Ever been in the mood to sit down, grab a bowl of cheap ice cream, flip on the television and let your brain slowly decompose while watching some television, only to find that there’s nothing good on? We here at the Tiger Cub Online are here to help! The following are five TV shows you should be watching but aren’t.
Arrested Development– Constantly placed atop “Top TV Shows of All Time” lists, Arrested Development originally aired on FOX from 2003-2006, and was brought back for a 4th, Netflix-exclusive season earlier this year. Starring Jason Bateman, the show follows “a wealthy family who lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together.” One of the most unique aspects of Arrested Development is its ability to layer jokes and foreshadow coming episodes, recalling events that happened seasons ago or making a joke that will be used in episodes down the line. It’s also got an amazing cast, including Michael Cera, Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi, David Cross, Jessica Walter, and Jeffrey Tambor, along with almost every guest star you can imagine.
All four seasons of Arrested Development are exclusively available on Netflix.
Gravity Falls– A show about mythological creatures with Illuminati imagery laced throughout may seem out of place on the Disney Channel, but “out of place” defines Gravity Falls perfectly. Miles smarter and deeper than anything else on the Disney Channel, Gravity Falls would feel at home somewhere like Adult Swim, as it sports a surprising amount of adult humor. Dipper and Mabel Pines are two quirky siblings sent to their great-uncle (Grunkle) Stan’s place in the town of Gravity Falls, where he runs a tourist trap. However, all is not as it seems in Gravity Falls, with mysteries, including Illuminati imagery, sprinkled throughout as plot points. If there is one thing to stress, this show is SMART. Creator Alex Hirsch has said he wanted to create something unlike anything else on television, and he has succeeded.
The first season of Gravity Falls concluded earlier this summer, but you can catch reruns on Disney Channel, and the next season will premiere in 2014.
Hannibal- Normally, Hannibal Lecter is associated with being an out-of-control, cannibalistic psychopath, but Hannibal reimagines him as a suave, intelligent forensic psychiatrist who just happens to have a penchant for eating people. The series has even been banned in many locations for being too graphic, yet is still broadcast nationally on NBC. Starring Hugh Dancy as Special Agent Will Graham, the series is based on the first Hannibal novel, Red Dragon, and the following seasons (of which there are 6 planned) will follow the other books in the series.
Hannibal wrapped its first series earlier this year, and a first season DVD is out now.
Orange is the New Black– Made for and exclusively broadcast on Netflix, Orange is the New Black follows Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a woman put in prison for transporting drug money. The catch is, the crime was committed 10 years ago, and since then Piper has become a quiet, well-adjusted citizen. After being put in prison, she runs into an assortment of characters and must learn to cope with her new life in prison. One of the most critically acclaimed shows of the year, it is one of Netflix’s three original series, including House of Cards and Arrested Development.
Orange is the New Black’s first season is exclusively on Netflix, with a second season premiering in 2014.
Arrow– Based on the DC superhero Green Arrow, Arrow finds Oliver Queen living in the fictional Starling City after a shipwreck that killed his family. To right the wrongs of his late father, he becomes a green-hooded vigilante, armed with a bow and arrow, and sets out to clean the streets. It was revealed earlier this year that The Flash will guest-star in the series, eventually leading into a pilot for his own standalone show. DC characters Deathstroke, Deadshot, and Huntress are also slated to appear on the show. It was also recently announced that Commissioner Gordon of Batman fame would be getting his own show on FOX, titled Gotham. The two shows may cross over, leading up to the eventual Justice League movie.
Arrow is broadcast on The CW, and the second season will premiere on October 9.
