10 Most Underrated CBS Shows, Ranked

One of the initial “big three” broadcast networks, CBS originally started on the radio before shifting to television in the 1940s. Since then, CBS has become known for some of the biggest shows ever on TV, from soap operas like The Young and the Restless to iconic game shows like The Price is Right, local news programs, late night talk shows, sports, and kids shows like Looney Tunes cartoons, and memorable shows like I Love Lucy.

In more recent years, CBS has launched some of the most popular and memorable shows, like How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory and its spin-off, Young Sheldon, The Twilight Zone,Star Trek, and Survivor. But among all the shows that have aired on CBS, and continue to air, there are some underrated ones that didn’t get the same level of attention, but were fabulous, too. So, let’s give these forgotten shows some love, and rank the most underrated CBS series of all time.

10 ‘Jake and the Fatman’ (1987-1992)

Created by Dean Hargrove, Joel Steiger & Ann Doherty

There are so many crime dramas and police procedurals introduced through the decades, and while Jake and the Fatman doesn’t have a politically correct title, it was a well-reviewed show that, so many forget about. The series was about J.L. “Fatman” McCabe (William Conrad), a prosecutor, and Jake Styles (Joe Penny) an investigator who work together on cases. While McCabe tends to be the harder, more serious attorney given his background as a former police officer, Styles is the laid-back (and classically handsome) one. They clash because of their very different points of view, but that’s what makes the show so compelling to watch.

Airing for five seasons, some filmed in Los Angeles and some in Hawaii, Jake and the Fatman later launched a spin-off, Diagnosis: Murder. The character of Fatman himself was born from a guest starring role in Matlock, which led to this series’ creation. Jake and the Fatman are one of those hidden gems that fans of today’s police procedurals will enjoy.

Jake and the Fatman can be purchased on DVD from Amazon in the U.S.

Buy on Amazon

9 ‘JAG’ (1995-2005)

Created by Donald P. Bellisario

Technically airing on NBC for its first season, CBS picked up JAG after the cancelation and the show was a massive success with nine more seasons on that network. Yet JAG is not one of the first legal dramas people think of when they name the best in that sub-genre. Most notable about JAG is that NCIS, one of the best police procedurals, is actually a spin-off of that show, as is, in turn, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawai’i, and NCIS: Sydney.

The series centers around the title characters, Judge Advocate Generals (JAGs), effectively lawyers in uniform within the Navy. While in the line of duty, these individuals can defend criminal cases within the jurisdiction. This adds an interesting layer to the usual legal drama, so it’s no surprise JAG stands out among so many other cookie-cutter dramas. Many of the stories portrayed in JAG were inspired by real-life ones, which adds to the intensity and intrigue. Some of the most notable events covered include the USS Cole bombing and the rescue of pilot Scott O’Grady.

JAG can be streamed on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Stream on Paramount+

8 ‘Without a Trace’ (2002-2009)

Created by Hank Steinberg

Another deeply engaging police procedural that got lost amidst other high profile shows of the same kind is Without a Trace. Most other police procedurals focus on murders, assault, fraud, serial killers, and more. Without a Trace hones-in on a singular focus: someone has mysteriously gone missing “without a trace,” as the title suggests, and it’s up to the talented team to race against the clock and find them. As common knowledge goes, the first 24 hours after someone goes missing are the most crucial, and in these cases, the team has every reason to believe that the individual is in serious trouble.

From the talented cast that includes Anthony LaPaglia, Poppy Montgomery, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Enrique Murciano to the intense episodes, Without a Trace was unlike any other show. What fans especially loved about the series is that every episode displayed details about a real-life missing person at the end, some of which reportedly helped lead to locating these individuals. Airing for seven seasons, Without a Trace was one of CBS’ most successful shows, yet it’s largely forgotten.

Without a Trace can be streamed on Roku in the U.S.

Stream on Roku

7 ‘Cold Case’ (2003-2010)

Created by Meredith Stiehm

Regardless of the growing number of police procedurals with unique twists, like lead detectives with a special skill, Cold Case still stands out. That’s because, rather than dealing with cases that are current and frantic, Cold Case focused on long forgotten but still unsolved homicides known as cold cases. These cases were packed away for years, sometimes decades prior, with no resolution. The talented team is determined to solve them, once and for all. This usually involves a fresh new lead and some creative digging.

In each episode, the team led by Detective Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris) is inspired to dust off the old case files and restart an investigation. Because Cold Case dealt with cases from the past, each episode would show characters in present day and flashbacks, making the show interesting and dynamic.

Cold Case can be streamed on Max in the U.S.

Stream on Max

6 ‘Ghost Whisperer’ (2005-2010)

Created by John Gray

Ghost Whisperer was popular for a time, largely thanks to Jennifer Love Hewitt’s starring role as Melinda, a woman who can communicate with the dead. In each episode, a new spirit arrives, and it’s up to Melinda to deal with their quirks and figure out how to help them cross over and find peace. The interesting story in the supernatural series sees Melinda try to balance her duty to the ghosts with her obligation as a wife, mother, and business owner; not to mention naysayers who don’t believe her abilities are real.

Also featuring actors like Aisha Tyler, Jay Mohr, and Jamie Kennedy, Ghost Whisperer is one of those shows fans loved to tune into every night, but it never fell on their favorite shows list. It’s a shame because, since the show’s popularity began to wane in later seasons, Ghost Whisperer never got a satisfying ending before its cancelation.

Ghost Whisperer can be streamed on Hulu in the U.S.

Stream on Hulu

5 ‘Person of Interest’ (2011-2016)

Created by Jonathan Nolan

Given the prevalence of AI today, Person of Interest is even more topical now than it was when the series first launched in the early 2010s. Executive produced in part by J.J. Abrams, the series follows Harold Finch (Michael Emerson), a mysterious, reclusive but brilliant billionaire computer programmer who created a machine that can predict future terrorist attacks. The machine can determine a perpetrator and a victim but doesn’t know who is who. Determined to keep the machine out of the wrong hands, Finch hides out with it and hires former Special Forces soldier John Reese (Jim Caviezel) to help him take down criminals, one by one, as the machine delivers their names. The pair is complemented by a wonderful performance from Taraji P. Henson as Joss Carter, an NYPD detective who keeps getting caught up in Finch and Reese’s messes.

The action-packed sci-fi drama, which aired for five seasons, offers edge of your seat tension, exciting subplots, and great fight sequences. But it’s also deeply troubling, a cautionary tale in some ways. Person of Interest is one of the best, most modern and topical shows CBS has offered of late, and arguably one of the best sci-fi dramas ever.

Person of Interest can be streamed on Freevee in the U.S.

Stream on Freevee

4 ‘Scorpion’ (2014-2018)

Created by Nick Santora

The team in Scorpion is made up of quirky, misfit computer experts. Walter O’Brien was a real person, and the character of the same name, played by Elyes Gabel, is loosely based on him, though the stories are highly embellished. O’Brien is deeply arrogant and socially awkward, but his long-time friendship with Agent Cabe Gallo (Robert Patrick), who recognizes his tremendous intelligence and talent, makes O’Brien a valuable resource for the Department of Homeland Security. Commissioned as a last line of defense when all other methods fail, he and his team of other geniuses work together in a dank garage, literally saving the world.

There was something endearing about the characters on Scorpion. This is especially so with the side story about Paige (Katharine McPhee), a young waitress who befriends the group largely because her school-aged, socially awkward genius son opens up to O’Brien and the crew in a way he never has anyone else. It’s a shame more people didn’t watch Scorpion. While many of the storylines were over-the-top, it was this unique approach to the traditional crime procedural that made the show so fun.

Scorpion can be streamed on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Stream on Paramount+

3 ‘Square Pegs’ (1982-1983)

Created by Anne Beatts

Anne Beatts was previously a writer at sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live (SNL) and she went on to create this sorely underrated sitcom. Before she was the iconic Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, Sarah Jessica Parker starred in the short-lived series Square Pegs, a show about two awkward teenage girls navigating high school life. She played Patty and Amy Linker played Lauren.

Praised for its realism in depicting teenage life, even drawing comparisons to iconic John Hughes coming-of-age movies released during that same decade, Square Pegs had so much potential to be a big hit. The show was deeply relatable about two friends who felt like outsiders (hence the name Square Pegs), one of whom was desperate to fit in and the other who never felt like she could.

Square Pegs can be streamed on Fubo TV in the U.S.

Stream on Fubo TV

2 ‘Rules of Engagement’ (2007-2013)

Created by Tom Hertz

Many don’t realize that Rules of Engagement was produced in part by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions. The sitcom, which has some well-known names in its cast like David Spade, Patrick Warburton, and Oliver Hudson, centers around five friends navigating their busy lives. There are two couples, including a couple that has been married for years, a newly engaged couple, and one single “third wheel” friend.

Interestingly, Rules of Engagement did not receive great reviews throughout its run, but the ratings were still solid. The show even pulled in three Emmy Award nominations and lasted seven seasons. It’s worth watching not only for the hilarious performances of the main cast, but for the diverse list of recurring and guest stars as well, including Wendy McLendon-Covey, Jaime Pressly, Bob Odenkirk, Tony Hale, and even Joan Collins.

Rules of Engagement can be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.

Stream on Prime

1 ‘The District’ (2000-2004)

Created by Terry George & Jack Maple

Craig T. Nelson is known for so many TV roles, including the sitcom Coach, the family comedy-drama Parenthood, and most recently, as Dale in Young Sheldon. But one TV role that gets lost in the shuffle is The District. In this crime drama and police procedural series, he plays Jack Mannion, chief of the Washington police department tasked with working through not only solving crime but also dealing with corruption and trying to reorganize the police force, as he previously did in New York.

What makes The District so interesting is that the story is inspired by Jack Maple, who had a similar story about moving from the New York to the Washington police force to replicate the changes he implemented in the Big Apple. The District never really got the attention it deserved, but it’s one of those hidden gem procedurals worth adding to the watch list.

The District is not available for streaming or purchase at this time.

KEEP READING: The 10 Most Rewatchable CBS Dramas, Ranked