Some shows get hyped and some squander in obscurity until someone whose opinion you trust comes along and writes a blog post about it. Hey, I get it. We've all been there.
Pushing Daisies—A
modern-day fairy tale, magically rendered. Part romantic comedy, part noir
crime drama, this show lasted two seasons before being hastily wrapped up.
Still worth every gorgeously shot frame.
The I.T. Crowd—Few
shows have actually brought me to tears from laughing. This is one of them. The
show follows two I.T. techs and their manager as they deal with all of us
corporate idiots on the other end of the help line. Recent seasons of the show
have fallen off a bit in quality, but the first two seasons are essential
viewing.
Party Down—This
show only lasted 2 seasons, but it was essentially a smarter, funnier, more
brutally honest companion piece to the glitz and glamour of shows like
Entourage. The show follows would-be actors and writers as they work their
catering day jobs.
Undeclared—The
only show I ever wrote a letter about to try to save from cancellation. Alas,
Judd Apatow’s foray into College life was not to be. While it lasted only one
season, it still left quite an indelible impression on me and still holds up
after all these years.
Extras—By the
creators of The Office (UK), this show was constantly surprising and
excruciatingly uncomfortable. A parable for the almost famous. The guest
appearances by Sir Ian McKellen and David Bowie are priceless.
Flight of the
Conchords—Some people I know still haven’t seen this. Ridiculous. Two New
Zealand musicians come over to America to make it big. They don’t. While Brit and Jermaine are good,
Murray and Mel are the true stars of the show. And the songs are pretty catchy,
too. The creators intended the show to only last two seasons and, despite
becoming a hit, kept their word.
Firefly—A western
set in space. By Joss Whedon. Often intense, sometimes chilling, constantly
thrilling and always fun, the show lasted one season and a movie before riding
off into the sunset.
Veronica Mars—A
snarky, wise-crackin’ high schooler with a knack for solving crimes? I’m as
surprised as you are. The first season is great, the second is okay and the
third just doesn’t hang together.
The Venture Brothers—A
spoof of Johnny Quest, this animated show wanders into some uncomfortable
territory. Often. But the writing is sharp and Brock Samson is a force of
nature.
