5 Most Underrated Shows on TV Part 2

Honorable Mentions: American Crime, Casual, Catastrophe, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Halt and Catch Fire, Togetherness, Underground.
Note: This list is comprised of my personal opinions regarding what I believe are the some of the most underrated shows currently airing episodes. While these shows may have received acclaim from critics and audience, they fail to pull in the ratings they deserve. It is also worth remembering that I do not watch every show on TV, so this list may be missing some shows that deserve a spot. This is a follow up to a list I put out early last year (original list: http://goo.gl/zNCg0k).

Honorable Mentions: Angie Tribeca

There are a bunch of great comedies on TV right now, but this one might be my favorite. The show follows a detective named Angie Tribeca as she gets into a bunch of silly antics with her colleagues as they solve crime. Basically, this is "The Naked Gun" the TV show. I'm a big fan of entertainment that is self aware as well old school spoof movies, so this show is right down my alley. It never takes itself seriously, and makes almost every case incredibly obvious right off the bat. And like the old spoof movies, everyone in this show is an idiot. But despite being one of the funniest shows on TV, the views it pulls in are pathetic. The first season averaged a little under a million for the first half of the season but dropped below 500 thousand by the time of the finale. And the second season that began in June, 2016 has only averaged about half a million per episode. The shows biggest problem is that it's airing on TBS, a channel no one ever watches. If it was on CBS viewership would be ten times higher. But despite low numbers the network seems dedicated to supporting the show and has already renewed it for a third season.

5. The Man in the High Castle

Now of every show on this list this might actually be the most watched show on this list, that's because it's not on TV but on the internet. "The Man in the High Castle" is alternate history series based off the 1962 novel of the same name, and is an Amazon original. The show takes place in a history where the Axis powers won World War 2; the United States was then split up with the east given to Nazi Germany and the west given to the Empire of Japan. The show follows several characters from all sides: Germany, Japan, and US rebels. And the story mainly revolves around these film reels which show different outcomes to WW2, with the rebels trying to collect them and the Axis powers trying to get them out of circulation. This is a fascinating series to say the least, one that never lost my attention. Unfortunately this is a show that has been overlooked by its peers. Other Amazon shows like "Mozart in the Jungle" and "Transparent" have received all the attention while this one has been overlooked. But with a second season supposedly coming later this year, it might get its just desserts.

4. Jane the Virgin

"Jane the Virgin" is one of the most unlikely enjoyable shows on TV right now. When I first heard the plot of this show, it sounded to ridiculous to be true. The story follows 20 something Jane Gloriana Villanueva, an intelligent young woman who has built much of her identity around the fact that she has decided to stay abstinent and save herself for marriage. But after a trip to an OB/GYN, she is accidentally artificially inseminated with a sample from a rich hotel owner whom she had met in the past and would go on to develop feelings for. As ridiculous as the premise sounds, it pays homage to the shows that inspired it. The show takes a lot of influence from Latin American Telaovelas, but puts a North American spin on it while keeping with the tradition of grandiose story lines and crazy twists. Funny and filled with several likable and memorable characters, this has become one of my personal favorite shows on TV. But despite being the best show on The CW, ratings are pathetic with most episodes not bringing in over a million viewers. Despite this, a third season has been confirmed. And due to the praise it appears that The CW will continue the series as long as the show runners are willing to keep going.

3. Silicon Valley

"Silicon Valley" is probably the most acclaimed comedy on TV right now, and maybe the most acclaimed sitcom to air in years. The show follows a group of computer programmers who form a company called Pied Piper after the founder creates a video compression software that could be the next big thing. The series proceeds to explore their development as a company, the bureaucracy of Silicon Valley, and competition from larger companies. Despite receiving widespread praise and a number of awards, only three of the 28 episodes reached over two million viewers live. While the show has gained a strong following from dedicated fans, and likely has much higher ratings when factoring DVR and HBO's online services, this show doesn't seem to get the attention it deserves. The less intelligent, less funny "Big Bang Theory" pulls 20 million viewers an episode while "Silicon Valley" barely pulls a faction of those numbers. But with more and more people being turned onto the series as word spreads, I have hopes that viewership will increase in the coming seasons.

2. Mr. Robot
"Mr. Robot" is very arguably the best show on TV, and I came damn close to putting it at the top of this list. But with the second season airing right now, I couldn't justify putting it at number one without the current story line being complete. The way I've always described "Mr. Robot" was "Fight Club" the TV show (it even makes some direct references from "Fight Club"). The story follows Elliot, an incredibly intelligent, but unstable and socially awkward, computer programmer at a cyber-security firm during the day. But by night he is a hacker, mostly hacking those close to him since he has trouble connecting on a personal level, but occasionally he goes after criminals that he views are poisoning society. Out of the blue he meets the leader of a hacker group who invites him to join his organization, and what proceeds may lead to a new world order. "Mr. Robot" is one of the most intelligent, best written, well made, and fascinating shows I've ever seen; but unfortunately hasn't pulled great numbers, especially with its second season thus far. At the moment a third season has not been confirmed, but considering this is the most acclaimed show USA has ever made I doubt they would cancel it anytime soon.

1. Fargo

Choosing which show would top this list was difficult, but it was hard to imagine any other show being number one. "Fargo" is a dramatic miniseries inspired by the movie of the same name. Each season follows a new story and a new group of characters as they traverse the seedy underbelly of the northern United States. Premiering in 2014, both seasons of the show have ranked among the very best on TV for their respective years. The acting, directing, writing, and story lines are phenomenal. It manages to pay respect to its source material, but separates itself and stands on its own. Since its first episode, "Fargo" received overwhelming acclaim from critics and audiences. But even with such a warm reception, only two of the 20 episodes pulled in over two million viewers; not so surprising when you consider that it airs on FX, but still disappointing considering how good it is. A third season is on its way and scheduled for a 2017 release, and if you have any common sense you will be watching it on its first day.

Star Trek Beyond Review

     Depending on whom you ask, you'll get different answers to what the most influential piece of visual sci-fi entertainment is. Many would say "2001: A Space Odyssey," a film that illustrated the essence of the human spirit and how far we plan to go. Some would say the "Star Wars" franchise, which captured the hearts and minds of several generations and took us on an epic journey spanning decades. And some would say "Blade Runner," a dark picture of what overpopulation, lack of resources, a class divide, and artificial intelligence would do to our society. But many would argue that the most important piece of science fiction in the past century wasn't a movie or a book, but a few TV series. "Star Trek" was a sci-fi series that first aired in 1966; the show took place a little over 200 years in the future and followed the adventures of the crew of the Starship Enterprise. The show was a hit with critics and audiences, garnering many awards and fans over its lifetime; but low viewership and high production costs lead the show to be canceled after three seasons. "Star Trek" was a milestone for TV; touching on complex themes and relationships most shows wouldn't bother with, it even featured the first scripted interracial kiss on TV. Despite being canceled, "Star Trek" was a phenomenon that would eventually spawn several films, including "Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan" which is generally called a sci-fi classic. Decades later it spawned several spin-off series, including "Star Trek: The Next Generation" which is often considered to be one of the best dramas to ever air on TV. "Star Trek" was special; it was a series that boldly went where no one had gone before. Now, almost 50 years later "Star Trek" is still going strong; and once again is here to entertain and inspire another generation of viewers.

     After the events of "Into Darkness," the crew of the Starship Enterprise is now three years into their five year trip into deep space; their mission is to discover new species and planets, and act as messengers of peace on behalf of the Federation. But after three years the crew has become tired, and they miss life outside the ship. While re-supplying on the Federation's newest and most advanced base, a scientist on an unmarked ship comes to ask for help. She claims that her ship was downed in an uncharted nebula, and that her crew needs help. So the Enterprise heads out again to help, but after entering the nebula they come upon an army that is not interested in diplomacy.

     2009's "Star Trek" is one of my favorite sci-fi films of the past decade; I thought it was a great reboot to a beloved series, which paid respect to its predecessors while appealing to a larger audience. The sequel, "Star Trek Into Darkness," was also good but lacked that special something the first one had. When I first saw it I loved it, but upon reflection it doesn't hold up as well as it needed to. So going into "Star Trek Beyond," the series itself needed it to be good to keep audience attention. Fortunately, I do think this movie is a step up from "Into Darkness." One of my biggest concerns with "Beyond" was the new director, Justin Lin. J.J. Abrams, who directed the previous two movies, stepped away from the franchise to work on "Star Wars;” so Lin, most well known for working on the "Fast & Furious franchise, stepped in. To my own surprise Lin did a great job. He stepped into the series and made this movie his own. He did a great job with the action scenes, of which this movie had many, and got solid performances out of the entire cast. What really helps would be Simon Pegg's script, well written and filled with great banter; it does a good job injecting humor into appropriate situations. I will say that there are some pacing issues with the movie; it starts off rather slow, taking about 20 minutes for something interesting to really happen, and there were times where very little is happening then a whole bunch of stuff happens all at ones. It felt a little disjointed at times, but it never stopped being entertaining. The story also adds some new characters that I really enjoyed; Jayla, who helps the crew, and Krall, who is the lead villain. Jayla is badass, and has many funny lines. She's a great addition that I hope is brought back for future installments. Krall, played by Idris Elba, is an intimidating and despicable villain. At first he seemed like a rather generic baddie, but over time when you learn his motives he becomes more engaging. So while I actually liked him as a bad guy, I still can't help but feel that he is a step down for the franchise. The best thing about "Into Darkness" was the villain, Khan. Played by Benedict Cumberbatch, Khan was a better villain than Krall in just about every way. So while Elba did nothing wrong as the character, the character itself just wasn't as interesting as Khan was. Like the previous films, where the movie really shines would be the technical aspects. The CGI is very impressive, and some of the best we've seen this year. On top of that they incorporate some really cool cinematography tricks that shine during the action sequences. And I have to give props to the makeup department. There are some pretty amazing makeup jobs, and great use of prosthetic that shows off all the different species in the "Star Trek" universe. While there were some minor issues, what bugged me the most about this movie was that there was a little too much Dues ex Machina. For those who don't know, Dues ex Machina is a theater trope which involves intervention, sometimes from a higher power, that miraculously solves an impossible problem. This movie is filled with a lot of convenience, start to finish. Even the premise of the movie, which has Krall looking for an artifact on the Enterprise, is so convenient in regards to how the Enterprise came upon that it actually bugged me. I understand a movie sometimes need for unbelievable things to happen for the story to proceed, but "Beyond" has a little too much at times. Despite my issues with this movie, I still thought it was great. From the opening scene to the emotional moment post-credits, this movie was a blast and one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen this year. While not as good as 2009's "Star Trek," I do think this is an overall step up from "Into Darkness." And above all else, it gives me hope for all things "Star Trek" yet to come. 

Pros: Several awesome actions sequences, impressive outing from director Justin Lin, impressive CGI, some very cool cinematography, solid performances from the whole cast, intimidating villain, Jayla is a great new character, incredibly entertaining, does a good job paying respect to source material, well written and funny banter, great use of makeup and prognostics, does a good job interjecting humor.

Cons: Slow start, villain feels like a step down, some pacing issues, little too much Deus Ex Machina.

4/5 Stars

Movies to Look for the Rest of 2016

Honorable Mentions: The Red Turtle, Star Trek: Beyond, Suicide Squad, Kubo and the Two Strings, Don't Breathe, Snowden, The Magnificent Seven, Doctor Strange, Assassin's Creed.

Runner-Up: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
When I first heard that another installment in the "Harry Potter" franchise was in the works, I didn't believe it. I thought it was some kind of joke, I thought the series was done; but I guess it's still a pleasant surprise. Now in all honesty I am not a big fan of the series, while they always impressed me I never gravitated to them. I never even saw the last two movies in the series. But for some reason this one has me interested. Acting as a prequel, the story revolves around a wizard who travels to New York and accidentally releases a number of magical animals upon the city. I guess what has made me most interested in this movie would be its lead actor, Eddie Redmayne. Winner of the Oscar for best actor in a leading role, he has really made a name for himself over the past few years. I didn't read the book this movie was based off of, but I have heard that it was pretty good. So I have high hopes that "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" could be a hit just like its predecessors.

5. Hunt for the Wilderpeople

When people think of the film industry they usually think of the world's biggest movie producers: Hollywood, Bollywood, England, Japan, and China to name some of the big boys. But people seem to forget that almost every country in the world produces movies, and some of the best come from countries with smaller industries. For years now New Zealand has actually started to separate itself from the pack, and establish itself as a real player in the international movie scene. The man standing at the forefront of this movement is director Taika Waititi. Hailing from New Zealand, he has produced some of the country’s most lauded movie; the criminally underrated "Boy," and the highly acclaimed horror comedy "What We Do in the Shadows." He's even been signed on to direct "Thor: Ragnarok." But his latest movie is called "Hunt for the Wilderpeople." As of writing this article, it is actually one of the best reviewed movies of the year; holing a 100% approval rating from 77 critics on Rotten Tomatoes. A coming of age comedy, watching the trailer for the first time made me laugh out loud more than once. Waititi is an incredibly talented director, and from what I've heard "Hunter for the Wilderpeople" may be his best movie.

4. Loving
It's hard to imagine that just a few decades ago that there were laws in place that seem completely absurd by today's standards, such as marrying someone from a different race. But that law came to an end when it met Richard and Mildred Loving. Richard was a white man living in Virginia who courts and proposes to his beloved Mildred, a black woman. The two were later arrested, since at the time interracial marriages were illegal in the state. They then decided to sue the state of Virginia, and their case made it all the way to the Supreme Court which ruled in favor of the couple. There are a lot of reasons I am interested in this movie; the story is interesting and a landmark case in American history, the film was met with rave reviews after its premiere at the Cannes film festival, but above all I am interested because of the director. For the second time this year, the best director currently working Jeff Nichols will be stepping behind the camera Earlier in 2016 Nichols directed "Midnight Special," which I consider to be the best movie released so far this year as of writing this article. And as long as Nichols is directing a movie, I will always be excited for it.

3. Moana
For years now, Disney animation has been on an absolute tear: "Tangled," "Wreck-it-Ralph," "Frozen," "Big Hero 6," and this year's "Zootopia." The studio has taken back the crown from Pixar as the king of animation. And their upcoming film "Moana" has become one of my most anticipated of the year. The film follows Moana, a young Polynesian woman with a knack for navigation, as she searches for a fabled island with the help of a demi-god. Despite being announced some time ago, plot details are thin. Other than that brief summary and a short trailer we've gotten almost nothing from this movie; and considering that it's coming out in a little over four months, that's a kind of surprising. But from that trailer we got a sense of the humor, adventure, and astonishingly gorgeous animation. And I'll admit that I'm a sucker for a good Disney princess movie.

2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Earlier this year I put out a list called "5 Movies to Look for in 2016," and on that list "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" was ranked at number three. And since I put that list out I have only grown more excited. Since then we've seen a proper trailer for the movie, and it looked epic. "Rogue One" looks like something that "Star Wars" fans have wanted for a long time, a proper war movie. While the animated TV shows in the franchise did a good job capturing the horrors of war, I'm excited to see it translate to the big screen. What we know about the story is that it follows a rebel squadron as they attempt to steal the plans for the death star. Recently, many fans of the series became nervous about the film's release, since it was announced that there were re-shoots after Disney executives saw an early cut, possibly because there wasn't enough action-adventure. While re-shoots are fairly common in Hollywood, many are still unsure about the studio's involvement; but even so, "Rogue One" could be the movie fans of the series have waited years for.

1. The Birth of a Nation
In 1915, director D.W. Griffith released a film titled "Birth of a Nation." The movie glorified the KKK, and would become the highest grossing movie of the time. To this day it is still considered to be one of the most controversial films ever made, but is often considered one of the most important movies of the silent era. Now just over 100 years later, we are met with something much different. Actor Nate Parker will be making his directorial debut with "The Birth of a Nation," which tells the story of Nat Turner. Turner was a slave living in the early 1800s who was taught to read and would go on to study the bible and become a preacher for slaves. In 1831 (the year of his death), Turner lead a slave rebellion that left many casualties on both sides. He would eventually be captured, and summarily executed. "The Birth of a Nation" premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was met with much acclaim from critics and audiences. Many have said that it is the best movie released so far this year. The closer we get to this movie's wide release, the more excited I get. And if it's even half as good as people have been saying this really could be one of the year's best.