10 Must-Watch TV Shows You May Have Missed In The Last 2 Years
A gift—and a curse—of the modern media landscape is the sheer number of shows and movies coming out every week. There are plenty of amazing filmmakers toiling away at dream projects that, due to the sheer number of other productions out there, end up being overshadowed by major hits. That’s always been a problem in the media landscape, but the deluge of streaming platforms and shows has only made it harder for something to break out big.
As a result, there are plenty of new shows with great writing, terrific performances, and amazing visuals that end up stuck at the bottom of a queue or ignored entirely. That doesn’t mean they’re completely forgotten or ignored, just that broader audiences should be keeping an eye out for the potential favorites that they may have missed. Take these 10 shows that all debuted in the last few years, ranging from intense sci-fi stories and character dramas to animated epics and goofball comedies. All of these shows are terrific and definitely worth a watch if you missed them on Prime Video, HBO Max, and more.
A twisty thriller that benefits from a terrific performance by Christoph Waltz, Prime Video’s The Consultant is a good pick for fans of business-minded shows like Industry (2020) or Billions (2016). The show focuses on the fallout of a tech company CEO’s death, which sees a mysterious “consultant” named Regus move in and take over the business.
The show suffers from a somewhat confusing plot, but its fast-paced nature and the unpredictable narrative turns add a level of excitement to what could easily be a droll show. Waltz is as great as ever, with the other stars (like Nat Wolff, Brittany O’Grady, and especially Aimee Carrero) delivering compelling turns. While it might not have the satirical weight of Succession (2018), there’s enough riveting material in The Consultant to make it a good pick for thriller fans.
Part of a slew of great video game adaptations in recent years, Fallout is a terrific sci-fi show that blends the right amount of elements from the franchise that inspired it with thematically rich explorations of society. Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, Fallout centers around a number of different characters and factions doing their best to survive and thrive in what remains of the world.
Similar to shows like Arcane (2021) and The Last of Us (2023), the adaptation process in Fallout finds a way to retain the unique texture of the source material without feeling beholden to it, leaving the door open for unique characters and compelling arcs that continue to become more complex with each episode. Two seasons are currently available on Prime Video, with a third season currently in production at the time of writing. So, now is the perfect time to dive into one of the most disarmingly funny, quietly horrifying, and surprisingly moving shows of recent years.
Audiences looking for a tense character drama in the vein of Big Little Lies (2017) will love the intense romantic elements at the heart of Expats. Both shows star Nicole Kidman, highlighting the star’s enduring talent at bringing raw emotional distress to grounded stories. The show, which focuses on three women living in Hong Kong who must contend with heartbreaking challenges in their personal lives, is a perfectly paced miniseries that can be sexy, intriguing, and tragic all in one episode.
While the Prime Video series is not necessarily a mile-a-minute story that will keep all audiences riveted, the entire cast and the strong direction from The Farewell’s (2019) Lulu Wang elevate this terrific and painfully human drama into something that goes beyond borders and nationalities.
A goofy period piece that deserved more love when it launched, Prime Video’s My Lady Jane is a blast for rom-com fans. Taking inspiration from the real-life story of Lady Jane Grey, My Lady Jane is a witty coming-of-age story that follows a young woman coming into her own against the backdrop of the Tudor romance genre. Similar to The Other Bennet Sister (2026), this revisionist approach serves as a great way to give more agency and complexity to a historical woman who had often been dismissed in real life.
Taking on enough fantasy elements to make the story a more fully supernatural offering, My Lady Jane thrives thanks to the delightful performances of Emily Bader and Edward Bluemel. There’s a real charm to the setting that makes it a delight to watch, as well as making the show’s cancellation after one season all the more frustrating. Still, if you like Bridgerton (2020) and can accept a little fantasy in your period romance, you’ll love My Lady Jane.
There are plenty of iterations of the Dark Knight out there, but Batman: Caped Crusader is one of the best recent examples of the character in mass media. A collaboration between Batman: The Animated Series (1992) head producer Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams, and The Batman (2022) director Matt Reeves, Caped Crusader is a period piece that revisits the early days of the character in a more mature take on Gotham City.
The animation style is sleek, and the lore tweaks are terrific, including new approaches to Penguin, Two-Face, and Harley Quinn that longtime fans will be obsessed with. With a second season on the way for a planned 2026 release, Batman: Caped Crusader is a terrific show that any superhero fan can’t afford to miss on HBO Max.
Taking inspiration from the Japanese show Documental (2016), LOL: Last One Laughing UK is a perfectly goofy show for anyone who appreciates droll humor. The reality show sees 10 comedians placed in a room together, with the challenge being that they cannot crack a smile or laugh at one another’s gags. The competition becomes surprisingly heated as the cast throws increasingly absurd bits at one another, with some truly delightful gags over the course of the show.
Feeling at times like a more insular and focused Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1998), Last One Laughing is the perfect melding of classic humor panel shows like Mock the Week (2005) and the online games of groups like Smosh. Make sure to check out the second season, especially with David Mitchell from Peep Show (2003) and Diane Morgan from Cunk on Earth (2022) delivering some truly terrific bits.
A hardcore fantasy adventure that’s ideal for anyone who liked Game of Thrones (2011), The Mighty Nein is the second animated collaboration between Prime Video and popular online show Critical Role. Similar to its sister show, The Legend of Vox Machina (2022), The Mighty Nein blends ambitious fantasy storytelling and grimly complex characters with a dash of gore, a lot of swearing, and some surprisingly colorful animation.
A more somber show at times, The Mighty Nein is still a bit too overtly mature for younger audiences who prefer their fantasy more akin to Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2023). The Mighty Nein’s best elements make it one of the more compelling fantasy shows on TV right now and a great watch even for those who usually balk at animation.
A sly crime thriller that revolves entirely around Sophie Turner’s terrific lead performance, Steal was an unexpected blast when it debuted earlier this year. Initially presenting itself as a straight drama about an office worker caught up in an armed robbery, the show slowly reveals that she may know much more about the crime than anyone realizes.
While the middle episodes can drag, the first and final episodes of the season are taut thrillers that will entice any fan of shows like Mr. Robot (2015). At the core of it all is a terrific lead performance by Turner, who is able to add a lot of depth to a character who could have been a basic player in a lesser show. While the pacing might be a bit wonky, the underlying craft of Steal makes it a must-watch.
There have been plenty of Sherlock Holmes adaptations over the years, but credit where credit is due, Young Sherlock takes what should be a fairly basic premise and does some really clever stuff with it. Guy Ritchie is familiar with the character, given his experience helming the Robert Downey Jr. led Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011). However, he’s playing with a very different version of the character in this teen drama, including tweaking Sherlock’s relationships in unique ways that help the show stand out from other adaptations.
Slick as anything The Gentlemen (2024) creator has ever made, Young Sherlock’s terrific casting and compelling twists on the established canon make it a great watch for younger viewers and older fans alike.
The follow-up to FreeVee’s critical darling Jury Duty (2023), Jury Duty: Company Retreat takes the experimental approach to storytelling and plays it up for some surprisingly effective emotion. Similar to the first season, the premise is that a single non-actor has folds into a societal construct—in the first season, it was a trial, while in the second, it’s a small hot sauce business that might be changing ownership—and is surrounded by actors who gradually escalate the absurd touches for comedic effect.
While the second season doesn’t have anything as hilarious as James Marsden’s self-aware parody of himself from the first season, the surprisingly wholesome touches of the new season give the goofball comedy a lot of heart. If you loved The Office (2005), this slice-of-life experiment is just right for you.
