Three must-watch TV series that you may not have heard of

One show is high-level intensity, the other like comfort food, and still one more that takes silly comedy to anew low—but still entertaining—level.

Below we give Chicago Star readers three recommended TV series that are about as different as they could possibly be, each withitsown unique flavor, pacing and subject matter. They are all completely different, but all are absolutely worth checking out.

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“Task”: On HBO Max, starring Mark Ruffalo. That alone is reason to check it out, as Ruffalo never ceases to rise to the acting occasion. He certainly does here in this six-part drama of high-level intensity. Intense doesn’t even do it justice. It is not particularly gory or bloody, but instead a steady dose of high-powered tension right from the very beginning.

Ruffalo playsa (former?) FBI agent who comes out of retirement to lead a task force investigating drug house break-ins. Tom Pelphrey, Emmy-nominated for best supporting actor in this role, plays one part of the crime gang, while Jamie McShane heads up the motorcycle gang that is caught up in the crime wave. Those two are almost uncomfortably good at playing the bad-guy roles. 

Honestly, this is one of the best drama series I have seen in a long time, and a strong recommended watch.

“Sullivan’s Crossing”: On Netflix, this show is your comfort food. Had a rough day at the office? A way-too-busy schedule? The things-to-do list piling up at a way-too-high rate? “Sullivan’s Crossing” may be just the tonic you need. Sit back, relax and forget your worries—for about 48 minutes, anyway.

In its fourth season now, with a fifth already scheduled, it is a light romance/drama series that is well acted and well written. There’s also beautiful scenery in the fictional town of Timberlake, Nova Scotia, Canada, at a resort known by the title’s name.

Morgan Kohan plays the lead and brings auniquelyalluring style to her role as a small-town doctor who was once a neurosurgeon. Chad Michael Murray is the yin to her yang, and Scott Patterson (of “Gilmore Girls” fame) is the aging veteran owner of the entire grounds.

There is conflict, of course, but all on a comfortable level, and the characters as well as the writing are all excellent. Season four is streaming now, as are all back episodes on Netflix.

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“The Detroiters”: And now for something completely different—a totally nonsensical comedy series with absolutely no redeeming value whatsoever.

But it’s still a pretty funny watch if you're willing to let your defenses down just a bit.

Sam Richardson and Tim Robinson co-star as a couple of woefully incompetent advertising executives heading up their very small firm located in the Motor City. The supporting roles in this show are minuscule—it is definitely Richardson and Robinson’s show, and they often make the best of it.

Their exploits both in office and out and about are hilarious, and the two have real chemistry playing off of each other.

It can be a bit crude at times, and no one on this show (writers included) is going to get any Emmy or other awards for that matter—but strictly from anentertainment standpoint, it is pretty darn funny.

The show first ran in 2017 and 2018 on Comedy Central, but you can catch both seasons on Netflix streaming now.