One (and two) Season Wonders

Since it's Winter here, my house is freezing and I haven't been well, Noodle Arms and I have lately gotten into the habit of going to bed after (or sometimes with) dinner in my room, and watching our stories on the laptop until it's time for her to go off to her own room to sleep. We're not really into those shows that are easy to find and have a bazillion fans (you know - Two and a Half Men, House, Dr Who, Grey's Anatomy, whatevs), so we're always on the lookout for something fun and a bit different to watch. Unfortunately, we always seem to fall in love with the gems that only lasted a season or two. I've spoken before about the grandaddy of them all of course, and the utterly perfect Freaks and Geeks, and now I'm going to recommend a few more who are looking for something to watch that's a little off the beaten track.

 Bakersfield P.D. 

I have been looking for this forever, and I finally found it on youtube. A quirky sitcom about an educated cop (Giancarlo Esposito) who moves to a town apparently full of idiots.

 Grosse Pointe

A comedy about the making of one of those 90s teen night-time soaps, created by Darren Star, who knows a thing or two about 90s night-time soaps (he brought us the wonder that is Melrose Place and the dreck that is Sex And The City).

Popular

Think Glee without singing. But better.

Undeclared

A college comedy created by Judd Apatow, and featuring a few of his regular stable in early roles (a very young Seth Rogan and a lovesick Jason Segel were two of the regulars). It also starred Charlie Hunnam when he was young and purty (post-Queer as Folk, pre-Sons of Anarchy), and featured guest stars like Busy Phillips, Simon "Wolowizard" Helberg, and the always fabulous Amy Poehler.

Pushing Daisies

Once you suspend disbelief and get past the really quite stupid premise (shy young man can bring people back to life by touching them, but only for a minute or someone else dies), this is just one of the most gorgeous shows ever. Visually, it was a stunning technicolour marvel - you half expect Gene Kelly to come tappa-tappa-tapping through. Lee Pace is the dream man of everyone who likes the sweet, awkward shy type (me me me!), Anna Friel is kind of annoying but has a fabulous wardrobe, Kristen Chenowith sings fairly regularly (yay), Chi McBride is wickedly droll, and Swoozie Kurtz and Ellen Greene steal their scenes as two slightly crazy spinster sisters. There is so much to love about this magical show that I can't even begin to tell you - just watch it and find out for yourself.

Reaper

Young man turns 21 and finds out his parents sold his soul to the devil (Ray Wise hamming it up beautifully) years earlier. So now he becomes a bounty hunter for Hell, along with his slacker buddies Sock (Tyler Labine) and Ben (Rick Gonzalez). This show lasted two seasons and ended on a really annoying cliffhanger. Grr!

Wonderfalls

Our most recent discovery - I had heard of this but had no idea what it was about. When I read somewhere recently that it was created by Bryan Fuller, the guy who created Pushing Daisies, that was all I needed to hear. An over-educated, anti-social retail clerk (Caroline Dhavernas) finds that inanimate objects start talking to her and giving her frustratingly vague instructions to help people. She is surrounded by her loving but overbearing family, her childhood best friend and a potential love interest bartender, none of whom know her secret and find a lot of her behaviour strange and concerning as a result.

Did you love any of these? What are your favourite one (or two) season wonders?