The best shows on television you’re not watching

I watch a lot of television shows, most would probably say too many. I watch countless dramas, comedies, and every genre in between. I like to think that everything I watch has some value, whether as being thought-provoking, creating a unique and captivating world, providing some insight into different areas of life, or just being hilarious.

I’ve seen too many shows fall by the wayside because they’re not popular enough to attract a wide audience, and are quickly discarded by nervous networks that barely give a new show enough time to attract an audience. So now that I have this blog, I figured I could enlighten at least the few people that read it about a few shows you really shouldn’t be missing.

In the past few years there have been too many great shows swiftly canceled due to low ratings on the outdated Nielsen rating system. Arrested Development, Pushing Daisies, Kings, The Black Donnellys, Better Off Ted, Happy Town and Dead Like Me are a few examples of wonderful shows that were axed before their time. I’d like to help a few current shows that have middling ratings from suffering the same fate in any way I can, so here are descriptions of a few fantastic shows that don’t have nearly enough people watching:

Fringe

One of Lost’s baby brothers, Fringe will bend your perception of reality and make you think in ways you’ve never considered before. The supernatural scientific drama, now in its third season, is fueled by the innovative and enthralling writing of frequent J.J. Abrams collaborators Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Fringe keeps its viewers on their toes.

Back during its first season I was unsure if Fringe could really measure up to the hype it received but through the second season and even more so now in the third it has become one of the most fascinatingly original hours on television.

Fringe follows FBI Fringe Division Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), and her partners Peter (Josh Jackson) and Walter Bishop (John Noble) who investigate peculiar cases that defy logic and reason, or at least that’s how the show started. There are still episodic elements of the show where a new case is introduced, but the overarching themes and plot lines are what really drive the show.

I don’t want to reveal too much about what’s going on this season, but suffice it to say episodes alternate between two different realities, with each actor playing two different versions of themselves, and Anna Torv especially has turned in phenomenal performances thus far this season.

It’s not a show you can really pick up midseason, so I’d advise going back and watching the first two seasons, you won’t regret it. If J.J. Abrams, the compelling acting and writing, and an absorbing and puzzling world haven’t convinced you to watch the show, there are also great guest stars like Leonard Nimoy.

Community

I caught up on this sophomore comedy recently, and it’s quite honestly the funniest and most inventive sitcom currently on the air. Its over-the-top storylines, fantastic character chemistry, and relentless film and pop culture references make it my favorite half-hour of the week, by far.

Community has a couple stars you know and a few you probably don’t. Joel McHale (The Soup) and comedy veteran Chevy Chase are the most well known stars, but it’s really the supporting characters that steal the show. You probably know Ken Jeong: he’s that crazy asian guy in every movie lately (like The Hangover). He’s an absurd supporting character named Señor Chang. Others like Alison Brie (Mad Men), and best friend duo Danny Pudi and Donald Glover round out the merry band of misfits that attend Greendale Community College.

This is a show you could jump right into, although I would of course recommend catching up on the whole series because there have been so many great episodes already, plus it’s only in season 2 so catching up isn’t too hard. While during the first half of season 1 you may not know what to make of the show, keep watching because in the second half of last season to now the show has been fantastic.

The best part about Community is that after an episode you’ll almost always be amused, surprised, and sometimes puzzled by the unexpected but often clever direction that the episode took. Some of my favorite storylines have involved the trade of cafeteria chicken fingers escalating into a mafia-movie style hierarchy, a paintball contest that turns the school into an apocalyptic war zone, and the recent Halloween episode where there was literally a zombie outbreak. I’m also very excited for their upcoming Christmas episode filmed entirely in Claymation.

Community’s light-hearted tone and imaginative plot structures can make something like a giant blanket fort in a dorm or a ride in a 1980s space simulator both believable and highly amusing in the context of the show. For some reason its ratings have dipped a bit this season, and while it’ll probably make it at least through a full season it would be a shame if this eccentric and whimsical comedy didn’t go any further.

There are plenty of other under appreciated shows worth plugging for more viewers like Chuck, Breaking Bad, Parenthood, Archer, and Spartacus: Blood & Sand, but these two are both the best and in the most dire need. Community airs at 8pm on Thursdays and Fringe at 9pm Thursdays, although DVR and online streaming make the air times somewhat irrelevant.

UPDATE: Starting in March, Fringe is being relegated to a Friday, 9pm timeslot, usually a sign of impending doom for a show, being replaced by American Idol of all things. Gimme a break FOX.

So if you have the time or are just bored, give Fringe or Community a watch. Both are well worth your time and have my stamp of approval. If you already watch one or both of these shows, thanks for being awesome and sorry for telling you what you already know. For those of you who are fans of canceled gems like Arrested Development, these shows need YOU to stay alive, and believe me they’re worth saving.