Top 5 Under-Appreciated Shows

By Amanda Pendolino on July 14th, 2009

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With the wonder of Netflix and Hulu, TV shows can live on forever – and even win over new fans. Now that the summer has given your DVR a break (I find myself coming home and saying, “What do you MEAN there’s no new House?”), maybe it’s time to check out some shows that aren’t new, but new to you.

1. Freaks and Geeks

(1999)

If only I could travel back 10 years and date Jason Segel. Not that he isn’t a catch now (and probably a lot richer), but there’s something so irresistible about his unabashedly earnest portrayal of Nick, the drummer who pines for Linda Cardellini (whom he dated in real life – rumor has it that Forgetting Sarah Marshall is about her!). A lot of other Judd Apatow crew members join him – Seth Rogen, James Franco, Martin Starr, John Francis Daley, Samm Levine – in this quirky and hilarious hour dramedy set in 1980s Michigan.

2.Veronica Mars

(2004-2007)

“The people you love will one day let you down,” philosophizes 16-year-old Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell), the star of this edgy neo-noir about a teenage PI who investigates the dirty secrets of a rich SoCal town. VM manages to tell episodic mysteries as well as big season-long ones (and in the first, it’s the juicy murder of Veronica’s best friend). With its sarcastic tone and gorgeous beach sunsets, you’ll wonder how a show about high school can feel so…adult.

3.Greek

(2007-present)

Why is everyone so embarrassed to admit they watch Greek? I’m telling you, it doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure. Not only is it the closest thing to actual college that we’ve seen on television (please, Felicity, we know you can’t get a dorm like that as a freshman), but it’s also hilarious! And nobody makes the Scruffy Slacker sexier than Scott Michael Foster.

4. Sports Night

(1998-1999)

We all know Aaron Sorkin is the master of snappy dialogue and the walk-and-talk. The West Wing is classic, and I find Charlie Wilson’s War to be a wonderfully under-appreciated movie. Lesser known (but often beloved) is Sports Night, his half-hour comedy about sports commentators. Starring Peter Krause, Felicity Huffman and Josh Charles, the tagline says, “It’s about sports. The same way Charlie’s Angels was about law enforcement.” Touchdown! Goal? Okay, I’m done.

5. Life

(2007-2009)

Don’t let the dumb name fool you; this show rocks. It’s a cop show, but I’ll forgive that since its main character is the fun, strangely zen Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis), a cop who was framed for murder, sent to jail and finally exonerated. Despite his multi-million dollar settlement, he rejoins the force to find out who framed him. Like Veronica Mars, it tackles episodic as well as seasonal mysteries.