‘Outlander,’ ‘Halt and Catch Fire,’ ‘The Good Place,’ and five other shows deserving of more viewers

Throughout the month of January, we’ve published on CarterMatt a series of Ratings Bubble Report pieces to look at shows that are facing a somewhat uncertain future on the air — it’s been a fun series to look at in terms of investigating fan followings, and the relationship that exists between having a small but supportive base as opposed to a larger, more apathetic one.

For the sake of this article, we’re doing something a little bit different; we’re highlighting shows that, for one reason or another, simply deserve more live viewers than they have. Maybe in some cases it is a show that’s already been renewed and has an established future, or in others it is one in danger of being canceled. Either way, these are shows worth getting behind if you’re not watching them already.

“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (The CW) – The recent season 3 renewal should give you some confidence that Rachel Bloom’s quirky comedy is worth getting invested in. You get musical numbers, slapstick comedy, and then also relatable characters at the same time.

“The Good Place” (NBC) – Given that it recently ended its first season on NBC, what better time than the present to catch up? It is certainly a weird, wacky take on the afterlife, and the finale is one of the best we’ve seen.

“Outlander” (Starz) – Even though the show already received a two-season renewal from the network, and even was the recipient of many recent People’s Choice Awards, there is still a rather massive argument to be made that the show should get even more live viewers than it has. Our dream is that it will hit around 2 million live viewers an episode after the move to Sunday. (Perhaps more so than any other show on this list, “Outlander” is heavily time-shifted.)

“Halt and Catch Fire” (AMC) – We love the show, and while we know that it’s not getting another renewal (the upcoming fourth is its last), we do think both the era (the advent of computing and eventually the internet) and the story are incredibly compelling.

“Into the Badlands” (AMC) – It’s a wonderful action spectacle, but there’s a worthy story behind it. It’s more than just “that show that comes on after ‘The Walking Dead.'” Watch it, and marvel at its awesomeness!

“Mercy Street” (PBS) – It doesn’t get the attention of many of their other Sunday-night series, but it’s a wonderful program that feels almost like a callback to the early days of public radio and story programs that came out of that.

“Timeless” (NBC) – Given our recent campaigns to save the show, you likely knew that this would be on the list. It’s wonderfully inventive, and when it’s going strong, a heck of a lot of fun. Any show that makes the writers and the audience think is a keeper.

“The Leftovers” (HBO) – Like with “Halt and Catch Fire,” this is a show entering its final season, but at the same time, we want to see it go out with a bang, and a flourish that it should’ve had during its exceptional second season.

What are some of the shows that you feel are worthy of more ratings and attention than they’ve received so far? Share some of your thoughts in the comments!