One of the worst feelings as a TV fan is when you get invested in a series, only to learn later that it’s never coming back. It happens every year without fail to something someone’s watching and there’s been some big TV cancellations already this year. While sometimes the networks and streamers pull the plug at the right time for some shows, let’s talk about the ones people are still sour about, one of which I think is the indisputable bummer.

I'm Not Actually Talking About Pushing Daisies, Though Fans Are Still Sad

While perusing Reddit, I noticed a discussion on the TV shows that got away. Since this topic is near and dear to my own heart, I obviously clicked through and noticed one popular show fans got behind was an ABC comedy that was on for two seasons from 2007 to 2009. It was created by Bryan Fuller, who has since made other popular shows like Hannibal and Star Trek: Discovery.

Yes, fans are still upset about the loss of Pushing Daisies.

• “I got so mad when they cancelled Pushing Daisies. They were setting up so many interesting plot lines that just got dropped because the show got cancelled. I will forever be bitter about it.” - @chicken_lover
• “It was the writer strike that killed it it makes me so sad I just didn't rewatch of it from beginning to end and I still love it so very dearly I wish they could have completed the series.” - @mockturtle22

Pushing Daisies is a “forensic fairy tale” about a guy (Lee Pace) who can bring dead things back to life with his touch. It was critically acclaimed and won seven Emmys. Lucky for fans, Fuller recently said he’s actually working on a Season 3, so it might not always be on this list. At least a girl can hope.

There Are Lots Of Other Shows Fans Are Salty About, Including Happy Endings

Another one TV fans are passionate about is ABC’s sitcom, Happy Endings, which ran for three seasons from 2011 to 2013. Not unlike Friends or New Girl, it’s about six best friends in their late 20s/early thirties as they navigate life and relationships. Unlike Friends or New Girl, fans feel it was kicked off the air way too soon.

• "There's not many shows that have the talent involved and the chemistry that Happy Endings had. Everyone worked well with each other, even the odd pairings." @braumbles
• "That first season is so good everyone is perfect." - @whytypehour
• "They could have easily done 7-8 seasons. Very few sitcoms had chemistry like that. You're totally right about the odd pairings working. There was no Chandler-Phoebe's in that friend group." @Whackedjob

If you missed out on this sitcom, it’s streaming for those with a Hulu subscription.

Which Brings Me To Mindhunter

Netflix has earned a reputation of cancelling a lot of shows too soon, but one that fans stop talking about seven years later. David Fincher’s Mindhunter series was universally beloved when it came out and got two seasons, but a third season never happened reportedly because it was too expensive to produce and didn’t draw a big enough crowd for those with a Netflix subscription.

• “Mindhunter. Bring it back Netflix and Fincher you cowards” - @jayseagaming
• “If I ever win the PowerBall and become a billionaire overnight I'm gonna a) sit perfectly still for thirty six hours b) follow the exact instructions from that famous reddit comment and then c) call David Fincher and say "hey finish Mindhunter, I gotchu"” - @j8sadm632b

These are all great picks, but I think there’s one that’s especially frustrating. Let’s talk about it.

And The Winner Is… Freaks And Geeks

Freaks And Geeks got cancelled for a number of reasons, but looking back, it’s absolutely wild that we missed out on more than one season of a coming-of-age show from Judd Apatow starring Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, James Franco and Busy Philipps. It's untimely end has left fans like @pantstoaknifefight2 with a lot of questions.

It only ran for 18 episodes from 1999 to 2000, and people aren’t happy… still. The comments section was, in fact, full of comments like this from @plane-tie6392 and more:

Can you imagine if we had seen these actors grow up together in these roles before becoming as big as they are now? It feels like a crime that never happened, and Rogen once rightfully called out the guy who pulled the plug. The short-lived show is currently on Amazon Prime, Paramount+ and Pluto TV.

The Grateful Dead were never really part of mainstream culture for most of their 30-year career that ended in 1995 with the death of Jerry Garcia. Sure, they had a hit song in the '80s and now they are ubiquitous, but for years they flew under the radar despite a huge fanbase of dedicated fans. With so many diehards loving the Dead, it's actually not surprising that they are referenced quite often in pop culture. Sometimes one of their songs may pop onto a soundtrack and other times it's as simple as a lyric or a bumper sticker sneaking into a movie or TV show. This list of times the Grateful Dead have been referenced in a movie or on TV is hardly exhaustive, but it's a good start - and we're not talking about concert films here, either.

Freaks And Geeks

Freaks And Geeks doesn't seem like the kind of show that would have the Grateful Dead play an important role, but in the end - literally the end - it turns out they completely change Lindsey's life. After being gifted a copy of the band's American Beauty album, Lindsey (Linda Cardellini) decides to skip her trip to Ann Arbor and "hops on the bus" as Deadheads would say and travels with her friends to Colorado to catch the Dead in concert.

Romancing The Stone

One of the funniest scenes in Romancing The Stone comes when Jack (Michael Douglas) and Joan (Kathleen Turner) come across a downed plane full of grass. The pilot, long dead and nothing but a skeleton, is shown wearing a jacket with "Grateful Dead" written on the back. Gotta love those flyboys.

Flirting With Disaster

Until we meet Mel's parents, played by Alan Alda and Lily Tomlin, Flirting With Disaster isn't the kind of movie that screams "Grateful Dead," but after, it makes total sense that Mel (Ben Stiller) would decide his unborn child after the bands guitarist Jerry Garcia and he does, at the very end of the movie as "Truckin'" plays.

Seinfeld

This is a tough one to spot, but believe it or not, there is a quick Grateful Dead reference in a Season 4 episode of Seinfeld called "The Airport." In the episode, George catches a ride with Kramer to the airport to pick up Elaine and Jerry, and while they are driving, you can see what is clearly the top of the famous "Steal Your Face" Grateful Dead logo.

Friends

There are a few hints from time to time that Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is a Deadhead in Friends. One of the more obvious times is after she "learns" how to play basketball with a new boyfriend, she arrives at the Central Perk wearing a Dead tie-dye the band made to honor the Lithuanian national basketball team for the Olympics.

Game Of Thrones

Author George R.R. Martin, whose books were adapted for HBO's massive hit Game Of Thrones, is a self-professed Deadhead and he has sprinkled in numerous subtle Grateful Dead references into his books and the show. Dire wolves (named after a Dead tune), Weirwood trees (named after member Bob Weir) and others are all throughout the series. Martin has even said when he is writing that "I always have Grateful Dead lyrics rattling around in my head."

LA Law

One of the more ridiculous references to the Dead came in an episode of LA Law from Season 8 called "Dead Issue." One of the plotlines involves a couple getting divorced in part because of the husband's love of the Dead. Something all Deadheads can probably relate to on some level.

Tommy Boy

Another quite subtle reference comes in the Chris Farley classic Tommy Boy when Farley is seen on his sailboat at the end of the movie. He is wearing a pretty sweet looking jacket that clearly shows a Smiling Skeleton Sun patch, another logo used by the Dead.

The Simpsons

Over the years, The Simpsons have made multiple references to the Dead, including the not-so-subtle dig at Deadheads in the episode where Homer meets people who travel the country following the Krusty Burger Ribwich. A more direct reference comes in the Season 10 episode "D'oh-in' in the Wind" when Flanders accidentally takes peyote and hallucinates seeing the band's famous Dancing Bears as he drives.

The Facts Of Life

Famously, the Grateful Dead allowed their fans to record their concerts and trade the tapes. It's a big reason the band found such a loyal fanbase. This practice was even referenced on a 1982 episode of The Facts Of Life called "Kids Can Be Cruel." Carl 'Rocky' Price (Dan Frischman) is seen carrying a tape recorder and tells Mrs. Garrett that he tapes Dead shows.

Roseanne

A Season 8 episode of Roseanne brought us one of the most bizarre Grateful Dead references. In the episode, Roseanne is in the hospital giving birth to her son, and Jerry Garcia appears as a ghost telling her that everything is going to be alright and in light of the "encounter," she decides to name her baby after the singer. It's...very odd.

One More Saturday Night

Al Franken and fellow SNL writer Tom Davis were both huge Deadheads. They often appeared with the band and went to hundreds of Dead shows over the years. In 1986 they made a movie together that you might not have even heard of. They play musicians in the movie, but the band sounds nothing like the Dead. However, they did name the movie after a Grateful Dead song, One More Saturday Night.

The Office

In a Season 3 episode of The Office called "Branch Closing" there is a brief Dead reference when Pam signs a goodbye message to Kelly with the lyrics to "Truckin'", "What a long, strange trip it's been."

South Park

The guys behind South Park don't seem like the biggest fans of the Grateful Dead. In one episode, Jerry Garcia is shown as a resident of Hell, and in another Mr. Mackey gets upset when he tells Jimbo that he can't go to a Grateful Dead concert because "Jerr-bear is dead." They also take a few shots at bands like the Dead in the episode where Cartman exterminates hippies.

Splash

In a "blink or you'll miss it" moment in Splash, Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah are walking past Radio City Music Hall and you can just make part of the Dead's name on the marquee. The band famously played the venue in 1980, though the movie was shot later.

Mask

In a tear-jerking moment at the end of Mask, after Rocky (Eric Stoltz) has died, the Dead's beautiful song "Ripple" is played just as the movie ends. It's the perfect way to end the movie and there's no way you won't cry when you watch. The movie is filled with great music from the '60s and '70s.

Ted Lasso

It's really not surprising to find that Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) on Ted Lasso is a Deadhead. He admits that he once saw a concert featuring the Dead, The Black Crowes, and Phish jamming together. Unfortunately, in real life such a jam never actually happened, though the Crowes did open for Dead once in 1995, but they didn't share the stage.

My So-Called Life

The Grateful Dead are mentioned a few times in My So-Called Life, including when Rayanne (A.J. Langer) wears a tie-dye and talks about going to see them in concert while she is in an argument with Angela (Claire Danes) on the show. Graham also listens to the album American Beauty on the show.

Runaway Bride

There are numerous references to the Dead in the Julia Roberts and Richard Gere rom com classic The Runaway Bride. It might not be one of Roberts' best movies, but the band comes up repeatedly because one of her ex-fiances was a Deadhead. It's something Richard Gere throws in her face a few times, like it's a bad thing.

Around The Fire

Around the Fire is not a great movie, though it is notable for starring Tara Reid and, in his big screen debut, Colman Domingo as traveling fans of an unnamed rock band that is clearly meant to be the Grateful Dead. It is pretty unintentionally funny and although no Dead music is used in the movie, there is a soundtrack filled with the likes of Phish and String Cheese Incident.

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

During one of Raoul Duke's many benders in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (one of the best movies set in Vegas), there is a very brief snippet of the Grateful Dead playing in concert amongst the other images of bombs falling on Vietnam and other horrors.

Spider-Man 2

Some of the best references to the Dead come with no explanation. Take, for example, Peter's doctor in Spider-Man 2. In the scene where Peter (Tobey Maguire) meets with the doctor, the doctor is inexplicably wearing a Grateful Dead T-shirt. It's something only Deadheads would pick up on, and that is what makes it so great.

The Ben Stiller Show

In the '90s, it was never surprising to see hip comedians like Bob Odenkirk and Ben Stiller taking shots at the Dead and their fans. In one skit on The Ben Stiller Show, Odenkirk plays an insurance salesman who specialized in selling his policies to Deadheads. Of course it's filled with cliche jokes about the band and their fans and drugs, but it's hard to admit some of it isn't pretty funny.

Family Guy

In one of Family Guy's patented flashbacks, Stewie is seen at a Grateful Dead concert wearing no shirt and clearly, um, messed up, based on the state of his pupils. He makes a joke about trading his shirt (a tie-dye, of course) for a grilled cheese. Honestly, it's not that far off from reality, if we're honest, even if it is the easy joke to make.

Indian Summer

In the underrated movie Indian Summer, Bill Paxton's character is a Deadhead and is seen wearing a tank top with a classic Steal Your Face logo on it. He also mentions that work is what he does between Dead shows. In another scene, he's wearing a Crosby, Stills, and Nash tie dye, so it's easy to see what kind of music he loves.

WKRP In Cincinnati

One of the more predictable references comes from WKRP In Cincinnati. In one episode Johnny Fever (Howard Hessman) plays "Shakedown Street" by the Dead. The only thing surprising about it is that there weren't more references to the band on a show all about great '70s rock.

30 Rock

One of the most famous quotes in 30 Rock history has to be Jack advising Liz to "never go with a hippie to a second location." In another hippie reference, Jack (Alec Baldwin) tells Liz (Tina Fey) that he isn't interested in quashing his argument with the Post Master General over a Jerry Garcia stamp.

Half Baked

Half Baked is a terrible movie filled with lazy stoner jokes. It's just not a funny way to ever portray smoking. In one scene, Jim Breuer (the worst actor in the movie) "preys" to Jerry Garcia to protect them. It's stupid, but hey, it's a reference, so we'll count it.

The Wonder Years

In a TV show filled with great music from the '60s and '70s, of course there has to be a little Grateful Dead. In one scene, the whole class loads up in a bus for a field trip and as the bus heads down the highway, the all-too-appropriate "Truckin.'"

Black Hawk Down

One of the weirdest references to the Dead has to be the taxi driver in Black Hawk Down. How a cab driver in Mogadishu would end up wearing a Dead shirt is a mystery, but there it is, as he pulls up to the target he is sighting for the US military.

Apocalypse Now Redux

This one only sort of counts for this list, but it's an important one. When Francis Ford Coppola started making Apocalypse Now, he originally had the drummers in the Dead, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman create the soundtrack. In the end, Coppola went a different direction with the music, but when he recut the movie for the Redux version, some of their original work was used.

The Music Never Stopped

Deadheads love the song "The Music Never Stopped" so it's not surprising that it was used a movie title for a movie about a father and son reconnecting with the Dead music in common.

Some of the best TV theme songs were already hits or great songs that were adapted as a theme song. These are songs that were written for the show, like the retro ones that still slap, but these are all great songs.

Like The Who contributing to the CSI franchise, or Jane's Addiction lending one of its songs to Entourage. For this list, we're going to avoid covers or reworked versions of the songs that were already famous, like the cover of The Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," which was used for the show Life Goes On. This is our list of existing songs that became awesome TV theme songs.

"Who Are You" - CSI

All of the CSI franchise shows have used songs by The Who as their theme song, creating a nice symmetry between the shows. The original show, CSI, or later CSI: Las Vegas used "Who Are You," and it turned out so great, that when CSI:Miami became the first spinoff, the producers chose

"California" - The O.C.

The band Phantom Planet released their second album, The Guest, in 2002, which included the earworm "California." It was a natural choice for The O.C. which has to be one of the most "California" shows ever. A fun fact about the song is that Phantom Planet's drummer at the time, and on the track, was actor Jason Schwartzman.

"I Don't Want To Wait" - Dawson's Creek

"I Don't Want to Wait" was first recorded and released on Paula Cole's second album, titled This Fire, in 1996. A couple of years later the song was chosen to be the theme song for the WB's first mega-hit Dawson's Creek. The song likewise became a hit, rocketing to #11 on the Billboard charts.

"Bad Reputation" - Freaks And Geeks

19 years after Joan Jett told the world she didn't care about her "Bad Reputation," the cult classic show Freak And Geeks used it as its theme song for its one and only season. The song has had a life far beyond the show, just as the show has had a long life beyond it's only season.

"With A Little Help From My Friends" - The Wonder Years

If you're going to set a TV show in the '60s, it's a good idea to dig deep into that well of amazing rock and soul music of the era. The Wonder Years smartly used tons of great music from the era, including a theme song by a famous musician who first had a hit with it in 1968. Joe Cocker's version of The Beatles song "With a Little Help from My Friends" was a bigger hit than The Beatles' version, and this was the song that led off The Wonder Years.

"We Used To Be Friends" - Veronica Mars

The Dandy Warhols are one of the great cult bands from the late '90s/early '00s. It was one of their songs, "We Used To Be Friends," that was chosen to be the theme of Veronica Mars and it's frankly the perfect choice for the show. The band, like the show, has a strong fanbase that won't let the song, or the show, be forgotten.

"Way Down In A Hole" - The Wire

This one is a little tricky because technically it breaks our rule about having cover versions of the original song (or the original hit, at least). The first season of The Wire featured a version of the Tom Waits song "Way Down In The Hole" by the Blind Boys Of Alabama. But we're in luck because the second season of the HBO classic features Tom Waits' original version. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th seasons would also feature cover versions of the song.

"C'mon, C'mon" - Rescue Me

The Von Bondies were a good band that really only gained the attention they deserved when their song "C'Mon, C'Mon" was chosen to be the theme song of Rescue Me, starring Denis Leary. For seven seasons, the song ran over the opening titles and as a result, became a big hit for the group.

"Teardrop" - House

Massive Attack has never been a...massive band in the United States. In Britain, however, they are huge. The trip-hop electronic act has released a slew of fantastic records, though their third album, Mezzanine, remains probably the most popular. One of the best songs on that album, "Teardrop" became the theme song for House, though a different, more generic song has been used on streaming and in syndication.

"Reflections" - China Beach

There aren't a lot of shows about Vietnam, but there are a lot of movies about the war. All those movies feature great songs from the era and thankfully the one hit show about the Vietnam War followed suit. China Beach chose the fantastic song "Reflections" by Diana Ross & the Supremes. Solid choice, for sure.

"Save Me" - Smallville

"Save Me" was the lead single on the album The Golden Hum, by the band Remy Zero. It was dubiously released on September 10th, 2001. A week later the WB hit Smallville debuted, using "Save Me" as its theme song. The song became a minor hit for the band, but sadly, Remy Zero broke up before recording a follow-up album.

"Woke Up This Morning" - The Sopranos

"Woke Up This Morning" by the British band Alabama 3 was a minor hit in the U.K. in 1997, when it was released, but didn't gain any traction in the U.S. That changed in a huge way when it was picked to be the theme song of The Sopranos. The song became one of those spine-tingling moments whenever viewers would here that famous HBO audio mark right before the beat of the song would hit as Tony drove from New York City to his house in New Jersey each week.

"Love And Marriage" - Married... With Children

For a show that took pride in just how crude it can be, it's kinda awesome that the theme song was by one of the classiest singers of all time. Married... With Children used the Frank Sinatra song "Love And Marriage" as its theme song and it worked amazing for that intro with the shot of a fountain in Chicago.

"Little Boxes" - Weeds

Malvina Reynolds wrote "Little Boxes" in 1962 and gave it to her friend, legendary folk singer Pete Seeger, who had a minor hit with it in 1964. It was Reynolds' version that would become the biggest hit when it was used as the theme for Showtime's Weeds.

"Superhero" - Entourage

Jane's Addiction had their biggest hits in the early '90s before they broke up (for the first time) in 1994. When they reconvened in 2001, they finally recorded their third "proper" album, Strays (JA fans will tell you it was their fourth album, including their debut live album commonly called XXX). The song "Superhero" from Strays became the best-known song from the album when it was used for the theme of HBO's Entourage.

"Stand" - Get A Life

Highlighting just how offbeat Get A Life, starring Chris Eliot, was, the show managed to score an REM hit for its theme song. "Stand" from the REM album Orange was a huge hit and the band was notorious for protecting their songs from too much commercialization. In short, they were the last band you'd expect to allow one of its songs to be used on TV. But the show was so unique, that it made perfect sense.

"Rock Around The Clock" - Happy Days

We know what you're thinking, "Wait a minute, Happy Days had its own song. You're right, but that famous theme song wasn't used until the show's second season. The theme in the first season was the Bill Haley and the Comets hit "Rock Around The Clock."

"Jessica" - Top Gear

"Hold on! Top Gear used a cover version of The Allman Brothers Band's song "Jessica"" is what you're thinking here. Well, you're right. But the old Top Gear, the original version that ran from the '70s until the late '90s, used the original version by The Allmans.

"Wanted Dead Or Alive" - Deadliest Catch

Even reality shows like to use big hits. Take, for example, The Deadliest Catch, which used a perfect song, Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive." There's no way you can find a more perfect theme, nor could anyone write a more perfect one.

"Straight Up And Down" - Boardwalk Empire

One of the coolest ideas the showrunners of HBO's Boardwalk Empire had was to use a very modern song by The Brian Jonestown Massacre. For a show set in the 1920s, you wouldn't expect a song like "Straight Up and Down" and yet it works perfectly.

"Low Rider" - The George Lopez Show

It might be a little on the nose, but somehow it still works. The George Lopez Show uses the band War's hit "Low Rider" which is one of the best songs Chicano rock songs of all time.

"What A Wonderful World" - Family Matters

This is another one where you might be thinking that the show had its own, unique theme song and you're right. For most of its run Full House used its own song, but for the first five episodes of Season 1, the show used the classic "What A Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.

"Carry On My Wayward Son" - Supernatural

If we're being honest, "Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas doesn't jump out as the perfect theme song for a fantasy show like Supernatural, but today, it's impossible to think the theme song to the show could be anything other than the 1970's hit.

"Tea For The Tillerman" - Extras

"Tea For The Tillerman" by Cat Stevens is the perfect choice for the Ricky Gervais show Extras. The song wasn't a huge hit, it was more of a coda on Cat Stevens' album by the same, which was a huge hit when it was released in 1970.

"Bad Boys" - COPS

COPS is one of the longest-running TV shows of all time, as it's basically been on the air in one form or another since 1989. In total, there have been well over 1000 episodes of the groundbreaking reality show and all of those episodes have started with the song "Bad Boys" by reggae legends Inner Circle.

"Closer To Free" - Party Of Five

Wisconsin band BoDeans landed their biggest hit when their song "Closer To Free" from their fifth album became the theme song to Party Of Five. The song charted as high as #16 once the show took off.

"Bad Things" - True Blood

Singer-songwriter Jace Everett released "Bad Things" in 2005, but it failed to make a big impression on the public. It was a great song though, and when it was picked as the theme to the HBO hit True Blood, the song, like the show, took off and became a hit among fans of the show.

"Livin' On The Edge" - Ice Road Truckers

Following in the footsteps of his cousin, Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers picked another song from a hair metal band. The theme for the first four seasons of the nail-biting show was "Livin' On The Edge" by Aerosmith, a perfect choice.

"Next Year" - Ed

NBC's Ed found a cult following during its four seasons on the air, but the band whose song was the theme, The Foo Fighters, is anything but a cult band. They were then and are still one of the biggest bands in the world and their song "Next Year" is one of their many hits.

"Flagpole Sitta" - Peep Show

it's sad to say that Harvey Danger, who released "Flagpole Sitta" in 1997, is a one-hit wonder. They deserve so much better. But alas, "Flagpole Sitta" was their lone hit, but what a hit it's been. It's seemingly everywhere, even more than two decades since its release. That includes as the theme for the British show Peep Show for the show's final eight seasons.

"Where You Lead" - The Gilmore Girls

The Gilmore Girls has been a surprisingly enduring show over the years. Though it ended almost two decades ago, the show remains beloved by its fans. It's fitting that the show's theme song is an enduring hit too. "Where You Lead," by Carole King, was first released in 1970. it's worth noting that the theme song is slightly reworked by King and recorded for the show by King and Louise Goffin.

"Forever Young" - Parenthood

Parenthood pulled off quite the coup when they landed the Bob Dylan song "Forever Young" as its theme song. Dylan is famously protective of this music.

Watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix (one of the best streaming services to subscribe to) is a perfect way to spend the fall season, especially if you are not into horror TV shows on Netflix or elsewhere. Of course, if you have already watched creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's dramedy – which originally ran from 2000 to 2007 – enough times to recite the rapid-fire dialogue from memory, you could use your Netflix subscription to check out the four-part revival series, 2016's Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, if you have not already.

Then again, you might be seeking a trip beyond Stars Hollow, Connecticut, this time, but with a series that still bears the same themes of non-traditional families, quirky small-town culture and all-around comforting vibes. I might be able to help you find what you are looking for with the following recommendations for shows like Gilmore Girls and a tip on how to stream them.

Parenthood (2010-2015)

'The daily struggles of the extensive Braverman family.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: Lead Gilmore Girls cast member Lauren Graham, who played Lorelai, later joined NBC's Parenthood cast to play another single mother named Sarah Braverman on yet another comforting dramedy dealing with the joys and pains of family.

• Stream Parenthood on Hulu
• Buy Parenthood on Amazon
• Buy Parenthood on Blu-ray on Amazon

Ginny & Georgia (2021-Present)

Fifteen-year-old Ginny (Antonia Gentry) has a complicated relationship, to say the least, with her 30-year-old mother, Georgia (Brianne Howey).

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: Creator Sarah Lampert's hit Netflix series, Ginny & Georgia (which has a Season 3 coming in 2025), immediately earned comparisons to Gilmore Girls as another dramedy about a young single mother and her teenage daughter, but would prove to be a far darker take on the topic.

• Stream Ginny & Georgia on Netflix

Felicity (1998-2002)

A high school graduate (played by Emmy nominee Keri Russell) changes her college destination in an effort to pursue her longtime crush (played by Scott Speedman).

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: From creators J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves, Felicity is another popular dramedy from the late '90, early 2000s WB era with some similar themes the same sort of cozy tone as Gilmore Girls.

• Stream Felicity on Hulu
• Buy Felicity on Amazon
• Buy Felicity on Blu-ray on Amazon

Hart Of Dixie (2011-2015)

New York-based doctor, Zoe Hart (former The OC cast member Rachel Bilson) suddenly becomes the inheritor of a modest medical practice in Bluebell, Alabama.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: After The WB became The CW, the network aired Hart of Dixie – another dramedy with eccentric small-town locals and the same cozy tone, in part for the fact that the series used many of the same sets as Gilmore Girls.

• Stream Hart of Dixie on Freevee through Amazon

Virgin River (2019-Present)

Los Angeles-based nurse practitioner Melinda Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) moves to a remote town in Northern California, which proves to have a life-changing effect on her.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: While creator Sue Tenney's Netflix hit is more in the vein of a soap opera than Gilmore Girls is, Virgin River (which has Season 6 premiering in 2025) is still a perfect destination if you're looking for another show with an eclectic character ensemble in a small town.

• Stream Virgin River on Netflix

Schitt's Creek (2015-2020)

After falling victim to fraud, a wealthy family (played by Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dan Levy, and Annie Murphy) is forced to reside in their sole remaining asset: a small town with some quirky people.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: While more overtly and uproariously comedic than Gilmore Girls is, Schitt's Creek (one of the funniest shows on Hulu) is still a perfect destination if you're looking for a series with dialogue-driven, feel-good comedy set in a rural area with eccentric locals.

• Stream Schitt's Creek on Hulu
• Stream Schitt's Creek on Freevee through Amazon
• Buy Schitt's Creek on DVD on Amazon

Freaks And Geeks (1999-2000)

The daily struggles of a group of nerdy freshmen and socially outcast upperclassmen in the early 1980s.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: Gilmore Girls is part of an era of television that Freaks and Geeks (a great TV show cancelled after one season) is often credited with pioneering by offering a more honest depiction of teen life from a uniquely funny perspective.

• Stream Freaks and Geeks on Hulu
• Stream Freaks and Geeks on Paramount+
• Buy Freaks and Geeks on DVD on Amazon

Gossip Girl (2007-2012)

A nosy internet blogger keeps tabs on the private lives of a group of wealthy, troubled teens in New York City.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: Creators Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz's scandalous CW hit follows the Gossip Girl cast as they navigate private high school, much like in Gilmore Girls when Rory (Alexis Bledel) goes to Chilton.

• Stream Gossip Girl on Max
• Stream Gossip Girl on Tubi
• Buy Gossip Girl on DVD on Amazon

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-2023)

A recently divorced Jewish-American woman (played by Rachel Brosnahan) finds a new lease on life after an impromptu stand-up comedy performance inspires her to pursue a new career in the late 1950s.

Why it is a great TV show to check out if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls: For more of Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's signature style of dialogue-driven comedy, you should definitely check out one of the best comedies on Amazon Prime, the multi-Emmy-winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

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If you're out on the road, feeling lonely and so cold, all you gotta do is stream these TV shows like Gilmore Girls and you should be set.

For all the differences people have, one thing uniting us is the “I want to be anywhere but here” feeling during unavoidably cringe-worthy situations, which don’t even need to be happening in real life. (Better if not, really.) Certain TV shows are memorably beloved breeding grounds for skin-crawling awkwardness, and we so often can’t get enough. (As such, several series mentioned rank among our picks for the 100 Best Sitcoms.)

For all my personal embarrassments suffered, I can easily take comfort in watching fa-a-a-ar worse things happening to fictional characters and comedians populating such hyper-cringey shows. From classic TV to more current shows, we're journeying down a past best taken with fingers partially covering one's eyes.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Quite possibly the undisputed champions of behavior that would make [insert the worst person you can think of] blush, The Gang from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia exemplifies cringe behavior through a mixture of "zero shame" and "zero empathy," and the ensemble of side characters don't fare better. Frank popping out of a couch in his birthday suit will forever be a haunting highlight.

Extras

A comedian who turned cringe comedy into a lucrative artform, Ricky Gervais' HBO/BBC series Extras excels here for several reasons. Gervais' Andy being a magnet for mishaps, his ever-smiling agent Darren Lamb's blistering candidness, and each episode's self-imploding celebrity cameo. See: Kate Winslet, Daniel Radcliffe, David Bowie, all the rest.

Beavis And Butt-Head

Beavis & Butt-Head's MTV era honed in on disaffected youth and light anarchy, but much of its Paramount+ and Comedy Central revival revels in its gag factor and cringiness. Their exceedingly palpable stupidity has them mistaking a ladies’ room for an escape room, and trying to grow tobacco plants with cigarette butts, but it's always hilarious.

Between Two Ferns

Zany-comedy experts Scott Aukerman and B.J. Porter created the anti-cozy talk show Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, building upon the Hangover trilogy star's burst of stand-up comedy popularity. Celebrities like Michael Cera, Jon Hamm and Charlize Theron went through the ad-libbed interview wringer, never quite syncing with the host.

Married...With Children

The Bundys are the TV family equivalent of “nice place to visit, but wouldn’t want to live there,” but Married…with Children is indeed a grimace-provoking joy to visit. For 11 seasons. Al, Peg, Kelly and Bud are the most eye-twitchingly cringey people in the room, whether singular or in group form, and we root for them anyway, despite their inherent grossness and complete lack of self-awareness.

Nathan For You

A unique blend of docuseries and improvisation, Nathan for You is a rare example of equal-opportunity cringe, where not everything relies on characters’ embarrassment. Here, a fictionalized version of Nathan Fielder aims to help real small businesses in baffling and complicated ways that speak to his own personal hang-ups. (Everybody remember Dumb Starbucks?) It’s incredible watching everyone’s befuddled faces as they try to make logical sense of Nathan’s gonzo ideas and suggestions.

Da Ali G Show

Sasha Baron Cohen became an internationally renowned comedian with Da Ali G Show, which birthed “voice of da yoof” host Ali G and two ready-for-spinoff characters: Kazakhstan implant Borat and gay Austrian fashion designer Brüno. Cohen’s brash comedy definitely makes certain viewers squirmy in any setting, but he’s arguably best known for agonizing interviews with celebs and politicians who are utterly clueless.

The Larry Sanders Show

No clicking! Based in part on star and co-creator Garry Shandling’s Tonight Show guest-host experiences, The Larry Sanders Show is upper-echelon comedy, and much of its humor stems from things going sour in the lives of Larry and his optimistically beleaguered TV sidekick Hank Kingsley. While perhaps not as unendingly cringe-inducing as other classics, more than enough misguided decisions and implosions go down for viewers to suffer first-degree second-hand embarrassment.

Fawlty Towers

If the Mount Rushmore of TV Cringe existed, John Cleese’s Basil Fawlty would be hastily carved up there, given how staggeringly awkward things get at the titular hotel. Basil’s stubborn pride, sporadic laziness, and standoffish nature makes him socially combative with wife Sybil (Prunella Scales), Spanish waiter Manuel (the late, great Andrew Sachs), and guests both fancy and commonplace. Only 12 episodes exist, and “The Germans” and “The Kipper and the Corpse” are stomach-churning standouts.

The Increasingly Poor Decisions Of Todd Margaret

David Cross’s pitch-black IFC comedy The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret deserves a permanent award for Most Applicable Title. Every episode is a wildly amusing exercise in spectator patience, as temp worker Todd becomes chaos incarnate with every move and word, leading to increasingly heightening consequences. Cross’ ability to make viewers want to die inside remains immaculately intact across all seasons, with an intentional shift in story for the third.

Hello Ladies

The Office and Extras vet Stephen Merchant struck out on his own to strike out with women as Hello Ladies' L.A. import Stuart Pritchard. Alongside co-stars Kevin Weisman and Kyle Mooney, Merchant brilliantly leans into making Stuart a vexatious magnet for disaster who never quite lose his ability to smile and move on to the next romantic dumpster fire.

I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson

So much cringe comedy is set to traditional sitcom runtimes, but I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson aims to make viewers as uproariously uncomfortable as quickly as possible. Episodes clock in around 15 minutes, but feature a week’s worth of social horror, from office workers lying about eating hot dogs during meetings to drivers taking joke bumper stickers literally to pageants for “Little Buff Boys.”

The Tom Green Show

A pioneer of televised indie comedy, Tom Green broke into the mainstream for his willingness to do anything to get any reaction from those watching. The stunts and shock comedy, mixed with bare-bones production values, inspired many shows to come, but few could top the innate discomfort of watching Green make life hell for his parents, suckle cow udders, or test random business employees' patience with his eccentric behavior.

Worst Week

Based on a UK sitcom, CBS’ Worst Week starred Kyle Bornheimer and Erinn Hayes as agent-of-mayhem Sam and pregnant fiancé Mel, whose goals of surprising her family with wedding and baby news could not go worse. (Her ever-frustrated dad is played by That ‘70s Show great Kurtwood Smith.) We’re talking exploding vehicles, misplaced family heirlooms, mishandled Christmas gifts, dirty diapers, and so much more.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Aline Brosh McKenna and Rachel Bloom's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a musical comedy series like no other, centering on a behaviorally challenged lawyer who inexplicably moves across the country for a childhood crush. Unabashedly candid about mental struggles, feminism, and all manner of relationships, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is perhaps The CW's most brilliant series, leaving audiences both emotionally crushed and highly amused by Rebecca’s life choices and A+ musical fantasies.

The Inbetweeners

The Inbetweeners is the perfect personification of post-pubescent teenage boyhood, putting a giant magnifying glass on rampantly inappropriate awkwardness. Friends Will, Simon, Jay and Neil strive for popularity and romance, failing miserably every time. It’s impossible to avoid second-hand humiliation from episodes like “Caravan Club” and “The Fashion Show,” not to mention the spinoff film's waterslide terror.

Family Guy

Among the most popular animated series of all time , Family Guy has never strayed from its core tenets: cutaway gags and morally exempt characters. Where most shows put forth one-note cringe, the awk sauce inspired by Quagmire and Herbert is on a completely different planet — probably Uranus — from Meg-specific ickiness, but it dovetails nonetheless. Just like that time I tailed those two doves. [Cutaway to noir bird sanctuary.]

The Mick

It’s Always Sunny great Kaitlin Olson fronted arguably broadcast TV’s raunchiest and most cringe-worthy comedy. Olson’s Mickey and sporadic boif Jimmy (Scott MacArthur) are the worst conceivable guardians for the Pemberton siblings, and all are privy to the most horrifying downward spirals across each episode of The Mick, where unimpeded greed and pride lead to various forms of physical trauma and emotional stunting. If it makes Thomas Barbusca’s Chip scream like a woman, watch out.

Ziwe

Satire queen Ziwe Fumudoh created cringe gold with Baited with Ziwe, but went platinum with Showtime's Ziwe. With interviews akin to the Daily Show’s best, Ziwe leads guests unwittingly down self-exposing paths to test their limits, assuming they exist. (Chet Hanks = pret-ty limitless.) Beloved personalities like Phoebe Bridgers, Fran Lebowitz, and Michael Che can't escape becoming victims of silence-provoking cringe.

Freaks And Geeks

To be sure, Freaks and Geeks is more heart-on-its-sleeve comedy than cringe-heavy, but few would argue that much of what happens to John Francis Daley’s Sam, Martin Starr’s Bill and Samm Levine’s Neal across the dramedy’s iconic single season classifies as relateably awkward. Maybe not everyone has worn a Parisian night suit to school, or accidentally pooped, or had crushes refer to them as siblings, but we all know that feeling of “bury me deep” discomfort.

The Office (UK)

With a face even a mother would warily shrug at, Ricky Gervais' David Brent made life an uncomfortable hellscape for Wernham Hogg employees and audiences. At no moment is David Brent not a cringe monster, from his goonish and seemingly unending dances to his attempts at flirting to his legendary music video for "If You Don't Know Me By Now." And yet, Tim and Dawn...

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Larry David took Seinfeld's circular plotting and applied it to a fictional version of his own life along with an unhealthy injection of audience-shocking cringe. It doesn't even matter how telegraphed the path is from Larry's buffoonish actions to inevitable calamity, it always works, and it always makes me want to jump into my television to apologize to whatever man, woman, child, or animal Larry just offended.

The Eric Andre Show

Part of the point of The Eric Andre Show is not knowing what to expect, but you can be absolutely certain watching host Eric André's antics (and his guests' faces) will rank highly among the most awkward moments of your day. This is the high bar for cringe talk shows, and you don't want to know what it's slathered with.

The Curse

The rare hour-long drama that can also clock as cringe-comedy, Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone's The Curse checks all the boxes thanks to Asher and Whitney sacrificing their better instincts to secure an HGTV show based on an unproven and potentially harmful premise. Co-creator Benny Safdie's chaos-minded muse and in-show director further necessitates bathroom breaks just to escape.

The Life And Times Of Tim

HBO is the home to A+ discomfort, and Steve Dildarian’s animated comedy The Life and Times of Tim fits squarely in that mold, with a dose of Nick Kroll in there for good measure. Every episode is guaranteed to spin out into bafflingly absurd situations often caused by the main character's questionable actions.

The Comeback

Lisa Kudrow followed mega-hit Friends with the Hollywood-skewing cringe-fest The Comeback, centering on actress Valerie Cherish's returns to the limelight across two years-apart seasons. Due to the reality TV element, Kudrow delivers a layered, career-best performance that rarely allows her authentic self to shine, while all the other parts of herself are hauntingly inappropriate.

Peep Show

UK comedy kings David Mitchell and Robert Webb produced a magnum cinge-us with Peep Show, whose first-person-perspective visual format locks viewers into the front row of horrors like Mark and Dobby's closet shenanigans, the Christmas special dinner and the wedding.

South Park

South Park's characters have been an entertainment staple, and its creators have yet to lose control of delivering hatchet-sharp satire in plenty of cringe-friendly ways. It's easier to think about topics that haven't been awkwardly skewered by this show than vice versa.

Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job

Adult Swim ambassadors Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim are a cringe TV industry unto themselves, and the monolithic Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job gets under viewers' skin immediately with its title punctuation, and it only gets better / worse from there.

The Rehearsal

Cringe-master Nathan Fielder mixes real life with production design magic for HBO’s The Rehearsal, in which normal people practice an array of difficult impending conversations from their real lives, set in painstaking recreations of subjects’ homes and other real-world locations (like a Raising Cane’s restaurant). It’s a baffling mix of reality and absurdity that makes me itchy just thinking about being at the center of an episode.

The Office (U.S.)

Perhaps the most successful UK-to-U.S. remake ever, Greg Daniels’ The Office successfully imprinted David Brent’s “please like me” personality onto Steve Carell’s Michael Scott, and cringe-comedy history ensued. The mockumentary arguably lasted too long, but its best years will forever be celebrated for HBP-inducing eps such as “The Dundies,” “Safety Training,” “Stress Relief” and more. Jim and Pam are adored for good reason, but nothing overshadows Michael’s ugh factor.

Louie

The Emmy-winning Louie will likely never escape the shadow of creator Louis C.K.’s real-life controversies, but that doesn’t necessarily change its five-season run delivering some of TV’s most cringe-inducing moments. The main character’s inherently humiliating nature makes him suck with women, suck at professional life, and kinda suck with his kids. Louie is also noteworthy for its meta-cringe episode that addressed C.K.’s legitimate joke-stealing accusations against Dane Cook.

Even the best shows need to end, and some of the classics had endings that are still remembered to this day. Apologies if you don’t see some of your favorites like Lost or The Sopranos on this list, as those series ended outside of the “classic” cutoff of 2004. But now, let’s get into some comfort shows, cult favorites, and overall stunners, and see how they all ended.

Cheers

In “One For The Road,” Sam Malone (Ted Danson) was this close to running off one last time with Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). But after the couple decided they’re better apart, Sam heads back to Cheers, in a finale that would become one of the highest rated TV episodes on IMDb, and surely wouldn’t be undone by any future guest appearances on a Frasier Crane spinoff.

Newhart

After eight seasons, Newhart’s series finale “The Last Newhart” seemed to have sold the entire town the Stratford Inn resided in… save for that respite run by Dick Loudon (Bob Newhart). However, in one of the most ingenious endings of TV history, the entire series turned out to be a dream in the mind of The Bob Newhart Show’s Dr. Robert Hartley (also Newhart). Now that is a proud member of the club for TV shows that ended well.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

WJM-TV's Six O'Clock News gang is fired… except for everyone’s favorite blowhard Ted Baxter (Ted Knight). With The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s cast of comedic ringers sharing a famous final hug, and the same box of tissues, our friends send the long running sitcom out during “The Last Show” the exact way it came in: with heartfelt laughs.

Friends

“The Last One” is, thankfully, not on the list of the most ridiculous Friends episodes. And how could it be, with the two-part finale seeing the gang finally move into their own lives. Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) finally agree to set their relationship status to “they will,” and sweethearts Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) move to suburbia to start their family’s life.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Sunnydale’s Hellmouth finally collapses… taking the entire town Buffy The Vampire Slayer called home with it. But not before claiming the lives of Spike (James Marsters) and Anya (Emma Caulfield), and helping Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) realize that there are plenty of other Slayers that she can assist in a world still filled with supernatural danger. And of course Angel (David Boreanaz) and Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) return, to make “Chosen” a proper send off.

The Dick Van Dyke Show

Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) writes a memoir, which sends us into The Dick Van Dyke Show’s flashback laden finale “The Last Chapter.” Unfortunately for him, the publisher isn’t as pleased with the results as his wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore). That’s ok, Alan Brady (Carl Reiner) plans to adapt it into a TV show; which puts a beautifully funny bow on this sitcom classic.

Angel

Angel (David Boreanaz) finally seems to defeat the forces of evil at Wolfram & Hart, with several of Angel’s gang of misfits surviving the aptly titled “Not Fade Away.” Unfortunately for fans, the spinoff to Buffy the Vampire Slayer ends on a pumped up cliffhanger that doesn’t feel like the end of a series. Not to mention the death of Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (Alexis Denisof) probably still rubs some fans the wrong way; especially when creator Joss Whedon admitted to the A.V. Club that the former librarian would have survived… if the show hadn’t been canceled.

Roseanne

While ABC’s Roseanne would not only find itself revived, but also spun off into the sequel series The Connors, the original run of Roseanne Barr’s hit sitcom ended on a rather odd note. After a final season of increasingly weird and out of place twists, Roseanne Conner was revealed to have become a writer, and husband Dan (John Goodman) had actually died… a decision that would be retconned in a series revival decades after the fact.

Frasier (NBC)

Everyone Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) knows and loves is moving on in their lives, with the Cheers mainstay having his own new lease on life waiting for him in Chicago. Moving to the Windy City for a new job and the woman he loves, “Goodnight, Seattle” was a finale that was sure to have the final say, and not be undone by a future Paramount+ revival series.

Blackadder

For four seasons Blackadder saw Rowan Atkinson and a who’s who of British comedians, including but not limited to Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Rik Mayall, and Miriam Margolyes, sending history up with a laugh. But in the series finale “Goodbyeee,” the World War I centered story ended with our heroes engaged in one final push into combat, which somberly transitioned to a field of poppies. Lest we forget.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Leave it to Star Trek: The Next Generation to show us once more that “All Good Things…” do indeed come to an end. With Q (John DeLancie) resuming the prosecution of humanity he began in the series’ premiere, the finale sees Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) become the species’ greatest defender. The captain finally joins the ship’s regular poker game, with a future of motion picture and legacy-quels awaiting.

ER

Cook County General Hospital’s life on TV ended pretty much the way it started. As ER finally said goodbye with the episode “And In The End…” Dr. Carter (Noah Wylie) and his colleagues were swamped with cases that came from the same industrial accident. Ushering in what looks like the start of Rachel Greene (Hallee Hirsh) and her medical career, and with a recent reunion of old friends lingering in the air, life goes on.

Seinfeld

You’d be hard pressed to find a finale as controversial as Seinfeld’s “The Finale.” Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Kramer (Michael Richards) are all tried and convicted for violating the Good Samaritan law in Massachusetts, thanks to a parade of character witnesses who claim they are indeed the worst. It’s ok, Curb Your Enthusiasm’s series finale would relitigate, and seemingly correct this choice, in the funniest way possible years later.

Beverly Hills, 90210

One of the mainstays of ‘90s TV fittingly said farewell in 2000, as Beverly Hills, 90210 struck up “Ode To Joy” and sent West Bev’s finest fully into adulthood. Don’t worry: Kelly (Jennie Garth) and Dylan (Luke Perry) finally committed to each other in the end, in a decision that surely wouldn’t be undone by a CW legacy-quel series decades after the fact.

M*A*S*H

“Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” wasn’t just the last episode of M*A*S*H, it was a two and a half hour TV movie sending the men and women of the 4077 into that good night gracefully. The gang commemorated the end of the Korean War, and their eventual returns to civilian life. But not before ​​B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell) sends Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) a final message that would live in television history.

The Fugitive

“The Judgment” finally brought an end to The Fugitive’s search for the One Armed Man, with Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) being exonerated for the murder of his wife. In a two-parter that was staggered between two weeks of airtime, Part II was billed as “The Day The Running Stopped,” with Dr. Kimble and his dogged pursuer Lt. Philip Gerard (Barry Morse) parting ways as friends.

St. Elsewhere

St. Elsewhere’s Season 8 finale "The Last One" implied the entire series to be the creation of Tommy Westphall (Chad Allen), the autistic son of series regular Dr. Donald Westphall (Ed Flanders). That decision led to what Unsupervised Nerds dubbed “The Tommy Westphall Universe,” which implies that other series like Cheers, Homicide: Life on the Streets, and even Law and Order: SVU exist in that same sphere, thanks to various crossovers and references.

The Golden Girls

“One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest” saw The Golden Girls closing the Lanai one final time, thanks to Dorothy (Bea Arthur) marrying Lucas (Leslie Nielsen), uncle to fellow housemate Blanche (Rue McClanahan). The two-part episode ended the seven season run of the network TV mainstay, while leading to one of the great TV spin offs you might have forgotten, The Golden Palace.

Dinosaurs

While Dinosaurs seems rather short-lived when compared to some of these other titans of TV, ABC’s four-season sitcom still landed a crushing blow with its series finale “Changing Nature.” As a chain of events doomed Pangea to perish in a freshly begun ice age, we see Earl Sinclair (Stuart Pankin) and his family struggling to find hope in the bleakest of situations.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s series finale, the two-parter entitled "I, Done," spawned a meme thanks to the moment where Will (Will Smith) looks around at the mansion he called home for six seasons one last time. As the Banks family move on to the next chapters in their lives, the West Philadelphia transplant actually stays in California, ready to get an education and finally make a name for himself.

Family Matters

For a series that started with Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) as a secondary comic relief, Family Matters’ final episode “Lost in Space Part 2” showed how far the series had shifted in nine seasons. With Steve actually engaged to Laura Winslow (Kellie Shanygne Williams), and a mission to space ending in what felt far from a series finale, the show that switched networks from ABC to CBS during its run saw its nosy neighbor become the star of the show.

Star Trek

Star Trek’s initial five-year mission actually only lasted three seasons on the NBC network, and “Turnabout Intruder” showed just how abruptly this cancellation was carried out. In what seemed like another day aboard the USS Enterprise, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) switched bodies with former lover Dr. Janice Lester (Sandra Smith), who then proceeds to try and kill Kirk to assume his command. By the end, everyone’s back in their own bodies, with a future in the motion pictures just around the corner!

Home Improvement

The three-part epic “The Long and Winding Road” saw Home Improvement end on a note that was both bittersweet, and totally bonkers. With Tim (Tim Allen) and Jill (Patricia Richardson) deciding to stay in Detroit after watching Al (Richard Karn) getting married in their backyard. While Jonathan Taylor-Thomas’ Randy would be a no-show for the finale, the series ended with the Tool Man’s ultimate hare-brained scheme: towing and tugging the family home to wherever they might choose to move to in the future.

The Wonder Years

In an act that resembles the bittersweet nostalgia The Wonder Years always embodied, "Independence Day" provides us with closure through one last narration from older Kevin (Daniel Stern). Young Kevin (Fred Savage) and Winnie (Danica McKellar) weren’t the endgame we all expected, family wounds were healed, and life went on.

Quantum Leap

Say the words, "Sam Becket never returned home" to any Quantum Leap fan, and they’ll probably glare at you as if you’d kicked their puppy. But that’s exactly how NBC’s sci-fi fan favorite ended in the episode “Mirror Image: August 8, 1953.” Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) was doomed to this horrific fate, and a misspelled name in the final title card, before sadly never returning.

Dallas

In a series as wild as Dallas, a crazy finale was all but assured. Sure enough, the Season 14 two-parter “Conundrum” saved the nuttiest for last, as J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) saw what life would have been like if he had never been born… and then was assumed to have shot himself after seeing the result. Five years later, the TV movie Dallas: J.R. Returns would prove that he didn’t shoot himself, allowing the Texas oil man to continue his reign of soapy terror.

The Cosby Show

After 8 seasons and 201 episodes, The Cosby Show saw “And So We Commence” closing the book on the Huxtables once and for all. What starts with Cliff (Bill Cosby) getting into another comedic scrape over graduation tickets eventually gives way to his son Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) graduating from college. As the show drew to a close, our last image was of Cliff and wife Clair (Phylicia Rashad) dancing to the tune of a freshly fixed doorbell.

ALF

“Consider Me Gone” saw ALF ending after four seasons on NBC in a cliffhanger that was initially labeled “To Be Continued…” As ALF/Gordon Shumway (Paul Fusco) attempted to return home to Melmac, the nefarious Alien Task Force intercepted him at the last minute, and that was it. At least until the sequel movie Project ALF would provide a fitting, if not disappointing end, six years later, naming our alien wisecracker an official ambassador of Earth.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

The two-part episode “The Seven Wonders of the World Affair” drew The Man from U.N.C.L.E. to a close, with Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Ilya Kuryakin (David McCallum) achieving the following result: "The battle (between good and evil) ends once and for all in favor of good." If only Guy Ritchie’s fan favorite film adaptation could have gotten the same ending.

Benson

Benson never intended to have a cliffhanger ending, but that’s exactly what “And the Winner is…” gave fans at the end of Season 7. Salon actually revealed that three different endings were filmed… with a tie being the most likely choice, leading into the hypothetical Season 8. But as it stands, Benson (Robert Guillaume) and Governor Gatling (James Noble) will forever be in a tie for the governorship.

Get Smart

In an ingenious spoof of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, Get Smart ended in a way similar to how The Man with the Golden Gun started. In “I’m Curiously Yellow,” Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) is brainwashed by an evil KAOS agent to sabotage his home agency CONTROL. But, as you might expect, the day was eventually saved… in an ending that kind of felt like another day at the office.

Freaks And Geeks

Nobody wanted to see NBC’s Freaks and Geeks end after just one season of magic, but alas that’s what "Discos and Dragons" did. After eighteen episodes of adolescent dramedy, Linda Cardellini’s Lindsay Weir ditched an academic event to follow the Grateful Dead on tour. Honestly, that feels like a rather poetic, if still unfortunate, way for creator Paul Feig’s beloved series to end.

Some people might like to argue that streaming, in becoming our dominant form of media consumption, has ruined the television industry. Well, there is no doubt that it has changed the industry in many ways and, in some cases, for the better. 

There are many TV shows that are now regarded as classics but might not have earned such an honor if not for audiences discovering it on a streaming platform, helping boost its appeal in a way traditional television could not for whatever reason. Let's take a look at some of the most beloved TV shows that were made more popular (or even saved) by streaming. 

The Wire (2002-2008)

In its initial run, The Wire was already considered one of the best shows on HBO, if not of all time, for its refreshing grounded depiction of urban crime in modern Baltimore from both sides of the law. However, thanks to having a Max subscription (formerly known as HBO Max and, earlier, HBO GO), new generations of viewers have been able to witness David Simon's masterpiece.

You (2018-2024)

Even many of the biggest fans of You might not realize that the serial killer drama starring Penn Badgley is not a true Netflix original. It was canceled after one season on the Lifetime Network and, after becoming a surprise hit on Netflix, the platform picked it up for four more seasons.

Schitt's Creek (2015-2020)

Despite achieving instant success in its home nation of Canada on CBC, creator Dan and Eugene Levy's sitcom following a family's riches-to-rags story went underseen in the States for years on the Pop Network. Luckily, when the series dropped on Netflix, America suddenly could not get enough of the Schitt's Creek cast, the comedy's remarkable quotability, and surprisingly heartfelt moments.

The Expanse (2015-2022)

Based on a series of novels by Daniel Abrahams and Ty Franck (and James S. A. Corey), The Expanse quickly found a following on SyFy as one of the network's smartest and most exciting dramas and, yet, it still got the boot after three seasons. Fortunately, the adventures of James Holden (Steven Strait) and his crew's defense against a conspiracy affecting the colonized solar system were able to continue as one of the best sci-fi TV shows on Amazon Prime for three more seasons.

Suits (2011-2019)

Despite being one of the longest-running series on USA Network, Suits really became a hit in its later years after gaining traction as one of the most-watched TV shows on Netflix. Of course, Suits cast member Meghan Markle's marriage to Prince Harry likely had an influence on the legal drama's success.

The Office (2005-2014)

Greg Daniels' Americanized update of the hilarious British sitcom was certainly a hit on NBC, but its fanbase grew exponentially when it became one of the highest-viewed series on Netflix. It is no wonder why Peacock paid the platform $500 million for the streaming rights to The Office and even released special Superfan cuts of select episodes.

Letterkenny (2016-2023)

To be honest, Letterkenny, which follows the day-to-day lives of people from the titular rural town in the Great White North, already originated on a streaming service: the Canadian-exclusive platform, Crave. However, when it became available in the United States with a Hulu subscription, the quirky sitcom's fanbase took a Texas-size expansion.

Firefly (2002-2003)

There is a variety of reasons why Firefly was canceled after Fox aired only 11 episodes, from a doomed time slot to misguided marketing. Luckily, even before streaming helped widen its fanbase, the now beloved sci-fi TV show following a crew of outlaws traveling beyond the stars released a DVD set that allowed audiences to see the epic Western-style cosmic adventures they missed out on.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008)

Following the journey of a young man born with the ability to manipulate the elements air, earth, fire, and water, Avatar: The Last Airbender was a huge hit during its initial run on Nickelodeon. It would only become even more popular when it became available to stream on Netflix, which would go on to produce a live-action series update in 2024.

Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

According to Variety, after Breaking Bad won the Best Drama Series Emmy in 2013, creator Vince Gilligan admitted he owed the success of his groundbreaking drama to Netflix, which later produced El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. The thriller, following a terminally high school chemistry teacher (played by Bryan Cranston) turning to crime to support his family, could barely be called a hit during its few years on AMC.

 Freaks And Geeks (1999-2000)

One of the first titles that come to mind when people think of series that ended too soon is Freaks and Geeks, which was canceled by NBC after one season for the typical reasons: misguided marketing and a poor time slot. Since most of the Freaks and Geeks cast went on to take Hollywood by storm, the coming-of-age dramedy has become one of the most acclaimed series of its time by fans who discovered in the digital age.

Criminal Minds (2005-Present)

After lasting a whopping 15 seasons on CBS, Criminal Minds continued to captivate audiences as one of the most popular crime TV shows on Netflix. The procedural drama's enduring success eventually led to its revival, on Paramount+.

Manifest (2018-2023)

When NBC canned it after just three seasons, fans prayed that Netflix would swoop in to renew Manifest and, luckily, their wish came true. A fourth and final season of the sci-fi drama, about a commercial jet that suddenly reappears five years after mysteriously vanishing, debuted on the streaming platform, allowing it to have the smooth landing creator Jeff Rake intended.

Lucifer (2016-2021)

Based on a DC Vertigo comic book, Lucifer — starring Tom Ellis as the Devil, taking human form to be an LAPD consultant — debuted on Fox, where it lasted only three seasons. Soon after, it would be hailed as one of the best DC TV shows on Netflix when it was renewed for three more seasons exclusively on the platform.

Community (2009-2015)

Ironically enough, when Dan Harmon's comedy about a close-knit group of community students first transitioned from NBC to a streaming exclusive on the now-defunct Yahoo! Screen, it was considered a disaster. However, fans would go on to revisit the best episodes of Community on Hulu, Netflix, or Peacock, keeping the #SixSeasonsAndAMovie dream alive. 

Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)

One of the most popular shows on The CW (when it was still called The WB) was Gilmore Girls, which would only remain popular and acquire more fans who discovered it with their Netflix subscription. The streaming platform would even serve as the home of a four-episode sequel series called Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.

Friends (1994-2004)

Could Friends have been a bigger bit than it was during its ten-year run on NBC? As it turns out, yes, since the popular '90s TV show became a monster hit on Netflix and, once it left the platform, likely inspired many fans to get a Max subscription just so they could keep the binge going.

Luther (2010-2019)

Some of the best evidence of the enduring popularity of Luther — an acclaimed British crime thriller starring Idris Elba in the brilliant but cantankerous title role — can be found on Netflix. In 2023, the platform distributed a feature-length spin-off called Luther: The Fallen Sun, which quickly became its highest-watched movie and led to a deal for more films.

Arrested Development (2003-2019)

Despite never getting the ratings it needed to be a hit during its three-season run on Fox, Arrested Development was remembered fondly as one of the most hilarious cult favorite TV shows of all time. That enduring legacy led to its revival in 2017 as "a Netflix semi-original series."

Boy Meets World (1993-2000)

In its prime, Boy Meets World was one of the must-see comedies from ABC's TGIF Block in the 1990s and would later spawn a sequel series following Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga's (Danielle Fishel) daughter, Riley (Rowan Blanchard) called Girl Meets World. The success of the Disney Channel series, also starring Sabrina Carpenter, inspired a new generation of fans to check out the original with their Disney+ subscription. 

Futurama (1999-Present)

Creator Matt Groening's animated satire about an average 20th Century man who wakes up from an accidental, 1000-year cryogenic slumber initially ran for just four seasons on Fox, was revived on Comedy Central from 2008 to 2013, and then, a decade later, became an exclusive on Hulu where it is more popular than ever. At this rate, it looks like Futurama might last well into the future.

Teen Wolf (2011-2017)

MTV's darker take on a funny coming-of-age creature feature from the '80s was a surprise hit, even as one of the best horror TV shows on Hulu in the years since it ended. The continued interest in the series on streaming would lead to a feature-length continuation that premiered on Paramount+ in early 2023.

iCarly (2007-2012, 2021-2023)

Miranda Cosgrove followed her role as the mischievous Megan on Drake & Josh by starring on the Nickelodeon sitcom as a teen internet sensation. People who grew up with the show would rediscover their love for it as adults when Paramount+ revived iCarly with more mature audiences in mind.

The Mindy Project (2012-2017)

Creator and star Mindy Kaling's first major follow-up after playing Kelly Kapoor in NBC's The Office cast was the aptly titled The Mindy Project, in which she plays an OB/GYN struggling to balance her personal and professional life. It premiered on Fox, where it remained for three seasons, before moving exclusively to Hulu for the latter half of its run.

Longmire (2012-2017)

Based on a series of novels by Craig Johnson, Longmire is a neo-Western drama starring Australian actor Robert Taylor as the titular Wyoming sheriff who brings his own brand of justice to his county. Despite debuting on A&E as the cable network's highest-rated original drama, it was not renewed for a fourth season, leading Netflix to step in and become its home for another three years.

Trailer Park Boys (2001-2018)

A show that Letterkenny fans would enjoy if they have not heard of it already is Trailer Park Boys — another comedy set in rural Canada which, for its first seven years, aired on a channel exclusive to the country called Showcase. A newfound interest in the documentary-style series and its feature-length spin-offs in the United States led Netflix to acquire the show in 2012, lasting several more seasons and even spawning more specials and an animated series.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020)

Before a new Star Wars TV show premiered on Disney+ every few months or so, one of the most beloved small-screen titles to come from a galaxy far, far away was Star Wars: The Clone Wars. However, the Force initially could have been stronger with this one as it was canceled by Cartoon Network in 2013 before gaining newfound popularity on Netflix (where a new season was distributed) the following year and, later, getting revived for one more batch of episodes on DIsney+ in 2020.

Parks And Recreation (2009-2015) 

Despite being the brainchild of The Office producers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur and starring former SNL cast member Amy Poehler in the lead, Parks and Recreation struggled to find its footing on NBC for its first couple of years. The mockumentary-style political satire got a bit of a boost in popularity once it dropped on Netflix and, for years after it ended, earned a reputation as one of the most popular series on the platform.

White Collar (2009-2014)

The show that made a star out of actor Matt Bomer is White Collar, in which he stars as a suave professional criminal who works with the FBI to catch other cons like him. Like many other USA original series, the dramedy was a much bigger hit on Netflix than it was during its initial run on the network.

Designated Survivor (2016-2019)

Kiefer Sutherland stars in Designated Survivor as the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, who is suddenly appointed President after everyone in the chain of command above him is killed in a catastrophic attack. The political drama was canceled after only two years on ABC but would go on for one more season on Netflix.

The Nanny (1993-1999)

Co-creator and star Fran Drescher is best known for playing Fran Fine on The Nanny, which had a strong run on CBS in the 1990s. The sitcom is noted for appealing to a new generation when it dropped on Max.

The Killing (2011-2014)

The American version of the Danish television series Forbrydelsen, The Killing, originally premiered on AMC, which would cancel the dark crime drama after its third season, which almost did not happen. The series then made an official transition to Netflix, where its fourth and final season was distributed.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that some of the best TV theme songs are courtesy of some of the greatest musicians in pop culture. Iconic TV theme songs can be as fondly remembered as the characters on the show, sometimes even more so. These are themes that still slap because they were created by the best of the best. Here is our list of some of the great songs that became iconic TV theme songs.

Friends - The Rembrandts

The legend goes that REM was first approached to have their song "Shiny Happy People" used as the theme song to Friends, but they turned the producers down. According to Michael Stipe, the producers then turned to the LA-based dup The Rembrandts to write an REM-like song. Frankly, "I'll Be There For You," the song that became a hit as the theme doesn't sound much like REM, but it's a great song, even if the band found the fame very stressful and almost quit over it. 

Orange Is The New Black - Regina Spektor

The creative team behind Orange Is The New Black found the perfect voice in Regina Spektor to compose and perform the theme song for the show. "You've Got Time" was written for the show and lyrically and musically it fits the show perfectly. 

The Wire - Tom Waits

The Wire did something unique with its theme song. Each season, the same song, a dark, brooding song called "Way Down In The Hole" written by Tom Waits and included on his 1987 classic album  Franks Wild Years. In the first season, it was performed by The Blind Boys of Alabama. Waits' original version was used for Season 2. Seasons three and four saw the theme performed by  The Neville Brothers and a group of local Baltimore kids dubbed  DoMaJe, respectively. For the fifth and final season, singer-songwriter Steve Earle, who also played Waylon on the show, did the song. 

The Golden Girls - Andrew Gold

"Thank You For Being A Friend" is certainly most well known for being the theme to the classic sitcom The Golden Girls, but it was written and recorded by singer Andrew Gold almost a decade earlier and became a top 25 hit in 1978. Singer Cindy Fee sang the TV version. 

Get A Life - REM

In the early days of the Fox network, they were throwing anything and everything at the wall to see what stuck. One brilliant show that never found its audience was Get A Life starring Chris Elliott, now most famous as being from the cast of Schitt's Creek. The show even featured "Stand" by REM as its theme. 

Boardwalk Empire - The Brian Jonestown Massacre

HBO's Boardwalk Empire may have been set in the 1920s, but the theme is from the 1990s. The song, "Straight Up and Down" comes from the excellent 1996 album Take It From The Man by the notorious Brian Jonestown Massacre. Side note - that's the best band name ever. 

A Different World - Aretha Franklin

When A Different World was spun off from the most popular sitcom of its era, The Cosby Show, you know they had to go big with the theme song. It doesn't get any bigger than the Queen of Soul herself, the legendary Aretha Franklin, who sang the theme song for Seasons 2 through 5 after Phoebe Snow sang it in the first season. Later Boyz II Men took over. 

Freaks And Geeks - Joan Jett

Joan Jett didn't give a darn about her bad reputation, nor did the characters in Freaks and Geeks, making the rocker's song, "Bad Reputation" the perfect theme song for the beloved cult show. 

The Big Bang Theory - The Barenaked Ladies

A show about nerds deserves a theme song by a band made of, let's be honest, other nerds. The Barenaked Ladies had a slew of hits in the '90s with their unique brand of dorky, catchy tunes like "Brian Wilson" and "If I Had A Million Dollars," and that aesthetic was perfect for The Big Bang Theory's theme about the origins of the universe. 

China Beach - The Supremes

In the late 1980s, Baby Boomer nostalgia was at its peak, with shows from the '60s being rebooting left and right, and shows like China Beach, about the Vietnam War, finding success on the airwaves. The theme song had to fit the era, and so the producers chose "Reflections" from 1967 by Diana Ross and The Supremes. 

South Park - Primus

An offbeat cartoon like South Park needs an offbeat theme song, so there was no better choice than to enlist Les Claypool and Primus to write and perform it. The theme has become iconic and Primus has even occasionally played it in concert. You just can't imagine the show beginning with anything but that twangy intro. 

The Proud Family - Solange And Destiny's Child

Let's be honest, it's kind of shocking that The Proud Family only aired for two seasons on the Disney Channel in the early '00s. It was a ground-breaking cartoon featuring an African-American family and as such, it deserved a theme song by legends like Solange and Destiny's Child. 

Entourage - Jane's Addiction

HBO's Entourage has one of the coolest intros of any TV show of its era as the characters cruise through Hollywood in a vintage convertible. The Jane's Addiction song "Superhero" plays over the scenes, adding to that coolness. It's a song that comes from JA's 2003 release Strays, but feels very much like it could have been written for the show. 

Dog The Bounty Hunter - Ozzy Osbourne

Dog The Bounty Hunter was a wild show, and having one of rock's wildest characters, Ozzy Osbourne perform the theme song was a match made in heaven. It doesn't sound much like a song you'd expect from the heavy metal legend, but you can't mistake his trademark vocals. Really, it's the best part about the show, if we're honest. 

Miami Vice - Jan Hammer

Jan Hammer might not be a household name, but he's played with some of the biggest jazz and rock legends of all time. His career stretches back to the late 1960s and throughout the '70s he played with legends like Billy Cobham, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, and John McLaughlin. He also composed virtually all of the music for Miami Vice throughout the show's entire run, including the iconic theme song. 

House - Massive Attack

If you watch House on a streaming service, you likely won't hear the song it originally used as its theme, "Teardrop" by Massive Attack. Instead, there is a generic song that vaguely sounds close to that song but is not nearly as good. 

That '70s Show - Cheap Trick

The theme to That '70s Show has a disjointed history. The song, "In the Street," was originally written and performed by Big Star, and released in 1972. A slightly reworked version, renamed "That '70s Song" was performed by Todd Griffin for the show's first season. Starting in Season 2, Cheap Trick recorded a version of "That '70s Song" which remained the theme for the rest of the show's eight-season run. 

The Drew Carey Show - The Presidents Of The United States of America

The best-known theme song from The Drew Carey Show is "Cleveland Rocks" by the Seattle band The Presidents of the United States of America. However, it actually had a completely different theme in its first season, a song by Carey himself called "Moon Over Parma." 

All That - TLC

Nickelodeon's All That was groundbreaking in a lot of ways. An SNL for kids that helped launch the careers of actors like Nick Cannon, Kennan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, Gabriel Iglesias, and Jamie Lynn Spears. It has to be said that the TLC, who performed the theme song also got a boost from the show, though they were already pretty huge when they recorded it. 

Malcolm in the Middle - They Might Be Giants

In a lot of ways, Malcolm in the Middle defines what being a kid in the early 2000s was all about. Though it was about Milennial childhood, the band who recorded the theme song, They Might Be Giants, are Gen X stalwarts. "Boss of Me" even won the group a Grammy. 

Dawson's Creek - Paula Cole

Paula Cole's song "I Don't Want To Wait" was first released on her 1996 album This Fire and hit #11 on the Billboard charts in 1997. In 1998, it became the theme song for Dawson's Creek and has become simply iconic in the years since. 

The Wonder Years - Joe Cocker

Of course, a show set in the '60s had to have an epic '60s song for its theme song. For The Wonder Years that meant going with Joe Cocker's version of The Beatles' "A Little Help From My Friends." Due to its appearance at the beginning of every episode, Cocker's version is at least as well known by Gen X as the original by the Fab Four, if not more. 

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Who

The original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, set in Las Vegas, spawned spin-offs set in Miami and New York, and all the shows used songs by The Who as their theme songs. For the original, it was "Who Are You," for CSI: Miami it was "Won't Get Fooled Again," and for CSI: NY it was "Baba O'Riley." The short-lived CSI: Cyber, which only had 31 episodes also used a song by The Who, "I Can See For Miles."

One Day At A Time - Gloria Estefan

When One Day At A Time was rebooted by Netflix in 2017, this time about a Latino family, the famous theme song was recorded by one of the greatest Latin artists of all time, Gloria Estefan. You couldn't have asked for a better match. 

Weeds - Malvina Reynolds

Malvina Reynolds has one of the most fascinating stories in 20th-century music. She didn't even start her career in earnest until she was in her forties and her biggest hit, "Little Boxes," was written and recorded until she was in her 60s. The song, first released in 1962, became a hit again as the theme song to Weeds in the '00s. 

The O.C. - Phantom Planet

The most famous member of Phantom Planet is an actor and drummer, Jason Schwartzman, so it tracks that they would find their biggest success when their song "California" was picked to be the theme song of The O.C. Without a doubt, it's a banger and fits the show perfectly. 

Gilmore Girls - Carole King

Carole King's massive hit album Tapestry sold millions of copies on the strength of two hit songs, "I Feel The Earth Move" and "It's Too Late." A third song from that album, "Where You Lead" was re-recorded by King and served as the theme song to Gilmore Girls decades after it was first written. 

Married... With Children - Frank Sinatra

When it comes to 20th Century recording artists, it doesn't get any bigger than Old Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. You wouldn't expect one of his biggest hits, "Love and Marriage" to serve as the theme to a raunchy sitcom like Married... With Children, and yet it works perfectly. 

Veronica Mars - The Dandy Warhols

The show Veronica Mars and the band that performed the theme song, "We Used to Be Friends," by The Dandy Warhols, have something in common. Both the show and the band were critically lauded and gained a loyal and rabid fanbase, but neither really broke through to a broader mainstream audience. Fitting partners, for sure. 

Party Of Five -  BoDeans

For more than a decade, starting in the early '80s, Wisconsin band BoDeans worked hard to develop their career in music. It all came together for them in the early '90s with their album Go Slow Down, which featured their hit "Closer To Free." The song ended up as the theme song to Party Of Five and has since become iconic. 

Sanford & Son - Quincy Jones

When it comes to TV theme songs, there is not bigger banger than the theme to Sanford & Son. The infectious, impossibly funky tune was written by one of the all greats, composer and producer Quincy Jones. So if you ever wondered what made it so great, there's your answer. 

Ed - Foo Fighters

For decades, The Foo Fighters have been on top of the rock n' roll world. There isn't much that the Dave Grohl-led band hasn't done and that includes having a song serve as a theme song to a TV show. Ed was an underrated hit show on NBC in the early '00s and the Foos' "Next Year" was a great choice for a theme.

The comedy world took a big hit in the first half of 2024, as SCTV and Freaks and Geeks cast member Joe Flaherty has died. The actor and writer reportedly passed away on Monday, April 1, and was 82 years old at the time of his death.

News of Flaherty's death was confirmed by his daughter Gudrun Flaherty (via Variety) through the organization Comedic Artists Alliance, which was previously invovled with fundraising efforts specifically for the Maniac Mansion vet to have access to a 24-hour healthcare profider. He'd been suffering from an undislosed illness prior to his passing.

Below is the statement shared by Gudrun Flaherty:

After his recent illness took hold, Flaherty is said to have made the decision to avoid spending the rest of his days in a hospice or other healthcare facility, and opted to remain at home, which is why the 24-hour care provided was necessary.

At that time, the actor's fellow comrades from the SCTV world reached out to the public through the CAA, which Flaherty himself helped inspire. He, Catherine O'Hara, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy and Martin Short put on a benefit comedy show back in 2008 to raise money and support for an SCTV crew member dealing with cancer treatment. That effort was followed later by another benefit performance at Second City Chicago's 50th anniversary, which gave birth to the Second City Alumni Fund. That charitable org was then expanded into the Comedic Artists Alliance in 2021 with a mission to offer help to everyone in the world of comedy beyond just the Second City elite.

Speaking to the strength of the community behind SCTV, which remains of the best sketch shows of all time, Gudrun Flaherty continued in her statement, saying:

The total number of people who worked with Joe Flaherty is no doubt a stunningly large amount, considering how many star-studded projects he was part of during his nearly 50 years in the industry.

Born in Pittsburgh in 1941 as an "O'Flaherty," the actor followed his schooling with a four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force before fixing his sights on stage drama, and made the fateful move to Chicago. (He formally changed his name due to another performer named Joseph O'Flaherty" being among the Actors Equity union. And his first big on-screen roles all came in 1976, with the film Tunnel Vision and a trio of TV shows, The Sunshine Hour, The David Steinberg Show, and SCTV, and he stuck with the latter for the entirety of its eight-season run.

Beyond his stellar sketch work, Flaherty was involved with a laundry list of films and TV shows, often involving his former co-stars, and usually in smaller but instantly memorable capacities. We've got 1941, Stripes, Back to the Future Part II, Happy Gilmore, Detroit Rock City, Freddy Got Fingered, and a solid Anchorman deleted scene, to name but a few highlights on the film side. He was even lovable enough to avoid being attributed to childhood trauma thanks to his and Dave Thomas's villainous roles in Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird.

On the TV side of things, he fared just as well, and was involved with more voice acting on top of live-action roles. Fans might remember him from the Ed Grimley Saturday morning cartoon, the aforementioned Maniac Mansion, Police Academy: The Series, The King of Queens, Teamo Supremo, Family Guy, Frasier and more. For many people who came of age during the '90s and early '00s, he'll forever be known as A+ TV dad Harold Weir on the canceled-after-one-season series Freaks and Geeks.

Flaherty retired from acting in 2018, but the SCTV influence remains strong on shows like Only Murders in the Building, where Martin Short will soon reunite with Eugene Levy. Among show alums, he was preceded in death by Harold Ramis, John Candy, and Antonio Rosato.

We at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to Joe and Gudrun Flaherty's family and friends in this time of mourning.

If you’re an avid TV watcher, then you probably know the pain that comes with a favorite show being canceled. Though that crushing feeling is even greater when the program has only been on the air for a single season. This happens quite often and, while you can argue that it’s warranted in many situations, there are plenty of excellent series that shouldn’t have been canned after just one season. With that, we’re going to discuss a handful of them.

Battlestar Galactica

Decades before the 2004-2009 reboot of Battlestar Galactica with Edward James Olmos, self-proclaimed “frakin weirdo” Katee Sackhoff and more debuted, the original show premiered in 1978 on ABC. Glen A. Larson’s intriguing sci-fi series focused on a group of humans – including Captain Apollo and Lt. Starbuck – hurtling through space in the eponymous starship, searching for a new place to call home and dodging the villainous Cylons. It was a ratings hit, but it was ultimately axed in 1979, with execs chalking it up to high production costs. 

Pitch

Pitch, which launched in 2016, should’ve been a home run. Centered around a young pitcher who became the first woman to play baseball in the Major Leagues, it featured a strong cast and producing team. (The latter included eventual This is Us creator Dan Fogelman.) Alas, despite strong reviews, it sustained low ratings and was canceled by Fox after 10 episodes. Despite that, a small-screen offering like this deserved more time to show its stuff.

Stumptown

Few shows are as charming as Stumptown – a crime drama that saw Cobie Smulders playing a military vet-turned-private eye struggling with PTSD and financial hardships. The comic book adaptation earned solid ratings after its debut on ABC in the fall of 2019, which is why it was greenlit for Season 2 in the spring of 2020. However, the renewal was reserved due to COVID-related delays. I still believe another network should’ve given it a shot at new life.

The Flash (1990)

You can’t talk about entertaining DC Comics adaptations without mentioning the ‘90s-era classic that is The Flash. John Wesley Shipp famously played the titular Scarlet Speedster taking on the likes of The Trickster and Mirror Master in Central City. After premiering on CBS in the fall of 1990, the superhero series shifted between time slots before it was canceled in the spring of 1991. While fans still enjoy it today and Shipp even reprised his role for Arrowverse crossovers years later, another season of the show would’ve been great.

Emerald City

There have been more than a few Wizard of Oz offshoots over the years, and Emerald City is arguably one of the more entertaining ones. NBC’s 2017 fantasy series about Dorothy Gale’s epic adventures in Oz just couldn’t draw a crowd, leading to its demise after only 10 episodes. It’s not a perfect show, even upon a rewatch, but it arguably could’ve improved with time.

My So-Called Life

My So-Called Life was ahead of its time, as it provided a realistic look at adolescence, using the character of Angela Chase (Claire Danes) as the conduit through which to present such growing pains. The teen drama didn’t earn massive ratings during its sole season on ABC during the 1994-1995 broadcast season but did amass a strong fanbase. But not even an online fan campaign (amid the early years of the Internet) could save the cultural touchstone from the chopping block.

The Rookie: Feds

When it comes to procedurals, it’s not unusual for a hit TV show to spawn a spinoff. That was the case when ABC’s The Rookie spawned The Rookie: Feds, which premiered in 2022. The incomparable Niecy Nash-Betts led the proceedings as Simone Clark, a former school counselor who fulfilled her dream of becoming an FBI special agent. There was a lot of promise with this production, though it was unfortunately axed in November 2023, with the SAG-AFTRA and WGA writers' strikes reportedly playing roles in its demise.

I Am Not Okay with This

Netflix has had a lot of great one-season shows, and I’d count 2020’s I Am Not Okay with This among them. An adaptation of Charles Forsman’s graphic novel of the same name, it told the story of awkward teenager Sydney Novak, who grappled with the discovery of her telekinetic abilities. An entertaining superhero-esque dramedy,  it was canceled after only seven episodes due to the COVID pandemic. What’s worse is that it ended on a cliffhanger and, if you haven’t guessed yet, I am not okay with this.

Swamp Thing (2019)

Although there have been a few TV shows to bear the title of Swamp Thing, the 2019 iteration that aired on the DC Universe streaming platform may be the best. The Protector of the Green was brought to stunning life (via an excellent practical costume) for the thrillingly scary series. Sadly, the faithful comic book adaptation was axed with only 10 episodes under its belt due to creative issues between the producers and execs.

Freaks And Geeks

Few one-season shows manage to become cult classics like Freaks and Geeks, which aired on NBC from 1999 to 2000. The Paul Feig-created and Judd Apatow-produced ensemble teen dramedy focused on eclectic teens navigating various facets of the social scene in 1980s Michigan. It famously launched the careers of Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini, Jason Segel, and more and provided a nuanced look at the high school experience. While it’s been widely appreciated since its demise decades ago, it’s sad that it didn’t get to live longer than it did. 

The Get Down

The ‘70s-set coming-of-age drama The Get Down provided a burst of nostalgia and compelling storytelling when it grooved onto Netflix in 2016. This two-part, single season was about the exploits of an aspiring musician who sought to make a name for himself in New York alongside his buddy and girlfriend. It was announced in 2017 that the Baz Luhrmann-co-produced show had reached its end, with its high budget being cited as a reason for the decision.

Firefly

With Firefly, Joss Whedon spun a space western yarn about the rogues that make up the crew of the Serenity starship and their exploits in the year 2517. Critics mostly shared positive sentiments about the program ahead of its demise after 14 episodes in 2002. After Fox decided to cancel Firefly, it spawned comic books, novels, and even a follow-up movie. Despite all of that, many still lament the fact that additional seasons didn’t happen.

Wolverine And The X-Men

After X-Men: Evolution in 2003, Nicktoons delivered the stellar Wolverine and the X-Men in 2009. The show saw Wolvie reuniting his former colleagues after an accident caused the disappearances of Jean Grey and Professor X. A second season was ordered but ultimately scrapped amid The Walt Disney Company’s purchase of Marvel. And, to add insult to injury, scripts, and concept art were already completed at the time.

Lovecraft Country

Bringing the scares and drama in 2020 was Lovecraft Country, which earned critical acclaim for HBO upon its debut. The 10-episode show saw a young Black man travel across the 1950s Jim Crow south with his friend and uncle to locate his father. And, along the way, they encountered monsters inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s work and the horrors of racism. This one had a lot of potential and could’ve branched out in some intriguing ways had it not been canceled.

Good Morning, Miss Bliss

It was in 1988 that Good Morning, Miss Bliss debuted on the Disney Channel. Hayley Mills played the eponymous school teacher, who taught an impressionable group of youngsters at an Indiana-based junior high school. Only 13 episodes were produced before the network pulled the plug. Another season would’ve been great but, at the very least, the characters of Zack Morris, Lisa Turtle, Samuel “Screech” Powers, and Mr. Belding moved to Saved by the Bell in the fall of 1989.

No Ordinary Family

Just ahead of the glut of superhero shows that filled the mid-2010s, No Ordinary Family soared onto ABC in 2010. It was co-created by future Arrowverse godfather Greg Berlanti and tracked the Powell family – a seemingly normal brood that gained superhuman abilities after a plane crash. Light on its feet and filled with endearing characters, the series started with strong viewership and earned solid reviews but ultimately hit the chopping block in 2011.

Gidget

Before she headlined The Flying Nun, the iconic Sally Field was tapped to play the lead role on Gidget in 1965. Not to be confused with the 1959 movie of the same name, the sitcom followed the adventures of Fields’ fourth wall-breaking character, who had a strong bond with her widowed father. The studio canned the show after 32 episodes in 1966, just as it was starting to resonate with younger audiences.

The Chicago Code

One could definitely argue that The Chicago Code is an underrated gem. Developed by The Shield's Shawn Ryan, this Fox crime drama chronicled the exploits of the officers of the Chicago Police Department, as they sought to prevent crime in their town. The well-reviewed show only aired 13 episodes in 2011 before the network shut it down.

Constantine

DC Comics and NBC gave fans a nice dose of horror in 2014 with Constantine, which saw Matt Ryan play the fan-favorite demon hunter. Sadly, despite good reviews and Ryan’s winning performance as John Constantine, the series was axed after one 13-episode season. At the very least, it was retroactively added to the Arrowverse and Ryan reprised his role in that continuity.

FlashForward

Based on Robert J. Sawyer’s 1999 novel of the same name, FlashForward focused on individuals in the aftermath of an event that caused everyone on Earth to lose consciousness for a fixed period of time. The show, which debuted in 2009 on ABC, earned mostly positive reviews but was cleared out in 2010 due to dwindling ratings.

Saved By The Bell: The College Years

The cast of teens from Bayside High graduated to Saved by the Bell: The College Years in the fall of 1993 on NBC. This spinoff/sequel series didn’t have all the charm of its predecessor, though it was still a hoot to see Zack, Kelly, Screech, and co. navigate college. After it ended it was sacked in 1994, and the TV movie Wedding in Las Vegas wrapped its storylines up, yet more seasons would’ve been nice.

Willow

Premiering in 2022, Disney+’s magical and epic Willow effectively expanded upon the world established in Ron Howard’s 1988 fantasy flick Despite strong reviews and a passionate group of fans, the streamer canceled it in 2023 and, even worse, it was dropped from the platform entirely in 2023 as part of cost-cutting measures. Warwick Davis and the cast deserved way better.

Undeclared

After working on Freaks and Geeks, Judd Apatow created Undeclared, a comedy about a group of college freshmen balancing academia and their social lives at a California-based university. It was critically acclaimed after debuting in 2001 but met its end in 2002 after just 17 installments. While it's been gone for a while, it maintains a heavy cult status.

Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation

1997’s Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation didn’t reach the heights of the live-action TMNT movies, but it was still plenty of fun. It saw the totally tubular turtles – along with new ally Venus de Milo – battling Shredder and the Foot along with various other baddies. They even teamed up with the Power Rangers at one point. Ultimately though, Fox Kids scraped it from its schedule in 1998.

1899

It’s sad to say that 1899 was canceled by Netflix after a sole season that streamed in 2022, and that batch of eight episodes was truly intriguing. The show depicted a group of European immigrants making their way to the United States at the turn of the 20th century. However, there’s more to the situation than meets the eye, and a key twist in the finale set the stage for what might’ve been a wild second season.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Aaron Sorkin’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip shed light on the behind-the-scenes personalities that helped keep a fictional sketch comedy show running. Marked by Sorkin’s signature writing style and led by the late Matthew Perry, the dramedy was a fun piece of work from NBC, which ultimately axed it after its run during the 2006-2007 TV season. 

Terra Nova

Fox’s 2011 sci-fi drama Terra Nova has also gained a cult following since it was canceled in 2012. Set in 2149 at which point the Earth is dying, the Steven Spielberg-produced series followed the Shannon family and their attempts to live life in a Cretaceous “time stream.” Dinosaurs and family drama were in ample supply.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

It still boggles the mind that The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance – a prequel to Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s 1982 dark fantasy film – was shuttered at Netflix after only one go-around in 2019. Considering the compelling story, stellar cast, and high production values, the loss of this Emmy-winning show still stings.

Forever

The notion of Ioan Gruffudd playing an immortal medical examiner who solved crimes and sought to become mortal may sound wild. However, that’s what Forever offered on ABC during the 2014-2015 TV season. While conventional in several respects, this was a fun show that had plenty more to say.

The Grinder

In 2015, Rob Lowe took on the role of an actor-turned-lawyer working for his family’s law firm on The Grinder. The Fox legal comedy earned strong reviews, and Lowe put on a strong show along with the rest of the cast. Despite that though, the show was dismissed in 2016 due to low ratings.

M.O.D.O.K.

It’s likely that even Marvel fans didn’t expect Hulu’s M.O.D.O.K. to be a stop-motion series, but the Patton Oswalt-led family romp proved to be a breath of fresh air when it dropped in 2021. The comedy ended far too soon and left a void as big as the main character’s head.

Drive

Drive came and went faster than the cars it featured when it premiered on Fox in 2007. Starring Nathan Fillion, an up-and-coming Emma Stone, and more, it focused on the competitors of an illegal cross-country race. It only aired four episodes before it was sent to the scrapyard, but it left an impression on a portion of viewers. 

Fans will likely continue to miss these TV shows and more as time goes on. Although they ended prematurely, I suppose it’s better to have had them than to have never had them at all.

There are a lot of great TV shows that should have gotten more than one season. Forty episodes may not be enough when you want the fun to keep going, but it just makes the show all the more precious. So, with that in mind, fans were asked what their favorite under-40-episode shows are, and I’m psyched that Freaks and Geeks is on this list. 

Here Are Some Of The Best Shows With Under 40 Episodes According To The Fans

Numerous television shows may have had a short run, but it doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about them. Fans on Reddit sure haven’t, as the subreddit Ask Reddit asked users what their favorite TV shows are that have 40 episodes or less. While miniseries like Band of Brothers, Chernobyl, and Over the Garden Wall were listed at the top, a more niche 1975 British TV series was included that was two seasons long with only 12 episodes. Here's what the user said about the short-lived series:

As the second season took three and a half years to premiere after the first, I can understand why it felt like a longer show. The reason for the series' cancellation was creators John Cleese and Connie Booth wanted the British sitcom to remain a success rather than produce anything subpar. On the bright side, Cleese is looking to revise Fawlty Towers with his daughter, so maybe they can get past 40 episodes. 

Other amazing short-lived shows that were brought to the attention of this post were ones like Mindhunter, Black Books, Felabag and Derry Girls. 

But, the one show that caught my eye as I was scrolling down the list was Freaks and Geeks, because it’s easily one of those shows that NBC should be embarrassed about canceling.

My Favorite Show With Under 40 Episodes Is Hands Down Freaks And Geeks

Set in the ‘80s, there are so many relatable situations that take place on Freaks and Geeks as these teens make their way through high school, like first crushes, fitting in, bullying, teen angst, and growing up in general. People also love the show so much now because of its young cast that included current A-listers James Franco, Linda Cardellini, Busy Phillipps, Seth Rogen, John Francis Daley, Jason Segel and more.

As Freaks and Geeks has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating and three Emmy nominations, why did the Judd Apatow series get canceled? One reason was due to its 8 p.m. timeslot on Saturdays, making people less available to watch. Even moving the coming-of-age series to the same time on Monday nights didn’t improve the ratings. 

There was also some heavy competition coinciding with the airings of Cops, Early Edition, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Then, there was the struggle for an effective marketing plan and network notes that would defy the show’s purpose. 

Overall, all of these factors led to a series cancellation after 18 episodes.

Freaks and Geeks may not have had a long run, but this Reddit post shows that people today still consider it one of the best TV shows out there. It’s currently considered one of the funniest shows on Hulu and a cult classic we love to reflect on. Judd Apatow even kept his show’s legacy alive by continuing to collaborate with its stars like James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segel. With the teen dramedy being so short, that makes it all the more special. 

You can watch Freaks and Geeks' first and only season with a Paramount+ subscription, Hulu subscription, or an Amazon Prime subscription. So, while it may have gotten less than 40 episodes, its legacy is living on.

Some movie teachers genuinely change not only the characters' lives but our lives as well. Today, we'll be talking about a specific kind of movie character – the teachers from movies that have made a real impact. Here are thirty-two fictional teachers who left their mark, whether on the character or the world. 

John Keating (Dead Poets Society)

When I think of the best fictional teachers out there, there is no one better to bring up than John Keating from Dead Poets Society. In one of his best roles, Robin Williams delivered the performance of a lifetime as John Keating and made us all want to have a teacher like him who taught us lessons and inspired us to do more in our lives. To go after what we believed in. 

Ms. Frizzle (The Magic School Bus)

As someone who grew up watching The Magic School Bus, there were many days when I wished that Ms. Frizzle was my science teacher or that science was nearly as cool as she made it out to be. With her school bus that seemed to morph into anything for her lessons, Ms. Frizzle was the teacher we all wanted, making teaching look like the adventure of a lifetime. 

Ms. Rain (Precious)

Precious is an Academy Award-winning movie about a young woman from a troubled background hoping to reroute her life, and the first person who helps Precious is Ms. Rain. Played by the incredible Paul Patton, Ms. Rain teaches Precious the essentials she needs to know. She has been an encouraging source from day one and helps her through everything. She was sweet, kind, and all Precious needed when it felt like the world had given up on her. 

Professor Stromwell (Legally Blonde)

As someone who could spend years watching the best Reese Witherspoon movies, Legally Blonde is most certainly one of them. And the best teacher in that was, hands down, Professor Stromwell. While strict at first, Elle comes to care for Professor Stromwell, as the teacher pushes her to her limits so she can be at her best. 

Mr. George Feeny (Boy Meets World)

Out of everyone, we all know Mr. George Feeney in Boy Meets World. While Feeny was a strict man, he had a heart of gold underneath his grumpy exterior and became one of the best mentors. Everyone still tears up when he says in the finale, "I love you all. Class dismissed." Jeez, I'm still getting emotional. 

Mr. Miyagi (The Karate Kid)

While not the kind of teacher you would meet in a school, Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid franchise is as much of a teacher as anyone else here. Because of his patience, diligence, and skill, he taught Daniel LaRusso the art of karate and truly made him into the man we know all these years later in Cobra Kai. His teachings live on, even if the actor who played him, Pat Morita, passed on in 2005. 

Pete Dixon (Room 222)

Room 222 was an ABC series about the life of students and teachers at a Los Angeles high school and focused on Pete Dixon's history class most of the time. Lloyd Hanes played Pete Dixon, the kind, innovative, and educational teacher who always seemed to have the best lessons for his students and viewers, especially on relevant topics at the time. The series lasted five seasons, and Pete Dixon cemented his name in history. 

Gabe Kotter (Welcome Back, Kotter)

Sitcoms were some of the biggest television shows in the 1970s and Welcome Back, Kotter was one of them, telling the story of Gabe Kotter (played by Gabe Kaplan). He's a teacher who returns to his alma mater to teach a remedial class of troubled students, but his attitude and teaching methods win him favor with the students. In the end, many of these kids end up doing so well because of him. 

Erin Gruwell (Freedom Writers)

I recall watching Freedom Writers as a kid and respecting Erin Gruwell, played by Hilary Swank. As someone who has had a lot of trouble with patience and perseverance, I admired Gruwell's persistence and tenacity to never give up on her students despite them hating her initially and making her feel unwelcome. Ultimately, because of her diligence, everyone was given the chance to graduate and live successful lives. 

Mr. Hand (Fast Times At Ridgemont High)

There's something about history and English teachers in movies and T.V. because Mr. Hand, the history teacher from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, is one of the most memorable. While he usually had a frown on his face, he was a softer person underneath that gruff exterior. He will do anything to help his students succeed, even spending time after school to help his kids understand lessons, which I'm sure they appreciate. 

Severus Snape (Harry Potter)

As someone who loves the Harry Potter franchise, I couldn't make this list without including Severus Snape, played by Alan Rickman in one of his best roles. While Snape was a bit of a jerk to everyone, there's no denying that underneath that, he was an older man with a lot of trauma and someone who did everything in his power to protect the students and those he cared about. Even in the end, he could give Harry his tears to show him that he always loved Lily, Harry's mother. 

Dr. Frank Bryant (Educating Rita)

Michael Caine has delivered some incredible performances over his time in Hollywood, and personally, Dr. Frank Bryant in Educating Rita, is one of my favorites. The story is about a woman going back to university years later, and the movie shows that sometimes, all a teacher needs to rekindle their love for their subject is that one student, and watching how both Bryant leaves his impact on Rita (Susan) and vice versa is lovely to see. 

Mr. Collins (The Wonder Years)

The Wonder Years is one of the most iconic sitcoms of the '80s and '90s, and of course, I must mention Mr. Collins. Steven Gilborn played the teacher and worked with the main character, Kevin Arnold, to push him to be the best he could be, never quitting for a single moment. Gilborn was a professor before becoming an actor, making this role more special. 

Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter)

Minerva McGonagall was one of the most impactful teachers in Harry Potter's life in the Harry Potter movies. I mean, not only did she teach him several lessons in magic, but it was because of her that he could do so many things – join the Quidditch team, get him a broomstick, etc. Plus, she did everything she could to protect the students of Hogwarts during the war, consistently putting her life on the line as one of the best witches there. 

Coach Fredericks (Freaks And Geeks)

Are there teachers in Freaks and Geeks? Of course, there are, but I have to give this spot to Coach Fredericks, played by Tom Wilson. He starts as a pretty stereotypical bad guy P.E. teacher, but throughout the show's one season, we get to know the teacher and understand who he is as a person. 

Mark Thackeray (To Sir, With Love)

Starring Sidney Poitier, To Sir, With Love is a British drama film about Mark Thackeray, an immigrant who takes a teaching position despite never teaching before, to find some income where he is told to teach delinquents who have been rejected from other schools. And through his teaching ability, he wins over the class, treating them more like adults than children, trying to reach them on a different level. 

Miss Honey (Matilda)

Whether you watch the 1990s version of Matilda or you check out the underrated Netflix musical version, Miss Honey in both is the kind of teacher that we hear about in fairytales. Not only is she sweet as honey and teaches her children so many things, but she takes it upon herself to raise Matilda at the end of both films because she cares that much about the girl, giving her the life she always wanted. 

Lydia Grant (Fame)

I'm one of the biggest fans of the best dance movies, but watching dance on television is also a great pastime, and Fame gave me that and more. In Fame, a show about high school students at a performing arts school in NYC, we meet Lydia Grant, a dance teacher. Indeed, her moves and teaching style are memorable, keeping her kids in a tight line and making sure they were the best they could be. 

LouAnne Johnson (Dangerous Minds)

Michelle Pfeiffer is LouAnne Johnson in Dangerous Minds, the story of a former marine who takes on a teaching position where she must handle a classroom of low-income, challenging teenagers involved in gangs and drugs. I think what makes Johnson such a great teacher is that she goes out of her way to teach with unconventional methods, such as giving everyone an A that they must maintain or using the lyrics of Bob Marley to get into poetry. That's what makes her extraordinary. 

Mr Chips (Goodbye, Mr. Chips)

Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a movie from the classic period of Hollywood and stars Robert Donat as Mr. Chips, an aging teacher who reflects on his life through the decades. There's too much here to say how Mr. Chips was a great teacher, as he impacted not only one student's life but many over several years. 

Remus Lupin (Harry Potter)

Harry Potter had some great teachers, and one that most certainly comes to mind is Remus Lupin, one of the best Defense Against the Dark Arts Teachers in the series. While his time as the teacher only lasted for a year (as is tradition with most teachers there), Lupin left his mark on Harry as the kindest DADA teacher he had and taught him one of the most valuable charms there is – the Patronus charm. 

Jaime Escalante (Stand And Deliver)

Starring Edward James Olmos, Stand and Deliver is all about Jaime Escalante, who becomes the math teacher at a high school in East Los Angeles and has a class full of Latino students. Through his teaching methods, he can make them achieve great things in calculus and stand up for them when no one else will. 

Joe Clark (Lean On Me)

Joe Clark in Lean On Me, played by Morgan Freeman, is a teacher who does not mess around with his students. The movie is based on a true story about a teacher named Joe Clark, who becomes the principal and uses his past and much more to bring his school up to standards. While radical at first, the students grow to care for him in all that he does, both in the school and outside. 

Ms. Norbury (Mean Girls)

Mean Girls is more of a comedy than anything else, but Ms. Norbury, played by Tina Fey, is a great teacher. She's one of the few who stands up for Cady, and in the end, she still stands by her side despite what Cady wrote about her in the Burn Book, leading to Norbury being investigated as a drug dealer. 

Mr. Medina (Gilmore Girls)

Gilmore Girls had plenty of grown-up characters, but Mr. Medina, played by Scott Cohen, was one of the most prominent. He was Rory's beloved English teacher, who taught her many valuable lessons and ended up getting romantically involved with Lorelai. 

Dr. Larabee (Akeelah And The Bee)

Akeelah and the Bee stars Keke Palmer and Laurence Fishburne, and this film focuses on the relationship between Akeelah and her mentor, Dr. Joshua Larabee. And while their partnership at first is tenuous, they grow because of each other and truly leave an impact. 

Manish Kulkarni (Never Have I Ever)

Never Have I Ever is a hilarious Netflix teen romance series; Devi's English teacher is a great part of that. He is the definition of an excellent and honest teacher who sugarcoats nothing – and what's even better is that he winds up dating Devi's cousin later anyway. 

Dewey Finn (School Of Rock)

While he initially faked his way into the role, having no teaching experience, Dewey Finn left his impact on his students in School of Rock, so much so that a new program was created for students for music. It's undoubtedly one of Jack Black's best films. 

Annalise Keating (How To Get Away With Murder)

Played by the talented Viola Davis, How To Get Away With Murder introduced audiences to Annalise Keating, a law professor and criminal defense attorney, who not only leaves her mark on her students but works with them to solve a murder case together. And through it all, she aims to keep them safe and sound despite everything turning upside down. 

Sister Mary Clarence (Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit)

Sister Act 2 saw Whoopi Goldberg return as Sister Mary Clarence, now serving as a choir teacher who takes a group of students from a failing school and turns them into a choir that could knock the socks off of anyone out there. 

Miss Bliss (Good Morning, Miss Bliss)

Many people know Saved By The Bell, which was a spinoff of Good Morning, Miss Bliss. The one-season Disney Channel series is all about Miss Bliss, a junior high teacher who is a great educator and a source of calmness and delight to her students, who often turn to her for the problems they face. 

Glenn Holland (Mr. Holland's Opus)

Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Mr. Holland's Opus is the definition of a movie teacher that left an impact. The movie follows a high school music teacher who makes his music, but throughout the film, we see how much his dedication to his craft has impacted his students. Guaranteed, you will cry. 

We could talk about many excellent teachers in movies and on TV, but these truly stand out as some of the best. Now, I need a movie and a T.V. marathon to appreciate them again—time to grab a box of tissues. 

Have you ever caught a rerun of an older TV show and during the opening credits sequence, you spotted someone who made you say, “Hey, I know that person!”? This is actually a more common occurrence than you may realize, as there many A-list celebrities whose first IMDb credit (or one of the first) was a supporting role on a series long before they earned the honor of being a leading presence on the big (or small) screen. The following are some of our favorite examples of famous actors who appeared a bit further down the the line on the call sheet on a TV show when they were starting out.

Chris Pratt (Everwood)

Before Guardians of the Galaxy made him a leading man, Chris Pratt really began to gain traction from starring in the Parks and Recreation cast as Andy Dwyer. However, even earlier than that, he starred on a WB family drama called Everwood as high school joke Bright Abbott alongside fellow future MCU star Emily VanCamp, who played his sister, Amy.

Jennifer Lawrence (The Bill Engvall Show)

Before her Academy Award-nominated performance in 2010’s Winter’s Bone, her star-making role as Katniss in The Hunger Games and Oscar-winning turn in Silver Lining’s Playbook, Jennifer Lawrence was a sitcom star — specifically a cable network sitcom star. On The Bill Engvall Show, which lasted three seasons on TBS, she starred opposite the eponymous stand-up comedian as his on-screen alter ego’s teenage daughter, Lauren Pearson,

Austin Butler (Zoey 101)

The musical talents that earned Austin Butler the title role of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis can be traced back to his part on Ruby & the Rockits, which lasted 10 episodes on ABC Family (now Freeform) in 2009. However, the Oscar nominee’s first major TV role was on the final season of Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101 as James Garrett — a character missing from Paramount+’s feature-length follow-up, Zoey 102.

Margot Robbie (Pan Am)

While her earliest role was actually the long-running soap opera, Neighbours — much like many other Aussie A-listers — we thought we would highlight American audiences’ first true introduction to Margot Robbie on Pan Am. An interesting fact about Robbie is that the future Oscar nominee and DC movies star was actually roommates with co-star Christina Ricci while playing 1960s-era flight attendant Laura Cameron on the short-lived ABC drama from 2011 to 2012.

Seth Rogen (Freaks And Geeks)

While still part of the main ensemble, Seth Rogen’s role as the initially arrogant Ken Miller pretty much got the short end of the stick amongst the Freaks and Geeks cast, for the most part. Ironically, Rogen, arguably, went on to become the painfully short-lived coming-of-age dramedy’s biggest star, which is really saying something, given his co-stars include Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, and John Francis Daley.

Brie Larson (Raising Dad)

A notable moment in Academy Award winner Brie Larson’s evolution from child star to modern A-list actor was her role as the late Bob Saget’s youngest on-screen daughter on Raising Dad — a sitcom that ran for one season on The WB (now The CW) in the early 2000s. Following her success as the MCU’s Captain Marvel, Larson returned to TV in 2023 — reprising her Scott Pilgrim vs. the World role for Netflix’s animated series reboot, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and leading the Lessons in Chemistry cast for Apple TV+.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Growing Pains)

While doing press for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt recalled how they both appeared on the hit ABC sitcom Growing Pains much earlier in their career. Of course, Pitt had a one-episode guest appearance while the Oscar-winning The Revenant star and Titanic cast member had a prominent role as Luke Brewer — a homeless teen taken in by the Seavers in Season 7. 

Ana De Armas (The Boarding School)

One of the films that earned Academy Award nominee Ana de Armas a spot on the A-list was Rian Johnson’s hit whodunit, Knives Out, from 2019. More than a decade earlier, the Cuban-born actor landed a role on a coming-of-age mystery TV show called El Internado (or The Boarding School), which originally aired in Spain from 2007 to 2010.

Michael B. Jordan (The Wire)

After getting his start as a Toys ‘R Us kid, the fascinating Michael B. Jordan made his official acting debut on an episode of The Sopranos, but later landed a more prominent role on another acclaimed, gritty HBO series in 2002. He appeared amongst The Wire cast as Wallace — an orphan whose tragic story had a profound impact on the Emmy-nominated series beyond his 13-episode stint.

Anne Hathaway (Get Real)

Anne Hathaway fans should know that before she broke into the mainstream by leading Disney’s The Princess Diaries cast, the Academy Award winner made her acting debut on a 1999 Fox TV show called Get Real as a high school senior who shocks her family with the decision to refuse college. Coincidentally, the short-lived dramedy was also the debut of Hathaway’s Rio co-star, Jesse Eisenberg, and was an early gig for NCIS' Eric Christian Olsen as well.

Denzel Washington (St. Elsewhere)

With two Oscars to his name, it’s hard to imagine a TV screen big enough to contain the talent of one Denzel Washington, yet it was a TV show that helped launched the young actor’s career in the early 1980s. Following his official debut in the 1977 TV movie Wilma, the future Training Day lead played Dr. Philip Chandler on NBC’s hit medical drama, St. Elsewhere.

Michelle Williams (Dawson's Creek)

For years, Michelle Williams was known best from the Dawson’s Creek cast as Jen Lindley. Now — after receiving multiple Academy Award nominations for acclaimed dramas like Manchester by the Sea and Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans — that role on the hit teen drama is, typically, among the last things mentioned in regards to her career.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock From The Sun)

As a child actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt starred in some good movies and made a few notable TV guest appearances before landing his first successful series regular gig with 3rd Rock from the Sun. He played the eldest member of a group of extra-terrestrial visitors, and the character resembles a teenager in human form on the Emmy-winning sci-fi sitcom.

George Clooney (The Facts Of Life)

As a TV star, George Clooney is best known from his main role on the popular ‘90s show, ER, on which he played Doug Ross. Much earlier, however, the future two-time Oscar winner had a memorable recurring role on Diff’rent Strokes' (very different) spin-off, The Facts of Life, as George Burnett — a carpenter who would become close to the girls living under Mrs. Garrett’s roof.

Woody Harrelson (Cheers)

With multiple Academy Award nominations to his name, Woody Harrelson is known today as one of Hollywood’s most versatile movie stars, but his first big break came when he joined the Cheers cast in the mid-1980s. In fact, he won his first Emmy Award for playing the naive, but lovable, Woody Byrd, whom Sam (Ted Danson) hires on as a new barkeep following he death of Coach (Nicholas Colasanto).

Jason Bateman (Little House On The Prairie)

At least before he led Netflix’s Ozark cast, Jason Bateman has always best known on the small screen as a sitcom star, with his roles as David Hogan on Valerie (later changed to The Hogan Family) and Michael Bluth on Arrested Development being the famous examples. However, his very first gig was playing James Cooper Ingalls for 21 episodes of Little House on the Prairie during the early 1980s.

Don Cheadle (The Golden Palace)

An early Don Cheadle role you may have forgotten about was featured on a TV show spin-off you may not have heard of, either. The future Academy Award nominee and MCU actor starred alongside most of the Golden Girls cast on The Golden Palace as Roland Wilson — the young manager of the titular hotel where the short-lived sitcom took place. 

Jason Momoa (Baywatch)

Even long before he landed the role of Aquaman in the DC movies, Jason Momoa was no stranger to saving lives in the water. The Hawaiian-born actor made his debut in his home state when he joined the Baywatch cast as a character also named Jason from 1999 to 2001.

Marisa Tomei (A Different World)

We know her from her Academy Award-winning role in My Cousin Vinny as Mona Lisa Vito (who she'd love to revisit) or as Peter Parker’s (reinvented) Aunt May in the MCU, to name a few examples. Yet before many people knew who Marisa Tomei was, she was on the first season of The Cosby Show spin-off, A Different World, as Hillman student Maggie Lauten.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Get Down)

One interesting fact about Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: before he was an Emmy-winning DC TV show star (for playing Cal Abar on HBO’s Watchmen) and a scene-stealing DC movie villain (Black Manta in Aquaman), he worked as a San Francisco city planner until he was laid off in 2010. The role that first helped him make a name for himself as an actor was night club owner Clarene “Cadillac” Caldwell in Netflix’s musical period drama series, The Get Down, from co-creator Baz Luhrmann.

Alexandra Daddario (All My Children)

Speaking to Women’s Health in 2022, Alexandra Daddario recalls that she was fired from the long-running daytime soap opera, All My Children, which she actually found to be a liberating, educational experience. It led to seek improvement in her acting skills and pave the way for her to breakthrough in the Percy Jackson movies, give an Emmy-nominated performance as part of the HBO’s The White Lotus cast, and star in many other notable works.

Adam Driver (Girls)

Without Lena Dunham, there might not be a Kylo Ren — or at least, the memorable version of the Sith Lord we got in the hands Adam Driver. The former Marine’s scene-stealing role on HBO’s Girls as Adam Sackler is what got Hollywood to take notice of his talent, leading to his casting in the Star Wars movies and his Oscar-nominated performances in BlacKkKlansman and Marriage Story.

Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls)

Gilmore Girls proved to be a launch pad for many A-listers — few of which would blow up quite like Melissa McCarthy, who played Sookie St. James on the hit dramedy.  She later won an Emmy for her leading role on the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly and received an Academy Award nomination for her supporting role as a member of the Bridesmaids cast. And that film skyrocketed her to the A-list as a trusted name in comedy and more.

Drake (Degrassi: The Next Generation)

One of the most memorable and important characters from Degrassi: The Next Generation is Jimmy Brooks, who served as an inspirational representation for wheelchair users on the long-running Canadian coming-of-age drama. The role was played by an actor named Aubrey Graham, who still acts on occasion — an Anchorman 2 cameo, for instance — but primarily performs as a rapper under the moniker Drake.

Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men)

At just eight years old, Kiernan Shipka proved to be a stand-out alongside AMC’s Mad Men cast with her performance as Sally Draper. She later went on to lead her own TV show (Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and headline movies like Amazon Prime’s horror-comedy, Totally Killer and The Silence.

Ryan Reynolds (Fifteen)

Despite his many earnest roles over the years, it may be hard to picture Ryan Reynolds as anything other than the smarmy goof he plays in the likes of the Deadpool movies and National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, for instance. Perhaps watching him make his debut in the Canadian coming-of-age drama Fifteen will help audiences see another side of him.

Tommy Lee Jones (One Life To Live)

It is amazing to think about how many acclaimed and even legendary actors started out on soap operas, such as Tommy Lee Jones. One of the earliest roles for the Academy Award-winning star of The Fugitive and the Men in Black movies was the ill-fated Mark Toland on One Life to Live from 1971 to 1975.

John Travolta (Welcome Back, Kotter)

Before his Academy Award-nominated role in 1977’s Saturday Night Fever — and its fantastic movie soundtrack — made him one of the biggest stars of all time, John Travolta was better known by another name: Vinnie Barbarino. That was the future Pulp Fiction cast member’s character on Welcome Back, Kotter — a hit sitcom that never made it to 100 episodes. He practically stole the show from star and co-creator Gabe Kaplan with his famous catchphrase, “Up your nose with a rubber hose!”

Jennifer Love Hewitt (Kids Incorporated)

Her role as Sarah Reeves on the original Party of Five may have made Jennifer Love Hewitt a teen idol, but it was not her first major TV gig. The Ghost Whisperer star was 10 when she demonstrated her multiple talents on Disney Channel’s Kids Incorporated, which focuses on the lives of a group of young artists who perform live music at a club for children.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Fortysomething)

It was his eponymous role on the modern crime drama Sherlock that made Benedict Cumberbatch a nigh-unpronounceable household name, but his first starring role on a TV series was Fortysomething. The MCU’s Doctor Strange actor played the on-screen son of none other than House’s Hugh Laurie on the English dramedy that lasted six episodes.

Jared Leto (My So-Called Life)

In one of the best ‘90s shows that ended too soon, My So-Called Life, Jared Leto portrayed what would become his first iconic role: high school heartthrob Jordan Catalano. The much celebrated coming-of-age drama also marked one for the first times the future Academy Award winner acted alongside his sibling and Thirty Seconds to Mars bandmate, Shannon.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Passions)

Movie star Mary Elizabeth Winstead has more than a few very notable small-screen roles — such as a leading stint in Fargo Season 3 and Hera Syndulla alongside the Ahsoka cast for Disney+. The Scott Pilgrim vs. The World cast member’s earliest major TV gig, however, was on the supernatural soap opera Passions.

For any TV actors out there hoping one day to make it onto the big screen, let these stories serve as proof that your dreams may not be far away from becoming a reality.

Long ago, there was a separation between film and television. Actors who excelled in one rarely transitioned over to the other. The industry catered to Movie Stars and Television stars, and all was right with the world. Gradually, more TV stars started to make the leap to movie stardom. Many of them failed, but several broke out, and continue to enjoy massive success to this day. (Fascinatingly, movie actors also started to go back to television during the advent of the streaming service, but that’s a different topic). Here are 32 TV shows that helped launch a young actor’s career. How many have you seen?  

Saturday Night Live

The obvious answer, but that doesn’t make it any less correct. Since its earliest days, Saturday Night Live has been turning cast members like Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Mike Meyers, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig into huge movie stars. It’s a proving ground for unproven talent, and remains that way to this day. 

In Living Color

It doesn’t have the proven track record of SNL, but the sketch comedy show In Living Color did give the world Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier, Tommy Davidson, as well as multiple members of the Wayans family.  

Moonlighting

Recently, we have been lamenting the retirement of the great Bruce Willis, who has been diagnosed with aphasia. And the return of Moonlighting to Hulu serves as a wonderful reminder of the snap and crackle that launched his star into the stratosphere. His detective character, David Addison, was an instant classic, and Moonlighting remains one of the sharpest written programs in TV history. 

Mork and Mindy

Robin Williams’ brand of comedy was out of this world. He resembled an extraterrestrial, with his strange voices and unusually quick brain. So making him an actual alien, Mork from Ork, in the winning Mork and Mindy proved to be a genius stroke for this 1970s sitcom.   

Happy Days

Back in the day, The Fonz (Henry Winkler) epitomized “cool.” It’s hilarious to see what Winkler has become, a cuddly, neurotic character actor who can be comfortable in an Adam Sandler comedy, and the pitch black satire Barry. In addition to Winkler, Happy Days shined a brighter light on Ron Howard and Penny Marshall, who became major storytellers for the next generation.   

Laverne and Shirley

The Happy Days spinoff took the characters we loved on Happy Days and gave them a larger platform. It still makes me laugh that Michael McKean, who played Lenny of “Lenny and Squiggy” fame, went on to give perhaps one of the greatest dramatic performances of all time as Chuck on Better Call Saul.  

Growing Pains

Growing Pains was a vehicle for Kirk Cameron, who has gone on to be a pretty big star in his own corner of Hollywood. But here’s a fun fact. The amiable sitcom about the Seaver family also played host to a very young Brad Pitt, and a very young Leonardo Dicaprio. I wonder if Quentin Tarantino is a huge Growing Pains fan?

Alias

A terrific spy thriller with the beating heart of a coming of age soap opera. Alias capitalized on the white-hot charisma (and physical prowess) of Jennifer Garner, who’d go on to become Elektra and, eventually, a rom-com superstar. Also, look for a young Bradley Cooper in the show, as well.

The Facts of Life

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have a TV sitcom that hosted George Clooney, Helen Hunt, Molly Ringwald, David Spade and Cloris Leachman as they dipped back and forth between movies and television. 

Diff’rent Strokes

Diff’rent Strokes was a sweet show about a lonely, wealthy man who rediscovered family by bringing in two foster kids, brothers Arnold (Gary Coleman) and Willis (Todd Bridges). The ensemble was stellar, but there aren’t enough words to describe how big of a star Coleman became from this show. He’d always be known as Arnold, his catchphrase “Whatchoo talkin’ bout, Willis?” becoming the stuff of legend.  

Dawson’s Creek

Sometimes, the right ensemble comes together and creates on screen magic, which was the case for Dawson's Creek. This earnest teenage show set in coastal North Carolina focused on young James Van Der Beek as film student Dawson, but had two wild cards in Michelle Williams and Katie Holmes as the best friends and occasional love interests over the course of the show.     

Friends

Speaking of “the right ensemble,” TV sitcoms don’t hit home runs like Friends all that often. But an incredibly simple premise – three girls and three guys try to make it in New York City – became the voice of a generation, while making massive stars of each friend. Jennifer Aniston probably has enjoyed the most successful post-Friends career, but it’s the late Matthew Perry who probably remains the most beloved of the crew.

Freaks and Geeks

Paul Feig and Judd Apatow have their fingerprints all over modern comedy. But their roots trace back to Freaks and Geeks, a short-lived television program that boasted Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini, James Franco, and Jason Segel at the beginning of their career arcs.  

That '70s Show

Similarly, That ‘70s Show explored the lives of suburban teenagers while shaping some talents that would create memorable movies for years to come. Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Topher Grace, and Laura Prepon probably benefited the most from their '70s Show bump, but the whole crew enjoyed post-Show success.  

Parks and Recreation

Thanks to Saturday Night Live, Amy Poehler already was a household name when Parks and Recreation launched. But the show helped to elevate the status of Rashida Jones, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza and – in easily one of the most unexpected moves – Chris Pratt, who went from shlubby Andy to the chiseled Star Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  

The Office

What started as a riff on a beloved English sitcom became the most-watched TV sitcom for an American audience. Steve Carell cemented his status as a comedic legend, and John Krasinski turned the role of Jim into a budding action hero and directorial career. But everyone in The Office went on to become more famous than they ever were before the show. It’s impressive.

Bosom Buddies

Certain shows worked very well for their time, but probably wouldn’t make it today. In Bosom Buddies, Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari dressed up in drag and pretended to be women to get affordable rent in New York City. Like Moonlighting for Bruce Willis, the show acted as a launch pad for one of the industry’s biggest and brightest stars in Hanks.   

E.R.

Medical dramas will never lose their luster. Just ask the cast of Grey’s Anatomy. E.R. was that show in its prime, and made a star out of George Clooney (who had been acting in things for years). Anthony Edwards, Noah Wyle, Julianna Margulies, Eriq La Salle, and Laura Innes also shined, but Clooney used E.R. to reach superstar status.  

Roseanne

When Roseanne started, co-leads Roseanne Barr and John Goodman were proven talents. As they show developed, though, it made household names out of wild talents like Sara Gilbert, Laurie Metcalf, Johnny Galecki, and Sarah Chalke. Watching the show return to form in recent times has been a delight.  

21 Jump Street

It’s a terrific premise for a television program. Cops who look too young for the force are assigned back to high school, where they crack down on crimes affecting teenagers. We joke about Richard Grieco being a standout, but 21 Jump Street forever will be associated with the rise of Johnny Depp, still one of the biggest movie stars in modern times. 

Cheers

The bar where everybody knows your name. Additionally, the sitcom that launched the careers of a dozen proven talents, from Ted Danson, Shelley Long, and Kelsey Grammer (who continues to play Dr. Frasier Crane to this day) to the legendary Woody Harrelson, a comedic and dramatic icon of impressive range.   

Stranger Things

So many of the shows on this list are network television shows, which always was the high-profile showcase for young talent. In time, streaming programs took over that mantle, with Stranger Things becoming a serious launch pad for incredible young personalities like Millie Bobby Brown, Sadie Sink, David Harbour, and Finn Wolfhard.  

Family Ties

What would we do, baby, without us? Well, without Family Ties, we might not have Michael J. Fox, who charmed audiences as the conservative financial wizard Alex P. Keaton, and used that notoriety to land the all-time gig of Marty McFly in Back to the Future.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

There was a time when Will Smith was one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. Big Will owned Fourth of July weekend with sci-fi blockbusters such as Independence Day and Men In Black. Smith would go on to become notorious for some bad behavior at the Oscars, but he owes his start to the sitcom that introduced the kid from West Philadelphia, born and raised.

Friday Night Lights

High school football in Texas is no joke. Communities rally around the hometown team, and Hollywood tried to tap into that loyalty. There was a movie with Billy Bob Thornton, but the T show kicked off real talent, showcasing Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Michael B. Jordan, Jesse Plemons, Minka Kelly, Jurnee Smollett, and Taylor Kitsch.   

3rd Rock From The Sun

This was a weird little show carried by an outlandish John Lithgow performance (and, for some reason, our collective delight in French Stewart). But it also gave us young Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who continues to entertain on the big and small screen.  

The Wire

Is it the best television program ever created? Some argue this, while others take the side of Breaking Bad. Both of them are essential viewing. But The Wire did more in terms of introducing young talent to a fascinated industry, giving crucial roles to a young Michael B. Jordan, Idris Elba, Michael K. Williams, Wood Harris, and the versatile Amy Ryan. The cast was stacked with heavy hitters, and makes this show so rewarding on a rewatch every time. 

Welcome Back, Kotter

Let’s throw it into the wayback machine, to a time when Welcome Back, Kotter cast Gabe Kaplan as a teacher forced to return to his old high school and educate a group known as the Sweathogs. And in that group? Blossoming talent John Travolta, who’d go on to appear in some of the biggest movies of this or any other era. 

St. Elsewhere

Similar to E.R., St. Elsewhere was a weekly medical drama that rode on the backs of its incredible ensemble. Some new faces that we found on the St, Elsewhere staff? Ed Begley Jr., the brilliant David Morse, Howie Mandel, and Denzel Washington!

Silver Spoons

This was one of my favorite shows growing up. Ricky Schroder was a born star, playing a young boy who wants to move in with the father he never knew. But the standout in the cast, and the young actor destined for much bigger things, was Jason Bateman, who parlayed Silver Spoons into recurring roles on It’s Your Move and the smash hit Valerie, which lasted for 110 episodes.

The Cosby Show

It was an enormous show, structured around the personality of a popular stand up comic. But The Cosby Show also helped launch the careers of several young talents, including Lisa Bonet, Tempestt Bledsoe, Raven-Symone, and the incomparable Keshia Knight Pulliam. They would be linked to The Cosby Show for years, with Bonet pushing herself dramatically to distance herself from the show’s legacy. But there’s no denying the influence this sitcom had on their careers. 

Shake It Up

What if I told you that the two stars of Shake It Up, Zendaya and Bella Thorne, would go on to become some of the most famous talents of their generation? We all have to start somewhere, and for so many young actors, the Disney Channel was that place. But Shake It Up stood out by being an entertaining program with two magnetic leads.  

And those are just some of the TV shows that helped launch the careers of budding talent. 

Moms always deserve more credit than they get, and that goes for the wonderful matriarchs who have graced our television screens over the years. Characters like Carol Brady and Clair Huxtable are names that easily come to mind when thinking about the best TV moms, but there are so many more that deserve to be mentioned.

Sometimes mothers make mistakes despite trying their best. Others show their love in more unconventional ways, and some just seem to always get outshined by other members of their family. For one reason or another, below are some fantastic TV moms who never got enough credit.

Ruth Fisher (Six Feet Under)

Ruth Fisher’s whole life changed when her husband was killed in a car accident in the Six Feet Under series premiere. Not only was she tasked with continuing to run her family’s funeral home business, and come to terms with her own guilt, loneliness and identity, she had to help guide her grown children through their own grief. Ruth (Frances Conroy) wasn’t perfect — no issue on the HBO drama was black-and-white — but there was no question that she had put her children’s needs first for her whole life. 

Beth Pearson (This Is Us) 

When your mother-in-law is the indomitable Rebecca Pearson, it’s pretty easy to get overshadowed as a mom, and that’s precisely why Beth Pearson (Susan Kelechi Watson) on This Is Us never got enough credit. Her husband Randall was definitely a good partner, but Beth was the real MVP of the parenting dynamic duo, often able to anticipate her family’s emotions and sniff out any scheming going on with their three daughters. She even became a mother figure to many more by opening her own dance studio. 

Sarah Braverman (Parenthood) 

Parenthood gave viewers plenty of different family dynamics to dissect, and Kristina Braverman was tough to beat as a mother, going so far as to open up a charter school for children with special needs. So it's no wonder that her sister-in-law, former wild child Sarah Braverman (Lauren Graham), was never given much credit. Sarah struggled to raise Amber and Drew as a single mother, and boy did they not make it easy on her. She may not have always had all the answers, but she loved her kids first, and in the end they figured it out together. 

Rainbow Johnson (black-ish) 

Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis Johnson) on black-ish deserves all the flowers, serving as the model of a successful working mom. Rainbow juggled being a doctor and raising five children, whom she respected as individuals. She put their problems ahead of her own to make sure they had a better life than she did as a kid. 

Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls) 

Lorelai Gilmore’s daughter Rory could always count on her mom for a snappy joke or pop culture reference, but Lorelai (Lauren Graham) certainly didn’t have it easy. Her relationship with her own parents was strained after getting pregnant at just 16 years old, making it all the more impressive when she made a life for her and Rory in Stars Hollow. She struggled at times to be patient with her own daughter’s mistakes, but she wasn’t too proud to accept her parents’ help when it benefited Rory. 

Marge Simpson (The Simpsons) 

Would the Simpson family even survive without Marge? Easily the most underappreciated of the family of five, Marge never got any help from Homer over the decades, as she raised three extremely different and never-aging children. In fact, Homer was more of a fourth child in that equation, and still Marge loved her husband and her kids. I don’t think there’s a person in the world who could blame her for the occasional frustrated grunt. 

Michonne (The Walking Dead) 

Despite her own trauma of losing a child in the walker outbreak, The Walking Dead’s Michonne (Danai Gurira) adopted Carl and Judith as her own (before going on have her own child with Rick Grimes), and she never hesitated to put her own life at risk to save them. 

Penelope Alvarez (One Day at a Time) 

Despite being a war veteran struggling with her own PTSD and depression, Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado) was always able to give her children the attention they needed on One Day at a Time. She made the time, even while working as a nurse and living with her traditional Cuban mother. 

Morticia Addams (The Addams Family) 

Morticia Addams (portrayed in the 1964 sitcom The Addams Family by Carolyn Jones) was the epitome of unconventional, but was there ever a TV mom who encouraged her children to be themselves more than her? Never bending to the expectations and societal norms of those around her, Morticia was always loyal to and protective of her family, if not a bit macabre. 

Jane Villanueva (Jane the Virgin) 

Talk about life taking you in unexpected directions! Gina Rodriguez’s Jane Villanueva on Jane the Virgin had her own matriarchs to thank for being able to figure things out when she got pregnant by accidental artificial insemination. Such grace in the most unique of situations. 

Claire Dunphy (Modern Family) 

Nobody said you had to have everything together in order to be a good mom. Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen) of Modern Family often struggled with how to approach the myriad hurdles of her blended and extended family, but fans found her relatable, and she deserved a lot more credit than she got. 

Gemma Teller Morrow (Sons of Anarchy) 

The characters in the world of Sons of Anarchy all knew one thing: Don’t mess with Gemma Teller Morrow (Katey Sagal) or her family, including any of the members of SAMCRO. Gemma was willing to kill or die for her son Jax, and boy did she prove it.  

Laurel Park (The Summer I Turned Pretty) 

Often the less-fun mom in comparison to her BFF Susannah, Laurel Park (Jackie Chung) was undoubtedly more responsible of the two in the book-to-screen adaptation of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Even when grief drove her and Susannah’s kids to make some pretty bad decisions, she handled the teens with understanding and grace. 

Skyler White (Breaking Bad) 

Boy did people give Skyler White (Anna Gunn) grief during Breaking Bad’s run on AMC. Sure, she was complicit in some of Walter White’s money laundering, but it’s not like she was left with much of a choice. Always doing what she thought was best for her family, she was fiercely protective of her kids — even when that meant standing up to her husband when he was at his most dangerous. 

Peggy Bundy (Married… With Children) 

Peggy Bundy (Katey Sagal) had a lot of qualities you might not look for in a good TV mom on Married… with Children. She was lazy, obsessed with the television and didn’t exactly set the best example for the kids. She still deserves more credit than she gets, though, because she was unapologetically herself and nurturing in her own way. 

Roseanne Conner (Roseanne) 

Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr) wasn’t perfect on her self-titled sitcom, but what family is? Her and Dan’s struggles to make ends meet while still wanting more for their kids was what made her relatable to so many. Her blunt and brutal honesty was what made her so funny.  

Chilli Heeler (Bluey) 

Chilli, better known as “Mum” to the Bluey viewing audience, definitely doesn’t get as much credit in the fun department as Bluey and Bingo’s dad Bandit, but somebody’s got to remember to pack the goggles, towels and sunscreen for a day at the pool, right? Chilli takes care of a lot of the “boring” stuff, which apparently is not just a thing for human moms. 

Harriette Winslow (Family Matters)  

Harriette Winslow (played by Jo Marie Payton until the middle of the final season) may not get brought up in the “Best TV Moms” conversation all that often, but she definitely should. If for no other reason, she kept her patience with Family Matters fan favorite Steve Urkel a lot longer than many would have. 

Linda Belcher (Bob’s Burgers) 

Sometimes when it comes to moms and their eccentric families, it’s hard to understand how they fit in. That’s not the case with Linda Belcher on Bob’s Burgers, who may be the matriarch, but she’s as big a mess as any of them, and I mean that in the best way. Linda is wild and funny while still being incredibly loving and supportive. 

Jean Weir (Freaks and Geeks) 

Helping your children navigate their formative years is not an easy task, and Jean Weir (Becky Ann Baker) on Freaks and Geeks definitely had her work cut out for her with her polar-opposite kiddos Lindsay and Sam. While her efforts were hit-and-miss, she wanted to connect with them so badly, and you just had to appreciate her goofy, sometimes-overbearing personality. 

Rebecca Donaldson Katsopolis (Full House) 

Of course Rebecca Donaldson (aka “Aunt Becky”) would go on to have twins with “Uncle Jesse” Katsopolis, but Lori Loughlin’s character on Full House was earning mom points years before that, as she gave motherly advice to Michelle, Stephanie and especially DJ after their own mom’s passing. The importance of her role to them can’t be overstated. 

Jessica Huang (Fresh Off The Boat) 

Jessica Huang (Constance Wu) may be the queen to her kids’ pawns in the chess game of life, but the high expectations the Fresh Off the Boat matriarch set for her children just showed how much she believed in them. She was firm but devoted, and sometimes we forget those tough moms have just as much love to give. 

Carol Foster-Lambert (Step By Step) 

Anybody who successfully blends families the way the Fosters and Lamberts did on Step by Step deserves some major mom snaps, especially given the spectrum of personalities Carol Foster-Lambert’s children and stepchildren exhibited. There were growing pains, of course, but it couldn’t have worked without the endless love and support of Suzanne Somers’ character. 

Jane Chapman (Big Little Lies) 

Given the trauma that Jane Chapman endured on Big Little Lies, there’s no wondering why she’s slow to trust people, or why she’s so protective of her son Ziggy. Never as perky or interesting or seemingly perfect as the other moms around her, her strength to survive and provide for Ziggy shouldn’t go unheralded. 

Kitty Forman (That ‘70s Show) 

We all know that one mom who unofficially adopts all of her kids’ friends as her own, and on That ‘70s Show, it was Eric and Laurie’s mother Kitty Forman (Debra Jo Rupp). It speaks volumes that everybody always felt at home there, despite her husband Red’s eternally grouchy disposition. She may not get enough credit as a great TV mom, but she’s unrivaled in infectious laughter. 

Carmela Soprano (The Sopranos) 

All moms have a lot on their plates, and let's face it: Parenting is just plain hard. So Edie Falco's Carmela Soprano on The Sopranos probably deserves some extra credit for also being married to a mob boss. Even if she didn't deserve it, I'd give it to her anyway.

Annie Marks (Good Girls) 

Good Girls shows just how far moms will go when they’re desperate to provide for their children. Mae Whitman played young single mother Annie Marks, but despite Annie's dangerous lifestyle, she prioritized her child and was a beacon of support during an emotional coming out story. 

Christy Jolene Plunkett (Mom) 

A special shoutout to the moms who are figuring it out after not having a particularly good role model themselves. This was the case for Christy (Anna Faris) on Mom, who always did her best as she faced her own struggles with sobriety and the complex relationship with her mom Bonnie. 

Amy Sosa (Superstore) 

Amy Sosa’s kids may not have been the central focus of Superstore, but America Ferrera’s character gave a voice to many mothers out there through her storyline about having to return to work after 48 hours because the store didn’t offer maternity leave. 

Cindy Walsh (Beverly Hills, 90210) 

Good role models seemed to be severely lacking on Beverly Hills 90210, so that should have made Cindy Walsh (Carol Potter) stand out more as one of TV’s greatest moms. She kept Brandon and Brenda grounded, while providing support as needed to their friends. Cindy put her own pain aside, only rarely showing that she, too, had struggled with the move from Minnesota to the sunny West Coast. 

Samantha Stephens (Bewitched) 

It can’t be easy being a witch living in a non-magical world, but that’s the reality Elizabeth Montgomery’s Samantha Stephens was faced with on Bewitched. Both of her and Darrin’s children also had the nose-twitching powers, and while it’s debatable whether those abilities were best kept under wraps or not, it’s obvious that Samantha just wanted to keep her husband happy and do what was best for the kids. 

Sam Fox (Better Things) 

Loosely based on Pamela Adlon’s own life as a single mom of three daughters, Better Things’ Sam Fox was the perfect combination of protective but not overbearing. She was willing to lay down the law, but the lines of communication were always open for honest conversations about real — and sometimes tough — issues. 

Nora Walker (Brothers & Sisters) 

Nora Walker (Sally Field) isn't often mentioned in the same sentence as TV mom icons like June Cleaver or Clair Huxtable, but she should be. In the wake of her cheating husband's death, Nora didn't have just her own problems to deal with, but she took on those of her grown children as well. In addition to being graceful, honest and loving through all the ups and downs, Nora knew how to keep the wine flowing too.

This is really just a handful of TV moms who don't get enough credit, because if we're being honest, can we ever really show too much appreciation for the women who doled out life lessons from the television screen? I didn't think so. 

For as much as fans like to complain about disappointing series finales — such as the Game of Thrones ending or the confusing conclusion of Lost, to name a couple — at least those TV shows can say they had the opportunity to have their final curtain call on their own terms. There are even more TV shows cancelled way too soon that were unable to complete their stories as intended and the following are some of the most notable examples.

Agent Carter (2015-2016)

Before Marvel TV shows were available with a Disney+ subscription, ABC was the home of series like Agent Carter, which followed the adventures of Hayley Atwell’s covert operative in the 1940s. Unfortunately, the series only lasted two seasons because, as Atwell told The AV Club, the network wanted to put the actor in something more “mainstream.” At least we got to see more of Peggy Carter in subsequent MCU movies and the animated anthology series, What If…?

Archive 81 (2022)

One of many, many examples of prematurely canceled Netflix TV shows you will see on this list is Archive 81, which ended on a shocking cliffhanger that had fans itching for more. Unfortunately, the mysteries surrounding that finale will be left unanswered by the horror series’ cancellation after one season. Plus, fans won’t find the closure they seek in the podcast it is based on, which ended its own first season in a much different way.

Ash Vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018) 

Bruce Campbell retired his most iconic character, Ash Williams, after Starz chainsawed this continuation of the Evil Dead movies after three seasons. According to Bloody-Disgusting, there were plans to build off of the Ash vs. Evil Dead finale’s apocalyptic cliffhanger for a Mad Max-style fourth season.

DC's Legends Of Tomorrow (2016-2022)

After seven seasons, acclaimed DC TV show, Legends of Tomorrow, was unexpectedly given the boot, much to the dismay of the cast, crew and fans, as EW reported in 2022. The time-traveling Arrowverse series left on a cliffhanger that saw the live-action debut of Booster Gold.

The Event (2010-2011)

What is The Event? We’ll never know for sure because NBC took this sci-fi thriller — starring Jason Ritter and Blair Underwood — out of orbit after one season due to low ratings, as Deadline reported. According to Assignment X, there was talk of wrapping up its mysterious story — about a conspiracy involving aliens — with a SyFy original movie that never happened.

Firefly (2002-2003)

In one of the most heartbreaking instances of a TV show ending too soon, Firefly was cancelled by Fox after 11 episodes, being a victim of an unfavorable time slot, a mixed-up episode order, a misleading marketing strategy, etc. While the 2005 feature-length spin-off film, Serenity, provided some closure, fans remain unsatisfied, knowing what great potential this clever fusion of a cosmic setting with western themes had.

First Kill (2022) 

This intriguing series based on a Romeo & Juliet-esque short story with a twist involving vampires and LGBQT+ themes only lasted one season on Netflix. First Kill showrunner Felicia P. Henderson told The Daily Beast that she believes the marketing — which downplayed the series’ supernatural elements in favor of highlighting its core teen romance — hindered its potential to gain more interest.

Forever (2014-2015)

ABC’s Forever turned out to be misnomer, as this crime drama starring Ioan Gruffudd as an immortal medical examiner met an early demise due to low ratings. Creator Matt Miller later revealed on Twitter (via TV Line) plans he had for Season 2, which included delving into the main character’s family history, hints that he inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to create Sherlock Holmes, etc. 

Freaks And Geeks (1999-2000)

There had never been a teen TV comedy quite like Freaks and Geeks, which was expelled by NBC after suffering bad time slots and fierce competition for 12 episodes (out of the 18 that were filmed). However, it spawned a stunning legacy, inspiring coming-of-age TV dramedies since and jumpstarting the stellar careers of the Freaks and Geeks cast. 

The Get Down (2016-2017)

According to Esquire, Netflix declined to comment on exactly why The Get Down became the platform’s first original series to be cancelled after just one season. However, co-creator Baz Luhrmann would share in a Facebook post that the stylish dramatization of hip-hop's roots would not continue in part because of his commitment to his next feature-length effort, which turned out to be Elvis. 

The Glades (2010-2013)

The Glades had a Season 4 finale similar to Dallas’ iconic Season 3 cliffhanger, in which the main character gets shot. However, Dallas was actually given to opportunity to reveal who shot J.R. Ewing, but Jim Longworth’s shooter would remain unknown since A&E would cancel the acclaimed crime procedural. TVLine reported that Matt Passmore — who led the show as the Chicago-based cop transferred to the Everglades — claimed he knew the shooter’s identity, but was unable to say at the time.

Hannibal (2013-2015)

Developer Bryan Fuller’s reinterpretation of author Thomas Harris’ epic crime saga had a Season 3 finale similar to the ending of Thelma & Louise — Mads Mikkelsen’s Hannibal Lecter and Hugh Dancy’s Will Graham lunge themselves off the side of a cliff in each other’s arms — but with less satisfying results. Since NBC pulled the plug, Hannibal fans have since been hungry for a fourth season, which Dancy told Collider he would be open to, but adds it would be unlikely due to the financial cost.

Heels (2021-2023)

Stephen Amell followed his long tenure leading the Arrow cast by starring in this drama offering an inside-look at the professional wrestling word that Starz tossed out of the ring in 2023. Showrunner Mike O’Malley shared with EW his ideas for Heels Season 3 if the series wer find a new home.

Heroes (2006-2010)

Despite its stellar debut, EW reported that Heroes was on a steady decline in viewership before NBC sealed its downfall after four seasons. While the acclaimed twist on comic book lore series would continue in 2015 in the the form of Heroes Reborn, even that was cancelled and was ultimately dubbed a “limited series revival,” according to TV By the Numbers.

How I Met Your Father (2022-2023)

Fans were not happy that Hulu cancelled How I Met Your Father before it could confirm the identity of the man Hilary Duff’s Sophie was destined to marry. At least it lasted longer than the previous attempt at a gender-swapped How I Met Your Mother spin-off, which never made it past the unaired pilot.

I Am Not Okay With This (2020)

Showrunner Jonathan Entwistle was certainly not okay with Netflix axing his adaptation of Charles S. Forsman’s graphic novel, I Am Not Okay With This, due to the Covid-19-related costs, apparently. According to Insider, the plan was to complete the story of a 17-year-old discovering she has special powers in two seasons, only to learn it would be not renewed after the scripts were written.

Joan Of Arcadia (2003-2005)

While critics likely prayed to see it continue, CBS opted not to renew Joan of Arcadia for a third season. According to EW, the Emmy nominated series starring Amber Tamblyn as teenager visited by God in human form suffered a major ratings slump in its sophomore run.

Julie And The Phantoms (2020) 

The supernatural musical series, Julie and the Phantoms, ended it first season on a spooky cliffhanger that raised questions which will never be resolved, unfortunately. According to MovieWeb, Netflix pulled the plug on the show — following an aspiring teen musician and her three ghostly bandmates — because it failed to appeal to its target demographic, despite proving popular among viewers 18 and older.

The Last Man On Earth (2015-2018)

After four seasons, star and creator Will Forte’s post-apocalyptic comedy, The Last Man on Earth, ended with a bizarre cliffhanger in which a large group of unidentified survivors in gas masks emerge from an underground bunker. The former SNL cast member shared with Vulture’s Good Ones podcast his plan to explain who those people were and how the story would evolve from there.

A League Of Their Own (2022)

Based on one of the best sports movies of all time, A League of the Their Own was also a fresh take on the true story of the World War II professional women’s baseball league. Despite its acclaim, it struck out with Amazon, which suddenly and shockingly cancelled it after one season.

Lockwood & Co. (2023) 

Mere months after it premiered, Netflix exorcised the inventive supernatural mystery thriller, Lockwood & Co., which based its first season on the first two books of the five-part series that inspired it. Fans of the show — which followed a group of teen ghost hunters in London — petitioned for its revival after it was cancelled.

The Midnight Club (2022)

Most of Mike Flanagan’s best shows have been limited series, which is why it was a surprise when his adaptation of Christopher Pike’s novel, The Midnight Club, ended with a tease at a second season. When Netflix chose not to renew the heartbreaking coming-of-age horror series, Flanagan posted his plans for Season 2 in full detail on his Tumblr blog.

My Name Is Earl (2005-2009)

Despite literally ending Season 4 with a “To Be Continued” caption, NBC opted not to continue My Name is Earl. Ethan Suplee, who played Earl’s brother, Randy Hickey, explained on the Slick and Thick podcast (via TikTok), that the network refused to give Fox (which owned the property) more money to license the show for another year. He then shared that the series finale would have revealed that Jason Lee’s titular reformed criminal was the unwitting catalyst of an entire movement of people making lists of amends.

Revolution (2012-2014) 

According to Deadline, the lights went out on Revolution — set in a post-apocalytpic future without electricity — after its long hiatus between its first and second seasons on NBC caused a dip in popularity. Creator Eric Kripke later told Buddy TV he envisioned Season 3 as a treasure hunting adventure, which — as THR reports — was adapted into a four-part digital DC comic in 2015.

Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)

The Season 3 finale of Santa Clarita Diet saw Drew Barrymore’s undead real estate agent Sheila Hammond take a bite of her husband, Joel, played by Timothy Olyphant. What major changes that cliffhanger might have led to remain a mystery since Netflix buried the funny, inventive take on zombie lore, reportedly due to increasing production costs, according to Deadline.

The Secret Circle (2011-2012)

Despite being the network’s third highest-rated series at the time, The Secret Circle was cursed with cancellation after just one season on The CW. According to CBR, it was on a steady decline in viewership since its premiere that led to the teen supernatural fantasy’s premature demise, despite a cliffhanger season finale.

The Society (2019) 

Also one of the best Natasha Liu Bordizzo TV shows, The Society — which followed a group of teens mysteriously cut off from the rest of the world — was cut off from continuing its story in a second season. Creator Christopher Keyser shared with Variety how upsetting the “abrupt” cancellation of the Lord of the Flies-esque sci-fi series was after spending months preparing for the second season.

Southland (2009-2013)

Acclaimed cop drama Southland was cancelled right before its second season aired on NBC, but was picked up soon after by TNT, which would eventually drop the series after Season 5. EW later reported that there were talks of a movie that would resolve a cliffhanger in which Michael Cudlitz’s John Cooper gets shot, but nothing came to fruition.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)

One of the best shows Fox should be embarrassed about cancelling is Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which deviated from the initial Terminator movies’ canon in ways that fans and critics responded well to. Unfortunately, the sci-fi series met an untimely fate when it was cancelled after its second season suffered a significant drop in ratings.

Pushing Daisies (2007-2009) 

A beloved romantic-comedy series that ended too soon was Pushing Daisies, which starred Lee Pace as a baker with the ability to bring people back from dead by touching them, but only once. If only the quirky, creative, multi-Emmy-nominated show could be brought back from the dead so fans could see where the story was meant to go past its two season on ABC.

Warrior Nun (2020-2022)

Based on a popular comic book, Warrior Nun fell victim to Netflix’s habit of cancelling some of its most acclaimed series after its second season dropped to less than half its average viewership just three weeks after it premiered, according to Variety. 

The Wilds (2020-2022)

Despite being praised as one of the best Amazon Prime original TV shows, the coming-of-age survival drama, The Wilds, did not survive past a second season at Amazon. ComicBook.com later reported that fans voiced their disappointment that the cliffhanger season finale would go unresolved.

These TV shows were not here for a long time, but it was a good time while they lasted.

Some of the best comedy series set in high school these days are admired for their raw, character-driven and honest storylines -- something that was pretty much unheard of in the 1990s. Yet, many would claim that Freaks and Geeks is the show that changed that.

Created by Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, and set in the early 1980s, the series defied expectations by focusing on teens outside of the popular crowd, which made it a critical darling, but likely prevented it from becoming a commercial hit. Let’s take a deeper look the circumstances that sealed Freaks and Geeks’ fate as one of the best ‘90s shows cancelled too soon.

The Time Slot

It is not particularly ideal to be part of a network’s Saturday evening line-up — something that New York Daily News even reflected in their otherwise favorable review of Freaks and Geeks. When the show first aired on NBC, it was put in the 8 p.m. time slot on Saturdays, which immediately had Feig and co. in fear of its longevity, as he recalled in the following excerpt from Variety’s 20th anniversary retrospective:

NBC shifted Freaks and Geeks to Monday nights at the same time when it returned in January 2000. However, as EW reported, that would not improve ratings, as the show only attracted 8% of the viewing audience. It makes sense when you learn what else was airing at the same time.

The Competition

Freaks and Geeks did not have the fiercest competition in its otherwise undesirable original time slot. According to TVTango, its premiere episode on September 25, 1999 had the long-running reality show Cops on Fox, the CBS fantasy-drama Early Edition (starring a pre-Friday Night Lights cast Kyle Chandler) and ABC’s Saturday Night at the Movies to contend with.

However, it was the show’s Monday night time slot — starting on January 10, 2000 — that many believe sealed its downfall. While likely not threatened by Fox’s now-forgotten Party of Five spinoff, Time of Your Life, the hour also offered CBS sitcoms Ladies Man and The King of Queens, as well as popular family drama 7th Heaven, on The WB. However, the real killer here was easily the most popular show on TV at the time: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, hosted by Regis Philbin.

The Network Notes

Freaks and Geeks was not littered with too many creative demands from NBC. Yet, whenever the network did try to assume some control over the story, its suggestions would completely defy the show's essential purpose. Apatow emphasized this in the following quote from a Washington Post interview:

Feig offered a more specific example of this when speaking to the AV Club about how Sam Weir (future Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves co-director, John Francis Daley) won the heart of his crush, Cindy Sanders (Natasha Melnick). This development was urged by then-NBC president Garth Ancier, but contradicted Feig's own experience with unrequited love as a teen and his intent to play out Sam and Cindy's over multiple seasons. A suggestion he and Apatow did not concede on, however, was a cameo by Britney Spears as a way to boost interest, according to another story by The Guardian from 2009.

The Marketing

Unlike Fox’s marketing campaign for the sorely missed sci-fi series Firefly, Freaks and Geeks did not necessarily suffer from misleading ads. Yet, there was one promo for the premiere episode that consisted entirely of pull quotes narrated over muted clips -- lacking any indication of tone and offering no story context either.

Furthermore, while NBC was broadcasting coverage of the MLB playoffs, this caused the show to go on a few hiatuses. In light of this, the producers created a website that could help keep viewers informed of when the next episode was set to air. Unfortunately, as Apatow shared to Vanity Fair, NBC did not want to promote the URL because, “they didn’t want people to know the Internet existed. They were worried about losing viewers to it.”

A Missing Episode

Not all 18 of Freaks and Geeks' 18 filmed episodes made it to air on NBC, but not just because of the network's eventual cancellation. One episode called “Kim Kelly is My Friend” — in which Lindsay (Linda Cardellini, who recently re-teamed with Scooby-Doo scribe James Gunn to voice a role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) forms an unlikely bond with Kim (Busy Phillips, who had an upsetting encounter with a bullish James Franco on set) after discovering her unpleasant home life — was intentionally pulled from scheduling. Feig shared with AV Club the following reason why:

Written by The White Lotus creator Mike White, “Kim Kelly is My Friend” would make its television premiere in 2000 after Freaks and Geeks began airing in reruns on Freeform (still called Fox Family at the time). While its harsh subject matter fueled NBC’s hesitation to run it properly, that is essentially why it has since become one of the series’ most beloved episodes, currently rated 8.5 on IMDb.

Freaks And Geeks’ Legacy Beyond Cancellation

In an oral history by Consequence, Apatow and Feig recalled agreeing to craft a Freaks and Geeks finale episode pretty early on, suspecting that NBC might pull the plug, only to have their fears validated soon after. After raking in a 6.77 million viewer average during its 12-episode run (according to NME), the series was officially cancelled by Garth Ancier, who admitted, after an awkward run-in with Seth Rogen in 2014, that the decision has haunted him ever since in a Facebook post that was shared by Time. While MTV offered to pick up the series for a lower budget, Apatow and Feig turned it down, not wanting the show to continue as a weaker version, as they revealed to Collider in 2021.

As it turns out, the series’ end on NBC was only the beginning of its enduring legacy, with a growing fanbase that enjoys the show on multiple streaming platforms — it is one of the funniest shows on Hulu, and is also available with a Paramount+ subscription, on Amazon Prime and for free on Pluto TV. In addition to the aforementioned Rogen, the young members of the Freaks and Geeks cast have gone on to lead some celebrated careers in Hollywood with some help from the now-very-powerful filmmakers, Apatow and Feig. Mega-fans of the show can even purchase books reprinting the scripts for all 18 episodes on Amazon.

More than two decades since going off the air, Freaks and Geeks is one of many beloved TV shows cancelled after one season that is remembered today as a groundbreaking moment in pop culture history. It was one of the first shows to give a voice to an awkward, misunderstood teen demographic that was widely ignored on network television at the time and showed life from their perspective with unapologetic honesty. Despite what its Joan Jett-penned theme song states, we should give a damn about its reputation.

Every decade has TV shows that were canceled or otherwise ended far too early in their run. The 1990s were especially brutal on great shows that often didn’t even get a chance to get going, even as it was one amazing decade for TV. Here are our picks for the ‘90s TV shows that ended well before they should have. 

My So-Called Life (1994)

My So-Called Life just might be the most notorious of all the shows on this list. It won awards, it was praised by critics, and it generated a solid cult following as it followed the high school life of Angela Chase (Claire Danes). The fans weren't enough to keep it from being canceled by ABC after just one season. There was even an online petition to save it, which was reportedly the first of its kind, but it still got the axe and thirty years later, we’re all still a little bitter. 

NewsRadio (1995)

NewsRadio isn’t the story of a show getting canceled in the traditional sense, it’s a story about a terrible tragedy befalling one of the great comedians of the era. SNL legend Phil Hartman, who starred as Bill McNeil, was killed by his wife in a murder/suicide in 1998, and despite the show trying to continue without its star, the inevitable happened and it was canceled just one season later. 

Northern Exposure (1990)

Northern Exposure is the show that never had a chance. Despite being a critical darling (it holds a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes), and a slew of awards, including multiple Golden Globes and Emmys, it just wasn’t respected by its network, CBS. 

It was forced to change timeslots, there was discord between star Rob Morrow and the producers, and as a result, it never seemed to find an audience big enough to have it endure. While it lasted six seasons, it ended unceremoniously, despite many believing it could have gone on much longer, including its dedicated, if small, fanbase. Still, there are still occasional hopes for a revival. 

Freaks And Geeks (1999)

Easily the most famous (or infamous) entry on this list is Freaks and Geeks. Still beloved today by millions, it was canceled after just 19 episodes, including three that weren’t even aired in its original run. It’s become the source of Hollywood legend, launching the careers of creator Judd Apatow (who once told Variety that everything he’s done since is inspired by its cancellation) and numerous actors including James Franco, Jason Segel, and Seth Rogan. Like Northern Exposure, it was bounced around in timeslots by the network, never finding a home, which in those days was a death knell for shows. 

The Adventures Of Brisco County, Jr. (1993)

A show from the eventual creator of LOST (Carlton Cuse), the writer of Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, (Jeffrey Boam), and starring the legendary Bruce Campbell is sure to be a hit, right? Well, not so fast. The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. debuted in the summer of ‘93 on Fox and it was everything you’d expect from a trio like that. It was weird, campy, over-the-top, and really good. Critics loved it, but Fox apparently did not, and despite great reviews and a solid, dedicated (yet small) audience, the show was canceled after just one season. 

Sports Night (1998)

If you don’t remember the ‘90s, you'd be forgiven for not knowing that ESPN’s Sportscenter was huge. As a result, we got the great Sports Night from writer/creator Aaron Sorkin, which was loosely based on the ESPN tag team partners of Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann. The show has exactly what you want from a Sorkin-led show. Snappy dialog and a bunch of very likable characters created a little fictional home for sports fans on ABC. The bad news is that the show never found a big enough audience and was canceled after just two seasons despite winning multiple Emmys. The good news is Sorkin decided to focus on The West Wing. 

In The House (1995)

LL Cool J’s become most famous for his long stint on NCIS but that is far from the legendary rapper’s first foray into television. In the mid-nineties, he starred in a short-lived sitcom on NBC called In The House. LL’s magnetic personality should have been enough to sustain years of success, and the show was wholesome, family-oriented fun. 

Sadly, like so many other shows on the list, it was meddled with endlessly, never really finding a focus, or a consistent audience. NBC canceled it after two seasons and the old UPN network picked it up, only to cancel it after an additional two. It aired a final season in first-run syndication but never found the audience it should have had. 

The Ben Stiller Show (1992)

There might not have been a more ‘90s show than The Ben Stiller Show. The cast is filled with Gen X icons like Bob Odenkirk, Janeane Garofalo, Andy Dick, plus the namesake of the show, Ben Stiller. The writers included Odenkirk, Judd Apatow, and David Cross. It even started on MTV, which doesn’t get more ‘90s. After a quick 13-episode run on MTV, it moved to Fox, where it sadly withered on the vine and was canceled after just 12 episodes. It set the tone for Cross and Odenkirk’s success on HBO’s Mr. Show, with edgy, hilarious skits and segments, but it didn’t last as long as it should have.  

The State (1994)

Another MTV sketch comedy show that didn’t last as long as it should have is The State. Born from the New York improv group of the same name, The State aired 25 episodes over four brief seasons on MTV in 1994 and 1995. Due to various reasons, including the cast turning down the option to take the show to CBS, it ended and many in the cast went on to other projects, including, most notably, Reno 911! Sketch and improv comedy was at its apex and The State was one of the best, but the cast had bigger plans, it seems, and the show didn’t get the run it could have had. 

The Critic (1994)

It actually didn’t feel like The Critic got canceled too soon because reruns ran on Comedy Central forever, but if you are a fan of the show, you know all too well how short its run was. Jon Lovitz starred as Jay Sherman, the snobbiest of movie critics. He hated basically everything, and it was glorious. Sadly, it never really got any respect from its initial network, ABC, and probably should have run on Comedy Central from the beginning. Alas, it last just two seasons and 23 snarky episodes. 

Sliders (1995)

The NBC show Sliders was like Quantum Leap and the Marvel Multiverse had a baby (yeah, yeah...years before the MCU introduced its multiverse). Jerry O’Connell led the cast through different alternate universes using his “sliding” technology. There were literally endless possibilities for the show, but Fox never respected it. Moving episodes into a different order, causing continuity errors, and even refusing to allow it to resolve the cliffhanger at the end of Season 2. It lasted just three seasons on Fox, before moving to Sci Fi for two more, but it never really had a chance and should have gone on for much longer. 

The Adventures Of Pete & Pete (1991)

The Adventures of Pete & Pete sits right alongside Pee Wee’s Playhouse as the coolest, and strangest kids' show ever produced. It was surrealist, it was funny, and somehow they managed to pull some of the most amazing cameos from stars like Michael Stipe, Alicia Keyes, Selma Blair, and so many more. Who knows why it was canceled, as even before it went into endless reruns, it had quite the cult following, but the creators did confirm that Nickelodeon did indeed cancel after just three whacky and wonderful seasons. 

Two Guys And A Girl (1998)

Before Ryan Reynolds became one of the biggest stars in the MCU, before he made millions from cell phones and liquor, and before he bought a soccer team in Wales, he starred in a very cute, very fun sitcom on ABC. Originally called Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place, the title dropped the last bit after Season 3. Despite the charm of the cast, which also included Monk star Traylor Howard and Richard Ruccolo, the network messed with the show constantly. It moved the show to Friday nights (from Wednesdays) before Season 4 and the ratings tanked, never regaining its previous numbers, and it was sadly canceled after the season. 

Eerie, Indiana (1991)

Oh, what could it have been for Eerie, Indiana? A fine example of a show that struggled to find its voice, but had so much promise. Looking back, it feels almost like Stranger Things for Boomers but set in current times. The writers probably bit off more than they could chew, but you have to admire their vision of a kids-oriented horror show, set in the '90s, full of inside jokes about 1950s movie stars and Boomer nostalgia. It’s a show that was really well done, and smart, but possibly too smart, as it didn’t even last a full season before getting dumped by NBC. 

Millennium (1996)

The X-Files was one of the biggest early hits for the then-fledgling Fox network, so it makes sense that a spinoff would be created. Millennium debuted in the fall of 1996 with a lot of hype. The network stuck with it for a while, but it never gained much traction with fans of the original. While X-Files has endured, Millennium is in danger of becoming merely a footnote. The show ended so abruptly that, for all intents and purposes, the defacto series finale ended up as an episode of The X-Files.

Living Single (1993)

Queen Latifah is an icon in music and on screen, and a major part of her legacy is Living Single. It was called groundbreaking in its honest, and positive portrayal of African-American women, but tragically never gained a large enough audience for Fox to give it its proper due. If you need any proof that it should have gone on longer, just know that it’s essentially never not been shown somewhere on cable in syndication since it first debuted 30 years ago. It has a huge, dedicated audience that would love a revival, but that hasn't happened yet. 

Freakazoid! (1995)

Freakazoid!, produced by Warner Bros. and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, was meant to be another hit on the heels of another cartoon from the same team, Animaniacs. It wasn’t all that different in tone, but due to a number of issues, it never grabbed the same kids that Animaniacs did. It was moved around constantly into different timeslots and never found a home long enough to develop an audience. It made just 24 episodes before getting the axe from Kids WB, but showed how successful it could have been when those episodes did find a home in syndication on the Cartoon Network, where it developed a strong cult following. 

There are a lot of reasons shows don’t take off, even when they have all the ingredients of a hit. Every one on this list could’ve been all-time great television and many are cult hits, but for one reason or another (or many) never were, and we’ll never know just how celebrated they could have been. 

Arguably the biggest and most influential role-playing property of all time, Dungeons & Dragons has inspired all manner of spinoffs, adaptations, homages, parodies and then some. Paramount is hoping to roll its way into box office success with the impending action-adventure Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, with fan-favorite stars like Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and Regé-Jean Page as leads. But before the new flick could even hit theaters, co-writer and co-director John Francis Daley brilliantly cemented it as one of 2023’s most important releases, at least for fans of the canceled-way-too-soon cult classic TV dramedy Freaks and Geeks.

Daley starred as one of the titular geeks, Sam Weir, in the highly beloved high school comedy, which aired 12 of its 18 episodes before NBC canceled it and unwittingly kicked off huge careers for the majority of its young cast. For much of the past 23 years, creator Paul Feig, executive producer Judd Apatow, and the bulk of the cast have been asked about reunions and revivals, without much to show for those talks outside of the stellar 2004 DVD box set and PaleyFest panel in 2011. But now, with an unexpected heap of gratitude going towards Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, we now have an actual scripted “reunion” scene from Daley and former co-stars Samm Levine and Martin Starr. Check out the Twitter-shared video below and savor the bejesus out of it!

From the first second, the video above pays homage to the original series and its own use of Dungeons & Dragons, from the music (which presumably didn't involve years of haggling over rights to use) to the dining room set to the immediate reference to "Carlos the Dwarf." As astute viewers will remember, Carlos is what James Franco's cool kid Daniel Desario named his character in the show's finale (fittingly named "Discos and Dragons") when joining the more studious characters for a campaign sesh. As much as fans definitely wanted Daniel to hang out with the nerdy peeps more often in a potential second season, it probably makes sense that he wasn't part of this mini-reunion. The holy trinity of Sam, Neil and Bill should never be broken or molded anew.

Technically speaking, the reunion scene doesn't actually feel like it came out of a Freaks and Geeks episode directly, since it's overtly self-aware and referential in that respect. But that doesn't feel like a mark against in my eyes, since I'll watch these characters do anything, whether it's logical or not. Is my year that much better after seeing Samm Levine and Martin Starr acting confused about where their beards came from? Obviously. And yours should be, too.

Let's give these guys credit for pulling off what could have been a completely cornball and unamusing gag, by way of pointing out how ridiculous an idea it is for Dungeons & Dragons to ever get adapted into a movie. It helps that it really is a ridiculous idea, considering how deep and unwieldy the RPG universe's lore can be, while also being a medium that visually exists largely in players' imaginations and via rulebook covers.

But not only does the feature exist, but the Geeks vet is majorly responsible for its existence in its current form. Daley and filmmaking partner Jonathan Goldstein joined the project in 2019 as directors after vacating their post on The Flash, and it wasn't long before they'd completed their own draft of the screenplay to work from, with prior scribes Chris McKay and Michael Gilio getting story credits. Much like their other projects, from Horrible Bosses to Spider-Man: Homecoming to Vacation Friends, Honor Among Thieves will bring a hefty smattering of comedy to any and all hectic situations and action sequences, which is likely what Sam, Neil and Bill would have wanted from a D&D movie.

Be sure to check out Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves in theaters on Friday, March 31, to see if any Freaks and Geeks stars will be popping in for cameos. And let's all continue to clamor for even more reunion spots like this from the TV show's cast members. I'd love to see Ken and Nick walking into a dispensary for the first time...

It’s back to school time! Students around the world are gathering up their notebooks, zipping up their lunch boxes, and returning to the world of academia.

For those of us who are past school age, we have to turn to the screen to go back to school. No, not Zoom school. TV school!

If you’re trying to re-experience those first-day-of-school butterflies or reminisce about your wild college years, here’s a whole list of TV comedies set in schools (including where you can watch each of them). 

Community

The show centers around the fictional Greendale Community College, where the funding is low and the staff is under-qualified, but the study groups are thick as thieves. Of course, given that Community’s creator is Dan Harmon (also known for Rick and Morty), the characters and situations grow increasingly wacky as the show progresses. Harmon even shared that one plotline in Rick and Morty was originally meant for Community.

People who are familiar with the community college experience will get a kick out of the humor, like the hectic scramble to sign up for the perfect class schedule or the sanctity of calling “dibs” on a study table—but the heart at the center of Community is the idea of people with different backgrounds and life stories banding together to survive. Can’t-miss episodes include the ABBA-fueled zombie Halloween party and any of the paintball episodes.

Stream Community on Netflix.
Stream Community on Hulu.

Abbott Elementary

This show from writer and actor Quinta Brunson just finished its freshman season, but has already cemented itself as one of the best school comedies of modern television, with big plans for Abbott Elementary Season 2. 

The show revolves around Janine (Brunson), an optimistic and determined young teacher working in the Philadelphia public school system. They’re underfunded and led by a clueless principal (played by the now-Emmy nominated Janelle James), but that won’t stop Janine from pouring her heart, sweat, and tears into her students’ educations. 

Abbott is sweet and sincere, but still packed with ridiculous humor that will appeal to teachers and non-teachers alike.

Stream Abbott Elementary on Hulu.

Glee

If high school were a soap opera, that school would be William McKinley High. Set in the town of Lima, Ohio, Glee tells the story of the rise of New Directions, a show choir with the talent and ambition to make it all the way to regionals.

Glee depicts more of a caricature of high school—the bullies are exaggerated, the teachers are unprofessional, the pranks are heightened (I would NOT want to be slushied), and the stakes of glee club performance are extremely high. But, backed by the ever-talented and scarily intense Rachel Berry (played by Broadway star Lea Michele), those stakes feel appropriate.

Former drama club/glee club/choir kids can reminisce about their glory days through the absurd lens of William McKinley High School.

Stream Glee on Hulu.
Stream Glee on Disney+.

Pen15

Creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle crafted an immersive middle-school experience with Pen15, the Hulu original all about coming-of-age in the early 2000’s.

Don’t be alarmed—Erskine and Konkle are in their 30’s, but they play the pre-teen versions of themselves (surrounded by actors who are actually pre-teens). The comedians are so perfect as awkward middle-schoolers, you often forget they’re not actually pre-pubescent.

Season 1 is full of gags you’d only appreciate if you were a kid in the 2000’s (like AIM chat rooms and dial-up Internet), but the emotion-packed Season 2 delves into the harsher realities of growing up as a girl under the pressure to be seen, loved, and accepted by peers.

Stream Pen15 on Hulu.

Freaks And Geeks

This one-season comedy from Judd Apatow was canceled before its time—but in the years since its untimely ending, the show has picked up a cult-following of devoted fans who praise the show for its accurate depiction of high school.

Like the title says, the show follows a group of “Freaks” (led by James Franco) and a group of “Geeks,” with the main protagonist, Lindsay (Dead to Me’s Linda Cardellini), internally battling her good-girl upbringing with the help and influence of the class-skipping, pot-smoking Freaks.

The show accurately depicts the realities of teen life, including rebellion, peer-pressure, and finding friends in unlikely places. 

Stream Freaks and Geeks on Hulu.

Undeclared

While not quite a sequel to Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared was Judd Apatow’s answer to the question, “What would happen if the Freaks had gone to college?”

Starring many of the same actors, including Seth Rogen and Jason Segel, Undeclared follows a group of college friends and acquaintances, many of whom are totally lost when it comes to selecting a path for their future.

Undeclared is the perfect show for people who had trouble finding their way in college. Like Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared only got one season, but garnered a pretty huge following of viewers who responded to the show’s themes.

Buy Undeclared on Amazon.

A.P. Bio

Fans of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s Glenn Howerton will love A.P. Bio, the show about an outcast philosophy professor who’s stuck teaching science to a class of over-achieving Honors students. Jack (Howerton) doesn’t know squat about biology, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have plenty to teach these impressionable kids.

Jack crafts plans to use his students as pawns in his personal vendettas, but along the way gains an appreciation for them as they begin to show him respect.

A.P. Bio was originally canceled after two seasons on NBC, but earned an additional two seasons on Peacock after fan outcry. This one is an acquired taste, but a must-see for people who love to watch Glenn Howerton do his thing.

Stream A.P. Bio on Peacock.

Never Have I Ever

From writer and creator Mindy Kaling, Never Have I Ever tells the story of a young girl’s mission to reinvent herself and improve her high school experience following her father’s death.

The show is funny (hello, Kaling literally wrote for The Office), but has also been praised for its south-Asian representation and lack of stereotypes. If you love Kaling’s work, you’re sure to be a fan of this journey of high school self-discovery.

Stream Never Have I Ever on Netflix.

Derry Girls

Set during the Troubles (a non-fictional period of violence and political unrest in Northern Ireland) in Derry, Derry Girls is the story of a group of friends and their adventures at an all-girls Catholic college.

Derry Girls does an excellent job of capturing the contrast between living in uncertain times and carrying on with life as usual—the girls aren’t oblivious to the violence going on outside, but they’re a lot more worried about meeting boys, having fun with their friends, and simply surviving young adulthood.

Stream Derry Girls on Netflix.

Greek

This series captures the social caste system of Greek life. The characters are, of course, seen partying and acting reckless, as college kids often do—but keep in mind the show originally aired on ABC Family (now known as Freeform), so Greek is a little more family-friendly than similar college-centered shows.

Some fraternity and sorority vets have criticized the show for its “stereotypes,” with USC even banning the show from filming on campus. However, if you’re looking for a show that highlights the positives and negatives of Panhellenic life, Greek might be for you.

Stream Greek on Hulu.

Grown-ish

A spinoff of the long-running ABC show, Black-ish, grown-ish is the story of eldest daughter Zoey’s first taste of independence as she moves away for college.

Zoey (black-ish actress Yara Shahidi) struggles with her expectations not meeting reality as she begins to navigate friends, romance, and academics. It’s a wakeup call for Zoey, who’s used to calling the shots and getting her way.

Highlights of grown-ish include performances by Chloe and Halle Bailey (the same Halle Bailey who’s starring as Ariel in the upcoming live-action Little Mermaid movie).

Stream grown-ish on Hulu.
Stream grown-ish on Disney+.

Awkward.

This MTV show will appeal to anyone who’s experienced the embarrassment of being alive while attending high school. Awkward. follows Jenna, a girl who flies under the radar at school until an unfortunate accident (and rumored suicide attempt) leaves her in double-arm casts. 

While the show depicts a lot of typical high school stereotypes, Jenna’s life is anything but normal. Her mother is a former high school queen bee whose reign came to an end after becoming pregnant (with Jenna). While trying to survive the day-to-day embarrassments of high school, Jenna also has to deal with the struggle of having a mother who wants to vicariously relive her glory days through her. Be warned: “Awkward.” is not just a title. You will cringe. Often.

Stream Awkward. on Paramount+.

Saved By The Bell

We can’t leave out the classics! Saved by the Bell is undoubtedly one of the most beloved high-school sitcoms of all time, complete with a tight group of friends, a groovy after-school hangout spot, and hijinx that would only happen in a fictional high school. 

All that aside, Bayside High is one of the most recognizable fictional schools ever, and rewatching the series is sure to give you that same feeling you got when you watched it on Saturday mornings as a kid.

Stream Saved by the Bell on Hulu.
Stream Saved by the Bell on Netflix.
Stream Saved by the Bell on Peacock.

Boy Meets World

Boy Meets World is the quintessential TV school story, where all the main characters have the same class schedule and the teachers always happen to graduate up to the next grade with their students.

Chronological faux-pas aside, Boy Meets World is a great coming-of age show that tackles some of the deeper topics that plague kids. It’s fun and light-hearted, but never strays too far from the mission of teaching young viewers how to deal with conflict and growing pains.

Stream Boy Meets World on Disney+.

Catch up on new and upcoming TV releases, including those set in schools, with our guide to the 2022 TV schedule.

Euphoria has truly taken over the world, with its iconic makeup looks and fantastic cast. People from all over tune in weekly to see what's next in the lives of the characters, with those adventures usually narrated by Rue (Zendaya), a young woman with a drug addiction. 

But, with only two seasons with eight episodes each, binging this show is so easy that you'll reach the end in no time, looking for more. Fear not, as we have found a good list of shows that might remind you a bit of Euphoria, from their darker storylines to their focus on teenagers. Here are some of the best shows like Euphoria that you can stream right now, while you're waiting for Euphoria season 3.

Genera+ion (HBO Max) 

First up on the list is the HBO Max original series, Genera+ion. This teen show takes place in Orange County, California, and within a conservative neighborhood, we focus in on an ensemble cast of characters who are learning to explore their sexuality, whether that be through relationships or other means, and what that means for their families and personal lives.

While it’s unfortunate that it only lasted for one season, Genera+ion was seriously a great show, featuring some genuinely really good LGBTQ storylines. Like Euphoria, each of these characters is different in their own way and dealing with their own problems, one day at a time. I personally think the kids in this show have a certain innocence that the kids of Euphoria don’t have, but it’s still worth a shot to watch. 

Stream Genera+ion on HBO Max.

Skins (Hulu) 

Next up, we have Skins, from the United Kingdom. In this popular show, we follow teens as they grow up in a tough environment, learning to come into themselves and be their own person despite obstacles that are constantly outside their door. 

Often regarded as the Euphoria for millennials, Skins is a must-watch if you’re a fan of the HBO show. While it’s not as mature as Euphoria is (I mean, Skins was never on HBO, so there’s why), it doesn’t shy from talking about dark subject matter that may sometimes be a bit too taboo to speak about in other teen shows, from mental illness to eating disorders, and sexuality to anything in-between. Plus, you get to see an incredible performance from Nicholas Hoult.

Stream Skins on Hulu.

Grand Army (Netflix) 

A one-season show, Netflix's Grand Army takes place in New York City, specifically the borough of Brooklyn. We follow a group of teenagers who attend a public high school, dealing with social issues that change their lives forever.

Out of many of the shows on this list, I’d say that Grand Army comes quite close to the mature rating that Euphoria has. Again, no one can quite beat Euphoria, but Grand Army comes pretty damn close in that regard, from their discussions on rape culture to their city being the center of a terrorist attack. This show pulls no punches and is a much more serious teen drama - which makes it perfect for fans of Euphoria. 

Stream Grand Army on Netflix.

I Am Not Okay With This (Netflix) 

In this, also one-season, Netflix series, I Am Not Okay With This follows a teenage girl who doesn't quite fit in and has trouble trying to deal with all these newfound feelings that come with growing up. Slowly, she also starts to realize that she’s not quite like everyone else - meaning she has superpowers. 

Okay, look, this is nowhere near as serious as Euphoria, but I put it here because I feel that everyone, in some way, can relate to what this girl is going through, even if it is her trying to adapt to superpowers. The teens of Euphoria are constantly trying to adapt to being different in this modern world, and that’s what the main character of this show does as well, even if its to a different extreme. 

Stream I Am Not Okay With This on Netflix.

The Sex Lives Of College Girls (HBO Max) 

In this HBO original, The Sex Lives of College Girls follows a group of four girls who are freshmen in college, and are now living together. During their first year, we get to see their exploits as they try to sexually awaken their lives, lose their virginity, find love, and so much more - alongside the struggles college dumps on them. 

For fans of the relationships of Euphoria, I’d think that The Sex Lives of College Girls would be a good option. Don’t get me wrong, many of the couples in Euphoria need couples counseling, in my opinion, but that’s what makes this such a great choice, because it’s a refreshing breath of fresh air with plenty of fun relationships that don’t feel as crazy as the ones on Euphoria. Also, The Sex Lives of College Girls cast is so much fun and super talented. 

Stream The Sex Lives of College Girls on HBO Max.

We Are Who We Are (HBO Max) 

Next up, we have We Are Who We Are. This Italian-American coming of age series follows two high schoolers who just want to carve their own identities and become who they are. The only issue is that they live on an American army base in Italy, which doesn’t necessarily allow for that freedom. 

I mean, in just reading the premise this sounds like a show that’s relatively similar to what many of the characters on Euphoria go through. Learning to love yourself, trying to become a better person, attempting to find love, all of which feels as if it's impossible thanks to society. That’s what We Are Who We Are explores - albeit in a much less graphic way than Euphoria. 

Stream We Are Who We Are on HBO Max. 

Everything Sucks! (Netflix) 

Another Netflix original that was canceled way too soon, Everything Sucks! takes place in the town of Boring, Ohio's Boring High School (which is a legit real place, by the way). For the whole series, we follow mainly two groups of people - the A/V Club and the Drama Club, and the hijinks that ensue. 

While Euphoria is darker in its way of telling its story, the show does revolve around teenagers in high school. If you’re looking for that same feeling without all the mature content, then Everything Sucks! is a safe bet for you. You also get to see Sydney Sweeney pre-Euphoria, who rocks her role amazingly well. I’m still so upset it didn’t get a Season 2.

Stream Everything Sucks! on Netflix.

Yellowjackets (Showtime) 

God, could I go on about this show. Yellowjackets follows a high school soccer team that was on its way to nationals when the plane crashed down in the wilderness. We flash forward between their lives in the forest and their lives now as adults, exposing us to the darkness they had to face when they realized no one was coming for them. 

Now, this is a teen drama that has the mature content you want. While the Yellowjackets cast also features a great ensemble of adult actors who tell the story in the present, the story of the teenagers in the woods is really what makes this show. If you want something that’s more mature but a little less about high school drama, like Euphoria, be sure to check this amazing show. 

Stream Yellowjackets on Showtime.

The End Of The F***ing World (Netflix) 

Next up, we have End of the F***ing World. Yes, that is spelled right. This dark teen comedy follows two teenagers - one who simply wants to get away in life and the other who thinks he’s a psychopath. What happens when these two teenagers go on an adventure that will surely change their lives forever? Craziness. 

The End of the F***ing World is hilarious in all the right ways. From its opening scenes to the continued story, the chemistry that the lead actors have often reminds me of the actors on Euphoria. However, what really makes this a great pick for fans of Euphoria is that while the show is primarily a comedy, it doesn’t shy away from tackling tough storylines very early on in the show, including mental illness, sexual assault, and so much more. It’s a great series that deserved more seasons. 

Stream The End of the F***ing World on Netflix.

Sex Education (Netflix) 

Oh boy, is this a good one. Sex Education is a popular Netflix series that follows teens who are learning all about sex, specifically focusing on Otis, who’s a bit awkward. Despite never having done the deed himself, Otis decides to do something crazy to become popular - set up a sex advice clinic at his school, because he's gotten good guidance from his sex therapist mom. 

Sex Education is wonderful from head to toe. If you like Euphoria for the number of different characters with interesting personalities, then the Sex Education cast will please you. Every single person in this show has their own story that’s fleshed out over the course of the series, which truly makes this a TV show to remember, along with some truly hilarious moments. 

Stream Sex Education on Netflix.

Freaks And Geeks (Paramount+) 

I’ll never forgive NBC for canceling this show after one season. Freaks and Geeks is your typical high school drama, following the lives of regular teenagers in 1980 as they grow up and learn to deal with problems that they never faced before. 

Does Freaks and Geeks go as dark as Euphoria? Absolutely not. But let me tell you, no matter what generation you're from, everyone has gone through what these kids are going through, from body changes to learning to adapt to different circumstances. In my opinion, Freaks and Geeks walked so Euphoria could run.

It’s not as intense as Euphoria can get, but it’s still a show that anyone can relate to. Plus, the Freaks and Geeks cast truly has some Hollywood royalty on there that I’m sure you’ll recognize almost instantly, like Seth Rogen and Linda Cardellini. 

Stream Freaks and Geeks on Paramount+.

On My Block (Netflix) 

Last but not least, we have On My Block. This Netflix original takes place in South Central Los Angeles and tells the story of four kids who are entering high school as the best of friends. Over time, some of them start to join other groups, cliques, or have problems, changing their lives forever. 

I think what I like about On My Block in comparison to Euphoria is that both tackle serious situations. Euphoria more or less focuses on how a teen can be self-destructive and push people away, while On My Block deals with a sensitive issue that Euphoria doesn’t dive into as much - how living in a violent neighborhood can change you and make you grow up quicker, and how that can affect your whole life. 

Stream On My Block on Netflix.

With all these amazing shows, it might be hard to pick just one once you’re done with Euphoria. But, you can bet no matter what you pick, it’ll certainly be worth the time to watch. Happy binging!

Big Mouth has just come back for a fifth season - you heard me right, fifth. The iconic adult animated series on Netflix, which has been around since 2017, has returned with more stories about teens trying to come to terms with who they are, and who they’re becoming, alongside the infamous Hormone Monsters. 

But, even with the comedy's return, I, for one, binged through those episodes so quickly that I’m looking for other shows like Big Mouth now to scratch that same itch. Luckily, there are plenty of great options out there, both animated and live-action, that fans can enjoy just as much (if not more) than the acclaimed series. Here are some awesome TV series that are streaming right now, that I believe you, as a Big Mouth fan, would enjoy.  

South Park (HBO Max)

You want to talk about the ultimate adult animated comedy? Check out South Park. This iconic series follows the journey of elementary school friends Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and Cartman, as they encounter strange people, the confusing world, weird adults, and many other ridiculous moments. 

There’s a reason why South Park has gone on for so long, with 24 seasons. While the Big Mouth kids are all aged up and talking about puberty, these young ones have been stuck in the fourth grade for years, and yet, the constant tribulations that they go through never seem to get old. From hilarious political side-gigs for characters, to some truly disturbing situations, South Park is hilarious and has plenty of mature comedy for anyone to enjoy. 

Stream South Park on HBO Max. 

Pen15 (Hulu)

In this Hulu original series, Pen15, tells the comedic story of what middle school is like, through the eyes of two 7th grade girls dealing with the awkwardness of growing up and becoming a teenager. 

Pen15 is exactly what I think Big Mouth would be if it was a live-action show. The two stars (who also write and co-created the series), Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, are both in their thirties and perfectly capture the everyday trauma of what it’s like to be an insecure tween girl, slumping their shoulders and rolling their eyes. What really makes this show hilarious is that while they are clearly older, every kid around them is actually middle-school age, making their awkwardness even better. You just have to give it a shot if you like Big Mouth.

Stream Pen15 on Hulu. 

Rick And Morty (HBO Max)

Next up is Rick and Morty, the Dan Harmon-created animated series starring everyone’s favorite grandpa and grandson duo. In this popular show, the titular characters travel through the space and time as partners, getting into intergalactic fights, meeting strange creatures, and learning more about each other along the way, often while diving right into life-threatening situations.

I feel like for fans of Big Mouth, this show is one of the better ones you could watch. The humor reminds me a lot of Big Mouth because there are so many bizarre moments, but at the same time, these weird storylines and funny instances often turn into very carefully curated storylines that plenty of fans theorize about. I mean, that Season 5 finale alone is enough to spawn several articles about what might be next for the show. If you haven’t watched Rick and Morty yet, give it a shot.

Stream Rick and Morty on HBO Max. 

Freaks And Geeks (Paramount+)

I will never forgive NBC for cancelling Freaks and Geeks after only one season. Set in the early 1980s, it follows the normal, hilarious, unfair life of teenage outcasts, showing their tribulations and their traumas through hilarious moments and touching ones, as well. 

Freaks and Geeks didn’t succeed as much when it first aired, but has since become a cult classic TV series. For fans of Big Mouth, this show has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments that will make you snort whatever drink you’re having, while pulling at your heartstrings the next minute. Judd Apatow, now a legendary comedy director, created Freaks and Geeks, and stars like Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini, Jason Segal and more starred in this short-lived series. It’s only one season, but well worth the watch. 

Stream Freaks and Geeks on Paramount+.

Bob’s Burgers (Hulu)

Fox has another animated TV hit with Bob’s Burgers. This show chronicles the lives of the Belcher family, who all work at their family-owned burger shop (aptly named, Bob’s Burgers), and follows not only the kids with their own issues at school and in life, but the relationship between parents, Bob and Linda. 

Bob’s Burgers is honestly amazing. I’ve loved it since Season 1 (it's on Season 12 now) and it's only grown in popularity. From some of its wacky songs, to its heartwarming moments, there’s always something to love about it. And, if you’re a fan of Big Mouth, one character in particular will remind you of the awkwardness that those teens go through - that’s right, I’m talking about the hilariously funny, yet weirdo, young teen, Tina. 

Stream Bob’s Burgers on Hulu. 

Sex Education (Netflix)

The popular Netflix original series, Sex Education, tells the story of Otis, a socially awkward teen whose mother is a sex therapist. When his classmates learn about his mother’s occupation, they begin coming to him for sex advice - even though he’s never had sex himself. 

I mean, from the name alone I feel like Big Mouth fans would like this show. However, what really makes Sex Education such a great dramedy is that while it is hilarious, it also has true moments of education. They take a look at sex through an open-minded perspective and talk about how sexuality is on a spectrum, how we all like different things, how it’s okay to not want sex - it’s truly a great way to find laughs while also educating yourself on sexuality, romance, and even teenage life. The Sex Education cast is brilliant, and the stories are heartfelt and hysterical.

Stream Sex Education on Netflix. 

The Boondocks (HBO Max)

In this animated series, The Boondocks follows the Freemans, a black family who end up settling in the fictional, friendly - and mostly white - neighborhood of Woodcrest,  in the suburbs of where they originally grew up. 

While the show ran its course for four seasons, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for The Boondocks. Not only is its satire and comedy funny and it has plenty of moments that will have you holding your side from laughing so much, it’s not afraid to dig deep into real-life issues. Big Mouth, as funny as it is, focuses on the shame some people feel about talking about sexuality and embraces it. The Boondocks looks at issues such as stereotypes, social classes, the mixing of cultures and so much more, creating not only a funny show, but a meaningful one as well. 

Stream The Boondocks on HBO Max. 

Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

Up next we have Never Have I Ever. Created by Mindy Kaling, this coming of age comedy documents the life of Devi Vishwakumar, who has recently lost her father, and wants to erase the mistakes of her freshman year of high school by losing her virginity and upping her social status. 

For fans of Big Mouth, this show also shows how weird it can be to grow up in modern times, from the demands of social media, to sexting, to friendships and everything in-between, with a wonderfully talented Never Have I Ever cast. This series is also partially based on Mindy Kaling’s life growing up outside of Boston, while Big Mouth is inspired by creators Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg’s lives in New York. 

Stream Never Have I Ever on Netflix. 

Futurama (Hulu)

After Matt Groening created the family-oriented The Simpsons, he went on to create the more mature cartoon, Futurama. In this series, we follow a pizza delivery boy named Fry, who is accidentally frozen and wakes up 999 years in the future. 

Futurama is hilarious in every way. What I think fans of Big Mouth will enjoy is the relationships that Fry builds between the new people he meets in the future. While a part of him still wants to return to his old world, the other part - one that only grows over time - wants to stay with this new family that he has made. It’s all about the loving connections people form with one another, mixed in with some futuristic hijinks and hilarious moments. 

Stream Futurama on Hulu. 

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (Hulu)

Lastly, we have It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This long-lasting sitcom shows the lives of the “gang,” otherwise known as sibling duo Dennis and Dee, their friends Charlie and Mac, and their “father,” Frank. Together, we watch their daily lives in the city of brotherly love, and the messed up situations they get themselves into. 

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is perfect for fans of Big Mouth if you like raunchy comedy. Seriously. I don’t personally believe there is another live-action sitcom that is as raunchy as some of the moments in this one. With It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 15 coming out soon, and three more already ordered, this is the longest running live-action comedy in history. And honestly, it’s well-deserved. It’s so funny. 

Stream It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Hulu.

There are plenty of upcoming Netflix shows to get excited about besides Big Mouth, but until then, I think it’s worth the time to sit back on the couch, relax, and watch some hilarious comedies. No matter what you pick from this list, you won’t regret it, and just might find a new favorite show.

Jerry Messing, an actor known for roles in Freaks and Geeks and the well-remembered Disney Channel series Even Stevens, not to mention being the face behind the famous “Fedora guy” meme, was hospitalized with Covid-19 a few weeks ago. Now, the actor has an update on his condition, and while he’s on the mend in the hospital, he says he’s been partially paralyzed due to the ordeal.

The actor spoke with TMZ from his hospital bed. The good news? Once on a ventilator in the ICU, Messing’s condition has progressed enough that he’s been taken off the breathing device and is breathing fine on his own. Unfortunately, he’s currently dealing with some after effects of dealing with Covid-19 that are going to be a struggle.

First and foremost, he says he was partially paralyzed while fighting Covid. He currently cannot stand or walk on his own and doctors say recovery is going to be tough and is going to “take some time.” Though it’s worth noting he feels things are looking up and he seems to be on the recovery route after a full month+ in the hospital.

Jerry Messing had started the process of getting vaccinated before he entered the hospital but he hadn’t completed it. He reportedly got the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine but hadn't been able to get the second shot yet when he grew sick. Reports indicate his doctors have told him to hold off for now on getting a second dose as his body continues the process of healing after fighting Covid-19.

Messing was living with his parents in Tampa when he first got sick; they were both fully vaccinated before the Freaks and Geeks actor entered the hospital in August of this year. The actor joins a long list of celebrities who have tested positive for Covid, some who have been asymptomatic and some who have had a lengthier battle with the illness.

While Jerry Messing began his career as an actor in some major roles including the aforementioned ones but also Addams Family Reunion, where he played the iconic character Pugsley Addams. Though his acting career died down, in more recent years he was the subject of a popular "Fedora Guy" meme that he later addressed in 2014, noting (hat tip WavyWebSurf),

Recovering from Covid can be a hard road, and it sounds like Messing has more challenges ahead. But it’s nice to hear that he’s no longer testing positive for the disease, has moved away from the ICU and can start the process of moving forward and moving on. Our thoughts are with the actor during his recovery.

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Over the years, Rashida Jones has proven time and time again that she has what it takes to lead a hit comedy series like Parks and Recreation or play a smaller yet key role in Academy Award-winning dramas like The Social Network, and just about everything in between. With multiple streaming services offering the best Rashida Jones TV shows and more, it’s easier than ever before to see where the versatile star has been and where she’s going.

Whether it's streaming, digital purchases, or even DVDs, there are multiple ways to watch Rashida Jones' best movies and TV shows. From her days as Karen Filippelli on The Office to playing Bill Murray’s daughter in Sofia Coppola’s On the Rocks, there’s a lot to tackle here, so let’s get started and start breaking down where you can watch some of Rashida Jones’ best work yet.

The Office (2006 - 2007, 2009, 2011)

For the longest time, The Office was one of the best shows to binge watch on Netflix, but ever since New Year’s Day 2021, NBC’s cultural phenomenon is streaming exclusively on Peacock. And while it was a bummer for everyone with a Netflix subscription to lose their favorite show, fans of the series get to see everything plus never-before-seen content that is exclusive to NBCUniversal’s new platform. Now you can watch the entirety of Karen Filippelli’s saga at Dunder Mifflin plus tons of deleted scenes and other material you won’t find anywhere else. 

Stream The Office on Peacock.

Rent/Buy The Office on Amazon.

Parks And Recreation (2009 - 2015)

It is crazy to think about the Parks and Recreation cast and everything they’ve been able to pull off since the show ended in 2015. One of the funniest faces on the show is without a doubt Rashida Jones who played Ann Perkins, a nurse who became involved with the inner-workings of the Pawnee, Indiana Parks and Recreation department after her boyfriend, Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt) broke both his legs after falling into a large pit. Ann would continue to be a major force and source of comedy for the show until partway through Season 6 though she would return on occasion.

Stream Parks and Recreation on Peacock.

Rent/Buy Parks and Recreation on Amazon.

The Social Network (2010)

The Aaron Sorkin/David Fincher Facebook movie The Social Network remains one of best movies on Netflix thanks it part to its gripping story, outstanding direction, and that amazing cast anchored by Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake. Even the supporting cast, which includes Rashida Jones in a small yet unforgettable role of Marylin Delpy, one of Mark Zuckerberg’s defense attorneys. Despite her soft tone and calm demeanor, it’s Marylin who tells the Facebook founder that he will have to settle his case against Eduardo Saverin not because he's an asshole but he just tries so hard to be one.

Stream The Social Network on Netflix.

Rent/Buy The Social Network on Amazon.

On The Rocks (2020)

Sofia Coppola’s On The Rocks, which follows a young mother (Rashida Jones) who reconnects with her playboy father (Bill Murray) by going on an adventure through the heart of New York City is something that the director and star both have experience with considering their fathers’ fame and names. At the heart of this 2020 Apple TV+ exclusive dramedy, it is about the bond shared by parents and their adult children and how it’s never too late to teach your kids something while also learning a thing or two along the way.

Stream On The Rocks on Apple TV+.

BlackAF (2020)

The Netflix sitcom BlackAF features a fictionalized version of the show’s creator Kenya Barris as he and his wife, Joya Barris (Rashida Jones) become a “new money” Black family and deal with the fallout of their newfound wealth. This hilarious yet socially and culturally-conscience comedy series struck a chord with audiences who will get to come back for more as BlackAF is one of the Netflix TV shows coming back at some point in 2021. With so many reasons to watch, why not give the show a shot.

Stream BlackAF on Netflix.

I Love You, Man (2009)

The 2009 comedy I Love You, Man is largely centered on the budding friendship of Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) and Sydney Fife (Jason Segel), but the driving force of the film’s big adventure is none other than Peter’s fiancée Zooey Rice (Rashida Jones). When she discovers that her soon-to-be husband doesn’t have a best man for the wedding, or any friends to really choose from, she encourages him to go out and find a best friend. Hilarity and chaos soon follow.

Stream I Love You, Man on Amazon.

Rent/Buy I Love You, Man on Amazon.

Freaks And Geeks (1999 - 2000)

The Freaks and Geeks cast was filled with some of today’s biggest stars with people like Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segel all getting one of their first big breaks on the show that ran for one season before getting the axe. The teen comedy about two interconnected groups of high school slackers and nerds set in 1980 also featured a ridiculous list of cameos and guest spots including Rashida Jones, who played Karen Scarfolli in a single episode. You probably want to hurry up and watch Freaks and Geeks as it has a habit of disappearing as quickly as it shows up on various streamers.

Stream Freaks and Geeks on Hulu.

Buy the Freaks and Geeks Blu-ray set on Amazon.

Klaus (2019)

The 2019 animated Christmas adventure Klaus serves as a new take on the origin of Santa Klaus, this time featuring Old St. Nick as a reclusive woodsman (J.K. Simmons) who is discovered by Jesper Johansson (Jason Schwartzman), who is perhaps the worst postman of all time. The partnership eventually turns fruitful, transforming the quiet and once-frozen town into the epicenter of joy and goodwill. Add in Rashida Jones’ performance as Alva, a teacher-turned-fishmonger whose cold heart is melted and made anew with the town’s transformation and you have a recipe for a must-watch holiday classic.

Stream Klaus on Netflix.

Black-ish (2014 - Present)

Despite being one of the funniest shows on television, the long-running ABC hit series black-ish isn’t afraid to hold back with its portrayal of an upper middle class African-American family and the issues and situations they must deal with on a daily basis. Led by the outstanding duo of Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, this hilarious and hard-hitting series also features one hell of a recurring cast that includes Laurence Fishburne, Wanda Sykes, Daveed Diggs, and Rashida Jones to name only a few.

Stream Black-ish on Hulu.

Rent/Buy Black-ish on Amazon.

Angie Tribeca (2016 - 2018)

Perhaps one of the strangest “crime of the week” police procedurals, the TBS comedy series Angie Tribeca really allowed Rashida Jones to showcase her offbeat and unique comedic timing in her portrayal of the veteran of the LAPD’s Really Heinous Crimes Unit. The show’s satirical approach to the crime genre, which was sometimes a little overbearing, gave Angie Tribeca a unique feel over the course of its four seasons.

Steam Angie Tribeca on Hulu.

Rent/Buy Angie Tribeca on Amazon.

The Muppets (2011)

The 2011 version of The Muppets is honestly one of the best additions to the franchise in recent memory and there’s a case to be made about it being one of the best titles in the property’s history. Centering on Gary (Jason Segel) and his Muppet brother Walter (Peter Linz), the movie follows the pair and all other sorts of characters as they attempt to breathe fresh life into the film’s version of the Muppets. When the Muppet Theater needs a big break, Veronica Martin (Rashida Jones) steps in and pulls some strings at the CDE network to get the iconic group a slot.

Stream The Muppets on Disney+.

Rent/Buy The Muppets on Amazon.

Inside Out (2015)

The 2015 Pixar film Inside Out explores the ways in which our emotions dictate essentially every function of our lives and how quickly things can get out of hand when our emotions lose control of what’s happening behind the scenes. The film does a tremendous job of showing that everyone goes through these battles in their lives, even when it looks like they have everything in order. This is seen with the “Cool Girl” character whose emotions are voiced by Rashida Jones, who shows that everyone has their own insecurities.

Stream Inside Out on Disney+.

Rent/Buy Inside Out on Amazon.

Tag (2018)

Despite being a movie based on a schoolyard game, the 2018 action comedy Tag is surprisingly about more than a group of lifelong friends playing a seemingly never-ending game at the expense of everyone around them. Sure, that does happen throughout fun-loving film, but it’s also about the meaning of friendship, even if that means chasing one another through various situations. In addition to the central cast of Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Jon Hamm, and Hannibal Buress, the movie also features a well-rounding supporting crew including Rashida Jones, Isla Fisher, Leslie Bibb, and Brian Dennehy.

Rent/Buy Tag on Amazon.

Our Idiot Brother (2011)

The 2011 comedy Our Idiot Brother follows Ned Rochlin (Paul Rudd) a lovable slacker who falls under the care of his three sisters (Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, and Emily Mortimer) whose lives are subsequently thrown into disarray due to his actions. Once Cindy (Rashida Jones), the girlfriend of one of his sisters, agrees to help Ned gain custody of his dog, even more lives are thrown into chaos with more to follow.

Stream Our Idiot Brother on Netflix.

Rent/Buy Our Idiot Brother on Amazon.

Celeste And Jesse Forever (2012)

The 2012 romantic comedy-drama Celeste and Jesse Forever follows the titular couple (Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg) in the years after they married young. As the years go by and they begin to mature into adulthood, the two begin to drift apart, reaching the brink of divorce. Co-written by Jones, this emotional and at times funny love story will bring a tear to your eye (or two).

Stream Celeste and Jesse Forever on Starz.

Rent/Buy Celeste and Jesse Forever on Amazon.

The Sound Of Silence (2019)

The 2019 offbeat and almost surrealist drama The Sound of Silence follows Peter Lucian (Peter Sarsgaard), a “house tuner” who helps improve the sonic environments of his clients’ homes in hopes of improving their day-to-day lives. Things take a turn when Peter is introduced to Ellen Chasen (Rashida Jones), a client who quickly begins to have deep feelings for the tuner, forever changing their lives.

Stream The Sound of Silence on Hulu.

Buy The Sound of Silence on Amazon.

Those were just a few of the best Rashida Jones TV shows and movies you can stream right, rent, or buy right now. If you’ve already blown through all of those you could always take a look to see what all the 2021 movie premiere dates so you don’t miss another big release.

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Whether you know him best from How I Met Your Mother, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Muppets (2011), or any of his various other projects from the past two decades, it's safe to assume that you're familiar with Jason Segel. The film-television actor has kept a consistently active profile — at least, until recently when he started working on smaller, more intimate projects that suit his creative ambitions. Nevertheless, Segel returned to the spotlight with last year's anthology series, Dispatches From Elsewhere, which he also created, wrote, and directed, and last month's buddy dramedy, Our Friend.

Now that Freaks and Geeks is finally on Hulu, though, let's take a look at what other notable Jason Segel projects are available to stream, especially if you're a fan of the multi-talented performer. Here's what you should check out if you love Jason Segel!

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Peacock)

Following a devastating break-up with his TV star girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), heartbroken musician Peter (Jason Segel) decides to travel to an exotic resort, only to discover that his ex is there, alongside her cool new boyfriend (Russell Brand).

Why It's A Good Option For Jason Segel Fans: Following several years of success as a TV star and reliable supporting player, Jason Segel finally found his own star vehicle with Forgetting Sarah Marshall, a heartfelt, heartwarming, and refreshingly honest romantic comedy that served as a great showcase for Segel as an actor and writer.

Based on Jason Segel's personal experiences, this winning blend of raunchy comedy, emotional sincerity, and even some puppet silliness proved to be a poignant mix, blending the familiar pleasures of your traditional studio rom-com with debauched R-rated goofiness and well-developed characters. While Segel holds his own as the lead, he's surrounded by a strong cast of dependable co-stars, including Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, and Jonah Hill. This is a rom-com you won't want to forget.

Stream It On Peacock Here.

The Muppets (Disney+/Netflix)

Devoted fan Walter and his human friends (Jason Segel, Amy Adams) must reunite The Muppets to save the Muppet Theater from businessman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper).

Why It's A Good Option For Jason Segel Fans: It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights. It's time to meet The Muppets again with their 2011 smash hit, The Muppets, which became a wonderful reprisal for this beloved puppet-based franchise, with Segel's loving assurance providing a steady hand as an actor and screenwriter.

Championing the project through every step in the process, The Muppets (2011) is certainly Jason Segel's baby, and you can feel his affection and dedication to this property throughout this emotionally gratifying, immensely engaging cinematic return. While it didn't signal the bright, prosperous second life for the brand that many fans (like myself) wanted, Disney's reboot gave us one of the finest Muppet movies in ages. Certainly, it's among the best Muppet movies since the 1980s, which is no small feat.

Stream It On Netflix Here And On Disney+ Here.

The End Of The Tour (Showtime/Hoopla)

Based on David Lipsky's memoir, a Rolling Stone journalist (Jesse Eisenberg) conducts a five-day interview with acclaimed author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel).

Why It's A Good Option For Jason Segel Fans: The late David Foster Wallace is an imposingly large literary figure, filled with mountains of wit and tragedy. The wise, even mythic author behind Infinite Jest wasn't an easy personality to fully understand or comprehend. Likewise, he's not an easy persona to embody. Nevertheless, Jason Segel dutifully stepped up to the challenge in 2015's excellent character-based drama, The End of the Tour, resulting in quite arguably his finest performance yet, drama or otherwise, while also demonstrating the subtle depths of his grounded acting talents.

Though it's hard to know how truthful this correspondence between David Foster Wallace and David Lipsky is in its cinematic depiction, Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg infuse enough realistic emotional honesty to sell it immensely. You get immersed in their thoughtful, soul-searching pondering throughout this prolonged conversation.

Stream It On Showtime Here, On Kanopy Here, And On Hoopla Here.

Jeff, Who Lives At Home (CBS All Access/Amazon Prime)

Slacker Jeff (Jason Segel) starts to find himself when he spends the day with his unhappily married brother (Ed Helms), tracking down the latter sibling's potentially adulterous wife (Judy Greer).

Why It's A Good Option For Jason Segel Fans: Though it plays heavily into the Sundance formula, Mark and Jay Duplass' Jeff, Who Lives At Home carries a tender heart and an appropriately homey feel, thanks to its bright writing, sensitive direction, and sharp lead performances from Jason Segel as our titular housebound brother and Ed Helms as his emotionally-fraught brother.

Having established himself as a comedic star who excels at playing carefully-crafted earthbound characters, this aimless character felt right at home (hardy har) with Jason Segel's skillset, while also giving him more flexibility to play loose and comfortably with Jeff's unspecified motivations. This movie isn't anyone's best work, but it's certainly a good film. And it makes for an appealing and endearing watch, especially while you're snuggled up on the couch.

Stream It On CBS All Access Here And On Amazon Prime Here.

Knocked Up (Peacock)

A drunken one-night-stand between fun-loving stoner Ben (Seth Rogen) and career-driven Alison (Katherine Heigl) becomes serious when she gets pregnant.

Why It's A Good Option For Jason Segel Fans: For my money, Knocked Up remains Judd Apatow's finest film. The prolific writer-director-producer has a keen talent for spotting up-and-coming talent and giving them plenty of opportunities to shine in his high-profile projects. While this movie is undeniably Seth Rogen's showcase, his Freaks and Geeks co-star, Jason Segel, is quite a scene-stealer with all of his raunchy, ball-busting retorts.

Though he's strictly a supporting character in this sophomore feature, Jason Segel makes the most of every moment he's on-screen, demonstrating the promising untapped star power that would be realized in his own movie, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the following year. There are several reasons why Knocked Up is one of the better studio comedies to come out in the past decade-plus, and Segel's slacker charm in this unconventional rom-com is only one of them.

Stream It On Peacock Here.

Freaks And Geeks (Hulu)

An ace student (Linda Cardellini) hangs out with a group of burnouts (Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jason Segel), while her freshman brother (John Francis Daley) navigates the tribulations of high school with his fellow geeks (Samm Levine, Martin Starr).

Why It's A Good Option For Jason Segel Fans: Before he found fame with How I Met Your Mother and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Jason Segel got his early start on the cult-favorite coming-of-age NBC dramedy series, Freaks and Geeks. Through his affable screen presence, Segel established his easygoing charm, which would carry over into numerous other projects to come.

From executive producer Judd Apatow, Paul Feig's series only aired 12 episodes before the network pulled the plug (there were 18 episodes altogether), but it helped jumpstart the careers of Seth Rogen, James Franco, and Linda Cardellini. Likewise, Jason Segel's protective, weed-smoking "freak" became an early favorite, showing his talents for playing commonmen who wear their flaws openly but try to do right by others. This early role shaped Segel's career as we now know it.

Stream It On Hulu Here.

How I Met Your Mother (Hulu/Amazon Prime)

Through a series of extensive flashbacks, a father (Josh Radnor) recounts to his teenage kids (Lyndsy Fonseca, David Henrie) the story of how he met their mother.

Why It's A Good Option For Jason Segel Fans: Admittedly, How I Met Your Mother's clout has since waned, mainly due to its egregiously terrible series finale that stole a lot of the sitcom's comfortable goodwill. Nevertheless, while the finale is one for the ages (and not in a good way), the majority of the show is generally fun-loving, agreeable, and sweet-natured throughout.

While it does rely heavily on sitcom tropes, the likability of our five leads, Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Segel, and Alyson Hannigan, constantly wins you over, particularly as they mine lots of believable sincerity and affectionate care from these familiar characters. Certainly, this winsome quality makes the early seasons so enjoyable to discover (or revisit). Similarly, Segel's talents for playing a dorky, endearing everyman were often well-showcased in these seven seasons.

Stream It On Hulu Here And On Amazon Prime Here.

The Discovery (Netflix)

After the afterlife is scientifically proven, a man (Jason Segel) helps a woman (Rooney Mara) break away from her dark past.

Why It's A Good Option For Jason Segel Fans: Of late, Jason Segel has ventured away from his affable comedy persona into darker, more sophisticated dramatic depths. While some of these subdued projects are better than others, one of his more underrated dramatic roles comes from Netflix's The Discovery, an inquisitive, intelligent sci-fi character study with a nicely understated leading man performance from Segel.

While its pompous philosophizing can get in the way of its grounded character work, Jason Segel, Rooney Mara, and Robert Redford each bring their own gentle dignity to their melancholy characters, resulting in a moody-but-mindful cerebral journey that raises some interesting questions and gets solid mileage out of its heady premise. If you love Segel for his laughs, you won't find The Discovery to be a divine affair. But if you like contemplative introspection, notably with Segel providing one of his most quietly curious performances, this movie is worth discovering.

Stream It On Netflix Here.

The Five-Year Engagement (HBO Max)

A time-spanning romantic dramedy that follows the multi-year engagement between Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt).

Why It's A Good Option For Jason Segel Fans: Though not without its shortcomings, including an uneven tone, overlong narrative, and a barrage of hit-and-miss jokes, all of which are highlighted by its overarching storyline, The Five-Year Engagement also celebrates Jason Segel's strengths as an actor and screenwriter alike, presenting an agreeable lead caught in extraordinary circumstances, while bringing enough believable heart and emotional honesty to keep it from completely falling off-the-rails. The actor/writer also works well with an appealing Emily Blunt, who's very capable of handling the movie's comedic and dramatic moments with equal assurance.

While this Forgetting Sarah Marshall reunion between Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel can get too caught up in its own mopiness to keep the laughs plentiful, the director and actor/writer duo remain commendably good at finding the core heart of this ill-fated romance, while presenting a well-established couple who are easy to engage with.

Stream It On HBO Max Here, and if you're not an HBO Max subscriber, you can sign up for it here.

Come Sunday (Netflix)

A dramatized retelling of evangelist Carlton Pearson's (Chiwetel Ejiofor) ostracizing from his church and religious community after he preaches that there's no Hell.

Why It's A Good Option For Jason Segel Fans: Though its narrative structure could use some divine intervention, favoring an uninspired template that doesn't venture away from its conversational-but-conventional storyline, Netflix's Come Sunday is, nevertheless, an investing watch, thanks to its commanding lead performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor as a real-life evangelist who was shunned by his church and followers when he preached the notion that Hell doesn't exist. He captures the confusion and confoundment of his central character, though he's also aided by his dependable supporting cast, which includes LaKeith Stanfield, Martin Sheen, Danny Glover, Condola Rashad, and Jason Segel.

When it comes to Jason Segel's doubtful supporting turn, the actor doesn't get a ton of time to shine, but his reliable insecurities play a heavy role in establishing funneling doubts and moral questioning that our preacher faces in his uneasy new spiritual journey.

Stream It On Netflix Here.

Do you love Jason Segel? Which movie or TV show is your favorite? Let us know below!

It's hard to believe that it's been over 20 years since Freaks and Geeks aired its brief few episodes on NBC. Created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow, this coming-of-age teen dramedy is considered one of the finest programs to ever get canceled prematurely, but it has grown long legs since. Through its critical success and cult following, this short-lived show helped foster the careers of Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, Martin Starr, Busy Philipps, and John Francis Daley. Now that the show is available to stream in full on Hulu, let's take this moment to see how far these stars have come since these humble beginnings.

Here's what the Freaks and Geeks cast is doing now.

John Francis Daley (Sam Weir)

As Sam Weir, the quiet comedy enthusiast who finds his clique with the geeks, John Francis Daley was one of the leads of the show. Afterward, Daley became known for his work in Bones. His other notable acting credits include View from the Top, Waiting ..., The Geena Davis Show, Boston Public, Kitchen Confidential, Dude Bro Party Massacre III, and 5-22-77. Outside of acting, Daley developed a second career as a Hollywood screenwriter, notably penning Horrible Bosses, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, and Spider-Man: Homecoming. He also wrote and co-directed Vacation (2015), helmed Game Night, and produced Stuber.

Next, John Francis Daley serves as the writer behind Vacation Friends. He's also attached to write and direct a new Dungeons & Dragons movie. Away from acting, he sings and plays keyboards for the band, Dayplayer.

Linda Cardellini (Lindsay Weir)

In the role of Lindsay Weir, a gifted high schooler and Sam's older sister, Linda Cardellini played one half of the lead roles in Freaks and Geeks. Outside of this short-lived series, the actress is best known for her work in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies, as well as ER, Mad Men, Bloodline, Legally Blonde, Brokeback Mountain, A Simple Favor, Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Daddy's Home movies, The Curse of La Llorona, The Founder, Good Burger, Boy Meets World, and Green Book. She can also be heard in Regular Show, Gravity Falls, Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated, and Sanjay and Craig.

Currently, Linda Cardellini can be seen in Netflix's Dead to Me, where she also serves as a co-executive producer. She has been Emmy-nominated for this leading role. Most recently, the actress appeared in Capone and several episodes of Disney+'s Muppets Now.

Samm Levine (Neal Schweiber)

In the part of Neal Schweiber, a comedy-loving geek, Samm Leivne played a scene-stealing supporting character on the series. Levine is known for his work in Inglorious Basterds, the Wet Hot American Summer franchise, Not Another Teen Movie, Pulse, Club Dread, Sydney White, I Love You Beth Cooper, Jobs, NCIS, Crunch Time, Another Period, Selfie, Do No Harm, and Drunk History. Outside of acting, Levine served as a sidekick and fill-in host on Kevin Pollak's Chat Show. He also regularly appeared on Collider's Movie Trivia Schmoedown.

Most recently, Samm Levine was seen in No Good Nick, I'd Like To Be Alone Now, and the short film, Summoned. Next, he'll be seen in Adverse, Immortal, and Bonded. Additionally, Levine will be featured in Wags to Riches.

Seth Rogen (Ken Miller)

As Ken Miller, a wise-cracking, extremely sarcastic student at William McKinley High School, Seth Rogen started his career and later found his fame thanks to his early exposure here. His next acting credits include Knocked Up, Undeclared, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Funny People, Steve Jobs, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, 50/50, Neighbors, Long Shot, and The Disaster Artist, plus Superbad and Pineapple Express (both of which he also co-wrote).

Additionally, Seth Rogen lent his voice to the Kung Fu Panda movies, Monsters vs. Aliens, Paul, Shrek the Third, Horton Hears a Who, and The Lion King (2019). Also, he wrote, directed, and starred in This is the End and The Interview. The actor directed for Preacher, Future Man, and Black Sunday, and wrote for The League, The Simpsons, and Da Ali G Show, for which he was Emmy-nominated. Most recently, Rogen starred in An American Pickle. He was also seen in The Boys and heard in Big Mouth. His upcoming credits include Invincible, Pam & Tommy, and Santa Inc.

James Franco (Daniel Desario)

In the role of Daniel Desario, Nick's best friend who's in an unsteady relationship with Kim, James Franco first gained notoriety for his work in Freaks and Geeks. Franco's profile continued to rise thanks to the Spider-Man trilogy, Pineapple Express, Milk, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Spring Breakers, Oz the Great and Powerful, This is the End, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Sausage Party, and 127 Hours, the latter for which he was Oscar-nominated. He also won a Golden Globe for his leading role in The Disaster Artist, which he also directed. Additionally, on television, Franco starred in The Deuce and 11.22.63, and appeared on General Hospital, The Mindy Project, and Angie Tribeca. Outside of acting, Franco also authored Palo Alto and Actors Anonymous.

Most recently, James Franco starred in Zeroville, which he also directed. He was also heard in Arctic Dogs. Next, he'll be seen in Kill the Czar and The Long Home, which he also directed. But, after a series of allegations were made against him, Franco has kept a low profile.

Jason Segel (Nick Andopolis)

Playing the part of Nick Andopolis, one of the Freaks who's often protective of Lindsay, Jason Segel found his early breakout role in this show. Following his time in this series, Segel starred in CBS's long-running How I Met Your Mother. The actor also wrote and starred in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, 2011's The Muppets, The Five-Year Engagement, and Sex Tape. His other notable film credits include I Love You Man, Jeff Who Lives At Home, Bad Teacher, Knocked Up, This is 40, Can't Hardly Wait, This is the End, and The End of the Tour. Additionally, he worked with Judd Apatow on the similarly short-lived series, Undeclared.

Most recently, Jason Segel was seen in Our Friend. He also created, wrote, directed, and starred in AMC's anthology series, Dispatches from Elsewhere. Segel made an appearance in Quibi's Home Movie: The Princess Bride. Next, Segel will star in The Sky Is Everywhere. Outside of acting, Segel has co-authored several novels, including the Nightmares! series and the Last Reality series, with Kirsten Miller.

Martin Starr (Bill Haverchuck)

As Bill Haverchuck, one of the freshman geeks, Martin Starr had his first brush with fame through his supporting turn in Freaks and Geeks. Following his time in this series, Starr, well, starred in Starz's Party Down. He also played a lead role in HBO's Silicon Valley. His other notable credits include Knocked Up, Adventureland, The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Superbad, This is the End, NTSF: SD: SUV::, Burning Love, Life in Pieces, Veronica Mars, Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead, Honey Boy, and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

Most recently, Martin Starr guest-starred in truTV's Tacoma FD. Next, he'll be seen in Samaritan, Spider-Man 3, and the short film, Milford.

Busy Philipps (Kim Kelly)

In the role of Kim Kelly, Lindsay Weir's best friend, Busy Philipps played a prominent supporting character in Freaks and Geeks. Outside of this show, Philipps is known for her work in Dawson's Creek, Cougar Town, ER, Love Inc., White Chicks, He's Just Not That Into You, The Gift (2015), The Smokers, Home Room, Made of Honor, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Vice Principals, and I Feel Pretty. Additionally, from 2018 through 2019, Philipps hosted E!'s late-night talk show, Busy Tonight.

Most recently, Busy Philipps appeared in an episode of Search Party. Next, Philipps stars in Peacock's Girls5Eva. Outside of acting, the actress released her memoir, This Will Only Hurt A Little, in 2018.

Becky Ann Baker (Jean Weir)

Playing the part of Jean Weir, Lindsay and Sam's mother, Becky Ann Baker played a pivotal maternal character in Freaks and Geeks. Away from this Fox series, Baker is best known for her Emmy-nominated performance in HBO's Girls. Her other notable credits include Blue Steel, Lorenzo's Oil, Men in Black, Jacob's Ladder, In & Out, Spider-Man 3, Nights in Rodanthe, The End of the Tour, Table 19, Hope Springs, A Simple Plan, Stay, The Good Wife, The Blacklist, Big Little Lies, Younger, and Brockmire.

Most recently, Becky Ann Baker was seen in The Half of It. She also made appearances in Social Distance, Little America, Manhunt, Council of Dads, Little Voice, and Katy Keene. Next, Baker will be seen in Holler, which premiered at TIFF, and Starbright. Additionally, outside of acting, Baker produced the short film, Pizza Party, last year.

Joe Flaherty (Harold Weir)

As Harold Weir, Jean's husband and Lindsay and Sam's father, Joe Flaherty played a paternal character in Freaks and Geeks. Most notably, away from this role, the actor-comedian is known for his work on SCTV and Happy Gilmore. He also appeared in 1941, Johnny Dangerously, Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird, Innerspace, Back to the Future Part II, Stuart Saves His Family, Detroit Rock City, That '70s Show, Who's Harry Crumb?, Slackers, National Security, Club Paradise, Heavy Metal, and Stripes.

Most recently, Joe Flaherty appeared in Call Me Fitz, and the short film, Nightlife. He also wrote an episode Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. He doesn't have any upcoming credits at this time.

You can stream Freaks and Geeks on Hulu here.

We have been blessed with the ability to cut the cord and instead choose to watch whatever we want, whenever we want, and with just the push of a button. It is a gift that I also believe we seem to take for granted for these days and have even allowed the titles that are currently available on streaming to distract us from classics that are much harder to find, like Freaks and Geeks, for instance. In fact, that short-lived, but much-loved cult favorite is just one many great TV comedies that cannot be found on any common streaming service at the moment.

It occurred to me recently how many times I have forked out some extra cash to safely and legally revisit a series that used to fill my life my laughter, whether it was by a digital rental or paying out the ass for a rare, used DVD copy. It happens quite frequently with many TV shows, often due to the cost of upholding contracts with certain streaming services, licensing disputes over music used throughout the series, or the distributor’s own refusal to comply with modern times (I’m assuming?). Some explanations for a series’ MIA streaming status are even more mysterious than others.

We, unfortunately, do not have the answers to those mysteries and instead have to wait until we may one day be able to enjoy our favorite funny TV shows at no extra cost than a monthly subscription. The following are 11 cherished and deeply missed examples, starting with one of the most important and accurate depictions of teen angst ever.

Freaks And Geeks

Before they went on to revolutionize comedy on the big screen, series creator Paul Feig and executive producer Judd Apatow revolutionized comedy on the small screen at the cusp of the 21st Century with this 1980s-set period piece that offered an unusually, and often painfully, realistic portrayal of America’s youth for TV at the time. Tragically, the Emmy-winning Freaks and Geeks was cancelled by NBC after only 12 episodes (out of 18 produced), but lives on through the A-list careers it helped jump start, including Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Seth Rogen, and plenty more.

Undeclared

Judd Apatow tweeted in 2020 that Freaks and Geeks’ streaming chances do, indeed, rely on clearing music rights - adding that the same goes for his 2001 follow-up series (also starring Seth Rogen) which offered another endearing and honest look at youth, but from the perspective of the modern college student. However, Undeclared would suffer the same fate as Freaks and Geeks, but at least got to endure a full 17-episode season on Fox and is also remembered today as a big break for A-listers like Jay Baruchel and Charlie Hunnam before Sons of Anarchy made him a household name.

It’s Garry Shandling’s Show

Before Freaks and Geeks or Undeclared, Judd Apatow was a writer and producer on The Larry Sanders Show, where he became friendly with star and co-creator Garry Shandling. Of course, you can watch that acclaimed showbiz satire on HBO Max, but what you cannot stream today is the more meta and wonderfully irreverent It’s Garry Shandling’s Show., in which the late, beloved comic played a man aware he is the star of a sitcom who would frequently interact with his studio audience from 1986-1990. You can purchase the innovative Emmy-nominee on digital, but not even a subscription to its original network Showtime will allow to stream it.

Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist

Garry Shandling once lent his voice to this cult series, as well as many other notable comedians who would present their material in the form of a therapy session with co-creator Jonathan Katz’s crudely drawn, cartoon alter ego. Also starring Bob’s Burgers and Archer star H. Jon Benjamin and Laura Silverman (sister of Sarah), Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist was Comedy Central’s first original animated series, running from 1995 to 2002, but even among all the content available from the network’s own website, this Emmy winner is nowhere to be found.

Blossom

Modern audiences know her as Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, but in the early 1990s, Mayim Bialik played the eccentric teenage title character of Blossom - the only female in a house overrun with men, specifically her single father and two older brothers. Following its removal from Hulu in 2019, I was initially surprised this fun and (for its time) edgy sitcom was not at least available on Peacock given its five-season NBC run, but it was distributed by Disney’s Buena Vista Television, meaning it could find a home on Disney+ someday.

Home Improvement

I would hope the same for this long-running ABC comedy whose title references both Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor’s job hosting a bumbling home-improvement program and his frequent lessons in maintaining a family household with more than just a hammer and nails. If Home Improvement does not return to streaming anytime soon, former series lead Tim Allen has expressed interest in a one-off revival and claims co-stars Patricia Richardson and Richard Karn would also be game.

The Drew Carey Show

While Home Improvement topped the ratings on ABC, current The Price is Right host Drew Carey was practically the face of the network in the mid-to-late-‘90s as host of the first US edition of Whose Line is it Anyway? and star and co-creator of his own self-titled sitcom in which he played a Cleveland office worker prone to bizarre misadventures with his drinking buddies, including Whose Line’s own Ryan Stiles. Unfortunately, not only is The Drew Carey Show unavailable to stream anywhere, but only the first of its nine seasons is can even be purchased on DVD or digital, which we can blame copyright issues over its catchy, best-known theme song for.

Night Court

Another sitcom that can boast a catchy theme song is the hilarious Night Court, a hilarious, multi-Emmy winner following an unusual judge (the late Harry Anderson) and his equally irreverent colleagues while working the late shift of at hall of justice in Manhattan. While fans are currently unable to stream the funniest cases from its 1984-1992 run, former The Big Bang Theory star Melissa Rauch is reportedly executive producing an upcoming sequel series for NBC that will focus on Harry Stone’s daughter, Abby, as she follows in her judicial father’s footsteps and will feature John Larroquette’s return as slimy prosecutor Dan Fielding.

Soap

Speaking of sequel series, the mid-to-late 1970s classic Soap is also known as the predecessor of popular spin-off Benson (led by the late Robert Guillaume), which is available to Roku users on the streaming device’s own exclusive platform. However, you cannot even use that site (or any other that I can find) to watch this uproarious, beloved parody of the extreme melodrama found on daytime soap operas featuring a young Billy Crystal in his first starring role in a TV series.

Get Smart

Speaking of Billy Crystal, I think most agree he deserves a spot alongside all-time comedic greats like Mel Brooks, who, along with the late Oscar-nominee Buck Henry, created this brilliant send-up of the spy genre that ran around the same James Bond ruled the cinema in the late 1960s. Yet, Get Smart, starring the great Don Adams as the bumbling titular secret agent Maxwell Smart, and even the 2008 big screen update with Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway are currently without a streaming home.

The Adventures Of Pete & Pete

Before its 1992 premiere, there was nothing in the world of children’s television quite like Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete (originally a series of one-minute shorts about a pair of synonymously named brothers and their crazy town) and rarely has anything come close to its unique blend of surrealist absurdity with relatable coming-of-age themes. This is why, after discovering its lack of streaming options, I personally spent a considerable amount of money on used DVD copies of the first two seasons and would have bought the third had it not inexplicably vanished soon after its initial release announcement - one of the series’ many mysteries that fans are still eager to solve to this day.

What do you think? Do you still hold out hope that Season 3 of The Adventures of Pete & Pete will eventually see the light of day, or have you already had your fill of ‘90s Nickelodeon nostalgia by now? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the when these hilarious classics may be available stream, as well as our own recommendations for funny favorites you fortunately can stream at the moment, here on CinemaBlend.

Comedy fans should know that the funniest TV shows on Hulu are an essential reason why it is one of the best streaming services to subscribe to today. From some of Hulu’s original TV shows to beloved classic sitcoms of the past, the following are some of the most hilarious series you can find with a Hulu subscription, in my opinion.

30 Rock (2006-2013)

Starring: Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin

What it’s about: An inside look at the uproarious antics going on behind the scenes of a live sketch comedy TV show.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: Also created by former SNL star and writer Tina Fey, 30 Rock is a sharp industry satire that would slowly evolve into a wonderfully absurd workplace comedy.

• Stream 30 Rock on Hulu

English Teacher (2024-Present)

Starring: Brian Jordan Alvarez, Stephanie Koenig

What it’s about: The struggles of a modern-day high school faculty member, as seen mostly through the eyes of the openly gay Evan Marquez.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: Also created by Brian Jordan Alvarez, English Teacher is more than just another funny comedy set at a school but a surprisingly profound snapshot of the most polarizing sociological topics of today, from both adult and teen viewpoints.

• Stream English Teacher on Hulu

Ramy (2019-Present)

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Amr Waked

What it’s about: The New Jersey-born son of Egyptian immigrants seeks spiritual guidance to better understand his Muslim faith.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: Comedian Ramy Youssef (who also co-created Ramy) earned a Golden Globe for portraying a fictionalized version of himself in this funny and profoundly moving meditation on cultural identity.

• Stream Ramy on Hulu

Reservation Dogs (2021-2023)

Starring: D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Devery Jacobs, Paulina Alexis, Lane Factor

What it’s about: Jaded by their lives in an Oklahoma reservation community, four Indigenous teens plan to escape by turning to crime.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: From creators Taika Waititi and Sterlin Harjo, Reservation Dogs sheds light on the life of the modern Indigenous youth through a cheekily comical guise.

• Stream Reservation Dogs on Hulu

Only Murders In The Building (2021-Present)

Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez

What it’s about: A mismatched trio becomes a sensation when they start an investigative podcast about deadly crimes in their famed Manhattan apartment complex.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: No TV show has captured the modern world’s obsession with true crime better, and in a funnier way, than the Hulu exclusive, Only Murders in the Building, which has Season 5 in the works.

• Stream Only Murders in the Building on Hulu

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005-Present)

Starring: Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olsen, Danny DeVito

What it’s about: The misadventures of a group of narcissistic and borderline sociopathic friends who own an Irish pub in South Philadelphia.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: If I were to give a name to this generation’s equivalent to Seinfeld, it would very likely be It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, despite the long-running (16 seasons and counting) FX original’s propensity to be a bit stranger and much, much darker than Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David’s classic ever proved to be.

• Stream It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Hulu

New Girl (2011-2018)

Starring: Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, Max Greenfield, Hannah Simone

What it’s about: A recently heartbroken LA teacher moves in with three male strangers.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: Zooey Deschanel brings her signature quirky charm to the small screen as the lead of creator Elizabeth Meriwether’s sitcom, but it’s her chemistry with the rest of the New Girl cast that makes it so irresistibly funny.

• Stream New Girl on Hulu

What We Do In The Shadows (2019-2024)

Starring: Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasha Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch

What it’s about: A camera crew follows the daily routine of a group of naive vampires and their familiar.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: Cross the mockumentary-style humor of The Office with the lore pioneered by Dracula author Bram Stoker and you get one of the funniest horror TV shows available on Hulu, What We Do in the Shadows – a series adaptation of Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s horror-comedy movie classic of the same name.

• Stream What We Do in the Shadows on Hulu

Archer (2009-2023)

Starring: H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler

What it’s about: The adventures of the selfish, absent-minded top agent at the already dysfunctional International Secret Intelligence Service.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: While there have already been countless parodies of great spy movies and TV shows for decades, no one has poked fun at espionage quite like creator Adam Reed’s Archer, and not just because it’s animated.

• Stream Archer on Hulu

Cheers (1982-1993)

Starring: Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Woody Harrelson

What it’s about: The staff and clientele of a Boston pub form strong relationships with one another.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: In a time when family sitcoms were all the rage, the long-running, multi-Emmy Award-winning hit, Cheers – which Frasier was spun off from – redefined the sitcom family as the people you see every day when you stop for a drink on your way home from work.

• Stream Cheers on Hulu

Futurama (1999-2023)

Starring: Billy West, John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal

What it’s about: A 20th-century pizza deliverer is accidentally frozen and wakes up 2000 years later.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: The present-day looks funnier when shown through the lens of the futuristic society from Futurama, which – like co-creator Matt Groening’s other most famous creation, The Simpsons (which this series also referenced often) – pokes fun at pop culture mercilessly but makes it even more fun with sci-fi elements.

• Stream Futurama on Hulu

How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)

Starring: Josh Radnor, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan

What it’s about: A man tells his children his own love story… consisting mostly of anecdotes about his friends.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: Created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas and featuring a now-A-list cast, How I Met Your Mother became a widely beloved pop culture staple for its interesting comments on modern romance and surviving adulthood.

• Stream How I Met Your Mother on Hulu

Scrubs (2001-2010)

Starring: Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison

What it’s about: An underachieving doctor learns about more than just medicine while working at Sacred Heart Hospital.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: Fans of medical dramas and quirky sitcoms looking for a series that combines the styles of both should look no further than creator Bill Lawrence’s Scrubs, which is surrealistically funny but can be heartwarming and even heartbreaking at times.

• Stream Scrubs on Hulu

The Great (2020-2023)

Starring: Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult

What it’s about: A humorous retelling of the rise of Catherine the Great as the governess of Russia.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: By being a bit loose with the facts, The Great also succeeds in being an amusing and thought-provoking reflection of modern-day society with more old-fashioned production design and lavish costumes.

• Stream The Great on Hulu

Abbott Elementary (2021-Present)

Starring: Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams

What it’s about: A camera crew follows the eccentric, diverse faculty at a Philadelphia elementary school with a low reputation.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: The documentary-style sitcom is nothing new but star and creator Quinta Brunson’s Emmy-winning Abbott Elementary is a refreshing entry for its irreverent, high-brow sense of humor.

• Stream Abbott Elementary on Hulu

Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)

Starring: Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Dan Levy, Annie Murphy

What it’s about: A wealthy family is forced to live in a rural community they purchased as a joke when it becomes their sole asset after losing everything else.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: Few “riches-to-rags” stories have been as uplifting, influential, and absolutely hilarious than this Canadian import, which is co-created by Schitt’s Creek cast members and real-life father and son, Eugene and Dan Levy.

• Stream Schitt’s Creek on Hulu

Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2009)

Starring: Tyler James Williams, Terry Crews

What it’s about: A funny, fictionalized look at the childhood of comedian Chris Rock.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: Rock co-creates and narrates Everybody Hates Chris, which is a fun, autobiographical twist on the family sitcom.

• Stream Everybody Hates Chris on Hulu

Modern Family (2009-2020)

Starring: Ed O’Neil, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet

What it’s about: A documentary crew follows an aging divorcee, his new, younger Colombian wife, his daughter and her childish spouse, her younger brother and his husband, and their respective children

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: From creators Christopher Lloyd (not that one) and Steve Levitan, this sweet, Emmy-winning mockumentary-style ABC sitcom authentically, and tastefully, defines what it means to be a Modern Family.

• Stream Modern Family on Hulu

The Golden Girls (1985-1992)

Starring: Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Betty White, Rue McClanahan

What it’s about: A quartet of single women – including the down-to-earth Dorothy, her outspoken mother, Sophia, the dim but endearing Rose, and the romantically active Blanche – learn to survive each other as roommates in Miami.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: As the title of The Golden Girls suggests, our central characters prove that, despite having entered their golden years, they have not yet lost their biting sense of humor.

• Stream The Golden Girls on Hulu

Rick And Morty (2013-Present)

Starring: Justin Roiland, Chris Parnell, Spencer Grammer, Sarah Chalke, Ian Cardoni, Harry Belden

What it’s about: An alcoholic mad scientist drags his meek, teenage grandson on dangerous, often life-changing adventures to different worlds.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: While it is essentially an animated parody of Doc and Marty McFly’s relationship in Back to the Future, Rick and Morty (co-created by Community mastermind Dan Harmon) has become one of the most acclaimed science-fiction TV shows in recent memory.

• Stream Rick and Morty on Hulu

Atlanta (2016-2022)

Starring: Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, Lakeith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz

What it’s about: A penniless college dropout takes on the responsibility of managing his cousin’s up-and-coming rap career.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: I might be cheating by including this Emmy-winning FX original because, as seen in many of the best Atlanta episodes, it is more than a comedy but a dystopia of surrealist mundanity that can make you laugh, cry, frighten you, or leave you ultimately bewildered by its stunning creativity and brutal honesty.

• Stream Atlanta on Hulu

Letterkenny (2016-2023)

Starring: Jared Keeso, Nathan Dales, Michelle Mylett, K. Trevor Wilson

What it’s about: An inside look at rural Canada through the eyes of the diverse, eccentric citizens of the eponymous town.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: You will never think of the Great White North in the same way again after the Letterkenny cast teaches you a whole new vocabulary, gives you a fresh perspective on a wide variety of topics (including classic pop culture moments), and has you howling with laughter, if you can keep up with the rapid-fire dialogue.

• Stream Letterkenny on Hulu

Bob’s Burgers (2011-Present)

Starring: H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal

What it’s about: Bob Belcher struggles to keep his restaurant in business and his sanity intact as he and his eccentric family endure a series of unusual, yet oddly relatable, mishaps.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: The animated culinary comedy Bob’s Burgers (easily the sweetest and most endearingly quirky of anything in Fox’s Animation Domination slot) has also inspired an acclaimed feature-length spin-off released in 2022 and an actual cookbook, too.

• Stream Bob’s Burgers on Hulu

Key & Peele (2012-2015)

Starring: Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele

What it’s about: A series of irreverent short films from the minds of the titular comedy duo.

Why it is one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu: The former MADtv cast members took the world by storm with one of the best sketch comedy TV shows in recent memory, Key & Peele, which showcased hilarious bits featuring a name pronunciation-challenged substitute teacher and man hired to translate President Barack Obama’s words into furious rants.

• Stream Key & Peele on Hulu

These TV shows, old or new, are just what a Hulu subscriber needs to keep them laughing until they cry.

Neil Peart, the drummer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band Rush, has died. He was 67. Peart died after a three and a half year battle with the most aggressive brain cancer, Glioblastoma, on January 7. Freaks and Geeks producer Judd Apatow got emotional over the Rush drummer’s death.

The news of Neil Peart’s death hit close to home for Judd Apatow because the producer and director loved Rush’s music and it was even included on the beloved and short-lived series Freaks and Geeks. In the episode titled “I’m with the Band,” Jason Segel’s Nick Andopolis, who was himself a huge fan of Rush, plays the drums along to Rush’s “Spirit of the Radio.” A fan tweeted a clip of the inspiring and spirited scene to Apatow, and he replied with an emotional response.

It’s hard to encapsulate all that an artist meant to someone and, for Judd Apatow, the clip was likely a reminder of how affecting Rush’s music was. The clip was especially moving because Jason Segel’s character was drumming his heart out and the clip, in its own way, captured the spirit of Neil Peart.

You can watch the Freaks and Geeks clip that made Judd Apatow emotional and paid tribute to Neil Peart and Rush below. Nick Andopolis pours his heart and soul into “Spirit of the Radio” and it shows.

Through the clip alone, it’s not hard to see why Neil Peart was so beloved. The drummer was so renowned that he was even referenced in the Family Guy episode “Chick Cancer," with Chester Cheetah declaring that there’s “no fucking drummer better than Neil Peart” while listening to Rush’s “Tom Sawyer.”

Neil Peart’s death was first announced by the official Twitter account of Rush, which was comprised of Peart, Geddy Lee, and Alex Lifeson.

Neil Peart, whose last tour with Rush was in 2015, touched the lives of many and was admired for his technical proficiency and drumming talent, as well as the heart he brought onstage during live performances. The legendary drummer’s loss was felt throughout the music and acting communities.

We at CinemaBlend offer our condolences to the family and friends of Neil Peart in this difficult time.

With Peak TV still going strong across various different networks and streaming services, one might think that adapting TV shows into feature-length movies would be the exact opposite of what creators and producers should do. Yet, for many popular TV shows such as Breaking Bad, the movie route is proving to be the perfect way to provide certain TV series with perhaps a grand finale they were robbed of, or some other sense of closure. Downtown Abbey debuted recently in theaters and hit #1 at the box office, all while El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie gears up for a limited theatrical run on the same day it premieres on Netflix.

For as many benefits as TV provides long-running storylines, a movie wrap-up usually allow for a bigger budget, prestige stars, a rousing return to action, and a sense of finality that goes even beyond previous finales. Feature adaptations can also allow shows to tie up loose ends from their original runs. Thankfully, the streaming age allows for more opportunities than ever to spin big movies based out of the shows people love, with Breaking Bad's extended follow-up El Camino a big point of fan hunger.

We already know that Bob's Burgers, The Walking Dead and possibly even Family Guy are set to get movies in the near future, while HBO satisfied plans a'plenty with Deadwood: The Movie, which premiered this summer to tremendous reviews and raves. There's also Mister America (based on On Cinema At The Cinema) and Between Two Ferns: The Movie (the latter of which recently debuted on Netflix), with both technically based on web series that expanded into TV formatting before becoming full-fledged movies. It's easy to see the possibility, with streaming services like Netflix and the forthcoming HBO Max, that studios are ready to provide big movie events to shows that either need them or should have them.

Therefore, let's look at some popular TV shows of recent that would benefit from a big feature adaptation. The chances of these things happening aren't great, of course, and they're definitely not the only series deserving of more episodes, but let's dive in.

Community

Let's get this obvious one out of the way. Dan Harmon's beloved meta-sitcom Community never quite found the same en-masse audiences that fellow NBC sitcoms The Office and Friends did, but its bumpy road through six seasons proved to be, if not entirely consistent, certainly endearing it to its loyal-and-true fanbase. Centered around Greendale Community College's study group extraordinaire, and the members' never-ending pop culture references, Community lost and then rehired Harmon as showrunner during its run, which also had several cast members such as Donald Glover exiting. But the show stayed mostly true to its mission of #SixSeasonsAndAMovie, even switching from NBC to Yahoo. But four years after Season 6 ended, where's our movie?

It's to Community's benefit and determent that a majority of the stars from the show have gone on to become big stars. Donald Glover is undeniably the most famous of the group, but Allison Brie, Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong are all far bigger stars than they were years ago, when Chevy Chase was the biggest name on the sitcom. It would be extremely tough to round everyone up again for a movie, and impossible to know if Glover would even want to do it, not to mention Dan Harmon's busy schedule with Rick and Morty.

Still, it's clear that nearly everyone who was involved with this show loved making it, and they would do whatever they can to make a movie work into their busy schedules, though it still hasn't come. There will soon come a point when making a Community movie will become too unlikely, and all hopes will be lost in the darkest timeline, so it would be in everyone's best interest to make it happen. Assuming, of course, that Dan Harmon could create a story worthy of the means to make it happen the way it should. But we'll try to keep our hopes up that the long-promised Community movie will happen one of these days.

Where Should It Premiere: A theatrical release would be the most optimal, though it would not be unreasonable to see the movie land on a streaming service like Hulu, Netflix or NBC's forthcoming Peacock service. Justin Lin, who directed the paintball episode, expressed interest in being at the helm of the movie, and it also helps that Community was often directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the guys behind Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.

Dexter

To be perfectly blunt, the series finale of Dexter is terrible. Just terrible. The show was rarely on certain terms when it came to quality after those early seasons, but the last few saw a significant downhill slip resulting in one of the worst TV finales in many fans' eyes. Admittedly, the events in the show's final hour might make it hard to produce a feature-length film conclusion, but there's no denying that the show deserves another chance to end things right for Michael C. Hall's conscience-driven killer Dexter Morgan.

The dramatic series was certainly not without its finer seasons, but something got lost in the shuffle as years went by. With years having passed since the weak-sauce Lumberjack Dexter conclusion, the writers and creators behind Dexter have hopefully thought about what a possible movie continuation would be. Even if it wouldn't immediately follow the final season, it would be hard for it to not provide a more satisfying send-off. It's hard, though not impossible, to imagine the Dexter team making something that's even worse than the finale we got, but it certainly doesn't hurt to put some hope into Dexter getting another chance at receiving a killer conclusion.

Where Should It Premiere: Showtime has been building up its original series pedigree even higher in recent years, so it wouldn't be out-of-the-question for this hypothetical movie to stick with the network for a movie event. Although, seeing a sun-heavy Dexter movie on the big screen certainly wouldn't be a bad idea either...

Freaks & Geeks

It's understandable if the proper time has passed for making a Freaks and Geeks movie a reality, but there's no denying that the '80s-set series was a comedy cornerstone where many Hollywood talents got an early start. Created by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, Freaks and Geeks was under-appreciated for its initial run, but it's clear that nearly everyone involved has earned promising careers tying back to this blissful coming-of-age show. Still, it was only given one season, since most of the fan appreciation came retroactively after it was already cancelled.

Alas, with all the exceptional talent involved in this show, it's apparent that there's equally exceptional potential to give Freaks and Geeks the movie conclusion it has been long overdue to receive. The narrative could easily be centered around a high school reunion, with all the characters returning to town, despite some being in different grades, to get into their respective hijinks. The possibilities are limitless, and if stars like Seth Rogen, James Franco and Busy Phillips could be swayed to sign on, this hypothetical movie would probably get a lot of producers interested.

Where Should It Premiere: Netflix seems like the best bet, because while there is enough star power to justify a theatrical release, it's clear that this movie is a gamble, and it wouldn't really hurt to make Freaks and Geeks accessible on the streaming service, since Judd Apatow has already established a firm working relationship with the company.

The OA

This oddball Netflix series never quite drew in huge crowds, at least assumedly, but it definitely earned a vocal  and passionate fanbase. The OA centered around a woman (played by co-creator Brit Marling) who resurfaced after being missing for seven years, and the genre-bending series was able to be appealingly weird and enjoyable for those willing to take the dance. In any case, it was considered a little too much of a risk to keep around the streaming service, and the show was unceremoniously cancelled by Netflix, which caused no shortage of rants across the Internet.

While the likelihood of a movie continuing and finishing the story of The OA seems a bit low, considering Netflix has already come out to directly state it wouldn't be following up on an OA feature, it wouldn't be the most impossible thing ever. After a lot of pushback, Netflix eventually agreed to give the previously cancelled Sense8 a movie conclusion for its passionate fanbase. So if the protests continue, something similar could be done with The OA, possibly.

Where Would It Premiere: Netflix, obviously, though another network stepping up would certainly help hypothetically speed the process along.

These are only a handful of popular shows who were shortchanged when it comes to proper series finales, which is something that could be changed if they were given their own movies. Let us know in the comments below what other shows (cancelled or otherwise) should get wrap-up movies. In today's TV era, there are no shortage of other examples to be listed, and the feverish interest in El Camino and the high box office tally for Downton Abbey suggests that the market is right there. (I still don't expect to get a continuation of HBO's criminally underrated Togetherness, though,)

Showbiz has been rocked by allegations of mistreatment and misconduct by men in the television and film industry, and now former Freaks and Geeks star Busy Philipps has come forward with a troubling story of an encounter with co-star James Franco during their time on the short-lived sitcom. According to Philipps, Franco was a bully on set and she wound up on the ground because of it.

In her upcoming memoir, called This Will Only Hurt a Little, Busy Philipps recounts an incident from her time working on Freaks and Geeks in which she says James Franco shoved her to the ground. In the alleged incident, Philipps states that she gently hit Franco in the chest after being directed to do so for the sake of a scene.

Busy Philipps goes on to say that James Franco then broke character and lashed out, grabbing her arms, screaming in her face, and throwing her on the ground hard enough that she had the "wind knocked out of" her, according to RadarOnline.com. Philipps also stated that she tearfully shared what happened with costar Linda Cardellini, who advised her to call her manager, and Franco was told to apologize by the director and producers, and he did so.

Given that James Franco was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior by five women earlier this year, Busy Philipps' claim from her upcoming book will likely come across as quite troubling to some. For Philipps, however, the incident was not meant to be the biggest selling point or takeaway from her memoir. She shared some additional thoughts on the incident on her Instagram page, posting this:

The memoir is not about what happened on the fateful day on the Freaks and Geeks set, and Busy Philipps doesn't mince words when clarifying that the point of the paragraph was not to throw allegations at her former costar. It was an example of how she sees women treated in showbiz and the real world in general. While it's not a pleasant story, Philipps seems more set on sharing a message than anything else.

Busy Philipps also seems to have fond memories of her time as a part of Freaks and Geeks, and her one regret about the show is probably not what you'd expect. The short-lived but much-loved series was her first professional acting job, and she didn't stay out of TV long after Freaks and Geeks was cancelled. She landed a role on Dawson's Creek, and her friendship with Dawson's costar Michelle Williams is still clearly going strong.

You can find Busy Philipps on the small screen this fall with new E! talk show Busy Tonight, which premieres on October 28.

Shaun Weiss is best known for playing goalie Greg Goldberg in The Mighty Ducks movies, along with noteworthy appearances in Heavyweights and Pee-wee's Playhouse from back in the day. His acting resume hasn't been quite as prolific since his childhood, and many people who adored his early performances haven't kept tabs with him since he entered adulthood. But when the former child star was arrested for public intoxication over the weekend, people were given a chance to get reacquainted with the actor, and they were surprised to learn that he doesn't look the same.

Of course, most of us don't look the way we used to look as children. Life changes us all. But the distressing new police photo of Shaun Weiss is causing many fans of the famous sports movies to grow concerned over the actor's current health. Here's the mugshot that's now circling the web.

The gloomy-eyed man reflected in that photo is quite the departure from the bright and animated kid many viewers remember seeing in the popular Disney sports comedies. But more than that, this photo also depicts a man who might be older 39 years of age, and therefore suggests that life has not been kind on him in the years since his film career. It's a sad glimpse into this man's current condition, and many faithful fans of his work are hoping that better days find Shaun Weiss, as this police station photo is quite the distressing depiction of his current state of affairs.

As for the arrest itself, People claim Shaun Weiss was occurred early Saturday when the police found him acting erratically with a flashlight. He was believed to be high on drugs or under the influence of alcohol, although that is not confirmed at this time. The authorities found Weiss at 12:47 A.M. outside of a closed business complex with approximately three other individuals. This is not Weiss' first alleged drug arrest. The former child star was charged with misdemeanor meth possession last year, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail. Evidently, these past few years have been rough for Weiss.

Despite his arrest, Shaun Weiss was reported to be "witty" during the altercation, amusing the officers with jokes during the arrest. He was not believed to be combative during the interaction, and fans might find some comfort in knowing that Weiss has retained a good sense of humor. In any case, however, this situation is no laughing matter, and we hope Weiss finds the help and support he needs during this difficult time in his life.

Beyond his work in The Mighty Ducks movies, Shaun Weiss was last seen in the 2016 short film Netflix & Chill as a character named Shaun. Perhaps his most notable role in recent years was a supporting appearance in 2008's Drillbit Taylor, which came out a whole ten years ago at this point in time.

The teen drama is a vital part of the television experience, with shows that each generation has their loyalties to. What would happen, however, if we took each major teen drama stereotype and named the definitive character of that category in hopes Hollywood would construct an all-star team of characters similar to them? We're not sure, but we did it in hopes someone gets wise and makes a show with characters modeled after our favorites in each category. We even threw in some runner-ups just so that whoever tackles this primo drama has some additional options for inspiration. Take a look!

The Leading Man: Ryan Atwood - The O.C.

If ever there was a character in a teen drama everyone could get behind, Ryan Atwood of The O.C. was it. Who doesn't love a kid from a bad upbringing finally seeing some comeuppance and transforming a community around him in the process? In a genre where it's seemingly hard to write a leading man who is objectively good as well as entertaining, Ben McKenzie's portrayal is the gold standard. The ideal teen drama leading man needs the opportunity to grow into the character he should be as the series continues on, and Ryan Atwood is the perfect example of what happens when that works.

Runner-Up: Lucas Scott - One Tree Hill

Ironically enough Chad Michael Murray turned down the role of Ryan Atwood to play Lucas Scott on One Tree Hill. Lucas and Ryan are similar characters, but Ben McKenzie's portrayal and the overall cheese One Tree Hill got into with its later seasons certainly put Ryan above Lucas.

Leading Lady: Veronica Mars - Veronica Mars

Veronica Mars was such a great character she has the show named after her. Kristen Bell's portrayal as the young private investigator was so popular it even managed to get a film years later, which is yet another nod to how great her character was. Teen dramas often feature young characters solving mysteries the town is stumped by, and while Riverdale's Betty Cooper does some pretty good investigating, Veronica would've easily sniffed out her father was the Black Hood killer long before Cooper ever did. Veronica Mars also taps into the compelling story of a lead overcoming a terrible past situation, which is not something that always happens for principal female characters in these types of shows.

Runner-Up: Elena Gilbert - The Vampire Diaries

Elena certainly has the tragic background for a female lead, but it's a hard sell to say she's as good as Veronica Mars. Put simply, The Vampire Diaries was able to continue without Nina Dobrev. Could Veronica Mars have kept going without Kristen Bell?

The Girl Next Door: Joey Potter - Dawson's Creek

The girl next door archetype isn't always vital to the teen drama, but when it is done it needs to be done right. Joey Potter is the perfect case study for what the "girl next door" should be, as it sets some real-world expectations for teens who may be experiencing a relationship similar to that of Dawson and Joey. As hard as it may be to hear for young lovers, fairy tale romances don't always happen the way folks plan, and surely Joey's story on Dawson's Creek encouraged plenty of people to move on from their Dawson to link up with their Pacey.

Runner-Up: Betty Cooper - Riverdale

Betty might not be the definitive archetype in any teen drama category, but her character often falls in the middle of the road in many other categories. This includes her playing "girl next door" to Archie and keeping that perfect balance between close friend and potential lover about as close as teens like to walk that tightrope.

Best Friend: Paul Pfeiffer - The Wonder Years

Best friends don't get much better than The Wonder Years' Paul Pfeiffer, who stuck with his friend Kevin Arnold for about as long as anyone could. Sure the two had a bit of a strained relationship in the show's later years, but it's completely understandable considering Kevin could be a real dick sometimes. Despite that, Paul stuck around in the younger years and really managed to make Kevin look much better in comparison even though Kevin was just an average kid. That's about as good of a solid as any best friend can do for another

Runner-Up: Bill Haverchuck - Freaks and Geeks

There had to be some inspiration taken from Paul Pfeiffer to create Freaks and Geeks' Bill Haverchuck, which means the title by default has to go to the OG who started it all. Plus, Bill is cooler (not by much) than Paul, and best friends that outshine lead characters rarely benefit anyone and can end in ill-conceived spinoffs that no one wants.

The Queen Bee: Cheryl Blossom - Riverdale

A lot of teen dramas like to make their alpha female a raging "B," but that isn't always necessary to create a memorable and interesting side character who shakes things up. Riverdale showed this with Madelaine Petsch's Cheryl Blossom. While Cheryl does have quite the mean streak, she's hands down also one of the most lovable parts of Riverdale. Whether she's rocking some flawless outfit, going off the rails crazy, or just delivering a snarky one-liner in the midst of a serious situation, Cheryl commands every scene she's given in. She certainly keeps things interesting when the story starts to lag, which is really what this type of character should always be doing.

Runner-Up: Blair Waldorf - Gossip Girl

This one was incredibly close to call, although Cheryl ends up besting Blair because she has no discernable weakness. Blair, on the other hand, had a weakness for perhaps one of the sleaziest characters in teen drama history, which segues beautifully into the next category.

The Redeemable Bad Boy: Chuck Bass - Gossip Girl

Chuck Bass is one of the most beloved and memorable characters of Gossip Girl, which is really a testament to how the show changed his character around. Chuck was originally written to be an antagonist in the novels and was portrayed as an attempted rapist sociopath in Season 1. Somewhere down the stretch the character won some fans, and while he was still a self-absorbed asshole seasons later, Chuck was well-liked enough that he even got a happy ending just like everyone else. Honestly, it's not something anyone can understand if they didn't watch Gossip Girl, but trust us, it worked.

Runner-Up: Tim Riggins - Friday Night Lights

Tim Riggins is certainly a solid choice for the bad boy aspect. Not so much. Friday Night Lights knew Tim was a good kid deep down but had a lot of demons he had to deal with in real life. He's nowhere near the level of crazy exhibited by Chuck Bass and in our opinion a distant second.

The Parents: The Taylors - Friday Night Lights

Eric and Tami Taylor are about the most wholesome, strong, and amazing adult couple the teen genre has ever seen. The Friday Night Lights parents aren't just mentors to their daughters, but to just about every other teen in the series they come in contact with. On top of that, they both weather some pretty tough times while still being the definition of relationship goals. All of these things are nearly impossible for a parent to accomplish in the average teen drama, so credit to Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton for owning those roles so well the show never actively sought out to create drama between them.

Runner-Up: Karen Roe - One Tree Hill

Out of a sea of teen drama parents who are incompetent sticks in the mud, Karen is kind of a boss. That said she almost had just as much drama as the teen characters in One Tree Hill, and the ideal teen drama parent rises above that kind of stuff. Had Karen known of the motto "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose," perhaps things may have been different.

The Douchebag Villain: Dan Scott - One Tree Hill

No villain in teen drama history will ever be able to measure up to the diabolical Dan Scott of One Tree Hill. In addition to pitting his son against his illegitimate son, murdering his brother, and being a jerk literally each and every chance he got, he also had an incredibly punchable face. No disrespect to Paul Johansson of course, and if anything, it's more of a testament as to how well he played a truly miserable and self-entitled human being. In short, he was a character people loved to hate, and so effective the series rarely had to switch focus to a new villain throughout a bulk of its run.

Runner-Up: Cliff Blossom - Riverdale

Cliff Blossom is one of the big reasons Riverdale is rife with crime in the first place. Sure Hiram Lodge ran with things once he got out of prison, but with the Blossom family's deep crime links it wasn't hard for him to flip the town into some corrupt criminal underworld in the course of months. He also killed his son, so there's that.

The Teacher: Will Schuester - Glee

Who better to be the hypothetical teacher of the best teen drama than the teacher who started a nationwide phenomenon? While glee clubs existed to sing their hearts out well before the show Glee, certainly not in the way that Will Schuester and his singing students would inspire other schools to do. Aside from that, Will was always ready to go to bat for his students when it came to the club and was a strong mentor to the students throughout the series. We may never forgive him for playing part of the show's various butchering of classic songs, but as a teacher, he was pretty solid.

Runner-Up: Tami Taylor - Friday Night Lights

Tami was never technically a teacher, but she worked for the school and inspired a whole lot of kids without a football team. The fact that she could snag this role without technically meeting the requirements is just a bigger testament to how awesome her character is, although most folks probably don't need that reminder.

Best Kid Sibling - Sam Weir: Freaks and Geeks

Kid siblings in teen dramas are rarely relevant, and almost always the worst. Sam Weir is one of the sole exceptions to this rule, which is likely due to the fact Freaks and Geeks split the story between him and his older sister Lindsay. Regardless, Sam was able to be a part of the Freaks and Geeks storyline without falling into the stereotype of always meddling and being a general nuisance. He also had that ridiculous and infectious laugh that made every funny moment he was in that much better, but that's ultimately just icing on the cake.

Runner-Up: N/A

There really is no one second to Sam Weir. Most if not all younger siblings in teen dramas are annoying and unremarkable.

Are there any characters you think got left out or teen drama stereotypes we missed? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to keep tabs on all upcoming current television with our summer premiere guide.

While TV shows are cancelled every year, there are certain projects that live on long after the series wraps. This is definitely the case with Freaks and Geeks, which had one short season from 1999-2000. The teen dramedy was the first big break for plenty of future stars, including Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, James Franco, and Busy Phillips. While it was cancelled by NBC before it finished its first season, Freaks and Geeks has gone on to become a cult favorite, and is available to stream for Netflix users. With so many TV revivals currently being aired (and cancelled), there have been plenty of calls for Freaks and Geeks to return decades later. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that's a possibility. Silicon Valley actor Martin Starr recently shut down the possibility of a revival, saying:

It looks like Freaks and Geeks might just not be the right project for a TV revival. Since it was a show following kids in High School, it wouldn't be the same to see the same cast as grown adults. Martin Starr may have poked fun at the physical appearance of the cast, but his point about the lack of content or story is certainly valid.

Martin Starr broke Freaks and Geeks fans hearts at The Wrap's Emmy Panel. While everyone involved in the show seems to be thankful for the show's brief life and the connections it fostered, Starr makes it seem like nobody is talking about a TV revival. Plus, the cast has gone on to become wildly successful, so it would be a scheduling nightmare to attempt and bring back both the starring and supporting cast for some sort of William McKinley High School reunion.

Martin Starr was also sure to mention his appreciation for the fans, and their continued interest in the series, saying:

It's not clear if a new Freaks and Geeks season would really resonate with mainstream audiences. Aside from being a cult favorite that isn't exactly a household name, TV fans may be getting sick of the trend of nostalgia. Shows like Will and Grace and Gilmore Girls have already had new episodes, while upcoming revivals like Murphy Brown are still coming down the pipeline.

You can watch the first brief season of Freaks and Geeks on Netflix. In the meantime, check out our summer premiere list to plan your next binge watch. Plus our Amazon premiere list and superhero premiere list to ensure you don't miss a single episode of your favorite show!

We're in a world full of reboots. With the trend of nostalgia dictating the way TV and film projects are produced, it seems like just about any beloved property has the potential to return from the dead. One beloved TV show that had a tragically short life was Freaks and Geeks, which ended up growing into a cult favorite. Freaks and Geeks was a star making moment for actors like Busy Phillips, James Franco, and Seth Rogen, so could it possibly return? Creator Paul Feig actually has an idea for the comedy, but it's not one you'd expect. Namely, he wants to write a musical with the beloved characters. As Feig tells it,

Rather than crafting a new season or reuniting the fantastic original cast, it looks like Paul Feig would rather than Freaks and Geeks into a new place. And with Mean Girls being crafted into a Broadway musical with writer Tina Fey, a Freaks and Geeks show doesn't seem entirely impossible.

Paul Feig's comments come from Freaks and Geeks: The Documentary (via EW) which chronicles the beloved yet doomed series' short tenure on the air. While a Freaks and Geeks musical is enough to get any self respecting TV fan shaking with anticipation, it also seems like Feig is disinterested in bringing the show back to TV. So keep re-watching on Netflix, because it doesn't look like we'll catch up with the Weirs decades after the show's finale.

While just about every TV show is being brought back for new seasons or revivals, Freaks and Geeks feels like a project that actually deserves a second run. The show was cancelled by NBC before its first season even completed, and the final set of episodes had to be released nearly a year later. Freaks and Geeks has grown in popularity since in the years since, and features some fantastic early work by the likes of Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segal.

Then again, the timing for a Freaks and Geeks musical seems great as well. Tina Fey recently helped adapt her movie Mean Girls into a Broadway musical, writing the show's book and collaborating with husband Jeffrey Wayne Richmond on the music. If Paul Feig decides to actively develop the show, then he may be able to cite Fey's success in order to get the project rolling.

Of course, Paul Feig has also had this idea for 15 years without it coming to fruition, so it's unclear if it'll ever actually happen. For now, you can binge watch Freaks and Geeks first and only season over on Netflix. Plus check out our midseason premiere list and superhero premiere list to ensure you don't miss a single episode of your favorite show.

For many TV viewers, there will never be a better coming-of-age teen drama than Freaks and Geeks, which encapsulated the 1980s salad days so well, it should have been a felony when NBC cancelled it. Fans have been clamoring for a reunion, though it likely won't ever happen. When Apatow spoke with CinemaBlend to promote his excellent new Netflix stand-up special, Judd Apatow: The Return, I asked if he'd ever be interested in returning to that world and tone by spinning Freaks and Geeks into an anthology series that focused on different characters. Sadly, he's not, but for a good reason.

As seemingly antithetical as it is to say such a thing, Judd Apatow is right in implying Freaks and Geeks would very likely lose some of its inherent appeal if it returned to modern audiences in any form, whether as a reunion or with a new set of characters. Though shows like My So-Called Life previously gave voice to outcast teens, Freaks and Geeks was the epitome of showcasing what was then still a counter-culture community. But in its aftermath came the gargantuan rise of both geek culture and weed culture -- which surprisingly did not find its master-culmination in Seth Rogen's The Green Hornet -- and it's now harder to find TV shows that don't incorporate pop culture and stoners into the story. Would Silicon Valley exist without Freaks and Geeks?

In a similar vein, I asked Judd Apatow if he'd given any thought to revisiting the characters from Undeclared, and he expanded upon the point of why he isn't so invested in returning to his former TV projects.

Another completely understandable reason, as depressing as it may be. Freaks and Geeks went into development around 20 years ago, when Apatow was around 30 years old and in a mindframe that was much closer to the renegade youths of Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. Now at 50, the filmmaker probably doesn't have quite as much to offer by way of keen insights into the mystery of puberty and adolescence, at least outside of stand-up sets. Even though we're not sure anyone could run out of ways to write about Neal and Morty.

All hope shouldn't be lost, however! Even though we will probably never see Judd Apatow reteaming with Paul Feig for more Freaks and Geeks, we still might get to see him take on another narrative that explores other notions of childhood that he hadn't previously tackled. It doesn't sound like it'll be a TV show, though.

Shall we start petitioning for Judd Apatow to make a live-action adaptation of the classic Nicktoon Rugrats? Or is Doug more up his alley? Or will it not be a Nicktoon at all? That last one is probably the winner.

Even though it only lasted a single season, Freaks and Geeks was the foundation for a variety of future projects, since both Judd Apatow and Paul Feig continued to work with the show's cast and crew. It spawned the acting careers of James Franco, Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini, Martin Starr, Jason Segel and Busy Philipps, while also setting John Francis Daley up for a comedy screenwriting career. The show also gave new life to icons like SCTV's Joe Flaherty and Back to the Future's Thomas Wilson. Anyone who wants to relive the fun can watch the entire series on Netflix.

Netflix is also where fans can find Judd Apatow: The Return, which is streaming right now. To see what else the entertainment giant has on the way, check out our 2018 Netflix premiere schedule, and then hop over to our 2018 midseason premiere schedule to see everything else coming soon.

It's an interesting time for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As Phase Three continues to deliver box office and critical darlings, the world of the MCU is being expanded in new ways. One way this expansion is happening is by exploring new locations within the MCU, and the highly anticipated Spider-Man: Homecoming will bring the action to Queens, NY. Homecoming will introduce a different perspective on the shared universe, showing how average folks live within an extraordinary world. But the film will also focus on teenagers in the MCU, and director Jon Watts had the cast watch some very specific movies and TV for research.

CinemaBlend's own Sean O'Connell was at the Spider-Man: Homecoming set visit, where director Jon Watts addressed the press. During this chat, Watts revealed the projects that he made the young cast of the film watch for background purposes.

Well this is super exciting. If Spider-Man: Homecoming is anything like Freaks and Geeks, we're definitely going to get a whole new type of superhero movie for the MCU. Which may be exactly what the universe needs.

While there have been quite a few silver screen version of Spider-Man, he never actually felt like a high school student. Both Tobey McGuire and Andrew Garfield were well into their twenties by the time they booked the job, and the focus has rarely been on life inside Peter's High School. Spider-Man: Homecoming will surely set itself apart by featuring a far more youthful (and diverse) cast, and by showing what its like to be a kid in a world where Iron Man flies through the sky and New York was nearly destroyed by an alien invasion.

And because Peter goes to a school for gifted kids, the characters won't be the super models we're used to seeing in Hollywood High School stories. Instead, the students and teachers will look like real people (with the exception of Tom Holland's ripped body). And in order for the cast to embrace their inner geek, they had to watch Say Anything and Freaks and Geeks, projects that encourage their protagonists to let their freak flag fly. Plus, no one does High School better than John Hughes.

With this focus on teenage awkwardness, Spider-Man: Homecoming may be one of the most comedic installments in the MCU to date. So it looks like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 finally has some competition.

Spider-Man: Homecoming will swing into theaters on July 7, 2017. Be sure to check out our full 2017 release list, and plan your next trip to the movies accordingly.

Freaks and Geeks is one show that pretty much everybody agrees was cancelled too soon. The sitcom aired for only a single season from 1999 - 2000, and it featured a cast filled with folks so funny and talented that they'd become stars of large and small screen alike. Now that television is in an era of reboots, remakes, and reunions, Freaks and Geeks fans everywhere have wondered whether the crew could get back together for another go. Executive producer Judd Apatow weighed in on the possibility of a reunion, saying this:

Judd Apatow may not want to permanently close the door on a reunion, but he sounds pretty definitive about not wanting to do another round of Freaks and Geeks. His comment at the recent TCA press tour (via Deadline) is a pretty far cry from his stance at this point last year. At the 2016 TCAs, Apatow would only go so far as to say that it wouldn't happen "this year" and "it could happen," but it seems that he's had a change of heart about whether or not a reunion would be a good idea.

The concept of a Freaks and Geeks reunion was also pitched to series star James Franco in early 2016, and he showed a similar attitude about too much time passing for a reunion. According to Franco, everybody is just too old to get back together for more Freaks and Geeks. All things considered, Franco might have a good point: would a Freaks and Geeks class reunion really feel like a reunion if the freaks were out of high school and the geeks were all grown up?

Besides, the Season 1 finale absolutely felt like a fitting series finale. Lindsay took off for a summer following the Grateful Dead. Daniel bonded with the geeks over Dungeons & Dragons. Nick got to know himself through the art of dance on the disco floor. It may have been better for Freaks and Geeks to get the axe after a solid season finale than after a cliffhanger. We didn't get all the closure we might have wanted, but at least the show ended on a high note. (Very high note in the case of Seth Rogen's Ken.) Do we really need to know what happened to the kids in the years since high school?

Of course, Judd Apatow didn't completely rule out the possibility of a reunion at some point in the future. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and take a look at our breakdown of the biggest remakes and revivals that are currently in the works. Don't forget to check out our midseason TV premiere schedule to see when your favorite shows hit the airwaves.

There isn't a day that goes by that one small part of my brain fails to wish for a hidden cache to be found containing never-seen-before episodes of Freaks and Geeks, even though none of the cast or crew has ever hinted at more episodes existing. Well, that hasn't happened yet, but star John Francis Daley dropped a handful of behind-the-scenes photos from the show that I've probably never seen before, and now I just want to start mourning this show's 16-year-old cancellation all over again. Check them out!

The best of the bunch, as far as the heartstrings are concerned, is the shot of John Francis Daley laying across the lap of his TV sibling Linda Cardellini. Lindsay and Sam Weir didn't always get along, with their close ages conflicting with their wildly different interests (at least as far as Lindsay's rebel year went), but they remain one of the best brother/sister combinations in TV. I like to think that they, along with Wonder Years siblings Kevin and Karen, would be fantastic friends in adulthood. (Unlike Cardellini's current fictional family situation on Netflix's Bloodline.)

Then we have the shot of bow-legged Daley going all freak-out in the middle of William McKinley High, as co-star Jason Segel looks on amused in the background. Both of these guys look almost cartoonishly young here, especially for anyone who watched the actors go through adulthood on TV - Daley on Bones and Segel on How I Met Your Mother. Fun fact: that is exactly the pose and scream-face I'd make if the impossible-to-accomplish Freaks and Geeks Season 2 ever got announced. (I think they could do it like Wet Hot American Summer did for their Netflix series and just pretend they're all young again.)

And I'll end with the lovely on-set shot of not-yet-wildly-famous Judd Apatow talking with the show's titular geeks: Daley, Samm Levine and Martin Starr. It's unreal how much Hollywood influence and talent is in this shot, given how big their careers have gotten. In fact, when putting the Vacation reboot together, John Francis Daley had the plan to include Levine and Starr for an onscreen reunion, but it ended up falling through. One day...

Daley shared the photos on his Twitter page, crediting Freaks and Geeks writer Gabe Sachs with taking the photos. Let's all give Sachs a big round of applause right now for giving us a mental trip back to the lovely past of the 1980s in 2000. He's the creator of the current medical drama Night Shift, which will air the second part of its two-part Season 3 finale on Wednesday, August 31.

So while these images don't completely heal our woes, they do offer us the inspiration to go back and watch its 18-episode entirety (which can be found on Netflix). Sing with me: "I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation!"

As Netflix has started to produce larger amounts of original programming, the number of TV shows and movies available on the service is certainly dwindling. However, the subscription streaming service still offers a slew of TV shows that have gotten good reviews and have avid audiences. A lot of these are shows that have already ended, but live on through streaming services like Netflix, services which breathe new life into the shows every day.

In fact, the list of originals is so great and so lengthy that I had to type painfully as I rid this list of modern classics like Mad Men, intense police dramas like Wallander and incredibly popular shows, including Prison Break (which is being rebooted by Fox) and Futurama (which has seen more revivals than the average show). Not everyone's taste in television is exactly the same, of course, but we've watched a lot of oldies and newbies and put together the list of the top 20 best TV shows on Netflix right now.

We'll be keeping this list updated as time goes on, but if you are looking for more specific lists, here's our take on great horror available on Netflix, as well as family-friendly shows on Netflix. You can also check out the 10 greatest Netflix original shows, here.

Spartacus

Most premium cable TV shows are not available on Netflix, but the former Starz series Spartacus is available in full. It fits really well into Netflix's lineup, as it includes some of the nudity language and even violence that Netflix has emulated with some of its other originals. The Steven S. DeKnight series---you know, the guy in charge of the first season of Daredevil---about gladiators rising up against their Roman masters is a must-watch.

Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad is a recent enough phenomenon that a lot of the AMC drama's audience caught the show during its initial run on the cable network. Let's not forget, though, that Breaking Bad grew so popular initially thanks to its availability on streaming services. The Bryan Cranston-led drama is still one of the best offerings out there. Even if you have seen it, maybe you are due for a re-watch? Yeah, bitch!

Cheers

Cheers is probably best known all these years later for launching a ton of careers and one really, really critically acclaimed spinoff, but the show itself is actually really funny and has a great heart to it. After all, there's a reason it still has the third most watched-finale in the history of television. Not bad for a show about drinking and working at a bar.

Lost

Lost was a complex drama about a group of people who were stranded after a plane crash. It's not a series you could have watched casually during its initial run, and the Carlton Cuse drama is not one you would want to put on in the background while doing other tasks now. The series, albeit divisive on occasion, was brilliant in its best moments. More importantly, once you get sucked in, Lost has a must-watch factor that other shows (see: The Blacklist) are trying to emulate years later.

Sherlock

Sherlock, the modern-day reimagining of the hit Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novels, doesn't produce a ton of episodes. In fact, sometimes years go by before new episodes are produced. But the drama has developed a rabid and devoted following perhaps due to this haphazard way of releasing new content. Each episode also runs ninety minutes and all three series are available on Netflix, giving streamers plenty to chew on. Sherlock's tight storylines and excellent cast, which includes Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, makes it a great Netflix selection. Add in the fact that Season 4 is set to air soon-ish and there are plenty of reasons to watch.

Parenthood

I'll be the first to state that Parenthood is not a show for everyone. The former NBC drama features enough family issues and poor decision-making from its lead characters to last a lifetime---and we're just talking about what happens in any given episode. But the Jason Katims drama tackles interracial relationships, sexuality, dating after 40, cancer, illness, autism, cheating scandals, pregnancies and more in ways that feel vivid and satisfying. Just a year after it ended, it's still a shining example of what network TV can offer when it couples a spitfire cast with intelligent, thoughtful writing. Give it a watch, but keep the Kleenexes nearby.

Firefly

Netflix offers a slew of sci fi shows for nearly every taste. (A favorite of mine includes Farscape.) However, Firefly should make this list not only because it's a great show that launched the careers of the likes of Alan Tudyk and Morena Baccarin, plus made Nathan Fillion a household name. Sure, Firefly only lasted for one season on Fox, but the show is iconic at this point. It's done what few shows have: lived on in cultural consciousness for many years after its original run. Give it a watch on Netflix, now.

The Twilight Zone

Speaking of sci fi classics, this list wouldn't be complete without a nod at The Twilight Zone, the anthology series created and hosted by the late Rod Serling. More than 100 episodes of the classic series are currently streaming on Netflix, although not every episode of the show that was ever produced is currently available. It's a great show to not have to watch in chronological order, too.

Friends

Here at CinemaBlend, we know there are a lot of split opinions on Friends. Some see the iconic comedy as a warm, fuzzy reflection of comedy in the nineties and still can't stop laughing every time Joey puts a copy of Little Women in the freezer. Other people think "Smelly Cat" should go back where it came from. One thing's for certain: Friends is an incredibly easy-to-watch series and a crowd pleaser when you can't decide what to watch. It's also a big deal that the entire series is available for streaming. Go ahead, watch "The One In Massapequa," now.

Dexter

Another of the rare subscription cable dramas available on Netflix, Dexter gave us 8 seasons of death an carefully orchestrated mayhem before wrapping up on Showtime. The show may now be remembered for the way it chose to end, but the drama was also responsible for bringing to life one of the most exciting TV characters in Michael C. Hall's Dexter Morgan. It's also responsible for some of the most harrowing moments on TV, with the Season 4 finale being a major standout. We expect this series to hold up for a long time, and Netflix is lucky to have it.

The Office

The Office may have gone in a different direction after Michael Scott's departure, but the show as a whole is an early example of what a single camera comedy could accomplish. It's different than the British version with the same title, but nonetheless manages to exemplify an entire era of NBC comedy and be an incredible show. We'd say Dunder Mifflin has been missed, but you can relive all of its glory days via every single episode of The Office, which is available to stream on Netflix.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Like a fine wine, Joss Whedon's hit supernatural drama Buffy The Vampire slayer has only gotten better as it has aged. Mostly this is because Whedon's characters are so vivid, imaginative and strong and not because the budget was anything to exclaim over when this show first hit the schedule in the nineties. As Joss Whedon continues to make a name for himself, Buffy The Vampire Slayer ekes ever closer to becoming a classic, and you can relive its best moments or binge all 7 seasons on Netflix now.

The Flash

It's difficult to compare a show that is as lighthearted and sometimes campy as The Flash to Marvel's darker fodder, but of all the DC Comics shows on The CW, The Flash is probably the best example of the genre and the one with the biggest following. Even better, Netflix recently re-upped its deal with channel to continue offering new episodes of The Flash, and fans will begin getting finished seasons much sooner than in past years. More info here.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Rude, obscene and hilarious, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia never pulls any of its punches. It takes aim at seemingly every hot button issue in society and more often than not, finds new territory to mine. It's not for everyone, but those who get the unique pacing and difficult characters often become fans for life. Right now, the first 10 seasons of the FXX comedy can be found on the streaming service, and hopefully eleven will be available soon.

Weeds

Jenji Kohan is a big Netflix name thanks to her long-running hit Orange is the New Black, but it's Weeds that really has made a lasting impression on audiences. While Weeds did end up suffering from Showtime's penchant for keeping programs on the air past their prime, the first few seasons of Weeds feature some of the most interesting TV moments from the new millennium and forever proved why the prolific showrunner should be on the map. Plus, it's worthy it to watch Nancy Botwin get into wild shenanigans. Watch all eight seasons on Netflix.

Close but no cigar: Parks and Recreation, Futurama, Prison Break, The Andy Griffith Show, Gilmore Girls, The 100, Mad Men, Freaks and Geeks, Black Mirror, The IT Crowd, My Name is Earl, The Walking Dead

The word cancellation nowadays doesn’t mean what it used to mean when it comes to TV. While it’s never exactly good news to hear that a favorite show has been axed by a network, hope is not lost so long as Netflix and other streaming services are out there as possible saviors. Netflix in particular has become a refuge for programs that just don’t deserve to be done forever. The streaming service has saved a variety of series, ranging from The Killing being brought back from the grave right away to Arrested Development being resurrected after years to Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp revamping an original premise.

Some shows that have been nixed by network television are definitely best left unrevived, but there are some that could use a little more closure. Whether they ended on crazy cliffhangers or just had tons more story to tell, the finales came all too soon. Here is a look at eleven TV shows that would be perfect for Netflix to bring back.

Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies was a fantasy/musical/dramedy that ran for two seasons from 2007 – 2009. It followed the story of Ned, a pie-maker able to bring people back from the dead… with a catch. If he revived a dead person for more than one minute, somebody else would die. If he touched a revived person for a second time, that person would die. The talent enabled Ned to help solve crimes, but it also prevented him from ever touching his true love. There was talk of a revival via big screen or Broadway, but nothing even came of either possibility for Pushing Daisies. Netflix would be the ideal place for such a charmingly bizarre series. The right mood was required for an episode of Pushing Daisies, and new installments would be perfect.

Better Off Ted

Better Off Ted was a half-hour satire sitcom that ran for two seasons on ABC from 2009 - 2010. Protagonist Ted was a good man with an important position within a soulless conglomerate corporation. He regularly broke the fourth wall by directly addressing the camera. The premise as well as stellar cast--that included Jay Harrington as Ted, Portia de Rossi as Ted’s boss, and Andrea Anders as Ted’s love interest--made Better Off Ted a particularly promising series. Sadly, the ratings weren’t there to support the comedy, and the final episodes never even aired on ABC. Critics loved the series, and the premise hasn’t exactly gotten less relevant in the years since cancellation. Netflix could nail a revival of Better Off Ted.

Party Down

Party Down was a half-hour comedy that ran for two seasons on Starz from 2009 – 2010. It followed the misadventures of a group of caterers in Los Angeles as they tried to make their break into showbiz. The premise was interesting enough, but the unfailingly hilarious cast was what made Party Down so unforgettable. Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Lizzy Caplan, Ryan Hansen, Martin Star, Jane Lynch, and Megan Mullally made up an ensemble that deserved to stay on screen together for much longer than they did. Although the stars did go on to find hits elsewhere, a reunion for a Party Down continuation would be fabulous. Everybody involved seemed eager to do more, but the stars have not 100% aligned just yet.

Deadwood

Deadwood was a western that aired on HBO for three seasons from 2004 – 2006. Three seasons is a respectable enough run, and the show served up plenty of action during its time on the air, but there was never a sense of closure to give the impression that it was time to say goodbye to Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen. There were still so many people to kill and anachronistic F-bombs to drop. There’s been hope for a film return to Deadwood, South Dakota since HBO cancelled the series, but we’ve been sadly without any new material for far too long now. Surely Deadwood is worthy of a second go, and Netflix would be a great platform.

Caprica

Caprica was an hour-long sci fi drama that sadly ran for only one season on Syfy. The show barely had time to get off its feet before Syfy cited low ratings and gave the cancellation order, but given that Caprica was a a prequel to Syfy’s phenomenal Battlestar Galactica remake with the same production team, Caprica had the potential to become a series to stand the test of time. Of course, BSG had woes of its own during its time on Syfy, but at least the parent show came to a conclusive ending. Caprica could have continued. We saw how the Cylons took over in BSG; we could have seen their rise in Caprica. Perhaps it’s not too late for Netflix to step in and give it another shot.

Jericho

Jericho was an hour-long post-apocalyptic drama that aired for two seasons from 2006 – 2008 on CBS. The show followed the citizens of a small town trying to adapt to life after a huge nuclear attack. Despite a stellar cast, including Lennie James who is now surviving in a different kind of post-apocalyptic world on The Walking Dead, Jericho was enough of a ratings flop at CBS that it was cancelled after the first season. It was only thanks to the enthusiastic fans who sent nuts to the network in a reference to a line from the first season finale that earned them a second season. Netflix and CBS were apparently flirting with a deal to bring new episodes of the series to streaming video, but a deal was clearly not struck.

Happy Endings

Happy Endings was a half-hour sitcom that ran for three seasons from 2011 – 2013 on ABC. The sitcom wasn’t really about anything in particular, but it never failed to bring the laughs thanks to the ensemble of crazy characters. The six friends were all delightfully dysfunctional in everything from their careers to their love lives to their escalating pile-ons of insults. Happy Endings never relied on only certain pairings within the group to carry the show, and mixing up the dynamics on a weekly basis kept it fresh from premiere to finale. The creative team has expressed regret at the cancellation and a willingness to come on board if the opportunity should arise, so perhaps a few strokes of luck and an invitation from Netflix could give a new beginning to Happy Endings.