Stuck at home with all the comforts of technology! That’s right, this isn’t so bad guys. You are getting a stay-cation and now is the time to watch all of the TV shows you may have missed over the years. Sure the circumstances suck and the adjustment is hard, but let us perservere on our tushies and catch up on some great TV shows. I’ve managed to watch a lot of TV shows over the 8 years I’ve spent working from home. I prefer working on multiple projects at once with some background noise. Music is great, but so are great TV shows. With the explosion of streaming services over the years I’ve managed to watch a lot of TV shows. Today, I offer my vast knowledge and experience and hope to save you some time browsing. This is a list of shows that may have slipped by you over the years. Folks, all of these TV shows are worthy if you’re awesome.
Black Mirror
If now isn’t a time to get in touch with this show I don’t know when it will be. It’s more relevant every day that passes. It’s a modern-day Twilight Zone and while some of the episodes are a bit too on the nose and miss their mark, most are just wonderful.
Currently Streaming on Netflix
Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee
This may be one of my favorite shows of all time. The name says it all. Jerry Seinfeld talks to comedians while drinking coffee after driving in some magnanimous car. It sounds pretentious, but it’s the complete antithesis of that. It’s invigorating and I can’t get enough.
Currently Streaming on Netflix
Firefly
At least we got Whedon’s “Serenity” to finish this one up. Even so, Firefly is collectively regarded as one of if not the worst TV cancellations of all time and in its short duration is still one of the best things to ever happen to television.
Currently Streaming on Hulu
The Sarah Connor Chronicles
This show was just picking up steam and finding its legs when it was abruptly canceled, but it’s worth the watch. It’s not perfect and struggles but is just starting to really find its legs when it ends. You can skip all the Terminator movies after Judgment Day and just watch this. Lena Headey was on point as Sarah Connor and that’s coming from me. Not streaming on anything for free currently.
Archer
I had to be coerced to watch this by my brother and I’ll be forever grateful. Archer is mercilessly hilarious and is absolutely ridiculous. Hitting it’s tenth season and it is STILL one of the funniest shows I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. It also somehow manages to reinvent itself over and over while keeping it’s identity fully intact. A true gem. Also: re-watchable quality of infinity!
Currently Streaming on Hulu
Scrubs
All questions to life can be answered in any particular episode of Scrubs. This show is wonderful and has this magical ability to make you laugh at the utterly ridiculous, while somehow also pulling out sincere vulnerabilities that catch you off guard on the regular. Probably tied as my favorite TV comedy of all time with Seinfeld, and Archer right after. It is absolute perfection. Please feel free to skip the “College” final season. The last episode of season 8 is absolute perfection.
Currently streaming on Hulu
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
Always a fan of anime, but not particularly well versed I’ve spent the last year or so trading off anime shows with my oldest dragon Brosnan and this is his ultimate favorite show of all time. As fitting as it’s name is, it’s also exceptional. Another show that regularly reinvents itself while writer/illustrator/artist Hirohiko Araki evolves his style and conception on the regular while maintaining the basic theme of the show. It’s absolutely fantastic.
Currently Streaming on Hulu
Deadwood
Thankfully we just got “The Deadwood Movie” this year, but we went 10 years without that much-needed closure and we deserved it. Deadwood is probably in my top ten shows of all time and not enough people have watched it. I guess if you don’t like long monologues on iambic pentameter’s it’s a bit much, but it’s worth stepping out of your comfort zone.
Currently Streaming on Hulu, Amazon Prime, and HBO Now
Hell on Wheels
Hubby turned this on one day because he was going through a Western phase and it’s become one of my favorite shows of all time. It’s a tough watch, but well worth it. Anson Mount and Common are just incredible. AND CHRIS HEYERDAHL!
Currently Streaming on Netflix
Babylon 5
It’s mid 90’s science fiction and it’s science fiction at it’s best. If Tolkien had been around and tried his pen at it, it would have looked something like this masterpiece created and written by J. Michael Straczynski. The 5 season arc was created with the intention of a start and finish and is one of the greatest stories ever told. It is absolutely my favorite TV show of all time.
Currently Streaming on Amazon Prime
Metalocalypse
Never saw this till my husband put it on, and the first few episodes I considered the possibility I’d accidentally swallowed a magic mushroom, but it was real. This is NOT for everyone. It’s animated and it’s VERY adult and VERY metal.
Currently Streaming on nowhere free but worth your money.
Dollhouse
Another Joss Whedon piece of glory that ended too soon. Featuring the incredible Eliza Dushku and a magnificent cast. The concept is bananas and the execution is ridiculous fun, while also questioning man, morality, and vilifying corporate big bads. Only two seasons, but you do get a beginning and an end. Bonus: WICKED bad ass Alan Tudyk madness here.
Currently Streaming on Hulu
Fringe
If you love Science Fiction, please please watch this. It’s NOT an X-Files duplicate though it could be a distant cousin. Each season takes on a life of it’s own and it evolves into something more and different as it progresses. John Noble is fucking wonderful, and Anna Torv is just amazing. You get 5 seasons here, and you can’t get them free, but it’s worth it.
Travelers
Another Brad Wright and Stargate production gig with a lot of our stars from that world were involved here and it is one of my favorite recent SciFi series. It’s a mostly cerebral and character-driven show, but after only 3 seasons Netflix gave it the can. I loved it.
Currently Streaming on Netflix
Third Watch
I had a thing for formula cop shows with other shows like “Brooklyn South” and “Southland” (also all canceled too soon), but I was obsessed with Third Watch. Cut short of what could have been a long-lived series this forgotten show still bums me out.
Currently Streaming on Sling
H.B. Walsh - Author 