They can’t all be winners, but they’re champs in my binge book.
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Now, there’s no formula as to what makes a breakout hit, but the series that do register in the cultural zeitgeist (and often on this here blog) have at least one thing in common: generally speaking, most people seem to like them. A simple point, for sure, and I’m often on the side of consensus. But in all my TV watching, I occasionally come across a show that I fall in love with that doesn’t catch fire with just about anyone I know… albeit often for good reasons. In pretty much all cases, I can pinpoint why they didn’t go the distance—both creatively and by word-of-mouth from friends, who might not have exactly been on board—but I still can’t quit them. So, with that, here are three of my favorite cancelled-shows-you-might-possibly-like that I think are worth giving the ol’ binge test, plus a fourth that’s been renewed for a second season that deserves a second look.
Friends From College (Netflix)
I was so pumped for this show when it first premiered: a half-hour ensemble comedy that follows the twisty, tangled web spun by a group of friends from college (duh) in all their NYC midlife crisis glory. Sounds cool, right? Yeah! And then there’s the ‘how’d-they-manage-to-book-all-these-people?’ cast, including Fred Savage, Billy Eichner, Cobie Smulders, Sarah Chalke, Annie Parisse and Keegan-Michael Key. So fun! Well, not so much ‘fun’ as that sensation you get when you’re definitely being entertained but loathe most of the characters you’re watching, who turn out to be kinda terrible people. Mixed feelings abound, no doubt. But the production values are on-point and the cast is MF magic from end to end, so I was in for every minute. I binged the two seasons in one day each (the second on the day it came out) and was genuinely bummed when it was cancelled, which says it all. Give spending time with this wonderfully awful crew a shot.
Girlboss (Netflix)
Speaking of characters that make you go ooof, Sophia—the self-absorbed millennial heroine at the center of Girlboss—is inspired by real-life, rags-to-online-vintage-resale-retail-maven Sophia Amoruso and her experience founding million dollar empire, Nasty Gal. Look, I’ll be honest: this one crashed and burned pretty much out of the gate, and I can understand why. Sophia can be uber-bratty, entitled and insufferable to watch. But the steady-handed vision of creator Kay Cannon (she wrote Pitch Perfect) and co-producer Charlize Theron wraps you up in an interestingly stylized San Francisco that becomes a key character in Sophia’s journey, embodied with perfectly magnetic, manic energy by Britt Robertson in a star-worthy central performance. Better yet, she’s surrounded by a cast of great supporting characters that balance the crazy and bring interesting shades of depth to her potentially one-track world, which is reason enough to take this one for a test drive.
Camping (HBO)
Yet another tale of relatively horrible people all converging on the same spot to be even worse to each other… but guys, it’s legit entertaining! The premise, from co-creators Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner, is pretty straightforward: in typical Type A character fashion, Jennifer Garner plays a woman wound tight (and on the verge of unraveling) who has planned a camping trip to celebrate her husband’s birthday with family and friends, which goes off the rails pretty much immediately to funny and cringe-worthy effect. It’s a substance-fueled ensemble romp punctuated by secrets and betrayals that got a proper ‘LOL’ or two out of me each episode, especially thanks to MVPs Juliette Lewis and Bridget Everett. It’s worth the trip into the woods, my comedy-loving friends.
After Life (Netflix)
This darkly funny, recently renewed British import created by and starring Ricky Gervais quietly crept onto my Netflix queue in the spring, and though lauded by critics, I think the subject matter might have kept people away. While it’s a tale with an uber-edgy a**hole at its center, this time the curmudgeon act is with good reason: the six, 30-minute episodes follow Gervais’ Tony as he deals with the recent loss of his wife to cancer. But it’s funny! Really! I know, that’s a tough sell, but put your faith in Ricky, who tees up sharply funny, touching observations on the sweet and sour life serves us in the wake of sadness—and the bumpy road we have to ride to bounce back from it all.