Are we still living inthe so-called Golden Age of Television? However confusing as the term might be right now, it’s undeniable that both streaming and cable produced some all-time great shows in the past decade, likeSuccessionandVeep. For its part, the late ’90s and 2000s kickstarted the trend with outright masterpieces likeThe SopranosandSix Feet Under.
And yet, while many of these shows live up to the hype, and others are accurately rated, considering their overall quality, a few can be described as absurdly overrated. These TV offerings have received overwhelming acclaim, usually within a determined period, with both critics and audiences lauding them as absolute triumphs of the small screen. However, hindsight will reveal their acclaim is vastly overblown, and, at the end of the day, they’re really not worth the hype.
Parks and Recreation (2009-2015)
Never has a show been more intrinsically tied to its specific time and place asParks and Recreation.SNLstandout Amy Poehler stars as Leslie Knope, a midlevel bureaucrat whose can-do attitude leads her to try to inspire all those around her while working in the Parks Department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana.
Parks and Recreationis perhaps the best representation of the overly hopeful attitude that plagued pop culture during the Obama years. Thus, rewatching it now means rolling one’s eyes more than a few times, especially whenever Leslie’s wide-eyed optimism becomes too much. In fact, if it weren’t for Poehler, the character would often come across as a caricature, which is never great unless it’s intentional.Parks and Recreationis funny and sometimes endearing, but as a testament to the 2010s, it’s also frustrating, at times annoying, and way too overhyped by those who stuck with it for seven years.
Parks and Recreationis available tostream on Peacock.
The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
2020 saw audiences take refuge in streaming to escape from the bleak reality of what seemed like a crumbling world. Thus, every show seemed like a lifeline; average projects looked good, and great ones became outright masterpieces. Such was the case forThe Queen’s Gambit, a seven-episode Netflix miniseries starringDune: Part Two‘s Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon, a chess prodigy dealing with numerous personal demons.
The Queen’s Gambitboasts flashy production values, a haunting score, and a mesmerizing performance from Taylor-Joy in what would be her breakthrough role. However, the direction is uninteresting, the writing expected and sometimes lethargic, and the resolution underwhelming, to the point where it invalidates everything that came before. Luckily,The Queen’s Gambitfeatures a stellar ensemble that helps Taylor-Joy keep things afloat, but in hindsight, it’s puzzling that this show stayed atop Netflix’s charts for so long and earned as much acclaim as it did. It really was a desolate entertainment landscape forThe Queen’s Gambitto explode in such a way.
The Queen’s Gambitis available tostream on Netflix.
The Boys (2019-Present)
Amazon Prime Video has its fair share of hit shows, but perhaps none is bigger thanThe Boys. Based on the eponymous comic book series, the show is set in a world where superheroes are common. It follows the titular group, vigilantes who target “supes” who abuse their abilities, especially The Seven, the most powerful superhero team working for the powerful Vought Corporation.
What’s funny is thatThe Boysstarted as a ruthless satire of the gross consumerism surrounding the superhero genre, only to live long enough to become the thing it once tore down. Amazon is now churning out spin-offs like nobody’s business, slowly turningThe Boysfrom a subversive entry that stood out amidst an overly crowded genre to just another entry in a never-ending, factory-produced line. Indeed, the only differences betweenThe Boysand the average Marvel movie are some gallons of blood and a great deal of F-words.
The Boysis available tostream on Amazon Prime Video.
Grey’s Anatomy (2005-Present)
If ever there was a show that embodied the phrase “This is still on?” it’sGrey’s Anatomy. The ABC show started in 2005, featuring an ensemble cast led by Ellen Pompeo and following the personal and professional lives of a group of interns working at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital. What originally distinguishedGrey’s Anatomyfrom the many other medical shows out there was its emphasis on romance and its willingness to be soapy.
At its peak,Grey‘swas a TV juggernaut, earning accolades left and right and attracting high ratings. However, as seasons went on and cast members dropped out, the show began to shift, becoming increasingly over-the-top and entering an increasingly absurd state of being. In its defense, it’s at least self-aware enough to pull it off, but even its most devoted fans must admit its glory days are long gone. More importantly, rewatching its early seasons makes it clear that the show was never that great to begin with, which probably means it should bow down with whatever grace it has left and stick to being a staple on Netflix.
Grey’s Anatomyis available tostream on Netflix.
Ted Lasso (2020-2023)
Apple TV+is among the most fascinating streaming services. It has some of television’s most underappreciated gems inSilo,For All Mankind, andServant, and many of the most overrated shows, likeThe Morning Showand, of course,Ted Lasso. The latter, based on a character star Jason Sudeikis played in promos for NBC’s sports coverage, follows a Kansan American college football coach hired as coach to an English soccer team.
At the start,Ted Lasso‘s irresistible charm and cheery attitude seemed like an antidote to the otherwise cynical and gloomy entertainment landscape, a direct consequence of “prestige television.” Enthusiasm for the show’s own shameless enthusiasm led to instant mainstream recognition, including back-to-back Emmy wins for Outstanding Comedy Series. It didn’t take long before everyone realized the show was all fluff, and its initial allure faded quickly. Nowadays, the show stands as a perfect example of pandemic content, arriving at the right time and place but working solely within those parameters. Here’s hopingTed Lassodoesn’t return for a fourth season; we really don’t need it.
Ted Lassois available tostream on Apple TV+.
Squid Game (2021-Present)
From the moment it premiered in mid-September 2021,Squid Gametook the world by storm. The South Korean show follows a group of people who, in desperate need of money, agree to participate in a series of deadly children’s games for the chance to win a 45.6 billion won prize.
Few streaming shows have been such juggernauts asSquid Game. It’s currentlythe most-watched original show in Netflix’s history, boasting an absurd amount of watched minutes that all but dwarves its competitors. The show is thrilling and features an original premise, but it’s far from perfect, and its flaws only become more apparent with the benefit of hindsight. Aside from being plagued byreal-life controversies, it also inspired a reality show calledSquid Game: The Challenge, possibly Netflix’s most reprehensible original effort this side ofLove Is Blind. LikeThe Boys,Squid Game‘s legacy has become tainted, as what began as a harsh critique of capitalism became another cog in the system, rendering itself all but useless.
Squid Gameis available tostream on Netflix.
Stranger Things (2016-Present)
Why is it so hard to make a great science fiction show? There have been many noteworthy examples, but few maintain the momentum throughout the seasons, and most end as echoes of what they once were. Such is the case forStranger Things, arguably Netflix’s crowning jewel. The show centers on several characters living in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, and dealing with supernatural threats from an alternate dimension known as the Upside Down.
Stranger Things‘ main issue is that it hasn’t been able to keep the same level of quality it had during its stellar debut season. Its ability to craft pop culture-defining moments remains intact —Kate Bush should know it!— but its glory days are long behind. An upcoming fifth and final season will finally bring the show to a close, but there’s no way it can end on a high note, especially considering its past two seasons have seen a considerable decline. Like other shows behind it,Stranger Thingssuffers from overhyping from its loyal followers. Sadly, once you actually see it, it just doesn’t live up to it, at least not in the way you’d expect.
Stranger Thingsis available tostream on Netflix.
The Bear (2022-Present)
Hulu has a good collection of shows, including some of the best in current television. Yet, the only people seem to be talking about isThe Bear, starring Jeremy Allen White as one of the most delightfully pathetic guys in mainstream TV. The series follows Carmy Berzatto, an award-winning chef who returns to Chicago to take over his late brother’s sandwich shop.
The Bearis possibly the epitome of a show whose qualities have been absurdly blown out of proportion. For starters, it’s not a comedy, considering it has more drama than the average episode ofSix Feet Under. The writing is good, but nothing out of the ordinary, as are the performances — for example, White was far better in the frustratingly underratedShameless. Don’t get me wrong,The Bearis a great dramedy, but award shows and audiences keep treating it as Christ’s second coming, which it most certainly isn’t. If you’re looking for an actually funny comedy on Hulu, turn toOnly Murders in the Buildinginstead.
The Bearis available tostream on Hulu.
Euphoria (2019-Present?)
In the early 2000s, the criminally underrated showMad TVmade a joke, boldly claiming, “It’s not television, it’s porn.” While it made the quip about the acquired taste that isSex and the City, the claim is a better fit forEuphoria, Sam Levinson’s neon-colored look at overgrown teenagers dealing with sex, drugs, and other forms of excess.
Euphoriais very clearly aimed at a very specific target audience, one which I left behind several years ago. However, pretty much anyone can see the show for what it is: an exploitative and profoundly average effort from an extremely egotistical mind only elevated by the talent of its impressive cast.Euphoriaexists as an expensive and highly elaborate form of wish-fulfillment for Levinson, quite possibly the best example of that old Hollywood idea of “Here’s what a 30-year-old thinks teenagers are like.” It’s silly at best, questionably problematic at worst, and certainly blown out of proportion.
Euphoriais available tostream on Max.
The Office (2005-2013)
The Officeis a bizarre show. Steve Carell stars as the ridiculous Michael Scott, regional manager to the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch paper company Dunder Mifflin, whose cringe and often offensive attempts at humor provide much of the comedy. Carell is joined by a cast of oddballs that go from the funny to the weird to the outright disturbing.
The issue withThe Officeis that it hassome momentsoftrue comedic geniusthat single-handedly elevate it to the peak of comedy. However, like many of its 2000s peers, it also aggressively relies on stereotypes at the expense of pretty much every character. Some jokes are great, and others are lazy to the point of being boring. In the end, the success ofThe Officedepends on how funny you find creepy and annoying characters like Michael, Dwight, and Creed; if your tolerance for their brand of awkward, uncomfortable humor is low, chances are you’ll findThe Officegrossly overrated.
