10 Unique TV Shows That Don’t Fit Into Just One Genre

Certain TV shows were so unique that they could not be categorized into any one genre. While some television series could be spoken about in simple black-and-white terms, such as procedurals, sitcoms, or teen dramas, other shows have defied this type of classification and forged an identity that was so entirely their own that it became hard to even compare them to another existing series or popular genre. These are the types of television series that have pushed the boundaries of contemporary media and allowed for more creativity, experimentation, and unique storytelling devices to come into the mainstream.

While today it has become more common for a television series to embrace their weirder aspects and not shy away from genre-bending experimentation, in the past this was not always so acceptable, and series like Twin Peaks in the 1990s helped spearhead a new era for television. Since then, there have been many modern television series that were not so easy to separate into any one genre. With the advent of binge-watching and streaming services, showrunners have been more willing to take chances and risk producing shows that may alienate some viewers while deeply connecting with others.

10 Twin Peaks (1990 – 1991, 2017)

Twin Peaks brought together aspects of drama, horror, and soap opera

Countless contemporary television series would have never been made if not for the influence of Twin Peaks. Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, Twin Peaks pushed the boundaries of what could be achieved with a serialized television series, and in the process utilized surreal dreamscapes, aspects of horror, and the intense melodrama of soap operas. Simultaneously a comedy, drama, fantasy, and mystery, Twin Peaks suffered from declining ratings in its original run. However, over time, its reputation continued to grow and in 2017 it was brought back for a third season subtitled The Return to audiences and critical acclaim.

9 Russian Doll (2019 – 2022)

Russian Doll explored existentialist themes through comedy, drama, and science fiction

The surreal Netflix series Russian Doll took the concept of a human doomed to repetition previously explored in movies like Groundhog Day and imbued it with comedy, drama, and mystery, in a genre-bending adventure that starred Natasha Lyonne as Nadia Vulvokov. Over its two seasons, with the potential for a third, Russian Doll was never predictable and, with epic intensity, presented an existential journey that explored addiction, family, trauma, and grief. Russian Doll used time loops and science fiction themes to represent human struggles with childhood neglect, mental illness, and suicidal tendencies in a series truly like no other.

8 BoJack Horseman (2014 – 2020)

BoJack Horseman at first appeared like a traditional animated sitcom before revealing itself as a deeply sad drama

From the opening episodes of the Netflix series BoJack Horseman audiences would be forgiven for thinking this was just another run-of-the-mill adult-orientated animated sitcom. However, throughout six seasons, BoJack Horseman revealed itself as one of television’s most deeply vulnerable series and brought together comedy, drama, and a psychological exploration of the self. With a hilarious visual style, BoJack Horseman brought to life an anthropomorphic world that satirized celebrity culture, dug into childhood drama, and studied the woes of addiction, alcoholism, and drug use. While viewers originally came to BoJack Horseman for a simple laugh, in the end, they left crying.

7 The Leftovers (2014 – 2017)

The Leftovers used drama, fantasy, and mystery to explore grief and loss

As a series dealing with a global event called the “Sudden Departure” that resulted in 2% of the world’s population disappearing, The Leftovers was a difficult show to categorize. Created by Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof and novelist Tom Perotta, The Leftovers was based on a book by Perotta and was a drama, fantasy, and mystery that, at its core, was about the effects of grief and loss and the ways that humans cope with suffering. As a series with a cult following, The Leftovers was not for everyone, but those who connected with it were drawn to its unique voice.

6 Dark (2017 – 2020)

Dark took viewers on mindbending journey that was simultaneously a drama, sci-fi, thriller, and mystery

The German-language series Dark took viewers on a wild journey of time travel, parallel realities, and existential questions of destiny and fate. At times a family drama and at others a science fiction thriller, over three seasons, Dark delivered a complex, multigenerational mystery that became more engrossing the further audiences got into its highly intricate narrative. Dark kept viewers guessing and along the way painted a vivid picture of its main characters’ lives, along with their hopes, dreams, failures, and regrets. Dark was full of mind-bending twists and turns and was a show so layered it benefitted from multiple rewatches.

5 The Midnight Gospel (2020)

The Midnight Gospel melded genres of animation of documentary in a way not previously seen

The Midnight Gospel was an animated Netflix series that meddled fact and fiction in a unique and inspired way. Created by Adventure Time’s Pendelton Ward and comedian Duncan Trussell, The Midnight Gospel told an animated narrative while using the dialogue from Trussell’s podcast The Duncan Trussell Family Hour to propel the story. In the process, The Might Gospel spun many different plates at once and was both a surreal visual spectacle and a grounded philosophical conversation. Through the spacecaster Clancy, The Midnight Gospel depicted multiverses collapsing while Trussell outlined his distinctive outlook with his various guests.

4 The Curse (2023)

The Curse started as a satirical look at gentrification that became stranger and less definable as it continued

The Canadian comedy Nathan Fielder, previously known for his documentary parody series Nathan for You and The Rehearsal, stepped into the world of scripted drama with his undefinable series The Curse which he co-created with Benny Safdie. Starring Fielding, Safdie, and Emma Stone, The Curse was a satirical exploration of marginalized communities, a dramatic representation of toxic relationship dynamics, and, in the end, an inexplicable science fiction absurdity that defied all categorization. The Curse as a show was hard to define, and it just needed to be watched to be fully comprehended.

3 Misfits (2009 – 2013)

Misfits brought together aspects of comedy, teen drama, and the supernatural

The British series Misfits began with an electric storm that resulted in a group of young offenders, among others, gaining supernatural powers in a series that brought together action, comedy, drama, sci-fi, and superhero narratives. At the time of its release, Misfits was marketed as a blend between Heroes and Skins, but even this failed to capture its uncategorizable nature. Led by a hilarious performance by Irish actor Robert Sheehan and a talented ensemble cast, Misfits was equal parts funny and serious with a committed performance, strong writing, and a unique voice.

2 Black Mirror (2016 – Present)

Black Mirror was an anthology series whose genre could change from one episode to the next

The premise of Black Mirror was to explore the dark consequences of modern humanity’s overreliance on technology, often through a dystopian lens. As a satirical comment on contemporary issues, Black Mirror was a modern twist on The Twilight Zone and, at its best, was deeply powerful and impactful in its messaging. As the series progressed over the last six seasons, Black Mirror could never fit into one genre and brought together aspects of comedy, drama, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery. The anthology nature of Black Mirror meant audiences never knew what to expect from one episode to the next.

1 Atlanta (2016 – 2022)

Atlanta brought together multiple genres to explore contemporary issues with hilarious satirical wit

Created by actor and musician Donald Glover, also known as Childish Gambino, Atlanta defied classification and brought together comedy, drama, magic realism, mockumentary, and surreal satire. As one of the few American cable television shows that featured an all-black writing team, Atlanta examined class, identity, and race through an idiosyncratic post-modern lens. At times laugh-out-loud hilarious but also deeply clever and thought-provoking, Atlanta boasted a unique visual identity courtesy of its primary director, Hiro Murai. Atlanta was truly one of the most interesting television series of the modern era.