Some of the best TV shows are the ones that take monumental risks when presenting their bizarre atmosphere to viewers. These shows do not hold back their unconventional ideas. Instead, they seize the opportunity to display themselves as unorthodox.
What makes these specific TV shows so brilliant is that they can take strange elements and effectively incorporate them into their stories. Whether the weirdness comes from the characters themselves or the situations they get involved in, it keeps the viewers coming back for more unexpected occurrences. From outlandish superhero series like The Boys to creative science fiction series like Rick and Morty, these shows strongly embrace their weird side.
10 The Umbrella Academy (2019 - present)
Gerard Way's comic book The Umbrella Academy has a wacky tone that establishes what kind of superhero story readers are in for, and Netflix's TV adaptation maintains the same tone that made the source material so engaging. The show chronicles a dysfunctional group of super-powered siblings who reunite at their father's funeral and must prevent the end of the world.
Amidst the world-ending plot, The Umbrella Academy showcases its oddness through the core family of siblings. The family features an astronaut with abnormal muscles, an alcoholic who speaks to ghosts, and a time traveler trapped in the body of his younger self. The characters also get involved in some of the most incredible dance sequences on television and cross paths with their ape butler, time-traveling assassins, and evil henchmen with fish tanks for heads.
9 What We Do in the Shadows (2019 - present)
The 2014 film What We Do in the Shadows is a unique standout entry in the mockumentary subgenre, and its TV follow-up on FX lived up to people's expectations. Following the same premise as the film, the series documents a group of centuries-old vampires living in present-day New York.
The film's concept seemed prone to be explored further in television form, and the TV series succeeds significantly by having fun with it. With each passing episode, viewers get invested in the hilarious situations the immortal vampires get themselves into. The main characters have misunderstandings with modern technology, cause havoc at the local mall, interrupt news broadcasts, and even get featured on a home improvement reality show with hilarious results.
8 American Gods (2017 - 2021)
Neil Gaiman’s novel American Gods is a gripping fantasy adventure that is hard for readers to put down. Luckily, the TV adaptation is full of fantastical and bombastic weirdness. After meeting con man Mr. Wednesday, ex-convict Shadow Moon finds himself in a war between the fading Old Gods and the rising New Gods.
American Gods' first season is where the craziest plot points shine through the most. Throughout the season, Shadow discovers his dead and unfaithful wife has returned as a zombie, fights a tall leprechaun named Mad Sweeney, and has visions of a white buffalo with fiery eyes. Even though later seasons didn't live up to Season 1's standards, elements like a stage-performing Thor, a god with hundreds of eyes, and a teleporting RV still maintained American Gods' wondrous imagination.
7 Loki (2021 - present)
Loki has been an integral part of the MCU since his debut in Thor, and his long-awaited solo project allows him to unlock his weirder side. In Loki, the titular God of Mischief finds himself the center of attention when he gets arrested by a secret time-traveling task force known as the TVA.
Loki provides plenty of intriguing world-building and a non-traditional atmosphere for the MCU. The series has several odd characters within the TVA like clock mascot Miss Minutes and jet ski-loving employee Mobius. Plus, Loki meets many different variants of himself, including a female counterpart, a president, and an alligator. With Season 2 being an important upcoming release for the MCU, fans can't wait to see what strange elements Loki will introduce next.
6 DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016 - 2022)
DC's Legends of Tomorrow was the wackiest and most risk-taking show in the Arrowverse, and it was not difficult to see why. The series followed previously introduced Arrowverse characters as they banded together to prevent villains from destroying the timeline.
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow was originally a straightforward time-travel story about the heroes stopping an evil dictator. However, from Season 2 onward, the show forged its distinctive identity and stood out among the more dramatic Arrowverse shows. The series featured the team stopping zombies in the Civil War, using laser swords in medieval times, fighting a demon in a giant stuffed animal, and engaging in several other weird shenanigans that must be seen to be believed.
5 Doom Patrol (2019 - 2023)
As one of the most underrated comic book shows, DC's Doom Patrol is an unbelievably strange series that skillfully balances its oddity with lesser-known comic book characters. The series revolves around a group of super-powered outcasts who wish to be accepted. They get their chance to become heroes when both their caretaker and the world are in danger.
While Doom Patrol does explore each team member's tragic backstory, it also presents outlandishly weird adventures for them to go on. They stumble upon all sorts of crazy encounters, including a donkey disguised as a portal, a disco-themed dimension, a sentient street, a giant cockroach fighting a giant rat, and many other unnatural events throughout its four-season run.
4 Atlanta (2016 - 2022)
Created by and starring Donald Glover, the Emmy-winning series appeared simple at first glance, but it got more surreal the longer it went on. Atlanta followed rising rapper Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles and his manager cousin Earn as they tried to make a name for themselves in the rap music industry.
While Atlanta initially had a traditional approach, Glover evolved the show into something unimaginably inventive as he mixed social commentary with surrealism. Several of Atlanta's best moments happened when the show released its unusual side. The infamously creepy Teddy Perkins, an invisible car, a killer targeting people who danced to Soulja Boy, a chance encounter with actor Liam Neeson, and an entire episode dedicated to creating A Goofy Movie helped make Atlanta weird yet exceptional.
3 Community (2009 - 2015)
Community may not have earned the recognition it deserved when it was on NBC, but it has gained a cult following thanks to its eccentric style of comedy. At first, the show followed a traditional sitcom formula as it told the story of a diverse yet dysfunctional study group at a community college.
As Community leaned more into its meta-humor and pop culture references, its quirkiness and out-of-genre episodes made it stand out among other sitcoms. Many of Community's best episodes paid homage to film and television. These included paintball episodes in the style of action movies, a claymation Christmas special, a pillow fight formatted as a PBS documentary, and an episode where a roll of the dice leads to six different timelines.
2 Rick and Morty (2013 - present)
Rick and Morty has been on television for multiple seasons because of how creative and zany each episode is. The Adult Swim series follows an alcoholic scientist who drags his grandson and the rest of his family on wacky science fiction adventures across space and different dimensions.
Each episode has the characters completing peculiar objectives and exploring bizarre worlds. Viewers are treated to several offbeat concepts, including a theme park inside a human, interdimensional cable, giant floating heads looking for the next big song, and protagonist Rick turning into a pickle. These storylines are only just a couple of many crazy adventures the characters go on. With several more episodes written and on the way, fans can expect the show to increase its large array of creative ideas.
1 The Boys (2019 - present)
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Considering how mature The Boys comic books are, the television adaptation outperforms the source material significantly. The Amazon Prime show imagines a world where superheroes are treated as influential celebrities but are terrible people behind the scenes. A rebellious group called the Boys team up to take down the superheroes and expose the truth.
The Boys is unafraid to go to strange, bloody, and inappropriate territory. The super-powered characters use their abilities to do unthinkable fantasies, which leads to shockingly violent consequences. Exploding heads, laser babies, octopi being eaten alive, and the entirety of the "Herogasm" episode are just the tip of the iceberg when talking about the show's most surprising moments. With Homelander actor Antony Starr teasing more insane antics for Season 4, fans must prepare themselves for how crazier The Boys will get.