "W.W." by Gale Boetticher (David Costabile). This clues him in to the fact that the drug manufacturer he has been trying to find for more than a year has been his brother-in-law the whole time.

Ryan Killed Erin (Mare Of Easttown)

Near the end of the Emmy-winning HBO miniseries Mare of Easttown, it appears that Erin McMenamin (Cailee Spaeny) was murdered by her older cousin and lover, John Ross (Joe Tippett), but the truth is much darker. John's 13-year-old son, Ryan (Cameron Mann), learned of the affair and set out to intimidate her into backing out of the romance, but it ended up resulting in a fatal end for the young woman.

Cody Hoyt Dies (Big Sky)

It was heavily implied in the marketing for creator David E. Kelley's ABC drama Big Sky that Ryan Phillippe would be the star of the mystery thriller. Thus, seeing his character, a private investigator named Cody Hoyt, fatally shot by crooked Highway Patrol officer Rick Legarski (John Carroll Lynch) at the end of the pilot episode certainly caught viewers off guard.

Amma Killed Ann And Natalie (Sharp Objects)

In HBO's limited series adaptation of Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects, Camille Preaker (Amy Adams) comes to suspect that her abusive mother, Adora (Patricia Clarkson), was responsible for the murders of Ann Nash (Kaegan Baron) and Natalie Keene (Jessica Treksa). However, in the final scene, it is revealed that Camille's younger half-sister, Amma (Eliza Scanlen), killed the young women and even used their teeth as cobblestones for her dollhouse's patio.

Hilde Is Imogene's Mother (Death And Other Details)

For years, the hero of Hulu's clever whodunnit Death and Other Details, Imogene Scott (Violett Beane), has been haunted by the murder of her mother, Kira, which the renowned Rufus Cotesworth (Mandy Patinkin) was never able to solve. However, while investigating a mysterious death on a private cruise, Imogene discovers that Kira actually faked her death all those years ago and has been hiding in plain sight on the ship, disguised as Interpol agent Hilde Eriksen (Linda Emond).

Boyd Crowder Escapes Prison (Justified: City Primeval)

Walton Goggins denied multiple times that he was involved with Justified: City Primeval, the 2023 miniseries revival of the hit FX crime thriller starring Timothy Olyphant as old-school U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. However, he turned out to be full of it, as a post-credit scene shows his character, Boyd Crowder, escaping prison.

Chloe Is A Godly Blessing (Lucifer)

The pairing of the Devil incarnate, Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), with Det. Chloe Decker (Lauren German), as investigative partners, as well as lovers, would prove to be a match made in Heaven... literally. It is revealed in Season 2 of Lucifer that Chloe was created by God with the purpose of being the police consultant's perfect mate.

Sydney Wakes Up Two Years In The Future (Alias)

The second season of ABC's hit espionage drama Alias ends with a real gut-punch of a twist. Sidney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) wakes up in Hong Kong with no memory of how she wound up there and eventually discovers that she has been missing for the past two years. This leads her on a journey to piece together what happened to her during all that time.

Kima Greggs Is Shot (The Wire)

Kima Greggs (Sonja Sohn) was initially conceived as a smaller role on The Wire before creator David Simon was convinced by HBO executive Carolyn Strauss to keep her around longer. In other words, the shocking moment from the end of the first season's 10th episode, in which she is shot during a bust gone wrong, almost sealed the character's fate.

Peter Is From Another Dimension (Fringe)

In the second season of Fringe, Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) survives a deadly shockwave that leads him to realize that he was born in an alternate universe and was forcibly brought into this dimension by his father, Walter (John Noble). The twist completely recontextualizes the character's place in the show and brings to light the impact that his cross-dimensional transfer has on the world.

Paige Stays In America (The Americans)

In the series finale of The Americans, Paige Jennings (Holly Taylor) is seen exiting a train headed for the Soviet Union. This means that she has chosen to stay in the States, her true home, and that her undercover Soviet spy parents, Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell), will never see her again.

Georgia Trotman Is Thrown Out A Five-Story Window (Line Of Duty)

It seemed as if Detective Constable Georgia Trotman (Jessica Raine) was destined to be an important part of the second season (or, series, as they say in the U.K.) of the BBC's Line of Duty. However, the character's first episode also proved to be her last, in which corrupt DC Jeremy Cole (Henry Pettigrew) sends her plummeting to her death outside a hospital window.

Nina Myers Killed Teri Bauer (24)

By the end of the first season of 24, one of Jack Bauer's (Kiefer Sutherland) most trusted allies is not only revealed to be a mole, but the one who murdered his wife, Teri (Leslie Hope).

Some might argue that a scene from a film or TV series that turns out to have existed all in a character’s head is a cop out. Maybe that’s true in some respects, but when done right and without misleading intentions, dream sequences can be used as a great opportunity to let artists run wild with their imaginations, resulting in some of a title’s most memorable moments. Here are some of the most wonderfully surreal scenes from the big and small screen that may have had you questioning if you had entered dreamland.

Dawn Haunts Renton (Trainspotting)

Director Danny Boyle's 1996 adaptation of Irvine Welsh's novel Trainspotting follows a group of Scottish addicts trying to get clean, none of whom has a harder time with it than Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor). One signature scene sees him locked in his childhood bedroom by his parents and forced to wean off his habit cold turkey, during which he suffers an intense fever dream featuring hallucinations of his parents on a game show, his various friends, and the spirit of a deceased infant he once knew climbing on his ceiling.

Bruce Wayne's Alternate Life (Batman: The Animated Series)

One of the best episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, let alone one of the strangest, is "Perchance to Dream." As part of a scheme by Mad Hatter, Bruce Wayne finds himself living in a fantasy in which his parents were never murdered, he is engaged to Selina Kyle, and someone other than him is protecting the streets of Gotham as Batman.

Sarah's Apocalyptic Nightmare (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

One thing that makes the classic sci-fi movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day one of the all-time greatest sequels is the way it depicts Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her growth as a character following the traumatic events of the first film, especially through one wild fantasy sequence. In the dream, she witnesses her happier past self and other bystanders at a park where they suffer a nuclear blast that ends up burning off her skin, leaving her remaining skeleton clinging to a chain-link fence.

All Of Season 9 (Dallas)

Dallas delivered one of the craziest retcons in TV history when it was revealed that the death of Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) and the entire ninth season of the hit primetime soap opera all happened in the head of his wife, Pamela (Victoria Principal). The retcon was prompted after Duffy, who had previously left the show, agreed to return for Season 10, which opens with Pamela waking up to find Bobby in the shower.

Happy's Happy Place (Happy Gilmore)

The classic golf movie, 1996's Happy Gilmore, stars Adam Sandler in the title role of a guy with a talent for tee time, but the rage of a hockey player, which his trainer, Chubbs (Carl Weathers), tries to help him control by envisioning his own "happy place." He imagines his girlfriend, Virginia (Julie Bowen), carrying drink pitchers, his grandmother (Frances Bay) finding the money she needs from a slot machine, and a little cowboy riding an old-fashioned bicycle, for some reason. However, a later attempt to escape into this fantasy world is interrupted by the invasion of his nemesis, Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald).

The Solomons Suffer From Bizarre Dreams (3rd Rock From The Sun)

The two-part Season 2 finale of 3rd Rock from the Sun tried something unique by airing in 3D, but saving that format for some incredibly insane sequences. The surreal, avant garde scenes are dreams that Dick (John Lithgow) and the rest of his extra-terrestrial comrades are experiencing, but for the first time since taking human form, which leads them to assume they are ill.

Old Blue Saves The Day (A Christmas Story)

The classic holiday movie, 1983's A Christmas Story, follows young Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and his devotion to making sure he finds an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle under the tree. He seems to believe that it will make his life better, based on a daydream in which he, dressed as a hero named Old Blue, uses the BB shooter to rescue his family from criminals.

The Opening Scene (8 1/2)

Federico Fellini's signature 1963 film opens with a bizarre dream in which the main character gets trapped in his smoke-filled car in full-stop, literal bumper-to-bumper traffic. After he finally escapes, it cuts to him flying through the clouds until he is pulled down by his ankle by a person on a beach, and descends into the water just as he awakens.

Gutterballs (The Big Lebowski)

There are two great dream sequences from Joel and Ethan Coen's hilarious, classic '90s movie, 1998's The Big Lebowski, the first of which sees The Dude (Jeff Bridges) flying over L.A. trying to reach his stolen rug after receiving a crack on the jaw. However, the more memorable scene sees him, after being sedated by Jackie Treehorn, imagining he is the star of a Busby Berkeley-inspired adult film about bowling.

The Entire Series (Newhart)

One of the most iconic, oft-parodied, and simply best TV series finales is that of Newhart, in which the actor and comedian wakes up in bed as Bob Hartley, his role from his first hit sitcom, The Bob Newhart Show. His co-star from said 1970s hit, Suzanne Pleshette, wakes up next to him as Hartley's wife, Emily, and he explains to her that his entire life as Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon was a dream.

Rosemary Drifts On A Mattress (Rosemary's Baby)

Some of the best horror movies include a dream sequence that sneaks up on you with its more nightmarish qualities, such as in 1968's Rosemary's Baby. The first half of Rosemary's (Mia Farrow) dream is somewhat peaceful, showing her lying on a mattress floating on a bed of water, but in the second half of the dream, she is attacked by a demon. To make matters worse, that occurrence might not be part of the dream at all.

Buffy's Slaying Is A Delusion? (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Sarah Michelle Gellar's title hero from Buffy the Vampire Slayer has likely wished that her life could be free of encounters with bloodsuckers, demons, and all kinds of things that go bump in the night, but she probably never wanted to experience it the way she does in Season 6's "Normal Again." Buffy becomes exposed to a demonic, hallucinogenic venom that causes her to become trapped in a fantasy in which she is a mental patient, and her life of fighting paranormal activity has been all in her head.

Nazi Werewolves (An American Werewolf In London)

Writer and director John Landis' An American Werewolf in London boasts one of the most incredible moments of body horror in cinematic history, but one could argue a crazier moment in the classic werewolf movie happens earlier. While recovering from his animal attack, David (David Naughton) dreams he is back in the States with his family when a group of gun-toting, lycanthropic SS soldiers invade.

Tony Becomes A Salesman (The Sopranos)

Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) experienced multiple, eye-opening dream sequences throughout HBO's run of The Sopranos, including one that took place during most of an entire episode. In Season 6's "Join the Club," a comatose Tony dreams of an alternate life away from the DiMeo Family in which he is an ordinary salesman named Kevin Finnerty.

The Clown Hospital (Pee-wee's Big Adventure)

A movie scene that scared many '80s kids occurs in Pee-wee's Big Adventure when the titular man-child (played by Paul Reubens) has a nightmare about his missing bike. The prized, two-wheel vehicle is picked up in scraps by a group of horrifying harlequins who use unconventional and concerning methods to put it back together again.

Adam's Repeated Death Row Sentence (The Twilight Zone)

All of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone feel like a dream (or a nightmare), but Season 2's "Shadow Play" actually takes place entirely in one. Dennis Weaver stars as a convicted criminal trying to convince the other characters that his condemnation is merely part of a recurring nightmare.

Sue Visits Carrie's Grave (Carrie)

Director Brian de Palma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie ends with one of the most iconic and influential jump scares, which actually inspired the ending of 1980's Friday the 13th. A grieving Sue Snell (Amy Irving) dreams that she is visiting the resting place of her titular telekinetic classmate (Sissy Spacek) where her bloodied arm emerges from the ground and grasps onto her. Sue does not wake up from the nightmare, but is unable to stop screaming in her sleep.

Cooper's First Visit To The Red Room (Twin Peaks)

Most of David Lynch's movies and TV projects feel like long dream sequences, but when depicting Special Agent Dale Cooper's (Kyle MacLachlan) nightmare about the Red Room in an early episode of Twin Peaks, the master of surrealism really goes for it, resulting in a dream sequence more authentic than most. The inexplicably aged-up Coop meets a dancing little person who tells him, in backwards speak, "That gum you like is going to come back in style." He then meets a blonde woman resembling Laura Palmer (played by Sheryl Lee) and asks if she is the murdered teen, to which she responds, also in backwards speak, "I feel like I know her, but sometimes my arms bend back."

Lloyd And Mary's Romance (Dumb And Dumber)

In the 1994 Jim Carrey movie favorite, Dumb and Dumber, while traveling to Aspen, Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) fantasizes that his crush, Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly), will fall for him immediately after he returns her missing briefcase. The daydream continues to show highlights of their imaginary relationship, from a party where Lloyd entertains guests with uproarious tricks (like lighting his flatus on fire), to a romantic dinner where he engages in a cinematic-style kung fu fight.

Elliott '90s Sitcom Fantasy (Mr. Robot)

A top-rated Season 2 of Mr. Robot called "eps2.4_m4ster-s1ave.aes" is depicted predominantly in the style of '90s sitcom and even features a cameo by ALF. However, it is later revealed that this laugh-track-filled fantasy is Elliott's (Rami Malek) dream, and that he has been asleep in a hospital after being violently beaten by Ray Heyworth's (Craig Robinson) goons.

Beauty School Dropout (Grease)

In the 1978 movie musical Grease, Frenchie (Didi Conn) is encouraged to put her cosmetology career on hold and go back to high school by an unexpected person, Frankie Avalon, with a dreamy number called "Beauty School Dropout.'

Kevin Becomes An Assassin (The Leftovers)

In Season 2 of The Leftovers, Kevin (Justin Theroux) is told by Virgil (Steven Williams) that the only way to cure his persistent visions of cult leader Patti Levin (Ann Dowd) is to take his own life. This sends him into a bewildering reality in which he is a contract killer assigned to kill Patti, who is a presidential candidate.

Ronnie Births A Maggot (The Fly)

At one point in the tragic romantic thriller that is David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly, Ronnie (Geena Davis) discovers she is pregnant with the child of Dr. Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), who has been transforming into a half-man, half-insect at this time. Her fear of what could be growing inside of her is personified in a nightmare in which, instead of a human baby, she gives birth to a giant larva.

Jeff Lives A G.I. Joe Fantasy (Community)

The best episodes of Community experiment with different genres, such as the time the series put the cast in the world of the '80s-era beloved animated series, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. The action-packed, cartoon setting of "G.I. Jeff" is revealed to be a fantasy Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) has created to cope with turning 40.

Henry Loses His Head (Eraserhead)

In Eraserhead, Henry (Jack Nantz) has a nightmare in which his head falls off his neck, where a new head resembling his mutant child pops out to replace it. Of course, this dream sequence is no more bizarre than anything else that happens in David Lynch's perplexing 1977 debut feature.

Rob Suspects There Is An Alien Invasion (The Dick Van Dyke Show)

In a classic episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show called “It May Look Like a Walnut,” Rob Petrie (Van Dyke) watches an alien invasion movie involving extraterrestrial walnuts and otherworldly visitors without thumbs. The next day, his life begins to resemble the film's plot, until he wakes up that night to discover it was all a dream.

Wayne Meets Jim Morrison (Wayne's World 2)

The plot of the hit 1993 SNL movie Wayne's World 2, in which Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) put on their own concert, is set in motion when Wayne dreams he is in a desert where he meets the spirit of The Doors frontman, Jim Morrison (Michael Nickles).

Frasier Is Visited By Sigmund Freud (Frasier)

In the Season 4 Frasier episode "The Impossible Dream," the eponymous therapist and radio host (played by Kelsey Grammer) has a suggestive dream about his effeminate colleague, Gil Chesterson (Edward Hibbert). He eventually determines the dream is no more than a task his subconscious gave himself to satisfy his currently unchallenging career, but the episode ends with an even more confusing nighttime encounter with his idol, Sigmund Freud, who joins him in his bed and implies a request for intimacy.

Ray Gets Cooked (The 'Burbs)

In 1989's The 'Burbs, family man Ray (Tom Hanks) initially refuses to believe that his neighbors could actually be the murderous cult that other locals suspect they are. However, he does reach a breaking point when he dreams that they tear through his house with a chainsaw and sacrifice him on a giant barbecue pit.

Cliff's Muppet-Filled Nightmare (The Cosby Show)

One of the weirdest episodes of The Cosby Show involves Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) dreaming that the Muppets have taken over his life.

Alex Gives Birth To His Doppelganger (Junior)

Arnold Schwarzenegger playing a man who becomes pregnant is a pretty intriguing concept on its own. However, things get especially bizarre in 1994's Junior when the actor's character dreams that he has given birth to the spitting image of himself.

D.J.'s SAT Disaster (Full House)

In a Season 6 episode of Full House, D.J. Tanner's (Candace Cameron Bure) stress over the upcoming SATs culminates in a nightmare in which Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White appears to inform her that she has failed the test and will go to Clown University.

There are a lot of bad companies in the world of film and TV, companies that would be brutal work for like Inotech in Office Space. Those are hardly the only ones. Imagine having to show up to work every morning for Lumon in Severance. Or even a place that might seem like fun like Dunder Mifflin in The Office, would really be awful. Here is our list of companies that would be terrible to work for from TV shows and in movies.

Inotech (Office Space)

Bill Lumberg (Gary Cole) from Inotech in Office Space would be just a terrible boss to work for. The worst part is that he was just one of the many bosses working for the company. It's no wonder everyone was so miserable that everyone had their idea on how to get out of the rat race, from embezzling money to burning the place to the ground.

InGen (Jurassic Park)

Sure, on the surface InGen in Jurassic Park would be an amazing place to work. It's on a tropical island, there seem to be great benefits, and if you're a scientist, it's cutting edge work. Of course, then you have to consider the dinosaurs. Life will find a way and when it does, you're going be in a lot of trouble.

Nakatomi Trading (Die Hard)

Let's be honest, just having to work with a guy like Ellis (Hart Bochner) would be bad enough. Adding in an attack by a bunch of psycho thieves at the Christmas party and well, yeah, it would be pretty awful working for Nakatomi Trading in Die Hard.

The Dharma Initiative (Lost)

It's pretty hard to decide what the worst job would be if you were a part of the The Dharma Initiative in Lost. Desmond being stuck in the hatch typing in the numbers ever few hours has to be close to the top of the list. It's also very cult-like and for anyone who has worked for a company like that, they know just how weird it can be.

Omni Consumer Products (RoboCop)

Omni Consumer Products in RoboCop does some terrible stuff. It's basically a company, led by an egomaniac, that has absolutely no moral compass. Sure, it's a pretty dystopian situation in the world of RoboCop, but that's no excuse, you need to do better than work for an awful company like Omni.

Kruger Industrial Smoothing (Seinfeld)

George (Jason Alexander) in Seinfeld had a few bad jobs on the show. When working for the Yankees is the best job, you know the rest have to be bad. Kruger Industrial Smoothing has to be the worst though. Mr. Kruger is a guy who just doesn't seem to care about anything at all, and what in the world is "industrial smoothing"? Christmas at Kruger Industrial Smoothing seems especially annoying.

Pierpoint & Co. (Industry)

The British hit Industry shows all the worst sides of investment banking. One of the worst aspects of working in that industry is the cut-throat competition that all bankers deal with, especially at Pierpoint & Co o the show. Some may thrive, but most people would hate it.

Weyland-Yutani Corporation (Alien)

Weyland-Yutani Corporation from the Alien franchise is one of the most morally bankrupt companies on this list, and that is really saying something. Over and over it is clear that the powers that be don't care one bit for the health and safety of their employees. Over and over, those employees wind up dead. You'd think someone would blow the whistle, but all these years later, Weyland-Yutani is still at it.

Dunder Mifflin (The Office)

Everyone loves The Office and we all love laughing along with all the whacky stuff that goes on every day at Dunder Mifflin. But think about it, how awful would you feel if you had to deal with Michael Scott (Steve Carell) every day of your life. IT wouldn't take long before you lost it on him, right? It's easy to understand why Jim (John Krasinski) is so miserable all the time.

Wernham Hogg (The Office - UK)

Perhaps the only place worse to work in a sitcom world than Dunder Miflin would be Wernham Hogg in the British version of The Office. Michael Scott is terrible, but David Brent (Ricky Gervais) is mean-spirited and just plain nasty sometimes, in addition to being a total idiot. How anyone ever works for Brent is really hard to understand.

Lumon (Severance)

This list has a lot of sketchy, miserable companies on it, but Lumon from Severance probably takes the cake for the worst. It has everything that makes everyone else terrible all wrapped up into one. Menial tasks with little reward, shady technology, psychopathic leadership, a cult-like atmosphere... the list goes on and on.

The Wonka Chocolate Factory (Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory)

Working at a candy company might sound like a dream for many people, until you learn that all of your co-workers are weird orange beings that are liable to burst into song at the drop of a hat. Add on to that a wildly narcissistic CEO who is completely unpredictable and throws up little tests all the time to test your loyalty and it's safe to say you'd want no part of working for Willy Wonka.

Miller/Gold Talent Agency (Entourage)

Nobody wants to work for a boss whose base level is "yell as much as I can at everyone." It might be a great place to get ahead in a tough entertainment industry, but working for Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) on Entourage would be completely soul-sucking, right? Right.

Tyrell Corporation (Blade Runner)

Anyone working in a giant building that looks like a cross between an Imperial ship from Star Wars and a mid-century brutalist building in Germany should know exactly what kind of company they are working for, right? Building and designing replicants, who are basically enslaved techo-humans, seals the deal. You don't want to work here.

The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant (The Simpsons)

Being a low-level drone in Sector 7-G at a nuclear power plant would be a pretty miserable existence. It seems to work for Homer Simpson, and he's never permanently lost his gig, no matter what he does, but let's be honest, Homer is an idiot. Anyone of even normal intelligence would be out there in a hurry.

Bluth Company (Arrested Development)

A family filled with morons running a company mired in controversy and corruption like the Bluth Company in Arrested Development sounds pretty awful on its face alone. When you get in there, you'd realize that the one family member who is trying to make it work can't control anyone else in his family. Even working for the Banana Stand would be better than going into the office every day at Bluth.

Spacely's Sprokets (The Jetsons)

Even back in the 1960s no one wanted to work for a giant corporation like Spacely's Sprokets. Not only do they not make a real product (sprockets?) but Mr. Spacely is the worst kind of CEO, the kind that rules with fear and intimidation. That's no way to run a company no matter what year it is. We should all have flying cars by now though.

Umbrella (Resident Evil)

As the name of the show implies, Umbrella, the over-arching company in charge of seemingly everything in the world of Resident Evil is, well, evil. The list of things it does that are pure evil is far too long to list in one place, but it's safe to say that you could never truly feel good about your job here.

BiffCo (Back To The Future 2)

The future looks pretty bleak if Biff is in charge. After stealing the time machine and the Sports Almanac, Biff rakes up so much money that he can pretty much do whatever he wants. No one should have to work for a boss like Biff or a company like BiffCo. Who names a company "BiffCo" anyway? Beware the man who builds monuments to himself.

J. Peterman Company (Seinfeld)

The J. Peterman Company on Seinfeld doesn't seem like the worst place to work. it's a trendy catalog, and there is cake in the break room all the time. The serious drawback is working for an egomaniac like Peterman himself. It would be impossible to take orders from a guy like that.

Happy-Go-Lucky Toy Factory (Family Guy)

It would take about ten seconds to sour on a CEO like Jonathan Weed, owner of the Happy-Go-Lucky Toy Factory on Family Guy. His smug, pretentious behavior would get old quickly and there aren't enough toys in the world to make going to work for a guy like that every day worth it. Peter got lucky when Mr. Weed died and the whole factory was torn down.

Sunshine Taxi Company (Taxi)

Two words, Louie De Palma. Or is that three? Either way working for Danny DeVito's character on Taxi would be miserable. There are some appeals to driving a cab. You can make your own hours, and you can be alone with your thoughts a lot, but then you remember you have to return to the garage and put up with that jerk. No thanks.

Veridian Dynamics (Better Off Ted)

Senior vice-president of the Research and Development department at Veridian Dynamics sounds like a pretty sweet gig for Ted on Better Off Ted and for the most part, the day-to-day isn't bad at Veridian. The problem is that it is the definition of a soul-sucking multinational conglomerate and it takes a real toll over the long term when you realize you are a completely replaceable cog in a giant machine.

E Corp (Mr. Robot)

A company like E Corp - what kind of name is that anyway? - would make anyone want to be a bad hat hacker working to bring the whole place down. They prey on the most vulnerable and have no morals or ethics whatsoever. This is easily one of the worst companies in television history

Hooli - (Silicon Valley)

It's pretty easy to understand why anyone worth their salt would want to ditch Hooli and strike out on their own. Anyone would have been in the same kind of position with a company like Hooli, knows what it's like to watch others benefit from your good ideas and hard work. Pied Piper is chaotic, but it's theirs.

Zorg Industries (The Fifth Element)

Gary Oldman is brilliant as Zorg, the leader of Zorg Industries on The Fifth Element. The character is completely unhinged and that is not the kind of person anyone wants to work for, setting aside how awful the company itself is. It's simply a company with way too much power.

ENCOM (Tron)

On its surface ENCOM seems like a pretty standard technology company that could do a lot of good for the world. Then you realize it's being run by a total megalomanic. Ed Dillinger cheated his way to the top, and holds onto his power in a ruthless and morally bankrupt way. He's despicable.

MomCorp (Futurama)

Planet Express in Futurama may have it's own set of issues, but working for its rival, MomCorp and dealing with Mom would be way, way worse. At least Planet Express feels like a family. Sometimes, anyway.

Soylent Corporation (Soylent Green)

There is nothing worse on this list than people serving people to other people and Soylent Green is people! That's really all that needs to be said. It's not the only terrible thing that the Soylent Corporation does, it's just the worst thing in the world.

LexCorp (Superman)

It's good to have a hard and fast rule that working for a supervillain like Lex Luther is never a good idea. LexCorp does so many evil things it's hard to know exactly where to start when it comes to reasons why no one should work for a company like that. The worst thing might be that Superman, of all people, could show up and end everything you're doing in a hurry.

Buy N Large Corporation (WALL-E)

The Buy N Large Corporation might have started as an innocent yogurt company but it grew into something far too large, with far too much influence and power. Like other companies on this list, it's just too good for anyone's own good.

Oscorp (Spider-Man)

Oscorp wasn't started by one supervillain, it was started by two! Yeah, there's no way anything you could do at that company would be for the good of anyone except the two evil geniuses that run it. Easy pass.

Fans still cannot seem to get enough of Dexter, even after more than ten years since Showtime aired its controversial series finale in 2013. Based on a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay, the hit crime drama starred Emmy nominee Michael C. Hall in the title role of a forensic investigator who channels his homicidal urges into getting rid of the most awful villains terrorizing Miami.

It would later inspire a limited series continuation called Dexter: New Blood, a new prequel series called Dexter: Original Sin, and an upcoming sequel series called Dexter: Resurrection, which will see Hall reprise the character once again. While we wait for America’s favorite serial killer to come back from the dead, check out these other great shows like Dexter, which should satisfy fans’ bloodlust in one way or another.

The Sinner (2017-2021)

Starring: Bill Pullman, Jessica Biel

What it's about: Detective Harry Ambrose investigates cases involving the likes of a woman mysteriously compelled to murder a stranger, a boy who poisoned his supposed parents, and a suspicious car accident.

Why it is a great show for Dexter fans to watch: Similar to our compulsion to root for a homicidal individual like Dexter, the audience cannot help but feel empathy for the unique criminals featured in The Sinner — developer Derek Simonds’ quasi-anthology series inspired by Petra Hammesfahr’s novel, which follows the lead protagonist on a different case each season.

How to watch The Sinner

• Stream The Sinner on Netflix
• Buy The Sinner on Amazon
• Buy The Sinner on Blu-ray on Amazon

Barry (2018-2023)

Starring: Bill Hader, Stephen Root

What it's about: A professional assassin discovers he has a passion for acting while scoping out a job in Los Angeles and aspires to leave his dark past behind.

Why it is a great show for Dexter fans to watch: Arguably the best thing outside of SNL starring Hader is Barry, which offers yet another inside look at the life of a killer struggling to maintain a more normal life, but with a more consistently comedic edge than Dexter… at first, at least.

How to watch Barry

• Stream Barry on Max

The Fall (2013-2016)

Starring: Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan

What it's about: A London detective investigates a series of disturbing killings that turn out to be the work of a seemingly mild-mannered family man.

Why it is a great show for Dexter fans to watch: While bearing a more somber and dark tone, both aesthetically and emotionally, Allan Cubitt’s acclaimed U.K.-based crime drama relates to Dexter as a series told from the perspective a killer who doubles as a husband and father, but with the added twist that the cop tailing him is also the co-lead.

How to watch The Fall

• Stream The Fall on Amazon Prime
• Stream The Fall on Tubi
• Buy The Fall on Blu-ray on Amazon

Mr. Robot (2015-2019)

Starring: Rami Malek, Christian Slater

What it's about: A young, psychologically disturbed man is convinced by a mysterious stranger to use his pristine hacking skills to take down his corrupt employers.

Why it is a great show for Dexter fans to watch: Elliott — Malek’s protagonist from creator Sam Esmail’s acclaimed, non-HBO prestige drama, Mr. Robot — has a lot in common with Dexter, being a vigilante who goes to criminal lengths to fight evil with the aid of a hallucinatory ally resembling his father.

How to watch Mr. Robot

• Buy Mr. Robot on Amazon
• Buy Mr. Robot on Blu-ray on Amazon

Lucifer (2016-2021)

Starring: Tom Ellis, Lauren German

What it's about: After Satan grows disillusioned by his life as the ruler of Hell, he takes human form and offers his expertise about Earth’s greatest sinners as a police consultant in Los Angeles.

Why it is a great show for Dexter fans to watch: One of the best DC TV shows on Netflix (it is based on a version of Satan created for the comic book publisher’s Vertigo imprint) is Lucifer, which is, like Dexter, also a great example of a crime thriller in which the titular protagonist — in this case, the actual Devil — uses his immoral abilities for good.

How to watch Lucifer

• Stream Lucifer on Netflix
• Buy Lucifer on Amazon
• Buy Lucifer on DVD on Amazon

Hannibal (2013-2015)

Starring: Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen

What it's about: A talented FBI profiler (played by Hugh Dancy) works on a series of haunting cases, unaware that one of his most trusted allies — a brilliant criminal psychologist — is secretly a cannibal.

Why it is a great show for Dexter fans to watch: Mads Mikkelsen plays one of his best roles in Bryan Fuller’s acclaimed, yet short-lived, adaptation of Thomas Harris’ popular novels, Hannibal, is yet another great crime thriller in which the titular literary character uses his unique criminal perspective to help law enforcement catch people like him.

How to watch Hannibal

• Stream Hannibal on Amazon Prime
• Stream Hannibal on Pluto TV
• Buy Hannibal on Blu-ray on Amazon

You (2018-2024)

Starring: Penn Badgley, Victoria Pedretti

What it's about: The chronicles of a young man and his search to find the perfect romantic match, no matter how violent he must get.

Why it is a great show for Dexter fans to watch: Had Dexter never been blessed with the guidance of his adoptive father, Harry (James Remar), who taught him his special moral code, he could have turned out like Badgley’s Joe, who has done some very evil things on You, even beyond murder.

How to watch You

• Stream You on Netflix

Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

Starring: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul

What it's about: After being diagnosed with a terminal illness, a high school chemistry teacher teams up with his former student to manufacture and sell methamphetamine to support his wife and children when he is gone.

Why it is a great show for Dexter fans to watch: Dexter is a show like Breaking Bad — creator Vince Gilligan’s groundbreaking character study — in the sense that both series cleverly convince the audience to root for a criminal protagonist, with the main difference being that Dexter, at least, has a stronger moral compass than Walter White.

How to watch Breaking Bad

• Stream Breaking Bad on Netflix
• Buy Breaking Bad on Amazon
• Buy Breaking Bad on Blu-ray on Amazon

Burn Notice (2007-2013)

Starring: Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell

What it's about: A skilled secret agent is mysteriously blacklisted, forcing him to return to his hometown and take a job as a private investigator.

Why it is a great show for Dexter fans to watch: Donovan’s Michael Westen (who also serves as the narrator for creator Matt Nix’s hit USA series Burn Notice) is not a criminal, but he, Gabrielle Anwar’s Fiona, and Bruce Campbell as Sam do use their unique expertise and unconventional methods to fight crime in Miami, much like Dexter.

How to watch Burn Notice

• Stream Burn Notice on Hulu
• Buy Burn Notice on Amazon
• Buy Burn Notice on DVD on Amazon

Limitless (2015-2016)

Starring: Jake McDorman, Jennifer Carpenter

What it's about: By taking an experimental pill that unlocks all of a human being’s potential cognitive abilities, an average young man becomes a valuable ally to the FBI as a consultant.

Why it is a great show for Dexter fans to watch: After her exit from the Dexter cast (as Dexter’s sister, Debra Morgan) following its series finale, Jennifer Carpenter went from playing a detective to an FBI agent on Limitless (based on the 2011 Bradley Cooper movie) in which she works with a man who uses unusual skills to fight crime — in this case, drug-induced hyper-awareness.

How to watch Limitless

• Stream Limitless on Paramount+
• Buy Limitless on Amazon

We certainly hope other Dexter fans also think these TV shows are killer.

I could call Black Mirror one of the best sci-fi TV shows of all time, but it feels a little too real to be considered pure “fiction.” Creator Charlie Brooker’s Emmy-winning series — which debuted on British television before becoming a Netflix exclusive made it a worldwide hit — paints a frighteningly accurate portrait of human nature’s darker areas, especially when in response to our increasingly tech-driven world. 

However, it is not the only show to create such a profound and thought-provoking effect by employing many of the same relatable themes through a stylistically bizarre lens — and I am not just talking about other great anthology TV shows like this. Yet, highlighting one of the most essential anthology series of all time is how we shall begin this collection of shows Black Mirror fans will surely love.

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) 

A bookworm becoming the last human on Earth after a cataclysmic event, a woman taunted by her doppelgänger, a man believing a dangerous creature is on the wing of his commercial airplane, and many more make up creator and host Rod Serling’s highly influential hit.

Why it is a great show for Black Mirror fans: Not all of the best Twilight Zone episodes have a technophobic element and neither do some classic Black Mirror stories, but both shows undeniably qualify as a series of bizarre and highly inventive morality plays.

Stream The Twilight Zone on Paramount+.
Stream The Twilight Zone on Freevee through Amazon.

Altered Carbon (2018-2020) 

The digitized consciousness of an imprisoned special forces agent wakes up a new body (played by Joel Kinnaman) and assigned by a wealthy man to solve his murder.

Why it is a great show for Black Mirror fans: The concept of downloadable consciousness is explored in many of the best Black Mirror episodes and is also the primary focus of one of the best crime TV shows on Netflix, Altered Carbon — creator Laeta Kalogridis’ dystopian hit, which sees Anthony Mackie take on the central role in Season 2.

Stream Altered Carbon on Netflix.

Upload (2020-Present)

The digitized consciousness of a deceased young man (played by Robbie Amell) is sent to an artificial afterlife where he and his real-world handler (played by Andy Allo) begin looking into the cause of his death.

Why it is a great show for Black Mirror fans: Another mystery series that explores the topic of downloadable consciousness, but with a more lighthearted tone, is Upload, created by former The Office executive producer Greg Daniels.

Stream Upload on Amazon Prime.

Love, Death + Robots (2019-Present) 

This series of diverse animated short films include a trio of sentient machines exploring a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a revolutionary artist preparing to debut his magnum opus, a woman at war with her robotic vacuum, and more.

Why it is a great show for Black Mirror fans: Technology is also a recurring theme in most of the best episodes of Love, Death + Robots, but creator Tim Miller and producer David Fincher’s Emmy-winning Netflix original might be one of the few sci-fi anthologies that surpasses Black Mirror in its bewildering oddities.

Stream Love, Death + Robots on Netflix.

Westworld (2016-2022)

Citizens of a quaint town in the Old West make a shocking a discovery about their existence.

Why it is a great show for Black Mirror fans: Based on an obscure 1970s B-movie from Michael Crichton, HBO’s unfortunately cancelled hit, Westworld, is a thought-provoking commentary on our growing reliance on technology, set in a future where human beings can indulge in their inner most desires in a community inhabited by unwitting artificial beings.

Buy Westworld on Amazon.

Mrs. Davis (2023)

A nun (Betty Gilipin) sets out on a dangerous mission to save a world dominated by a manipulative artificial intelligence.

Why it is a great show for Black Mirror fans: Black Mirror has never really explored the idea of an autonomous AI (yet), but the idea is just as terrifying as anything the show has produced so far, and is made a bit easier to swallow by employing a more comedic tone in Peacock’s critically acclaimed miniseres, Mrs. Davis, from creators Damon Lindelof and Tara Hernandez.

Stream Mrs. Davis on Peacock.

Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams (2017-2018)

A train station employee (played by Timothy Spall) investigating commutes to non-existent destinations, a policewoman (played by Anna Paquin) questioning what is virtual and what is reality during a VR vacation, and a woman (played Geraldine Chaplin) being granted a visit to a desolate Earth are just some of these strange stories.

Why it is a great show for Black Mirror fans: Black Mirror and the science fiction genre in general might not be what is today without the influence of author Philip K. Dick, whose own work inspired Electric Dreams — an Emmy-nominated anthology that boast many thought-provoking technological concepts, but also much more.

Stream Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams on Amazon Prime.

Mr. Robot (2015-2019)

A young, disturbed hacking expert (played by Academy Award winner Rami Malek) is given the opportunity to wage war against his corrupt employers when he meets a mysterious man (played by Christian Slater).

Why it is a great show for Black Mirror fans: Sometimes Black Mirror does not bother looking into the future, and takes on issues and common fears revolving around technology in the present day — much like creator Sam Esmail’s Emmy-winning hit, Mr. Robot, which is considered by many to be one of the greatest non-HBO prestige dramas today. 

Stream Mr. Robot on Amazon Prime.

Severance (2022-Present)

An office worker (Adam Scott) and his colleagues — whose memories of their personal and professional lives are kept surgically separate — begin to question the truth about their job.

Why it is a great show for Black Mirror fans: Themes of dystopia, isolation, paranoia, and more of Black Mirror’s specialties are explored in a mind-bendingly mundane setting in creator Dan Erickson and executive producer Ben Stiller’s Severance, which has a second season coming in 2024.

Stream Severance on Apple TV+.

Solos (2021)

The seven stories in this anthology follow a terminally ill man (played by Anthony Mackie) making a polarizing decision for his family’s sake, a space traveler (played by Helen Mirren) reminiscing about her life, an elderly man (played by Morgan Freeman) receiving the chance to regain his lost memories, and others.

Why it is a great show for Black Mirror fans: If you need a break from the dismal existential dread of Black Mirror and some of the other shows above, Solos — creator David Weil’s star-studded Amazon original miniseries — offers a, somewhat, more hopeful look at the future.

Stream Solos on Amazon Prime.

If you call yourself a fan of Charlie Brooker’s groundbreaking series — even if you do not love all of Black Mirror’s seasons so far — and you don't like any of these shows, maybe you should check to make sure nothing otherworldly is controlling you.

Over the last several decades, the critical view of television has changed from being a lesser, more mass produced art form, not on the level of movies, to being the place for some of the most creative and progressive content being produced. Much of that collective reappraisal is due to HBO. In the late '90s and early 2000s, the premium cable company poured money into original productions like The Sopranos, Sex And The City, The Wire, Six Feet Under and more. 

As the awards, critical praise, positive fan feedback and subscriptions poured in, more TV networks started taking chances on difficult and complicated subject matter and shelling out to attract major stars. HBO still remains arguably the most famous and successful prestige TV network, but over the last few decades, tons of other networks have taken their chances with riskier and complicated shows. Many of those chances have paid off too.

Here’s a look at some really famous and really successful prestige TV shows that didn’t air on HBO but likely took some level of inspiration from the path the network blazed.

House Of Cards (Netflix)

Few shows in the history of television have upended the entire industry more than House Of Cards. The political drama was the first major original production from Netflix, and the reviews were overwhelmingly positive. Emmy nominations in all the major categories helped create a ton of word of mouth, and within a few years, Netflix’s long-term strategy shifted from a focus on acquiring content to a focus on producing content. 

Downton Abbey (ITV/ PBS)

Every awards voter knows period piece family dramas set among the aristocracy can be major contenders for awards, but Downton Abbey proved just how popular they can be with a broad audience too. The sprawling historical drama found huge popularity in both Britain and The United States, ultimately producing six seasons and multiple movies, and yes, of course, it won plenty of awards too.

The Americans (FX)

One of my personal favorite shows on this entire list, The Americans was a bit of a slow build. Its first season got very solid ratings and a few nominations, but within a few seasons, the spy drama about a Russian family pretending to be Americans was attracting huge Metacritic scores and picking up Emmy nominations in all the major categories for both the show itself and its brilliant lead actors Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys. 

Breaking Bad (AMC)

Widely considered to be one of the greatest shows of all-time, Breaking Bad may not have been on premium cable, but its subject matter was every bit as uncomfortable and morally complicated as anything found elsewhere. By the end of its incredible five-season run, the show had won two Emmys for Outstanding Drama, as well as acting Emmys for three of its primary actors and nominations for two more. 

The Good Wife (CBS)

Prestige TV shows typically have shorter seasons. Maintaining the highest quality over ten episodes is a lot easier than doing it over the twenty-plus network TV typically requires, but The Good Wife was able to maintain high quality thanks to really tight scripts that perfectly blended courtroom case-of-the-week style procedural elements with real character development. Great acting performances also helped, as its actors were collectively nominated an astounding thirty times at The Emmys over just six seasons.

Justified (FX)

Prestige TV shows are most often classified by the number of awards they won, but sometimes it’s about elevating a genre and having an original vision. That’s the case with Justified. It had eight Emmy nominations (and two wins for Margo Martindale and Jeremy Davies), but it’s here mostly because of how much life and originality it brought to the crime genre. It slowly evolved past being a procedural and into a carefully plotted linear story featuring a holler of fascinating backwoods personalities.

Orange Is The New Black (Netflix)

Whether awards voters were asked to call it a comedy or a drama, Orange Is The New Black found a very large and very passionate fanbase with its unique blend of prison shenanigans and societal commentary. It also helped prove Netflix was going to be a long-term threat for prestige television awards long after House Of Cards was gone.

The Great (Hulu)

The Great is maybe the most outlandish show I have ever watched and this comes from someone that’s watched Twin Peaks multiple times. There was no line this show wouldn’t cross, but with a filthy wit, it was able to ride the line between stupid and clever and rewrite the history of Catherine The Great And Peter III’s relationship in a really fascinating way. Reviews were great, and by the end, the lead actors were getting recognized for huge awards.

Lost (ABC)

I’m not sure there will be a single entry on this list that’s more divisive than Lost. The show, which Wikipedia calls a science fiction adventure drama, lost the patience of a percentage of its audience by the end, but it’s impossible to deny just how hooked millions were there for awhile. And with good reason. It got fifty-four Emmy nominations during its run and many are still discovering its joys on streaming.

30 Rock (NBC)

The bar is a lot higher for a comedy to be considered Prestige television, but there are few comedies in the history of television more praised and widely respected than 30 Rock. The hysterical take on the backstage politics behind making a TV show won Outstanding Comedy at the Emmys three times and in later seasons, attracted some of the biggest stars in the world for multi-episode guest spots.

Mad Men (AMC)

Apart from the fact that it’s utterly fantastic, Mad Men is one of the most important TV shows of the last few decades because it conclusively proved literally any network had the ability to create one of the buzziest, most acclaimed series on television, including AMC which launched Mad Men as its first original program. It also turned Jon Hamm into a huge star, and shined a light on many members of its talented supporting cast.

Dexter (Showtime)

Yeah, I know Dexter was inconsistent during its run, but man, was that Dark Passenger fun to ride around with when it was good. Showtime’s drama about a serial killer who tried to live by a moral code netted its primary actor, Michael C Hall, five well-earned Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead and netted terrific vet John Lithgow a guest star Emmy win for his terrifying work in Season 4. 

Homeland (Showtime)

Homeland didn’t have quite the universal acclaim in its later seasons, but there aren’t many shows in TV history that could match the universal acclaim of its early seasons. Its terrific first season won Outstanding Drama at The Emmys, as well as statues for its two lead actors Claire Danes and Damian Lewis. Altogether, it’s probably the most talked about and acclaimed series in Showtime history, and that’s huge praise given what else has been on that network.

The West Wing (NBC)

The West Wing is perhaps a little more inside the box and network TV-ish than a lot of other entries on this list, but to me, that’s part of its appeal. It’s well put together enough to consistently provide payoff moments, but it’s good enough at what it’s doing that the formula rarely gets in the way. Voters agreed, as it nominated the show for an astounding ninety-eight Emmys.

Ted Lasso (Apple+)

At its absolute best, Ted Lasso, the show but also, the person, has a way of making you feel so unreservedly happy. Before you realize it, you’re rooting for these characters more passionately and with more love in your heart than you ever knew was possible for a TV show. Critics, fans and awards voters all agreed too, as for awhile there, Ted Lasso became the most talked about thing on streaming.

Weeds (Showtime)

Given it ran for eight seasons, Weeds is far from the most nominated show on this list. Some of its actors did well at The Emmys, but what’s really important long-term about the drug dealing dramedy is how it turned what could have been a goofy, throwaway premise of suburban mom turned drug dealer into sharply written material that explored many different emotions and tones. It was never content to remain the same, which is the opposite of what many comedies want.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC)

This choice for sure is picking up some eyerolls, but people forget how freakin’ good Grey’s Anatomy was during its first handful of seasons. It earned multiple Outstanding Drama nominations, and many of its actors, most prominently Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson, were nominated for their performances. Its third season premiere was also watched live by more than twenty-five million people, which was a huge number at the time, especially for a critical darling.

24 (FOX)

24’s unconventional format of having episodes correspond to specific hours was a masterstroke, given the high pressure intensity of its subject matter. It was also able to really push the line with network television but more in the way of aggression and physical violence. It felt dangerous at the time, and decades later, that ever-present ferocity still comes through. It was consistently rewarded by critics and awards voters too in a way you almost never see for something this action-packed.

Modern Family (ABC)

Modern Family works so well because it’s really good at many different types of comedy. It has an overarching tone, sure, but because it brings together multiple generations, as well as many varied characters, it mines a lot of different subject matter for humor. That allows the show to feel fresh and keep from getting repetitive for longer than most comedies. Its wild range is probably best exemplified by the show somehow getting a combined six nominations in the Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress Emmy categories in the same year.

Better Call Saul (AMC)

There aren’t many spinoff shows in the history of television that pick right up where the original left off in terms of quality. Better Call Saul is a rare exception, which is positively insane given the original quality it needed to aspire to was maybe the greatest show ever in Breaking Bad. Fortunately, Bob Odenkirk is an absolute delight to watch, and Better Call Saul was able to give many of Breaking Bad’s greatest side characters more chances to shine.

Schitt's Creek (CBC)

If you want to know how beloved Schitt’s Creek was when it went off the air, especially among awards voters, look no further than the acting nominations it got during its last run at The Emmys. It somehow netted nine nominations just in the on-screen performance categories. It was a great final moment for a show that was often able to feel like both the best parts of a sitcom and the best parts of a linear dramedy at the same time.

Mr. Robot (USA)

Over the course of four critically acclaimed seasons, Mr. Robot built up a passionate fanbase who loved the dynamic between Rami Malek and Christian Slater, as well as the score and pace of the series. Starting mostly with its second season, it was also honored quite a bit by various award shows, including The Emmys, which gave Malek the Best Lead Actor award, along with nominating the show itself, guest actor BD Wong and more. 

Rescue Me (FX)

A show on FX about firefighters starring stand-up comedian Dennis Leary probably wouldn’t strike most people as a future Emmy winner and critical darling, but Rescue Me was never afraid of tackling more complicated material. That willingness to explore tougher subject matter attracted audiences, as well as high profile guest stars including Michael J Fox who picked up an Emmy for his contributions. 

This Is Us (NBC)

This is Us was so popular during its first few seasons that NBC gave it the post Super Bowl slot. The show took full advantage and aired a Super Bowl-themed episode that many consider to be one of the best of This Is Us’ entire run. It’s a perfect example of how the show, at its best, weaves together the type of complicated subject matter Emmy voters go for, while remaining broad enough to satisfy a massive audience. The actors in particularly were consistently hit with nominations, especially Sterling K Brown who was recognized by The Emmys five times.

The Crown (Netflix)

Typically when a show connects with a large audience, critics and awards voters, those behind the scenes do everything they can to keep the magic going with the original cast. Not The Crown. Rather than focus on a narrow window, the show hurtled forward, picking up new leads and new characters every few seasons, while somehow still maintaining enough quality to connect with Emmy voters and please its legion of fans.

The L Word (Showtime)

The L Word was never as enticing to awards voters as it should have been, though Ossie Davis did notably win an Emmy for Guest Actor, but its popularity and effect on prestige TV’s willingness to tackle LGBT+ subject matter cannot be overstated. Over the course of six seasons, the show tackled a wide variety of subjects and built a rich, complicated world of interconnected characters for its fanbase to root for and sometimes get mad at. 

Fargo (FX)

Taking spiritual inspiration from The Coen Brothers’ movie of the same name, no one was quite sure what to expect when Fargo premiered back in 2014, but the result was a fantastic crime narrative that was entirely different, yet oddly similar to the pace of the original film. Critics were overwhelmingly hot and loads of major nominations followed, especially for the actors. Subsequent seasons went in very different directions, but the basic spirit and popularity with awards voters remained. 

The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

House Of Cards may have been the first streaming show to get significant critical acclaim and awards nominations, but The Handmaid’s Tale is actually the first one to win Best Drama at The Emmys. The unnerving and often disturbing adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel is a tough watch but can be so rewarding, as millions of viewers found out. Its first few seasons in particular were showered with praise and numerous nominations for both the show itself and its brilliant cast.

Arrested Development (FOX/ Netflix)

Has a comedy ever used a narrator better than Arrested Development? The well-written and often deeply weird comedy never attracted the biggest audience, but it was a huge hit with its fanbase and critics, who adored the complicated relationships between its characters and their ridiculous recurring jokes and plots. By the end of its short run, it won Best Comedy and Best Writing at The Emmys and saw four of its cast members nominated in acting categories.

Ozark (Netflix)

It took a little time for enough awards voters to give Ozark a chance, as the first season mainly only saw wide praise for Jason Bateman’s work, but once voters gave it a chance, the nominations started flying in. The show’s last three seasons were all nominated for Best Drama at The Emmys and Julia Garner won multiple times in the supporting category for her incredible work. New fans also keep discovering the show and taking to social media, where the hype train continues, despite not being on the air anymore.

Killing Eve (BBC Three/ BBC America)

There’s no shortage of fans and critics with opinions about Killing Eve's divisive final season, but the first two, in particular, remain beloved by pretty much everyone. Not surprisingly, perennial awards contender Sandra Oh got four Emmy noms for her work on the show, but voters also flipped for Jodie Comer, who got nominated three times and took home a win. Not bad for a spy thriller that wasn’t initially seen by some as a prestige project.

Pose (FX)

The loudest support for Pose came from those who couldn’t get enough of Billy Porter’s fantastic lead performance. He was repeatedly nominated and picked up an Emmy win during the show’s run, but there was also a lot of acclaim for individual seasons themselves too, as Ryan Murphy’s exploration of New York City’s LGBT+ subculture gave an opportunity for so many talented supporting actors to have their moment. 

Like many minorities in Hollywood, the Arab-American community unfortunately has a troubled history with respectful and genuine depictions across film and television. From older movies presenting Arab culture with harem girls and grimy men with numerous wives, or the popular stereotyping of Arabs as terrorists across countless action movies, it’s much easier to find harmful examples of the Arab-American community in popular entertainment. And then new TV shows, like #1 Happy Family USA, now streaming for those with an Amazon Prime subscription shows us that it doesn’t have to be this way.

Although a study released by UCLA in 2025 shows that just 1.2 percent of theatrical film roles include actors from a Middle Eastern or North African background, in the past twenty years, more instances than ever with honest portrayals of the Arab-American community have come out. While there’s a long way to go when it comes to representing Arab-Americans, the movies and shows below signal a brighter future for the representation of the estimated three million Arab Americans in the United States. Whether you’re part of the community or simply want to discover a new movie or TV show that is considerate to the Arab-American experience, check out our best picks available to stream below:

#1 Happy Family USA (2025 - )

The latest new TV show to come out about Arab-Americans is Amazon Prime’s #1 Happy Family USA. Created by Ramy Youssef and South Park’s Pam Brady, the series is an animated sitcom about the Hussein family, an immigrant family from Egypt who are living in New Jersey in the early ‘00s. The series opens on the family living their lives on September 10, 2001, and the aftermath that follows the events of 9/11. While it’s tackling the huge issue of how tons of harmless Muslim Americans were affected by the terrorist attack through Yousseff’s teen character of Rumi, it’s also a hilarious coming-of-age comedy packed with laughs for fans of family sitcoms for adults.

Stream #1 Happy Family USA on Amazon Prime.

Mo (2022 - 2025)

One of the most exciting voices in comedy right now is Mo Amer, who has not shied away from talking about topics that Arab-Americans can very much relate to in his standup specials (even with small things like making hummus). In 2022 he released the first season of Mo, a comedy/drama series he co-created, produced and starred in. Mo is loosely based on his own life growing up in Texas after his family emigrated from Palestine when he was a kid, having an interracial relationship as an adult and so forth. The series earned a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes and recently continued with its fantastic second and last season. Mo is one of those rare examples of great representation of the Arab-American experience with a specific POV, and we hope there’s a lot more from Mo Amer on the way.

Stream Mo on Netflix.

Moon Knight (2022)

We mustn't forget that Marvel Studios also depicted an Arab-American superhero with May Calamawy’s character of Layla El-Faouly / Scarlet Scarab. Layla, who is an archaeologist, is the wife of Oscar Isaac’s Marc Spector in the miniseries, adventurer and Egyptian American. What’s especially cool about her role in Moon Knight is how the series’ lead director Mohamed Diab (who is also Egyptian) made sure to have an honest portrayal of her that other Arab-American women could relate to (along with depicting the country honestly itself). When speaking to Los Angeles Times, Calamawy said she drew “inspiration from Middle Eastern women,” saying she finds “Arab women have a very unassuming, soft strength to them”.

Stream Moon Knight on Disney+.

Little America (2020-2022)

One of the first series to drop on Apple TV+ was this anthology series, Little America, which was actually co-developed by Kumail Nanjiani. The series focuses on immigrant stories in America from all over the world, but there’s one episode that specifically (and beautifully) speak to being Arab-American. There’s “The Son” which is about a Syrian refugee who dreams of being granted asylum in America so he can live freely as an openly gay person. While only one episode focuses on an Arab-American, the whole series is worth watching, and shows how immigrants from all cultures have common ground.

Stream Little America on Apple TV+.

The Visitor (2007)

Nearly a decade before Tom McCarthy was showered with awards for Spotlight, he wrote and directed a beautiful film in 2007 called The Visitor. The independent film stars Richard Jenkins, in a role that earned him his first Oscar nomination. He plays a widowed economics professor named Walter Vale, who unexpectedly finds a young couple (played by Haaz Sleiman and Black Panther’s Danai Gurira) living in his apartment, and, he comes to learn that they’re illegal immigrants. When Walter decides to let them stay, he forms a sweet relationship with Tarek, who is a Palestinian-Syrian djembe player, who teaches him how to play, along with Walter forming a friendship with his mother, when she unexpectedly visits as well. It’s a memorable film about healing from grief, along with bringing to light immigration issues in post-9/11 New York City.

Stream The Visitor on Tubi for Free.

Rent/Buy The Visitor on Amazon.

Mr. Robot (2015-2019)

For four seasons, Sam Esmail’s Mr. Robot was led by Rami Malek, who is the son of Egyptian immigrant parents hailing from California, who also is the son of Egyptian immigrant parents, who came up in Jersey. The critically-acclaimed series follows Elliot Alderson, a brilliant cybersecurity engineer, who becomes a vigilante hacker by night. Esmail previously shared to THR that the Arab Spring inspired him to make the show. The riveting show is a rare example of Arab-Americans being both behind and the face of a hugely popular network series, and one with a storyline that isn’t purely focused on the immigrant experience. Mr. Robot has particularly been applauded for its complicated depiction of mental illness.

Stream Mr. Robot on Tubi for free.

Rent/Buy Mr. Robot on Amazon.

May In The Summer (2013) 

While I wanted to recommend writer/director Cherian Dabis’ affecting 2009 family movie Amreeka, which is about a single Palestinian single mother’s journey when she moves with her teen son to Indiana and takes up a job at White Castle, it’s unfortunately not streaming anywhere, nor are their physical formats of the movie readily available. However, Dabis’ other great film inspired by her Arab-American roots is May In The Summer, which she wrote, directed, produced and stars in. The movie follows a woman named May as she returns to her childhood home in Jordan for her wedding and begins to question her upcoming decision.

Stream May in the Summer on Tubi For Free.

Search Party (2016-2022)

Another major series starring an Arab-American actor is Search Party. The black comedy series that ended last year stars Alia Shawkat– who is half Iraqi –as the lead character. She plays Dory Seif, who is among a cast of twenty-something friends. There's a lot of twists and turns in Search Party, but the first season has Dory making it her mission to investigate the disappearance of a college acquaintance. After years in Hollywood, playing supporting roles in projects like her role as Maeby in Arrested Development, Search Party gave her center stage in a critically-acclaimed and original dramedy.

Stream Search Party on HBO Max.

Breaking Fast (2020)

Lebanese-American writer/director Mike Mosallam made a queer romantic comedy called Breaking Fast about an Arab-American and practicing Muslim (played by Haaz Sleiman) who is struggling with single life in Los Angeles after a recent breakup. Then, he meets Michael Cassidy’s Kal, who offers to fast with him during the holy month of Ramadan. The filmmaker told ET he was inspired by Julia Roberts romantic comedies when telling a story that allows for the rare intersection between the LGBTQ+ and Arab-American community in a movie. Here’s hoping more new LGBTQ+ movies also include Arab-Americans like this one.

Stream/Rent/Buy Breaking Fast on Amazon.

Ramy (2019 - ) 

Stand-up comedian and former Nickelodeon actor Ramy Youssef stunned audiences in 2019 with the debut of his fiercely honest (and very funny) series, Ramy. Not unlike Mo, which Youssef was actually inspired by years before it went into production, the Hulu series is somewhat autobiographical and in other ways very much a fictional interpretation of his life growing up in Jersey as the son of Egyptian immigrant parents. Ramy wrestles with its titular character’s struggle to honor his Muslim faith and upbringing as an American as well in an authentic way. This show has been a big deal since it’s won a Golden Globe and a Peabody award.

Now, it’s been a few years since the last season, and we haven’t heard about a fourth season, but Youssef has previously said that it’s “definitely not over” and was dividing his time on other projects, like being part of Oscar winner Poor Things.

Stream Ramy on Hulu.

Arab-American representation in movies and television is still hard to come by, considering finding this handful of titles did not come easy. These titles do signal more diversity and inclusion recently and will undoubtedly usher in even more examples in the next few years. You can support them by checking them out and spreading the word.

Over time, a name that I’ve been seeing a lot more often in both movies and television is Rami Malek. From some of his first roles in film to his starring parts in huge hit TV shows, Malek has constantly proven how skilled of an actor he is. And if you’ve been wondering where to watch some of his best roles, you’re in exactly the right place. While there are some awesome things to know about Rami Malek, we’re here to talk about some of his best films. 

If you’ve been on the lookout for the best Rami Malek movies and TV shows that are streaming or available to rent right now, this is the place for you, starting off with a huge hit of his. 

Mr. Robot (2015 - 2019)

You knew this one would be on the list. Mr. Robot is an awesome drama show telling the story of Elliot, a seemingly normal programmer who works as a cybersecurity engineer during the day, but at night, he turns into a hacker, acting as a vigilante to takedown a major corporation. 

While Rami Malek worked prior to taking on the lead role in Mr. Robot, this was his breakout performance. His performance Elliot was well-loved and Malek received several accolades and nominations, showing just how amazing of an actor he truly is. It’s a shame the show had to come to an end, but all good things do, and i don’t think we’ll ever quite forget our favorite hacker. 

Stream Mr. Robot on Amazon Prime.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Freddie Mercury was one of my idols growing up, and Rami Malek was stellar as him in Bohemian Rhapsody. This biopic tells the story of Freddie Mercury and the band Queen, them becoming hitmakers overnight and him turning into the icon that he is now, as well as his personal struggles to get there. 

Rami Malek actually won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Bohemian Rhapsody, so if that wasn’t enough to get you to watch this film, I don’t know what is. He perfectly captures the essence that was Freddie Mercury and adds even more personality to the already iconic man. Truly, Rami Malek was amazing in this role. 

Rent Bohemian Rhapsody on Amazon.

The Pacific (2010)

Next up, we have the miniseries, The Pacific, from HBO. This series based on the true stories of soldiers in WWII follows the U.S. Marines who were fighting against the Japanese during WWII, capturing their lives, struggles, and so much more. 

For those who don’t know, HBO has made some really awesome shows, some of which include stories of WWII, including the legendary Band of Brothers that acts as a predecessor to this miniseries. Rami Malek was the perfect pick to play Cpl. Merriell “Snafu” Shelton, a character based on a real-life Marine, and Malek does him justice with his excellent acting performance alongside his co-stars. If realistic war movies and movies about real-life situations are some of your favorite genres, you need to give this a shot, especially if you’re a fan of Malek, as he stands out amongst the rest. 

Stream The Pacific on HBO Max.

Night At The Museum Trilogy (2006-2014)

Ever wonder what would happen if a museum came to life at night? That’s what Night at the Museum is all about, mainly following the adventures of Larry Daley (played by Ben Stiller), a night shift security guard who ends up discovering that the American Museum of Natural History in New York comes to life at night. 

Fun fact - the first Night at the Museum was actually Rami Malek’s first film ever, and what a movie to start out on, because he is great as Ahkmenrah, the owner of the tablet that allows the exhibits to come to life. I can’t get over how funny he is and his chemistry with Ben Stiller is super. While the film series is only a trilogy, Malek makes an appearance in each one, and further proves my hypothesis that he would make a great ancient pharaoh.

Stream The Night At The Museum Trilogy on Disney+.
Rent The Night At The Museum Trilogy on Amazon.

The Little Things (2021)

Next up, we have The Little Things. In this neo-noir crime film, Rami Malek stars as a detective alongside Denzel Washington, who are both on the case as a string of murders starts to connect to each other - all of which lead to them meeting a person that just might be the problem. 

What really makes The Little Things one of Malek’s best movies is his chemistry with Denzel Washington. I love re-watching their scenes as detectives because you really believe that they’re actively trying to solve a case and show just how hard they are working. Even so, The Little Things is filled with great surprises, and you’ll find yourself twisting your head often just to keep up with all the changes in plot, making it a fun time. 

Stream The Little Things on HBO Max.
Rent The Little Things on Amazon.

No Time To Die (2021)

I’m sure at some point in 2021 you heard of Daniel Craig’s last James Bond film, No Time To Die. In this film, we follow Bond, who is attempting to live out a normal life after retiring from MI6. But that retirement comes to a close when a former contact reaches out to him for help, pushing him back into the life of an international spy. 

Rami Malek played a Bond villain in No Time To Die, Lyutsifer Safin, who is a terrorist and trying to get revenge on Spectre, and honestly, he plays the villain really well. Like, scarily well. Watching him in this Bond film makes me wonder why Malek doesn’t play more villains, because he surprisingly pulls it off and had some really amazing scenes with Craig. Rami Malek might have fallen in love with his Bond villain, but I think I have, too. Someone help me. 

Rent No Time To Die on Amazon.

BoJack Horseman (2017-2018)

I bet you didn’t think you’d see a voice role on here. BoJack Horseman is an iconic adult animated series on Netflix, telling the story of the titular character who is trying to get back into the limelight after several years in obscurity by writing a tell-all novel using a ghost writer. 

While Rami Malek has done voiceover work (as well as motion capture work) for video games before, like Until Dawn and The Legend of Korra, I wanted to point out his role as Flip McVicker, as I feel that’s some of his best voiceover work. His portrayal of the insecure yet pretentious creator of Philbert and the way he clashes with BoJack really makes the show during Seasons 4 and 5. I wish we had gotten to see more of him. 

Stream BoJack Horseman on Netflix.

Da Sweet Blood Of Jesus (2014)

Next up, we have Da Sweet Blood of Jesus. This Spike Lee film tells the story of an anthropologist whose life changes when he is suddenly stabbed by a dagger, which turns out to be a magical weapon from ancient Africa that turns him into a terrifying creature - a vampire. 

I know, the premise itself sounds like any old vampire film, but I have to say that Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is unique in every way. From how vampires work to the ending, that shows Rami Malek giving a compelling performance as Seneschal Higginbottom, working as a servant and having some really awesome scenes alongside Stephen Tyrion Williams as Dr. Green. It’s not your typical vampire film, but thanks to the brilliant acting from both Malek and his co-stars, it’s an intriguing entree into the fantasy genre. 

Stream Da Sweet Blood of Jesus on Showtime.
Rent Da Sweet Blood of Jesus on Apple TV.

Papillon (2017)

Last but not least, we have Papillon. This biographical drama starring Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek follows the true story of French convict Henri Charrière - who was called Papillon, and escaped with fellow convict, Louis Dega, from Devil’s Island in the 1940s. 

The movie itself is really great, with a lot of thrilling action moments. But, what makes this movie one of Rami Malek’s best is his overall performance as Louis Dega, as well as his partnership with Charlie Hunnam as Henri Charrière. They truly make such an outstanding duo.

Stream Papillon on Hulu.
Rent Papillon on Amazon.

Rami Malek is only going to continue to give us intriguing roles, considering he already has two films set to come out - one called Amsterdam, and the other is Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, so you’re sure to see more of him. Until those release, enjoy some of his best films and TV shows now - you might just find a new favorite re-watch.  

I see you, I hear you - you’re looking for something like Severance, aren’t you?

The latest Apple TV+ show premiered back in the beginning of 2022 and has become one of the platform's biggest shows, following the story of an alternate world where we can separate our non-work memories from our work memories. It’s captured the minds of viewers, and Season 2 is on the way. 

But, if you’re like me and you’re wondering what the heck to watch now that you’ve finished the first season of Severance, fear no more, as we have a nice long list of shows that you can stream right now (or buy) that are exactly like Severance in one way or another. For some awesome picks, check out some of these. 

Devs (Hulu)

First up on the list, we have the Hulu original series, Devs. This miniseries, starring Nick Offerman, tells the story of a young software engineer who decides to investigate a new tech company that she believes is responsible for the death of her boyfriend, and finds dark secrets hidden by its founder. 

Devs, for fans of Severance, is perfect, because it’s almost the same idea, looking at a giant tech company and taking a sinister twist on it. It’s a great sci-fi series that really dives deep into the conspiracies of the tech world and one that I truly think you’ll enjoy the heck out of. Plus, Nick Offerman is honestly fantastic in his role and really shows off his acting talents as Forest, the CEO of the tech company. Such a great miniseries. 

Stream Devs on Hulu.

Mr. Robot (Amazon Prime)

I’m sure at some point you’ve heard of Mr. Robot. This popular series, starring Academy Award-winner, Rami Malek, follows a programmer who has a seemingly normal job working as a cyber-security engineer, but at night, he turns into the ultimate hacker, taking down people one by one with his coding skills. 

For fans of Severance, I really feel like the characters of Mr. Robot drive this show like those on Severance do. While I am behind Severance for the amazing idea, I ended up continuing to watch the series because I truly liked the characters that we met and all of their daily lives. Rami Malek’s lead character, Elliot, is such a complex and interesting character in this coding world that you can’t help but follow him on his journey. 

Stream Mr. Robot on Amazon Prime.

Westworld (HBO Max)

If you’re looking for a sci-fi series, Westworld is the way to go. In this HBO original, Westworld originally took place in a world that has androids that look and feel like humans - often used in a theme park called Westworld to simulate the wild west. But soon, when these androids start to gain complex feelings that they shouldn’t, the lives of everyone change forever. 

If you liked the sci-fi aspect of Severance, this show is for you. It’s like a whole new level of sci-fi that continues to top itself every season, and further pushes you to want to explore this interesting dystopian world and follow these androids. The entire Westworld cast is so unbelievably talented, and with Season 4 expected to air sometime in 2022, now's the time to binge the series. 

Stream Westworld on HBO Max.

Russian Doll (Netflix)

Oh boy. Now this is a show. Russian Doll, a Netflix original series, follows Nadia, a woman who is celebrating her thirty-sixth birthday when she is suddenly caught in a never ending death loop, having to repeat the same day over and over again until she can find a way out, trying to find answers each time she dies. 

Russian Doll is so good, and for fans of Severance, you’ll love this complicated story. There are so many bits and pieces to the puzzle that it makes you want to re-watch the series to see if you missed anything - and then re-watch it again to see if you missed anything twice. Plus, Natasha Lyonne is freaking fantastic as Nadia and truly shines in this series. The second season premiered in April 2022 with a whole different premise, this time literally taking Nadia back in time, so you’ll always be entertained. 

Stream Russian Doll on Netflix.

Black Mirror (Netflix)

Black Mirror is a series that I think everyone has heard of at this point, exploding onto the scene several years back. This series, following different worlds and storylines each season, tells the stories of characters who come in contact with some dark technology, which often end up changing their lives for the worse in the end. 

Let me tell you, if you like dark technology, like the way in which they do things in Severance, then Black Mirror is for you. From the first season, we see so many interesting and strange storylines that really change the game about what life is like with technology, from its effects on the human mind to its effects on society as a whole. 

Stream Black Mirror on Netflix.

Servant (Apple TV+)

I had to put another great Apple TV+ original here. Servant takes place in Philadelphia, following a couple who has undergone a horrible tragedy but finds a strange way in order to cope. Soon, their lives are turned upside down when this way of dealing with their grief opens doors to forces they can’t control. 

Servant isn’t sci-fi like Severance, but the thrilling aspect of it is still there, paired with a dark atmosphere that anyone can enjoy, as it’ll keep you hooked from one episode to the next no matter what. Created by M. Night Shyamalan, you know there’s going to be twists, turns, and so many new plot changes that you’ll have to twist your own head to keep up with them, but truly, it’s one of Apple TV+’s best so far. 

Stream Servant on Apple TV+.

Upload (Amazon Prime)

Another sci-fi one for you. This Amazon Prime original series, called Upload, takes place in 2033, when humans have found a way to upload our consciousness into an afterlife of our choosing once we die. Nathan, our main character, gets uploaded when he dies suddenly, but soon, facts about his premature death start to unravel over time. 

I mean, the premise is good enough to pull you in, just like Severance. The idea of being able to upload yourself into a literal afterlife is bonkers and makes me want to watch this show regardless. But, if that doesn’t get you, this show is also really funny. Coming from Greg Daniels, one of the creators of The Office, you know it’s going to be packed with great moments that will make you smile and laugh. 

Stream Upload on Amazon Prime.

Counterpart (Amazon Prime)

This series is crazy from the start. Counterpart, starring J.K. Simmons, follows Howard Silk, a U.N. worker who discovers a shocking secret - that his agency has access to what seems to be a portal to another world, where he discovers that there’s an alternate version of him who is completely different from him in every way imaginable. 

Like Severance, this show has aspects of both a workplace drama as well as sci-fi moments that truly make you want to keep watching. Who wouldn’t want to discover a whole new world on the other side of a portal? There are plenty of twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat, from one episode to the next. 

Stream Counterpart on Amazon Prime.

Made For Love (HBO Max)

Next up, we have this HBO Max original series, Made for Love. This sci-fi show starts off dark, with a young woman trying to run away from her abusive husband, but soon, she finds out that he’s been tracking her every movement with a device that he planted in her brain, and now, she must find a way to escape him with that implant. 

Made for Love is the perfect combination of a drama and a sci-fi series. It doesn’t go too far into either genre, where it feels overwhelming, just like Severance, and properly combines them to create a tale that speaks on many levels about modern relationships, privacy, and many other serious topics. The Made for Love cast is amazing, as well, and really captures you attention from the very start. 

Stream Made For Love on HBO Max.

Homecoming (Amazon Prime)

If you’re looking for another Amazon Prime original, check out Homecoming. This show follows another workplace, this time an organization that focuses on helping soldiers return back to everyday life, called Homecoming. It's supposedly hiding a dark secret, and over time, all of their employees begin to realize the truth behind the sinister actions. 

Like Severance, this show is what I like to call a slow-burn thriller. It doesn’t come right out the gate with moments that will make you gasp and shiver, but will pique your interest and make you think, “there’s something darker going on here.” Over each episode, you’ll learn a little more and begin to connect the dots. It’s such a great show.

Stream Homecoming on Amazon Prime.

Awake (Amazon)

Next up, we have Awake, an original series from NBC that lasted for a season. Starring Jason Isaacs, Awake tells the story of a detective who gets caught up in two alternate realities when he gets into a serious car wreck. One reality is where his wife lives, and the other is where his son lives, not knowing which one is real. But, he uses this to his advantage in order to solve cases for work from the other reality. 

While this show didn’t do so well in ratings when it first premiered, in general it's received tons of critical praise, specifically directed at Isaacs' performance as the lead character. For fans of Severance, if you like the sci-fi aspect, this show has plenty of it mixed in with police procedural drama. 

Buy Awake on Amazon.

The Twilight Zone (Paramount Plus)

Last but not least, we have The Twilight Zone. A series that has been rebooted several times, today we look at the 2019 Jordan Peele version, following different stories that are said to take place in “The Twilight Zone,” an alternate universe where not everything is as it seems. 

I mean, let’s be honest - Severance almost feels like an extended Twilight Zone episode with how wacky that premise is - and I seriously do enjoy the heck out of this version and its strangeness in every episode. While The Twilight Zone has been around for decades and rebooted many times, I also really like Jordan Peele’s version of it, and wish that it had more seasons. 

Stream The Twilight Zone on Paramount+.

With Severance Season 1 over, we have to start waiting to see the continuation of the story. But, you can now check out one of these shows before it comes back. You might get to experience a whole new TV show that you’ll fall in love with.  

Ah, New York City, the home of the best pizza, the rudest people, and so much to see. How would I know this? I’m from the state itself, and visited NYC practically every weekend to see family. You just gotta love it. And apparently, Hollywood does as well, as there are plenty of awesome TV shows that are set in the city we all know and love. 

From older comedies like Seinfeld to newer additions like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, there are plenty of TV shows set in New York City. Here are some of the best that are streaming right now. 

Seinfeld (1989-1998)

Probably one of the most classic comedies that take place in the city is Seinfeld, a legendary show starring Jerry Seinfeld that follows a gang of close friends in their thirties who are trying to live their everyday lives in the late eighties and nineties, with that classic setting of New York City behind them. 

Seinfeld is a classic sitcom for a reason. Not only is the Seinfeld cast filled to the brim with talent, but the show is so funny. Sure, there are some jokes that probably wouldn’t do well in today’s humor, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s practically the dictionary definition for what a sitcom should be.

Stream Seinfeld on Netflix.

I Love Lucy (1951-1957)

Take a trip back to one of the first TV hits ever. I Love Lucy follows the titular character, Lucy, and her daily life with her husband, Ricky, as they yearned for more in their lives together in the city of New York back in the 1950s, a very different time. 

I Love Lucy is probably one of the most iconic shows of all time, which means of course it would take place in one of the most iconic cities of all time. What makes this show even more special is that Lucille Ball and her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz, played the couple, creating fun chemistry and hilarious moments that make me laugh every time I watch it. 

Stream I Love Lucy on Paramount Plus.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-Present)

This Amazon original is funny in all the right places. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, taking place in NYC in the 1950s, follows Miriam “Midge” Maisel, whose typical life is turned upside down when her husband leaves her. Now, she decides to do something not many other women have done before - stand-up comedy, something very uncommon for a woman in NYC at that time. 

Having won several awards, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is the perfect next binge for you, especially with another season coming out quite soon. The cast is perfect, the jokes hilarious, the story is heartwarming mixed in with empowerment about women wanting to live their own lives and follow their own dreams. Super good. 

Stream The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime.

Law And Order (1990-Present)

I’d be concerned if you haven’t heard of Law & Order. This classic police procedural taking place in NYC is exactly as you would expect - following the law and order of dealing with a crime, oftentimes a big one like murder, showing how not all cases are black and white, and how you can find the strangest people within New York City. 

I’m pretty sure that every celebrity in existence now has had at least one guest spot on Law & Order, and that’s honestly not that surprising considering it’s been around for thirty-one years, with several spinoffs taking place in many other cities and units of the law. However, the original will always be the best, in my opinion. 

Stream Law and Order on Peacock.

Friends (1994-2004)

They’ll be there for you when the rain starts to pour. This iconic sitcom from NBC, Friends, is all about a friend group in New York City, living their daily lives through jobs, relationships, and huge life changes, while the background of the craziness of the city guides them through adulthood, mixed in with some hilarious moments of comedy. 

Friends has become one of the most known shows of all time, and the Friends cast has gone on to do amazing things after their time on the show, like Jennifer Aniston or Courteney Cox. The show was so popular it even warranted a reunion special on HBO Max in 2021, years after it ended, so you know that people truly do love this show. 

Stream Friends on HBO Max.

How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)

In this classic comedy, How I Met Your Mother tells the story of a man who is recapping to his children how they met their mother, and what the journey was to get to her while also having crazy adventures with his best friends in New York City, using the town to their full advantage. 

My personal favorite character from this show is, of course, Barney Stinson. You can’t beat his hilarious jokes. But the How I Met Your Mother cast is full of stars and talent, and the story itself is super great - until the finale, but we don’t need to talk about that. The rest of the show is so worth the watch. And, with a new spinoff on Hulu that premiered in January 2022, now’s the perfect time to see the original. 

Stream How I Met Your Mother on Hulu.

Mad Men (2007-2015)

Taking place in the 1960s in New York City, Mad Men's title is a play on the idea of the major advertising companies that were on Madison avenue in NYC, hence the term, “Mad Men.” The series mainly follows Don Draper, one of the executives at an advertising agency, and someone who has plenty of behind the scenes issues in his life. 

Mad Men was such a gem of a show while it was on the air. From the brilliance of the Mad Men cast to the story that it gave to the character arcs that followed, it was perfect from start to finish. And the amount of stars that emerged from this show, like Elisabeth Moss or Alison Brie, is amazing. 

Stream Mad Men on Amazon Prime.

30 Rock (2006-2013)

Another comedy on this list that takes place in New York City is 30 Rock. This comedy created by Tina Fey (and starring Tina Fey) takes place in 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the home of NBC in New York City, detailing the lives of the workers of a fictional sketch show and the constant troubles they have to face, from cocky stars to hard to work with boss’. 

I sort of consider 30 Rock to be the NYC-based version of The Office, as it has a similar tone as the popular work-place comedy, but has much more drama with its cast and characters - as expected, since they're all TV stars and not paper company workers. The whole entire show is so perfect, with plenty of hilarious moments and really cool guest stars that will have you pointing at the screen in surprise. 

The 30 Rock cast is also insanely talented as well, with big names like Alec Baldwin, Jason Sudeikis and more topping the list, all of which have gone on to succeed more in their own ways. 

Stream 30 Rock on Hulu. 

High Maintenance (2012-2020)

This anthology series is truly outstanding. High Maintenance takes place in the borough of Brooklyn in NYC, following “The Guy,” a man whose real name is unknown and delivers marijuana to clients, all of which are different and strange in their own ways - but it's NYC, so of course you're going to run into some interesting people.

A fun fact about this series is that it actually started out as a Vimeo webseries, before it became so popular HBO picked it up for a full series. And honestly, I can see why. The great comedy paired with the really cool cinematography make for a truly entertaining show. I always love when shows tend to focus on the other boroughs rather than just Manhattan itself, so this show is always a win in my book.

Stream High Maintenance on HBO Max.

Succession (2018-Present)

One of the newer shows on this list, Succession centers around the Roy family, the owners of a huge media and entertainment conglomerate, located in NYC, where their business thrives. But when their patriarch suddenly comes down with an illness that will surely take his life, it’s a competition to see who is going to inherit the empire. 

Succession is a brilliant show. Three seasons in and somehow, they still find a way for me to keep watching and seeing how exactly this family will react. You want to talk about dysfunctional families, this is the go-to. This is one of those shows where I don’t want to reveal much, and with a fourth season already on the way, now’s the perfect time to binge it. 

Stream Succession on HBO Max.

Gossip Girl (2007-2012)

Ever wonder how the 1% spend their lives when they’re in high school in NYC? That’s what Gossip Girl explores. This popular CW drama series mainly follows Serena Van der Woodsen, a seemingly regular girl with a rich family on the Upper East Side of New York City, but has secrets from her past that, when exposed, will change her whole life. 

I have to be honest - for years, I stayed away from this show because I always heard about the insane amount of drama and never believed it worth watching, but after binging it for the first time, I can happily say that this show is worth the hype and more. While I’m not the biggest fan of the reboot they brought to HBO Max in 2021, the original series is still up there, and the Gossip Girl cast brings it in every episode, creating astoundingly fun drama about the rich residents of the Upper East Side. 

Stream Gossip Girl on HBO Max.

Sex And The City (1998-2004)

Another famous comedy drama on this list, Sex and the City follows another group of friends in New York City, but this time, a group of women in their thirties (and one in her forties) who are trying to get a grasp on their lives and their ever-changing roles and relationships, while still remaining close friends in the crazy city that they have come to love.

Sex and the City is iconic for many reasons. The relationships are steamy, the drama intense, the cast talented - and those are just a few of the staples of this fun show. With the sequel series that premiered on HBO Max in 2021, I think the original is worth the watch. 

Stream Sex and the City on HBO Max.

Mr. Robot (2015-2019)

The last full drama on this list, Mr. Robot is a brilliant show set in NYC, following Elliot. By day, he seems like a normal guy, working as an engineer in cyber-security that is located in New York City, but by night he uses his incredible mind to hack into databases, and this talent of his is ultimately what gets him in trouble with the bad folk of the city.

Starring Rami Malek as Elliot, Mr. Robot is an incredibly tense show with so much to love about it. From the moment I watched the first episode, I was hooked, both by Malek’s perfect performance and a storyline that was impossible to look away from. Truly, this is one of the best dramas out there, and the way it concluded was amazing. Watch it if you haven’t. 

Stream Mr. Robot on Amazon Prime.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2021)

Last but not least, we have Brooklyn Nine-Nine. This comedy-drama mixed in with police procedural stars Andy Samberg and follows the daily life of Detective Jake Peralta, working at a fictional police station in Brooklyn, NYC, and his normal everyday interactions with his co-workers, often butting heads with his boss who doesn’t agree with his jokes or his carefree point of view at life and his job.

The show came to an end in 2021 after eight seasons, and I can’t tell you how sad I felt when it did end. There’s just something so sweet about the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast. The friendships and relationships between these characters felt real and the story that revolved around it was perfect as well, mixing in with the wonderful backdrop of NYC. You just have to love it. 

Stream Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Hulu.

There’s probably a million more TV shows that I could have included on this list, but to me, these have always been some of the best. And maybe now, you might have found a new show to watch. Happy binging! 

It is a bittersweet time to be fan of Shameless, Showtime’s American update of the hit British family dramedy, which is ending this year after 11 seasons. On the other hand, for many devotees to the Gallagher clan, the real bittersweet moment was when Emmy Rossum left the show in 2019. Other than praying for Fiona Gallagher to make an appearance before the series finale of Shameless or waiting for the premiere of her upcoming miniseries Angelyne, I imagine some of her loyal followers have managed to find some ways to cope since Emmy Rossum’s Season 9 exit.

They may have tried binging her best moments on the Emmy-winning series, checking out some of the music they previously did not know she released as singer-songwriter, and discovering some of her efforts behind-the camera (such as directing an episode of Amazon’s romantic anthology series Modern Love). Or, they revisited some of her other best known acting credits. Who could forget her Golden Globe-nominated role as the object of Gerard Butler’s affection in Joel Schumacher’s The Phantom of the Opera, or more recent films like the National Lampoon creator biopic, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, and the 2019 action film Cold Pursuit, with Liam Neeson?

It is perfectly fine if these are her only roles, outside of Shameless, which you actually do remember. In fact, lucky for you, we have made it a specialty of ours lately to help remind fans of performances by their favorite stars that may have slipped their minds over the years. I came up with 10 for Emmy Rossum, starting with her very first gig.

Law & Order (Alison Martin)

Emmy Rossum was 11 when this 1997 Law & Order episode aired, in which she plays Alison Martin, whose father is suspected of killing his wife’s uncle. As it turns out, he is guilty of the murder, because the Egyptian uncle had hired an Egyptian doctor to perform a female circumcision on young Alison - which her mother made no attempts to prevent. Coming onto the scene immediately with a role that dark gives a performer the strength to take on anything.

Mystic River (Katie Markum)

Six years later, Emmy Rossum channeled that strength to play teenage Katie Markham, whose murder is the central focus of Clint Eastwood’s brutal drama Mystic River, as based on Dennis Lehane’s novel. Sean Penn won his first Oscar playing Katie’s distraught, ex-con father; Kevin Bacon his old friend, now a detective working the case; and Tim Robbins also gives an Oscar-winning performance as their other friend who has long struggled with his own traumatic childhood experience. Painful secrets from their past and lies from the present come to the surfaces as the investigation of Katie’s death evolves, and the movie is a must watch.

Genius (Claire Addison)

Secrets and lies are the foundation of Claire Addison’s (a delightfully charismatic teenage Emmy Rossum) relationship with trouble-making junior high student Chaz Anthony, or so she thinks. Chaz is actually Charlie Boyle (Jurassic Park III’s Trevor Morgan), a socially inexperienced 14-year-old science prodigy tasked with assisting a crackpot professor who wants to defy gravity at the university where Claire’s dad coaches hockey. Charlie creates the “Chaz” persona to impress Claire after immediately falling for her, only leading to more problems, in Genius - a 1999 Disney Channel original movie that still holds up well.

The Day After Tomorrow (Laura Chapman)

Whether or not schlockmeister Roland Emmerich’s 2004 B-movie parading as a cautionary climate change tale holds up today depends on your ability to suspend disbelief or your appreciation for cheesy disaster flicks. Emmy Rossum actually gets to play a science whiz herself as Laura Chapman in The Day After Tomorrow, as well as the love interest of 24-year-old Jake Gyllenhaal as Sam Hall - both of whom are trapped in New York while Hall’s paleoclimatologist father Jack (Dennis Quaid) races to rescue them in the midst of a new Ice Age.

Poseidon (Jennifer Ramsey)

Speaking of cheesy disaster flicks, Emmy Rossum seemed to be on a role with the genre by 2006, when she starred in Wolfgang Petersen’s single-word remake of 1972’s The Poseidon Adventure. She plays Jennifer (daughter of Kurt Russell as a former New York mayor), who is one of several survivors desperately searching for a safe exit after a tidal wave causes the titular cruise ship to capsize on one fateful New Year’s Eve.

Before I Disappear (Maggie)

The fate of writer and director Shawn Christensen’s suicidal character, Richie, is postponed when his estranged sister Maggie (Emmy Rossum) urgently asks him to look after her precocious, 11-year-old daughter Sophia (Fatima Ptacek, the voice of Dora the Explorer) in Before I Disappear. Other than Rossum’s powerful supporting role, this 2014 feature-length update of Christensen’s own 19-minute drama Curfew (which earned him the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short film in 2013) has a relatable darkness and even a grim sense of humor that may, strongly, appeal to Shameless fans.

The Audrey Hepburn Story (Young Audrey Hepburn)

Fans of Shameless may also be curious to see how Emmy Rossum pulls off portraying an Academy Award-winning screen legend in her teenage years in The Audrey Hepburn Story. The 2000 made-for-TV biopic chronicles the life of the Dutch Breakfast at Tiffany’s star from her struggles with her parents’ divorce and living under Nazi-rule during War World II to her career as one of Hollywood’s most beloved actresses, at which point she is played by Jennifer Love Hewitt, who also serves as co-executive producer.

Comet (Kimberly)

Speaking of love, the relationship between the pessimistic Dell (Justin Long) and the witty Kimberly (Emmy Rossum) is a complicated and strange trip told over the course of six years in Comet. The romantic dramedy with a unique sci-fi edge turned out to be the catalyst of a real-life love story between Rossum and writer and director Sam Esmail, who made his feature-length debut with the 2014 film before becoming the prolific mastermind of such series as Homecoming, an upcoming revival of Battlestar Galactica, and Mr. Robot.

Mr. Robot (Caroler #1)

Speaking of that highly acclaimed, Emmy-winning USA original series, creator Sam Esmail would later cast his wife in the fourth and final season premiere of Mr. Robot, starring Oscar-winner Rami Malek as a mentally disturbed cyber-security engineer who moonlights as a vigilante hacker. Emmy Rossum makes an uncredited, blink-and-you-miss-it appearance as part of a group of Christmas carol singers whom Malek’s Elliot Alderson and Christian Slater’s title character walk past in New York City.

Dragonball Evolution (Bulma)

One would imagine that Emmy Rossum looks back on her involvement with this 2009 adaptation of the popular anime wishing you could miss her with just a blink. Instead, she is a major presence in Dragonball Evolution as scientist Bulma - one of the many characters from Akira Toriyama’s original Japanese manga subjected to shameless white-washing in this attempt at a new live-action franchise. The movie now lives in infamy as a critical and commercial failure at levels of “over 9000!”

What do you think? Was I a little too harsh on Dragonball Evolution, or do you feel that I was being too undeservingly generous to it simply by giving it any attention? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on Emmy Rossum’s post-Shameless career, as well as even more retrospectives on your favorite celebrities’ lesser-known roles, here on CinemaBlend.

What does Rami Malek think about Mr. Robot ending? Well, as you would undoubtedly expect, the actor is pretty emotional about it. The USA tech thriller’s fourth and final season will premiere this Sunday, October 6. Getting to the point of saying goodbye has packed an emotional punch for Malek.

Fans have had to wait almost two years for the series’ final season to make it to the air. Mr. Robot’s penultimate season finished airing in December 2017. Now, the show is getting ready to return to take its final bow. Rami Malek opened up about the ending at the Season 4 premiere, telling ET:

Indeed! Rami Malek was already a star on the rise when Mr. Robot launched his career into the stratosphere. He even credited the show for helping him land his Oscar-winning role as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. Hence, saying goodbye to Mr. Robot marks the end of an era for Malek.

Rami Malek had previously opened up about reaching out to Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam for insight into how he let go of his famous character. Now, Malek’s ending journey as Elliot Alderson is about to begin airing. Speaking of that ending, Malek gave his thoughts on how Mr. Robot wraps up, saying:

Based on what Rami Malek is saying, Mr. Robot fans should be pretty satisfied with the show’s finale. It does sound like there will be a sense of finality to it, as the second part of Malek’s quote addressed the potential of post-finale follow-ups.

As for the quality of the ending, Rami Malek does not seem nervous about it in the least, offering an enthusiastic endorsement of it. That definitely qualifies as an assuring sign for fans anxious over how Mr. Robot will finish up. Viewers will be able to start assessing the final season for themselves when it begins airing this weekend.

The Season 4 premiere entitled “Unauthorized” takes place at Christmastime. The logline for the episode says that Elliot and Mr. Robot are back. Meanwhile, Darlene will be dealing with some stuff, Tyrell will be bored, and Dom will struggle with heightened levels of paranoia.

Mr. Robot is one of many shows that are saying goodbye. The series joins The Big Bang Theory and Game of Thrones as part of the “graduating class,” if you will. Rami Malek and fans are likely hoping that Mr. Robot can avoid the divisive final bow of Thrones.

The series’ fourth and final season will be the one that determines Mr. Robot’s enduring legacy. After renewing the series in late 2017, it was announced in late 2018 that Season 4 would be Mr. Robot’s last. That is a long time for fans to be building their anticipation as they wonder what the ending will be.

The wait is almost over! The road to Mr. Robot’s ending begins when Season 4 premieres Sunday, October 6, at 10 p.m. ET on USA. Catch up on all of Mr. Robot’s previous seasons via Amazon Prime Video. The tech thriller’s final season is one of this fall’s premieres.

It is good to be Rami Malek right now. The actor was the lead in Bohemian Rhapsody, one of 2018’s most successful films, for which he won a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an Oscar for his performance as Freddie Mercury. On top of that he’s dating his gorgeous co-star. Yet, he might never have gotten the role of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody if it weren’t for his breakout role in USA’s Mr. Robot. According to Rami Malek:

It’s impossible to know for sure what would have happened, but at least as far as Rami Malek is concerned, his current career success, epitomized by Bohemian Rhapsody, is attributable to his role as Elliot Alderson on Mr. Robot. As he told ET, Sam Esmail’s mind-bending show gave him visibility and a compelling character with whom he could show the world what he was capable of.

Prior to Mr. Robot, Rami Malek had plenty of credits to his name, but he himself wasn’t an established name by any stretch. His roles were mostly on TV shows and his biggest film credits were in the Night at the Museum movies, as well as taking roles in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2 and in smaller films like The Master and Short Term 12. Mr. Robot was Rami Malek’s first big starring role and it put him on the map in a way he wasn’t before.

Mr. Robot was a huge hit in its first season and was watercooler TV that had people talking. Rami Malek’s work on the show got people’s attention and it is possible that his presence in a buzzed about TV show put him on the right people’s radar. He believes that eventually snowballed into him landing the role of Freddie Mercury, a role that has changed his life. Sometimes all it takes is that breakthrough performance to get the ball rolling.

Rami Malek’s newfound success isn’t just limited to Bohemian Rhapsody and his award-winning performance as Freddie Mercury; the actor, now a name with a golden statue attached to it, is carrying that good fortune forward. Next year he joins a star-studded voice cast as Chee-Chee, opposite Robert Downey Jr.’s John Doolittle in The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle.

The actor also joins one of cinema’s most storied franchises as the villain in the as yet unnamed Bond 25. As Bohemian Rhapsody propels his career into the theatrical realm, Rami Malek will return one last time to the role of Elliot Alderson, to which he credits so much of his success, when Mr. Robot airs its fourth and final season later this year on USA. And of course, there's always the off-chance Bohemian Rhapsody could get a sequel.

We’ll keep you updated on what Rami Malek is working on next and in the meantime, check out our 2019 release schedule to gear up for all of this summer’s biggest movies.

"All good things must come to an end" wouldn't be such a popular saying if it wasn't true, and this list of shows ending in 2019 is proof of that statement in spades. The year has already seen shows like A Series Of Unfortunate Events reach a conclusion, and Marvel's Jessica Jones and The Punisher will likely be cancelled in time. With that said, here are great shows we know are ending, whether they were cancelled or are ending on their own terms, when they may end, and whether they'll return at any point in the future.

Broad City

Cancelled Or Not? Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson mutually decided to end Broad City after Season 5 and inked a first-look television deal with Viacom to help create future programming on Comedy Central. Basically, Broad City may be over, but audiences will surely be saying "yas" to future programs the two help develop.

When Is It Ending? Spring 2019

Any Chance For More? While there will certainly be more content from both of these talented actresses, the duo's statement on Broad City's end makes it sound as though they're good moving on to other things following its end.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Cancelled Or Not? Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was renewed by The CW for a final season, which gave the musical comedy a chance to conclude its wild story. It was a gracious move by the network, as the show's ratings weren't the best for a while.

When Is It Ending? Winter to early Spring 2019

Any Chance For More? Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna have reportedly always viewed Crazy Ex-Girlfriend as a story with an end, and with neither making plights for another network to pick it up, it feels as though they're sticking with that idea.

Elementary

Cancelled Or Not? Alas, CBS gave Elementary the axe after 6 seasons on the network, but there was a spot of good news. The show's Season 7 renewal still stood, which means 2019 will give fans another chance to spend time with Sherlock and Joan.

When Is It Ending? TBA

Any Chance For More? CBS' Season 7 renewal seemed uncertain enough (hence the shocking Season 6 ending), so the odds of Season 8 happening elsewhere feels very slim. Additionally, it doesn't appear as though any plans are in place for the series to continue, which likely means it will reach a conclusion in the coming season.

Game Of Thrones

Cancelled Or Not? Game Of Thrones has finally reached its endgame, and there's absolutely no chance HBO told one of the biggest shows in television's modern era it was time to wrap things up.

When Is It Ending? Spring or Early Summer 2019

Any Chance For More? While no adventures directly related to Game of Thrones are on the way, there is the prequel in development that may very well get ordered to series. There are also multiple other spinoffs in development that, if ordered, will ensure we don't go without shows in Westeros for quite a while.

Gotham

Cancelled or Not? Gotham was on the bubble for quite some time, and eventually, Fox renewed the Batman prequel series for a final and shortened Season 5. It may not be ideal, but it should allow the show to finish its bonkers story of legendary DC Comics characters... with a twist.

When Is It Ending? Winter or early spring 2019

Any Chance For More? Gotham's saga is done, but creator Bruno Heller has another Batman-esque prequel on the horizon. Granted, the Alfred-centric series Pennyworth doesn't have an established connection to Gotham; still, the fact that the men who made the show are behind this new project could mean Gotham will live on vicariously through this.

Homeland

Cancelled Or No? After ongoing speculation and rumors that Homeland would end after Season 8, star Clare Danes finally confirmed that it was. Danes admitted that while she's ready for a break from playing the intense Carrie Mathison, ending a show that's been the longest thing she's ever been a part of is bittersweet.

When Is It Ending? TBA

Any Chance For More? Clare Danes' statements make it seem very likely Carrie Mathison's adventure is over, but fans have long clamored for a spinoff of some kind. Those words have fallen upon deaf ears, unfortunately, as no news has yet to surface regarding any continuation of Homeland in any way.

iZombie

Cancelled or Not? iZombie wasn't cancelled, but its season renewal alongside Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Jane The Virgin make it seem as though a return beyond Season 5 wasn't going to happen. Season 5 is to premiere on The CW Thursday, May 2.

When Is It Ending? Summer 2019

Any Chance For More? So far there's been no word what the future of the franchise is, but surely more questions about that will be asked as iZombie wraps on its final season.

Jane The Virgin

Cancelled or Not? As was the case with iZombie and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Jane The Virgin's renewal was The CW granting the dramedy another season to wrap up its show. It's possible the show would've continued beyond Season 5 if given the opportunity, but fans are left to wonder in the meantime.

When Is It Ending? Spring or Summer 2019

Any Chance For More? There doesn't appear to be any news of Jane The Virgin continuing at this time. With that said, the show might've hoped for more time to explain that crazy cliffhanger at the end of last season!

Killjoys

Cancelled or Not? The announcement that Killjoys was coming to an end was far from bad news for fans, as it was coupled with the news that it would be around for two more seasons. Unfortunately the year of that final season has finally come, and it's time to say goodbye to Syfy's space drama. No premiere date has been set for Season 5, although the show has historically aired in either June or July.

When Is It Ending? Most likely summer 2019

Any Chance For More? Nothing to talk about just yet, and with the show's endgame being announced two seasons ahead of time, it doesn't feel like an immediate followup or revival is likely.

Mr. Robot

Cancelled or Not? Mr. Robot was cancelled by USA Network, but its Season 4 that was announced back in 2017 was still planned to happen. If the final season is anywhere close to as crazy as seasons past, expect this finale to be one viewers talk about in 2019.

When Is It Ending? TBA

Any Chance For More? There doesn't appear to be any plans for Mr. Robot post-cancellation and Rami Malek's increased celebrity and award show recognition may ensure plans are never made. Still, we'd be down to see a spinoff where Elliot learns he has a bearded twin brother like the actor has in real life.

Orange Is The New Black

Cancelled or Not? Netflix's Orange is the New Black confirmed its exit via a heartwarming video of the cast revealing that Season 7 would be the program's final season. The details behind why the show is ending aren't known beyond that, and if the ending came as a result of the series reaching a conclusive end, or internal or external pressure from other forces.

When Is It Ending? TBA

Any Chance For More? No plans as of yet, but with a dedicated fanbase, it isn't hard to imagine a spinoff that follows one of the ladies of Litchfield on the inside or out in the real world.

Shadowhunters

Cancelled or Not? Freeform cancelled Shadowhunters in the midst of Season 3, but was gracious and announced the second half of the season would air in its entirety in 2019. Although fans have been petitioning for a Season 4 renewal since then, their plights have been ignored by Freeform and other networks.

When Is It Ending? Spring 2019

Any Chance For More? It's not looking good for Shadowhunters, especially given recent tensions between the fanbase and Freeform. The network's supposed mocking of fan petitions and efforts to renew the program upset many and seemingly made it more likely the folks at Freeform aren't changing their mind about that cancellation.

The Big Bang Theory

Cancelled or Not? The Big Bang Theory wasn't necessarily cancelled, but one actor announcing he was done with the series more or less sealed the deal. Sheldon actor Jim Parsons has since explained his reasoning for the decision, citing it felt as though it was time to move on.

When Is It Ending? Spring 2019

Any Chance For More? No solid plans are in place, but Kaley Cuoco's recent comments that not everyone is looking to get out of the show are promising. No solid plans for a reboot or revival have been teased or announced yet, so fans should resign themselves to watching Young Sheldon while waiting for updates.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Cancelled or Not? Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was renewed for Season 4, and showrunner Robert Carlock has said it wasn't immediately apparent this would be the final season. With that said, the team realized there was an organic opportunity to wrap things up, and the decision was made to make the upcoming season the final run of the comedy.

When Is It Ending? (barring a film) Friday, January 25

Any Chance For More? Showrunner Robert Carlock seems positive Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt isn't going to have another season, but he is hopeful for a film that will close out the show completely.

Veep

Cancelled or Not? After six wonderful seasons, HBO's multi-award-winning political comedy Veep is coming to a close. It's led to some emotional days on set for star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and it will probably be an emotional time for fans when this great show finally ends.

When Is It Ending? TBA

Any Chance For More? No plans for a Veep sequel series or spinoff have been announced, unfortunately.

You're The Worst

Cancelled Or Not? FX and creator Stephen Falk mutually agreed to end You're The Worst after Season 5, and he's expressed an eagerness to be given the opportunity to "stick the landing" in wrapping up the program.

When Is It Ending? Winter or early spring 2019

Any Chance For More? Judging by Stephen Falk's intention to "stick the landing," it doesn't sound as though fans should be hopeful any secret spinoffs, revivals, or reboots are in the works.

There are a lot of great shows ending in 2019, but also plenty of great ones returning and new shows with the potential to become great. Check out what the first half of the year has to offer with our handy midseason premiere guide.

By now, if you've seen Bohemian Rhapsody, you already know the physical transformation Rami Malek went through to take on Freddie Mercury's notable teeth, strut and more. If you haven't seen the movie yet, you probably still heard about it. Regardless, it was way more complicated than you might think to do the role, as Rami Malek recently revealed he was learning to do Freddie while also filming his role as Elliot Alderson on Mr. Robot. He said in a recent interview:

Freddie Mercury was a larger-than-life singer who had his own way of walking, talking, moving and certainly singing. Elliot, on the other hand is a genius mastermind who has trouble making eye contact and really engaging with certain parts of the world at large. At one point on set, Rami Malek was switching back and forth between playing Elliot and practicing for Freddie so much that there's an image sort of morphing the two, an image I would desperately love to see.

Having to switch back and forth between roles couldn't have been easy, but the actor did reveal he tried to make the best of the situation when it was happening.

Rami Malek also told THR that there was another moment of crossover between Elliot and Freddie on the set of Mr. Robot. Just when the show was wrapping and Bohemian Rhapsody was about to start filming, the Mr. Robot showrunner had Malek bring a little Freddie onto set. Per Malek:

It's been clear over the past several years that Rami Malek is an extremely versatile performer and if you haven't gotten a chance to see him on the USA series, the show is coming back for Season 4, although that will mark the end of the series.

On the film side of things, Rami Malek is next set to appear in The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, voicing Chee-Chee, a character in Hugh Lofting's literary universe who is a monkey and who previously appeared in the 1967 film.

Mr. Robot will return in 2019. Bohemian Rhapsody is in theaters now.

As fans are sadly aware, Mr. Robot is winding down. The series will end with its fourth season. This puts Mr. Robot's star in a position many actors have been before: on the verge of saying goodbye. Rami Malek revealed that he reached out to Sons of Anarchy's Charlie Hunnam regarding his exit. Malek said:

Talk about a wise move! Rami Malek opened up about chatting with Charlie Hunnam in an interview with IndieWire. Picking Hunnam's brain was a good choice because Hunnam knows all about saying goodbye to a long-running character. Hunnam bid adieu to Jax Teller four years ago in 2014, when Sons of Anarchy came to an end. Hunnam played the mega-popular character for seven seasons.

Based on what Rami Malek said, it sounds like it was difficult to imagine leaving the character behind. Mr. Robot premiered in the summer of 2015. A year after, Sons of Anarchy came to an end. Rami Malek has had a taste of what it has been like without Mr. Robot. The show last aired in 2017. He has remained busy though.

He plays Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, the new biopic of the Queen frontman. Speaking of movies, Rami Malek and Charlie Hunnam have something else in common. Along with saying goodbye to long-running characters, the two co-starred in the 2017 film Papillon.

Rami Malek also discussed the impending end of his time on Mr. Robot with Aaron Paul. The Breaking Bad star said goodbye to Jesse Pinkman in 2013. Paul played Jesse for five seasons. Out of the group, Charlie Hunnam played his Sons of Anarchy character the longest.

There is positive news for Rami Malek fans hoping Mr. Robot will not be his last television show. In his interview, Malek expressed his affinity for the television medium. He also shared that the producers of Bohemian Rhapsody watching him in Mr. Robot led to him landing the role. So, while his days as Mr. Robot are running out, his time on TV sounds far from over.

A lot of shows are getting ready to come to an end. So, Rami Malek will not be alone in sifting through his feelings. At this point, actors may want to consider setting up some sort of support group to help them work through it. Mr. Robot is one of many series that will be over by the time 2019 ends.

Game of Thrones and The Big Bang Theory are among other series that will be bidding farewell to their devoted audience. Like most things, it will take time to move on. The fourth and final season of Mr. Robot will premiere sometime in 2019. While fans await the bittersweet end in sight, there is lots of new fall television to keep them occupied.

Mr. Robot is responsible for putting USA on the map as a place to be for high-quality programming after it premiered back in 2015. The network arguably best-known for its Law & Order: SVU marathons and Suits scored widespread critical acclaim for Mr. Robot, as well as wins at both the Golden Globes and Emmys. Sadly, the end is nigh for the cyber thriller, as USA announced today that Mr. Robot will conclude at the end of its next season. Still, fans don't need to despair. There's some good news.

For one thing, a full fourth season has yet to air, so this news didn't break when fans only had a couple episodes left before the final credits roll. They'll have time to prepare themselves to say goodbye to Elliot and Co. by the time the first episode of Season 4 hits the airwaves. Also, USA has finally announced a release window for the fourth season. The show was renewed for Season 4 way back in December 2017 without an indication of when the new episodes could debut. Now, USA has confirmed that the show will return for its fourth and final season in 2019.

The 2019 release window isn't altogether shocking given that Mr. Robot hadn't been announced as part of USA's lineup for the rest of 2018, and USA didn't give an exact date when viewers can expect the Season 4 premiere. Still, any news is good news when it comes to the next season.

For another thing, the conclusion of Mr. Robot isn't a cancellation in the traditional sense of a network giving a show the axe because of low ratings or no longer fitting into the lineup. Mr. Robot creator, showrunner, and director Sam Esmail has long said that this show was only intended to run for a set amount of seasons, and in planning the fourth season, he realized that the time was right to bring the stories to a natural conclusion. Rather than "extend past its inevitable ending," Esmail and the creative team will end things in the show in their own way that hopefully delivers closure for fans who have stuck around since the very beginning.

Despite the recent trend of cancelled shows being revived on other networks or platforms, like Lucifer with its move to Netflix and Last Man Standing moving to Fox, Sam Esmail's comments indicate that even a potential campaign from fans wouldn't result in more Mr. Robot. What he had to say could reassure viewers that they're in for an ideal conclusion to the complex and intriguing series and alleviate any bitterness about the news of its ending.

We'll have to wait and see. The fourth and final season of Mr. Robot is still months away at the earliest, so be sure to check out our fall TV premiere guide for viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future. USA has plenty going on even without new episodes of Mr. Robot, what with the second half of Suits Season 8 mixing things up and a Jason Bourne TV show receiving a series order.

With Season 3 of Mr. Robot drawing towards its end and the tension in the series at an all-time high, it was beginning to be a question as to whether a Season 4 order for the series would ever come. Well, now the fans can calm down, because creator Sam Esmail shared the confirmation that the series would return to USA for Season 4 via his social media:

Obviously, this is great news for Mr. Robot fans, and while there's no telling where the Season 3 finale will take the story, we already know a few things. For starters, it looks as though the days of Mr. Robot premiering in the summer are officially over if Season 4 is going to premiere in 2018. With Sam Esmail stating on Instagram that the writer's room is just now opening up shop, it would be quite the feat for the show to wrap writing, filming, and post-production before the start of summer 2018. That said, if USA is looking to put the series back in a summer slot following a season in the fall, they could just delay Season 4 until 2019, although that doesn't sound ideal.

Especially considering Mr. Robot is a show so steeped in detail and misdirection. As a viewer, it took a bit of catchup and reviewing to remember exactly what was happening in the series when the show premiered Season 3 later than usual, and a full year break could make that a problem for many. In addition to that, Mr. Robot's viewership numbers have been on a steady decline since its beginning, and while USA has given no reason for fans to worry about its critically acclaimed and award-winning show's future, the longer the show is away, the greater the risk some fans could fall out of the series. Right now, we really don't even know when to expect Season 4 of Mr. Robot, so it's definitely too soon to start worrying about all of that. For now, fans should just focus on the show. Season 3 looks to tease the most thrilling season finale the show has given yet:

Catch the season finale of Mr. Robot on USA Wednesday, December 13 at 10:00 p.m. ET. For a look at some other shows that can be watched before 2017 takes its final bow, visit our fall premiere guide. Those wishing to jump ahead into the future can certainly do so by visiting CinemaBlend's midseason premiere guide, which is already loaded up with things television lovers will want to mark their calendars for. Finally, head on over to our cancellation guide and pay respects to some of the shows we lost this past year.

USA had a hit of a summer series over the past couple of years thanks to Mr. Robot. The first season debuted in June 2015 and the second hit the airwaves in July 2016, and many fans expected the third season to premiere sometime this summer as well. Unfortunately, that won't be the case. Mr. Robot will leave fans waiting for an extra couple of months. Luckily, there's some good news in the form of a new member of the cast. Bobby Cannavale will be on board when Season 3 kicks off.

The third season of Mr. Robot is slated to hit the airwaves this October. Production will begin in April. TVLine reports that executive producer Sam Esmail will direct the entire season, which will run for 10 episodes. This will be the second time that Esmail has helmed an entire season; he already directed all 12 episodes of Season 2. Given that Esmail hass established that he knows how he wants the series to end in a few years, I'd say that Season 3 is in good hands. Hopefully he can do as solid a job with all 10 episodes of Season 3 as he did with all 12 episodes of Season 2. He will have a brand new actor to direct.

Bobby Cannavale has signed on to join Mr. Robot as a regular in the upcoming third season. He'll play a character named Irving, who is a used car salesman with a low tolerance for shenanigans and speechifying. Details are currently pretty scarce, but Cannavale's casting definitely counts as good news. He has a wide variety of experience in large and small screen work, with projects ranging from Boardwalk Empire to Nurse Jackie to Ant-Man. His most recent TV project prior to signing on for Mr. Robot Season 3 was as the leading man on HBO's short-lived series Vinyl, which got the axe after one season.

Irving sounds like a character we haven't exactly seen Cannavale play before, so it should be fun to see what he does with the part and how he fits in with the existing cast. Considering that he's already been signed as a regular, we should see plenty of him when the show finally returns this fall. We'll also likely see a lot more of an existing character in Season 3, as BD Wong has been promoted from recurring to regular.

The news of the delay for Mr. Robot Season 3 is definitely unfortunate for those of us who were counting on the series coming back to the airwaves this summer, but at least we know that we'll have Bobby Cannavale on board when the show does return. Check out our midseason TV premiere schedule to see what you can watch to pass the time while we wait for more Mr. Robot.

There are few more iconic superheroes than DC's bad boy Batman. The Caped Crusader has consistently held the heart of generations of fans, who long to see him kick ass, grapple around gotham, and ride a variety of armed vehicles. As such, every new incarnations of Batman is looked upon with telescopic detail by the fandom, which we all saw during the original backlash to Ben Affleck's casting in the DC Extended Universe. He eventually won over the naysayers, but with more Batman rogues being introduced in Affleck's solo film and the Margot Robbie led Gotham City Sirens, fans are very concerned over which actors will play the legendary characters. Now an up and coming actress just has her name in the hat to play Poison Ivy in the DCEU, and it might actually be a perfect choice.

Danish actress Stephanie Corneliussen has gained a fair amount of fans and positive recognition for her work in USA's hit drama Mr. Robot. Eager to be signed on to a superhero movie role of her very own, Corneliussen took to twitter to campaign for the role of Poison Ivy in Gotham City Sirens, and the larger DCEU. She did this on her personal Twitter page, saying:

Utilizing a photo of herself with red hair, Stephanie Corneliussen put her dream of playing Poison Ivy into the universe. She presumably hopes that her Mr. Robot fans will help boost her campaignl, and that it will eventually be seen by the higher ups at DC Studios. Whether or not this venture is successful remains to be seen.

Stephanie Corneliussen's interest in playing Poison Ivy is sure to be a relief for hardcore DC fans. In the past few weeks, rumors have swirled that actress Megan Fox might be playing Ivy in the DCEU, which set a certain portion of the internet into a fury. The fandom made it clear that they wanted the Jennifer's Body (and recently, New Girl) actress nowhere near the villain- instead opting for an actress who has done a bit more critically acclaimed work.

It should be interesting to see how the request to play Poison Ivy works out for Stephanie Corneliussen. She's not the first actor who take to social media in order to campaign for a superhero role. A ton of actors have thrown their names into the role of Cable in Deadpool 2, and both Barb from Stranger Things and Anna Kendrick have both made their interest in a Squirrel Girl movie known. Joe Manganiello's name was swirling around the role of Deathstroke in the DCEU for about a year before he landed the role in Ben Affleck's untitled Batman movie, so it seems like anything could happen in regards to Poison Ivy's casting.

Be sure to check back with us at CinemaBlend for updated on the DCEU as they become public.

2016 is coming to an end, and the time is now to look back at the best and worst that TV had to offer. It was a year filled with huge plot twists, heartbreaking deaths, and killer cliffhangers that drove viewers everywhere crazy...and to their Internet browsers. Google Play has released its ranking of the 5 most downloaded shows of this past year, and there are a couple that may come as surprises. Prepare yourself for some blasts from the super-recent past of 2016, and check out the list of Google's top 5 shows!

5. The Flash

The Flash is the biggest hit on The CW, but The CW is by far the smallest of the American broadcast networks. Still, something about the adventures of the Scarlet Speedster Barry Allen and his pals has struck a chord with viewers. I'm guessing that the big Flashpoint cliffhanger at the end of Season 2 probably had something to do with all the downloads. We had a long summer of waiting for news of what could possibly come next, and the plot hasn't gotten any less twisty in Season 3, so hopefully The CW considers its online popularity in considering the show's future.

4. Mr. Robot

Mr. Robot is another show airing on a smaller network that doesn't tend to break ratings record, but limited reach hasn't stopped it from widespread critical acclaim. The USA hacker drama took home two top prizes in 2016 for Best Television Drama and Best Supporting Actor at the 73rd Golden Globes, and Rami Malek won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama at the 68th Emmy Awards. I wouldn't be surprised if some of those downloads came from people checking out just what all the buzz was about on those awards nights.

3. The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory had a very big year in 2016. Sheldon and Amy were more entertaining than ever after they finally slept together. Penny and Leonard were working out the kinks of married life, and the reveal that Bernadette is pregnant was a game-changer. Throw in the humorous cliffhanger in the Season 9 finale, and Season 10 was bound to continue to be must-see TV. Who could have guessed that a sitcom could still generate so much interest this late in the game? Though CBS skews on the higher end of the key age demographics, there's no worry about losing the more tech-friendly generations.

2. The Walking Dead

It's no surprise that The Walking Dead made the list of Google Play's top shows of 2016. The year kicked off witha major comic book moment, moved on to introduce a new gang of threats, and then ended Season 6 with a gigantic cliffhanger that still has people talking even months later. Add on the fact that Negan's actions in the Season 7 premiere pushed the show into a whole new era of uncertainty for the characters, and The Walking Dead has been kind of a big deal over the past year.

1. Game of Thrones

HBO's Game of Thrones is Google Play's most popular show in 2016, and I can't say that I'm shocked. Ratings were higher than ever as viewers checked out to see where Dany flew off to, what royal drama was going on in King's Landing, and whether or not Jon Snow was actually really dead for good. Now that the show has officially passed the source material when it comes to plot, even book readers have to be on the edges of their seats in waiting to see what happens next, whether it's on a TV screen or a mobile device.

Check out our midseason TV premiere schedule to see what shows will hit the airwaves and WiFi signals in the near future.

It looks like you just can't slow Telltale Games down. No sooner have they released a brand new episodic series amidst additional seasons of their dozen other successful games, now we're seeing rumors that the developer might be working on a new project based on a fan-favorite television show.

Folks familiar with the show Mr. Robot are likely familiar with the fictional company known as E Corp. Well, out of the blue, the Telltale Facebook page suddenly became home to an E Corp ad for a new messaging app for your iOS and Android devices. The app, like the company, is fictional. But that's left us wondering: Why is Telltale teasing something like this unless they're working on a new project? We doubt it's because they're just huge fans of the show, though we don't doubt that they are, in fact, huge fans of the show. I mean, it's fantastic. Anyway, here's a look at what we're talking about.

To make matters more interesting, IGN recently did a post on Telltale's shenanigans, which the developer then reposted to their Twitter page. Again, that seems like an awful lot of hinting for something that isn't true, so we're starting to bank on a new Telltale game set in the Mr. Robot universe at this point.

If you watch the video, you'll enjoy a seemingly normal advertisement for a new and revolutionary messaging app that isn't tracking your information, location or anything like that. Nope, not one little bit.

So is it possible that Telltale is just having some fun here and showing off their love of Mr. Robot, which is now in its second season of entertaining the hell out of audiences? Of course, it is. But is it likely? Well, we don't feel so, but all we can do is wait for an official announcement, assuming something truly is cooking behind the scenes.

At this point, we figure Telltale must have the largest staff on the face of the earth, seeing as how they're working on about a dozen projects all at once. From The Walking Dead to Tales from the Borderlands, Game of Thrones to Minecraft Story Mode and beyond, they've got a huge collection of episodic series that are all gunning for additional chapters and seasons. Oh, and then there's the recently released first chapter of the Telltale Batman game, which seems to be getting as much critical praise as everything else Telltale turns out.

What we like most about the Mr. Robot project is that, like everything else in their stable, it's pretty unexpected. Nobody can claim they stick to one theme or genre, and they always manage to do something interesting with the properties they work with.

Let us know your thoughts on a possible Mr. Robot Telltale game in the comments below.

The 2016 Emmy nominations were announced this morning, and crowd favorite Downton Abbey was among the nominees for Outstanding Drama. The question is, was the show really as good as the other nominees this season?

Don't get me wrong, Downton Abbey was full of its trademark romantic drama, family shenanigans, downstairs troubles and shocking twists. But, was Season 6, which just so happened to be the last season of the PBS drama, as good as it was in its heyday? And, even more importantly, was it as good as the other shows that were also just nominated for Outstanding Drama? Downton is up against six other highly praised dramas for the award: Game of Thrones, Better Call Saul, Mr. Robot, House of Cards, Homeland and The Americans. That's some pretty tough competition, even for a show that's been as lauded as Downton Abbey has in the past.

All of Downton's competition are seen as current paragons of TV drama. Game of Thrones has been a huge critical and audience success for HBO since it arrived on our screens in 2011, and this most recent season saw some long-awaited reveals and damn near unbelievable turns that must have managed to shock even the most jaded television viewer. Better Call Saul has been a strong contender in the drama category since it received its first nomination last year, which was for Season 1 of the show. Plus, it has the benefit of giving audiences more of a character that had become a memorable part of another critical and audience darling, Breaking Bad, and has not disappointed fans. Mr. Robot has had a breakout first season; the USA show about a vigilante hacker quickly became a buzzed about program in Season 1 that led to a slew of non-Emmy award nods for the show and a ton of anticipation for the recent Season 2 premiere. House of Cards has been a powerhouse of drama since it debuted in 2013; Homeland had another powerful season after suffering some creative setbacks in seasons past, and The Americans has finally gotten the Emmy love the show has deserved for years.

Downton Abbey spent a good part of its final season doing what all shows do in their final season: wrapping up plotlines. And, while this isn't a bad thing, it does mean that the drama was steeped in past stories instead of bringing the audience new dramatic plots that we could sink our teeth into. The competition for this category has managed to wrap up lingering plots while also giving us new mysteries, something that Downton, to be fair, really wouldn't have wanted to do in the final season. So, we finally got a happy Edith, a happy Mary, a back-at-Downton-for-good Branson and Sybbie, a non-blood-spitting Robert and an all around more calm and collected clan. But, did that really make for outstanding drama?

A good portion of the supposed drama in Downton's last season came from a battle over the future of the local hospital between Cora and Isobel on one side and the Dowager Countess on the other. It was obviously meant as a mostly light-hearted feud, but when a good deal of a story is as (harmlessly) silly as this was, can we still put the show in contention for best drama? The competition was dealing with major political power struggles, crime, terrorism and treachery in ways that Downton could never really compare to even in its best time on the air. When you have a season of TV that mostly featured couples falling in love, breaking up, finding out big secrets about one another and then deciding whether or not to reconcile, it can be hard to see that season as the best use of an Outstanding Drama Emmy nod.

While I enjoyed the last season of Downton Abbey, I will say that it's possible that this was a going-away nomination for a show that brought a lot of elegance and good old-fashioned soapy drama to primetime television. And, really there's nothing wrong with that, especially since I'm stumped as to what other drama should have nabbed an Emmy nod instead of this show. Letting them go out with an Emmy-laced bang is just fine by me.

When 2015 began, actor Rami Malek was arguably best remembered on the small screen for his work in the HBO miniseries The Pacific, at least from a critical standpoint. But then USA's excellent cyber-drama Mr. Robot hit the summer schedule and turned him into headline news and awards fodder. Malek truly is great as the socially awkward and depressed hacker Elliot Anderson, and it might have something to do with him getting pegged for offbeat characters quite often. Here's how he explained dealing with that kind of stereotype in his career.

That's got to be a strange feeling for an actor, particularly for Rami Malek, whose Egyptian (and part-Greek) heritage was already going to inform a big part of his acting career, considering how Hollywood works. His debut on the big screen was as King Ahkmenrah in the Night at the Museum movies, if that's any indication. Power to him for looking at it as a plus, rather than a minus, in his comments during the THR Drama Actor Roundtable.

Malek first got his start on television for roles in Gilmore Girls and Over There, with a recurring stint as the best friend Kenny on The War at Home as his biggest gig on that front. In it, he played a teenager who was attracted to his best friend, which was fairly "weird," at least in the context of a 2005 Fox primetime sitcom with Michael Rapaport as a bigoted father. And that's something that will probably follow you around for a while.

Really, though, Malek has made some smart choices as an actor that don't give off the vibe that he's constantly dealing with script pitches about outsiders and quirk-ridden people. His work in Short-Term 12 and Da Sweet Blood of Jesus was great, and he's a dependable presence in otherwise passable stuff like Need for Speed. Plus, he was one of the big reasons why this year's horror video game Until Dawn, which used his voice and likeness, was so excellent.

Whatever had to happen to Rami Malek in the past that brings us to this point, it has led us to being just hours away from the Season 2 premiere of Mr. Robot, in which things are supposed to get even darker and more dangerous for Elliot and his reality-challenged headspace. Here's hoping enough people will be watching to keep Malek and Elliot on our TVs for years to come.

Mr. Robot will return to USA on Wednesday, July 13, at 10 p.m. ET.

The fall season is generally known as the best place for television, but networks finally realized a short time ago that people still watch TV over the summer, making it the perfect time to bring out limited series and similar short-run projects. We need something to do other than sweat.

Here are 13 summer TV shows that you definitely shouldn't miss out on, no matter what older shows are trying to tempt you into returning to them for binge sessions. All genres are accounted for, so even if you don't watch ALL of them, try not to go all the way to September without making SOME of them appointment viewing. (To see when everything is hitting TV over the summer, check out our premiere schedule.)

Orange is the New Black - Netflix

After waiting a year to see how Litchfield Penitentiary would deal with all the major changes in terms of prisoner intake and employee substitutions, Netflix subscribers finally got a chance to dip back into the hectic world of Orange is the New Black when Season 4 debuted. And holy crap, did the drama get ratcheted up. With a new pack of tyrannical guards (fronted by Brad William Henke) arriving to rule the halls with an iron fist, among other things, Orange is the New Black finds its footing this season with a narrative that mirrors recent headlines about corrupt and violent cops. And by the time that depressing finale is over, nothing will sound better than hitting up a sunny beach.

Premiere Date: June 17

Vice Principals - HBO

Two of the greatest TV characters of the last (however many years) are Eastbound & Down's Kenny Powers and Justified's Boyd Crowder, and HBO's upcoming comedy Vice Principals is gloriously bringing together actors Danny McBride - who co-created alongside frequent creative partner Jody Hill - and Walton Goggins for some truly psycho shenanigans. The pair play school officials who, when passed over for the main gig in place of Kimberly Hebert Gregory's Dr. Belinda Brown, soon share not only the vice principal position, but also the goal of ruining Dr. Brown's life. (And shit gets WILD, guys.) With a cast that also includes Shea Whigham, Busy Phillipps and Georgia King, Vice Principals finally gives HBO another ribald comedy to howl at between seasons of Veep and Silicon Valley.

Premiere Date: July 17

The Last Ship - TNT

I'm certain that there are many TV viewers out there who would be fine with just watching an hour of actor Eric Dane wearing snugly-fitted military uniforms, but thankfully the TNT thriller The Last Ship has a hell of a lot more going on to keep everyone else interested. (But yes, there are definitely pause-worthy shots of Dane's Tom Chandler to relish.) While the premiere was initially delayed last month due to a sequence similar to the Orlando nightclub shooting, things are back on track for the extended third season, which took Chandler to Asia and broadened the threats hindering our more virtuous characters' survival. You're not going to find a better example on TV of cinema's quintessential summer blockbuster, and it's more worthy of your time than lots of recent big screen offerings.

Premiere Date: June 19

Outcast - Cinemax

Simply put, Outcast is great horror television, regardless of how you feel about creator Robert Kirkman or that other show of his, The Walking Dead. Based on Kirkman's comic of the same name (which is lovingly illustrated by Paul Azaceta), Outcast focuses on Patrick Fugit's highly troubled Kyle Barnes, whose entire life has been plagued by demons possessing the minds and bodies of his loved ones. No longer able to escape, Kyle decides to take them straight on with the help of Philip Glenister's Reverend Anderson, and the unnerving result refreshingly feels unlike most Exorcist-aping possession horror, with genuine scares provided by extremely effective editing and sound design, not to mention the special effects. And we know Season 2 is coming next year, so do not let your idle hands turn into the devil's playthings. Get them on a remote control, stat.

Premiere Date: June 3

BoJack Horseman - Netflix

Though Orange is the New Black has laughs buttressing the dramatic bits, BoJack Horseman was Netflix's first true original comedy, and it remains one of the streaming services' sharpest shows, down to its unexpected Christmas special. Will Arnett voices the titular former sitcom star and current substance abuser, and the entertainment-skewering Season 3 will see BoJack Horseman getting his fame reaffirmed as the Secretariat movie he worked on during Season 2 is released to much fanfare. All will go wrong fairly quickly, and we assume BoJack will pull ex-roommate/improv cult member Todd (Aaron Paul), ghostwriter and Mr. Peanutbutter's lover Diane (Alison Brie) and unwavering talent agent Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris) down with him.

Premiere Date: July 22

Murder in the First - TNT

As a drama that dedicates each season to a particularly murder-mystery, TNT's Murder in the First doesn't ever get as deep and nuanced as True Detective Season 1, but it also never slogs along through dismal darkness like True Detective Season 2 did. With the always enjoyable Taye Diggs and Kathleen Robertson back as the lead detectives (along with others within the San Francisco Police Department), Season 3 of Murder in the First centers on a football player's murder while also giving Inspectors English and Mulligan a handful of personal problems to deal with. Their problems aren't as big as Siletti's though, as he gets in some very hot water flowing from different directions. Expect twists.

Premiere Date: June 26

Tyrant - FX

While Middle Eastern characters are usually portrayed on TV as violent terrorists, non-violent terrorists or just your everyday extremists, Tyrant is the rare exception that puts a Middle Eastern family right at the center. (Although having British actor Adam Rayner in the lead role waters it down a bit.) Tyrant was created by Gideon Raff, whose Israeli series Prisoners of War inspired Homeland, and it was developed by Homeland adapter Howard Gordon and writer Craig Wright. And while this drama isn't as tight as those others in their best days, it's still extremely intriguing to watch a political crisis that won't be solved by some Deus ex Americana, and the addition of Chris Noth to Season 3 will assumedly only make things better.

Premiere Date: July 6

Dead of Summer - Freeform

Not every show with "summer" in the name will automatically serve as a TV mascot for the season, but Freeform's new horror Dead of Summer has a chance, although one' genuine enjoyment will vary. Created by Once Upon a Time developers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, along with OUAT writer Ian Goldberg, Dead of Summer is more camp than its idyllic midwestern 1989 setting, rallying every possible genre cliché imaginable to its story of an ancient evil rising up and ruining everyone's fun. While arguably the "worst" show on this list, this exercise in corniness is well worth it if you can find a group of jovial friends who like railing on wooden acting and cheesy jump scares.

Premiere Date: June 28

Mr. Robot - USA

Mr. Robot is one of those shows that you have to wonder how it could possibly go on after everything that happened in Season 1. But then you think about just how successful Season 1 was - it basically became USA's most well-received original series in the network's history - it was inevitable that Rami Malek's hacker maestro Elliot would be back on our TVs for more techno-thriller action. The stakes are definitely being raised in Season 2, as the economy is in shambles after the hack attack and the revolution is gaining ground. But the first thing the show will have to do is get Elliot's brain back on the right track after all of Season 1's revelations, and that won't be easy. But you will be watching.

Premiere Date:

Stranger Things - Netflix

For my money, no network or outlet earns as much assured optimism for new projects as Netflix, and the service's Stranger Things, a bizarre and darkly comedic supernatural horror set in the 1980s, could not have been more tailor-made for me and other like-minded folks. The show is centered on a small Indiana town where children are mysteriously going missing, and the story focuses on Winona Ryder's stressed-out mother Joyce, David Harbour's pill-popping Chief Hopper and a group of RPG-loving young boys determined to find their friend. Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, best known for penning episodes of Wayward Pines and for writing/directing the underseen horror Hidden, Stranger Things embraces the 1980s in all the right ways, from the score to the eye-popping costumes to the genuinely frightening scares. It will bring the chills to your warm evenings.

Premiere Date: July 15

UnREAL - Lifetime

While most reality television is so ridiculous that some shows can serve as parodies of themselves, Marti Noxon and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro had the brilliant idea to spin a scripted series out of that madness, focusing on a dating show and the non-stop effort by those behind-the-scenes to keep the onscreen content as salacious and confrontational as possible. That scripted series is Lifetime's surprising critical hit UnREAL, currently in a second season that has introduced lots of new hot messes for audiences to cringe at while also watching the producer triangle of Rachel, Quinn and Chet trying to secure control of the show. (As well, Forever's Ioan Gruffudd joined Season 2 as the network owner, which is grand.) Season 3 was recently ordered, so here's hoping UnREAL will be a summer staple for many years to come.

Premiere Date: June 6

Angie Tribeca - TBS

To balance all the serious dramas that air during the summer, as well as all of the real-life horrors reported by news outlets, there exists Angie Tribeca to sap your mind of such atrocities, replacing them with guilty pleasure groans and giggles. Not since Police Squad has a TV show embraced the spoof genre so wholeheartedly and effectively, with constant blink-and-you'll-miss-it sight gags and perfectly deadpanned performances from Rachida Jones, Hayes MacArthur and Jere Burns, to name a few. Created by Steve Carell and his actress wife Nancy Carell, Angie Tribeca is so ridiculous that it's virtually impossible to fixate on life problems while watching, and that's exactly what the summer is good for.

Premiere Date: June 6

The Night Of - HBO

With Game of Thrones Season 6 now a thing of the past - except for all of us still talking about it, of course - The Night Of is exactly what HBO needed to keep drama enthusiasts happy on Sunday nights. Based on the British miniseries Criminal Justice, The Night Of kicks its story off with Pakistani-American Naz Khan (Riz Ahmed) partying all night and waking up clueless about the dead body of the woman he'd spent the evening with. The complicated case is handled by defense attorney Jack Stone - played by John Tuturro in a role originally meant for James Gandolfini (listed as executive producer) and Robert De NIro - and the show plays like a fictional version of Making a Murderer or HBO's own The Jinx. There's a good chance by the time September gets here, you'll be referring to "the night of" your massive The Night Of binge session.

Premiere Date: July 10

Between cable and network channels, there’s simply too much TV for any one person to enjoy. Sadly, this has led to some fantastic shows not accumulating as significant an audience as they deserve. Of course, not all channels are created equal, so we can’t expect a series on FX or Syfy to garner the same numbers as a series on ABC or CBS, but some shows are worthy of much more attention than they get. So, in honor of the unsung greats of television, we’ve put together a list of 12 shows that not nearly enough people are watching. Check it out!

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex Girlfriend is a fun show on The CW that introduces audiences to the delightful Rachel Bloom as a woman named Rebecca who relocates herself from New York to California, bringing with her a plethora of catchy tunes and neuroses. The series has been critically acclaimed and even won Bloom a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, but the ratings have been relatively abysmal even by CW standards. The network did show some faith in the series when it ordered extra episodes, but the ratings are still disappointingly low.

Most Recent Episode Ratings: 0.88 million viewers

Agent Carter

ABC's Agent Carter has a recipe for success. Revolving around one of the most kickass female characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Peggy Carter and filling in the slot usually occupied by Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the show seemed destined to do well. Unfortunately, Agent Carter got off to a rather unremarkable ratings start back in January of 2015, and the second season hasn’t done any better. Even those who have never seen a Marvel movie could enjoy Hayley Atwell in the role, and it’s a shame that more people aren't doing so.

Most Recent Episode Ratings: 2.90 million viewers

Galavant

Galavant is another show that really should have worked for ABC. Occupying the slot usually held by the fairy tale-inspired Once Upon a Time, the musical extravaganza that premiered in January of 2015 basically combined classic Disney with parody to become lots of fun from the start. Sadly, not too many people have tuned in for the fun, and it was something of a shock that the series was renewed for a second season in 2016.

Most Recent Episode Ratings: 2.10 million viewers

iZombie

Another show whose relatively low numbers aren’t totally unacceptable thanks to its home on The CW, iZombie follows the exploits of medical examiner and zombie Liv Moore as she uses her unique abilities to solve crimes. The show has been a absurdly wonderful little series, and it was no real surprise that iZombie was ordered for a second season or had its episode order bumped up for 2016, but this is one show that really deserves better exposure than what it gets on the diminutive CW.

Most Recent Episode Rating: 1.17 million viewers

Man Seeking Woman

One of the most bizarre series to premiere in 2015 was definitely Man Seeking Woman on FXX. Considering that early promotion featured star Jay Baruchel trying to romance a troll, it’s not hard to see how some potential viewers might have judged the show before it hit the airwaves. As it turns out, however, Man Seeking Woman is a fabulously creative comedy that subverts the standards for most sitcoms and romantic fiction, and brings the laughs in a whole new way. Airing on FXX means that it gets even fewer ratings than CW series, but hopefully its audience will continue to grow.

Most Recent Episode Ratings: 0.204 million viewers

The Expanse

The Expanse is a Syfy series that deserves a watch just for the size and scale that it brings to small screen cable, and not just because of the space sex. The show is actually based on a series of critically acclaimed novels that is set to span nine installments, so it’s super important that enough folks tune in to guarantee repeated renewals from Syfy. Luckily, the show was renewed for Season 2 before the first concluded, so The Expanse has a promising future ahead of it at this point. If only more people knew about it.

Most Recent Episode Ratings: 0.721 million viewers

Blunt Talk

Blunt Talk stars Patrick Stewart, which really should be motivation enough for the masses to check out his Starz series. Stewart plays Walter Blunt, an educated man in the television biz with a proclivity for doing just about any drug within his reach. Patrick Stewart brings an unlikely combination of comedic chops and natural gravitas that makes the show work, and it’s no real shocker that Starz ordered two seasons straight off the bat. The first has already aired, and hopefully even more people will catch the second.

Most Recent Episode Ratings: 0.161 million viewers

The Last Kingdom

The Last Kingdom is a BBC America series set in the ninth century that follows the conflicts facing hero Uhtred as he is torn between the Saxons of his birth and the Vikings who raised him. Basically, it’s pretty understandable why The Last Kingdom hasn’t taken the mainstream by storm. Still, those who do give the show a try will discover that there’s action and adventure aplenty amidst the ninth century political divisions. The series did well enough in Season 1 in 2015 that it will air a second in 2016.

Most Recent Episode Ratings: 0.215 million viewers

Mr. Robot

There are plenty of cable series that receive award nods, but they usually go to channels like HBO and Showtime. Mr. Robot has managed to put USA on the critical map unlike any show before, and for good reason. It’s a tightly-written drama with a killer cast and compelling lead character. Mr. Robot even took top prize in two of the three Golden Globe categories in which it was nominated, including Best TV Series, Drama. It was renewed for Season 2 before the first even premiered, so there will still be chances to hop on board.

Most Recent Episode Ratings: 1.21 million viewers

The Grinder

Fox has done well enough with sitcoms in recent years, but the network has found a true gem with The Grinder. Starring Rob Lowe in an over-the-top role that Lowe was born to play, and Fred Savage as the straight man, The Grinder is a perfect blend of hilarity and ridiculousness that really works. Lowe and Savage play off of one another wonderfully, and they definitely deserve to have plenty of viewers. The show did receive a full-season order for twenty-two episodes, so there’s still time for an audience to accumulate.

Most Recent Episode Ratings: 2.00 million viewers

Humans

AMC has been much more known for its zombies in recent years than anything else, but this past summer’s Humans introduced anthropomorphic automatons as the network's newest non-human figures to drive a series. It aired on Sundays in the period between installments of the Walking Dead franchise, and it brought the network more firmly into the science fiction sphere than ever before. As much a study of the implications of using artificial intelligence as a straightforward sci-fi adventure, Humans is definitely worth a watch by more than who saw Season 1. Fortunately, it will be back for a second.

Most Recent Episode Ratings: 1.078 million viewers

Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll

FX has done moderately well with its original series, and actor/comedian Denis Leary was a major face of the network’s originals for years as the lead in Rescue Me. He returned to FX as creator and star of Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, playing the role of a has-been musician who tries to make his way back into the spotlight by bringing his old band back together. While the premise isn’t anything too groundbreaking, Leary can always be counted upon to deliver a solid performance that's entertaining to watch. Is Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll super annoying to type? Yes. But it’s also definitely a show to try with your eyes instead of your fingertips.

Most Recent Episode Ratings: 0.487 million viewers

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After so many years of watching award ceremonies where nothing technically goes haywire and embarrasses someone for the rest of their lives, my enjoyment of them relies mostly on seeing favored shows and actors winning, obviously, as well as dark horses beating out surer bets. And tonight’s Golden Globes delivered a constant stream of awe-drawing winners, with many young projects gaining spray-tanned superiority over seasoned vets. It also delivered a lot of bleeped-out jokes, because nothing says broadcast hilarity like silence.

Here are the five biggest shocks that we experienced during the Globes. I assume everyone expected the telecast to inspire the mental image of Ricky Gervais having a Golden Globe inserted into one of his orifices, so that didn’t make the cut.

Lady Gaga Did It, Guys

When it was announced that Lady Gaga was going to be taking over American Horror Story’s leading lady duties once Jessica Lange opted out of returning, expectations were all over the place. But as the lustful and domineering bloodsucker at the center of the nightmare-driven Cortez on American Horror Story: Hotel, she proved herself a fine actress, even if some of the acting involved murder-humping. Regardless of how spun out the plotline has gotten this season, Gaga has anchored most of the madness in the same way Lange did. Did her Countess inspire better performances than those of her fellow nominees like American Crime’s Felicity Huffman or Fargo’s Kirsten Dunst? Not to these voters.

Everybody Loves Mozart in the Jungle

If Transparent will be known as the critical success that made Amazon Originals great, Mozart in the Jungle is proving itself to be another fantastic choice to put faith into. (Among many others.) For his captivating performances as the maestro Rodrigo, Gael Garcia Bernal took home his first Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. And the entirety of Season 1 – developed by Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman and Alex Timbers – was rewarded for being the Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy. Its biggest contender in the category was probably Transparent anyway, so Amazon was a beast here.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Rachel Bloom Destroyed Her Veteran Competition

Last year, Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez was the rather shocking winner for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical, and The CW has now seen another freshman series getting recognized for its female lead. As the neurotically complex Rebecca Bunch, Rachel Bloom doesn't just draw out laughs and empathy on screen, but she's also the co-creator, and her musical comedy chops are a huge part of why the show is so great and unique. And to win the award, Bloom left behind Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lily Tomlin, Jamie Lee Curtis and the aforementioned Rodriguez. An enviable feat, to say the least. Here's hoping the show goes on for years.

Mr. Robot Got What It Deserved

It's no surprise or secret that deserving shows and actors sometimes get passed over for a more go-to choice for winner, and I truly thought Mr. Robot's nominations would be the extent of the show's success on awards night. Boy, was I wrong. While Rami Malek lost out to Jon Hamm for Best Actor in a Drama, arguably unfairly, anarchist Christian Slater got recognized for his best TV role ever by winning Best Supporting Actor in a Drama. And the show won Best Drama, beating out ratings monsters like Empire and Game of Thrones, as well as the lauded dramas Narcos and Outlander. Give us more stuff like Mr. Robot, USA!

Let us know what you thought the biggest shock of the night was on the poll on the next page, and you can see all of tonight’s winners in TV and in movies by clicking over.

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There are loads of spoilers in the story below for a bunch of different shows. You have been warned.

Throughout 2015, it seemed like every week of television delivered a handful of moments that stunned audiences and made eyeballs come close to popping out of people’s heads. Which isn’t surprising, considering there were more scripted series this year than any previous year, which is itself a mindblowing factoid.

While it would have been impossible to include every WTF moment that passed in front of our eyes this year, here are the 16 most bonkers surprises, twists, deaths and all around oddities that TV gave us in 2015. Let’s kick things off with one of the biggest pissers of the past 12 months, shall we?

Hannibal – That Cancellation

At the center of what was arguably the most disappointing network decision that occurred this year – and I think many of you agree – Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal gave viewers three seasons worth of lush and artistic horror that rivaled Silence of the Lambs, spinning out a cat-and-mouse tale where each animal’s place kept changing. So much story was left to tell, and Fuller and his creative team were the perfect people to do it. And then NBC turned it into chop suey over something as meaningless as low ratings. Okay, maybe low ratings do matter, but NBC itself became a little more meaningless when they premiered hot garbage like Truth Be Told after axing Hannibal.

Gotham – Fish’s Eye Spooning

Jada Pinkett Smith brought a comic book energy to the role of Fish Mooney in Season 1 of Gotham, although audiences were mostly split on how enjoyable her turn was. But regardless of how you felt about her, Fish’s time on the small screen reached an apex when she was a prisoner to the Dollmaker. He wanted to take out her eyes for his own nefarious means, and she countered by taking out her own eye…with a spoon…and then she smooshed it into the ground. It looked like a Superball that had stayed in the microwave too long, easily making it one of the grossest moments on TV this year.

The Leftovers – Kevin’s “Death”

The Leftovers managed to become an even more cryptic and emotionally fulfilling series in Season 2, branching its story out while remaining entrenched in the events of Season 1. And the show rocked fans’ worlds during the last few episodes, seemingly killing off Kevin Garvey in a weird poisoning/suicide, only to bring him back for an episode-length fever dream in which he got into fist fights, watched some afterlife karaoke, pushed young Patti into a well and then drowned her depressed adult self in it. All so he could be resurrected without her appearing in his head anymore. It was possibly the greatest “dream sequence” in TV history, and also a ridiculously strong piece of character development.

Pretty Little Liars – A’s Reveal

For years, Pretty Little Liars fans speculated and theorized about the identity of “A,” the main antagonist behind the game plaguing the central characters. But instead of a relatively normal reveal, viewers learned that “A” was actually CeCe Drake, who was actually Charlotte DiLaurentis, who was actually born Charles DiLaurentis, Alison’s brother who was taken away after he was wrongfully thought to have tried to drown her as a kid. So this one had both a surprise transgender character (that dated her brother, ickily enough) and a surprise character back from the presumed dead (which happens on this show often enough). Some hated it, some loved it, but everyone was shocked by it.

The Walking Dead – That Glenn Business

One of the biggest TV stories of the year took place on The Walking Dead, or didn’t take place on The Walking Dead, if that’s how you want to look at it. During one of Season 6’s fractured hours, the cowardly Nicholas shot himself in a moment of duress, causing Glenn to tumble into a horde of walkers, and viewers were led to believe that Glenn had been chewed to death. To the point that Steven Yuen’s name was stricken from the credits. Lo and behold, all of our worry was for nothing, as Glenn ended up escaping basically without a scratch. It felt both cheap and divisive, but at least we’ll see more Glenn when the show returns.

Mr. Robot – Elliot’s Family Twists

Throughout its stellar first season, Mr. Robot featured a lot of moments between Rami Malek's hacktivist Elliot and Christian Slater's titular anarchist, and fans were suspicious that something wasn't quite right between them. That suspicion was given relevance in the final few episodes, in which it was revealed that Mr. Robot is Elliot's father, and that he's been dead for years, meaning that Elliot has just been a follower of his own delusions, Fight Club style. Perhaps more stunning than the reveal itself was that it came during the freshman season, rather than nearer the end of the road. And let's not forget about Elliot trying to get with Darlene, who is actually his sister. Family life is strange sometimes.

Fargo – A Midwestern UFO

In Fargo Season 1, the most mystifying thing that happened was Key & Peele nabbing comedic screentime amidst the violent drama. But Season 2 took things up a notch, randomly introducing a UFO in the opening episode that causes Rye Gerhardt to stop in the middle of the road, where he’s plowed into by Peggy, setting the entire season’s doom-laden events in motion. It wasn’t the only time we saw the mysterious flying saucer, either, as it made a prominent return during the Sioux Falls Massacre, allowing Lou to kill Bear. So while an explanation for the UFO is up for debate, I think we can all assume that the aliens really didn’t like the Gerhardts.

Arrow – Felicity Gets Shot

Arrow, a show that likes to temporarily kill people off, had a bunch of surprises in the latter half of Season 3 and the first chunk of Season 4. But it’s hard to argue that the biggest mind-explosion of all came during the midseason finale, when Damien Darhk’s goons shot up Oliver’s limo and left Felicity a bleeding wreck. The shocking moment, juxtaposed with a cheery Darhk coming home to his surprise family, proved the villain to be as evil as they come, and caused fans to wonder if Felicity would be the person in the flash-forward scene’s grave. We have other predictions for where she’ll end up, but we definitely didn’t predict she’d get shot.

Empire – A Fall Down the Stairs

If we’re being honest, the entirety of the first season and a half of Empire could take up this whole list, from Vernon’s death to Cookie’s monkey suit to Lucious’ surprise baby. But at this point, the most baffling moment came during the Season 2 mid-finale, in which the pregnant Rhonda is pushed down the stairs by an unknown assailant. And she falls hard, boy, landing on the ground in a heap, seemingly dead. Her actual fate has yet to be revealed, though, and we’re wondering who it was that pushed her. Anika, the subject of several WTF moments of her own, is a prime candidate, though maybe it’s karma for her accidentally murdering Vernon? Either way, we can’t wait to see Andre lose his mind over it.

Miss Universe 2015 – Steve Harvey’s Bungling

Steve Harvey is no stranger to standing on stage and making people laugh, as he’s turned a stand-up comedy career into a series of hosting gigs. But arguably his most memorable moment in front of a crowd came during the recent Miss Universe pageant, when he announced the wrong contestant as the winner and immediately had the entire Internet shining a spotlight on his catastrophic error. He corrected his mistake soon after, and has been a good sport about all the criticism he has received, but nothing that came after can take away from the pure WTFness of him saying the wrong name. Maybe now he’ll be a little nicer to Family Feud contestants who give goofy answers.

Supergirl – Hank Henshaw Reveals Himself

When David Harewood was added to the cast of Supergirl as Hank Henshaw, the speculation mill began churning out ways in which the show might introduce Cyborg Superman at some point. But in Episode 7, fans received the huge bombshell that this somewhat douchey iteration of Henshaw wasn’t actually one of the show’s many villains at all, but rather a humanized version of J’onn J’onzz, better known to comic book fans as Martian Manhunter. This was not only one of the biggest and coolest twists in the DC TV world, allowing a fan favorite character to exist in primetime again, but it also gave the CBS super-drama an added boost of legitimacy among fans. And we can’t wait to see his story expand as the series continues.

Grey’s Anatomy – Derek’s Accident

If you were paying attention to the behind-the-scenes world of Grey’s Anatomy , then you probably knew that Patrick Dempsey was having problems and would likely be leaving the show. Even so, Derek’s accident-filled final episode was a series of WTF moments, the largest of which being “What the fuck are you doing stopping in the middle of a road to use your cell phone?” His car got pummeled by a truck, but that wasn’t what killed him. No, he actually died because the hospital he was taken to was understaffed, and no one caught on that he had a head injury until it was too late. Irony? Maybe. Either way, it left fans reeling.

Veep – Amy’s Meltdown

You don’t really get a lot of WTF moments in half-hour comedies, but Anna Chlumsky’s superbly performed meltdown on Veep was a stroke of comedic genius that even beat out Selina and Gary’s momentary falling out. At her wits’ end over the aggravatingly wishy-washy Karen, Amy unleashes all of the anger and disgust that she’s felt over the years as Selina’s Chief of Staff, eventually calling her boss “the worst thing that has happened to this country since food in buckets, and maybe slavery.” It was a completely unpredictable bit that shook up the status quo of the White House staffers, while also allowing viewers to vicariously live through someone verbally taking down an inefficient politician.

Daredevil – Decapitation by Car Door

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are used to seeing the heroes and villains getting violent, but Netflix’s Daredevil did away with the flashy CGI and robots’n’aliens, often delivering fights and deaths that were gut-wrenchingly realistic. And things didn’t get much more brain-smashingly disturbing than when Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk repeatedly smashed a car door onto a Russian villain’s head until it had fallen off of his body. All because Fisk was shamed in front of his woman. The scene cemented just how monstrous the normally subdued Fisk could be, while also proving to Marvel fans that Netflix wasn’t afraid to get extremely bloody when necessary. The other fights were great, too, but this was the one that left us staggering the most.

Game of Thrones – Jon Snow, Jon Snow, Jon Snow

Season 5 of Game of Thrones delivered a bunch of ghastly scenes and sequences – Stannis allowing his daughter to be burned alive, for instance – but the one that has kept fans talking the most came during the finale, as Jon Snow is branded a traitor by his brothers on The Watch, who repeatedly stab him until he collapses into a pile of his own blood. The moment, which turned Olly from aggravating to super-heinous, became one of the most obsessed-over TV scenes of the year, and inspired just about every form of speculation imaginable concerning Jon’s fate. We know he’ll be back for Season 6, but that doesn’t take away from the stunning impact of the scene.

The Flash – Eddie’s Sacrifice

With time travel and parallel dimensions at its disposal, The Flash has pumping out WTF moments at a steady rate since it started up last year. But my jaw fell the farthest during the Season 1 finale, as Eddie made the ultimate gesture by committing suicide as a way to stop Eobard “Reverse-Flash” Thawne from continuing his reign of villainy. In fact, it completely wiped his villainy out of existence, which itself was magnificently weird. Due to his future lineage, coupled with a relationship with Iris that we knew wouldn’t last forever, Eddie probably couldn’t have lived much longer in this world anyway. Still, watching him shoot himself for the sake of Central City was a deed as heroic as anything Team Flash has done so far.

Whew. That’s a lot of mind-fuckery. Head to the next page to let us know which of these moments blew you away the most.

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While a good chunk of people still subscribe to cable and even more people get TV programs from Hulu, Netflix and other legal alternatives, there are plenty of people in the universe who illegally download TV programs, and while pirating generally only accounts for a small percentage of the overall viewership of a show, some series’ still pull in big numbers through pirating. In 2015, these shows range from cable to subscription cable and even network TV shows. Worldwide, the shows that are most often illegally downloaded, at least on BitTorrent, are all produced by channels in the United States and come from a wide variety of genres and channels.

10. Suits, USA

While I think many fans would argue Suits is a little past its heyday in terms of quality, I’m still sticking with the show, and apparently a lot of pirates are, too. Torrentfreak reports that 2,600,000 downloads of Suits occurred this year. That’s more than the show’s overall audience in the US.

9. The Blacklist, NBC

The Blacklist is one of the most popular shows on NBC and network TV in general, so it’s no huge shock that people would be interested in the series around the world. That’s especially true because The Blacklist is a procedural with a lot of action, and action often speaks a lot louder than dramatic monologues. According to this year’s numbers, 2,900,000 people downloaded the series this year. That’s only a tiny chunk of the popular James Spader drama’s overall audience, though.

8. Supergirl, CBS

Supergirl has only been on the air since October, but the show is already proving that superhero programs are big business—even for piracy sites. The 2015 numbers show that since it premiered, Supergirl has already been high among the most torrented shows on BitTorrent in 2015, with 3,000,000 illegal downloads. Maybe that’s where some of the shows viewers have gone…

7. Vikings, History

This isn’t the first time History’s Vikings has made the most downloaded shows yearly list. I’m always surprised to see History’s well-liked hit on this list, though, as it doesn’t garner the viewership that some of the other bigger shows on this list get on a regular basis. However, its historical premise and universal story apparently speaks to a lot of people, as 3,300,000 people saw Ragnar Lothbrok and co. travel into Paris this year. Even with the piracy, the History drama does well, and the network has ordered extra episodes this year.

6. Mr. Robot, USA

USA’s freshman drama Mr. Robot has marked a brand new era of prestige programming on the US cable station. Mr. Robot made a lot of Top 10 lists this year, and a lot of the people who don’t have legal access to the series have found it elsewhere. Around 3,500,000 people have checked out the series via illegal means since it premiered last summer. Somehow, I think Elliot Anderson would approve.

5. The Flash, The CW

The Flash had a bonkers first season and things have gotten even more complex since the CW’s other superhero series returned to the schedule for Season 2 this fall. While the series is bringing in viewership in the millions, almost the same audience worldwide is illegally downloading the show each week. In 2015, 3,600,000 downloads of The Flash happened on BitTorrent. We bet they were speedy downloads, too.

4. Arrow, The CW

The Flash routinely beats Arrow in the ratings over at the CW, but around the globe, it’s apparently the hooded vigilante who has captured the hearts of pirates everywhere. All the sources indicate that 3,900,000 downloads of Arrow happened this year. Maybe it’s because Green Arrow has been prominent this fall or because Constantine guest starred, although perhaps the darker tone on Arrow simply translates better worldwide than the lighter tone of The Flash.

3. The Big Bang Theory, CBS

The Big Bang Theory has been on a roll for the last 12 months. The series ended last spring with a cliffhanger and has had plenty of relationship drama to keep people invested in 2015. While comedy tastes can differ in different parts of the world, apparently The Big Bang Theory tickles a lot of people’s funny bones in numerous places. This year, The Big Bang Theory landed third, with 4,400,000 downloads.

2. The Walking Dead, AMC

The Walking Dead is arguably the most popular show on television, but in terms of illegal downloads, it has only managed the #2 slot. Still, a whopping 6,900,000 people illegally downloaded the AMC zombie drama in 2015. I blame Glenn.

1. Game of Thrones, HBO

Last May, a report came out saying that the Game of Thrones Season 5 premiere episode drew record pirating numbers. While HBO and co. would doubtless prefer people to subscribe to HBO Go or their local cable packages, Game of Thrones is by far and away the highest illegally downloaded series of 2015, with 14,400,000 downloads.

Every year around this time, we put together a list of the top shows we feel really pushed above and beyond and had a year for the ages. As a TV fanatic who watches way more programs from start to finish than many people could probably imagine finding time for, this list is always difficult, but I can’t remember a year before this one where it was this difficult to cull together a top 10. There’s so much great TV out there—as FX President John Landgraf is fond of saying, there’s too much TV out there—and comparing a drama to a comedy and a new show to one that is struggling through a sophomore slump was especially difficult this year. So, without further ado, here are my top 10 TV picks for 2015. Among them are a couple of brazen comedies, a series that is quietly thoughtful, a few fantasy dramas with beautiful costumes and one USA series with one of the tightest first seasons I’ve ever seen.

If you don’t agree with my picks, maybe you’ll have a bit more luck with Nick’s.

10. South Park, Comedy Central

South Park typically has a few memorable episodes each season, but Season 19 actually features 10 carefully plotted and masterfully written episodes that poke and prod at PC culture and encourage plenty of laughs. South Park struck gold when the show started featuring more continuity between episodes, and Season 19’s repeated nods at Internet bullying, getting a Whole Foods in a small town, luxury condos, charity shaming and so much more are all timely and hilarious. If you haven’t caught South Park in a while, Season 19 is the one to watch.

9. Togetherness, HBO

Togetherness is a quiet but wildly emotional comedy that hits high and low notes and makes us chuckle as often as it makes us cry. Sounds really fun, right? (Sarcasm.) Actually though, it kind-of rocks, thanks to performances from Melanie Lynskey, Amanda Peet, Steve Zissis, Mark Duplass and more. What I like about Togetherness most is that it feels like it is about real people. Real people who take their kids to the beach and get drunk with friends while playing games in the park. They can be selfish, whiny and soul-searching people, but they ring true nonetheless. Plus, the cliffhanger Togetherness ended its first season on left me wanting more.

8. Ray Donovan, Showtime

I’m glad Showtime stuck with Ray Donovan despite the fact the series wasn’t perfect right off the bat. As it turns out, Ray Donovan gets better as it ages, and the Liev Schreiber series finally gets it right with its third season. Much of this is thanks to some heavy lifting by John Voight, who gets into a brand new business in Season 3, but the show is finally starting to get its titular hero, too, as Donovan is still generally a badass, but one who isn't invincible and even gets cornered into a gig he doesn't want to take. Ray Donovan’s third season is striking, and it deserves a place on this top 10 list.

7. Game of Thrones, HBO

Game of Thrones was certainly one of the most talked-about series of the year. The summer finale of the drama left us on several cliffhangers, and the one surrounding Jon Snow has kept the internet busy in the months subsequent. Luckily, Game of Thrones has as much prestige as it has popularity, and I’m still thinking about the complex politics behind that walk of shame and much more months later. Season 5 was certainly not the HBO drama’s finest, but it’s still one of the best scripted and most complex series on TV, and manages to be entertaining despite the lofty adjectives that can be ascribed to it.

6. Jane The Virgin, The CW

Now in its second season, Jane The Virgin has milked a love triangle for all that it is worth. This sounds incredibly cliché, but the thing about the CW drama is that it is always winking at what is cliché and spinning it into something else. The cheeky take on the telenovela that follows a young woman who is accidentally artificially inseminated and eventually has the baby that has been planted inside of her is one of the best comedies on television right now. Plus, the fact the CW gives the show an hour to flesh out its characters and story development gives the series some added oomph. Here’s to hoping 2016 is as wild for Jane as 2015 was.

5. Veep, HBO

A perennial favorite amongst critics everywhere, HBO’s Veep just absolutely dominated on HBO this season. Selina Meyer is the President through all of this season, and works pretty hard to accomplish things while trying to get together her reelection party and platform. This leads to some hilarious subplots, including finding a Vice President to run on her ticket—which ends up going to Hugh Laurie’s Tom James, who is amazing. She’s also dealing with a pretty huge data breach that could prove to be her downfall. This one also left us on a reelection cliffhanger, because that’s apparently how HBO rolls.

4. Outlander, Starz

Starz has been creating fun period dramas with plenty of flair for a while now, with Black Sails and (the former series) Spartacus both helping the subscription cable network to grow more prominent in the original programming game. But its newcomer series Outlander adds time travel and an epic romance to the already excellent period shenanigans. Season 1 is a standout drama with a standout cast, set in the wilds of Scotland (although the show will be heading into Paris for Season 2). It’s an incredibly feminine series, so it may not make everyone’s list, but it's also an epic saga with infinite potential. Give it a watch.

3.The Grinder, Fox

While a lot of comedies take a few episodes to get rolling, The Grinder has known what it is from the very beginning. The comedy offers a fairly flawless pilot that capably sets up the series without any big mistakes and since that time has been able to add on to and improve its basic concept to create something a little more elevated. The last few episodes before winter break have been incredible, delving into backstory and the world of Hollywood along with the shenanigans from brothers Dean (Robe Lowe) and Stewart Sanderson (Fred Savage) that we are used to. With only nine episodes under its belt, The Grinder has already cemented itself as one of the best comedies on TV. Let’s hope it stays that way.

2. Mr. Robot, USA

The sharp new hacker drama Mr. Robot kicked off on USA—of all places—this spring. The series relies heavily on Rami Malek’s performance as Elliot, a young man who is dealing with dissociate issues and drug addiction, all while attempting to live a double live. He works at a corporation for a living. He hacks on the side. He’s weird and a little twisted, and his environment reflects that. Mr. Robot is a series about hacking, but ultimately it’s a series about a person’s psyche, much in the same way Mad Men was often more about Don Draper’s story than the advertising he dominated at. Its first season is compelling from start to finish and it deserves to be high on this list. Hopefully Season 2 will give us the same sort of experience.

1. Fargo, FX

Holy hell, am I happy I waited until this week’s fall finale of Fargo to write this top 10 list. To give you a gauge for how fantastic the setup for the Season 2 finale of the FX drama is, the episode was good enough to keep this one ahead of Mr. Robot on my list. The nods to the future, the dialogue between Peggy (Kirsten Dunst) and Lou (Patrick Wilson) and the way the series left off with Lou’s wife, Betsy (Cristin Milioti), all played out perfectly, wrapping up an already compelling and stylish series on the perfect note. By putting together another stacked cast and adding a touch of the absurd—no spoilers--Fargo has managed to exceed its first season in a lot of ways, and create a world that feels the same but also totally different at the same time. It is hands down the best 10 episodes of TV I engaged with this year. You betcha.

Close But No Cigar: The Americans, FX

Master of None, Netflix

Fresh Off The Boat, ABC

Black Sails, Starz

The Flash, The CW

Flesh and Bone, Starz

Banshee, Cinemax

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Netflix

Photos courtesy of FX, USA, Fox, Starz, HBO, The CW and more.

It never really strikes the staff at CinemaBlend how much great TV is produced every year until we start looking back at the shows that recently hit the schedule. This year, a ton of brand new comedies and dramas were produced that both found avid fanbases and earned critical acclaim. Narrowing them down to the 10 best is damn near impossible, but we’ve endeavored to do so anyway. If some of your favorites didn’t make this list, we also put together a bunch of nods to other good shows near the end, because we know it’s hard to recommend when tastes are so varied. Without further ado, here are the best TV shows that premiered in 2015. The only criteria is that a show’s first season had to air this year. So, if it hit the schedule in the fall of 2014 it’s out. If it hit the schedule in the winter of 2015, it could be in. Here are our picks:

10. The Last Man On Earth

Fox’s comedy The Last Man on Earth kicked off on a high note when it hit the schedule last winter. While the series struggled to match the heights of its pilot throughout its first season, the comedy has really come into its own this fall. If you haven’t given it a watch or gave up during the early part of 2015, now’s a great time to head back.

Original Premiere Date: March 1, 2015

9. Agent Carter

ABC’s Marvel follow-up to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has a lot going for it, including its kickass female protagonist, played by Hayley Atwell. The period setting, the cheeky humor (we can't get enough of the "Captain America Adventure Hour" radio show that annoys Carter) and the stylish way the show is shot all helps. It’s a fun series more often than it is an overly dramatic one, but the last couple of Season 1 episodes did build up the stakes. Catch the ABC drama when it returns for Season 2 in 2016.

Original Premiere Date: January 6, 2015

8.The Grinder

There’s a good chance if you are reading this list that you are not watching The Grinder. We know this because The Grinder is not getting the ratings it should be getting, and it’s a damn shame. It’s hard to explain why exactly The Grinder works, but it mostly has to do with the solid performance Rob Lowe is putting in as Dean Sanderson Jr. and how that is offset by the likable Fred Savage. Oh, Sanderson's whole subplot as an actor on a law drama definitely helps. The Grinder hits all of the right notes, and features some great guest stars to boot. Catch it on Tuesday nights when it returns from winter hiatus.

Original Premiere Date: September 29, 2015

7.Daredevil

It’s hard to believe that the first Netflix and Marvel series premiered this year. It feels like it was ages ago that Netflix started putting together a lot of widely acclaimed originals, but it has really only been in the past year that Netflix has really started pumping out original programs on a more frequent and consistent basis. Daredevil's hallway scene by itself probably would have allowed the drama to make this list, but luckily there are a lot of other action sequences, a gripping villain and more that makes Daredevil one of the top shows of 2015.

Original Premiere Date: April 10, 2015

6. Galavant

ABC’s musical comedy took some time to get into, but it’s silly lyrics and generally amazing premise make it a cult favorite with audiences, so much so that ABC ordered a second season of the comedy, which is written by Dan Fogelman, Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. ABC also bills the series as a “comedy extravaganza” and dumps the episodes out really quickly so that they are almost binge-watchable. This really works for this type of series. You can catch Season 2 next month.

Original Premiere Date: January 4, 2015

5. Empire

When Empire first hit the schedule last winter, it was an instant hit, premiering strong and picking up in the weeks that followed until it became a ratings phenomenon for Fox. While Season 2—likely because of a longer episode count—hasn’t been the must-watch TV that Season 1 was, it's still a compelling drama, mostly thanks to a ton of solid performances. (You all know I'm mostly talking about Taraji P. Henson, right?)

Original Premiere Date: January 7, 2015

4. The Man In The High Castle

Probably the quietest new show on this list in terms of internet chatter, The Man In The High Castle has picked up where Transparent left off, proving that Amazon can make satisfying TV for Prime viewers that can compete with all of the other TV out there. Based on a novel by Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle is a dystopic series with popular appeal. It’s also really, really good—maybe even good enough to purchase Prime for.

Original Premiere Date: November 20, 2015

3. Better Call Saul

Let’s be honest, the Breaking Bad prequel could have been a disaster. Saul Goodman’s a great character, but no one knew if he could carry his own show. Luckily, Bob Odenkirk was up to the task, and the writing staff gave him material that easily earned the AMC series a Season 2 renewal. Watch it if you haven’t. Hell, we’d say give it a chance even if you aren’t into Breaking Bad.

Original Premiere Date: February 8, 2015

2. Master of None

Anyone who watched Parks and Recreation should already have known Aziz Ansari is hilarious, even when he’s playing a 30-year-old acting hopeful who still hasn’t figured out exactly what he wants out of his life. Both trendy and offbeat, his latest vehicle Master of None premiered at the beginning of November on Netflix, which means, should you wish to, you could binge-watch the whole thing right now. We suggest you do so, if you haven’t already.

Original Premiere Date: November 6, 2015

1. Mr. Robot

In years past, USA hasn’t been a station that has attempted to air a lot of prestige TV. But that’s exactly what the network has done with Mr. Robot, a dark series that delves into the world of hacking. Hacking has a tendency to look a little silly when dumbed down for TV audiences, but Robot does it well, mostly because the show is more about its troubled protagonist Elliot than about the hacking world he gets into. Do try and catch up before Season 2 premieres.

Original Premiere Date: June 24, 2015

Wayward Pines Fresh Off The Boat

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Supergirl Togetherness

Narcos

American Crime

Bloodline

Jessica Jones

Ash Vs. Evil Dead

Blindspot

During the holidays, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself traveling, stuck at a family member’s house or relaxing at home on a day off of work/school. And what better way to spend free time like that than checking out a TV show that you’ve probably been missing for a while? Sure, you could talk to your family or whoever, but none of them were specifically written to entertain you.

Here are 10 shows whose names are probably familiar even though you’ve somehow never gotten around to checking them out. Some are new, some are established, and all of them are criminally underwatched. Take notes.

The Knick

Cinemax doesn’t often get brought into the conversation about top-quality networks, but the admittedly few original programs that debuted there in the past few years have been awesome. Standing atop it all with a heroin-induced gaze is The Knick, a turn-of-the-century medical drama quite unlike any other hospital show before it. A show partly about the staggeringly bothersome path to advancement in medicine and partly about the goings-on of Clive Owen’s chief surgeon Dr. Thack and the racially-triggered experiences of Dr. Andre Holland – a simplified version of things, to be sure – The Knick is enthralling, gorgeous and downright nasty at times. Plus, it boasts the always intriguing Steven Soderbergh as a director on every episode.

With a few episodes left in Season 2, The Knick airs on Friday nights on Cinemax.

Difficult People

If you took all the snark out of all the other shows you watch on TV and jammed it inside a box, it would probably add up to merely the first act of a Difficult People episode. Created by writer/comedian Julie Klausner, this Hulu comedy takes Klausner’s Julie and Billy Eichner’s Billy and thrusts their self-important opinions and celebrity-anchored worldviews (that are maddeningly well-written) on everyone and everything around them, though it usually all comes back to destroy them in the end. Comedian James Urbaniak stars as Julie’s unassuming boyfriend Arthur, and SCTV alum Andrea Martin plays Julie’s overbearing mother (and she’s spotless). Live vicariously through sarcasm.

All eight episodes of Difficult People Season 1 are available on Hulu, and it has been renewed for Season 2, which will be released next year.

The Leftovers

By the time it’s all said and done, people should equate Damon Lindelof’s name with the emotional invigoration machine that is HBO’s The Leftovers, rather than the far more popular though far more flimsily mysterious Lost. Barely anyone talks about The Leftovers, perhaps due to repressing the depressing paths Season 1 took, but this is easily one of the best shows on TV of any time period. Season 2 has taken Justin Theroux’s Kevin Garvey and his family to a new town, where bad things happen (naturally), with the writing and pacing making things even more psychedelic and random than they were before. Carrie Coon and Ann Dowd remain sublime.

Currently in the middle of its stellar Season 2, The Leftovers airs Sunday nights on HBO.

Mr. Robot

If a project can be referred to as a “hacker drama,” there’s a good chance it will already look dated by the time you finish watching it. USA’s Mr. Robot, the network’s best show in years, is the clear exception. The show is definitely centered in a computer-based world, as it’s about a cybersecurity engineer joining an underground hacker group to take down a giant corporation, but the tech talking is overshadowed by the anarchic tone and the talents of Rami Malek as the paranoid and clinically depressed Elliot Anderson, who gets mixed up in deeds that bring all the suspense and tension of anything else on TV. Plus, the show answers the question “What’s Christian Slater doing these days?”

Mr. Robot wrapped Season 1 earlier this year, and was renewed for Season 2 to debut next year. You can currently watch the entire first season on USA’s website.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Created by star Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a small miracle of a show that follows a psychologically fragile woman going against all odds to reconnect with a guy she fell for at summer camp, and it’s populated by broad characters and ridiculous musical segments. On paper, it implied a possible disaster, but in action, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is nothing but successful. The jokes hit every kind of comedic subgenre, the expertly-crafted music sequences are hilarious and catchy, and as Rebecca Bloom, Bunch earns both sympathy and incredulity in heaping doses. Vincent Rodriquez III is unexpectedly great as the mini-dude-bro ex Josh, and Donna Lynne Champlin nails every moment as Rebecca’s friend, coworker and constant enabler. The CW needs more shows like this, and I don’t mean “low-rated.”

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Season 1, which just got more episodes ordered, is currently airing on The CW on Monday nights.

The 100

The past few years have been inundated with stories about teenagers facing problems in post-apocalyptic scenarios, and not all of them have been great. Thankfully, 100 has become a downright awesome take on the sub-genre, starting out with the premise of “troubled teenagers are sent to Earth a century after a nuclear war destroyed most of civilization,” and then molding itself into a tight and sometimes brutal thriller where no one ever truly seems safe – there are cannibals here, people! It helps that the characters are interesting and fleshed-out and not just attractive people being attractive with dirt on their faces.

The 100 Season 2 ended earlier this year, and Season 3 will premiere on The CW on Thursday, January 21, 2016.

You’re the Worst

Comedies about relationships between mentally selfish people are nothing new, but those kinds of shows don’t always shoot for an authentic vibe. You’re the Worst, however, feels all too real in portraying the up-and-down-and-inside-out relationship between Chris Geere’s Jimmy and Aya Cash’s Gretchen, even when things go way over the top. There’s an emotional genuineness to how Gretchen’s depression and Jimmy’s insensitivity are explored that both informs the comedy and reminds viewers that not everyone on TV is supposed to be perfect. After watching, you’ll immediately run out and start up your own Sunday Funday, but be wary of just going to the same places these characters do.

You can find the remaining episodes of You're the Worst Season 2 on FXX on Wednesday nights.

Manhattan

Hearing that Manhattan is a show about the creation of the first atomic bomb in the 1940s, you might think that’s full of explosions and war battles, but that’s not the case at all. (Maybe its dismal ratings would rise if Manhattan dumbed itself down for that kind of storytelling, but we’re glad it’s not.) The superbly casted show is a methodical and darkly comedic character study about the people living in the sectioned-off community in Los Alamos, where characters like Drs. Frank and Liza Winter, along with Dr. Charlie and Abby Isaacs, deal with the complexities facing both their high-pressure jobs and their strained marriages. It’s smart, it’s tense, and it depicts how troublesome mandated isolation can be.

Manhattan is currently in the middle of Season 2, which can be watched on Tuesday nights on The CW.

W/Bob and David

If you’re a cool person, then you probably spent part of your life watching and quoting Mr. Show like there was no tomorrow, all while ruing the day HBO brutalized us and ran it out of existence. The life-changing entity that is Netflix reteamed Bob Odenkirk and David Cross for a new batch of ridiculous sketches that goes under the name W/ Bob and David, and the only things that are different are the cast’s ages. Otherwise, this ensemble’s comedy still hinges on great jokes and surreal situations, and the cast is still as unflappingly energetic as they ever were. If there’s a complaint to be had, it’s that there are only 4 episodes (and a great behind-the-scenes special).

All four episodes of W/ Bob and David are currently available on Netflix, which should hurry up and renew it.

Rectify

You always hear Breaking Bad and The Wire mentioned when people talk about the greatest shows of all time, and Rectify absolutely needs to come up more often. SundanceTV’s first foray into scripted programming, Rectify tells the exceedingly dark and discomforting story of Aden Young’s Daniel Holden, who returns to his hometown after spending almost 20 years on death row for the wrongful conviction of a rape and murder. Watching Daniel adjust to modern life is both painful and inspiring, as his assimilation is all but simple, since there are many townsfolk who still believe he’s guilty. The best part is, despite spending the majority of the narrative time with Daniel, even viewers are unsure of just how innocent he is. Excellence.

Rectify finished Season 3 earlier this year on SundanceTV, and will return for Season 4 in 2016.

Head to the next page to let us know which of these shows you think needs more viewers.

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Every month, shows get pirated on outlets like The Pirate Bay and Kickasstorrents. Interestingly enough, depending on the time of year, different shows will hit the most-pirated top 10 list. In August, a slew of shows were pirated on various outlets, but as it turns out, some of the most-pirated shows were some of this summer’s most popular programs—or at least some cult hits. You can check out the 10 most pirated shows downloaded on Pirate Bay in the month of August, below.

10. Under The Dome

We’re kicking off with a bit of a shocker, eh? Under the Dome was down in the ratings this season, and as a result, CBS ultimately opted to cancel the series. Apparently, everyone was just pirating the series instead of watching in live time. According to a report from SimilarWeb, Under the Dome received 1.72% of the Pirate Bay top 10 traffic share in August.

9. Pretty Little Liars

Pretty Little Liars had an eventful 2015, bringing a character back from the dead and revealing A, finally. With all of the crazy stuff going on, it’s no surprise the ABC Family show earned 2.32% of Pirate Bay’s top 10 traffic in August.

8. Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones had an epic fifth season, and I think it’s a testament to how popular the HBO drama is that people were still downloading episodes of the show several months after the Season 5 finale hit the schedule in June. Game of Thrones has regularly topped pirating lists, so its inclusion is fitting, here, with 3.06% of the traffic share. Although, HBO Now will give you a free month when you sign up, so (depending on location) you could always watch the show legally.

7. Ballers

Apparently, the Rock is more of a draw than dragons and British accents. Downloaders flocked to new HBO comedy Ballers, with 3.08% of top 10 downloaders getting their hands on the series. It’s sort-of like the new Entourage, but a little more nuanced, so we’re not all that surprised.

6. Hannibal

It’s too bad that all these people who were willing to download Hannibal couldn’t have tuned in to watch the cinematic-quality TV show on NBC. Hannibal was a draw for its look, its cast and its story, but it still got the axe from NBC earlier this summer. Apparently 4.66% of Pirate Bay’s top 10 traffic went directly to Hannibal downloads, so there is definitely interest in the series.

5. Fear The Walking Dead

AMC’s Walking Dead prequel has been the ratings hit of the summer, and even more people are watching the series through pirating forums. With a big jump from Hannibal, 9.53% of downloaders investing in the top 10 shows got their hands on Fear The Walking Dead. There are worse ways to spend time than watching a zombie epidemic break out in Los Angeles.

4. Suits

Suits is a veteran show on USA, and while less people are watching that show via traditional means, if these torrent results are any indication, Suits still has a widespread audience. The law-oriented drama nabbed a whopping 11.89% of the new top 10 traffic in the month of August, meaning quite a few people really, really wanted to get their hands on Suits.

3. True Detective

True Detective Season 2 wasn’t quite as critically acclaimed as Season 1, but that hasn’t stopped a slew of people from wanting to check out the drama, which starred Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams, Colin Farrell and Taylor Kitsch this time around. True Detective nabbed a 17.64% traffic share in the month of August.

2. Rick and Morty

Rick and Morty lovers should be pleased about this one. More than 20% of the people downloading the top 10 shows went straight to Rick and Morty. The second season of the show just premiered in July, so it makes sense that the show would pique in popularity in August. It didn’t earn the #1 slot though. That goes to…

1. Mr. Robot

Yeah, that’s right, USA’ wild but simultaneously grounded hacker drama is being watched by a lot of people on cable, but also via other forums. Mr. Robot premiered over the summer, and was picked up quickly by USA, so we will definitely be getting more episodes of the show in the future, as well. It was the most popular TV download in the month of August, pulling in 25.44% of all the traffic going to the top 10 most downloaded shows. If you have cable, you can also watch the drama on USA’s site.

If you’ve been watching USA’s brand new drama Mr. Robot, you already know it’s not a light and fluffy hacker drama. Instead, it’s dark and often violent, featuring a variety of personalities from all walks of life: the high-end E-corp workers, the underground hackers, and even the occasional seedy drug dealer. The finale for Mr. Robot was likewise going to be graphic and probing and today USA has decided to drop the drama due to a plotline that features similarities to the tragic killing of the reporter and photographer in Virginia.

Mr. Robot has aired nine episodes so far, and tonight was supposed to mark the show’s tenth and final episode in Season 1. However, because of the similarities between the fictional show and the real life tragedy, the finale has been postponed until next week. It will now air on Wednesday, September 2 at 10 p.m. ET. Here’s the full quote from USA.

Earlier this morning, news broke that two journalists were out in the field in Virginia when they were killed while filming a live news report. The two victims were Alison Parker and Adam Ward, who worked for news station WDBJ in Moneta. A former employee of the news station, Bryce Williams, has been listed as the official suspect following the murders. He was pronounced dead after shooting himself while being pursued by police. The deaths were shocking, as tragedies such as these usually are, especially considering they seem to have occurred because of a jilted employee.

Usually when a network temporarily bans an episode of a show, it is due to a recent tragedy or major occurrence that has shaken up American life. Episodes of American Dad and even Mike and Molly have aired at later dates following intense events. The episode of American Dad in question, for instance was briefly dropped from the schedule after the horrifying Sandy Hook shootings in the U.S. A tornado-themed episode of Mike & Molly was pushed back when tornadoes tore through the Midwest.

Despite the fact the season finale has been pushed back, this should have no effect on the long-term future of Mr. Robot. The USA drama has already been renewed for a second season and will return in 2016.

Mr. Robot has only aired a few short episodes at this point, and while the show immediately had flair and a central storyline, some shows do peter out after their freshman seasons, especially if future seasons haven’t been wholly planned. Luckily, that doesn’t seem to be the case with Mr. Robot. The drama’s creator, Sam Esmail, took to social media to answer a fan's question over the weekend and revealed that if USA wants to keep the series, he has an ultimate plan for the show in the works.

The Twitter user who managed to grab Esmail’s attention merely asked Esmail if he had any plans already in the works for Season 2, but he got even more information out of the producer. While we have no idea if Mr. Robot will actually live on to see Season 4 or Season 5, it’s still good to know that the show has an idea regarding where it is going and what kind of show it wants to be long-term.

Not that Mr. Robot should have much trouble staying on air, at least for a little while. The 2015 summer TV drama opened to OK numbers, but that was after the network pushed the pilot out on audiences via numerous streaming sites in advance of the cable release. Subsequent airings of the series have done well enough that USA has already signed on for a second season of the series. At minimum, Season 2 will be comprised of 10 episodes, but if the show continues to do well during its first season, the order might end up being higher.

Anyone who has watched Mr. Robot should know that the series is intricate but still character driven, following the antics of an organization of hackers who are looking to take down a big corporation. While the actual computer work has been spot-on, the focus on the series is on Rami Malek’s Elliot, a socially disconnected but competent hacker who gets sucked into a brand new world. The series isn’t light or airy and it does take chances, as in this week, when much of the focus was on Elliot’s withdrawal from intense drug addiction instead of the go-go-go hacking plans. As such, it's different than a lot of other shows on TV.

For a long time, USA Network has been known for light and airy TV fodder, including the recently-renewed Suits, but also former programming like Psych and White Collar. The network is obviously looking to go in a different direction. And if Mr. Robot is one of the first forays this new era of drama programming, I’m interested to see what else the network might have up its sleeve.

Mr. Robot hasn’t even officially premiered yet and USA is already extremely confident in the series. The network announced on Wednesday that its brand new drama—which officially hits the schedule tonight—has already been renewed for Season 2. Reports indicate that Mr. Robot will get at least 10 episodes next season, but that USA could sign on for more, likely depending on how well the drama catches on with audiences.

Of course, the renewal is actually more calculated than it may initially seem. Mr. Robot received a splashy release during SXSW earlier this year. The pilot premiere paid off, as it earned the series pretty good buzz, and Mr. Robot has been doing well with the critical crowd, at least, ever since. More recently, the cable network has worked to get the pilot in front of as many viewers as possible, releasing the first episode via outlets including but not limited to Xfinity On Demand, USANetwork.com, the USA Now App, Hulu, YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, Vudu, XBOX Video, PlayStation Video, and M-GO. All of those efforts paid off. Variety reports that more than 3 million viewers have caught the pilot since it went live toward the end of May.

Not everyone who caught the pilot will obviously stick with the series moving forward, but if you combine 3 million early views with whatever number tunes in for the drama tonight, Mr. Robot should be sitting pretty during Season 1. (Especially since USA’s other big draws, like Suits and Graceland frequently do less than 2 million total same day viewers, these days.) With that in mind, it’s easy to see why USA would be betting big on its latest original programming endeavor. Season 2 will hit the schedule in 2016.

If you haven’t caught Mr. Robot, yet, we highly suggest you give the series a watch. The series stars Rami Malek as Elliot, a young man with a lot of anger, but also a unique skill set. One day, Elliot meets an underground hacking organization with an interesting mission. The group wants to recruit him. This leads to interesting performances from Christian Slater, Carly Chaikin and others. Watching people engage in hacking isn't typically the most exciting of premises, but Mr. Robot delivers with a stylish pilot that introduces us to oddball characters and an intricate but still digestible hacking world.

You can catch the show tonight at 10 p.m. ET on USA. Or, you know, just catch it here.

The networks, cable stations and streaming services have been beefing up their respective summer lineups in recent years. And while old standbys like True Blood may be out the door, this summer there’s a ton of programming that still deserves your attention. We’ve culled through the 2015 summer TV premiere schedule, looking through all the new and critically acclaimed shows to bring you a look at the programs we feel represent the summer's best. After a lot of careful thought, some rowdy debates and plenty of passionate speeches, we’ve put together a list of the 5 shows you have to be watching this summer.

Mr. Robot

Premiere Date: Wednesday, June 24

Where Is It Airing?: USA

Initially premiering at SXSW, USA’s new drama Mr. Robot managed to take the critical world by storm, and it’s no wonder. The pilot is one of the sharpest and most intriguing we’ve seen, with an excellent performance by lead Rami Malek. It pops up in the schedule this week, so tune in and give USA’s bid for higher stakes TV a shot.

Wayward Pines

Premiere Date: Thursday, May 14

Where Is It Airing?: Fox

Wayward Pines was an early addition to the summer lineup, hitting the schedule back in May. M. Night Shyamalan directed the pilot as well as executive produced the twisted series, which stars a ton of incredible actors, including Matt Dillon, Terrence Howard, Juliette Lewis, Shannyn Sossaman, Carla Gugino, Toby Joes and Melissa Leo. If you’ve missed the drama so far, it isn’t too late. All of the first five full episodes are available to watch on Fox’s site, and other outlets, like Hulu, can also help you to catch up on the series. There’s a new episode airing on Thursday, so hop to it!

Wet Hot American Summer

Premiere Date: Friday, July 17

Where Is It Airing?: Netflix

The Wet Hot American Summer movie has built a niche fanbase over the years, and while we don’t expect Wet Hot American Summer to be the most popular hit of the summer, all factors indicate the Netflix comedy should be great. The original cast is back, and we’re not talking just a few people, we’re talking all of the original cast, including the likes of Bradley Cooper and Amy Poehler, not to mention newbies Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig and Jon Hamm. Bingewatch to your heart’s content, starting next month.

Fear The Walking Dead

Premiere Date: August 2015

Where Is It Airing?: AMC

Despite having a ridiculous title, we’re pretty excited about The Walking Dead spinoff Fear The Walking Dead. AMC has kept quite a few details about the spinoff under wraps, but we’ve still learned some interesting tidbits about the upcoming series, including the fact that it will be set in Los Angeles and will look at the dawn of the walkers in a different manner.

Ballers

Premiere Date:Sunday, June 21

Where Is It Airing?: HBO

Ballers is another summer program that has already hit the schedule, but this one just premiered on Sunday, so you haven’t missed much, yet. The new series stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a former NFL player who is now getting into the world of money management. With its Miami setting, it’s a slightly more dazzling Entourage, and it features a pretty great cast (Yeah, I’ll defend my love for Rob Corddry). Catch up with it on On Demand, or via HBO Go and HBO Now, today.

Other Honorable Mentions:

The Strain Season 2, FX

Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, FX

Zoo, CBS

Humans, AMC

USA’s upcoming drama Mr. Robot marks a sharper, more cinematic change for a network that has been known for snappy dramas like Suits and Covert Affairs. The network took a more complex turn with recent series Dig and now plans to delve deep into the psyche of a hacker with Mr. Robot, a brand new drama starring Rami Malek and Christian Slater, that is being released onto VOD platforms for a few weeks prior to the drama’s June 24 premiere.

Rami Malek’s been one to watch for years, with stints in Night at the Museum and Short Term 12 (and even that one episode of Gilmore Girls) gaining him notice, and now he’s landed the lead in Mr. Robot as the complex, quick-minded and frequently unlikeable lead who sometimes carries the weight of the world, but always carries the weight of the show, on his shoulders. Mr. Robot is told strictly through the viewpoint of Malek’s Elliot, and his dissociative problems are strong from the first moments. Elliot hates his job, hates his life, probably has a drug problem, and is angry that he can’t muster up a romantic relationship with his best friend Angela (Portia Doubleday), instead choosing to stalk her partners online, finding their weak points. Your grandmother would call him “a piece of work.”

It’s interesting to see a series defined by someone who is so truly paranoid and imbalanced and to still find that series likable and intriguing. It helps that the stakes are high, with an underground organization looking to hack into corporations and shift the tide of corporate power to the people. It also helps that Elliot, despite his various social issues, mostly uses his hacking for good, choosing to spend a lot of time wreaking havoc on the lives of those who do harm, turning in child porn hosts on the internet to the police and helping to remove his therapist (Gloria Reuben) from a bad situation. He’s a stalker with a heart of gold.

What really should pique the audience's interest, however, are the individuals not involved in Elliot’s life. These include the crew at Mr. Robot, who want to use Elliot to help down the corporation, the cheesily nicknamed “Evil Corp” for which he does IT work. Among these is Christian Slater, who has headlined much of the promotional material, but only has a small role in the pilot. Still, he’s an intriguing fellow, and seems to be the catalyst for a lot of the drama that will come, so he’s a welcome addition. Suburgatory’s Carly Chaikin also plays a hacker in the pilot, and she’s a far cry from her pink-clad Suburgatory character. I half-expected for her to deadpan some weirdness, but instead she gets in some undercutting remarks to Elliot, and is clearly a competent hacker in her own right.

Mr. Robot is a drama about people with computer skills that spends time trying to get the details right. Hacking isn’t always easy to explain on TV nor is it always the most interesting topic, yet Sam Esmail’s series does a good job keeping the jargon light while making the exploits of the hackers actually seem feasible. Elliot is good at his craft because he does a lot of background work to learn more about the people he is following on the internet. It’s clear he’s talented, but there’s also legwork involved, as when he visits locations and meets the people he is hacking to ascertain personal information. The pilot is laid out in such a way that this is all more interesting than hackneyed, and hopefully Mr. Robot will be able to toe that line moving forward.

I have no no idea if this schizophrenic mindfuck of a series will be able to engage audiences beyond the pilot, but for one brief hour, Mr. Robot is damn near perfect.

Rating:

Pilots are notably unreliable indicators of what a series will offer, but Mr. Robot’s pilot is worth a watch. With a little luck, the rest of the drama will be, too. USA really wants to get fans into its latest drama entry, and is making Mr. Robot available via VOD platforms starting on Wednesday, May 27. You can catch the pilot via a slew of sources, including but not limited to: Xfinity On Demand, USANetwork.com, the USA Now App, Hulu, YouTube, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, Vudu, XBOX Video, PlayStation Video, and M-GO.

Photo Credit@NBC Universal

Hacking is a pretty hot button topic right now, thanks to all of the news featuring the Sony hacks and the release of the now-defunct flick The Interview. Apparently, USA is ready to jump onto that hacking bandwagon via a brand new series about the topic. This week, the network announced that it has signed on for a hacking drama that will oddly be called Mr. Robot. It’ll star none other than former heartthrob Christian Slater.

Mr. Robot is expected to follow a young hacker named Elliot, who will be played by 24’s Rami Malek. Elliot has major social problems, but he will be handy with a computer, and in the series will end up using his hacking skills for good rather than evil, protecting the individuals he cares about. However, eventually he will be contacted by the titular Mr. Robot (Slater), who will introduce him to an underground group of hackers with more sinister intentions.

Slater’s had a rough go in recent years. His last series was the short-lived Mind Games, which failed after just a few short episodes. Prior to that an ABC pilot, Influence, failed to move forward. His most recent TV endeavor happens to be Breaking In, a Fox comedy that was canceled at the end of its first season before subsequently being picked up for Season 2 (at the end of the second season, it was also canceled). Slater’s still in pretty high demand, at least in the TV realm, but if he couldn't make a TV show with Steve Zahn work, I have no idea what will. Still, Mr. Robot definitely has a timely premise, which should help the drama.

At the very least, USA seems to be pretty stoked about the drama. Earlier this year, the network announced five projects that were in the works. Among these was Stanistan, the brand new pilot set to star Dexter’s Jennifer Carpenter, Colony headlining Lost’s Josh Holloway and The Walking Dead’s Sarah Wayne Callies, Evil Men and Queen of The South. You would think Stanistan and The Colony would be pretty high-profile projects, but Mr. Robot has been the first series pickup from the five, so I’m assuming there’s something pretty special there.

The series comes from True Detective executive producer Steve Golin, so that may have helped. Sam Esmail and Chad Hamilton will also executive produce. Ten episodes will be produced for Season 1. Currently, USA is staying mum on when Mr. Robot will premiere.

We’ll keep you posted as Mr. Robot and—hopefully—a few of the other new USA Network projects will begin moving forward.