Veronica Mars (64 episodes) — One of my all-time favorite series (at least the first two seasons), Veronica Mars is best when marathoned: It’s like The O.C. plus Nancy Drew plus AWESOMENESS. It is one of the most addictive television shows you will ever see, and because it originally aired on The WB (and was cancelled after three seasons due to low ratings), most people didn’t see it on first run. But, there are a lot of DVD shelves with full-seasons of Veronica Mars on them. This show would kill on Netflix, and if it gained enough traction, maybe we’d finally get that damn Veronica Mars movie that Kristen Bell has been dying to make.
Children’s Hospital — I know that a lot of people who read UPROXX are familiar with Children’s Hospital, but in the broader pop-culture landscape, Children’s Hospital is practically unheard of, despite the fact that damn near every great contemporary comedic actor has been on the series at one point. Hell, everybody that’s ever been in a comedy troupe is on this show. To list all the awesome people who have been on this show would take hours (JON HAMM). If you’ve never liked Malin Ackerman and Lake Bell, it’s only because you’ve never seen Children’s Hospital . Why? Because the damn show airs on Adult Swim at like 12:03 a.m., there’s no promotion for it, and nobody ever talks about the show for some reason. Give it six months on Netflix, and it’d be a HUGE cult show. Sure, there are 45 episodes, but they’re only about 8 minutes a piece, so you could bang on the entire series in an afternoon.
Southland — In real life, I literally don’t know anyone who watches this show, who has ever spoken of this show, or who has even heard of it. Even on Warming Glow, Southland doesn’t get a ton of love or discussion, but the people who do watch it will vouch that it’s one of the best dramas on television: An intense, brilliantly acted, smartly written cop show that’s NOT a procedural. Each episode is a slice of life for LAPD cops. They are riveting, often heartbreaking episodes, and Southland deserves the kind of cult audience that Netflix could bring it, if only because it may mean additional seasons for the rest of us.
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Holy hell, Chris Kattan is on “The Middle”?
Call off the search, boys! WE FOUND HIM!
Now I have to watch Corky Romano. Evertime someone mentions Chris Kattan I have to watch Corky Romano. It’s my curse.
Me and my buddy quote “You guys want some cookieeeeesssss?” all the time.
@Rhelgy So you have watched Corcky Romano what like 4 times?
I haven’t seen every episode of The Middle, but I have seen most of them, and I can’t for the life of me remember ever seeing Chris Kattan on the show. I missed a lot of the first season, so maybe he was on there and then taken off for one reason or another… but yeah, I don’t know who he is or what he does on the show.
JACK AND BOBBY (2004)
WB 22 episodes (Brilliant but Canceled) (Critically Acclaimed)
Cast:
Oscar winner Christine Lahti
Mad Men’s Matt Long, Jessica Pare, and John Slattery.
Today’s Movie Stars Logan Lerman and Bradley Cooper
Also on YouTube, “Jack and Bobby episode 1 part 1″ (not best quality though).
Studio 60 used to be on Netflix for a bit, im pretty sure. First half of the season was great, second half…uh…not so much
You are correct.
It was and completely agree on the first half of the season. I think Sorkin missed being able to pulpit on current political issues so he tried to shoe-horn some things into the storyline that killed the back-half of the season.
Also on the whole show within the show not being funny, I never understood why that was such a problem. If I remember right for the majority of the season the show was doing poorly, so not being funny was sort of the point.
Veronica Mars was also on netflix for a bit. it really bummed me out because i had just started the second season when it was pulled.
Yea, its not like The Girly Show on 30 Rock is at all funny.
TGS is supposed to be terrible. that’s the joke. the comedy being written on Studio 60 was being portrayed as the most highbrow IMPORTANT comedy sketches ever and they were Mad TV rejects at best.
Pushing Daisies is on Amazon Prime, if anyone cares. As is Dead Like Me, actually. Not sure about the rest.
Dead Like Me was also on HULU
Dead Like Me was on Netflix, I don’t know if it is anymore. I watched the series in about a week last summer.
Did half these shows get pulled from Netflix Instant? I swear I mainlined Veronica Mars for a stretch and watched every episode in like 2 weeks.
Yeah, Pushing Daisies was definitely on there at some point.
As was Studio 60.
You are correct. I marathon-ed it myself and was left wondering why it got canceled.
There are a ton of Warner Bros. cartoon I’d like to see immediately. Like, can we get Animaniacs in this joint? Or Batman/Superman or JLA or something? That falls under the umbrellas right?
Batman: The Animated Series would absolutely make it impossible for me to leave my house.
They have put most of the new animated movies on there, but I would watch Justice League Unlimited until my eyes exploded.
Animaniacs and Freakazoid would do well with the Pop-Culture-Obsessed Internet Crowd.
I keep telling people about Southland. I’ve been watching since it was on NBC. It is one of the best shows out there.
Agreed. The disappointment was watching the mass exodus of characters leaving the show once it migrated from NBC (thanks Leno). However, I think the show has tightened up and gotten better as it has gotten leaner. Finally, with several years of law enforcement in my past I find myself screaming at the TV over actions performed in the field by the characters. They are great characters to care about.
Yeah, Daisy’s and Dead Like me were both on Netflix about 2 years ago. (don’t know when they disappeared)
As someone who has watched the entirety of Birds of Prey, I can tell you that you are not missing anything. There is some decent eye candy, but it has little to nothing to do with any traditional Batman stories. It is based much more on meta-humans with super powers than the traditional Bat stories. Harley doesn’t even put on a costume until the last episode.
Aw, were you not floored by evil Nightwing and Cajun Clayface? Or psychic Canary and whatever they were trying to do with Lady Shiva?
Me neither. The show only got two things right. I maintain that it is almost impossible to present Alfred wrong. And having Mark Hamill voice the Joker (although whoever cast his physical performer was clearly whacked out on some serious blow). Alright three, Lori Loughlin as proper Black Canary is still the only live action Canary that isn’t stupid. (Arrow doesn’t count cuz she’s not Canary yet)
Dead Like Me was great. The movie they made afterwards? Not so much.
I’d complain about the lack of Pushing Daisies on Netflix, but I own both seasons and push them on anyone willing to watch them.
Pushing Daisies was diabetes inducing. I couldn’t make it beyond the first two shows and I love Anna Friel.
I thought Studio 60 was on instant? It used to be, and I liked it. But I’ve been a closet Matthew Perry fan ever since Almost Heroes.
I tried watching Children’s Hospital, because the internet was raving about it, but it’s just…awful. I made through 1.5 episodes before tapping out.
Same here. Part of me felt I didn’t give it chance, but I don’t want to return.
I feel bad that you guys haven’t been able to take the same joy from it as me. I love it.
The show is hilarious and does some amazing things, do yourself a favor and try to watch more especially season 3 stuff. If you don’t like it I can accept that just please try and watch a little more there are some absolute gems in there.
please watch at least 5 episodes.. it takes at least 5 for the love to brew. your life will be better for it
Yes try again. It is the show after Children’s Hospital, NTSF:SD:SUV, that I gave up on eventually.
I’ll jump on the bandwagon and suggest that you give it another shot, especially because the episodes are comically short.
While there is a significant chance it’s just not for you, it also takes a little bit to get used to how it’s formatted. The first episode or two are kind of jarring since they just jump straight in as though the show’s been on for years and you already know all of the characters.
At the same time, it’s really odd. I find it hilarious, but you have to be willing to sit through a somewhat surreal parody of the high-stakes, high-drama, sexed up hospital shows, which isn’t for everyone. And then it gets weirder.
Seconded on Southland – it’s fantastic. Ben McKenzie no more.
Showtime actually did start it’s HBO GO: Showtime Anytime. I have it with shitty Optimum, so I’m sure others to do.
Are any good looking people in Southland?
Yeah, one of the cops comes from money, so anytime it shows his sister or her friends you get a few attractive folks.
I find “The Middle” to be VERY underrated. Solid show. Fun guest stars: Norm MacDonald, Dave Foley (who had a Kids in the Hall reference last night that was beyond outstanding). Plus, Neil Flynn from Scrubs is always welcome on TV.
He will always be Jan I. Tor to me.
“It’s a legendary show among geeks”
About Birds of Prey. I think we may need to legislate an official moratorium on the word legendary for awhile based on that sentence alone.
Pushing Daisies, Studio 60, and Veronica Mars were definitely all on it, and now I’m mad that they aren’t. Even though I didn’t realize they weren’t anymore because I have made no attempt to watch them in awhile.
The Middle is a really solid show, it’s something that seems to come on the tv at my house randomly while we clean up after the kids at night. We never turn it off once when its on and often laugh while watching, but for some reason never seek it out. It’s kinda weird, but I do recommend checking it out. I have no idea how it doesn’t do better than those awful cbs shows like 2.5 men, big bang, that show with doogie howser or even this actress’s old show raymond because I don’t think I have ever laughed at anything on cbs
The british version of shameless is on Netflix…so, I dunno?
Don’t know why Smallville isn’t on there either.
I like how the photo you used for The O.C. omits the main character of the show, MARISSA. Is it because she *spoiler alert* dies? Or just because she all together sucked?
Everybody hates Marissa… because she’s the worst. Outside of Oliver, of coruse.
She can’t be worse than that one douchebag she used to date who punched Ryan and said “This is how it works in the OC, bitch,” can she? Mind you I think I only watched the first season.
JJ You’re think of Luke who becomes kinda awesome in Season 2. And yes she was much worse than him.
Well, there you go.
Birds of Prey, Pushing Daises, Dead Like Me, Shameless, and Veronica Mars all are either on Netflix now or have been in the past.
If you are not a cheap bastard Veronica Mars is on Amazon Instant Video
Southland is one of my favorite shows. criminally overlooked.
Love me some Southland
Veronica Mars aired originally on UPN, 3rd season was on the CW, making it the only show/season of anything I’ve ever watched on the CW.
The saddest thing is that the ratings it got would now be considered a hit on the CW.
You didn’t watch the final season of Gilmore girls? Okay, that final season wasn’t really worthy watching. The second season of Vampire Dairies is good stuff.
I will forever mourn the death of the WB. Hell, UPN at its best looked like a more balanced and quality-focused network than the CW.
I may be wrong, but I feel like The OC was once on Netflix. In fact, I think I watched the first few episodes somewhere else and ended up getting a Netflix account to finish watching it. Either way, it definitely needs to be back on it. I have seasons 1-3 on DVD but would love to see season 4 again… I have all 3 seasons of Veronica Mars on DVD, but it would be interesting to see how it does on there now. It’s one of those shows like Firefly and Arrested Development that has a cult following and gained in popularity after its cancellation, though maybe not to the same extent. I’ve gotten several friends into it myself, and it would be so much easier to just let people watch it on Netflix… There are a few other current shows on this list that I’ve always kind of wanted to try, but I like starting shows from the beginning. Hulu is crap most of the time, and Netflix is really the best place to watch shows..
Dead Like Me is most certainly not superior to Pushing Daisies.
And people, it’s called the library (they still exists). Go to your local library, order the seasons on DVD, and they’ll usually be there within a couple of weeks. And it’s totally like free.
I could literally watch Children’s all day, I love that show so much. Children’s Hospital in three acts might be one of the best/most original episodes of a comedy show i;ve seen in a long long time.
In the ca. 85 minutes I’ve watched of “Suburgatory” I have never once laughed, nor even ever smiled, at a “joke” on that show. It wasn’t a bad show, I just could not distinguish it to be anything like a “comedy”.
I thought it was a bad show that hit the typical notes. Its actually probably not that bad, but it seems bad compared to a lot of the fresher new sitcoms available now. Suburgatory is still way better than most 80s and 90s era sitcoms.
Can Netlix release a version of Pushing Daisies without the narrator?
I was going to call you out on Shameless (it’s in my cue), until I realized I know absolutely nothing about the show. For example, did you know there’s a UK version? I didn’t.
So, yeah. Good thing I didn’t call you out on that.
Suburgatory isn’t underrated. No one watches it because it’s terrible, despite having some good actors.
Your description of Southland could not be better. I’m amazed at how often I find it “heartbreaking,” and I feel like I’ve had an emotional ass-kicking after watching it. Ben McKenzie, Regina King, and even Shawn Hatosy are great in it. But Michael Cudlitz is a revelation. He gives such a great, multi-layered performance. He really should get more notice for his work on this show.
The first season of The OC is pretty amazing (except Oliver, but there’s a lot of Anna in his episodes, and Anna was the best). It lost a lot of what made it special over the next couple of seasons and I don’t think I ever saw the last one.
Pushing Daisies was ABC, not Warner Brothers. Hopefully Disney will give in and put it on streaming soon. It was such a great show!