One of the biggest drawbacks of the streaming era is the massive glut of content, which can make it difficult to decide what to watch. Today, we’re here to narrow that list down for you, focusing on our good friend Peacock, itself an underrated platform in the streaming universe. You may know Peacock for hosting Bravo reality shows like the “Real Housewives” franchise or classic NBC comedies like “30 Rock” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” It’s also home to one of NBC’s longest-running shows, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
But Peacock also offers plenty of other lesser-known shows that deserve your attention. The series on this list include whip-smart sitcoms, sci-fi comedies, haunting mysteries, and more. It’s likely you haven’t heard of many of these shows, but they’re worth putting on your radar — and your watchlists. Pick up your remotes and get ready to dive in, because here are 10 underrated TV shows streaming on Peacock.
Resident Alien
Alan Tudyk gives a career-best performance in the Syfy show “Resident Alien,” playing an extraterrestrial being struggling to fit in with regular ol’ human beings. Tudyk’s character is an alien who crash-lands on Earth and adopts the identity of Harry Vanderspeigle, a medical examiner in the small town of Patience, Colorado. Harry (his alien name is impossible to pronounce) was sent to Earth on a mission to wipe out humanity. But as he ingratiates himself with the townsfolk of Patience, he develops a fondness for his neighbors and begins to wonder if his mission is worth carrying out.
“Resident Alien” is a perfect blend of genres, mixing science fiction, comedy, and drama with hilarious — and heartwarming — results. The show features plenty of slapstick and gross-out humor, but it also morphs into a heartfelt show about the quirky residents of a small town. Tudyk is joined by a charming supporting cast, including Sara Tomko, who plays his BFF Asta Twelvetrees. But it’s Tudyk who steals the show here, and “Resident Alien” gives him the opportunity to show off his acting chops like never before, (literally) embodying the weirdness of being an alien in a human form.
“Resident Alien” is the rare sci-fi show without a single bad season, and the writers were able to give all the characters satisfying send-offs at the end of its four seasons. Sci-fi fans who love to laugh should check out this hidden gem.
St. Denis Medical
From the creators of “Superstore” comes “St. Denis Medical,” a charming mockumentary that airs on NBC. The show takes place in an Oregon hospital populated by overworked staff and cranky patients. Bruce (Josh Lawson), an egotistical doctor with a fear of needles, is the hospital’s trauma surgeon. David Alan Grier plays Ron, a veteran doctor who’s seen it all and is tired of dealing with everyone. Allison Tolman plays Alex, the supervising nurse who keeps things running. She’s joined by “Superstore” actor Kaliko Kauahi, Mekki Leeper, and Kahyun Kim, who play nurses with varying degrees of cynicism about their jobs. Wendi McLendon-Covey plays Joyce, the hospital’s executive director, a woman with lots of big ideas that rarely help the staff do their jobs better.
Despite the crumbling nature of their institution, “St. Denis Medical” is a warm, lighthearted show that is less cynical than you might expect considering the subject matter. Most of the criticisms it lodges against American healthcare are implicit rather than explicit, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The characters in “St. Denis Medical” feel familiar, but they’re brought to life by talented actors who form a compellingly quirky ensemble. The staff at St. Denis are allowed complexity, and the writers avoid the impulse of turning them into saints or villains.
River
Stellan Skarsgård stars in “River,” a British crime drama that originally aired on BBC One. He plays DI John River, a troubled policeman working in London. River is something of a lone wolf, as his partner, Stevie (Nicola Walker), was recently murdered. However, he still works with Stevie, in a way. Ever since her death, he’s been hallucinating, and she often appears in the passenger seat of his car. River also has visions of other deceased people, including recent victims of crimes and 19th-century serial killer Thomas Neill Cream (Eddie Marsan). These visions, along with River’s keen detective eye, help him to solve crimes.
The premise of “River” may sound rather hokey, but it’s actually a very serious-minded show. River knows these hallucinations don’t bode well for his mental health, and the department forces him to see a psychiatrist to deal with losing Stevie. Despite orders to the contrary, River continues looking into Stevie’s murder, leading him further down some dangerous paths and deeper into his own grief. Though ostensibly a mystery, “River” is more of a psychological study than it is a whodunit. Skarsgård gives a brilliant performance as a man haunted by his own psyche, and Walker is as captivating as ever. It’s a moving, expertly crafted series that reworks the central tenets of the crime drama.
A.P. Bio
The NBC-turned-Peacock series “A.P. Bio” is sort of like a meaner version of “Abbot Elementary” or a nicer version of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Glenn Howerton from the latter plays Jack Griffin, a Harvard philosophy professor forced to take a job as an A.P. bio teacher in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. Jack believes the job is beneath him, and he uses his unexpectedly brilliant students to plot revenge against his rival and find a job more suited to his talents.
Unlike the purposefully stagnant, unrepentantly narcissistic characters in “It’s Always Sunny,” “A.P. Bio” is a show about growth, and Jack learns a lot from his students and fellow teachers. They allow him to grow into a kinder, less cynical human being. And they’re hilarious too. Jack’s students frequently steal the show, and they include mildly deranged teacher’s pet Heather (Allisyn Snyder), the rule-following perfectionist Sarika (Aparna Brielle), and mysterious outcast Devin (Jacob McCarthy).
Howerton is joined by a wonderful cast of adults, as well. Patton Oswalt plays the school principal, and their odd couple relationship is one of the sweetest in the series. The hilarious Paula Pell plays Helen, the school secretary and a wonderful Midwestern cringe-fest. The show’s mean streak belies a surprisingly gooey heart, and it perfectly balances its more outlandish moments with heartfelt ones.
Mrs. Davis
The Peacock original “Mrs. Davis” is an absolute trip, and we mean that in the best possible way. Betty Gilpin, one of the best TV character actors of all time, plays a nun named Simone. She is one of the only people left in the world who hasn’t bowed down to Mrs. Davis, a supposedly benevolent artificial intelligence tasked with maintaining world peace by robbing folks of their free will. (Sounds a bit like “Pluribus,” right?)
Simone is on a mission to retrieve the Holy Grail, which may allow her to disable Mrs. Davis once and for all. She’s joined by Wiley (Jake McDorman), her cowboy-esque BFF, and Jay (Andy McQueen), an all-seeing diner cook who sends her on side quests. Flashbacks take us all the way back to the 1300s, while Simone’s bizarre and heartbreaking backstory is slowly revealed as her journey progresses.
Created by Damon Lindelof of “Lost” and “The Leftovers” fame, “Mrs. Davis” is extremely wacky and takes massive swings in its storytelling. It features some fascinating science fiction elements, profound questions about spiritualism, gory violence, and even slapstick humor. Still, amidst all this nonsense, Gilpin grounds her performance in real — often frustrated — emotion, and McDorman counters her with his wonderfully goofy charm.
Long Bright River
“Long Bright River” has all the hallmarks of prestige cop dramas like “Mare of Easttown” — a law enforcement officer haunted by her past, a struggling town, a killer on the loose who no one can catch. But beneath these familiar trappings, “Long Bright River” tells a profound story about the opioid crisis and the disempowered communities that fall through the cracks.
An outstanding Amanda Seyfried plays Mickey Fitzpatrick, a Philadelphia beat cop who patrols her local neighborhood of Kensington. Mickey’s younger sister, Kacey (Ashleigh Cummings), has spent years struggling with addiction, and Mickey was forced to grow up fast. She was raised by her grandfather (John Doman) and is now raising a son of her own, Thomas (Callum Vinson). When Mickey realizes a serial killer has been targeting sex workers, she races to find the culprit in hopes of saving her sister, who’s been missing for the last month.
Though it wasn’t shot on location, the show pays great attention to detail, and Kensington comes alive thanks to research from Liz Moore, who wrote the book on which the series is based. This strong sense of place is anchored by an amazing performance from Seyfried, who frequently makes dangerous decisions that we come to understand thanks to her slowly dolled-out backstory. The show takes an empathetic look at the folks we’ve left behind, journeying to a place where justice is hard to come by.
We Are Lady Parts
“We Are Lady Parts” has a punk sensibility that’s hard to come by on television. Created by Nida Manzoor, who also directed the great film “Polite Society,” the Channel 4-Peacock production follows a group of Muslim women who start a punk band in London. Lead singer Saira (Sarah Kameela Impey), who works as a halal butcher, is in need of a lead guitarist, and she finds one in the form of Amina (Anjana Vasan), a microbiology PhD student living a double life. The rest of the band includes drummer Ayesha (Juliette Motamed), also an Uber driver, bassist Bisma (Faith Omole), an artist with a child, and Momtaz (Lucie Shorthouse), their manager.
With only six episodes in the show’s two seasons, “We Are Lady Parts” is short and to the point, like a great punk song. Amina serves as the protagonist and narrator of the first season, and her journey towards empowerment is the show’s narrative center. In Season 2 of this hidden gem, the bandmates struggle with what it means to be a band and what their ethos is, asking questions about art, identity, and feminism. You won’t be able to get enough of the band’s songs, which include bangers such as “Voldemort Under My Headscarf” and “Malala Made Me Do It.”
The Capture
“The Capture” is a police procedural that makes dystopian advances in technology as its central focus. Holliday Grainger plays DI Rachel Carey, a hard-nosed Metropolitan policewoman. A seemingly open-and-shut case falls into Rachel’s lap. CCTV footage of Lance Corporal Shaun Emery (Callum Turner) clearly shows him as the perpetrator of an assault and kidnapping. But the footage may not be real. Through her investigation, Rachel learns of a process called “correction,” which uses deepfakes to place suspects in the wrong place at the wrong time.
After opening up that particular can of worms, Rachel can’t go back. Season 2 follows the incrimination of government minister Isaac Turner (Paapa Essiedu), and Carey teams up with a news reporter, Khadija Khan (Indira Varma), to inform the public about this dangerous new technology. One of the best British crime dramas of all time, “The Capture” mixes elements of a police procedural with conspiracy-tinged thriller plots, resulting in an exciting narrative plotted with frequent twists and turns. The dystopia of “The Capture” is not far from our own reality, making it even more titillating to witness.
The Resort
If you’re a fan of “The White Lotus,” you’ll probably enjoy “The Resort,” a zippy comedy-thriller on Peacock. Created by Andy Siara, the writer of the 2020 film “Palm Springs,” “The Resort” stars Cristin Milioti and William Jackson Harper as Emma and Noah, a married couple celebrating their 10th anniversary at a resort in Mexico. Their relationship has become stale and lifeless, and they’re hoping this trip will spice things up. And spice things up it does, as Emma and Noah dive headfirst into the mysterious disappearance of two young visitors, Sam (Skyler Gisondo) and Violet (Nina Bloomgarden), fifteen years ago.
Emma and Noah’s journey is interspersed with flashbacks of Sam and Violet’s lives leading up to their disappearance, with a supporting cast that includes Nick Offerman playing Violet’s father. Weirder and less glossy than “The White Lotus,” “The Resort” uses the two timelines as mirrors of each other, observing both new love and love that’s become stagnant. In between Emma and Noah’s sleuthing, we get an eccentric cast of side characters, including a skateboarding Santa played by “High Maintenance” creator Ben Sinclair.
Milioti excels in her role, expertly switching between mischievous determination and despairing ennui, while she and Harper have believable chemistry as a longtime couple. The show throws many ideas at styles at the wall, and thankfully, most of them stick. The mix of comedy, romance, suspense, action, and even science fiction makes for a delightful summer watch.
Vigil
Season 1 of “Vigil” is a TV triumph. The BBC series stars Suranne Jones as Detective Chief Inspector Amy Silva, a police officer working in Scotland. Silva is sent aboard the HMS Vigil, a Navy submarine that’s also the site of a murder. She’s trapped underwater for several days, trying to make headway in the investigation but being stonewalled by many of the crew and struggling to penetrate their complex hierarchies. It’s claustrophobic and suspenseful, to say the least.
To make matters ever more difficult, Silva is suffering from PTSD that’s the result of a car crash that killed several members of her family. Above ground, her colleague and possible love interest, Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie), is looking into potential leads and trying not to worry about Silva too much. It’s all very tense, and gripping.
In Season 2 of “Vigil,” Silva travels to the Middle East to investigate the case of a supposedly high-tech drone that went rogue and killed a group of soldiers. Once again, the situation is high-stress, and may prove deadly. Though not as compelling as the first season, the second entry is still a well-written, well-acted series, with Jones carrying the show with her intense performance. We have high hopes for Season 3, which takes place in the Arctic. (Perhaps Leslie, familiar with the cold thanks to her time on “Game of Thrones,” will thrive there.)
