Alan Sepinwall
Alan Sepinwall, television critic for HitFix.com and previously for the Newark Star-Ledger. He is author of The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers, and Slayers Who Changed TV Drama Forever (Touchstone).
Hit TV shows such as Downton Abbey and original series such as House of Cards attract a lot of attention on the Internet-streaming services Netflix Instant and Amazon Prime. But these services, which allow subscribers to view programs on computers, TVs and other devices, also are a great place to find and watch shows that most people missed when they originally aired, as well as shows from Canada and England that never aired widely in the US.
Here are some wonderful but little-watched shows (available on both services unless otherwise noted)…
Cracker is a British crime drama from the mid-1990s starring Robby Coltrane, who would later play the gentle giant Hagrid in the Harry Potter films. Here he is cast as Dr. Eddie Fitzgerald, a brilliant but self-destructive criminal psychologist. Television has given us many dark, tormented lead characters in recent years, but rarely are the roles this well-written and acted.
Sleeper Cell is a thriller about an FBI agent who goes undercover to stop a terrorist attack in Los Angeles. It’s tense, exciting and quite thoughtful about the underlying issues. Sleeper Cell is somewhat similar to the hit show 24—only its ratings were nowhere near as strong when it ran on Showtime.
Terriers is a crime drama about a recovering alcoholic former police officer who joins forces with his petty-criminal friend to run an unlicensed private eye business. It sounds like a million other shows when you read that description. The difference is that Terriers is wonderfully executed. The actors playing the private eyes—Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James—have amazing chemistry. The show lasted only one 13-episode season on FX in 2010 before it was canceled, but it is 13 episodes of great TV. (Netflix Instant)
Slings & Arrows is a Canadian comedy about the crew of a theater company. The humor is smart and universal, not insidery and self-congratulatory like that of other shows about show business. It aired in Canada from 2003 to 2006. (Amazon Prime)
Spaced is an offbeat British comedy about a man and woman who pretend to be a couple in order to share an affordable London apartment. The characters also include an angst-ridden artist, a former Army soldier who stole a tank and a miniature Schnauzer that is kidnapped and held at an animal-testing facility. It aired in the UK from 1999–2001. (Netflix Instant)
Sports Night is a comedy/drama set behind the scenes at a sports news program. It ran on ABC from 1998–2000. It was witty, intelligent and even touching at times, yet it never resulted in strong ratings. The quality trailed off a bit in the second season, as creator/writer Aaron Sorkin spread himself a bit thin writing the first season of The West Wing at the same time, but season one is definitely worth seeing. (Amazon Prime)
Firefly lasted just one season on Fox in 2002–2003, perhaps because it didn’t fit comfortably into a single genre. It’s essentially a Western set in outer space—and most Western fans are not sci-fi fans. That’s a shame, because Firefly is a fun, exciting adventure. It was directed by Joss Whedon before he became famous for directing The Avengers and starred Nathan Fillion before he became famous for playing the title role in ABC’s Castle.
