10 Most Underrated Prequel TV Shows, Ranked

When the world of a movie or show is enrapturing enough that audiences are dying to spend more time with it and its inhabitants—and studios are willing to put in the money to make it happen—a prequel TV show can be an absolute delight. Over time, there have been many deservedly highly-praised prequel series, from Better Call Saul to Andor, but other times, these shows go without the love they deserve.

Whether they're still on the air or have been cancelled for many years, these criminally underappreciated prequel series are proof that, when done right, these shows can expand on what made the original magical in all sorts of entertaining ways. From charming, nostalgia-infused animated gems to big franchise properties that usually live in the shadow of other installments, these shows are among the best in their fields.

10 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' (2022–)

Ever since the birth of the hyper-successful HBO show, there have been plenty of shows that have tried to be the next Game of Thrones, with varying degrees of success. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power undeniably tried and was undeniably unsuccessful, but that doesn't mean that it's bad. On the contrary, this is some solid fantasy television, even despite its many departures from J.R.R. Tolkien's source material.

There's no getting around it: The team behind Rings of Power doesn't really understand Tolkien, but after two seasons, they've been able to establish this as a solid standalone product of its own. The battles are epic, the plot is kinetic and full of great world-building, and the elaborate technical presentation of it all certainly doesn't hurt.

9 'Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai' (2022–)

Joe Dante's Gremlins movies—the first, one of the freshest Christmas classics; the second, one of the most entertaining maximalist genre films of the '90s—have been so popular for so long that the third Gremlins film that was recently announced felt inevitable. But before that movie came an animated prequel series, the enchanting Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.

For fans of the movies who had been yearning for more Gremlins content for years, this is a must-see that doesn't get as much love as it should. Full of the perfect blend between Gizmo's cuteness and the Gremlins' creative chaos that made the films cult classics, this show recaptures that magic in every way that matters.

8 'The Carrie Diaries' (2013–2014)

There are plenty of forgotten CW shows that are actually worth your time, and The Carrie Diaries is one of the best. This teen dramedy is a prequel to the HBO cult classic Sex and the City, starring AnnaSophia Robb and Austin Butler at their dreamy best. There's probably a little too much narration in The Carrie Diaries, but that's a small price to pay for a series that so sweetly understands everything that made its predecessor work.

Rough though the show's first season may have been, its second season was significantly better, making it a tragedy that The CW refused to let the show go on after that. It's a solid, addictive, heartstring-tugging show full of winks that fans of Sex and the City, both young and old, should love, with a sense of nostalgia that never feels like a cash-grab.

7 'Krypton' (2018–2019)

DC fans are no strangers to prequels, particularly seeing as Gotham is one of the best prequel shows of all time. The Superman prequel Krypton, on the other hand, is significantly more underrated. Originally envisioned as a prequel to Zack Snyder's Man of Steel (though that connection was never fully established), this may not exactly be a "hidden" gem, but it sure is one of Syfy's most underappreciated shows.

For too long, adaptations of the Superman mythos have left Krypton as nothing but a background, an ever-doomed excuse to bring the Man of Steel to Earth. Krypton more than succeeds at bringing the planet to life and making it feel lived-in, populating it with faces both familiar and fresh that all DC fans should love to see. It's fun, it's creative, and it definitely deserves to have more than only two seasons.

6 'Star Trek: Discovery' (2017–2024)

Whereas critics loved Star Trek: Discovery all throughout its run, fans were the ones who seemed to hate it from start to finish. Frankly, this is a case of the critics being the ones who got it right. Over time, it has become easier to warm up to this entry to the Star Trek universe. Sure, it can be a bit too melodramatic, and the writing was never the best in the franchise, but there are an awful lot of redeeming qualities here, too.

From the stunning production qualities to its having some of the best Star Trek characters, Discovery has some great character development and plenty of rousing storylines. It's not groundbreaking Trek, but it sure is fresh and creative, full of the same sense of adventure and exploration that has always characterized the franchise.

5 'Black Summer' (2019–2021)

Syfy's Z Nation is one of the best zombie shows of all time, and quite fittingly, its prequel is one of the most underrated zombie shows of all time. Black Summer, which has been praised by creatives of Stephen King's stature, is one of Netflix's best horror shows. It's more than gory and well-written enough to satisfy any fan of the genre, with plenty of surprises in store for those who want them.

Throughout its two seasons, this intense and politically-sharp series demonstrated that the zombie genre can be deeply meaningful when done right. It's a brutal, relentless show anchored by some great visuals and plenty of solid performances, with a human heart that keeps things compelling throughout. It's arguably not quite as mind-blowing as Z Nation, but it's up there.

4 'Caprica' (2009–2010)

Battlestar Galactica, one of the greatest and most groundbreaking science fiction shows in television history, needs no introduction. As such, the announcement of a prequel series had every fan's hopes way up. Alas, Caprica failed to meet expectations, and its low ratings caused Syfy to cancel it even before its first season ended.

With time, however, Battlestar fans have warmed up to Caprica, which they now see as being every bit as dark, complex, compelling, and thought-provoking as its predecessor. Plus, with far more focus on its characters and far less focus on sci-fi military operations, it's perfect for those who would love an entryway into Battlestar Galactica but aren't all that experienced with heavy sci-fi.

3 'Dune: Prophecy' (2024–)

For many years, it was believed that Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi masterpiece Dune simply couldn't be turned into a movie worthy of its legacy. A director like Denis Villeneuve was required to prove that belief wrong. Following the tremendous success and acclaim of Villeneuve's vision of Herbert's world, Warner wanted to continue exploring that vision. In comes Dune: Prophecy.

Set a whopping ten millennia before Villeneuve's films, Prophecy explores the origins of the Bene Gesserit in ways that all fans of the source material should be delighted by. The show makes the best possible use of its sky-high budget to deliver extraordinary performances by a star-studded cast, some gorgeous visuals and music, and high-quality writing entirely deserving of the Dune name.

2 'Star Trek: Enterprise' (2001–2005)

Originally titled simply Enterprise for its first two seasons, Star Trek: Enterprise is one of the best sci-fi shows of the 2000s, but many people just aren't ready for that conversation. Envisioned as a simpler and more character-driven series than Voyager and Deep Space Nine, the series made so many strong departures from the typical Star Trek formula that fans initially didn't respond all that well to it, which eventually led to its cancellation.

With the benefit of retrospect, however, fans have come to realize that Enterprise was secretly kind of genius all along. It's a politically-charged exploration of aspects and corners of the Trek universe that had never been seen before, full of compelling characters and entertaining plots. It may not have been what fans were expecting from a prequel back in '01, but now that they can see and appreciate it for what it is, they've come to realize that its cancellation was a terrible tragedy.

1 'Star Wars: Rebels' (2014–2018)

Seeing as it's arguably the biggest transmedia franchise in history, it's no surprise that Star Wars has seen the release of numerous spin-off, prequel, and sequel shows over its history, some of which end up going without quite as much love and praise as they deserved. There's no more notorious example of that phenomenon than the excellent Star Wars: Rebels.

Comparisons to the arguably superior Star Wars: The Clone Wars were always the thing that kept Rebels from becoming as popular as it always deserved to be. With time, the series has built up a cult following all of its own, fans who love its endearing and complex ensemble of characters and its many brilliant tie-ins to the beloved Original Trilogy era of the franchise. Visually charming and full of thrilling stories, it's one of the best non-movie Star Wars properties ever, and it's about time that becomes the mainstream opinion.