TV Shows you wished you watched when they were on TV (1 Viewer)

[Mark Silver]

TV on DVD has let me me experience some great series. Some of them I wished I had watched when they were on TV. Maybe they would have lasted longer.

Two that immediately come to mind are

Firefly
Brooklyn South


Anyone else have series they have found on DVD and wished they had watched ?

 

[Bill>Moore]

Well, I've discovered a couple of shows on DVD that I'd love to have caught when they were on.

Freaks and Geeks
and
Family Guy

Love both of those shows and I'm sorry I missed them the first time around. Thanks to DVD though, it's been great to be able to see them now. Of course, Family Guy is coming back to us early next year, so it will yet live on.

 

[Dillon*G]

Angel
Smallville
Friends
Alias
Dilbert
The Critic
Will & Grace

 

[StacyV]

Definitely Freaks and Geeks

 

[Colin Jacobson]

None, for the shows I've discovered on DVD like Freaks and Geeks are eminently more watchable that way. Why sit through commercials and wait eight months to go through a season when I can watch all of that in one or two days if I want?

And I don't suffer from the delusion that if I'd watched them then they'd have stayed on the air. Last time I looked, I wasn't a Nielsen family, so what I watch - or don't - has no impression on the ratings...

 

[Yee-Ming]

ST:TOS, but seeing as I was only born in 1969... Having said that, whilst I caught most of these in re-runs, I don't think I've watched every single episode, so I'm really looking forward to the season boxsets later this year.

Seriously, Sports Night. But I don't think it was ever brought here. Likewise ST: DS9. I'm just thankful that I can/did catch these on DVD. What a wonderful little invention, DVD. Thank you Mr Lieberfarb! (not for inventing it, but for twisting everyone's arm to enable its success -- see other thread elsewhere on this)

Of course, Colin's point is very valid. Watching any of this stuff on broadcast wouldn't have made much difference in terms of sustaining them. Perhaps the only difference would be the "magic" of not really knowing where the show was going, when it would end etc. Whereas even if you remain relatively spoiler free, you have some inkling as to what happens, at barest minimum you know there are only 2 seasons of SN and 7 seasons of DS9, and somewhere there's a so-called Dominion War etc.

 

[Kevin Porter]

Hands down Sports Night and The West Wing. Sports Night was horribly mismarketed and I didn't like sports so I didn't catch it until Comedy Central's syndication. I foolishly dismissed the West Wing as a propaganda piece and bashed it for years without watching a single episode. Then when I got into SN I wanted more Sorkin. So when it started airing in late night syndication I watched a couple of episodes and I was completely captivated. I got the 1st Season as a Christmas gift (Just like I did with Sports Night) and fell head over heels in love with the show. Absolutely the best television show ever made. If Sports Night exhibited the potential of the format, TWW exploited every facet of what it could do. Then Sorkin and Schlamme packed their bags and what we have left is less than a shadow of what it once was. Now I'm just counting the days until "The Farnsworth Invention" (The dynamic duo's first flick) and the eventual behind the scenes sketch comedy series to air on CBS where Les Moonves will surely take care of Sorkin and Schlamme and the series far greater than NBC did. [/sorkin schlamme love rant]

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

Babylon 5 is the only show I've seen on DVD that I wish I had watched on air (I wanted to watch it back then, but I was always at work) - but I don't think I could cope with the long wait between episodes.

I keep meaning to get the first two seasons of The West Wing - I started with the third season. And I want to see Sports Night.

 

[Joseph G.]

Freaks and Geeks

 

[David Lambert]

Freaks & Geeks, Firefly, Roswell all come to mind. I'm sure there are others.

 

[Craig S]

"Buffy The Vampire Slayer" & "Angel" - simply because the major beats of the these series have long been public knowledge, and as much as I've enjoyed them on DVD, I know it would have been even better seeing them when everyone else did and enjoying the plot twists unspoiled.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Freaks and Geeks would have been unwatchable with the NBC turkey and Olympics symbol on every frame, not to mention what seemed like 10 commercial breaks per episode! I like to think THAT'S why it got low ratings, because the people (like me) who appreciate the show won't tolerate that crap!
Wish I had watched Pink Lady & Jeff when it was on in 1980 though (when you could actually see an entire show without any onscreen junk), would love to see that with the original commercials! The last show on the DVD was never aired though.

 

[CherylWI]

I never watched Roswell and Party of Five until I got the DVD's. Love them both now.

 

[Daniel`D]

Dark Angel, I got the first season about a week ago and found myself watching it whenever I got the chance.

 

[Tory]

Aside from shows not available to me due to my DOB, location, and ability to see, the only shows I can think of that I did not take care to view until it was too late were Magnum P.I. and China Beach.