20 underrated television performances

No one else in the world could’ve played Jenna Maroney as well as Jane Krakowski. She was perfectly cast, and she gave an incredible performance every season of 30 Rock. She delivered an arc while maintaining the character’s bonkers personality. 

This Is Us worked so well for a variety of reasons, but one standout aspect of the show was its performances. Unfortunately, Susan Kelechi Watson never got quite the same recognition as her co-stars despite delivering just as consistently good of a performance. 

Everybody knows that Andy Samberg is funny, and he’s certainly gotten credit for the humor he brought to his work in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but he also gave a genuinely good acting performance, especially when looked at holistically. He delivered his character’s gradual maturation without losing his essence. 

In many ways, it felt like Cillian Murphy didn’t receive any recognition for his acting talent until starring in Oppenheimer. But he’s always been around, consistently delivering great performances. He was fantastic in Peaky Blinders. 

Truth be told, everyone in Arrested Development deserved more recognition for their work on that show. It’s a comedic master class. Jason Bateman rarely gets his due, though, because his character was the only sane one in the bunch. 

Gossip Girl consistently got favorable reviews, but its storylines were almost too sensational for it to be taken seriously by critics. Still, the actors showed up season after season to deliver great performances, particularly Leighton Meester. 

Thanks to her work on The White Lotus, Aubrey Plaza finally got some recognition for her talent. But real ones know she’s been delivering great work for years and years, and some of her best can be seen in Parks and Recreation. 

There was so much talent on Atlanta that it was hard to recognize it all. But LaKeith Stanfield deserved more credit for his work. It’s not easy to routinely deliver good comedy, and he made it look effortless. 

For all the love that The Good Place has received, the least has been heaped upon D’Arcy Carden. Her work as Janet was consistently good throughout the entire series, and she perhaps had the toughest role of anyone on the cast. 

Hailee Steinfeld is a great actress, but her work as the titular character on Dickinson was largely ignored. She gave a fantastic performance, but the noise fell flat when it came to applause. 

Everyone on Hacks does a phenomenal job, but not everyone gets enough credit. At the top of the list is Kaitlin Olson. She only pops up in a few episodes, but when she’s there, she is giving it her all and doing a fantastic job. 

Could any other comedic actor in Hollywood give the same performance as Nathan Fielder did in Nathan For You? No, no other comedic actor could. It’s actually sort of unbelievable how good he was in that role, and it’s even more unbelievable that it’s not talked about more. 

Was Kerry Washington outstanding in Scandal? Yes, yes, she was. Was Bellamy Young also outstanding? Yes, she was, too. That show wouldn’t have been nearly as compelling if Young hadn’t been so good as Mellie. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is amazing in Veep, but the supporting cast was a huge part of that show’s success. And the most underrated performance in that entire series came from Sam Richardson. He was truly hilarious and a delight to see on screen. 

Everything about The Righteous Gemstones is underrated. The entire cast is great, but Edi Patterson is something special. The character of Judy Gemstone is completely unhinged, but Patterson makes sure she’s still likable. 

Anya Taylor-Joy received recognition for her performance in The Queen’s Gambit when it premiered, but that recognition largely faded into obscurity soon after. Her performance deserved more lasting praise. 

Hugh Laurie wasn’t the only one doing great work on House. Omar Epps was a steady presence throughout the series, and few people talked about how critical his work was to the show’s success. 

When everyone on your cast is really, really good, it can be hard to be noticed. But Abby Elliott deserves more credit for her work on The Bear. She does exactly what she needs to do to contribute to the show’s success, and that shouldn’t go unnoticed. 

Zach Woods didn’t get enough fanfare for his work on Silicon Valley, full stop. But if we’re being real, he also didn’t get enough credit for his work on The Office. Woods is a master at playing unlikable characters, and that deserves recognition, too. 

Shoshanna didn’t get enough credit for being the most likable character on Girls, and Zosia Mamet didn’t get enough credit for delivering such a good performance. She was just as good as any other member of that ensemble, and she added a lot to the series.