In the 2010s, the streaming era as we know it had barely begun. Peak TV hadn’t even peaked yet, but there were already shows that were destined for early cancellations.
It was especially frustrating to be an FX fan, as not even high-quality shows managed to earn second seasons.
Since these series deserve to be remembered, Watch With Us is sharing our roundup of the four great 2010s shows you already forgot about.
This is your chance to make different choices. These shows may never be the hits they deserved to be, but they can still be rediscovered.
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‘Terriers’ (2010)
FX bungled the marketing for Terriers by sticking it with a terrible name that didn’t even have much to do with the series itself. There is a bulldog on the show, but this isn’t a series about canines. Instead, it’s one of the great beach noir shows of all time that follows a pair of unlicensed private investigators: Former cop Hank Dolworth (Donal Logue), and his best friend/ex-con, Britt Pollack (Michael Raymond-James).
The duo is barely getting by in Ocean Beach when they stumble across a very plausible conspiracy, especially if you’ve ever lived in San Diego. There are some case-of-the-week stories, but the overall arc of the entire season is jaw-dropping. Even the relationships between Hank and his ex-wife, Gretchen Dolworth (Kimberly Quinn), and Britt and his girlfriend, Katie Nichols (Laura Allen), play major parts in the outcome. There’s never going to be a season 2, but this show is unforgettable for everyone who embraced it the first time.
Terriers is streaming on Hulu.
‘Lights Out’ (2011)
Lights Out might remind you a lot of Rocky, but it goes to even darker places with former world champion Patrick “Lights” Leary (Holt McCallany). Lights’ fighting days are over at the beginning of the series, but his family’s finances are in such bad shape that he’s drawn back into the life. His wife, Theresa Leary (Catherine McCormack), and their daughters would freak out even more if they realized that he’s already suffering from the early stages of CTE.
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McCallany was a revelation as Lights, and he was surrounded by strong performers, including Pablo Schreiber as his brother, Johnny Leary, and Stacy Keach as their father, Robert “Pops” Leary. The late Reg E. Cathey gave a devilishly good turn as boxing promoter Barry K. Word, while Billy Brown was the perfect foil for Lights as world champion Richard “Death Row” Reynolds. There were only 13 episodes, but the unfolding story built to a fantastic finale that was probably meant to set up season 2. But even as a standalone season, this show was incredible.
Lights Out is available for rent and purchase on Prime Video.
‘The Leftovers’ (2014 – 2017)
Anyone who expected The Leftovers to be the second coming of Lost was probably disappointed. Series co-creator Damon Lindelof was pretty clear ahead of time that this adaptation of Tom Perrotta‘s novel wasn’t about the Rapture or the mysterious fate of everyone who vanished. It’s about the people who were left behind with terrible emotional wounds that may never heal.
Margaret Qualley and Carrie Coon both became much bigger stars after their turns as Jill Garvey and Nora Durst, respectively. But a good deal of the show centered on Jill’s father and Nora’s lover, police chief Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux). It was Kevin’s job to hold his town together, even as his own sanity came into question. The funny thing about this show is that it did finally tell the audience what happened — you just have to choose whether or not you believe it.
The Leftovers is streaming on HBO Max.
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‘Rectify’ (2013 – 2016)
If Rectify had been on any channel or streamer other than Sundance Channel, then it probably would have had a greater chance at breaking out. Instead, it was doomed to be a critical hit on a cable channel that not everyone watched. The series followed Daniel Holden (Aden Young) and his family following the former’s release from prison after nearly two decades behind bars. His sister, Amantha Holden (Abigail Spencer), fought to get Daniel released, but not everyone is convinced that he’s innocent of murdering his girlfriend. Especially not the people living in their small town.
Daniel’s attempts to find a path forward intersect with the messy relationships his family has with each other, including his stepbrother, Ted “Teddy” Talbot Jr. (Clayne Crawford), who came into the Holdens’ family when his father married Daniel’s mother, Janet Talbot (J. Smith-Cameron). This was a very slow-burn series that may have been too slow for some, but there’s something undeniably compelling about these characters and their lives.
Rectify is streaming on The Roku Channel.
