In general, the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes gives authoritative and accurate reflections of the critical consensus around a TV show or movie. However, there are certain releases for which the aggregated score on the site is completely wide of the mark.
These cases tend to happen when shows or movies are badly received by critics upon their release, but their reputations grow retrospectively in the years or decades that follow. It can be that some of the most brilliantly daring releases have surprisingly low scores on Rotten Tomatoes, because their ambitious artistic vision or experimentation initially divides reviewers.
There are plenty of good shows with low Rotten Tomatoes scores, but the ones we’re examining here are quite exceptional. They’re all series that fewer than 80% of critics listed on the site have reviewed positively overall, despite their extensive merits and, in some cases, the profound impact they’ve had on the history of television.
These are shows for which a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score wouldn’t feel out of place, given their masterful rendering of compelling stories and characterizations. Yet, they’ve somehow ended up with the same ratings as far lesser TV releases.
10
The Crowded Room
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 33%
The Crowded Room is based on the true story of Billy Milligan, who became the first American to use Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), a mental health condition involving multiple personalities, as a defense in a criminal trial. This 2023 miniseries is a headscrambling portrayal of Milligan’s life from his point of view, which apparently tested the patience of most critics.
Yet, for those who stay the course, it’s an immensely thrilling and rewarding watch, even if its dark themes and unflinching depictions of violence and abuse are not for the faint-hearted. Tom Holland gives a mesmerizing performance as the central character, which deserved far more recognition than it received at the time of the show’s release.
9
Senna
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 38%
This Brazilian dramatization of legendary Formula One driver Ayrton Senna’s life might not compare to Asif Kapadia’s 2010 documentary of the same name, but it’s not supposed to. This miniseries intentionally tells its story in a completely different way, and does so with aplomb.
In addition to Gabriel Leone’s superlative portrayal of the title character, the whole of Senna’s cast gives their all in a biographical drama that’s virtually flawless, if a little one-note. The best thing about it, however, is the stunning visual realizations of Ayrton Senna’s drives, from his first test drive for Formula Ford, to his fateful final moments at Imola.
8
Mr. Plankton
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 40%
When Mr. Plankton was advertised as a comedy, it was bound to go down badly with critics expecting a much lighter affair. The Netflix K-drama included two rising stars and a great supporting cast after all.
Its 10 episodes are fairly bleak and full of the melodrama synonymous with many of the most famous Korean shows. Even when Mr. Plankton is funny, the humor is pretty dark. Nevertheless, it’s a captivating story that’s brilliantly acted and impossible to take your eyes off. There’s nothing about this show I’d change, except its Rotten Tomatoes score.
7
Daisy Jones & The Six
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%
As if Fleetwood Mac hadn’t already done enough to secure their status in rock history, the band inspired Daisy Jones & the Six, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s moving story of a fictional ‘70s supergroup’s tumultuous time at the top. Prime Video’s affectionate adaptation of Reid’s book will delight any music fan who hasn’t seen it.
At the same time, Daisy Jones & the Six is sublimely entertaining, even for those who aren’t familiar with the music scene it portrays. This show is the closest thing on the small screen to Cameron Crowe’s coming-of-age masterpiece Almost Famous, and that’s no small achievement.
6
Pinky & the Brain
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
A spinoff from Animaniacs, a forgotten classic of 1990s TV animation, Pinky & the Brain is certainly at the wackier end of animated sitcoms. It follows the fortunes of two laboratory mice, one of whom has the earnest ambition to take over the world, while his fellow captive rodent is just along for the ride.
Thanks to its winning combination of the Brain’s preposterous scheming, droll sense of irony, and Pinky’s slapstick shenanigans, the duo soon became even more popular than their celebrated parent show, deservedly earning their own slot on the cartoon channel Kids’ WB. Many critics didn’t get what the fuss was about, but Pinky & the Brain was never meant for them.
5
Miranda
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%
Miranda is the original UK version of Call Me Kat, and its creator, Miranda Hart, might wish she’d never sanctioned an American remake of her show, given how badly it fared. The British sitcom, by contrast, is warm, witty, and brilliantly bonkers.
It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Miranda was the funniest thing out there for middle-class, middle-aged Brits in the 2010s. Miranda Hart revived classic comic elements like one-liners and visual gags in a major way, unashamedly bucking contemporary trends and playing to her own strengths. It worked a treat – except for one in four TV reviewers, apparently.
4
Roots (1977)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
A landmark moment in American television, Roots ought to be one of the highest-scoring shows of the 1970s on Rotten Tomatoes. It beggars belief that the series has received positive reviews from just 77% of TV critics.
The story of African-American slavery told across several generations in under nine hours of television, Roots is quite simply one of the best miniseries of all time. The show might have been eclipsed by its 2016 remake, which is even more powerful, but it remains the most influential rendering of black history ever made for the small screen.
3
Firefly
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
Firefly is arguably the best bingeable sci-fi show in existence, given how perfectly its single, 14-episode season was produced. In retrospect, this groundbreaking 2002 space Western has acquired legendary status, so it’s hard to imagine how or why it could have been canceled after just one season.
However, it’s even harder to understand why this series has a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 77%. The adventures of space outlaw Mal Reynolds might not be to everyone’s tastes, but it’s impossible to deny Firefly’s quality.
2
Sherlock
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
Perhaps Sherlock is a little less consistent as a series overall, but it’s even more popular and historically significant than the likes of Firefly. This modernization of Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective stories, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character and Martin Freeman as Watson, is a masterpiece of TV crime from start to finish.
Sherlock’s last two seasons are the reason its Rotten Tomatoes score is so low, whereas the show’s average rating across its first three seasons is an impressive 93%. Still, even in later episodes, the series is as slick and stylish as ever, employing the perfect mix of grit and swagger to leave most other contemporary detective dramas in the shade.
1
Twin Peaks
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
It’s a crying shame that Twin Peaks is even on this list, in light of the show’s stature as one of the most important dramas in television history. David Lynch’s most beloved work effortlessly blends sci-fi and horror to produce a crime story like no other in history.
On the strength of its expert mastery of multiple genres alone, the series deserves universal acclaim. But it’s the best characters in Twin Peaks who push it into the territory of an all-time great. Legendary teenage murder victim Laura Palmer, the frightening presence of Killer BOB, and heroic detective Dale Cooper are all uniquely ingenious creations in their own ways.
The Rotten Tomatoes score ascribed to Twin Peaks remains one of the site’s most curious anomalies. Maybe the show is too weird and wonderful to achieve consensus among the overwhelming majority of critics, but it just doesn’t seem fair that a series of such profound importance should still have a rating this low.
