20 Great TV Shows That Never Won A Major Award: The Leftovers, Hannibal, Oz, The Good Place, Fringe And More

Ever been baffled as to why or how your favorite acclaimed program never had its chance in the awards season spotlight? Well, you've come to the right TVLine list.

We're absolutely tickled that the Schitt's Creeks, Thrones and Maisels of the TV world have gotten their well-deserved dues, but we can't help but wonder why other equally adored shows that were chock-full of masterful talent never achieved similar triumphs. While we may not be able to correct history, we do want to right a few of those wrongs by highlighting some truly worthy shows that were never able to grab that gold or, in the worst cases, were shunned entirely.

In this list, we've selected 20 of our favorite shows that never won a single major award. For our purposes, we're counting the Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, Writers Guild Awards, Directors Guild Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards as the criteria for consideration.

Some picks, like the breath of fresh air that was The Good Place, were afforded multiple at-bats, but sadly struck out when it came time to earn a W. Starz's Party Down was ignored entirely, while others, like sci-fi series Fringe, were only nominated for technical prowess. (And we aren't knocking that! We just dream of an "Over There" world where a show like Fringe could've been celebrated across all categories.)

Though we wish things could've turned out differently for the shows below, they'll forever remain some of our favorite underdogs. Which of these series do you most wish had won the major awards they deserve? And have we missed any of your favorites? View our picks, then fire away in the Comments!

The fact that The Good Place was trapped in awards show purgatory four years in a row is absolute bullshirt. Unlike some of the others on this list, the Kristen Bell/Ted Danson vehicle did have multiple shots at glory. Danson was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor at the Emmys for three of the series' four seasons, as was guest actress Maya Rudolph. There were also nods for Outstanding Comedy Series Emmys, and a tip of the hat to Bell at the 2019 Golden Globes. While we can't claim this one was entirely ignored, still: Really, voters!?

Both seductive and sickening, Bryan Fuller's Hannibal was a psychologically twisted triumph that showed what happens when high art and horror collide. Both Mads Mikkelsen (who played the titular madman) and Hugh Dancy (Will Graham) steadily delivered tours de force over three years, as tensions (homoerotic and otherwise) slowly built up and exploded in gory climaxes that were both horrifying and beautiful. A critical darling with a strong cult following, we still can't figure out how the Emmys, SAGs and more evaded Hannibal's allure. We sure didn't.

Loosely based on EP/narrator Chris Rock's teen years in Brooklyn, the UPN/CW comedy blended sharp social commentary with an abundance of laughs. The lack of awards love feels especially egregious upon revisiting Tichina Arnold's pitch perfect performance as the series' no-nonsense matriarch. In a more just, alternate universe, she would have a mantle full of trophies for her four seasons worth of work on this show alone.

Zooey Deschanel set a new standard for "adorkable" on this Fox sitcom, and she was backed up by a stellar ensemble led by Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris and Hannah Simone. But the loftmates still came up empty-handed at awards shows, earning just five Emmy nominations across seven seasons.

Damon Lindelof's surreal, apocalyptic drama delivered three seasons of complex, transcendent and profoundly poignant storytelling, and boasted seismic, career defining performances from leads Justin Theroux and Carrie Coon. We'd like to think a small slice of the love the kudos community bestowed on Lindelof for his masterful HBO follow-up Watchmen was retroactively intended for The Leftovers.

HBO's six-season penitentiary drama was gritty and raw when it came to race and sexuality when few shows dared to be. This was only possible because of the ridiculously talented cast, which included a beastly J.K. Simmons, a young Christopher Meloni, Eamon Walker, BD Wong, Luke Perry and pre-Lost Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Harold Perrineau. This show was an embarrassment of riches that earned two Emmy nods — for casting and guest star Charles S. Dutton — but never won.

It's bad enough that ABC jerked around and cancelled the relationship comedy that could've been its Friends after only three seasons. But adding insult to injury is the fact that the quick-witted, sweet-hearted series never got to bask in any major-award glow. This, despite the fact that it inspired such a devoted fan base that revival rumors have never ceased to spread, handed Casey Wilson in Penny what is arguably the most "amahzing" role of her career, and gave her — and, for that matter, all of us — the unforgettable "whore's bath" rant.

The criminally underrated tech drama was every bit as good as fellow AMC series Mad Men and Breaking Bad — but you wouldn't know it based on its complete and total lack of Emmy recognition. Lee Pace, Scoot McNairy, Kerry Bishé and Mackenzie Davis all deserved accolades for their performances in the fourth and final season, so we'll chalk it up to some sort of computer error.

Showtime's 2014-16 period piece boasted production values and special effects that were worthy of the big screen. Its scripts, all but three by the peerless John Logan, were nothing short of poetry, as beautiful as they were bleak. And heading up its cast was Eva Green, giving one revelatory star turn after another as the reluctant "mother of evil." But, no doubt because its canvas included not only Frankenstein's Creature and Dracula but Dorian Gray and the wolfman, the beloved series was shunned by the major awards — an oversight that's truly, ahem, monstrous.

If nothing else, this spinoff of The Cosby Show deserved an Emmy for the theme song performed by the late, great Aretha Franklin. But beyond the soulful title sequence, the cast — which included Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Glynn Turman, Sinbad, Cree Summer and a young Jada Pinkett — rose to the challenge of being dramatic and funny. The very special date-rape episode in Season 2 titled "No Means No" was especially powerful and award-worthy.

Veronica Mars was always the little noir that could, surviving a network jump, landing a feature-length film (thanks to some Kickstarter support) and later, achieving a greenlight for a Hulu revival. Even with all that extra fanfare and swarms of press, why didn't any guilds or academies catch on? The writing was slick, subtle and smart, and its performances, especially from leads Kristen Bell and Enrico Colantoni, made our hearts swell. Even a bit of love for its esteemed guest stars and recurring cast — which included J.K. Simmons, Patton Oswalt and Ken Marino, to name a few — would've been nice.

You don't have to be a James Franco fan to admit that he delivered a top-notch performance for three seasons as polar opposite twin brothers Vinnie and Frankie. Equally commanding was Maggie Gyllenhaal, who starred as Eileen, a sex worker on the gritty streets of New York-turned-adult film actress-turned-adult film writer and producer. And don't sleep on Dominique Fishback's breakout turn as Darlene in her pre-Judas and the Black Messiah days. Props to Brit Gary Carr as C.C., as well. All four of these actors deserved Emmy and SAG love that never came. But at least Gyllenhaal earned a Golden Globe nod.

It's a little hard to reconcile the fact that the amazing Lynn Whitfield won two NAACP Image Awards for her five-season turn as Lady Mae Greenleaf, but didn't get so much as get a blink from the SAGs, Golden Globes or Emmys. There is no Greenleaf without Lady Mae, hence the upcoming spinoff. Whitfield's Lady Mae is as strong as she is vulnerable with the ability to shut down anyone with just a look. Maybe her new OWN series will garner the acclaim she so rightfully deserves.

Creating a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho was a gutsy feat, and the fact that it delivered five dark and thrilling seasons is a testament not only to its writers, but also creators Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin and Anthony Cipriano. Freddie Highmore's Norman Bates was layered, complex and extremely well-acted, even if he was frequently overshadowed by Vera Farmiga's jaw-dropping turn as the very-much-alive Norma Bates. We still aren't over the heartbreak from that penultimate Season 4 episode (Norma! Romero!), and while it was a hard episode to watch and accept, it was even harder watching work of this caliber ignored.

Anyone who has ever seen the sketch "Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories: Rick James" knows that this three-season Comedy Central show, which aired until 2006, was nothing short of brilliant. In fact, one could argue that the four Emmys the comedian has won in the last three years are makeup awards. Better late than never, we suppose.

We know, we know — it's hard out there for a genre-TV show to receive proper kudos. But amid all of Fringe's out-there happenings, John Noble's performance as the show's beating heart was inexcusably overlooked, while the likes of Jared Harris and Leonard Nimoy surely deserved at least Emmy nominations for their guest-starring turns.

If saccharine melodramas like This Is Us and Grey's Anatomy can bask in awards show glory, then it is absolutely absurd that Parenthood couldn't share similar successes. While it did receive a couple sporadic nods (Monica Potter was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2014, while Jason Ritter received an Emmy nomination in 2012), the show was never able to cinch a win. The Braverman clan was comprised of an astounding ensemble that included Lauren Graham, Peter Krause, Bonnie Bedelia and Craig T. Nelson, all of whom were beyond worthy of the accolades. And did voters even watch Ray Romano's soul-crushing arc, where his character Hank realized he had Asperger's? For shame, awards show Powers That Be!

For eight sisterly seasons, the Mara Brock Akil comedy celebrated Black women and their friendships, dreams and romances and even spun off the football sitcom The Game. But Emmy voters never seemed to take note of award-worthy performances from breakout actresses Tracee Ellis Ross or Jill Marie Jones. Instead, the only Emmy nod the sitcom received was for cinematography. Ouch.

Sure, Friends is a show that existed, exploded and was etched in stone in the archives of television history (wherever that may be), but did any academy voters follow Lisa Kudrow to HBO, where she delivered arguably more interesting work? Seems unlikely. Kudrow should've been celebrated for her gem of a role as Valerie Cherish, an actress struggling with her age and faded celebrity. The former Friend nailed cringeworthy comedy in the best possible way, and even despite Valerie's delusions and self-absorption, we couldn't help but root for her. Here's to hoping we haven't seen the last of The Comeback just yet.

Eschewing the comedic talents of Party Down's cast? That was a Ron-Donald-Don't. The cult comedy series ran for just two seasons, but boasted a powerhouse ensemble that included a pre-Glee Jane Lynch, Adam Scott, Martin Starr, Lizzy Caplan, Ryan Hansen and Megan Mullally, alongside a slew of guest stars that came and went like a revolving door of celebrity (George Takei! Steve Guttenberg!). The writing was razor-sharp and the performances couldn't have been any tighter. Alas, the Starz series was just as ignored as one of Roman's "hard sci-fi" scripts.