Lexx, a show about a giant dragonfly spaceship that destroys planets and the creepy cowardly idiot who somehow lucked into becoming the single person in the two universes that it obeys. And an undead assassin-warrior-poet. And a woman who survived a botched "love slave" transformation. And a weird robot head.
It's outrageously strange and strangely horny and hornily gross. Highly recommend if you like weird TV.
Lexx resulted in my marriage (at a lan bash, we're all sharing the ol' yar har haar me maties, a certain young gentleman browses the wares, goes "holy shit Lexx, who has all of Lexx i must find this person" and 20 years later we have matching rings, a house and cats. )
Actually just finished snagging the 1080 rip, makes my dvd boxset look like poo
I loved Lexx. It was one of those weird science fiction series that were popping up in the 90s as a response to the success of ST: TNG and Battlestar Gallactica. I haven't watched it in decades, I have to go find it.
I always mention this one, but The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
It's got Bruce Campbell in it (Army of darkness) And he plays a cowboy as the lead character where he goes on wacky steampunk-filled hijinks and adventures through the Old West.
it came out in the early 90s and you can watch it for free on tubiTV.
Fun fact, a lot of the old timey western movies used a particular set and the Adventures of Brisco County Jr. was the last show to use that set.
If you like Severence, you really need to see Dollhouse. Only 2 seasons, complete story. Slow start, but it doesn't go where you expect, it's a complete story, and Dichen Lachman (Gemma Scout) plays basically the same role.
I feel like the end of season 2 got wonky because they found out they were getting cancelled. They did make it work with the little time they had left.
As far as I can remember, Dichen Lachman has never been in anything that wasn't science fiction. Altered Carbon, The Last Ship, Dollhouse, and Severance. I'd check her imdb but it would ruin my wierd fanboy theory.
I hope you have watched Common Side Effects. Joseph Bennett (co-creator) is also the co-creator of Scavengers Reign. It's excellent. Mike Judge is also EP and voices some roles. It was renewed for a second season last week in advance of the season finale, which aired Sunday night.
Wow how could I forget Common Side Effects?? I'm happy it's getting a second season but sad Scavengers Reign wasn't so lucky :( something tells me CSE is going to hit mainstream popularity though.
It was pretty much all over the place but I liked the tone and premise. IMO, I really doubt anyone would've been able to make that kind of story work any more than the original folks did but yeah. I don't think the writing was that good but I liked the cast. That alone would've sold me. Also maybe throw in the fact that I found the show while I was kind of starting out on my own during college and so in ways, I related to the main person. Yada yada yada.
I rediscovered this again recently. I watched it when it was new a long while back, and had totally forgotten about it until seeing it pop up while browsing MAX.
Cancelling Space: Above and Beyond was tragic. With a couple more seasons it could have become an enduring cult classic. If it has been made later, it would have thrived in the streaming era.
Of those I’ve only seen Dirk Gently and Maxx. The later was cool to young me, but the former I just can’t get into. It feels too over the top random, like they’re forcing it too hard. Too bad, Dirk’s books are my favorite from Adams.
I think you are right in the sense that this may be under the radar now, but this was a big hit at the time. Made the careers of all the people you list, plus Jessica Hynes. Fantastic show.
You might enjoy Black Books, if you haven't seen it. Another one is The Royle Family.
I feel like a surprising number of people know about this show, but I suspect because it's German it doesn't get the same attention - there was a period where Dark seemed popular in my circles, though.
One of the best modern series I have seen. Incredibly compelling, mysterious, and they manage to wrap it up in a thoughtful way. It's a must see if you like sci-fi.
Raised by Wolves. It was killed by HBO around the time of the discovery merger thing, but was a fully written (creator originally wrote it as a book, and then made it into a screenplay) and unique show. Produced by and has some directing from Ridley Scott.
The show follows two androids, Mother and Father, raising a human child alone on a desolate planet after fleeing a dying earth controlled by hi-tech zealots. This new home might be far more related to them than they realize, and maybe not always so desolate. It blends mysticism and sci-fi in a really fun way, and I will never not be angry I don't get to see how it ends.
It's absolutely criminal how little attention HBO gave this show. It wasn't even brought to Europe, so you can't watch it legally over here. But IMHO it's one of the best TV shows of the past few years, and it's a complete story so no cliffhangers. It's also one of the rare cases of a show being better than the book it was based on, and the book was already a bestseller.
I love it. Have watched it three times. Cried during the last episode the first time I saw it. The book was pretty good, but I agree on the show being better.
Reaper was a really brilliant, easy-watching action/comedy show akin to Chuck. It's centered around a young man whose family has sold his soul to the devil, and now he must fulfill the contract by hunting down souls that have escaped from hell.
It features the typical "monster of the week" premise, along with a longer story arc across the seasons and has a rather fun mythology and world building. Ray Wise puts in a phenomenal performance as the devil, and I remember the show having a pretty genuine and surprisingly wholesome sense of humour.
Sadly its momentum got interrupted by the writers strike, and its second season was shortened and then cancelled. I still highly recommend it.
-- A dark comedy / romantic comedy that centers on two toxic, self-destructive people who fall in love and attempt a relationship. --
Absolutely amazing TV show by Stephen Falk. Criminally underrated. It is my favorite show of all time. It should be available to stream on Hulu, otherwise pirating it may be the only way to watch it.
-- A bright, wonderful and adorable show (animated by Dreamworks) that follows 13-year-old Kipo navigating a post-apocalyptic world full of evolved animals with human-level intelligence, and making friends along the way. --
This is a family-friendly show that took me about 7 episodes to get hooked. I am so glad I stuck with it! Made by Radford Sechrist and Bill Wolkoff. It's on Netflix. It also had a small DVD release that may be difficult to find.
Undone on Amazon Prime, a trippy psychological show about a girl (Salazar) exploring the link to her present and her dead father (Bob Odenkirk). It's rotoscoped to add to the trippiness
Brand New Cherry Flavor on Netflix, where an aspiring writer gets her career ruined by a director when she turns down his sexual advances. She makes a deal with a witch to get revenge
Monkey Dust. BBC show from the late 00''s that went ~3 seasons. Animated sketch comedy that was ostensibly British but wasn't SO British that Americans wouldn't get it. Example sketch-
If we are going to talk about shows with Geoffrey Palmer, I recommend “Butterflies” — a BBC production by Carla Lane. It’s a dramedy about a housewife with two teenage boys and a husband (Palmer), but she has a flirtation with another man. She has to make a decision about how she is going to move forward.
I can agree, but could say the same of the others or of other answers. Viewer count may be very different in different countries too. My rule of thumb for "obscure" is: something I mentioned to acquaintances that they'd never heard of.
Fair enough, I don't mean to override your experience of it as obscure, and it's a good show. Maybe because I'm a nerd surrounded by nerds, I would consider Firefly only third to Star Wars and Star Trek in terms of fame, but it's getting old now so this might also be a generational thing. Maybe Stargate is approximately equal to Firefly, but I feel like people love Firefly so much more than Stargate.
What's funny: I watched Castle with friends, and none of them got the references that Fillion made to Firefly from time to time... :) "What?! You've never watched Firefly?!"
Gosh I was gonna say "perfect". Though to be fair I haven't rewatched Being Erica and it did happen at exactly that time on my life, so was very relatable.
Corner Gas, brilliant comedy about a tiny Saskatchewan town set around a gas station that is connected to a diner and the oddball people that live there.
ive been watching Dangerman the past couple years to lead up to a rewatch of the prisoner. dangerman is pretty great too, but more of a regular spy drama
Someone mentioned Patriot here the other day, and I think that qualifies as at least lesser-known.
Also going to plug the Canadian TV series Sort Of, about a trans woman who is a nanny for her friend's two kids.
I was also surprised I had missed Spaced, a kind of surrealist sitcom starring Simon Pegg and directed by Edgar Wright (think: Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead). Not sure it counts as obscure or lesser-known, but it was for me anyway.
Border Line - British mockumentary that follows airport security forces. Even though The Office was British originally, this feels like they took they the US' Office and put their spin on that. There's definitely a Michael, a Dwight, a Pam and Jim etc. It's pretty fucking funny, but unfortunately they only made 2 seasons before it got canceled.
An action/comedy police procedural about a unit of the Chicago PD that manages cryptids (called "Links" in the show). A little bit like a terrestrial MIB.
The UK one was fantastic. Did you see both and then pick the US one specifically, or is it the only one you saw? I haven't seen the US one, but I'm interested now!
I've only seen the US version. I should watch the UK one.
I specifically mention the US one because its only one season and has a story conclusion. I watched it specifically after searching for shows that had satisfying endings. I was tired of watching series that ended but the story didn't.
Granted the conclusion of Life On Mars US feels rushed, because it was, they didn't get a second season, but they made it work and concluded the story.
Two unique shows cancelled after two seasons. Both have qualities I've not seen in other shows. The Knick has a unique atmosphere that makes it really appealing along with a brilliant soundtrack that you would never expect from a period drama.
Tokyo Vice's story telling is uniquely a mix of English and Japanese and blends the two so naturally.
The acting in both shows is superb and I wish we had more.
Children Of The Stones, 1977 British childrens' horror show. A historian and his young son visit a small village whose residents hold secrets about an ancient stone monument.
Like most 70s British TV, there's no production budget, and entirely dependent on script writing and actors to create atmosphere.
I did not see Herman's Head mentioned. I've only met one other person that remembers it. Not great in a change-your-doors-of-perception for life, but a fun sitcom from the early '90s.
She's not the only Simpsons voice on the show either. Hank Azaria (who plays Jay) also voices somewhere around 1/3 of male Springfield citizens including Moe, Chief Wiggum, and dozens of others.
Interesting French Netflix mini-series. Way better than it has any right to be considering its scale and I don't think it's gotten the attention it deserves.
The first season freaked me out so much I never got around to watching the following seasons. I hear they are even better though. Maybe someday I'll get around to it.
We finished season three yesterday and it is still a show where I’ll watch a season in one day because I’ve just got to know what happens. I agree, they’re pretty creepy.
No Heroics, only lasted a few seasons in the UK which means only maybe 12 episodes. (You may also see some actors from Ted Lasso if you look carefully.)
Sprung - about a group of small time cons trying to do the right thing and con only bad guys in the community while surviving covid and falling into a found family. Very funny and sincere.
12 Monkeys the TV show. I've never met anyone that has even heard of it, and I really enjoyed it! Same main characters as the movie, more or less, but a more involved story. Very satisfying, tidy ending.
4400, but it was a wierd hybrid of superpower humans and dystopian future+ time travelling of mankind, basically in the future the wealthy/aristocratic were living in prisitne cities while everything was a version madmax and judge dredd future. threshold was another one. the "rich people" found out about the scientist going back in tiem to prevent this future, so they sent thier own agents to the past to stop it.
Dude I'm just trying to entice continued activity. I appreciate that some here are sharing more popular shows. Maybe I could make a rating cut-off point on IMDB (5k votes or lesser) and remove all comments that include a show above that threshold lol.
I wouldn't even get that technical. "What's a comedy from the last ten years that has gone under the radar?" "Name a light-hearted sci-fi show that deserved more seasons than it got." There's still plenty of shows there without leaving it wide open to anything anyone ever liked across all time.
Pushing Daisies
The pie maker is happy to be included
Paul Reuben's cameo in Pushing Daisies is a lovely part of an even lovelier show.
Dead like me
Reaper
Truth Seakers
I was trying to remember the name of Reaper the other day, thanks! Loved the guy who played The Devil.
Lexx, a show about a giant dragonfly spaceship that destroys planets and the creepy cowardly idiot who somehow lucked into becoming the single person in the two universes that it obeys. And an undead assassin-warrior-poet. And a woman who survived a botched "love slave" transformation. And a weird robot head.
It's outrageously strange and strangely horny and hornily gross. Highly recommend if you like weird TV.
The woman was called Xev Bellringer. But don't google it because you'll find something else.
wow this is some boring porn
Different strokes for different strokers.
Lexx is brimming with campy nonsense!
But it has moments when an actor delivers a heartfelt performance that tells a meaningful story.
And then those moments are followed by a robot with a saw arm chasing some folks through a cardboard maze before a planet gets blown up.
My cat was named after the undead-assassin-warrior-poet.
Great show in that it is so strange and offbeat that you don't really know why things are happening but they certainly are happening.
Tell your cat I said yo-way-yo hum-va-ray!
I would if I could but he went with my ex while I kept the dog, who is named after the god emperor of the known universe.
Lexx resulted in my marriage (at a lan bash, we're all sharing the ol' yar har haar me maties, a certain young gentleman browses the wares, goes "holy shit Lexx, who has all of Lexx i must find this person" and 20 years later we have matching rings, a house and cats. )
Actually just finished snagging the 1080 rip, makes my dvd boxset look like poo
I loved Lexx. It was one of those weird science fiction series that were popping up in the 90s as a response to the success of ST: TNG and Battlestar Gallactica. I haven't watched it in decades, I have to go find it.
I always mention this one, but The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
It's got Bruce Campbell in it (Army of darkness) And he plays a cowboy as the lead character where he goes on wacky steampunk-filled hijinks and adventures through the Old West.
it came out in the early 90s and you can watch it for free on tubiTV.
Fun fact, a lot of the old timey western movies used a particular set and the Adventures of Brisco County Jr. was the last show to use that set.
When they finished it was torn down.
Another fun fact, you've heard the theme song.
It's now used in the Olympics when America plays.
It's a fucking amazing show.
I still remember my favorite character from that show: Bowler.
LORD Bowler.
I think that was the first show I watched that got cancelled and I was waiting for the next season wondering what the fuck happened.
Unfortunately not available on Tubi right now
If you like Severence, you really need to see Dollhouse. Only 2 seasons, complete story. Slow start, but it doesn't go where you expect, it's a complete story, and Dichen Lachman (Gemma Scout) plays basically the same role.
I feel like the end of season 2 got wonky because they found out they were getting cancelled. They did make it work with the little time they had left.
As far as I can remember, Dichen Lachman has never been in anything that wasn't science fiction. Altered Carbon, The Last Ship, Dollhouse, and Severance. I'd check her imdb but it would ruin my wierd fanboy theory.
Agents of SHIELD. That counts.
Forgot that. She murdered Admiral Adama
Scavenger's Reign and Pantheon
Scavengers Reign is great.
I hope you have watched Common Side Effects. Joseph Bennett (co-creator) is also the co-creator of Scavengers Reign. It's excellent. Mike Judge is also EP and voices some roles. It was renewed for a second season last week in advance of the season finale, which aired Sunday night.
I'm in season 2 of Pantheon. It's quite good.
Wow how could I forget Common Side Effects?? I'm happy it's getting a second season but sad Scavengers Reign wasn't so lucky :( something tells me CSE is going to hit mainstream popularity though.
I love Joe Bennett's (what I call) "American Chibi" style soooooo much. Such weird big heads and little bodies but it works so well.
Bennett also illustrated Joe Pera's bathroom book. "A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping or Peeing but Using the Bathroom as an Escape"
https://www.amazon.com/Bathroom-People-Pooping-Peeing-Escape/dp/1250782694
I really enjoyed Scavenger's Reign. Never heard of Pantheon, but if you mention both in the same sentence I'm intrigued!
Edit: It was already on my watchlist
Get ready for a little existential crisis after watching Pantheon (at least that's what happened to me). I loved it!
LOVED Pantheon it's one of my top shows easily
News Radio.
Miss that.
Miss Phil.
Fuck Andy Dick.
Yes, but also fuck Joe Rogan.
I can put up with Joe Rogan from that era, he wasn't a POS back then as far as I know, unlike Andy Dick.
Dave Foley and Stephen Root are also excellent in Newsradio
Foley and Hartman, that comedic tension between them was gold.
Dead Like Me
It was pretty much all over the place but I liked the tone and premise. IMO, I really doubt anyone would've been able to make that kind of story work any more than the original folks did but yeah. I don't think the writing was that good but I liked the cast. That alone would've sold me. Also maybe throw in the fact that I found the show while I was kind of starting out on my own during college and so in ways, I related to the main person. Yada yada yada.
Just don't watch the movie that followed the series. It's not worth it.
I rediscovered this again recently. I watched it when it was new a long while back, and had totally forgotten about it until seeing it pop up while browsing MAX.
Mrs. Davis
Dirk Gently’s Detective Agency
Space: Above & Beyond
Earth 2
Lucy: Daughter of the Devil
Final Space
The Lone Gunmen
The Maxx
The Oblongs
Parker Lewis Can’t Lose
The Regime
The Secret Life of Machines
ETA: if you want a more recent one, Deli Boys is pretty great
Both Dirks. The BBC was a little closer to the books but both are great. And if we're going in an Elijah direction, the US version of Wilfred.
Cancelling Space: Above and Beyond was tragic. With a couple more seasons it could have become an enduring cult classic. If it has been made later, it would have thrived in the streaming era.
Coolness
I kept waiting for Jonas Quinn to say “synchronize swatches” on SG1
At least throw us a few "Whoooooooa" sfx here and there.
Mrs. Davis is one of my favorite shows period. That was a masterpiece.
I second Dirk Gently. Amazing show.
I used to have nearly all The Maxx comic books, and gave them away to a friend when I moved across country.
Of those I’ve only seen Dirk Gently and Maxx. The later was cool to young me, but the former I just can’t get into. It feels too over the top random, like they’re forcing it too hard. Too bad, Dirk’s books are my favorite from Adams.
I found Dirk Gently to be fine, with the glaring exception that the main fucking character made it almost unwatchable.
Same for me except for the “almost” part. I quit midway through episode 2.
The American one, or the BBC one with Stephen Mangan?
Spaced
Early Simon Pegg / Nick Frost / Edgar Wright collaboration, sitcom style.
I think you are right in the sense that this may be under the radar now, but this was a big hit at the time. Made the careers of all the people you list, plus Jessica Hynes. Fantastic show.
You might enjoy Black Books, if you haven't seen it. Another one is The Royle Family.
Loved Black Books, thanks I'll check out Royle!
Utopia - The UK version though, fuck the American remake.
Monkey Dust - Obscure UK animation.
Utopia was so wild. I'm ready for a nice little show with silly people having a bit of fun, and suddenly I'm up to my neck in total insanity.
Monkey Dust is great is you're cool with black humor - well, humour!!!
Utopia was too violent for my taste. Not really thrilled with hearing children shot even if it’s offscreen. Gave up after that episode.
Aye, that scene probably caused quite a stir at Ofcom.
Probably a contributing factor to the third season getting axed
First, monkey dust was amazing. Legit surprised to see that one mentioned (Mr hoppy!)
Second. Australia version of Utopia is the best version of Utopia. Hands down.
Didn't even know that Australia did their own version, I'll check it out
Employment jargon
Dark
I feel like a surprising number of people know about this show, but I suspect because it's German it doesn't get the same attention - there was a period where Dark seemed popular in my circles, though.
One of the best modern series I have seen. Incredibly compelling, mysterious, and they manage to wrap it up in a thoughtful way. It's a must see if you like sci-fi.
Great show with a complex story. Wouldn't recommend it to everyone though.
Idk, Dark has a pretty big fanbase in Latin America at least. Most Netflix types I know have given it a go
Better Off Ted
I forget the name of it, but you might enjoy the show rob lowe is currently doing on Netflix can't remember the name
Edit Unstable is the name of the show
Raised by Wolves. It was killed by HBO around the time of the discovery merger thing, but was a fully written (creator originally wrote it as a book, and then made it into a screenplay) and unique show. Produced by and has some directing from Ridley Scott.
The show follows two androids, Mother and Father, raising a human child alone on a desolate planet after fleeing a dying earth controlled by hi-tech zealots. This new home might be far more related to them than they realize, and maybe not always so desolate. It blends mysticism and sci-fi in a really fun way, and I will never not be angry I don't get to see how it ends.
I hope the rest of this story gets told at some point. It would make a good graphic novel.
It was pretty decent deffo worth a watch
Danger 5. Greatest Australian comedy of all time. https://youtu.be/0Z09bNgSeMI
The trailer sold me on it, downloading now
It's so good. I watch it once a year
This was hilarious. Every episode final ending somewhat the same way 👌
Station Eleven
It's absolutely criminal how little attention HBO gave this show. It wasn't even brought to Europe, so you can't watch it legally over here. But IMHO it's one of the best TV shows of the past few years, and it's a complete story so no cliffhangers. It's also one of the rare cases of a show being better than the book it was based on, and the book was already a bestseller.
I love it. Have watched it three times. Cried during the last episode the first time I saw it. The book was pretty good, but I agree on the show being better.
Wasn't released at the same time as covid? It had a bad timing sadly.
Yeah it was, and the first episode hits quite hard on the heels of covid. I'm sure not everyone was ready for something that apocalyptic, but still.
I also enjoyed it, but couldn't convince my wife to give it a try because she was already stressed as fuck with all the situation.
Galavant
Mighty boosh
Red dwarf
Misfits
I guess in this case obscure differs a lot geographically, but I definitely know places where they are almost completely unknown.
🎶blah blah blah blah GALAVANT!🎶
And if you like galavant, Psych!
Easy now, fuzzy little man-peach, hmm? You ever drunk Bailey's from a shoe?
Reaper was a really brilliant, easy-watching action/comedy show akin to Chuck. It's centered around a young man whose family has sold his soul to the devil, and now he must fulfill the contract by hunting down souls that have escaped from hell.
It features the typical "monster of the week" premise, along with a longer story arc across the seasons and has a rather fun mythology and world building. Ray Wise puts in a phenomenal performance as the devil, and I remember the show having a pretty genuine and surprisingly wholesome sense of humour.
Sadly its momentum got interrupted by the writers strike, and its second season was shortened and then cancelled. I still highly recommend it.
You're The Worst
-- A dark comedy / romantic comedy that centers on two toxic, self-destructive people who fall in love and attempt a relationship. --
Absolutely amazing TV show by Stephen Falk. Criminally underrated. It is my favorite show of all time. It should be available to stream on Hulu, otherwise pirating it may be the only way to watch it.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt3228420/
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
-- A bright, wonderful and adorable show (animated by Dreamworks) that follows 13-year-old Kipo navigating a post-apocalyptic world full of evolved animals with human-level intelligence, and making friends along the way. --
This is a family-friendly show that took me about 7 episodes to get hooked. I am so glad I stuck with it! Made by Radford Sechrist and Bill Wolkoff. It's on Netflix. It also had a small DVD release that may be difficult to find.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt10482560/
I didn't know it was a school
The soundtrack alone is worth it
Yeah IMO both shows have amazing music!
Ha, I was wondering if that's where you got your handle
Indeed!
The Magicians
Yeah, gutsy writing... Enjoyed it for sure
How about two with Rosa Salazar?
Undone on Amazon Prime, a trippy psychological show about a girl (Salazar) exploring the link to her present and her dead father (Bob Odenkirk). It's rotoscoped to add to the trippiness
Brand New Cherry Flavor on Netflix, where an aspiring writer gets her career ruined by a director when she turns down his sexual advances. She makes a deal with a witch to get revenge
Undone was great.
oo, Brand New Cherry Flavor was fun
Monkey Dust. BBC show from the late 00''s that went ~3 seasons. Animated sketch comedy that was ostensibly British but wasn't SO British that Americans wouldn't get it. Example sketch-
https://youtu.be/RAgsubC0zaE
The Knick
This tv show is awesome. I want to give your post a million upvotes
Sliders
you have to whisper it
Lol i did that just before i saw your comment
Great show, pity it ended with the ep Exodus pt II
Wonderfalls
These don’t seem obscure to me but most folks I know have never heard of them:
What We Do in the Shadows
Sealab 2021
Parks and Rec
Party Down
Freaks and Geeks
Venture Bros
If you liked what we do in the shadows...
Wellington Paranormal - it's about the police tasked with investigating all the dumb shit that goes on in what we do in the shadows. Gold.
Sealab 2021 is classic Adult Swim. Same with Venture Bros. Love them both!
Party Down is great. I also realized I've been sleeping on the 3rd season revival.
https://www.polygon.com/23610906/party-down-revival-season-3-how-to-watch-starz
Are we having fun yet.
I know like 3 people that have seen party down and 2 of them watched it with me.
I became a big fan of the series "V", specifically the 2000's remake. I think they discontinued the series due to mixed ratings.
Haven't seen these mentioned yet:
Fringe
Killjoys
I don't see Dame Judy Dench's masterpiece "As Time Goes By" mentioned often.
It's about a love affair between the acclaimed author of "My Time in Kenya", and his publisher.
(This summary is intentionally reductive to the point of absurdity. But trust me, it's quite good.)
If we are going to talk about shows with Geoffrey Palmer, I recommend “Butterflies” — a BBC production by Carla Lane. It’s a dramedy about a housewife with two teenage boys and a husband (Palmer), but she has a flirtation with another man. She has to make a decision about how she is going to move forward.
Kim's Convenience
Seconded
It depends so much on one's tastes... But
I don't think you can call Firefly "lesser-known" or "obscure" ...
I can agree, but could say the same of the others or of other answers. Viewer count may be very different in different countries too. My rule of thumb for "obscure" is: something I mentioned to acquaintances that they'd never heard of.
Fair enough, I don't mean to override your experience of it as obscure, and it's a good show. Maybe because I'm a nerd surrounded by nerds, I would consider Firefly only third to Star Wars and Star Trek in terms of fame, but it's getting old now so this might also be a generational thing. Maybe Stargate is approximately equal to Firefly, but I feel like people love Firefly so much more than Stargate.
I'm completely with you!
What's funny: I watched Castle with friends, and none of them got the references that Fillion made to Firefly from time to time... :) "What?! You've never watched Firefly?!"
Travelers was good and honestly I'd love a reboot that continues the story. It's literally designed for it
Probably only lesser known depending on age but I always like Due South.
Thank you kindly.
One of my favorites. Love Gordon Pinsent as his dad.
Now im thinking about Power Play. I would love it if Shoresy made a reference to the show Power Play at somepoint if they havent already
I really liked Gordon Pinsent’s turn as Maurice Becker in Republic of Doyle too. Both sides of the spectrum with those two roles.
He's pretty fantastic all-round if you are me.
His new York fries voice work was excellent
2 of 2
TURN -George Washington's Spies.
Black Sails
I got this from the fediverse in another thread but kims convenience is hilarious. the brother I think did a marvel film recently to.
Being Erica
Forever Knight
La femme Nikita (Peta Wilson version)
Space above and Beyond
Sliders
Doraleus and Associates (web series)
Dr Horribles Singalong Blog (is this okay for this list?)
Due South
Celebrity Deathmatch
Ask a Ninja (early YouTube channel)
Oh man, Ask a Ninja just unlocked a core memory that I had buried. What a perfect example of early Internet comedy.
Space above and beyond died too young. It was such an awesome scifi show with some really mind blowing good episodes
I would disagree with due south and being Erica but to each own.
Gosh I was gonna say "perfect". Though to be fair I haven't rewatched Being Erica and it did happen at exactly that time on my life, so was very relatable.
Due South is a treasure. No notes.
Disagree for them flirting under the radar or you wouldn't recommend them or both?
Due south was pretty big and so was being Erica but I wouldn't put it up there with corner gas or trailer park boys. Those changed lives.
They were big, but 20+years later they are pretty under the radar now
The Terror - season 1 especially is so well done
This is going to hurt - UK medical drama, both hilarious and heartbreaking
The Terror is so good. I just found out it had a season 2 and it looks terrible.
Indeed :') Thankfully since it's an anthology, you can keep pretending it doesn't exist
Still pissed that The Terror didn’t do a season about the Dyatlov Pass incident. It would have been a good fit for this show.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyatlov_Pass_incident
Lesser-known?
The Time Tunnel.
I love the matte shots they use of the underground time tunnel facility when the camera pulls out for a wide shot!
Odyssey 5 (Only lasted a season, but damn...)
Boardwalk Empire (for some reason the least talked about and most forgotten HBO show)
Into the Badlands (Deserved a longer life. Great martial arts action in a post-apocalypse)
First Wave (Nostrodamus, Conspiracy theories and the first wave of an secret Alien invasion)
Seven Days (The younger lapaglia brother jumps back in time 7 days to prevent various threats)
Sense8 (strangers from all over the world find themselves linked mentally for some reason)
RIP Into the Badlands, you were done dirty.
100% agreed. Such a fun show.
Mr Inbetween is an excellent Aussie show. Haven't found anything else that captures our culture so well.
Not sure where the bar sits for obscure / under the radar. There's plenty of more popular shows I normally recommend.
Keeping it less known I guess:
Sense8 - slow start but cool concept
The goes wrong show - brilliant little piece of British theatre humour. Some great recurring gags
And second another commenter's recommendation of you're the worst as a good laugh.
Corner Gas, brilliant comedy about a tiny Saskatchewan town set around a gas station that is connected to a diner and the oddball people that live there.
You'll come for the quaint setting, stay for the Jackass screaming Oscar.
Three from the BBC, all free on Youtube.
The Prisoner
I, Claudius
Connections
ive been watching Dangerman the past couple years to lead up to a rewatch of the prisoner. dangerman is pretty great too, but more of a regular spy drama
Something I watched the heck out of was 'The Americans."
Another good, solid spy series.
I second these three recommendations!
Thanks!
Someone mentioned Patriot here the other day, and I think that qualifies as at least lesser-known.
Also going to plug the Canadian TV series Sort Of, about a trans woman who is a nanny for her friend's two kids.
I was also surprised I had missed Spaced, a kind of surrealist sitcom starring Simon Pegg and directed by Edgar Wright (think: Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead). Not sure it counts as obscure or lesser-known, but it was for me anyway.
Border Line - British mockumentary that follows airport security forces. Even though The Office was British originally, this feels like they took they the US' Office and put their spin on that. There's definitely a Michael, a Dwight, a Pam and Jim etc. It's pretty fucking funny, but unfortunately they only made 2 seasons before it got canceled.
I can't seem to even find it any more, I really enjoyed it!
Got you fam: https://sflix.to/tv/free-borderline-hd-29761
Just make sure you have an adblocker enabled first haha, but otherwise that site is the mecca for all rare old finds like that. Enjoy amigo!
Ah amazing, thank you!
Murdoch Mysteries is the only show I keep up with weekly. It's Victorian, Canadian CSI.
I’m going to recommend the 1970s BBC series “Survivors”. It’s kind of like Walking Dead lite, without the zombies.
Avoid the 2000s remake though. It’s ridiculous.
I also recommend the 1971 BBC series I mentioned in another thread, about a futuristic fascist government in Britain: “the Guardians”.
Survivors was a great show! Post-apocalyptic drama at its best. They didn't need makeup to have (human) monsters.
The Patriot on amazon is one of my favourite tv shows of all time. Tragically cancelled but each episode is outstanding. Nobody's seen it!
Because I've never met anyone else who ever watched it and I haven't been able to pirate it:
Special Unit 2
An action/comedy police procedural about a unit of the Chicago PD that manages cryptids (called "Links" in the show). A little bit like a terrestrial MIB.
Life on Mars (2008, the US version.)
The UK one was fantastic. Did you see both and then pick the US one specifically, or is it the only one you saw? I haven't seen the US one, but I'm interested now!
Ashes to Ashes is the continuation of the UK Life on Mars.
I've only seen the US version. I should watch the UK one.
I specifically mention the US one because its only one season and has a story conclusion. I watched it specifically after searching for shows that had satisfying endings. I was tired of watching series that ended but the story didn't.
Granted the conclusion of Life On Mars US feels rushed, because it was, they didn't get a second season, but they made it work and concluded the story.
Tokyo Vice
The Knick
Two unique shows cancelled after two seasons. Both have qualities I've not seen in other shows. The Knick has a unique atmosphere that makes it really appealing along with a brilliant soundtrack that you would never expect from a period drama. Tokyo Vice's story telling is uniquely a mix of English and Japanese and blends the two so naturally. The acting in both shows is superb and I wish we had more.
Mr Inbetween
Children Of The Stones, 1977 British childrens' horror show. A historian and his young son visit a small village whose residents hold secrets about an ancient stone monument.
Like most 70s British TV, there's no production budget, and entirely dependent on script writing and actors to create atmosphere.
The Lost Room.
Not sure where you can find it, though.
Torrents for it are around
My grandma got that for me on DVD ages ago. The first few episodes are rough, but it's really gripping by the end.
I did not see Herman's Head mentioned. I've only met one other person that remembers it. Not great in a change-your-doors-of-perception for life, but a fun sitcom from the early '90s.
I remember it, the intro more than the show itself lol.
... And now I'm thinking of the show Night Court lol
Wait! Louise! Played by Yeardley Smith who voices lisa simpson!
She's not the only Simpsons voice on the show either. Hank Azaria (who plays Jay) also voices somewhere around 1/3 of male Springfield citizens including Moe, Chief Wiggum, and dozens of others.
I forgot Hank was in that one too lol
The 7 Lives of Léa
Interesting French Netflix mini-series. Way better than it has any right to be considering its scale and I don't think it's gotten the attention it deserves.
I recommend watching in French with subtitles.
I didn’t see these:
Halt and Catch Fire (AMC)
For all Man Kind (Apple TV)
For all mankind is really good, just get through the first 3 to 4 epis (those are a bit boring) butt rust me, it's worth it!
I refuse to butt rust you!
Patriot. On Amazon prime. Dark comedy. CIA and government ineptitude.
Honestly, great show. I don't know what I expected, but it was so much better.
Hell yeah
I’m not sure if it is obscure, but I had never heard of it. Husband and I have been watching SyFy’s Channel Zero and love it.
The first season freaked me out so much I never got around to watching the following seasons. I hear they are even better though. Maybe someday I'll get around to it.
We finished season three yesterday and it is still a show where I’ll watch a season in one day because I’ve just got to know what happens. I agree, they’re pretty creepy.
The Dead Zone
Now that’s an obscure gem and suddenly I want to hear that 80s synth song from Matt Berry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO-ZGP68-3w
I see you, and raise you:
Blood. Blood. BLOOD. Blood.
No Heroics, only lasted a few seasons in the UK which means only maybe 12 episodes. (You may also see some actors from Ted Lasso if you look carefully.)
Sprung - about a group of small time cons trying to do the right thing and con only bad guys in the community while surviving covid and falling into a found family. Very funny and sincere.
You, me and the apocalypse. Biggest cliffhanger ever, especially with no series 2. I'm still sour about that.
There have been a veritable ton of amazing shows from Adult Swim that flew under the radar. My three favorite are:
Dream Corp was my favourite, sad it didn't continue. Early Mark Proksch is fucken gold.
Yeah, likewise. Everything about that show was stellar. At this point, I think it's only available to buy via Amazon Video.
ZeroZeroZero is a great crime mini series about the drugs trade. Stellar cast.
We Are Lady Parts - a more recent one. Dramady following an all-girl Muslim punk band in London.
Otherworld.
Flash Foward was an interesting series, sadly it end on a major cliffhanger and was never continued.
Brickleberry
Manchild (2002)
"On The Air"
Coming to this late, but both Chris Elliott comedy vehicles that tickle me to this day:
Get A Life
Eagleheart
I forgot to add on my first post:
Dare to Believe - Weird UK sketch show
The Almighty Johnsons
Cleverman
Haven
Charlie Jade
Lost Room
Earth2
Comrade Detective
Fictional 1980s Romanian buddy-cop propaganda tv show promoting Soviet communism - filmed in 2017. Dubbed into English with voices including:
Channing Tatum Joseph Gordon-Levitt Nick Offerman Jenny Slate Jason Mantzoukas John DiMaggio
It’s fucking amazing
12 Monkeys the TV show. I've never met anyone that has even heard of it, and I really enjoyed it! Same main characters as the movie, more or less, but a more involved story. Very satisfying, tidy ending.
You, Me and the Apocalypse.
Lots of great classic recs here.
I'm gonna just add two that are relatively recent.
The Last Man On Earth AP Bio
4400, but it was a wierd hybrid of superpower humans and dystopian future+ time travelling of mankind, basically in the future the wealthy/aristocratic were living in prisitne cities while everything was a version madmax and judge dredd future. threshold was another one. the "rich people" found out about the scientist going back in tiem to prevent this future, so they sent thier own agents to the past to stop it.
M.A.S.H.
Deep dig. Just a 3 season run in the 60s lol
I don’t think it went under the radar of the TV studio because it ran for 11 years and got a Golden Globe for the best comedy series.
[edit] I took the bait, didn’t I? This thread is now about MASH. Well played.
And the finale is still the most watched program of all time (minus superbowls)
And the Apollo 11 moon landing, and the Olympics, and the world cup finals...
Moon landing beats everything with an asterisk. No olympics above mash at all, and world cup doesn't even rank.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_watched_television_broadcasts_in_the_United_States?wprov=sfla1
Suppose this is a us centric view, but then again it's a us show
Most people (including me) are not from the US. :-)
Found the Zoomer, I guess
This question feels overly broad.
"What are some foods that people like but not everyone knows about?"
"Name some music that you like that you won't hear on the radio."
You gotta give a genre or era or example for comparison to help narrow focus. Otherwise it's just like "name all the tv shows."
Dude I'm just trying to entice continued activity. I appreciate that some here are sharing more popular shows. Maybe I could make a rating cut-off point on IMDB (5k votes or lesser) and remove all comments that include a show above that threshold lol.
I wouldn't even get that technical. "What's a comedy from the last ten years that has gone under the radar?" "Name a light-hearted sci-fi show that deserved more seasons than it got." There's still plenty of shows there without leaving it wide open to anything anyone ever liked across all time.
Well I guess I was hoping people wouldn't reply with "Game of Thrones" lol. I do regret not time restricting it though, in hindsight.
Everyone else in the comments understood the assignment just fine.