Look, as someone who watches a lot of TV, there are a lot of television characters that I have come to love, whether it be from the Stranger Things cast, the Game of Thrones cast, or more. But today, we will talk about the characters that deserved (or deserve) way more screen time. 

That's right; we're talking about the side characters we all loved, the strange ones we never got answers to, or even those killed off too early – so obviously, significant spoilers for shows ahead. 

Twyla (Schitt's Creek)

Look, I'll be the first to say that the Schitt's Creek cast is exceptionally talented and features some of the best modern-day TV comedy, but how come no one ever talked about Twyla? She was one of the few people in the town who was genuinely kind to the Roses and would always be there for them no matter what. It's a shame we never got to know her more besides her strange family life. 

Creed Bratton (The Office)

The Office cast is full of strange characters that we may have met once and never seen again, but Creed Bratton is someone I would kill to see more of in the show. He was just so…weird, and the few moments we did get to see him in a more active role in the series, he would always make me laugh the hardest because of the most out-of-pocket things he would say – you can't get better than him.

Sunshine Corazon (Glee)

As someone who loved all the best Glee covers and truly does enjoy the Glee cast, one side character I wish got more screen time was Sunshine Corazon. We saw her a couple of times throughout the show's six seasons, and that is just a crime – with a voice like that? Rachel Berry can step to the side. 

Oberyn Martell (Game Of Thrones)

I know Pedro Pascal's best movies and TV shows have expanded dramatically since his time on Game of Thrones, and while he may be known as Din Djarin or Joel Miller now, he'll always be Oberyn Martell to me. And what's even more surprising is that he was only in the fourth season before he was killed off – a man of that swagger should have been around for way longer.  

Tuco Salamanca (Breaking Bad)

The Breaking Bad cast is incredibly talented, but can we talk about the fact that Tuco Salamanca should have been as big of a villain as Gus? If not more? He was such a prominent figure in Season 1, and then he was just killed off at the beginning of Season 2, and we barely heard about him again. Sure, we saw him a little bit in Better Call Saul, but in comparison to the original? No. I needed more.  

Nadia (New Girl)

While the New Girl cast is hilarious, and the story itself is one I can genuinely love watching again and again, we could have seen more of Cece's life outside of Jess' bubble – precisely her time as a model with her model friends like Nadia (Rebecca Reid), who arguably had the most hilarious date with Schmidt and said the strangest things. It could have been great to see her in more episodes. 

Shego (Kim Possible)

Oh, don't even get me started on Shego from Kim Possible. Yes, I know, she's the partner to the bad guy in the famous Disney Channel series, but it's Shego. She's a kick-butt villain with surprisingly great chemistry with Kim, and she looked good. I would have been fine having her just be the villain instead of Dr. Drakken. 

Euron Greyjoy (Game Of Thrones)

As someone who has read the Game of Thrones novels, Euron's portrayal in the show greatly bothers me. Surprisingly, he's one of the few characters in Game of Thrones who wasn't in the show as much as you would think, and yet, somehow, he left a bad taste in my mouth. I would have liked to see him in more episodes so we could better expand his story and make him the scary person he is supposed to be from the books. 

Ekko (Arcane)

As someone who is patiently waiting for Arcane Season 2, Ekko is a character I would die to see more of in the next part of the story. We only saw Ekko for a couple of episodes in Season 1, and for half of them, he was injured. I saw how much of a fighter he could become; we need more Ekko. I demand it. 

Lexa (The 100)

If you were a fan of The 100 in 2015, you knew how devastating this loss was. The 100 cast was talented and created a huge show, but Lexa was arguably one of the most popular characters. When she and the main character, Clarke, finally got together romantically, she was killed. I mean, come on. There could have been so many more episodes with her. I'm still upset.

Ellie Alves (You) 

Jenna Ortega played Ellie Alves in Season 2 of You, and she was such a great counterpart to Joe in the scenes she was in. She was spunky but also a good kid that Joe genuinely wanted to keep safe. Ortega's portrayal of her made her that much more enjoyable, and I wish we got to see more of her. 

Bo Thompson (Superstore)

Superstore feels like it goes under the radar for how hilarious it truly is, and while the Superstore cast is entirely made up of great characters, I would have loved to see Bo Thompson in more episodes. And what's better is that in the few episodes we got to see him, he grew up a lot, which I can appreciate. I would have loved to see more. 

Heath (The Walking Dead)

So, like, Heath just vanished in The Walking Dead. Angela Kang says that Heath was captured by Jadis and traded to Civic Republic Military, but it was so sudden that fans everywhere were left wondering what the point of his character even was. I would have liked to see more of him so that I could care more about him disappearing. 

Ty Lee (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

I love Ty Lee from Avatar: The Last Airbender and she's one character that I'm sure could have been expanded on more if she were given more episodes. Not only was she incredibly flexible and able to leap from building to building with her incredible acrobatic skills, she was sweet and kind. I would have loved to learn more about her background with her family aside from knowing she came from identical sisters—such a shame. 

Susan Bunch (Friends)

Yes, I know we all love the Friends cast, but let's talk about Susan Bunch for a second. Friends was released in the early 1990s, and to me, she was one of the first openly gay characters I saw on a primetime sitcom as a child – and in doing so, it made me feel a little more comfortable with my sexuality as I grew older. We barely got to see her, while we would see her wife, Carol (and Ross's former wife), way more. I would have loved to see her. 

Judge Gen (The Good Place)

I mean, it's Maya Rudolph – we always want to see more of Maya Rudolph because she is hilarious. Even so, Judge Gen from The Good Place was hilarious every time she appeared on screen, and I don't think anyone would complain if we saw her more throughout the show. 

Jean-Ralphio Saperstein (Parks And Recreation)

Yes, the Parks and Recreation cast is so funny it hurts, but tell me why we didn't see more of Jean-Ralphio Saperstein. He was hilarious and was portrayed by Ben Schwartz, who truly knocked this role out of the park. Saperstein was even in talks to get his own spinoff series – that's how you know he deserved way more episodes. 

Beth (The Walking Dead)

Watching Beth die in Season 5 of The Walking Dead broke a part of me that I don't think I'll ever get back. It was one of the most heartbreaking deaths of The Walking Dead, and I still believe that if she were given more episodes, she could have had some of the best character development of all time. It's such a shame. 

Lyanna Mormont (Game Of Thrones)

While I'm sure most of us all know Bella Ramsay from her role on The Last of Us on HBO now, I first knew her in Game of Thrones when she played Lyanna Mormont, the feisty Lady of Bear Island. Despite her lasting impact, the character only appeared in nine episodes – and we should have had way more. 

Edgar Evernever (Riverdale)

Riverdale had some of the strangest villains throughout its seven-season run. Edgar Evernever was one of the worst and weirdest, considering he was the leader of a cult that harvested organs from vulnerable people. And when he was caught, he decided to take off in his rocket before getting shot -- what? That's so out there. He's such a strange, charismatic character – and out of everyone, I would have liked to see him more. 

Mose Schrute (The Office)

The Office has so many strange characters that appear occasionally, but Mose Schrute is someone I needed to see more of, if not for the fact that he was related to Dwight. Like, if you're related to Dwight Schrute, you're going to be a weird person, and I would have probably laughed my butt off to see more of him.

Mai (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Mai was one of Azula's friends in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Zuko's on-again-off-again girlfriend, and while she certainly had her moody moments, I would have liked to see more of her. I wanted to understand why she became the way she is, her family's history, and how she ended up falling for Zuko – we got a little more in the comics, but it would have been nice to see it on screen. 

Coach (New Girl)

Yes, I know we all love Winston from New Girl and that Coach was supposed to be the original third roommate in that apartment, but Coach is so funny. We didn't see much of him in the show, and he would have made us all laugh so much if he had been given more episodes and storylines. 

Eve (Supernatural)

Eve was a supporting Supernatural character that could have been amazing if given the chance. The show started moving in a different direction, and Eve became one of the prominent antagonists, but she was killed so quickly in Season 6 that I could barely register it. I wanted to see so much more of her.

June (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

She was a bounty hunter in Avatar: The Last Airbender who rode an incredible beast that could scent anything. How the heck did she become that? When did she find this monster? We barely saw her in the show, and I would have loved to see more. She was so cool.

Jinx (Teen Titans)

As someone who did love Teen Titans when it first came out, there were so many side characters that I wish I saw way more of. Jinx was a minor villain that we didn't get to see much until Season 5, when her character is expanded on for one episode and then not talked about again for a while – her powers of bad luck could have been talked about way more, personally. 

Bill (The Last Of Us)

I know we all loved that Bill and Frank episode in The Last of Us, but as someone who also loved that episode and the game, I would have done anything to see Nick Offerman's Bill meet Ellie. It was such a significant moment in the game. I would have liked to see more episodes of him – but I suppose I'm happy with Bill getting a partially happy ending this time. 

Eddie Munson (Stranger Things)

The entire Stranger Things fandom agrees that Eddie Munson could have been in more show episodes. An all-star of Season 4 of the series, Munson was a fan-favorite with a lot going for him, and Joseph Quinn blew up in the spotlight afterward. It's a shame he's gone.

Margaery Tyrell (Game Of Thrones)

The Season 6 finale of Game of Thrones saw the end of Margaery Tyrell, and even if she were in the show from Season 2 on, I would have given anything to see her in more episodes, even beyond Season 6. She was one of the few people who truly was a foil to Cersei – and their interactions were everything. 

The Weirdos (Portlandia)

Portlandia was such a strange but funny show overall, and The Weirdos were arguably some of the best parts of it. Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein played them, and they were people dressed in goth attire that would do some hilarious things – which I could have seen a whole spinoff of if we're being honest. 

Georgina Sparks (Gossip Girl)

It seemed that whenever Georgina Sparks appeared in Gossip Girl, things turned upside down for every character on the popular CW show. And yet, Georgina wasn't in the show that much, and while her name lives on, I wish we could have seen more of her drama. I wanted all the craziness she could bring – not just the few episodes we got. 

Danny (Teen Wolf)

I will never forgive Teen Wolf for removing Danny in the show. Not only was he a popular character, but he had revealed in Season 3 that he knew about all the creatures at Beacon Hills. And then, in Season 4, he's just gone. Vanished. Poof. The showrunner says that Danny graduated early, but, like...what? A fan favorite just gone? Bothers me every time. 

So many great characters deserve more love and episodes, but these are just some of the few that come to mind. Now I need to re-watch Avatar: The Last Airbender again for all the characters I love. 

Anyone needing quick laughs or good vibes can look to the funniest movies of 2023 or to the best comedies streaming on Netflix. But those looking specifically for the unique pleasures that sketch comedy delivers, it’s not so quick or easy a search. There are a lot of lackluster efforts out there, but we’re bypassing all that noise to focus on the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the kinds of classics that don’t need “more cowbell” to remain watchable year after year, even if they weren't ever the most popular shows of any given year.

Join us in celebrating the past 50+ years of floating narratives, interrupted storylines, star monologues, and celebrity cameos with our list of the best sketch comedy TV shows of all time. Starting with one of the most hilariously cringe-worthy creative efforts of its kind.

I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson

With the Emmy winner I Think You Should Leave, SNL vet Tim Robinson spins webs of bite-sized chaos out of myriad everyday moments, often playing a high-decibel albatross glomming onto all the other characters’ necks and making their lives worse. Whether it’s defending a reality show about corpses falling out of coffins or sparking the filthiest ghost tour possible, Robinson’s ingrates — like the episodes themselves — thankfully don’t outlast their stays, with endings just as brusque as the punchlines.

I Think You Should Leave can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.

Saturday Night Live

The most iconic and long-lasting sketch series in U.S. TV history, Saturday Night Live long ago transcended to becoming a comedic institution marked by shifting eras and generations, with a melting pot cast that regularly produces some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. From the early Conehead days to Eddie Murphy’s Gumby to Wayne’s World to the digital magic of Lonely Island and Please Don’t Destroy, SNL truly has something for everyone, even if it takes waiting around to find it.

Saturday Night Live is available to stream with a Peacock subscription.

Inside Amy Schumer

From 2013-2016, and again in 2022, comedian Amy Schumer brought her signature self-deprecating feminist gaze to Comedy Central and Paramount+ audiences with Inside Amy Schumer. Like many sketch series, this Emmy- and Peabody-winning comedy boasted a bevy of A+ guest stars — Jeff Goldblum, America Ferrera, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, etc. — joining Schumer in taking on an abundance stereotypes tied to gender, sex work, relationships and more. Beware the man in the “chicken” suit.

Inside Amy Schumer isn’t currently available to stream in the U.S.

Monty Python's Flying Circus

It’s…arguably the most influential comedy troupe of any location or era. The Monty Python clan — Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin — made their small screen mark with four standout seasons of Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969-1974). Even if the jokes about chartered accountancy don’t seem timely, the timeless sketches about Silly Walks, the Spanish Inquisition, fish-slapping dances, paid arguments and more will forever rank in sketch comedy’s uppermost echelon. 

Monty Python's Flying Circus can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.

Chappelle's Show

Years before becoming a stand-up lightning rod for backlashes, Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan delivered two genius seasons of racially and sexually charged sketch comedy with Chappelle’s Show, with Charlie Murphy, Donnell Rawlins and Paul Mooney also achieving all-star status. Though the namesake star was famously stressed out enough to exit the series before its third season was completed, the 44 episodes that were crafted have been all over the decades of pop culture that followed, with myriad memes focusing on some of Chappelle’s most memorable performances, from Prince to Clayton Bigsby to - Shazam! - Tyron Biggums. 

Chappelle’s Show can be streamed with a Netflix or Paramount+ subscription.

Portlandia

In the way that Chappelle’s Show and Black Lady Sketch Show dig their claws into Black culture, Portlandia’s hyper-specific magnification of Portland’s hipster scene makes it one of the whitest (and weirdest) of sketch comedy’s higher ranks. Co-creators and stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein gave fans eight seasons of quirky, grungy, flighty, snobby, stoner, loner, groaner, balogn-er characters that couldn’t come from anywhere else on the planet, and the same could be said for all the guest stars.

Portlandia is available to stream with an AMC+ subscription.

Tracey Takes On...

A few years after her multicam Fox series that gave the world The Simpsons, the ever-brilliant Tracey Ullman shifted her talents to HBO for the more polished satire of Tracey Takes On…, in which each episode featured an assortment of Ullman’s awkward and/or aggressive characters in themed situations, from Love to Royalty to Vegas and beyond. The series, which was spawned from her 1993 comedy special, lasted for four seasons, and itself led to the spinoff special Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales in 2003.

Key & Peele

Jordan Peele’s haunting directorial efforts belie his silly-ass sense of humor, which was on full display during the five pause-from-laughing-too-hard seasons of Comedy Central’s Key & Peele, co-created by and co-starring Keegan-Michael Key. The winner of two Emmys and a Peabody, the sketch series spawned such memorable characters as The Valets, Meegan, Mr. Garvey and many more. One oof the all-time best sketches, which happens to be my personal favorite, is the gloriously absurd East/West Bowl team lineups. 

Key & Peele can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription.

The Muppet Show

Muppet mastermind Jim Henson’s emotional and comedic intuition can never be overestimated, and it was perhaps at its most unfettered with The Muppet Show’s five seasons, which ran from 1976-1981. Though many of the musical segments were straightforwardly sincere, and Muppet humor doesn’t cut like modern satire, nothing quite compares to the enduring joy of Kermit the Frog reach his boiling point, Fozzie failing to realize how bad his jokes are, Bunson and Beaker’s foibles and all the rest. Guest stars are a bonus here, including Mark Hamill, don Knotts, Alice Cooper and Vincent Price.

The Muppet Show is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.

In Living Color

It’s hard to believe that one TV show was the fame catalyst for Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, most of the Wayans family, and Jennifer Lopez, but such was the fateful timing of In Living Color (1990-1993), Fox’s raucous and riotous sketch series created by Keenan Ivory Wayans. Some of the most notorious (and possibly offensive) creations across the Emmy-winning show’s five seasons were Fire Marshall Bill, the snap-tastic Men on… segments, homeless cretin Anton Jackson, Head Detective, and a good number of its wild impersonations, such as “Three Champs and a Baby.”  

In Living Color currently isn’t available to stream in the U.S.

The State

The 11-member creative team behind The State (1994-95) has been involved in roughly 40% of all things comedy since the show’s four-season run on MTV, and it’s because they’re all genuinely hilarious writers and gifted performers. No one in Hollywood is quite like Ken “Dips His Balls In It” Marino or Michael “I’m Outta Hee-ee-eere” Showalter, and there similarly aren’t any sketch shows that match the same levels of purposeful ludicrousness as The State. (Truth be told, it would make this list simply for being the bridge to Wet Hot American Summer.)

The State is available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.

SCTV

Many would likely agree Second City Television would deserve a spot within sketch TV’s Mount Rushmore, even despite its Canadian origins, for the charm, skill, and hilarity of its all-star cast, including Rick Moranis, John Candy, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy and more. Lasting for six seasons from 1976-84, SCTV gave viewers a smorgasbord of faux daytime and primetime offerings, from the soapy “The Days of the Week” to Martin Short’s Ed Grimley to Joe Flaherty’s cable horror host Count Floyd, with Moranis and Dave Thomas’ beer-swilling Bob and Doug still as popular today. 

SCTV isn’t currently available to stream in the U.S.

That Mitchell And Webb Look

Quite possibly the only piece of art that will ever feature anything dubbed “The Surprising Adventures of Sir Digby Chicken Caesar,” the UK winner That Mitchell and Webb Look (2006-2010) stands out for 2, 5, or 37 more reasons. (And that’s Numberwang!) From the brains of Peep Show’s David Mitchell and Robert Webb, as well as Succession creator Jesse Armstrong, TMAWL brought the delightful absurdity of the duo’s radio show to the visual medium, with a cast boasting Oscar winners Olivia Colman and Daniel Kaluuya, among others. This BAFTA-winning series definitely isn’t one of the baddies, Hans.

That Mitchell and Webb Look isn’t currently available to stream in the U.S.

Upright Citizens Brigade

Upright Citizens Brigade is now one of the most prominent comedy organizations in the U.S., but at one time it served as one of TV’s most unpredictable sketch shows. Airing for three seasons from 1998-2000, the series is best known for preposterous sketch concepts like Poo Stick, Bucket of Truth, and Little Donny (and his massive pixelated dong), but works as well as it does because of the conviction of stars Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh and Amy Poehler, all of whom have gone on to star in a zillion comedy projects. 

Upright Citizens Brigade can be streamed on Comedy Central with a pay-TV log-in.

Rowan And Martin's Laugh-In

Like no sketch comedy series before or since, Dan Rowan and Dick Martin’s Laugh-In had the advantage (or disadvantage) of airing during the hippie-dippy era surrounding the Vietnam war, from 1968-1973. As such, a lot of the comedy presented more “high” brow than highbrow, with all manner of one-liners and puns that would be at home in a tome of Dad jokes, both innocent and bawdy. It was where quite a few TV and film icons honed their skills, including Richard Dawson, Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin and Flip Wilson. 

Laugh-In is available to stream via Tubi and Pluto TV.

Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

Nobody excels with cringe sketch comedy quite like Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, the duo who have deadpanned their way through myriad weird encounters during the five seasons and add-on specials comprising the 2007-2010 run of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, to the point where “Tim and Eric” has become shorthand for describing any kind of weird, shortform humor with an amateur aesthetic that would feel at home on Adult Swim, and its success can be exemplified in part by the pair’s follow-up projects at the network.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! can be streamed with a Max subscription.

A Black Lady Sketch Show

Created by the wildly talented Robin Thede, who also dishes up some of the series’ most ridiculous personalities, A Black Lady Sketch Show views life through the titular feminine lens, and is all the more unique for it. It’s a testament to the writers and talented cast (which included Quinta Brunson and Gabrielle Dennis) that the majority of sketches are universally hilarious, no matter how nuanced or subversive, with no genre being spared from the coochie-bouncing genius. 

A Black Lady Sketch Show is available to stream with a Max subscription.

Kids In The Hall

One of Canada’s most beloved comedic imports, the prolifici Kids in the Hall quintet — Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, Bruce McCulloch, and Scott Thompson — made their cabbage-headed mark with the eponymous TV show, which lasted for five seasons between 1988-1995, with a streaming revivial season debuting in 2022. (Not to mention the 1996 film Brain Candy and the 2010 miniseries Death Comes to Town.) The group’s quirky sensibilities and all-in performances have kept them as not popular as the Sizzler Sisters are not insane.

Kids in the Hall is available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Human Giant

TV regulars Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel and Aziz Ansari combined their comedic powers early in their careers for the endlessly silly and quotable MTV sketch show Human Giant, which lasted for two seasons from 2007-08. (The third was planned, but never happened due to Ansari’s Parks and Recreation schedule.) From the frequently recurring discomfort of “Shutterbugs” to the somewhat equal discomfort of the performative magicians Illusionators — as well as fun with time machines, Doritos commercials and commercials jings — Human Giant is a rapid-paced delight.

Human Giant currently isn’t available to stream in the U.S.

Mr. Show

For four seasons, David Cross and Bob Odenkirk were seemingly allowed to put any idea they wanted (and could frugally budget) into HBO’s Mr. Show (1995-1998), from drugged-up Krofft-esque puppets to a faux biopic about this one guy’s taint to the death of art in “Coupon: The Movie.” The R-rated sketches and songs were as smart as they were silly and anarchic, with an A+ cast including superstars like Jack Black, Sarah Silverman and SpongeBob himself, Tom Kinney. 

Mr. Show is currently available to stream with a Max subscription.

The Birthday Boys

Sketch comedy king Bob Odenkirk helped bring the comedy troupe The Birthday Boys to the masses via the IFC series of the same name, which ran for 2 seasons from 2013-14. With cast members who went on to co-host the similarly monikered podcasts Doughboys and The Sloppy Boys, TBB is delightfully goofy, over-the-top and unapologetically immature, with no subject matter too ridiculous. (The episode “All Your Favorites Are Back” rivals Key & Peele’s “East/West Bowl” by way of an endless line of hilarious fake names.)

The Birthday Boys is available to stream with an AMC+ subscription.

MADtv

Sharing little in common with its satirical magazine namesake, at least outside of “Spy vs. Spy” toons, MADtv remains one of the longest-running sketch shows of all time, lasting for 14 seasons on Fox (1995-2009), and then a single revival year on The CW in 2016. From movie and TV parodies — “Gump Fiction” remains an all-time great — to recurring characters like Michael McDonald’s Stuart or Nicole Sullivan’s Vancome Lady, MADtv is akin to SNL for often having as many misses as hits for certain viewers, but anybody who loves celebrity impressions will gets years’ worth of enjoyment out of Will Sasso, Aries Spears and Frank Caliendo alone.

MADtv currently isn’t available to stream in the U.S.

A Bit Of Fry And Laurie

A Bit of Fry and Laurie, created by and starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, is an unmistakably British sketch comedy, such is its adherence to language, wordplay, and man-on-the-street moments. (As well as UK government, natch.) With four seasons produced between 1987 and 1995, the series remains beloved thanks to the enduring careers of its hilarious stars, and to the light metal grooves of The Bishop and the Warlord. 

A Bit of Fry and Laurie is available to stream with a BritBox subscription.

Whitest Kids U'Know

With their troupe roots going back to 1999, the Whitest Kids U’ Know members — Sam Brown, Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore, Darren Trumeter and Timmy Williams — gained a far wider fandom when their batshit-zany and often offensive sketch show of the same name debuted on Fuse, later moving to IFC for Seasons 2-5. Spinning things like “I’m gonna grape you in the mouth” into pop culture quotables, TWKUW crafted a sketch comedy rarity in Season 5’s ten “Civil War on Drugs” segments, which were later edited into a single doozy of a feature.

The Whitest Kids U' Know is currently unavailable to stream in the U.S.

Big Train

Ahead of the utter brilliance of Spaced and Shaun of the Dead, Simon Pegg made his mark on sketch comedy in Graham Linehan and Arthur Miller’s two-season cult fave Big Train (1998-2002). Co-starring Mark Heap, Catherine Tate and more, the show’s sketches are largely based on the simple premise of “ordinary moments spiraling into wackiness.” With a penchant for pitting pop musicians from the ‘70s and ‘80s in bonkers situations, the most predictable thing about Big Train is how unpredictable it is from one moment to the next.

Big Train is not currently available for streaming in the U.S. 

Bizarre

Canadian comedian John Byner and the Bizarre team broke a lot of weird ground with the 1980-1986 series, which aired in the U.S. in uncensored form via Showtime. For all the naughty fun had by the talented cast — including Mike Myers and Don Lake — arguably the show’s legacy rests in the accident-prone hands of Bob Einstein’s Super Dave Osbourne, as the faux stuntman’s popularity exploded thanks to frequent hazard-filled appearances throughout Bizarre’s run. 

Bizarre is currently unavailable to stream in the U.S.

Astronomy Club

With its titular troupe serving as the Upright Citizens Brigade’s first all-Black squad, Astronomy Club landed on Netflix in 2019 for its lone season thanks to executive producer Kenya Barris. With the overarching narrative that its cast is in a Big Brother-esque reality show beyond the sketches, the series honed in on the Black experience, tackling race and other issues with sharpness, with guest stars like Ice Cube and Busy Phillips. One can only imagine how much better it could have become had it lasted more than the one season.

Astronomy Club can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.

Stella

From the ensemble of MTV’s The State came the stage show-turned-sketch series Stella, co-created by stars Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter and David Wain. Though it only lasted for a single season of ten episodes, Stella is expertly honed absurdity in bite-sized form, with the series pitting the abnormal trio against normal life, though without some of the black humor that fueled the original video shorts. Bringing guest stars in like Paul Rudd, Rashida Jones and Sam Rockwell is anything but absurd, though.

Stella can be streamed on Vimeo.

Hey Vern, It's Ernest

While Nickelodeon is usually the spot where kid-friendly sketch comedy is found, CBS Saturday mornings is where viewers could find Jim Varney in full denim mode for Hey Vern, It’s Ernest, the one-season effort centering on the actor’s signature Ernest P. Worrell character. The show is a revolving door of weird shit, with rapid-fire sketches and segments featuring Varney in a plethora of costumes and prosthetics, and a ton of charm-laden practical effects on display throughout. It doesn’t seem like a recurring sketch about a barber misunderstanding the words “wall street tycoon” would work every time, but Varney sells it all. Even the nightmarish Baby Ernest...

Hey Vern, It’s Ernest isn’t currently available to stream in the U.S.

The Ben Stiller Show

A microcosm of early ‘90s pop culture, The Ben Stiller Show is possibly the only series to air one 13-episode season across three different channels, face cancellation, and then win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing. Such was the offbeat and high-energy power of this MTV-adjacent sketch series, which featured a host of talent from stars Janeane Garofalo and Bob Odenkirk to writer David Cross and co-creator Judd Apatow (whose Jay Leno impression is on full display). And it also boasts the badge of honor that comes with remaining more relevant and enjoyable than a lot of the movie, TV and music projects it parodied.

The Ben Stiller Show currently isn't available to stream in the U.S.

Selena Gomez has always had tons of dedicated fans, considering she grew up as a “Disney kid” in front of the camera before becoming a global pop star and business owner. While many people are familiar with the Only Murders in the Buildings actress’ battles with lupus, there was one aspect of her journey that Gomez kept to herself — at least until now. It turns out when she underwent a kidney transplant in 2017, she named her new organ after former Saturday Night Live comedian Fred Armisen, and she recently explained her reasoning.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Selena Gomez revealed the name she gave her new kidney, as well as the hidden agenda she had for choosing that specific celebrity. She said: 

Consider that tea sufficiently spilled, Selena! Fred Armisen is certainly known for all things weird, so that does seem like something he could appreciate. Armisen was part of some of SNL’s best single-season casts, where he was known for his silly-voiced character in the Californians sketches and Church Lady, among many others. His post-Saturday Night Live career has seen him creating his own unique series in Portlandia and Documentary Now!, as well as appearing in the casts of Schmigadoon!, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Forever on Amazon’s Prime Video and Our Flag Means Death (which was rated as one of the best new shows of 2022 on IMDB), to name a few. 

Fred Armisen’s tendencies for the weird also apparently spill into his personal life, as Russian Doll actress Natasha Lyonne revealed in April that she and Armisen had ended their eight-year relationship because she wanted a swimming pool and he didn’t. 

So now that the cat is out of the bag, and Fred Armisen could very likely find out that he’s the namesake of Selena Gomez’s kidney, is there a chance for a collaboration in the future? Gomez is already working with iconic comedians and Saturday Night Live veterans Martin Short and Steve Martin on Only Murders in the Building (available to stream with a Hulu subscription), so it’s definitely not outside the realm of possibility. 

Selena Gomez got her start in the entertainment business on Barney & Friends when she was 10 years old, and rose to fame on Wizards of Waverly Place, where she played Alex Russo. In 2015 she was diagnosed with lupus, undergoing her transplant two years later. Her mental and physical struggles are documented in the recently released documentary My Mind & Me, which is available for streaming with an Apple TV+ subscription. 

While we wait for any word on if the “Hands to Myself” singer ever hears from Fred Armisen about the weirdness of her kidney’s name, you can check out some of the other best movies on Apple TV+, and see what shows are premiering soon with our 2022 TV schedule. 

As we have in the past, CinemaBlend has partnered with Plex to talk about everything from its vast library of movies and shows spanning multiple genres to the abundance of content on the easy-to-use Live TV on Plex function with its scores of channels. Since its launch, the live TV function has given Plex users the opportunity to sink into the couch and binge never-ending marathons of classic game shows, sitcoms from television’s golden years, and more. That collection of streaming content just grew exponentially with the arrival of several AMC channels, giving viewers access to shows like The Walking Dead and much, much more.

The newly added channels to Live TV on Plex include AMC Presents, Slightly Off, All Weddings, Absolute Reality, IFC Film Selections and RUSH by AMC.

The following are some of the shows that air on these channels...

The Walking Dead

Fans of The Walking Dead who want to relive the saga of Philip Blake (David Morrissey), aka The Governor can do just that (and more) on the AMC Presents channel on Plex. Seasons 2 through 5 are currently available on Plex, meaning users can follow Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), and the rest of the cast as they stumble into the farm, journey to the prison, and beyond, meeting some of the show’s most significant characters along the way. And although the latest seasons aren’t yet available on Plex, having free access to some of the show’s best moments isn’t a bad deal at all.

Catch it on AMC Presents.

Ride With Norman Reedus

Since we’re on the topic of The Walking Dead, now’s the perfect time to talk about the motorcycle docuseries featuring one of the show’s fan-favorite actors. Those who just can’t get enough of Daryl Dixon but don’t have the heart (or stomach) to relive the gore and heartbreak of the hit AMC zombie series should check out Ride with Norman Reedus, which as the name implies, features the actor taking to the open highway with a slew of celebrity guests. The three four seasons — including the Boondock Saints reunion — are currently streaming for free on Plex.

Catch it on AMC Presents.

Turn: Washington’s Spies

The AMC content on Plex doesn’t start or end with The Walking Dead as there are other notable show’s from the network’s library of series available on the free streaming service. Take Turn: Washington’s Spies for example. Users can watch all four seasons of the period drama based on the Culper Ring of spies active during the height of the American Revolutionary War. With plenty of drama, action, realized performances, and some 18th Century spycraft, this exciting and oftentimes intense series has a little bit of something for everyone.

Catch it on AMC Presents.

Into The Badlands

Television shows set in a dystopian future have been all the rage for the better part of a decade now, but few capture the brutality and resilience of the human condition better than Into the Badlands. Set in a war-tattered civilization 500 years in the future that has banished modern weapons (while holding on to such inventions as electricity and motor vehicles), the show follows the survivors as they fall into a feudal-like system similar to the Middle Ages, including melee weapons and crossbows. All three seasons of Into the Badlands can be streamed on Live TV on Plex.

Catch it on AMC Presents.

Freakshow

AMC has had its fair share of unscripted shows over the years, with one of the most bizarre being the 2013 series Freakshow, which as the name implies, centers on the Venice Beach Freakshow and its various performers. All of the staples of the classic sideshow attraction setup are found here, including a giant, bearded lady, sword-swallowers and more. On top of all of that, Freakshow does a tremendous job of humanizing the so-called freaks and shows a side of them that is often overlooked. Combine all of that with travels to the multiple locations throughout the United States (including Florida), and you have yourself a recipe for hours spent locked on the couch.

Stream it on AMC Presents.

Portlandia

Portlandia, IFC’s long-running satirical sketch comedy program starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, is just one of the shows from one of the networks in the AMC family streaming on Plex. This sardonic and hilarious exploration of the Oregon metropolis doesn’t hold back in its representation of the various inhabitants of the city. With everyone from the Mayor of Portland (Kyle MacLachlan) to employees of the Women and Women First bookstore (Armisen and Bradshaw) and even groups of eccentric eco-terrorists aren’t spared over the course of the show.

Stream it on Slightly Off.

Comedy Bang Bang

There are talk shows and then there are absurdist variations of the genre like the IFC series Comedy Bang! Bang! This farcical series featuring Scott Aukerman playing a spoof of himself along with various co-hosts and celebrity guests was consistently one of the funniest shows when it aired between 2012 and 2016. While not all seasons are available on Plex (maybe they’ll be added), Season 2 is as good a place as any to start or start over, even if it is to hear the smooth vocals of one Reggie Watts.

Stream it on Slightly Off.

Documentary Now!

Anytime four Saturday Night Live writers and stars come together for a mockumentary television series you know you’re in for a good time. Such is the case for the IFC series Documentary Now!, which spent three seasons presenting fake stories or fictional takes on historical events with a slew of big-name comedians and actors taking over ridiculous characters. Seasons 2 and 3 are streaming on Plex, which means you can check out the stellar “Any Given Saturday Afternoon,” which centers on the return of a defunct bowling league and its biggest stars.

Stream it on Slightly Off.

Bridezillas

Plex also features the All Weddings channel which is the home to none other than Bridezillas, the long-running reality series showing off some of the most entitled couples leading up to and on their big day. This show is insane, like actually insane. Despite that, people love it (and for good reason). And plus, how many times has someone watched this show and said something along the lines of “I would never do that,” only to find themselves yelling at the tent company 12 hours before their wedding demanding they bring the dance floor (not talking from personal experience).

Stream it on All Weddings.

Kendra On Top

Speaking of reality television… the WE series Kendra on Top, Seasons 1 through 6, can be found on the Absolute Reality channel. The show follows the day-to-day life of former Playboy model and star of The Girls Next Door Kendra Wilkinson as she attempts to balance time between her family and increasingly busy professional career. And while not as flashy as her previous E! reality programs, Wilkinson doesn’t hold back here.

Stream it on Absolute Reality.

All of these shows and more are now available to enjoy on Live TV on Plex, giving users access to hundreds of hours of content without spending a much as a penny. And this doesn’t even begin to touch on the moves that are streaming on the IFC Films Selections and RUSH by AMC channels that are also now on Plex.

Kumail Nanjiani has already conquered the world of comedy, but it looks like a transition into more serious fair is going smoothly for him. The Pakistani-born comedian’s Oscar nomination for co-writing romantic dramedy The Big Sick might have had something do with his casting in Marvel’s upcoming Eternals, but he has already shown his chops in countless other movies and TV for more than a decade.

You may also recognize him as Dave Bautista’s anxious Uber driver in the action-comedy Stuber or as the voice of pint-sized alien nicknamed “Pawny” by Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson in Men in Black International. However, if those high-profile theatrical releases are all you know Kumail Nanjiani from, you are criminally missing out.

To help you better acquaint yourself with this talented performer, I have compiled a list of titles found on the big screen and small screen featuring him in some capacity. These are some of Kumail Nanjiani’s greatest hits, starting with the film that finally made him a real star.

The Big Sick (2017)

As Kumail Nanjiani’s dramatized counterpart in The Big Sick says during a disastrous routine onstage, “It is hard to do stand-up comedy when your girlfriend is in a coma.” I imagine that it was just as difficult for him and his wife Emily V. Gordon to look back on one of the most challenging periods of their relationship when writing this critically acclaimed sleeper hit starring Nanjiani as a struggling comedian whose commitment is put to the test when his estranged lover (Zoe Kazan) is put into a medically induced coma. The couple earned a shared Academy Award-nomination for their screenplay, which tends to be as emotionally moving as it is funny.

Michael & Michael Have Issues (2009)

The director of The Big Sick, I should have mentioned, is comedian Michael Showalter, He is also known for his frequent collaborations with fellow funny “Mike,” Michael Ian Black on several films and TV series, such as this hilariously cringeworthy fusion of sketch comedy with a dramatized version of the two Michaels’ dysfunctional friendship. Michael & Michael Have Issues, which lasted one season on Comedy Central, was one of Kumail Nanjiani’s first gigs acting as a staff writer on the sketch show within the show (and in real life) and led to further team-ups with Showalter, including the 2020 romantic comedy The Lovebirds, also starring Issa Rae.

Franklin & Bash (2011-2014)

Who says a legal drama needs to follow all the rules? That is the philosophy of Franklin & Bash, starring Breckin Meyer and Saved by the Bell’s Mark-Paul Gosselaar as two rebellious, hot shot attorneys and lifelong friends who are recruited into a major law firm, which no one is more surprised by than they are. Kumail Nanjiani shamelessly steals every one of his scenes as Pindar Singh, an agoraphobic member of the lawyer duo’s research team on this short-lived, but much-liked comedy.

Hell And Back (2015)

Stop motion animation has never looked as crude, and I do not mean visually, as this raunchy adventure about two friends (Nick Swardson and T.J. Miller) who must rescue their buddy after he is accidentally dragged into the Underworld. Among a star-studded cast of voice talents also including Mila Kunis, Danny McBride, and Bob Odenkirk as Satan, Kumail Nanjiani has a relatively smaller role as a demon named Dave in Hell & Back, which comes from the same studio that produces Adult Swim’s Emmy-winning Robot Chicken.

Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016)

Inspired by a true story, brotherly man-children Mike (Adam Devin) and Dave Stangle (Zac Efron) put out an ad in hopes to find two ladies to escort them to their sister's wedding in Hawaii. Thinking they found the perfect dates, the siblings end up becoming targets to a pair of attractive hustlers (Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza). A ponytailed Kumail Nanjiani makes a brief, yet lasting, impression on this surprisingly endearing R-rated comedy, as Keanu, a masseuse who, per Kendrick's request, gives the bride (Sugar Lyn Beard) the "Wink-Wink, Nudge Nudge" treatment, which is as far as I will go in explaining what happens from there.

The Late Bloomer (2016)

In another comedy loosely inspired by a true story, Kumail Nanjiani plays Rich, a friend of Peter Newmans (Johnny Simmons), a 30-year-old who has never hit puberty until the removal of a tumor blocking his pituitary gland causes him to experience the process in rapid succession. Prolific actor and skilled impressionist Kevin Pollak directs The Late Bloomer, a funny, heartfelt, and (as you could probably imagined) very dirty adaptation of Ken Baker's memoir Man Made: A Memoir of My Body.

The Meltdown With Jonah And Kumail (2014-2016)

In 2010, Kumail Nanjiani and fellow comedian Jonah Ray started an underground comedy showcase they called "The Meltdown," which quickly becomes one of the hottest tickets in the Los Angeles stand-up scene. Comedy Central turned the weekly show into a docuseries featuring a rotation of the most popular comics around, including Marc Maron, Natahsa Leggero, and "Weird Al" Yankovic just to name a few. Produced by Ben Stiller, The Meltdown, as a TV series, lasted two years and the live show that inspired it came to a close just a couple years afterward, but its uniquely intimate, guerilla-style documentary approach was an amusing experience.

Central Intelligence (2016)

Before they played video game avatars in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level, Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart teamed-up for their first adventure together in this uproarious action buddy comedy from the director of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story and Skyscraper. Hart plays an accountant reluctantly thrown into the world of espionage when he discovers his old high school friend (Johnson) is a secret agent whom the CIA claims has gone rogue. Kumail Nanjiani comes into the picture as the front desk attendant for airplane hangar whom Hart struggles to distract while Johnson steals a plane.

Fist Fight (2017)

The theatrical debut of accomplished TV comedy director Richie Keen re-teams with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Charlie Day for Fist Fight, in which the actor plays a high school English teacher who accidentally gets an intimidating history instructor (Ice Cube) fired on the last day of school. Furious, he challenges the scrawny educator to a school yard quarrel after the final bell rings. Day's character desperately enlists the aid of security guard Mehar Kirman (Kumail Nanjiani), who far more indulgently critical than he is helpful to the situation.

Portlandia (2011-2018)

Kumail Nanjiani joined co-creators and stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein as a recurring guest actor on their popular, Python-esque sketch comedy series based around the quirks and culture of Portland, Oregon. One of the comedian's most essential and hilarious appearances on Portlandia, which lasted seven seasons as a word-of-mouth hit on IFC, was his very first role on the show as a cell phone store salesman with a tendency to make things just a little more complicated than they need to be.

Silicon Valley (2014-2019)

If not for his Academy Award-nomination for The Big Sick, I would consider this beloved HBO series to be Kumail Nanjiani's crowning achievement in the world of comedy. Created by former tech engineer Mike Judge (the mastermind behind Beavis and Butt-Head, King of the Hill, and Office Space), Silicon Valley is a brutally authentic and relentlessly hilarious look at the titular California region's start-up scene as told from the point of view of a meek engineer (Thomas Middleditch) and his colleagues, struggling to get their company, Pied Piper, off the ground. As programmer Dinesh "Pakistani Denzel" Chugtai, Nanjiani has contributed to much of the series' most priceless moments, especially those involving his not very friendly rivalry with Satanist coworker, Bertam Gilfoyle (fellow MCU actor Martin Starr).

The Twilight Zone (2019)

If you were too heartless to not notice Kumail Nanjiani's talent for dramatic acting in The Big Sick, maybe get yourself a free trial of a CBS All Access account and give him a second chance with this intriguing cautionary tale. In the premiere episode of Jordan Peele's revival of the classic anthology fantasy series, he plays Samir Wassan, a struggling comedian who finally gains the following he had been chasing for years, only to discover that his success is the result of a newfound, unexplainable ability that comes with drastic consequences. If you ask me there is no better episode from the new version of The Twilight Zone than this one, titled "The Comedian," thanks to its unique concept, thought-provoking message, and, especially Nanjiani's heartfelt performance.

What do you think? Are these shows and movies the best in Kumail Nanjiani's repertoire or do my choices make you laugh harder than any joke the comedian has conjured? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for more updates on the Eternals star here on CinemaBlend.

Welcome to the 28th edition of The Cord Cutter Podcast! The end of the year is very nearly upon us, and with the holidays that means lots of long weekends, down time with family and cozy time at home to just relax and enjoy some good, old-fashioned streaming TV shows. Join us this week as Mick, Adrienne and their guest, CinemaBlend's Kelly West, go over their favorite television shows to binge! With the wealth of choices available to TV addicts who love to stream the shows they care about, it wouldn't be impossible for someone to miss a series that would be perfect for them among all the options. That's why we're taking some time to detail the shows we love to watch when we're in the mood for binging!

A regular listener to our podcast will know that there are tons of shows that can be binged between the streaming platforms. And, there are always new options coming to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and other services. From science fiction and anthology series, to heavy hour-long dramas and silly family comedies, we'll give you a good rundown of the best shows to binge. Ready to dive in? Great! Read on to get the lowdown on this week's podcast and then listen for yourself above!

2:05 - News

7:40 - The Weekly Queue (Greenleaf, The Orville, Superstore)

14:08 - Must Binge TV

14:29 - The Fosters

17:24 - Black Mirror

22:17 - Star Trek: The Next Generation

24:16 - Bob's Burgers

27:13 - Younger

32:11 - Making a Murderer

34:19 - No Activity

37:02 - Breaking Bad

41:28 - Portlandia

41:38 - Game Time! Something About Binging

Now, get in on the fun and have a listen to The Cord Cutter Podcast #28! Join us next time when we talk the best streaming of 2017 on any platform! And, be sure to subscribe to The Cord Cutter podcast on iTunes, right here and follow us on Twitter through @CordCutterPod!

Picture this: you're looking to fritter away the time between layovers at the airport, and the present options just aren't cutting it. Well, if you're passing through Portland International Airport next spring, you'll have a brand new movie theater to enjoy between flights. Just don't expect any showings of Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, as this theater's focus is on a more narrow window of time.

When we say narrow, we mean that it's designed to show 1 to 5 minute short films only. Not to mention, the specifications laid out in The Register-Guard's item on the project states the seating capacity will only be able to hold 18 people at a time, with an equally restrictive standing room. So even if you have some time to spare, you might have to be careful how you spend it in this venue. The idea was inspired by a similar exhibition space in a Tokyo, and will also be used for live performances inside of the airport.

Despite the theater's lack of major Hollywood material on display, the idea of an airport screening room is still a pretty awesome idea. With so many shorts on display, and the theater being a quiet respite from the usual hustle and bustle of an airport terminal, it's not a bad way to kill a half hour of time between decent length flight changes. Of course, if your stay is a moderate to long range time suck, you'll probably be better off seeing the local sights or logging into your Netflix account in order to stay sane. Still, with the idea of a dedicated screening room that shows only short form material, the possibilities are endless.

For example, movie studios could take advantage of the limited exhibition space and craft a short form look at their latest product coming to theaters. Think of how Disney Parks has used attractions to showcase first looks at films like Tomorrowland, only take away the increasingly fitting theme and open up the demographic to a wider field. So while you wouldn't be able to watch Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice in its entirety in Portland International Airport, you'd be able to watch some choice clips of footage priming you to do so as soon as you land wherever your final destination may be.

Of course, the likelihood of this happening, at least for the moment, don't seem to be too high. Airport management doesn't want to look like they've had real estate bought up by big Hollywood, so don't expect trailers to be show in the theater anytime soon. For now, it sounds like the Portland International Airport will be using this space for more experimental, and dare we say independent, art. Which should still help pass the time as you're flying home from whatever brought you to Portland in the first place.

For nearly its entire run, The Simpsons has been notable for its myriad guest stars, but the past year as seen the long-running comedy making its own guest spots in other shows, both animated and real-life. The latest includes creator Matt Groening heading up to the wild and preservative-free world of Portlandia, where The Simpsons is getting ripped off in the name of cool clothing! Check it out in the clip below, via IFC.

Groening is making this rare TV cameo for Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein’s quirk-a-second IFC comedy, and it naturally involves his iconic creation, The Ska-mpsons. Er. The Simpsons. Groening will star as himself in the episode, the plaintiff in a lawsuit against Armisen’s Spike over the unlicensed T-shirt seen in the picture. Obviously Bart Ska-mpson would be a “rood boy.” He’s also probably a “slacker with pride in his slacking” who says to “nibble on his undies.” Or something.

Here’s a shot of Groening holding the lawsuit-provoking T-shirt.

A fan of Portlandia, Groening spoke with EW about playing a more disgruntled version of himself, but it sounds like he had a swell time. He got to improvise, which adds another layer of rarity to his appearance. And he’s in a suit, too. It’s the trifecta.

Something Real Groening doesn’t have in common with Fictional Groening, however, is the disdain for bootleg Simpsons merchandise. He and Fox have been dealing with it for the entirety of the show’s run, so it would likely have driven him insane if he held a strong grudge against the illegal sub-industry. When asked what he enjoyed about it, here’s what Groening told EW.

I recall bogus Simpsons products from festivals when I was young, and would love to see what Groening’s collection looks like. He talks about how people send him statues of Bart peeing. Mail is cool.

In case anyone forgot, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein previously headed into Groening’s world for appearances on The Simpsons for the Season 24 episode “The Day the Earth Stood Cool.” Here’s what they looked like as the respective donut chef and public breastfeeder Terrance and Emily.

Groening’s crossover-ish episode of Portlandia, which was just renewed for two more seasons, airs this Thursday night on IFC.

Hopefully everybody got to live the spooky life this weekend in Halloween's afterglow, but it's time to put away the masks and put on whatever you feel most comfortable laughing in. (Choosing to watch TV while wearing a mask is acceptable, but not entirely understandable.) So pull out your favorite candy and check out the three best comedies that hit streaming sites this past week.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Season 9

No series on TV makes me laugh with as much regularity as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Season 9 is no exception. This season contains my favorite piece of imagery from any season: Frank in his underwear, stuck inside of a piece of playground equipment. There are plenty of other highlights of course, such as Sean William Scott's appearance in "Mac Day," the epic Lethal Weapon 6 footage, Dee's stand-up career, and super-smart Charlie. The Gang finds itself in the middle of a gun debate, a convenience store robbery and a flu quarantine. Season 10 will start up in early 2015 and will hopefully continue putting this sub-legendary set of characters into the most morally defunct situations.

All 9 seasons of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia can be found on Netflix Instant and Amazon Prime.

Portlandia – Season 4

The quirkiest population on the planet is back for another ten episodes of skits, fake commercials and more. Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein have turned Portlandia from a clever cable oddity into some of the most must-see comedy for those wondering what everyone else is quoting. This season continued the tradition of minutiae-skewering hilarity, with the pair taking on feminist bookstore clerks, celery salesmen, ecoterrorism, music, and the Portland Trailblazers dance squad. Every episode also features amazing cameos from celebrities such as Kristen Dunst, Jeff Goldblum, Jeff Tweedy, Gus Van Sant, Jason Sudekis and Ed Begley Jr. Season 5 is set to kick off at some point in 2015, which leaves more than enough time for a four-season binge session.

All four seasons of Portlandia can be found on Netflix Instant.

The Weird Al Show

A children's show hosted by parody genius "Weird Al" Yankovic could have and should have been the greatest thing to hit TV in the 1990s, but clashing intentions ultimately cut it short. CBS first debuted The Weird Al Show on Saturday mornings in September 1997, with a silly and slightly uneven tone that wavered between Yankovic's more adult-leaning humor and CBS' insistence that the material skew younger, and with more educational insight. A host of guest stars filled the 13 episodes, including Patton Oswalt, Tony Little, Hanson, Fabio, Emo Philips, "Macho Man" Randy Savage and more. It could have been a fine continuation in the footsteps of Pee Wee's Playhouse, but wasn't given enough time to do it. Show it to your kids.

The one and only season of The Weird Al Show can be found on Hulu Plus.

And when you’re done with all of these, hit the next page to find more new-to-streaming shows that might be up your alley.

Salem – Season 1

The Almighty Johnsons – Season 1

Reckless – Season 1

Atlantis – Season 1

It’s Garry Shandling’s Show – Season 1

In anticipation of the upcoming, guest-star filled fourth season of Portlandia on IFC, comedic duo Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen — the show’s creators and stars — have teamed up with famed photographer Alex Prager for a series of bustling shots that perfectly encapsulate the series. In true Portland fashion, the intersection of absurd and art finds these two smack dab in the middle of it all. Gosh, could these two be any better? No, we think not.

In fact, we're so convinced that the images are a masterstroke, we've decided to make it our life’s work to sway you to our side. We're obsessed. OB-SESSED — as if we needed more reasons to be excited about the upcoming season of Portlandia. But you, dear reader, may not be of the same ilk. So we've decided to sway you the only way the Internet knows how: through the magical power of lists.

• It’s a Mash-Up that Makes Sense: Considering Portlandia’s love of the absurd and surreal, the photos play up the brilliant convergence of art and comedy that is inherent in the heightened environment of the series.
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• It Paints a Picture: Just like what Brownstein and Armisen accomplish on the series, these images take tiny details about the idiosyncratic place the show calls home and exaggerates them in order to accomplish the mutual goal of the series and Prager’s work: one that emphasizes the proximity and distance of this varied cross-section of life.
• 
  
  
• It Creates a World: As Armisen and Brownstein accomplish with words and video, Prager’s images aren't just snapshots, they're positively cinematic, with movement and energy that jumps out at you. Like the Portlandia duo, Prager doesn’t just capture a moment, she creates an entire, vibrant existence, something both simple and incredibly complex (not to mention challenging and impressive as hell).
• 
  
  
• They Elicited This Brilliant Insight from Armisen: "Right before I started SNL I always wanted to be Cindy Sherman. When I first started hearing about her and seeing her pictures I was like she is doing the best thing ever … I'll just say that Cindy Sherman is what I aspire to be."
• 
  
  
• It’s SO Portland: I mean, come on: weird and whimsy? The town practically invented the stuff.

The two images feature aspects that have become hallmarks for Prager’s work. In particular her most recent series, “A Face in The Crowd.” Because of that, the bustling cacophony of folks roaming around perfectly encapsulates the weird and wacky wonderfulness of the series’ home/true star, Portland. In fact, the whole thing reads eerily similar to the goals and accomplishments of Portlandia’s comedic work, as evidenced by the exhibit’s description.

See? SO Portlandia. The series’ upcoming 4th season premieres on IFC Thursday, February 27th at 10PM.

Over the past two decades, the guys from Pearl Jam have left their mark on popular culture. Although I’m not a fan, even this writer can’t deny that the Seattle based rock outfit has made some pretty great albums and earned their place in rock history. That’s why today’s news is a delightful, albeit frustrating one, especially for their actual fans. Back in July the band announced their newest album in 4 years, called Lighting Bolt, but instead of giving us another taste of the record, today they’ve released a short film based on the making of the record, with conversations from some surprising guests.

Directed by filmmaker Danny Clinch, who has worked with Pearl Jam before, the film features lead singer Eddie Vedder driving around a sunny Seattle, clips from their recent performances, and conversations with, get this, Judd Apatow(!), Portlandia star Carrie Brownstein, surfer Mark Richards, Wild Flag, and NFL safety Steve Gleason! It's an incredible list of guest appearances for such a short film with a run time of 9 minutes. Alas, I wouldn’t expect anything less from PJ.

Lighting Bolt doesn’t come out until October 15th, but I’m sure their fans are happy with whatever they get between now and then. In steep contrast to this bright and sunny short film with some serious star power, just a few weeks ago they released a music video for the lead single off their new album, Sirens, which was a dark and moody affair.

Besides waiting another few weeks for their new LP to drop, it’s an exciting time to be a fan of this famous grunge band from the 90's. Their tenth LP is dropping soon and now they also have a short film to salivate over. The band has been around for years, and its undeniable the mark they’ve left. If you want to pick up a copy for yourself, Lighting Bolt is currently on pre-order through Amazon before its release October 15th, via Republic records. I guess the dream of 90’s is still alive. For further proof, check out this clip from Portlandia:

The dream of the 90s will remain alive on IFC for years to come. The cable channel announced today that they've renewed Portlandia for two more seasons, which will keep the show on the air through 2015. So it seems stars and creators Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen will have to find more ways to poke fun at hipster culture for seasons to come.

Portlandia is currently between seasons, having wrapped up its third season back in March. Today IFC confirms that Season 4 is a go, as is Season 5. Both will consist of 10 half-hour episodes, with the fourth season set to premiere in early 2014 and Season 5 set for 2015.

Portlandia stars Brownstein and Armisen as various characters featured in satirical sketches set in Portland, Oregon. Among the characters featured in the series' first three season were feminist shopkeepers Toni and Candace and the particularly eco-conscious couple Peter and Nance. And in addition to Brownstein and Armisen, the series has featured a host of cameos and guest appearances, including Chloe Sevigny, Bill Hader, Jim Gaffigan, Rose Byrne, Sean Hayes and Kyle MacLachlan, who plays the mayor.

In terms of original programming, Portlandia may be IFC's most successful endeavor to date. Not only has it received critical praise, but it also won a Peabody Award last year, and it was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series at last year's Emmys. So it's not especially surprising to see that IFC's looking to keep the show around for a while.

Spoiler alert! This clip from the upcoming third season of IFC's Portlandia is full of spoilers… from other shows and movies. Ever sit around and try to discuss your favorite TV shows and films with other people, some of whom aren't caught up or haven't gotten around to seeing that particular film? That's what the people in this funny scene are doing. And in the process, Portlandia squeaks in some pretty major spoilers from previously aired TV shows.

So while the above spoiler warning is kind of a joke, it's kind of not. Among the shows discussed in the clip - which features TV-loving characters Doug and Claire as they throw a dinner party - are The Wire, Dexter, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones and some other intense dramas. And they do slip some actual spoilers from some of those series into their conversation, which will be funny to those who have seen the show but probably a little annoying to those who still haven't made it all the way through The Wire.

That's Ronald D. Moore in the bed. Not the creator of Battlestar Galactica, the other Ronald D. Moore (see Season 2 of Portlandia), who wrote "one more episode" of the beloved Sci-Fi series for Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein's Doug and Claire. But it's not really Moore at all because I'm pretty sure all of this is just a dream.

What isn't a dream is Portlandia's return, which is set for this Friday, January 4 on IFC.

Portlandia. The show very much a part of a mini-movement. And no, not just keeping the dream of the 90s alive in the titular city but also playing a major part in the burgeoning of comedy scene on IFC. It wasn’t the first funny series to hit the Independent Film Channel. However, in many ways it has become the staple. Sort of how It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia was a landmark on FX (Perhaps every network needs to adopt a city and stick it in the title?). Portlandia Season 2 features many returning favorites from Season 1, as well as several new characters, a bit more structure and ten episodes instead of six. Even with the expansion there is still a sense of ‘second verse same as the first’ so if you were a fan of Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein’s Oregonian sketch comedy exploits the first time around then you should definitely be visiting the second season.

Most of the episodes follow a main story, often Fred and Carrie’s adventures in character, to provide Portlandia a loose structure to hang the rest of the scenes. At its heart, the show is sketch-based--which inherently lends itself to a hit or miss experience. That’s not to say the show mirrors the intermittent quality of something like SNL, but it does say a viewer cannot expect to connect with each and every bit, which could potentially render large chunks of the season unappealing. Of course, Portlandia has much more time to script, shoot and select the exact elements that make up a given sketch than Lorne Michaels’ iconic series (there are no last half-hour dumps or a slow week) so even your least favorite sketches usually contain more than a few laughs. And besides, the beauty of owning the series is the ability to quickly skip any short segment that doesn’t appeal (like the Feminist Bookstore).

What?! I know Toni and Candace are often regarded as one of the main draws of Portlandia but that particular setting has rarely worked for me , at least since the first hilarious encounter there with Season 1 guest star Steve Buscemi. They still have their moments (especially when playing second fiddle like they did in the excellent finale, Episode 10, “Brunch Village”) but I’d rather spend my time in the city with other returning characters and their bizarre one-off situations. This obviously made the eighth episode, “Feminist Bookstore's 10th Anniversary,” one of my least favorite of the year, but others like “One Moore Episode,” “Cops Redesign,” “No Olympics” and the aforementioned finale make the season well worth owning, especially since the extended edition of “Brunch Village” (including director Jonathan Krisel’s behind-the-scenes marionberry adventure) only appears on the home release.

Before expanding on the surprisingly awesome, albeit few, special features, it’s worth noting some of the excellent individual sketches and awesome guest spots littered throughout Portlandia Season 2. I’m not sure if any of the Season 2 sketches hit me as hard or resonate as much as “Technology Loop,” but there were some amazing moments with both returning characters (“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” ”Dream of the 1890s” and “No Bag at the Supermarket”) and new ones (“Put a Bird on It,” “Whose Dog is This?” and “Husband Sitter”). Also, the IFC series certainly has no trouble bringing in comedians and other celebrities for guest spots. These include SNL regulars like Andy Samberg (“SoCal”) and Kristen Wiig (“CatNap”) to Oregonians like Eddie Veder (“Eddie Veder Tattoo”). Without a doubt, well, aside from Kyle MacLachlan’s amazing return as the Mayor (as well as the real Mayor of Portland Sam Adams once again playing his assistant), Ed Begley Jr.’s appearance in Episode 10 was my favorite.

As far as the extras go, the set features some run of the mill special features, as well as a few real gems. As you can imagine, I wasn’t too amped up for the deleted scene from “Feminist Bookstore,” but it was fine. Four episodes feature commentary from Armisen, Brownstein and Krisel and, as expected, they were both insightful and pretty funny. The look at both “Portlandia The Tour: Seattle” and an excerpt from the “Portlandia: A Guide For Visitors” book (released yesterday) were also interesting but not something I would see myself revisiting. However, as I said before, “Bunch Village: The Director’s Cut” was probably my favorite thing about the entire second season and alone worth the price of the DVD and/or Blu-ray. Krisel’s search for the perfect Marionberry pancakes with guests Lorne Michaels and Bobby Flay is a great faux behind-the-scenes topper to the already incredible installment. Finally, the “Inside Portlandia” special, directed by the always rad Lance Bangs, offers an in depth look at the first two seasons of Portlandia, discussing everything from the concept and amazing opening titles (my favorite on TV) to the great guest stars.

Season 3 of Portlandia premieres with back-to-back episodes on Friday, January 4 at 10 p.m. ET on IFC. And don’t miss the special “Winter in Portlandia” special on Friday, December 14 at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Rating:

Length:220 min.

Distributor:IFC

Release Date:September 25, 2012

Starring:Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein and Kyle Maclachlan

Directed by:Jonathan Krisel

Written by:Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein and Jonathan Krisel

A-O river! Last night’s premiere episode of IFC’s Portlandia delivered the goods and a little something extra for fans of and newcomers to the comedy series. For a funny bit of bonus content, the Portlandia figured out a way for you to pickle that... sort of. And we have a few other tidbits from last night’s episode that we thought we’d share.

Spoiler alert! If you haven’t seen the episode yet, I recommend doing so before being spoiled!

We Can Pickle That

The Season 2 premiere had stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein playing pickle-crazy couple who claimed they could pickle anything. Well, Portlandia is now pickling websites through their amusing new site WeCanPickleThat.com. The site allows you to submit a link and it then redirects you to a pickled version of that site. The pickled version of Cinema Blend looks pretty tasty.

Moving on, Portlandia's sometimes even funnier on pause. Thanks to the beauty of the DVR, we found a few extra details worth mentioning in last night's episode that you might find amusing...

He mixed you a drink, now you mix him a tape.

A good portion of the episode has Armisen and Brownstein on a mission to deliver a drink-themed mix-tape to guest-star Andy Samberg, who was playing a mixologist in the episode. Here’s the list of songs included on the tape. It may or may not be better than a remix of the Les Miserables soundtrack.

“Red Red Wine”

“Don’t Come Home Drinkin’”

“Margaritaville”

“I Drink Alone”

“Bitches Brew”

“Gin & Juice”

“One Bourbon, 1 Scotch, 1 Beer”

“Boob Scotch”

“Ice Cube”

“Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down”

“Ice Tea”

“High & Dry”

“Tequila”

“Booty Juice - NWH”

“Have A Drink On Me”

“Drinkin’ On My Mind”

“Ice Ice Baby”

“Myxomatosis”

Around The World In 80 Plates

On their quest to So-Cal, Brownstein and Armisen stopped in at a restaurant, only to be bombarded with options and alternatives in a never ending food-ordering experience. While the waiter said they could Breakfastize their entree by having it rolled up in an omelet, the menu’s definition of “Breakfastize That” is “Make any menu item a breakfast item topped with eggs and porridge. 24/7! Just add $3.50.” Gross. Grosser than having it “Super-spiked” (pouring Jack Daniels over everything).

Meanwhile, the small print on the Craig’s Crazy Guac Tacs says, “Enjoy a chilled six pack of your favourite beer with friends as you snack on delicious guac made right here in North America.” I suspect by the spelling of “favourite,” “North America” might mean made in Canada, or maybe that's only applicable to the beer. Speaking of which... a six pack of beer? I wonder if we can double-down on that. Twice the amount of beer for twice the price? Also, do you think they’d allow us to lobsterate just the beer?

Moving on, here’s the list of sides, not all of which were read by the waiter. My favorite is a three-way tie between Cheesy Beefers, Deep Fried Salad, and The Rachel.

Crispy Cheese

Duck Triangles

Buffalo Bombers

Cheese Boats

Potato Tornadoes

?Chicken Crusters

Beef Dingers

Deep Fried Salad

Crusty Chicken Crusters

The Rachel

Quadruple Dippers

Zing the Blues

The Perfect Egg Roll

Cheesy Beefers

Sorry but the “Crusty Chicken Crusters” just sound gross.

And finally, here’s a behind-the-scenes look at Kath and Dave’s A-O river scene...

Portlandia’s return is one of many reasons to be grateful that 2012 has officially started. If you’re a fan of the IFC comedy series and Battlestar Galactica, there’s even more reason to look forward to the series’ return, as Season 2 is set to include “One Moore Episode,” which celebrates the love (or obsession) with Battlestar Galactica.

Portlandia is a short-based comedy that finds the humor in the ’90’s-like laid back, hipster culture of Portland, Oregon. The series’ second season is set to include a number of guest-stars, including Jeff Goldblum, who you'll see in the episode below.

Portlandia’s “One Moore Episode” isn’t the first episode of the season, but it is the first one some of us will get to see as the network posted it online and we have it embedded below. It won’t air on IFC until the Friday after next (January 13th). In the meantime, watch it below and be sure to tune in this Friday (January 6th) for the Season 2 premiere.

Spoilers from the episode below the video!

Spoiler Warning: Specific references to the above episode below. Read no further if you haven’t watched!

The episode isn’t completely devoted to BSG, but the guest appearances were pretty amazing, as was the music and I’m sure some of us who fell in love with Ron Moore’s reboot of the sci-fi TV series can relate to the obsession expressed by Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein’s characters (to a less active extent, at least). Few would probably think to track down Ronald D. Moore (any Ronald D. Moore will apparently do) as Armisen and Brownstein's characters did, but their efforts rewarded them with a possible (albeit very unlikely) sequel to the series, and a heart to heart with Bill Adama.

And with that, I’m now thinking about getting a tattoo of Eddie Vedder playing the tambourines.

So say we all.

2011 was a good year for television, which made selecting the top ten shows of the year a tricky task. Not all of our favorites will win awards for their greatness, but whether it was because they made us laugh, made us think, kept us on the edge of our seats or simply entertained us, these are the shows we loved the most in 2011.

TV had a lot to offer this year, and there were a number of shows that came close to making the cut but didn’t quite squeak through to the Top 10. Among them, American Horror Story, Wilfred, Shameless Happy Endings and Beavis & Butt-Head, all of which contributed to television in their own dark, twisted, funny, quirky and/or clever ways. In the meantime, to hint at the shows that did make the cut, before we get to the actual list, here are a few relevant (some fictional) locations: Westeros, The Hamptons, Pawnee, Greendale, Portlandia and Capua...

Spoiler alert: The list below contains plot details about shows that have aired this year that may be considered spoilers. Tread lightly if you aren’t caught up on your favorite shows!

Breaking Bad

“Box Cutter.” “Face-Off.” For Breaking Bad fans, the episode titles that book-end the outstanding fourth season say it it all. One of the things that’s worked so well for the AMC drama series from the start has been the pacing. Over the course of four seasons, we've witnessed Walter White’s slow transformation from a regular man to a meth-cook living a double life that’s barely concealed anymore. He’s taken control of his life and in the process, transformed from a relatively harmless man into a man who’s willing to anything to stay alive, protect and provide for his family.

Season 4 included the slow-boiling power struggle between Gus and Walter, a growing distance between Walt and his partner Jesse, Walt’s wife Skyler’s increased involvement in Walter’s dealings, and some excellent flashbacks that give us further insight into Gus’ life, including his connections with Tuco’s uncle Hector. All of this comes together slowly, building up to what amounts to one of the best season finales we saw all year, from one of the most intense, gripping and outstanding series on television.

Parks and Recreation

It's hard to express how far Parks & Recreation came in 2011. Off the air for the entire 2010 fall season, it returned for its third season in January with two new cast members, Adam Scott and Rob Lowe, and a completely renewed sense of purpose. Gone was the awkward, Office-inspired humor of the first two seasons and the sense that Leslie Knope was a barely competent pain-in-the-ass who drove her coworkers crazy. Instead the show fully embraced its sweeter side, establishing the Parks Department as a strange but loving family, setting up a very real romantic spark between Ben and Leslie, and even softening up the scowling April with her romance and eventual marriage to Andy.

Ron never stops disdaining the government, the Parks Department never stops making fun of Jerry and Leslie never manages to avoid awkward conflict entirely, but this year Pawnee became a place you're dying to visit every week, full of both central characters you're invested in and a rotating cast of townspeople (Perd Hapley, Joan Calamezzo, Jean-Ralphio) who make the world feel richer and immeasurably stranger. Once the struggling spin-off of The Office, Parks & Recreation became its own full-fledged success this year, the nicest and funniest and most consistently excellent comedy on any network.

Revenge

When fall started, Revenge seemed like the ultimate guilty-pleasure drama, however as the weeks went by, the guilt dissolved and the obsession set in. The series, follows the scheming of a young woman named Emily, whose father was wrongfully convicted. Emily’s on a mission to take down the people responsible for framing her father, which means posing as a wealthy girl summering in the Hamptons and immersing herself in society’s elite while she slowly unravels their lives from within.

Part of Revenge’s draw early on was the opening scene, which featured Emily at a lavish party, and someone getting shot on a beach. So far, the series has been leading up to the shooting on the beach, however the anticipation is just a bonus. The real treat is watching Emily interact with the people she’s plotting against, or in a couple of cases, conspiring with. Keeping her plan on track is proving to be tricky and new complications have slowly been introduced. Between the twists and turns in the plot, the ever-building suspense, and outstanding performances by Emily VanCamp, Madeleine Stowe, Gabriel Mann and others, Revenge has quickly become a must-watch drama.

Portlandia

IFC’s Portlandia has proven to be one of this year’s unexpected comedic treats for television in 2011. Created by Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein and Jonathan Krisel, and starring Armisen and Brownstein, the short-based comedy series is an amusing take on the hipster culture of Portland, Oregon. Each episode features Armisen and Brownstein portraying the various fictional inhabitants of Portlandia as they go about their lives, trying to be good (or superior) human beings, listen to the right music, eat the right food, wear the right clothes and converse about the right things.

The first season consisted of a meager six episodes and a collection of hilarious characters, including a couple who goes above and beyond to make sure the meat they’ve ordered was treated humanely before they eat it, and a couple who hire a house-sitter, leaving her with a ridiculously long list of instructions, only to reveal that their trip consists of a visit to the store to purchase a new cell phone. Then there’s the couple that serves a full meal of food retrieved from dumpsters. The season was brimming with guest stars, which added to the surreal nature of the series and only made it all the funnier. Portlandia is bizarre and quirky, taking aim at a very specific kind of humor, and nailing it more times than not. In the end, I’m often left wondering if they’re poking fun at Portland culture or celebrating it. Maybe it’s a little bit of both. Whatever it is, it’s working.

The Chicago Code

It won’t be remembered as fondly as Shawn Ryan’s previous clever-and-cancelled Terriers, if remembered at all. Its absence is only slightly less disappointing. After 24, Fox couldn’t seem to create action-dramas that weren’t tethered to high-concepts or gimmicks. The Chicago Code avoids those trappings by keeping it simple with likable characters, a great setting, and shady political corruption. And despite hokey narration, the dialogue remains genuine and amusing.

Jason Clarke’s tough-talking homicide detective Jarek Wysocki is partnered with young Caleb Evers (Matt Lauria) in taking down Alderman Gibbons (Delroy Lindo) a political leader with his hands in everyone’s pockets. This is all overseen by Teresa Colvin (Jennifer Beals), Chicago’s first female Police Superintendent. Wysocki’s niece is a rookie cop romantically involved with her partner. There’s an undercover agent infiltrating the Irish mob! And Wysocki’s got woman troubles! Storylines initially seem procedural, but many are incorporated into the larger plot, which builds with both external and internal pressure, though is unfortunately never as diabolical as it should be. While not perfect, The Chicago Code is exciting cop show fun, whether you like the Cubs or the Sox.

Community

Although 2011 hasn't been the kindest year to Community and its fans, there is little doubt that the NBC comedy remains at the top of the class. The series continued to wow with wonderful performances, genre bending direction and probably the smartest writing of any situation comedy. However, these factors that make the show so inspired also make it demanding, and it's already joining the ranks of other critically acclaimed, cult classics that were not long for this world.

The 23 episodes of Community that aired this calendar year, including 13 from the back half of Season 2 as well as 10 from Season 3. This means the 2011 season includes some "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons," Abed having 'My Dinner with Jeff' with a side of Pulp Fiction, a whole new kind of clip show and two "Fistful of Paintballs" as well as this year's instant classics like the darkest timeline (as part of the brilliant "Remedial Chaos Theory" episode), Jeff and Dean Pelton singing Seal in a video booth and the flashback rivalry between Tinkletown and Big Cheddar. This year’s Community gave us two terms, spring and fall, overflowing with laughter and even the occasional tear. Let's hope they aren't forced to drop out before graduation and have a chance to make the Cinema Blend Honor's List again next year.

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena was an epic, dramatic event that reveled in the garish and the gory. Creating a prequel for a second cycle in the absence of Andy Whitfield was a bold move, and one that probably shouldn’t have worked as well as it did. Set several years before the events in Vengeance, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena simultaneously manages to bring Crixus to the forefront, allows audiences to identify with morally bankrupt slave owners Lucretia and Batiatus, introduces a new prized warrior in Gannicus, and creates gladiator conflict that is both compelling and feels cut from the same cloth as its sister series.

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena could have gone for more. It could have made the production more glitzy, the story arc more grandiose and the big reveals more unbelievable. Instead, Gods of the Arena keeps the same tone and fervor at the heart of its story. It is relentless in its ability to grab audience and reel them in, and, on the same token, it has kept us all waiting for more.

Game of Thrones

Anytime you adapt a beloved series you are walking a fine line. Sure, you have a built in audience but also comes the pressure to impress. However, any time HBO is the one adapting the series, there's always some reassurance that the source material will be handled with the utmost respect and care. D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, co-creators of the television series, have done just that delivering a series with fantastic writing, stunning visuals and an incredible ensemble cast.

HBO's Game of Thrones, an adaptation of George R.R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" series, doesn't just satisfy the die-hards but it also brought in people previously uninterested in fantasy. The reason that the series was able to accomplish that most difficult task of crossing genre divides, is that underneath the fantastic facade is a show about interesting people, their relationships and humanity's often destructive obsession with power. It's a medieval morality play with dragons, what more could you want? Game of Thrones' spectacular debut season adapted the famed fantasy series with an unblinking focus on the human relationships and managed to create many of the year's most memorable television moments. "Winter is Coming." Can't wait.

Louie

If you aren't a fan of Louis C.K. in his roles as stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, truth-deliverer, redhead, or chronic masturbator, then there’s a world of disagreement between us. (Well his acting is mug-filled, but always fun to watch.) Louie’s second season continues to subvert tones and presentations for every story or idea. Quite often, these are ideas, surreally realistic moments that don't need three acts to traverse the emotional spectrum. The first episode combines panic with strangers’ empathy before dive-bombing into carefree juvenility, and the curveballs seldom seem intentionally shocking. This is Louis C.K.'s mind on display. Nobody's mind is linear.

Painting himself as the under-appreciated dad, daydreaming subway hero, work-a-day comic, and unluckiest lover, he becomes the rare underdog in a tele-verse of undeserving over-achievers. He’s troubled by overtly honest daughters, the housing market, a socially awkward niece, costumed hoodlums, his aunt’s passive racism, and insecurities with women, one of which makes "blueberries" un-explainably undesirable. These toiling foils highlight the sincerity of subtler scenes, such as he and Pamela Adlon’s nearly overused will they/won’t they relationship, or his crass last night with Eddie, a desperately suicidal old buddy perfectly portrayed by the similarly brutal Doug Stanhope. Most notably, Louie performs for troops in Afghanistan in the extended “Duckling,” which allows breathing room between sparse comedic beats, creating a documentary-lite aesthetic that transcends usual episodic expectations. Oh, and then there’s the one where he fucks Joan Rivers. Television is rarely this sublime.

Homeland

The first season of Showtime's Homeland was nothing short of fantastic and is definitely in the running for not just the best new series on television but for the best series period. Few series can come out of the gates running in their freshman year but with only 12 episodes there was simply no time for showrunners Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon to waste. Gansa And Gordon cut their terror television teeth working on 24 and yet, Homeland manages to capture all of the intensity of the often over the top series while still remaining focussed on telling a slower-burning, character based narrative. And they've made it one of the most interesting hours of television each week.

Adapted for American television from the acclaimed Israeli series Prisoners of War (or Hatufim) by Gideon Raff, Homeland prides itself on being unexpected and unconventional without coming across as having twists purely for twists' sake. The writers structured each individual episode as well as the entire season so that each revelation felt completely earned not forced. That doesn't mean there weren't more than a few shocks - and even explosions, both literal and figurative - but the real power comes from impeccable writing as well as the amazing performances from Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Mandy Patinkin. The show wasn't always easy to watch (especially the final shot) but it was certainly easy to come back. Showtime's Homeland will return for Season 2 in 2012.

Christmas may still be a few days away, but IFC has given us an early gift, which will likely appeal most to those of us who love Portlandia and Battlestar Galactica. This new clip from Portlandia’s upcoming second season will especially hit home for those of us who jumped into Battlestar Galactica (Jump!) partway through the series or after it finished airing.

The video below was posted at the IFC blog for Portlandia, which states that this clip comes from the “much rumored Battlestar Galactica inspired episode of Portlandia,” which implies that there’s even more frackin’ hilarity to look forward to! In the meantime, see how BSG affects the lives of Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein’s characters in this clip...

I didn't really need a reason to love Portlandia any more than I do, but I'm happy to have one. As someone who came into Battlestar Galactica at the start of the Syfy series’ third season and then went back and watched the first two seasons via DVD, I can relate to the above video on a slightly less extreme level. So say we all!

“One episode, and then we go to dessert...”

Portlandia returns for Season 2 January 6th at 10 p.m. ET on IFC.

If you’ve been enjoying AMC's Mad Men and Breaking Bad on Netflix, there’s good news. There’s more where that came from! The network that brought you these shows, plus some other TV series, including that zombie show you may have heard of, has signed a multi-year deal with the streaming video service.

The announcement we received says The Walking Dead will be available on Netflix today. (I just checked and I don’t see it there just yet, but it’s still early). The agreement AMC and Netflix have made will make prior seasons of AMC’s original series available to Netflix members in the U.S. and Canada. Future seasons of TWD, which is will be available exclusively through Netflix, and AMC’s other programming will be made available streaming on Netflix not long before the premiere of the new season(s). This deal also applies to some Sundance Channel programming.

While The Walking Dead and AMC’s other TV shows might be the bigger selling point here, Netflix has also licensed non-exclusive rights in the U.S. to some other TV series, among which is IFC’s excellent comedy series Portlandia. As that series returns for Season 2 in January, we should probably expect to see Season 1 show up on Netflix at some point before then.

Also among the mentioned series that will be available on Netflix are The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, WE tv’s Braxton Family Values, My Fair Wedding, and Bridezillas. Also Sundance Channel’s All on the Line with Joe Zee and Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys.

If, like me, you’ve been completely lost without IFC’s Portlandia to show you how to be the trendy hipster you’ve always aspired to be, there’s good news. IFC announced the premiere date for Season 2 of the comedy series, along with a list of guest-stars who are expected to appear. ?

Portlandia is a comedy series starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, who play various random Portland(ia) residents featured in humorous situations, often involving the eccentric culture of Portland, Oregon. I’d like to say that I read about the second season premiere in some little newspaper you've probably never heard of, but IFC actually posted the information by press release, which sort of takes the fun out of it, by Portlandia standards.

Portlandia Season 2 premieres Monday, January 9th at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on IFC. (Update: IFC's new premiere date for S2 of Portlandia is Friday, January 6 at 10pm ET/PT)

Fans can expect guest appearances by Penny marshall, Jack McBrayer, Tim Robbins, Andy Samberg, Amber Tamblyn, and Kristen Wiig. Mary Lynn Rajskub will also guest-star, and Kyle MacLachlan is set to return to play the role of Portlandia’s mayor.

Here’s one of my favorite bits from Season 1: