TV Favorites I’ve Never Watched

As an avid couch potato, it is hard to say these words: there are some TV favorites I have never watched. Phew, that was hard! Okay, maybe you think that’s silly; but when you are as avid a TV viewer as me, admitting you didn’t get on the bandwagon of a particular well-done, but in most cases, highly overlooked show, it feels like you missed the mark and have egg on your face. Such is the case for me where several critic- and fan-favorite shows are concerned.

I won’t focus on all of those shows (as, sadly, there are quite a number of them); but I will discuss the top five series that I totally missed out on (they appear in no particular order, though):

1. ER – This long-running medical drama debuted in September of 1994, which was an exceedingly difficult year for me and my family, as we very unexpectedly lost my father to a rare and, at the time, untreatable illness. For nearly one full year after that devastating loss, I was in a state of depression. Television, movies, music and books – all big loves of mine – lost their luster and appeal. Sadly, this award-winning series that spanned 15 seasons simply got overlooked and, for the most part, was just too hard for me to watch given the circumstances.

2. Torchwood – The out–of–this–world spin-off of the highly successful sci-fi series Doctor Who has only been on the air for a few years; but has garnered a very loyal following and has had critics buzzing about it from virtually its first episode. Unfortunately, the combination of not having access to BBC America where the show is reaired for the American audience (until earlier this year when I moved and gained DirecTV as my new cable provider) and my own old-fashioned beliefs, I have seen very little of this John Barrowman-led series. However, I can state that like so many others this past summer, I did have the opportunity to see the much-talked about Children of Earth mini-season and enjoyed it immensely (even with the grim and harsh sequences and cliffhanger-type ending).

3. Gilmore Girls – While this show should be at the top of my most favorite series list simply because it was, for the most part, THAT good; I could not identify with Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. Their unique and special mother-daughter relationship was totally foreign to me. After the passing of my dad in 1994, I became my mother’s caretaker due to her numerous health issues that precluded me from having that kind of wonderful relationship; whereas, my mother was my job to a great degree. I only wish I could have had the kind of relationship with my mother that the Gilmore Girls had with each other.

4. Friday Night Lights – When this movie was released in 2004, starring Billy Bob Thornton, it was not a movie I had any desire to see simply because its focus was on football. The same held true two years later when NBC debuted the television version of the film; again, the focus was, of course, football. I am NOT a fan of sports in any way, shape or form. And, despite the fact that Kyle Chandler, one of my personal favorites since his early days in the Vietnam-based series Tour of Duty (not to mention his work in the TV series Homefront and Early Edition as well as his appearance in Heaven & Hell: North & South: Book III), I could not bring myself to watch any TV show that focused on football. It has only been recently, due to a friend coming to my place once a month to watch the show on DirecTV, that I have come to appreciate the series for it is: a realistic look at family life, small-town living and the need to succeed to the best of your ability no matter what.

5. Freaks & Geeks – This short-lived series was only on the air for one season; but it has left a lasting impression on critics and viewers alike – except for me (and maybe a few others) that is. Perhaps it was because the show chronicled a time when I was actually in high school. Well, I was in high school in the mid-1980’s, and the series was set in 1980, but a couple years difference really doesn’t make a difference. The nuances were still pretty much the same; and I was the classic preppy, geek; therefore, I could totally identify with these kids and did NOT want to be reminded of the years that I do not look back on fondly whatsoever.

There is my list of just some of the TV favorites that I have never watched, for the most part. Are there any critic- or fan-favorite series that you have never watched? Please share.