7 TV Shows Everyone Says Are Awful (but They Are Secretly Masterpieces)

The hate for each of these projects has gained as much of a cult following as the shows themselves. But how much of it is justified?

Here are seven shows that are much better than critics and audiences say they are.

7. Imposters (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Where to watch: Prime Video, Fandango at Home

The list begins with Imposters, a well-crafted dark comedy about a con artist who seduces victims and takes their money, which, unlike many of the following shows, is currently receiving warm reviews. Unfortunately, the ratings were so low at the time of its release that the show was canceled after only two seasons.

6. Dark Matter (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

Where to watch: The CW

Dark Matter is often compared to a low-budget rip-off of The Expanse since both premiered in 2015. However, the show in question raised equally interesting ethical questions about the identity of the protagonists, and coupled with some good action scenes, it clearly didn't deserve to be canceled after three seasons.

5. Girlboss (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 35%

Where to watch: Netflix

Female characters can be messy, problematic and abrasive, and Girlboss, a biographical comedy about Sophia Amoruso, captures that like no other. Unfortunately, audiences seemed to disagree. But that doesn't take away from the fact that the show is fun and has a terrific soundtrack.

4. The Strain (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 84%

Where to watch: Hulu

The vampire horror The Strain, which Despite Guillermo del Toro co-created with Chuck Hogan, was panned by audiences, even though it was critically acclaimed. And although the last two seasons have been somewhat flawed, the show might have continued for at least one more season if the audience had been a little warmer to it.

3. Teenage Bounty Hunters (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Where to watch: Netflix

Despite receiving fairly high scores on review aggregators, the series got a lot of hate on social networks at the time of its release, and unfortunately, coupled with not the highest ratings. Netflix canceled Teenage Bounty Hunters after only one season, and we think this is a huge oversight, as the show's sharp humor and protagonist chemistry make it one of the most overlooked shows in years.

2. Supernatural ( 2005)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Where to watch: Netflix

In second place is Supernatural, whose hatred seems to have gained as much of a cult following as the show itself. Even today, fans argue about how much the quality dropped after original creator Eric Kripke left, and at what point the remaining writers took a wrong turn. And the finale, including Dean's death and Sam's old age, as well as their meeting in the afterlife... well, many would rather forget.

However, the Supernatural team approached it with great enthusiasm, and even the controversial finale itself shows how important the project has become to the cast and crew after so many years. We should also not forget that last season was underwhelming for objective reasons, including the unexpected unfolding of the Covid-19 pandemic.

1. Riverdale ( 2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

Where to watch: Netflix

Guilty pleasure for some, total hate for others. Yes, Riverdale is perhaps the campiest and wildest show ever to air on television, but at the time of its release, it seemed to have become fashionable to hate it.

After all, the writers deliberately added unbelievable storylines and retconned certain aspects of previous seasons. However, it was this ridiculous satire that kept many people watching the show throughout its seven seasons. After all, sometimes we need viewing options that are so bad they're actually good!