15 Great TV Shows You Might Have Missed - Page 2 of 3

expanse“The Expanse”
We have to confess that, since “Battlestar Galactica” wound up a few years ago, we’ve mostly avoided Syfy original shows, which tend to look super cheap and generic from a distance. That’s why it took us nearly a full year to catch up with “The Expanse,” which is probably the network’s biggest gamble since the Cylon-tastic reboot of the 1970s classic. And if this isn’t yet ready to stand alongside that great show, it’s easily the best thing they’ve done since, and arguably the best hard sci-fi show on the air right now. Based on a successful series of novels (in more than one respect, it’s attempting to be a sort of sci-fi “Game Of Thrones” in its scope and ambition), it’s set in a future where the solar system has been colonized, and Earth and Mars sit permanently poised for conflict in a Cold War. There’s an expansive cast of characters, but we focus most on a noir-ish detective on a space station in an asteroid belt (Thomas Jane), a Earth ship captain (Steven Strait) and a U.N. administrator back on Earth (Shohreh Aghdashloo). Adapted by “Children Of Men” and “Iron Man” writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, it lays out some terrific world-building, getting the most out of what was presumably not a massive budget, and does a very good job of juggling some intricate, twisty plot lines. The acting is sometimes a bit Made In Vancouver, if you know what I mean (Jane, Aghdashloo and guest stars like Jared Harris are good, while Strait and some others are… not), but it’s an immersive pleasure that sci-fi fans, and methadone-seeking ‘Thrones’ fans, will likely have a blast with.
Where Can I Watch It? Season one is now on Amazon Video, season two began this week on Syfy.

fortitude

“Fortitude”
You could argue that the time of the Scand-noir has probably passed: “The Killing” and “Borgen” have long-since ended their runs, and David Fincher’s planned trilogy of “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” stalled after the first movie, with only this year’s Tomas Alfredson/Michael Fassbender team-up holding the fort. When it debuted back in 2015, “Fortitude” undoubtedly was attempted as a sort of Scandi/Western crossover: set in Arctic Norway, with a multi-national cast including local stars (Sofie Gråbøl from the original “The Killing”), big-name British actors (Christopher Eccleston, Michael Gambon) and an American A-lister (Stanley Tucci). But it proved to be more than just another show with cops looking for bodies in a fjord: It was an odd beast with echoes more of “Twin Peaks” and even sometimes “Northern Exposure” than your average serial-killer show. It didn’t 100% work, but it was stylish, had a great cast (Richard Dormer being something of a stand-out), and unlike most prestige-y dramas, felt overstuffed rather than undernourished. With the second season (now with added Dennis Quaid) just underway, this could be the perfect time to catch up on one of the more underrated shows of recent years.
Where Can I Watch It? On Sky in the U.K., in the U.S. it aired on the now-defunct Pivot, so it may still be in limbo streaming-wise. iTunes should sort you out though.

Kristin Bell and Ted Danson, The Good Place“The Good Place”
Just a couple of days ago, we got news that NBC had renewed this offbeat afterlife comedy from “Parks And Recreation,” “The Office and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” maven Michael Schur, and it was a relief as its future was hardly assured. Of course, as one of the few major-network shows to make this list, the rules are different, but even though its viewership numbers seem healthy compared with subscription-channel programming, the show was easily within the axe-able ratings range for NBC. But the network’s anxiety to keep Schur on-site, and the critical word being so strong, has meant that it has beaten the odds and, led by a delightful Kristen Bell in her best vehicle since “Veronica Mars,” it will return later this year. It was, simply, one of the best-planned series of 2016, laying a terrific trap that snared toward the end of the run and that leaves the door open for a revamped-and-yet-not-so season 2. Inventive, inquiring, not afraid to get quite silly at times, peppered with cherishable performances (Ted Danson co-stars, Adam Scott cameos while Manny Jacinto may be the main breakout as Bell’s fellow afterlife partycrasher), “The Good Place” is sort of the whole reason we dreamed up this feature.
Where Can I Watch It? All episodes of Season 1 are on NBC.com

hap-and-leonard-james-purefoy-michael-k-williams-christina-hendricks“Hap & Leonard”
If you’ve already binged “Justified” (and if you haven’t, what the hell are you doing here? Go watch that!) and are looking for similarly Southern-fried crime capers, you can do a hell of a lot worse than “Hap & Leonard.” Hailing from Jim Mickle and Nick Damici of the terrific neo-noir “Cold In July,” this SundanceTV show, like the earlier film, adapts the work of crime-writing great Joe R. Lansdale, this time telling the 1980s-set tale of draft-dodging pacifist Hap Collins (James Purefoy, cast surprisingly well against type) and Leonard Pine (Michael K. Williams), a gay black Vietnam vet, who find it very difficult to avoid trouble in their small East Texas town. This is very much a Sundance show, unfolding in its own sweet time and much more interested in atmosphere and character than in plot on the whole. But it’s still a very pleasing, dryly funny, almost Coen-esque watch with a great supporting cast (including Christina Hendricks and a pre-“Westworld”-fame Jimmi Simpson), and if you click into its rhythms, you’ll have a lot of fun.
Where Can I Watch It? iTunes is probably your best at this point, but we imagine Sundance will make it available again on their own service in time for you to catch up before Season 2 arrives later in the year.

LastChanceU_Unit_0026_R_CROPLast Chance U
It’s been over five years since we said goodbye to Eric and Tami Taylor and all the characters we loved on “Friday Night Lights.” And while there has been chatter about a possible movie reunion, it increasingly seems unlikely to pass. But if you need that unique blend of tough-love drama and sport, now’s the time to watch “Last Chance U.” Debuting last summer to very little fanfare, with just six episodes it requires little investment, but offers plenty of reward, even if you’re not a football fan. Directed by Greg Whiteley, the series takes viewers behind the scenes of the remarkable football program at East Mississippi Community College, which, as the title of the show makes clear, is the last stop for gifted players with troubled pasts to have a shot at making the NFL. While the intimate access with the players and coaches is integral, Academic Advisor Brittany Wagner brings it all together. A real-life Tami Taylor, she’s the heart of “Last Chance U,” a remarkable leader and support system for the players who are often coming from challenging backgrounds, while also telling them the hard truths they need to hear. It’s compelling viewing and definitely a series that didn’t get the attention it deserved the first time out.
Where Can I Watch It?: Season one is now streaming on Netflix, and it has been renewed season two which should likely arrive later this year.